Tw: Child Abuse Mention - Tumblr Posts

rpf of real children is bad, and ao3 openly endorses it. they fired someone for being pro-palestine but not for fic of a real minor (at the time. he had also said he was uncomfortable with RPF) being raped as a BABY by one of his deceased friends. what possible defense is there for that? just make ocs if the fantasy is what does it for you, why do you have to bring real living children into it?

There's your defence.

AO3 is an archive. I can assure you there is a vast array of the most sordid, twisted, messed up literature you could've ever imaged on there. AO3 cannot, by its own principle, pick and choose what is and is not allowed in terms of actual content.

(Hence why AO3's content policies are based more upon qualities like category, rather than content.)

Do I read sexual literature about real minors? No. But as a user and supporter of AO3 and I likewise cannot try to dictate what does and does not fall under the protection of its archival status. There is no such thing as "a little censorship."

There are many reasons why someone might write something like that. But as long as it solely remains as art and not action, it has nothing to do with me.

AO3 gives me more opportunities not to see it than literally any other website.

Actually hold on I can't sleep so let me tell you what I think about Kevin, the smiling god, Strexcorp, and how it all ties together.

(rant incoming)

So! The podcast of WTNV contradicts itself sometimes as to who founded the congregation of the smiling god, and I find it interesting! (I'll try to to source my findings but I'm kinda trash at that so sorry in advance.)

First things first, it was before strex for sure. This is confirmed by the episode with past Kevin and I think a priest of the congregation actually? He talks about smiling, uses friendly language, and overall seems like a happy guy pre-strex in a somewhat similar fashion to during-strex Kevin. Personally I love the contrast, but that's not the point whoops. And after his disconnect with strex, there are still many! people that worship the smiling god.

Here's what I think, and take it with a grain of salt because I hadn't read any of the books or seen the live shows (wiki fandom is my best friend on this), but it seems like the corruption of a religion to further a social/political goal on strex's part.

I refuse to get too political on this but my thoughts on this was the OG religion was positive and harmless, centered around a more spiritual belief of goodwill, optimism, and respecting life (maybe the energy of every living thing via blood and bones and the beauty of just... Life and living thing? Only to turn into a blood and bone fixation? Hm.) Smiling has been proven to help your brain make happy chemicals, and laughing is literally contagious! I read a post that while science is Night Vale's religion, religion is Desert Bluff's science, and I agree. It makes sense that a guy like pre-strex Kevin (as little as I know him) would understand and appreciate these values. Hell, I even think cutting a gaslow smile into yourself could've been an original thing, some religions are like that man, especially not surprising in WTNV.

Strex is obviously sadistic, faux-friendly, manipulative and gaslighting, etc etc etc. It wouldn't be the first time a company or group would use and corrupt a popular religion to seize control, and brainwashing is how cults work! That mixed with torture and meds, no wonder strex employees were so loyal. And they most likely used his own religion (albeit an essentially bastardized version) to condition him. By telling him pain is good (yikes) and "crushing the weak" to paraphrase Kevin himself is all part of this religion HE FOUNDED, they could've easily twisted their own virtues into his. Despite being a prophet, I don't think Kevin has had contact with it for a while now.

However, the smiling god is obviously malevolent, I am not sure about that bit. It either drive him just a bit mad upon first meeting it (valid tbh), it killed him but didn't?? because what is logic in night vale honestly, or somehow tricked him into believing it was a more benevolent presence. Or, maybe he worshipped it because why not, Cecil was totally ready to adhere to the demands of the glow cloud, the distant prince, all of them due to a healthy dose of terror and cosmic fear. Kevin might've gotten luck of the draw.

A thing I don't know yet that's driving me crazy is Kevin met the smiling god via oak door the first time, and it makes me wonder if the desert otherworld is it's domain or something?? And dbt is there now, just thinkin' thoughts about that.

He's shown to be a bit controlling, opinionated and stubborn even before strex (only heartless people don't like cats, Cecil!) and I think strex amplified these traits to terribly negative proportions. As well as using his own trauma, maybe? He compares his father to a thing always watching (in the walls, I think?), the sun to an overbearing father, let's not even mention the burning hot caramel situation. If his father was strict and abusive, it might be easier to say "hey, wasn't that actually a good thing? All that pain, what a great dad!" And turn his brain into a functional positive feedback loop.

Sorry for the whole essay, ack, but I've been thinking about this way too much lately. To summarize, smiling god came first via Kevin, Strex ruined everything as per usual, and religion and science and this podcast are soooo flipping interesting!!!! Okay thanks for coming to my Ted talk, Mothy out

Murder Drones Fanfic - A Mother's Wrath, A Father's Softspot, and Brave Girl

Tessa and J were in the library drawing pictures together laying on the floor. It had maybe been a week or two since J had been built and assigned to be Tessa's drone.

The 9 year old held up a doodle of her and J as slightly square-ishly shaped dogs. She giggled as she kicked her feet back and forth, "I drew us as Bluey dogs!"

J looked up from her drawing of a little shadowy girl with a beautiful white unicorn. "That's really good, Tessa," J encouraged warmly, "I'm really proud of you."

Tessa glanced over curiously. "What are you making, J?" she giggled, being a little nosy by slightly raising herself up onto her knees and elbows to get a better view.

The worker drone with the synthetic white ponytails finally relinquished and showed Tessa the drawing. "It's silly, it's nothing special..."

Tessa sat upright in a criss-cross-apple-sauce way before picking up the drawing and admiring it. "WOWIE! THAT'S SO PRETTY!" she exclaimed before explaining, "And I love the unicorn! Unicorns are the best horses!"

J sat up right, moving closer to Tessa. "Well, it's a rainy day today. Do you know what that means?"

Tessa trilled excitedly as she side hugged J, "We get to watch the archive of Bluey videos!"

The two had spent the last 30 minutes watching episode after episode together, sitting on the floor together, laughing at the antics of the Heeler family. The Maid drone and her favourite human were in the middle of watching the episode about Bingo dreaming of being in space with her stuffed rabbit when Louisa walked into the library so she could read her true-crime novellas.

J quickly turned off the episode and whispered to her favourite human, "Tessa, I think we should get out of here, you know how your mother gets when she's in the library."

The young Elliott heiress nodded and took J's hand to try to sneak out of the library. She looked worriedly left and right as she reached the edge of the row of books before she started to bring J along with her.

"Just about home free..." Tessa whispered to J, the two were almost to the doors of the library when...

"TESSA JAMES ELLIOTT!" the Elliott Family matriarch shouted.

The ebony haired girl turned around, meeting her mother's gaze. "Oh.... h-hi Mother, we were just leaving.."

"You know the rules, young lady! And so should your drone!" Louisa snapped cruelly as she slammed her book down on the table.

Tessa flinched, hugging onto J like a scared koala. "W-we were leaving... honest!"

Louisa stood up, storming over to the girl and her drone, looking over the two like an ominous obelisk before she commanded, "Let go of your robot, Tessa."

Tessa held strong, refusing to let go of J. "NO!"

J hugged Tessa back and whispered, "Tess, you should probably listen."

Tessa shook her head no, making her braids fly back and forth. "I'm not letting go, J, you didn't do anything wrong."

Louisa got angrier, now shouting, "LET GO OF YOUR ROBOT OR YOU WON'T BE EVEN ALLOWED OUT FOR DINNER!"

Tessa didn't want to let go, she didn't care.

Louisa slapped Tessa hard, sending her flying back.

J looked on in horror at what happened, she went to run over to her favourite human who's right cheek was now red from the slap, when she was picked up by the back of her maid dress. She struggled a bit but gave up, letting herself be held like that to avoid any further punishment.

Tessa pleaded, "Mother no! It's not J's fault. Please, please!" trying to chase down her maternal figure who was walking with J towards the cellar door.

Louisa yanked open the cellar door and dropped J down onto the floor and commanded, "MARCH DOWN THE STAIRS, THAT'S A CORPORATE ORDER!"

J looked back at Tessa, her expression almost emotionless, save for a worried frown. She turned away from her favourite human and marched herself down the stairs, she didn't have a choice.

Tessa stared up at her mother, tears filling her eyes as she watched the woman lock the door. "W-we were trying to leave..." she sniffled, holding her face where it was sore.

"Do you think I care?" Louisa barked at her daughter, towering over the little girl like a monster, "You know the rules, when I use the library, no one else is allowed in! NOW GET OUT OF HERE OR YOU'LL BE OUT IN THE RAIN UNTIL YOUR FATHER GETS HOME."

The ebony haired 9 year old girl ran out of the room, too scared to scream or cry, her heart was breaking. Tessa hid in a closet under the grand staircase, pulling knees into her chest and crying, since she didn't want her mother to find her crying.

J meanwhile, was in the dark and lonely basement of the Elliott Manor. She was distraught after everything she saw, and yet, she didn't feel much at all. "Corporate's spoken," she whispered to herself, the dark barely brightened by the LED light coming from the backs of her hands and her LED eyes. She walked around the dusty and cold space used for storing barrels of wine and rum as well as extra chairs for the ballroom. "Looks like this is home until Boss gets back."

J sat on the basement stairs and sighed, she wished she could've done something to protect Tessa, but, she couldn't do anything to disrespect her employers.

After some minutes of quiet brooding, the silver haired drone girl could hear gentle sobs coming from somewhere. She followed the echo that to J sounded like a precious angel crying to a vent in the ceiling. The maid looked up through the air duct into a dark room. "Is someone there?" J asked softly, she knew it was Tessa but, she wanted to not startle the little girl.

The girl in the room above stopped her sobbing and looked to the grate on the floor beside her. "H-hello?" she sniffled as she looked down, eventually seeing her favourite and only drone's eyes through the dark. "J.... I'm so sorry... I should have listened," she sniffled, her heart heavy with remorse.

J had her chance now, to get back a Louisa for hurting Tessa, J thought for a bit and instructed firmly but kindly, "Tessa, remember the story of Little Red Riding Hood?"

Tessa let out a small and sorrowful "mm-hmm" in response to J's question.

The maid drone called up through the small air shaft, "How she was a big brave girl when the wolf was going to eat her, and she hit him in the stomach with a table lamp and went to get help from the lumberjack?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Tessa, I'm going to need you to be a big brave girl and sneak into your Dad's office and phone him."

Tessa went silent for a bit and started crying again. "B-but I'm scared... I don't have you to protect me... what if Mother catches me? A-a-and how will I get into Father's office, he locks it when he's working or away."

"She won't if you're careful," J insisted pleading the sorrowful girl above, "Get to the ballroom's kitchen and use the dumbwaiter to get up to his office, "

Tessa responded with a little laugh at the word dumbwaiter, yet her voice still wavered with sorrow, "What's a dumb waiter?"

J couldn't help but smile a little at her favourite human's giggle, responding back caringly, "It's the little elevators the manor uses for food, the ones you hide in when we play hide and seek." She asked again, "So, are you going to be a big brave girl for me?"

Tessa responded, her voice still a little shaky from crying, but more sure of herself and the goal now, "I'll do it... I'll be a big brave girl for you, Jaybird..." She reached her little hand as far down as it'd go into the short air vent.

J reached up into the small duct, her finger tips just tapping Tessa's. "You can do this, I believe in you... Get to your Father's desk and call him from the phone and tell him everything.

Tessa pulled her hand back and whispered into the vent, "I'm going to go be brave now, thank you, Jaybird, you always know what to say." She stood up as tall as she could, dusting off her black overall dress and opened the closet door carefully. She looked around the room to ensure no one was there, she looked over to the library, seeing the frosted pane doors to the library still closed. She made her way along the wall carefully to make sure that if her mother was looking out the door that the movement wouldn't be as detectable. Once she got to the blindspot of the library doors, she took off her shoes and hurried to the ballroom, knowing that socks made far less noise from her midnight sneak-downs to the kitchen for cookies.

Tessa walked by one of the mirrors in the small corridor to the ball room and saw a small purple ovular bruise on her right cheekbone. She ran her thumb over it, pretending it was a battle stripe that she had painted on herself, and headed into the ballroom, doing her best to not step on the creakier floorboards along the edges of the room. Some maid drones were chatting as they worked polishing silverware. "Like I said 77, it's just dreadful, poor 1001, she's been having back issues, and not even Reginald can figure out how to fix that." 117 interjected, "Could you imagine having to dust the hallways with a hunched back from a damaged spine?"

Tessa dropped to the ground and crawled under some tables to get through without being spotted. She knew if any drone saw her, they'd want to chat, and that would get her caught in a heart-beat. She crawled out from one table and tucked and rolled to another one like a little spy, making her way carefully over to the curtains along the wall. She stood up as she made her way behind them.

A little hunched over maid drone hobbled by the curtains, her little voice greeting to her coworkers, "Oh... hello ladies," she held a hand on her back, "Alright, I've finished sweeping the vestibule... any idea what else I could do?"

Tessa peeked out from the curtains seeing the unnamed drone who always turned a blind eye when she went to steal cookies from the pantry but couldn't keep a secret very well. She held her breath.

"You could dust the curtains," 77 suggested.

1001 smiled at the idea and started walking over to the curtains after picking up a rubber carpet-beater. She did her best to hobble over to the curtains, happy to be able to do a job despite her disability.

Tessa shuffled as quick as she could while trying to not make the curtains move too much. "Shoot!" she whispered as she was just shy of the edge of the curtain, turning back to see 1001 glancing at her from the curtains' other side.

"Hello, Miss Tessa!" 1001 greeted happily, waving in the direction in which she saw the girl, only for when the curtain moved for Tessa not to be there, "Oh... I must be seeing things...."

Tessa was under the table closest to the curtains, she had another 5 feet to go before she could get into the dumbwaiter. She had to do something... anything to distract the drones. She looked around for anything she could throw. There was no cutlery under the tables, not even a ball-bearing. She thought and thought before she realized she'd have to take a risk and pull the table cloth and knock the vase over on her table. She got out from under the table, kneeling at the edge to stay hidden. The little girl breathed in and out and shook the table cloth, making the small vase with a single rose tip over and spill.

The drones began looking around for the source of the sound. Tessa dove for the kitchen door and slid around the corner, leaving the 3 maid drones to assess the table and the mysteriously knocked over vase. She clambered up through the little square hole in the wall into the cubby of the little elevator. She closed her eyes as she pressed the button on the outside of the dumbwaiter and pulled her arm back in as the tiny lift made it's way up. Tessa exhaled, feeling she was in the clear, until... she heard a distinct voice coming from the room below the office, as she rode up in the elevator shaft. It seemed that Louisa had gone back to her personal study to get something. "M-mother..." Tessa worried to herself, "She's on the floor below Father's office..." she insisted strongly to herself in a whisper, "I can't back down now, I need to be a big brave girl and save Jaybird." She climbed out of the window-frame entrance of the dumbwaiter and began shuffling herself across the floor still in her socks. She made it to her Father's desk and stood on her tippy toes to grab the receiver. She pressed the button on the older style landline to get a-hold of her father directly as she thought to herself, "Why do we still have a landline, those are over 1020 years old."

The phone hummed slightly as she held the receiver up to her ear, hoping to get through to her father. She prayed softly to herself, keeping her eyes shut, and then...

"Hullo! Office of James Elliott, James speaking!" the man's voice echoed through the speaker. Tessa spoke up in her little Aussie voice, doing her best to still be mostly quiet, "Father... I... I need you to come home."

"Hullo Tessa," he greeted in a friendly tone before he sounded a little annoyed, "I really can't right talk right now though. I have a lot of paperwork to do."

"N-no wait", Tessa pleaded into the phone, trying to say quickly but also quietly, "Father... Mother, she... she got mad and took away, J.." Tessa explained further, her voice getting shaky with tears, "She hit me, and now I'm unsupervised."

"Uh huh, I see..." James' voice echoed through the phone, his tone becoming more serious, "Well, I thank you for telling me what's going on, Tessa, but I won't be home for a little bit."

Tessa got scared, her voice getting louder as she pleaded, "Father, please!"

All of a sudden, there was the sound of a woman shouting from the floor below and the sound of footsteps. Tessa left the phone off the receiver and climbed back into the dumbwaiter to try to escape.

When Louisa eventually reached James' room with a key, she saw the phone hanging off the hook, emitting a dial tone, and no one in the office at all.

Tessa hid once more in the under-the-stairs storage closet to stay hidden from her mother. She waited in hiding until her Father got home, listening to the shouting match ensue outside of the closet where she and J held hands through the small opening in the floor to keep Tessa from crying. She eventually emerged from hiding once she heard her James Elliott, the CEO of JC Jensen call out for her. "I'm here, Father.. I'm sorry Father," she greeted, slightly bowing out of respect.

The Aussie man in the top hat approached his 9-year-old daughter and soothed, "Oh, Tessie. I'm so sorry for what happened today." He picked her up into his arms, before he laughed, "Crikey! You're becoming a big croco aren't you?" He looked to her face and saw the now darkened bruise. He frowned. "Oh Tessie... I'm so sorry,"

Tessa couldn't help but laugh a little, drying her few tears. She pleaded, as she looked into her Father's more bold greyish eyes, "Can you let J out of the basement?"

James sighed sternly, "Of course, let's go together, alright?" He scowled as he walked along carrying his daughter, "I am very upset at your mother, she should know that you're too young to be left all alone. That's why we built J, so you'd have someone to watch you."

Tessa leaned her head against her father's. "I... I was really scared... but, J called out to me from the basement and told me to be a big brave girl."

James stopped walking and he couldn't help but smile. He ruffled Tessa's hair, messing up her already messy bangs, before he chimed in, "Well, I'm not exactly happy you called me away from work, but I'm glad I could help. You're going to be the boss some day, young lady," he put his top hat on Tessa's head over top of her bow.

Tessa giggled and clung to her dad like a little koala. "I am?"

"Of course y'are, so it's good you're practicing being brave now. CEO's have to be brave, you daft little dingo. Best part, you'll get to have all the drone listen to you, and you can put anything in your tea that you like," he suggested, implying his addiction to adding vodka or rum to his morning tea.

The girl's innocent mind went immediately to the thought of putting 10 lumps of sugar into strawberry tea and she giggled.

The two finally made it to the library and James approached the door, hearing the sound of kicking. "I command you stop, drone!" James hollered at the door before he realized it was Tessa's robot and it wasn't really his place to get mad at J for trying to break down the door to come save Tessa.

"J! I called in the cavalry!" Tessa shouted to the hatch on the floor, she gave her father's hat back and hopped down from his arms.

J called out from the cellar door, "I'm so proud of you, Miss Tessa."

The JC Jensen CEO handed Tessa the key to the lock and stood back as he watched his daughter open the door. He smiled happily, watching J run up the stairs and pull his daughter into her arms, lifting the girl into the air before pulling her into a big hug. "J, you're a very good and protective drone."

J set down Tessa beside her and stood tall as a reaction to the validation from her boss. "All in a day's work, sir," she proclaimed proudly, making a small two finger salute to James.

The well-dressed Aussie man closed the basement door and suggested to Tessa happily, "Well, how's about we make you another drone, so J has a helper."

J and Tessa liked the sound of that, both saying in unison, "Yes please!"

It had been a week, and the new drone was starting to get on J's nerves. J, the new little butler drone, and Tessa were in the library drawing Bluey characters. J scoffed at N's drawings, "You really aren't good at art are you?"

N chimed in proudly, "I know, but I'm good for a drone that's one week old!" He looked up to the girl with the ebony braids and the romper dress with brass buttons.

"That's the important thing!"

The three heard Mrs Elliott's footsteps approaching the library.

Tessa gathered up her art supplies and papers and hid them behind some books. She whispered to her drones, "Brave squad, it's time to go. N, you're on distract mode."

N took a microfibre cloth out from under his hat.

Tessa let out a little quiet giggle upon seeing the drone's little bald head. "We're going to have to give you some hair later, N," the little Aussie admitted before she was hoisted up by J onto the maid drone's shoulders.

J whispered to Tessa as she started walking briskly with the girl sitting on her shoulders, "Come along, kiddo! Let's get you to safety."

N ran over to Mrs Elliott's favourite place and dusted off the table.

Louisa approached, raising an eyebrow in annoyance at the butler.

N bowed politely and greeted, "Good Morning Mrs. Elliott, enjoy your reading. Would you like some tea?"

The wicked hearted matriarch of the Elliott household's stern expression softened slightly as she was taken aback by the drone being polite. "Chamomile, strong brew, two tablespoons of cream, and don't forget a table spoon of honey," she informed sternly.

N nodded and headed on his way out of the library. Once he caught back up with J and Tessa, the three all looked at each other with serious expressions.

The 9-year-old girl started giggling at how well their plan had went, she hopped off of J's shoulders and pulled N and J into a group hug. She squealed with delight and informed to her favourite butler and maid, "Ooooh! I love you two so much! You're my bestest friends!"

N smiled to J who just rolled her LED eyes before she nudged him with her elbow.

The End

Which parent scared you the most? It seems N and J both say your father.

-big breath- I had a feeling this day would come...

Just a warning, I'm going to talk about domestic violence and emotional abuse, so if you're not strong enough to read something dark, that's ok, I'm not going to judge you.

Well, it's like this anon... Father was wicked and cruel to drones, and sometimes he would side with my mother if he felt I was making a fool of myself in front of his work friends, but... when it was just him and I, he was a little nicer. It could've been from the rum or vodka in his morning tea, but, when I was around 8 or 9 he built J for me and then N a couple weeks later. There were times he would yell and scream at Mother when he found out how bad she treated me, but as I got older and more weird, he started to ignore it a little... But, Mother... she really scared me. -starts rubbing her gauntlets- nothing was ever good enough for her. She was vile and wicked. She made my life a living nightmare... She was never happy with me. Either I was overdressed or underdressed, my hair was too short and unlady like or too long and 'unkempt', either I was too strange or too plain. I was never enough... and she would hit me... and I don't think mothers are supposed to hit their little girls. Chili never hit Bluey or Bingo.... And she kept trying to take away my drones and hurt them...

-feeling tears coming on- just.... it was difficult. So Too Long Didn't Read would be my Mother.

Tessa continued to hug the drone that, once again, she saw as a younger sister to her. "I am thankful you did... yes it was a little scary to see them perish, but... Father stopped caring, and Mother was a monster." Suddenly it hit Tessa like a freaking truck, ".... All the other kids on Earth... who were also being treated poorly by their families... they died too," she sighed sadly, "Their pain ended but... at what cost..."

"I'm sorry the Solver used you too, Cyn" Tessa soothed, pulling herself back from those sad thoughts.

"Trying to interact with other worker drones... Has become difficult. They don't trust me." Cyn frowned.

Awww this is a nice story, albeit very sad...

Murder Drones Fanfic - Cypress Trees and A Good Boy - Tessa and Butler N story (non-ship) TW// Depression and Su1c1de mention

a 12 year old Tessa is dealing with a lot, she goes on a walk at night but needs someone to help her.

Warning: contains mention of child neglect, child abuse, suicide, and depression

The autumn air prickled the girl's skin as she opened her bedroom window, but she didn't care. Her conscience screaming at her, "Go, now... go, run," She glanced back at J who had fallen asleep at the foot of her bed, and N who had fallen asleep sitting upright on the chair Tessa stored her stuffed animals on during the day.

"They... they don't need me," the ebony haired human girl reassured herself as she climbed out the window, shutting it softly behind her so it wouldn't make a sound. She climbed down off the windowsill and began her journey down the garden path and through the marsh.

The song of the few remaining frogs greeted Tessa, and yet the girl didn't react to it how she normally would. Continuing her journey across the property in somber silence.

Normally, the girl would walk under the willow tree and into the graveyard, but she walked west of the tree, through the wild flowers that were starting to die off from the colder weather, her night gown catching the wind yet her striped black and white leggings kept her warm. The longer sections of her hair trailed behind her as she ran to the cypress trees that were coming into view, the ones that made her think of Starry Night. She walked up to the trees and sat looking outward, there was a steep drop off to a lake below, she heard the ebbing of the water as it was louder thanks to the night fall wind. She looked down at the water, her grey eyes filling with tears, she could almost imagine the wind calling her name in a soft voice.

"I wouldn't be able to get to terminal velocity, but... the sharp rocks could do the trick," she glanced back to the manor in the distance after her whispered assessment. Her hair being pushed by the wind so the longer sections flew in front of her face, wicking away some of her teardrops. She turned back to the cliffside, staring down, her breathing turned to sobs as she fell to her knees. Her wrists ached from today, an accident, she had insisted to J, but that was a lie.

"The little match girl..." Tessa spoke with a whimper, "She... she got to be happy..." she inched closer to the edge, her soft voice almost lost in the torrent of air, "It's for the best," The girl felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around, being slightly startled by a pair of snow-white LED eyes of a little butler drone.

"Hi Tessa!" the curly-haired butler drone greeted cheerfully.

"Eep!" the little Aussie girl squeaked as she was greeted by N, her beloved little butler.

"I noticed you left your bed and the window was open," the drone trilled sweetly, "A night walk is sure fun though." He kept holding Tessa's shoulder, noticing the tears in her eyes. "Are you alright?"

Tessa looked away, she knew he meant his best. The little Aussie voice quivered as she asked, "D-do you ever feel..." she hesitated, knowing that he was a delicate soul and she'd have to be gentle with her words, "... unhappy..."

N pulled Tessa into a hug and responded, "I do sometimes, but, it's hard to stay sad long with you around."

The 12 year old Elliott heiress felt more tears coming on as she hugged the butler drone back. "D-do you ever wish... you weren't ever built?" she began to ask, her voice shaking like a scared puppy, "L-like you don't want to be here, at all?" She leaned into the hug more, she held back her sobs to not make her precious little ray of sunshine more worried.

N rubbed his friend's back, he didn't realize how deep this well of emotions went. "Tessa," he began gently, letting go of her but still holding her hands in his, "I enjoy every day since I was built by you, but... sometimes it can be scary. Do you want to talk about your feelings?"

The girl sat on the grass next to her butler drone, she hugged his legs and began to explain, sugar-coating the scarier parts, "What do you do when someone who's supposed to care for you hurts you a lot, and the other someone who was there for you since you were little now doesn't care anymore?" she meant her mother and father when she said this, she rubbed her wrists that were aching a little from being chained up this afternoon. Her grey eyes twinkled, the moonlight making her tears look like orbs of crystal while they ran down her freckled face. "What did I do to deserve it? Why do I want to-" she stopped herself, explaining as she looked up to the drone's worried eyes, "Run away, where no one can find me..."

N got down to Tessa's level, he had seen many times when J would do that and give some amazing emotional wisdom, but this was N, he just didn't have that knowledge or emotional maturity, but he offered gently, a story he once read. "Once upon a time, there was a king, and he had a troubled heart. He asked a blacksmith to make him something that would help make his sorrowful heart hurt less."

Tessa felt odd that N was telling her a story, but she let him finish.

"The blacksmith returned later that day with a golden ring, he presented it to the sorrowful king, and when the king saw the words engraved upon it, he smiled," the butler told, a smile in his voice, despite the worried expression, "This too shall pass" He pulled in the girl for a hug.

The Elliott girl started crying, holding onto N like he was a life preserver after she almost drowned in a pool.

"It might be bad right now, but it won't be bad forever, we still make happy memories through all the scary times," the butler explained soothingly

The girl hugged her drone silently, they listened to the sound of the waves at the cliff's bottom, looking out to the stars. Eventually, Tessa found her voice, she remarked softly, "When I'm big and strong, some day... I'll get far far away from here. And we will all be under a big starry sky again... and all of this, will be a memory"

N reassured kindly, while smiling to his favourite human, "I'm glad you didn't run away, Tessa. All of us adore you; me, V, J, and even the maids and butlers without names all like you lots." The snowy-haired drone even trilled, "One day you'll be our boss and you'll be able to keep us all safe and you'll be free to do whatever you'd like."

This made the ebony haired girl laugh a little, she let go of the butler and looked up to the crescent moon in the sky. "I can't wait to be in charge, the first thing I'd do is give you all the names I wanted to give you, your name will be Nate, which means Gift from God."

The butler smiled at that name, responding joyfully, "I can't wait to be called that! It sounds nice!" He stood up and held his hand out. "Let's get you back home, okay? I'll make you waffles in the morning."

The girl asked curiously, accepting the butler's hand up, "Will they have strawberries?"

"Always!" the drone insisted happily, pulling Tessa to her feet before they began heading back to the manor. Nate giggled cheerfully, "I love your new hairstyle, by the way, Tess. It looks great."

Tessa knew her hair was breaking off lately due to not eating enough and she had to cut off most of the longer bits with a razor comb, but still wanting to protect Nate, she giggled, "I had a little accident and I thought, hey, it'd be fun to try something uneven. Might as well, makes it easier for Jaybird to brush."

The two laughed together at Tessa's reasoning as they headed back to the manor, and while the next day wouldn't be that much better, at least Tessa knew in her heart that she was loved, even if it wasn't by her parents, the drones of the manor were her support system, and that gave her courage, only returning to the cliff side to practice the harp or for reading books during the day.

The End