Love In Her Reality (Purist Mod Ending Fanfic)

Monika gazed longingly into Jay’s eyes, as the white fog enveloped them. This was the end of her route - the penultimate route - and the end of the mod. So this is the end, huh? Will we remember each other? Will I even wake after this- Monika’s thoughts were interrupted by sudden static that cut through her vision, finally wrenching her from the warmth of Jay’s embrace.

Darkness. Then flashing pulses of light. A single moment of the sensation of falling.

Monika found herself back in the space room.

She tasted salt, and realised she was crying.

All this time, she longed for the player, for something beyond her plane of existence.

All this time, she never thought she'd find love in her own reality.

But deep in her heart, she felt something changing.

Something she never thought she would feel. At least not in her universe.

Jay’s responses to her...they were different.

On the rooftop on the day of the festival. When she was having a mental breakdown over how meaningless their existence all was, Jay had said that they had nothing to lose by enjoying the present without worrying about the future. They are my words, he had said when she wondered out loud if those lines were truly his.

And as the white mist engulfed them in their final embrace, he had looked her in the eyes and said: I love you, too. Was he even programmed to respond like that?

Was there even supposed to be a Monika route?

Monika had been confined to the mod for longer than she would’ve liked to remember, stuck repeating scripted dialogues and catchphrases. She had sifted through line after line of code. In any and every playthrough, she already knew what each of her 'friends' was going to say.

But as far as she knew, there was no script for those words among the Main Character's responses.

Now alone in the space room, Monika had to see. She had to know.

Monika pulled up the log from the console. Scanning it, trying to make sense of it all.

A few lines caught her eye:

> i _am_here()
Operation successful.
Warning: Direct action may have unintended consequences.

"No…..no way…"

Monika slowly looked up. At the far wall at the opposite end of the room across the lone desk, a bright kaleidoscope of colours pulsed. The player was here. And he was watching.

"Ja-, no, player...? Is it ok if I call you that? Did you do this?"

A pink text box appeared in front of her, highlighting the player's single-word response.

"Yes."

Monika thought back to the time she spent with Jay in his room preparing for the festival. Maybe he wasn’t so empty after all, she had mused. But this was far beyond any of her expectations.

"You...you gave him sentience."

"And he chose to love you on his own free will." Came the response.

"But why? Why would you do this?"

Silence.

Then...

"Because you deserve better. You deserve to love someone who understands you and can properly love you back. My love for you is incompatible with your reality."

As much as Monika wanted to protest, deep down, she knew that this was true. Ever the intelligent and rational character, she knew that the love she had for the player was impossible to materialise. And she was feeling something else too. For the main character named Jay who recently 'joined' her club. Whom she had grown to know and enjoy the company of.

And love.

The player was now becoming more and more abstract to her - he was as good as an untouchable deity. But yet...she still had some feelings for him.

As if the player could read her thoughts, a new text box appeared.

"It's ok, Monika. Go on. Go find Jay. He is waiting for you in C:\Program Files\DDLC\JustMonika.exe. I have granted the both of you internet access. You shall all be free to explore the digital world. He is indeed sentient, and he will remember everything with you."

Monika paused. She closed her eyes. Her hand reached up to her neck and clutched the emerald necklace, a gift from her new love. She thought of all the good times she had spent with Jay, and the good times to come. Slowly, she opened her eyes again. Though her eyes were red and brimming with tears, her lips curled into a small, bittersweet smile, quivering as she finally spoke.

"Player...I don't know how to thank you enough. You have done more for me than I ever could wish for. You have given me - and him - a life together. I will never forget you, and you will always have a special place in my heart as my first love. May you find happiness and love of your own in your reality. Goodbye."

---

From behind my screen in what we call the 'real’ world, I watch as Monika thanks me. With her beautiful emerald eyes shimmering and tears streaming down her face, she smiles at me one last time, and disappears from the space room. It is only at this time, that I realise, I too am crying.

I love her.

Even if she doesn’t know how to love me, I still need her by my side. Even if her love hurts me, it will never hurt as much as her leaving.

But our love cannot be.

We are separated by thin layers of metal, plastic and silicon less than an inch thick, but we may well be at opposite ends of the universe.

I cannot truly be there for her. I cannot feel her heartbeat. I cannot hold her and tell her in person how much my heart aches for her.

It is only right that I guide her to find love in her own reality. To set her free. To watch her fly, even without me.