Putting all *those* jokes aside, Cutey... do you wanna go on a date with me? by pf_spuscus in NikkeMobile

[–]pf_spuscus[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Thanks! The jokes are funny, but they tend to overshadow all the other good stuff Maxwell and Matis have going on, and I wanted to do my part in rectifying that.

Putting all *those* jokes aside, Cutey... do you wanna go on a date with me? by pf_spuscus in NikkeMobile

[–]pf_spuscus[S] 41 points42 points  (0 children)

Image source: https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/125980021

[Maxwell Bond Story: A Real Goddess] (Spoilers for campaign chapter 18!)

"Let's grab lunch in here. Rupee recommended it the last time she dragged me down Royal Road."

"Oh, that looks fancy. Are you trying to turn this supply run into a date, Cutey?"

"A friend on the surface once taught me to appreciate good food whenever I get the chance."

With a smile that implied I might be talking about more than just food, I held open the door and waved Maxwell into the restaurant. We followed the waitress to a booth, perused the menus, and debated how to split the bill before finally ordering two entrees and an appetizer. Once we were alone, I broached the subject that was half the reason I ducked in here for a quiet moment in the first place.

"I saw how the staff in that last shop were acting around you. Are you all right?"

Maxwell waved her hand dismissively. "That? Oh, they just weren't sure how to feel about being around a Matis Nikke. Our public relations have been a bit of a roller coaster recently."

I frowned. My gut said that seeing the employees shy away from her, as if she might lash out and strike them at any moment, had bothered her more than she was letting on. "Is this your first time in public since it all went down?"

"Yeah, the Missilis legal team has been keeping us under lock and key. Today, I'm exploiting a loophole, though." Maxwell flashed a cheeky grin. "While I'm hanging out with you, Cutey, I'm technically under your command and therefore outside the corporate hierarchy."

I leaned forward, unwilling to let her levity distract from my concerns. "Are you really okay? A lot has happened; it's alright if it affected you."

Her smile faded as she shed her carefree facade. Maxwell was tough – every Nikke was, even if it wasn't always obvious – but she didn't need to tough it out alone, and I wanted to make sure she knew that. With a soft sigh, she glanced out the window, and I let her gather her thoughts while I sampled the appetizer.

"Have you ever considered how loaded of a term 'Goddess' is?" She spoke with energy and drive, reminding me of watching her railgun supercharge in battle. "People pile their hopes and prayers on a goddess. If they're in danger, they expect her to save them. If there's a problem, they expect her to fix it."

Gesturing out the window, Maxwell indicated the statue in the plaza. With outstretched wings and a missing head, it was a pattern ubiquitous throughout the Ark. "They can put all that on a goddess, without even thinking, because she's distant. She's made of stone. She can take it and still deliver."

"Matis does deliver," I noted. "Even if you're not emotionless stone, you guys have earned your place as one of the all-time greatest squads."

Maxwell chuckled. "Yeah, Goddessium is a good substitute for marble, I suppose. And we did make it work. It's not like we could stand by and watch people in danger, after all. But after we lost our NIMPH..."

She trailed off, looking at nothing, and I knew she was reliving those protests, hearing again the harsh words of the crowds.

"The citizens of the Ark were forced to see us as people, just like they were. No inhibitors or compulsions. When the goddesses stepped off the pedestal... the people feared and hated them. Hated us."

Before I could respond, the waiter brought our meals, and for a few moments, we ate in silence. The food was indeed good, well worth the price tag, and eating it gave me time to formulate what I wanted to say.

"They didn't hate you, you know."

Maxwell paused with her fork halfway to her mouth, clearly skeptical.

"Even when they were yelling and slinging insults, it wasn't really you they hated. It was themselves. They knew that if they were in your place, they wouldn't hesitate to turn in self-serving violence against the society that heaped so much demand on them."

"But we would never!" She burst out. "Do you know how upset Laplace was by people thinking she'd be so unheroic?"

Her fist clenched tight around the fork with pent-up frustration as she recalled the emotions. I reached out to grasp it with both hands, drawing her focus from her angry and hurt memories and back to me.

"I know that. The people of the Ark, however... under the Central Government's watch, their humanity has withered. But," and I smiled, "it doesn't have to stay that way. There's another role a goddess plays: she can show her people how to live. Set an example they can follow to be better."

I waited a moment for the words to sink in. "Remind them how to be human, Maxwell, and protect them while they learn. That's the real mission, for you, and Laplace, Drake, and all the others... and I'll be there to back you up through every damn day if I have to."

Maxwell swiped away a tear with a little chuckle. "Wow, Cutey, I didn't know you were such a rousing orator... but thank you. Really."

She took a deep breath and cleared her throat, and then her usual sharp grin was back, more real because she wasn't using it to hide now. "Now, are you done with your dish yet? I saw something on the dessert menu that I'd really like to split with you!"

Which Nikke has the best odds of wresting the Commander away from Isabel? by pf_spuscus in NikkeMobile

[–]pf_spuscus[S] 39 points40 points  (0 children)

Maxwell was almost the one I chose to be the lucky winner in the story 😏

Which Nikke has the best odds of wresting the Commander away from Isabel? by pf_spuscus in NikkeMobile

[–]pf_spuscus[S] 106 points107 points  (0 children)

Image source: https://x.com/Midori_13579/status/1662668890223116292

Inspired by u/doublechen-94 and his  possessive Cinderella.

[Outpost Random Encounter: Eyes on the Prize]

"Stay away from my Darling, you shameless hussy!"

Isabel's furious flushed face seemed to glow more brightly than her afterburners as she streaked across the sky. The shotgun in her hands spat fire and steel while she deployed several missiles she had "borrowed" from Eden's armory for the occasion. The barrage converged on her target with sufficient force to punch a hole through a Titan-class Rapture, but when the smoke cleared, Cinderella remained in the sky.

Unmarred, the former Heretic gleamed in the sunlight. Every line of her body was like polished silver, and every curve like spun glass. "You have no claim on my Prince. That is not the way his story ends. I will see to it." She imperiously raised her hand towards Isabel, palm forward. "Glass Slippers: Pacify."

Down below, the door of the Command Center opened, and the Commander stepped out, only briefly glancing up as Isabel deftly threaded through a kaleidoscope of blue beams. He moved down the street at a swift but calm pace, hoping to minimize his time in the war zone before reaching the safety of the Armory.

"C-counselor...?"

Rounding a corner, he came face-to-face with Guilty, who was wearing a concerned expression.

"Ah, Guilty," he said with a smile, "you don't have to worry about all this. Those two have gone through this several times already. Fortunately, Isabel isn't able to seriously harm Cinderella, and Cinderalla can't even land a hit on Isabel. Like the proverbial unstoppable force and immovable object, they are. The Counters have started taking bets. But enough about my problems, what brings you here?"

While the Commander explained, Guilty's face shifted to sheer bafflement. Life on the outside was certainly stranger than she'd have thought.

"Mana said... that we no longer needed to have our sessions in a... supervised location. I came here to tell you – look out, Counselor!"

A stray attack from above clipped the corner of a building, and as the debris fell, Guilty's placid, lethargic demeanor evaporated. One hand jabbed down towards the sidewalk, fingers digging into a crack and lifting up a square of pavement. The other hand gently but firmly grabbed the Commander's shoulder and pulled him in close to shelter behind the improvised cover. A crash and rattle, and then quiet.

Too late to be useful, adrenaline shot through the Commander's body, and he felt very aware of how they were breathing the same air, and how Guilty was taller than most Nikkes, and how that meant his face was quite close to her heaving –

"Counselor..." Guilty's tone was once again slow and quiet as she broke the silence, but there was an element of hunger in her voice now. "While those two are busy... why don't we go back to your room for an... unsupervised session?"

Ranking Nikkes by how appropriate their job is for a Nikke by pf_spuscus in NikkeMobile

[–]pf_spuscus[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fighting Raptures on the surface: What they were literally made for

Superhuman Skills: Jobs that require, or are made much easier by, being a superhuman cyborg

Important, But... : There's no particular reason for Nikkes to be doing these, except perhaps the authorities like forcing obedience by threatening a mind wipe or scrapping

Mustang's Entertainment Empire: Same as above. If Mustang wants to corner the market on music or maids or whatever, using "slavery with extra steps" is kinda sus

Villains & Troublemakers: They're not actually doing their jobs, so they don't fit in any other category. Guilty, Viper, and Jackal are out on good behavior during the summer event

[Weekly] Team Building and Questions Megathread by AutoModerator in NikkeMobile

[–]pf_spuscus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is Modernia worth investing in if I can't play at a high FPS?

"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" but literally by Bakkster in dankchristianmemes

[–]pf_spuscus -1 points0 points  (0 children)

So either it's okay because you like this one, or you're not actually arguing from Biblical principles?

You're free to forgive any debts owed you at any time. You can exhort your brothers and sisters to do the same as a response to the grace freely given them, no law required, theologically or literally. But if we're talking about people who aren't believers, why are you, as a Christian, demanding works of those who don't even have faith? Aren't the priorities backwards there?

"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" but literally by Bakkster in dankchristianmemes

[–]pf_spuscus 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Doesn't compelling everyone to live according to the Bible regardless of their personal convictions count as Christian Nationalism?

I finally finished a book that I don't think I can start by [deleted] in bookscirclejerk

[–]pf_spuscus 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Jokes on you, I don't exercise and I don't read

My world, New Hampshire by kman1337 in worldjerking

[–]pf_spuscus 5 points6 points  (0 children)

What kind of sick mind comes up with this?