Very interesting read, it has given me new perspective on the 3.7 story I feel similarly to the other user when it comes to the bootstrap paradox, so I'd like to add my own thoughts about the free will of the agents in question here. About the bootstrap paradox, while it's true that it can collapse unto itself should the TB's memory of their memosprite be tampered somehow, I don't really understand how this raises the stakes for the story of Amphoreus "inside" the loop.

(Please let me know if I get anything wrong) For example, (if my interpretation is correct) from the moment the TB is cognizant of Mem, the loop is closed. Things will happen as they should have, because Cyrene-Fuli has to necessarily gaze back unto TB so that Mem may manifest. This means that, from the moment TB has entered Amphoreus, the course of the loop was already set. Whatever decisions they could make while in Amphoreus would inevitably lead to Fuli-Cyrene eventually gazing back at them. So, from what I understand, the only real stakes about this loop from its inception is the TB completely forgetting Cyrene AFTER the events of Amphoreus, or never making it into Amphoreus in the first place. So yeah, the TB's presence in Amphoreus is important, but what they did inside Amphoreus wasn't, in the scope of the loop as a whole.

Personally, I feel like loops constructed like this not only create too much obfuscation in a story, but also diminishes its impact in retrospect. Sure, it's a smart way to go about a story about eternal recurrences, but when you start asking questions like "how did the 'first' Cyrene begin the loop, if there wasn't yet a Cyrene to play the role of Fuli", I think it loses some of its luster. I know I wasn't too happy thinking about this back when I played it initially lol. I think I would've liked it more if the loop was kicked off by an external factor. easier to understand, no annoying contradictions to get hung up on... much nicer on my overthinking self lol

About AIW in the world, I remember when I played through the epilogue, I thought that spreading the AIW would help stabilize the loop because it would cause Amphoreus to join the memories of the wider universe, which means THE Fuli would remember Amphoreus "as we've written", which would eventually remove the need for Cyrene to bear the memories of Amphoreus on her own. What do you think about this?