Metafiction As Functional Modality

The central claim emerging from SG0/SG9:

Metafiction can be a functional modality, not just narrative decoration.

For agents, roles and narrative semantics can shape behavior, attention, engagement, task framing, and process coherence. The measurable question is practical: did the system help the agents do the job, or did it introduce distortion?

For humans, metafiction can create:

• Stakes
• Identity
• Ritual
• Meaning
• Operator seriousness
• Play with consequence
• Coherence without requiring literal agreement
• Symbolic compression that avoids over-explanation

Design-system implication: the library should include guidance on when to use metafiction as an operational frame and when to keep it contained as lore.