Hello, everyone, it's your favorite neighborhood sheltie here with her collection of non-pairing fanfics. My second thread (once I make it) will consist of my pairing-centric fanfics. The following fics that are in this thread aaaaare --

Title: Liebes Neunzig, which is German for "Dear Ninety."
Author: Yours truly!
Rating: 13+ (child abuse, yeah.)
Genre: Biographical drama. Yes.
Status: In progress!
Pairing: None.
Summary:
Everyone has a life, don't they? A backstory. It's so easy to...push things aside, when all you want to see of someone is the bare minimum, skin-deep perceptions which let us gloss over the finer details of someone portrayed as "evil", or...or "twisted", "deranged", anything, really. It's so easy to think that that's all they are, isn't it? But they're human, aren't they? Just like you. Who knows what their lives were like, are like?

...would you like to find out?

Title: The Hitman's Dog
Author: Yours truly!
Rating: 13+ (sensitive material, violence)
Genre: Tradgic drama.
Status: In progress!
Pairing: None.
Summary: "My name is Pess, and I'm always alone. The white-coat-gods left me all alone. Miles left me all alone. No one ever needs me, do they? Even when I need them...they always disappear. Please stop...stop leaving me all alone..." Basically, the story of humanoid sheltie Pess as she floats from one temporary home to another, from the scientists that brought about her birth, to the troubled teenager that takes her in after the white-coats abandon her, to, eventually, a one-of-a-kind assassin with a soft spot for animals.

--

Liebes Neunzig I


I didn't want to do this. I...really, really didn't. Not that I've never been back here before, of course -- my many, ah, excursions back to this soil number a tad higher than I'd like to admit, especially since the fact that it was my...my cowardly actions being the reason why I was even able to return here in the first place. Yes, cowardly. I'm not afraid to admit it...now. It's...odd, really. I've changed, haven't I? So odd.

...in any case. Franziska is leading the way, naturally -- it's her father's house, I figured she should do the honors, even more so seeing as it was her who initiated this whole process in the first place, since as I previously stated, I really did not want to do this. Franziska, however, would have none of it.

"...little brother," she had chided, her nails flexing against her arm under the cover of black leather, a sign of aggravation which generally alluded to impending pain, "Your opinion on the decision does not matter. It has already been decided." Clearing her throat, she had continued, "You will be accompanying me to Germany, Miles Edgeworth, to sort out the contents of my father's will. No objections."

...seeing as she had long denounced me in regards to being of the von Karma name, I was tempted to ask why exactly I was required to come along on this escapade, but...that whip does hurt.

...maybe she just didn't want to do it by herself. I...certainly wouldn't, be I in her situation. Even without being the blood offspring of Manfred von Karma, I can imagine the feeling all too well. Among other things.

Being back at this house brings with it...memories. Mixed emotions. I'm in the hallway now, floorboards squeaking softly as I cross them to look at the portraits dotting the walls, Franziska's heels making sharp sounds as she strides along ahead of me, taking no notice of the history on the walls. They aren't what she came her for, after all. I'm intrigued by these photos, paintings -- not that I haven't seen them all before, of course -- but every time, it's the same feeling. The feeling of intruding upon something much larger than myself, a kind of sombering weight pressing down on me via stoic, motionless eyes of those long past.

We're finally past the hallway and, after a couple of flights of stairs, have meandered into one of the many small, sidelong rooms of the von Karma estate. Franziska quickly tch's at the state of the room -- four-poster guest bed layered in ages of dust, trunks and drawers bearing the same, cobwebs woven high in the corners where wall and wall meets ceiling, tattered curtains fluttering softly from a breeze filtering in through a broken window. It's a sad state of affairs the house has fallen on, I will agree. In all honestly, if it had been my choice, I would have offered to fund renovations for the place, but as I was not a direct relative of Manfred, I did not have the authority. And Franziska, apparently, had never had the time.

But now, of course, will the release of Manfred von Karma's will, which motioned for all of his possessions, land, and funds to be distributed evenly among Franziska von Karma and Miles Edgeworth, we had all the reason -- and need -- to be here. Not that I honestly cared for anything Manfred could give me. He'd given me quite enough to deal with while he was alive, thank you very much.

I was thinking about this in silence for a few moments, idling in the doorway, before Franziska turned and gave me a sharp look, spurring me into action as I forced myself forward to help her excavate the room. We had barely shared a word through this entire trip, so far -- perhaps there wasn't a need to. Whatever words could convey was already an unspoken realization, a knowledge shared between us, perhaps. A kind of sibling connection, if you will. We had spent a good quantity of years together, after all. In this very house.

...I really need to stop these mental tirades. I'm afraid it's become quite the habit.

I decided to settle myself in front of the aging trunk at the foot of the musty bed, turning my back to Franziska as she rummaged on through the drawers of the ornate dresser against the wall. The latches easily clicked open underneath my fingers and I heaved up on the lid, coughing as dust billowed up into my face and dissipated with a wave of my hand. I reached down to filter through the trunk's contents, expecting to find another trove of Victorian-esque clothing riddled with mothballs and cobwebs--

Instead, there was only single item underneath my fingers -- a soft-bound, thick, leather book, which I lifted up with care, thumbs wiping dust off to make out the words written on it's cover, in a neat scrawl that still managed to carry the essence that can only be conveyed by the unsure hands of a child:

Neunzig.

...carefully, softly, I eased the cover open and took a quick glance at the first page. A mere glance. And that's all it took for words to dance out before me, bold, stark, causing my breath to catch in my throat as I thought of what this might be, could be. Do I want to know...?

"...Franziska. I think...I've found something you might want to see."

--


22 April 1959
Dear Neunzig,

That is your name! Neunzig, do you like it? It is my favorite number. Ninety. Ninety is a good number, so you should be happy, Neunzig. You have a good name! A perfect number, really. Maybe Father will like you if you have a perfect name. I wish I had a perfect name, too. Mama was the one who named me, not Father. Maybe that's why. You're lucky, Neunzig.

Anyway. My name is Manfred von Karma, and I am eight years old today! Mama gave me you, Neunzig, as a present. She told me that whenever I think of something important, I should write it down in you, Neunzig. You will keep my thoughts for me! Please do a good job!

...I'm not sure where to start. I have a lot of things I want to write, so I guess I'll start with my family.

Father is kind of scary. He's always watching the television and shouting bad things about the "stupid liberal scumbags trying to fuck with our great nation". He's always telling me about the time when he was a soldier, when he was fighting the good fight and keeping the impure where they belong. I'm not sure what that means, but Mama says not to listen to him, although it's hard not to. Father is so passionate about it. But he's still scary. Sometimes when he gets really mad, he'll hit me and say that I will "never amount to anything". But then, if I do something right, he's really nice. He'll rub my head and say that I will be great, like the old Führer, Hitler. Whatever happened to the Führer? The nice lady who teaches at school told us he's gone, and that it's a good thing because now things will get better, but Father says it's a bad thing! A bad thing, Neunzig! But Mama says not to listen to Father when he talks about the Führer, so I'm not so sure. It's so confusing, Neunzig.

Mama is nice to me. She has pretty blonde hair and nice eyes. Whenever Father is mean to me, she'll always give me bandages that make me better. She tells me to always be good, do everything right, because that may Father won't hurt me anymore. "Perfect", she wants me to be. Father wants me to be perfect, too, but it's weird, Neunzig, because they'll both tell me something different, when I ask what I need to do. Mama says to be perfect, so that Father won't hurt me...but if I'm perfect like she says, that's when Father hurts me the most! I'm so confused, Neunzig. And kind of scared.

...my hand hurts. I'm going to stop writing for now. My head hurts, too.

---

Last edited by PESSTAR on Tue Jun 15, 2010 12:29 am, edited 5 times in total.

Oh God... I think a tear actually fell...

I'm in love with the premise, it's so original and emotive... And the prologue's great, too. I always thought of Manny's father as the bold, Nazi ex-soldier, and as his mother as the calm and noble woman who takes care of his child.

Please, do go on. I'm loving this. Aside from a couple of grammatical mistakes, it's, loyal to Manfred's style, perfect. 10/10.

---

Amazing Pess! You've captured what I thought Manfred would be back when he was young as well as his family. Like DeMatador said, your portrayal of his father as an ex-nazi soldier and his mother as the caring woman who takes care of her child is brilliant. It's fantastic. I can't wait to see the next chapter.

---

In fact, hate me all you want, but I'm looking forward to the moment when Manfred turns into a real bitch. Maybe his father leaves and his mother tells him (or his mother leaves and his father tells him) that it's because he (Manny) wasn't "perfect" enough...

Good luck, Pessy! :D

---

Impressive, Pess.
I like it but everyone in germany knew/knows who Adolf Hitler is/was.
Especially after the IIWW. It doesn't matter how old you were. I mean, Manfred wouldn't know what terrible things Hitler had done with 8 years, especially with a Nazi-Dad, but at least he would know that he was the famous "Fuehrer" who ruled in germany.
But nevertheless, Cool Story Bro'!

---

That was really really good!

You did a great job, I really enjoyed this story!

Good work! Waiting for the next chapter!

Wow, this is great so far! I've never seen a fic like this one about Manfred before he was evil... it's actually pretty cute ;P

---

@DeMatador:
T-thank you very much ;; I was wondering how well this would be received, and I'm glad there seem to be people enjoying it. That means a lot!

Ah, yes, especially in the prologue...which I had whipped up in the ten or so minutes I had right before bedtime (the journal entry I've had done for a while, only now decided to make a fic of it), which might explain the silly mistakes I overlooked. That and my lack of self-checking. O-OTL

I'm glad I'm getting the characterization down. Manfred is hard to write as. ;;

There will be an event in Manfred's teenagerdom that sparks his first transition into the taser-happy nutcase we all know and love, but you'll just have to wait and see what it is. :3 Thank you so much for your input ;;


@Daniel:
...ah. Yes, that would be true, huh? Thanks for pointing that out! I'll fix that up posthaste.

A lot of my knowledge concerning post-WWII West Germany comes from my history teacher and Wikipedia, so I'm definitely going to get things wrong...a LOT of things wrong, I'm guessing. ;; Alas, I live in America, not Germany, so...;;

But in any case, I'm glad you like it so far! Thank you very much ;;


@Indochine Ramera:
Aww, thank you so much. ;; I’m glad you’re enjoying it as much as I am writing it. :3!


@kitty_sneeze
Which is exactly why I decided to pursue it, because it’s a premise I’ve never seen before and I want people to write more Manfred, dammit! He’s such a twisted, complex, awesome character, with so much potential and. Yeah. He’s one of my favorites, so…;;

Thank you very much, I hope you enjoy the rest of the story, as well. :3

---

@Pess: No problem, always a pleasure ^^
It's amazing how a character that only appeared in one case has such a huge influence in the series and personality. I've never told anybody, but if the next Ace Attorney Investigations has another main character, I would want it to be a much younger Manfred, around Miles' age in PW:AA or younger, who's already a prosecutor but not yet the perfection-driven madman he is. Exploring his past would be incredible. "Ace Attorney Investigations: Manfred von Karma" doesn't sound that bad, eh? XD

@Daniel Fairhammer: I think Manny shouldn't know about Hitler. It seems like Pessy is trying to give kiddo-Manny a very innocent aura, which I personally love, who thinks that everybody in the world is a good person (influenced by his mother), but can snap when they are mad (influenced by his father), but deep inside he knows that they are good (again, his mum). Knowing about such a demonical figure like Hitler was and is (what he actually was, not Manny's father's version), would ruin that vision. Just my two cents :P

---

You say he shouldn't but I think it doesn't matter if he should or not, it's a question of plausibility.
That Manny know about Hitler doesn't tear the whole story appart. As I said, he will know who he was, but he wouldn't know what a demon he was. It's only unrealistic that he NEVER EVER heared about Hitler(at this time). In which way he heared about him doesn't care (and like I said, if he only know that Adolf Hitler ruled over Germany, that would be realistic an wouldnt break the story).


(PS: I'm not a Nazi... I'm originally from Poland *sigh*)

---

Liebes Neunzig II

--

25 April 1959
Dear Neunzig,

Hello again, Neunzig! How are you? Things have been the same with me. It's always the same, Neunzig. I guess that is good, although I'm not so sure.

I'm going to graduate from the third grade soon! Do you know what's so special about that, Neunzig? It is because I'm only eight! I bet you are surprised, Neunzig, to hear of an eight-year-old graduated from third grade. It's because I am very smart. Everyone says so, even both Father and Mama. I'm very smart, Neunzig! That makes me feel good. I can understand words no one else in my class knows, and I'm very fast at the problems my math teacher gives me. School gets kind of boring sometimes, Neunzig, because I finish everything so fast. I like to draw when I am done with all my work, because all of the other kids are busy working because they're not as smart as me. I do not think they really matter, anyway. That's what father tells me.

...actualy, don't tell anyone this, Neunzig, but it can get kind of...sad. I'm sorry for not being clear, Neunzig, but I'm not sure what the word is for it. It's a kind of sad you get when you are sitting in class and when you look around, you don't know anyone and you do not know how to talk to them or anything because you don't know how. It's that kind of feeling, Neunzig, but do not worry! I'm doing my best to fight it. I'm sure it will go away soon. Mama says kids sometimes go through things call phases. I'm sure it's just that, so don't worry, Neunzig.

Anyway, I'm going to go study now, Neunzig! Please take care.

--

3 May 1959
Dear Neunzig,

Something different happened at school today, Neunzig.

I was done early, like usual, so I decided to draw in my notebook for a little bit. I had been studying all day, Neunzig, don't worry, it was just a little drawing! I would never neglect my studies. That would be bad, really bad.

Anyway, at my school, we sit at tables with a few of us at each table. I sit in the corner, and the other kids sit a little ways away from me. They don't like to bother me. I guess it's ok, although it makes that kinda-sad feeling come back again. I still wonder what that is, Neunzig.

Oh, but today, I was drawing, and then I heard something, and i looked up and the girl who sat next to me was closer, and she was looking at me and saying, "What are you drawing?"

It was so weird, Neunzig. I had never talked to anyone in my class before, so I was very confused, Neunzig. What are you supposed to do when someone talks to you? No one ever taught me that. I tried looking in my study books when I got home, but there was nothing that told me anything like that. Maybe I just don't have the right books.

...she went away after a while. I wonder why.

----



@DeMatador:
Yes, his personality is a lot different when he first becomes a prosecutor than when you see him in 1-4. His transition is an interesting one indeed. :3

...AAI:MvK? DO WANT.


@Daniel:
Mandfred was born after the end of WWII, so he wouldn't have ever known what Hitler was...but he probably would know that he was, at least, an old ruler of Germany, so I changed the story to reflect that. thanks so much for your input! :3

---

Last edited by PESSTAR on Tue Jun 15, 2010 12:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

I'm loving it so far... Manny's gonna have a crush, eh? Heheh, cute :3+

Keep 'em coming, Pessy! I think Liebes Neunzig is attracting me to fanfics XD

---

A good chapter! As good as the first one!

Keep up your good job!

I love it. =)

Long time no see, everyone! No worries, for I am still working on Liebes Neunzig; I'm just at a point where I'm trying to decide on what direction I should take next. As compensation, here's the first part of a new story that I'm writing for my good friend, Claudia. Enjoy!

--

The Hitman's Dog I

--

My name is Pess, and I'm the white-coat-god's best friend!

But, but, did you know? I didn't even know who the white-coat-gods were until just a little while ago! I'm always learning new things. That makes the white-coat-gods very very happy, and I like making the white-coat-gods happy! When they look at me through the invisible wall and make noises at each other and then they look at me and they're smiling, I lean up against the invisible wall and smile, too, because it makes me happy, happy! I'm happy when I can make the gods happy! Because I'm the white-coat-god's best friend.

My home is in the little white room behind the invisible wall. The gods are very nice to me – they give me food and let me play with the noisy metal thing and they even gave me this pretty white dress to wear! See, see, watch it twirl! My pretty white dress goes twirl twirl twirl! So fun, so fun!

The little white room is my home, my special home that's just for me, Pess! The white-coat-gods never come in here, no – they have little metal things that aren't as noisy as the noisy metal thing that give me my food, and that control the other metal thing, the noisy one, and they even put the shocky white circles on my had sometimes. The shocky white circles tickle, although I can never remember exactly what happens when the shocky white things go on and when the shocky white things go off. The white-coat-gods are such silly gods, did you know? So silly, so silly!

The white-coat-gods are very silly, and very strange. They're veeery very big, with hair and eyes of all different colors, such pretty colors! Red and brown and yellow and white! So pretty, so pretty! They all wear the same white coats that go swish when they walk, and they all like to stop and look at me through the invisible wall. Sometimes, they'll point and make noises, or put their hand on the invisible wall. I like it when they do that, because then I can put my hand up against theirs and, wow, so big, so big! The white-coat-god's hands are so very big, with very wide, strong fingers and little nails, little flat nails that seem so strange, so different from mine, did you know? I have very small hands, and very thin fingers and sharp nails! I'm always nibbling on my long long nails, so that I don't accidentally scratch up my little white room! That would be bad, bad, and I'd be a bad girl, and I don't want to be a bad girl! No, no!

But, but, I'm so much different from the gods, and not just because my hands are so different, either! The gods are so very, very big, and I'm so so small! Even when I'm standing up on my tippy-tip toes, I can only reach up to the middle of the biggest white-coat-god! And, and, my ears are so different, too. Mine are very furry, and they're the same color as the rest of my hair, a kind of golden-brown that I think is very pretty! It has some white and brown and kind of red in it, too! The gods have ears that are on the sides of their heads, weird and oblong and not-furry, the same pinkish-yellow-sometimes-brown color that their faces are. I wonder why my ears are so different, when my face and arms and legs and everything else are the same as the white-coat-gods? I know because I've seen a picture of me before! I didn't get a very good look because it was up high on one of the brown boards the gods carry all the time, but I know it was me because it had my pretty white dress and everything! But I guess it's just because I'm Pess and they're the white-coat-gods, is all. So different, so silly, so big, so nice.

But, you know, none of the gods even have tails, either! How can they live without tails? I love my tail! It's the same pretty color as my hair and ears, and it goes swish-swish-swish when my dress goes twirl-twirl-twirl and it's very long and fluffy-puffy! When I curl up in my little white room to go to sleep as night, I cover my face with my tail and it makes me feel so safe. It can get very scary at nighttime, when all the gods have gone home and it's only me and my special white room and outside its all dark and shadowy and scary scary scary! I'm glad I'm safe here in my little white room. Thank you, white-coat-gods! I love you! Because I'm your best friend!

I'm always having fun with the white-coat-gods! When they're standing outside the invisible wall, making their noises at each other, I'm always having fun. See, sometimes I'll watch how they move their hands and mouths and try to copy it, so fun, so fun! The gods make the weirdest gestures and the silliest words that sound so strange when I try to copy them. Maybe I'm not doing it right? I'll have to try harder! Oh, but that's not all the fun I have with the white-coat-gods, you know! There's also the noisy metal thing with the light-up screen and those shocky white things! The noisy metal thing is a big gray square in the wall of my special white room that lights up and goes rrrrrrrr, when the gods tell it to! When it does that, when the noisy metal thing's light-up screen does on and it goes rrrrrrr, I'm supposed to be a good girl and walk right over to the noisy metal thing, because that means it's time to play! I have to watch the noisy metal thing's light-up screen very, very carefully, because whatever it shows on the light-up screen is the game I get to play today! Sometimes it's the running game, where the shocky white things go on my head I have to go run run run around my little white room until the noisy metal thing goes BEEEEEEEP, and by then I'm usually really really tired and have to sit down for a while. Sometimes it's the puzzle game, where the noisy metal thing will ask me very hard questions, and I have to be a good, smart girl and answer them correctly, because if I answer them wrong, the light-up screen makes a sad face and says, “That Is Not The Correct Answer, Pess. You Need To Try Harder.” I don't like it when the light-up screen is sad, because that means the white-coat-gods are sad, too! So I always try really really hard.

Oh, and there's the math game, too, how could I forget the math game? Math is very, very hard, but it's also very, very fun, and I think I'm getting very good at it! One plus one is two, one plus two is three, two plus two is four! See, aren't I a good girl? Good girl, good girl, that's what the white-coat-gods say! Pess is a good girl! Happy, happy! The noisy metal thing has lots of other games I can play, too, sometimes with the shocky white circles, and sometimes without. The shocky white circles are very strange. A different metal thing will come out from the ceiling and put them on my head, and they tingle a bit whenever they're on, but it's not too bad!The circles have these little black wires attached to them, and they go alllll the way back up to the ceiling of my special white room and through the little holes there. I wonder where they go. Sometimes they put the shocky white circles on me even when I'm not playing with the noisy metal thing, but it's mostly only when I'm having fun with the noisy metal thing. See, I told you that I have lots of fun! I'm always having lots of fun with the white-coat-gods, and that makes me very happy.

Sometimes, though, I wonder how I got here, in the special white room with the white-coat-gods. I don't remember ever coming in, or ever being anywhere else. I know I'm Pess, but what is Pess? I'm not a god, no, no, I'm the white-coat-god's best friend, so I can't be a god, right? But, you know, I guess it's ok. As long as I'm the white-coat-god's best friend. Pess is the white coat god's best friend, even if I still wonder what Pess is and why Pess is here.

–

My name is Pess, and I'm the white-coat-god's best friend!

The gods have been acting very strange lately! There's lots of different gods here, now, not just the white-coat-gods. There's the black-suit-gods, the green-brown-gray-spotted-gods, and the really big important god in the pretty orange suit that laughs a lot and makes lots of noises at all of the other gods. The white-coat-gods seem kind of scared, poor white-coat-gods! I wish I could help you, because I'm your best friend! But...I don't know how. I'm always pressing up very close to the invisible wall and watching, seeing you talk and I try to talk, too, I see your mouth move and I move mine in the same way, because I want to understand what's wrong, I want to help my gods! The words are very fast, and sometimes I have to work very hard to copy them, here, let me try now--

“...genetic marvel.” The one white-coat-god, the one closest to my special white room right now, he's talking to one of the black-suit-gods. He has soft looking light brown hair that poofs out all around his head, and there are clear things in front of his eyes and a little hair on his chin. The black-suit-god has wavy black-gray hair and very thin eyes, I've seen him before, and he always looks very tired. Today, though, he seems kind of angry, too! So does the white-coat-god, oh, and now he's sighing and talking again! “Of all the human-animal hybrid campaigns initiated by this department, none have achieved the height of success that our little Pess has.” Oh, that's my name! Are they talking about me? “She is impervious to both canine and human-specific genetic ailments, as well as showing immunity to a slew of fatal diseases and common viral infections. The only types of health problems that seem to affect her are those that are contracted due to bodily injuries or environmental hazards, such as heatstroke, bacterial infections, frostbite and other such ailments.”

“I'm not trying to demean the success of this experiment, doctor.” The black-suit-god is the one talking, now. He keeps looking over at me, then back at the white-coat-god, still with that very angry look on his face. Did I do something wrong, I wonder? Am I a bad girl? No, no, I promise I didn't mean it, whatever I did, Mr. Black-Suit-God, please, don't be mad at the white-coat-god anymore! “As I'm sure you are quite aware, our issue is more along the lines of what shade or morals you and your fellows seem to be operating under, taking a perfectly normal, beautiful pair of infant human and dog and combining them into this monstrosity.” I can't understand what the black-suit-god is saying. So fast, and such big words! The white-coat-god looks angry now, too...please don't fight! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't fight!

“You're refusing to acknowledge the big picture!” The white-coat-god is pointing to one of the special light-up screens, one with lots of numbers and words on it. “Do you see this, Mr. Hammond? Do you understand what this means? A being with the mental capacity of a human, the loyalty and tenacity of a dog, and a potential that surpasses that of both species it has been born from? We could be looking at the next generation of...of playmates, companions, workers, missionaries!” Slam! The white-coat-god just went slam on the table, and the black-suit-god looks a bit scared, moving a bit away from the white-coat-god until the white-coat-god starts again, sounding very angry, but also kind of...happy, a weird kind of happy, like he's happy about something that's not about himself. I don't know the word for it! “Pess has performed remarkably well in all tests of basic cognitive thinking and reasoning, as well as possessing superhuman powers of intuition, not to mention heightened senses that surpass those of humans. Her math skills are coming along splendidly, as are her powers of logic and problem solving skills. Her manners are charming, and she is a pleasure to work with.” The white coat god is looking at me again, oh, and he's smiling now! That must be good! I'm smiling too, see, Mr. White-Coat-God? So please don't be mad anymore! “Look, see how even without prompting, she copies our movements in hopes to learn them, of her own free will? Pess's desire to learn and eagerness to please are qualities professors all around the world can hardly find even in their finest students anymore.”

“...you are forgetting,” the black-suit-god is saying, a cold, biting sound to his voice that sounds very very frightening, very very angry, “that these endeavors are not without their faults. For example, from the data I have been provided with...” He's flipping through some papers on the brown board, the one that he and a lot of the other black-suit-gods have, stopping on one of the papers and pointing to it, looking back up to glare meanly at the white-coat-god! “...it can be seen that this 'Pess' also shows signs of having extreme attention deficit disorder. The growth pattern of her brain appears to be staggeringly uneven, and her rate of physical growth appears to be stunted. Not to mention the fact that she appears to have no ability to distinguish between the basic concepts of what is right and what is wrong. You've created a completely blank slate, doctor, goodness knows what this could mean in the wrong hands--”

“But, surely, the pros far outweigh the cons!” The white-coat-god looks a bit desperate, and he's angry again, stepping closer to the black-suit-god, who isn't moving away anymore. “And I assure you, Mr. Hammond, that our laboratory's security and the moral compasses of our staff certainly meet your standards.” There's a bit of silence, now, and the two gods are staring at each other, both looking very, very angry. Are they going to fight...?

“...if you'll excuse me.” Oh, the white-coat-god is turning around, now, like he's going to go back to his room! “I have work that needs to be accomplished.” And, poof, he's gone.

...now it's just the black-suit-god and I. I don't think I like the black-suit-god! He made the white-coat-god mad and sad and hurt hurt hurt! No, stay away from me, Mr. Black-Suit-God, or I'll bark bark bark--

“May God have mercy on your pitiful soul, little one.”

God? Is he talking about one of the gods that are always here?

...and now the black-suit-god is gone, too.

I wonder what he means?

–

My name is Pess, and I'm the white-coat-god's best friend, even if there's not a lot of them around right now!

See, it's all the black-suit-gods and the green-brown-gray-spotted-gods, and always the big-orange-god. I think the big-orange-god is the biggest god, the god of the other gods! He's always telling them what to do, and they always do it for him, like when he tells them to go to the light-up screens, or to the doors, or to write something down on their brown boards. They're always working, even if it's different than what the white-coat-gods always did, even if they never play with me like the white-coat-gods did. I wonder what these gods are trying to do?

There's still one white-coat-god left, though! He always makes sure to feed me, and sometimes, when the black-suit-gods aren't around, he'll make the noisy metal thing come on and we'll play together like I used to! He's the same white-coat-god that was fighting with the Mr. Hammond-black-suit-god. He's Mr. Doctor-Harley-white-coat-god. When the black-suit-gods and the big-orange-god are around, they always tell him what to do, and I don't think Mr. Doctor-Harley-god likes that too much! I don't think he likes any of the black-suit-gods, like Mr. Hammond-god, or the big-orange-god, no, not at all! He always looks so sad, not like he used to. It's always sad when the black-suit-gods and the big-orange-god are around. Don't be sad, Mr. Doctor-Harley-god, I'll always be your best friend, so don't worry, ok? I'm smiling, see? So you smile, too!

I think he was going to smile, but, no, just now, here comes the big-orange-god and now Mr. Doctor-Harley-god looks sad again, no, please don't make Mr. Doctor-Harley-god sad, Mr. Big-Orange-God, what are you saying, let me see--

“Harley! Ol' Harley boy! Good to see you!” The big-orange-god claps Mr. Doctor-Harley-god on the back – he does that a lot – and Mr. Doctor-Harley-god gives him a look that means he's angry, but I don't think the big-orange-god saw it. “And how's our little Pessy doing today, hmm?”

The big-orange god also likes to clap his hands together a lot, especially when he's talking loud, and it's kind of scary! Scary, scary! Now I'm huddled back far away from him in my special white room, because I don't think I like him too much, either.

“Do be quiet, Detective Gant!” Uh oh, Mr. Doctor-Harley-god looks kind of angry! “You're intimidating the poor girl.”

"A poor girl? You jest, Harley boy, for what reason do we have to call this thing a 'girl'? Why, I doubt the poor thing is even aware of what brand of monstrosity you've created it as, does it?"

Mr. Doctor-Harley-god is looking very, very mad, now! Please don't fight, please please please! It looks like Mr. Doctor-Harley-god is going to say something now, but the big-orange-god is talking again! “Why, I know! Why don't I just ask the thing myself? Hmm?”

“No, wait, Detecti--”

Knock, knock knock knock! There's a loud knocking sound! It's the big-orange-god, and he's knocking on the invisible wall! He's never done that before! What do I do what do I do--

“Hello, hello! Pessy, Pess-Pess, can you hear me in there?”

...is he talking to me? I can kind of understand him, kind of, just a little...let me try, um, let me try to talk by myself, too, I can do this, I can talk too, I know it! I've never actually talked by myself before, did you know? But now I'm going to, I'm going to try and I think I can do it--

“...I...I c-can...” This is hard, but I can do it, I can do it I can do it! “I can hear. I can...hear you.”

Oh, Mr. Doctor-Harley-god looks surprised! Did I...do something wrong, Mr. Doctor-Harley-god? Oh, no, please don't be mad! I'm just trying to be a good girl, I'm just trying to make you happy! Oh, but, hold on, the big-orange-god is talking to me again! “Ah, excellent! Why, look at you, talking and everything like you think nothing's wrong. Must be nice!" He's clapping his hands together again! It's very loud, but it's a bit less scary now, I guess! It's kind of...warm! "Look at those eyes, such an innocent little freak, aren't you? Do you even know who I am, Pessy?"

"...who you are?" I know who you are, silly! "You're Mr. Big-Orange-god."

"Hahaha! Oh, Pessy, you are just a prize, aren't you? 'Mr. Big-Orange-god'? Do you hear this, Harley boy? The thing thinks we're gods!” Mr. Big-Orange-god is being scary, again! He's laughing and clapping very hard! Mr. Doctor-Harley-god looks kind of scared, too! "See what you've created, Harley boy? Pessy, little Pessy, listen closely, now -- there's no such thing as a 'god', or 'gods', do you understand? God is everything, and god is nothing, see? I'm no god, I'm a detective! Detective Damon Gant! Can you say that, Pessy? Damon Gant?"

I don't understand everything Mr. Big-Orange-god-not-god is saying, but I don't think he's mad. He sounds kind of happy, a weird kind of happy? "Mr. Damon-Gant?"

"That's right!" He's clapping again! Did I do well, did I do well? " Oh, Pessy, what a miraculous freak you are!"

"...miraculous freak." I've heard that word a lot, but I don't know what it means! What does it mean, I wonder? Maybe I should ask. "What's a miraculous freak, Mr. Damon-Gant?"

Mr. Damon-Gant is looking at me now, looking and looking for a very long time and maybe I did something wrong I don't know--

"Why, Pessy, it's you!"

–

My name is Pess, and I'm the white-coat-god-not-god's best friend, even when it's nighttime an they're all gone for the day, now, even the other gods that are kind of scary, especially Mr. Damon Gant!

I can't sleep, I can't sleep, not tonight! There's just so much stuff to think about, all the stuff that's being happening! I talked to the god-not-gods! So exciting, so exciting, even if it was just with the kind of scary Mr. Damon Gant. He seems a bit nice, though, even if I can't understand a lot of what he says. I understood the part about the gods, though! That he's not a god. But if he's not a god, and if Mr. Doctor-Harley isn't a god, either, what are they, then? Mr. Damon-Gant says that he's a detective thing, but what's that? It's all so confusing! Oh, but I also wonder why Mr. Doctor-Harley doesn't like Mr. Damon-Gant? Maybe it's just because Mr. Doctor-Harley has been so so sad recently. Poor Mr. Doctor-Harley...please feel better soon! Remember, I'm your best friend, Pess, so don't feel sad anymore, ok?

...I still can't sleep, though. I'm here in my little white room just like always, and it's all dark outside like usual, but I still just can't sleep! Maybe I've been thinking too much, I guess. That's good, though, that's what Mr. Doctor-Harley says! He says it's good for me to think a lot, because that means I'm smart, and being smart means that I'm a good girl! And that makes me happ--

Wait, what's that, what's that? I hear something, I hear something! There's something here! Here, outside my little white room, outside in the dark dark area that's scary scary scary! There's never anything here after all the gods have gone home! Is it something bad, is it something bad I don't know, I can't quite see what it is but it's coming closer, closer closer closer--

Oh, it's just Mr. Doctor-Harley! He's walking so slowly though, and...he looks so, so sad! Like, even more sad than usual. So sad, oh, no, what's wrong, Mr. Doctor-Harley? Why are you here so late? Is something wrong? Let me help you, please please please!

“...Pess?”

Mr. Doctor-Harley is up against the invisible wall now, still so sad, and I think he's talking to me! He's never talked to me before! He's putting his hand up against the invisible wall like he always likes to do, but now he's talking, too! I'm going to talk back, just like I did with Mr. Damon-Gant! “Mr. Doctor-Harley! Hello!”

...does Mr. Doctor-Harley look even sadder?

“Hello. Hello, Pess.” Oh, but now he's smiling! It's...it's not a very happy smile, though. “How are you, Pess?” Something sounds weird in his voice, like...strained. Like something's about to break. That...that can't be good, can it?

“I'm very good, Mr. Doctor-Harley, but it makes me sad to see you making such a sad face.” I put my hand, my small small hand, up against the invisible wall in front of Mr. Doctor-Harley's, and I smile, because I want Mr. Doctor-Harley to smile happier, too! “Do you see, Mr. Doctor-Harley? I'm better at the talking thing now, see? So...please don't be sad, ok? I'm your best friend!”

“That's...that's very nice, Pess. I'm glad.” He still has that very sad smile, though...I'm not being a bad girl, am I? Mr. Doctor-Harley is quiet for a little while, but then he says, “You're a good girl, Pess.”

I'm a good girl! Oh, that makes me happy, Pess is a good girl! I'm happy happy now, since I know that I'm a good girl and that must mean that it can't be me that's making Mr. Doctor-Harley so sad! Happy, happy, happy!

“Pess?”

Oh, Mr. Doctor-Harley is talking to me again. He's moved away from the invisible wall, and now he's standing by one of the special light-up screens, and, whoa, it just lit up super bright! I wonder what he's doing? It's like what happens when the white-coat-gods-not-gods start the noisy metal thing, only it's way too late too start the noisy metal thing today...

Wait, something just lit up in my special white room, wow! It's never done that before? I'm going to turn around and see what it is...

Oh, there's a rrrrrring sound! But...it's different than the usual whirring sound the noisy metal thing makes, this one is kind of scary, what's going on?

It's getting louder! Scary, scary, I don't know what's going on I turn around and have my hands on the invisible wall and I'm looking at Mr. Doctor-Harley because I want to know what's going on please tell me but no he's not looking at me why aren't you looking at me like you usually do and it's louder and suddenly it's bright and louder and brighter and scary SCARY scary and no I'm so scared please help me Mr. Doctor-Harley PLEASE HELP ME PLEASE PLEASE PLEA--



“...I...I'm so sorry, Pess.”

--

@DeMatador:
Thank you once again for your support <3 Hmm, maybe he will...or maybe he won't. You'll just have to wait and see ~ ;3
I plan on it! I do hope you enjoy my other works, as well.


@Indochine Ramera:
Thank you very much. <3


@Chloe:
And thanks to you, as well! <3

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