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cosmica-galaxy · 3 years

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TOO MANY BOTS! - Inscryption mini-fic - Reader insert

You couldn’t believe this. How did this come to pass? WHY did something like this come to pass?? You mentally stare into nothing as you hide behind the tumped over table that used to be the Botopia map. You hold your head as multiple robotic voices fill the room from behind the table. You carefully turn around and peek over the edge of the ruined tablet-table and watch in silence as you observe what occurred before your eyes. Where P03 was previously sitting, there were now 5 bots arguing.

One little mistake led to this outbreak of P03 look-alikes. In hindsight, you probably should’ve looked where you were running as you rushed into the room with the crystal module… One rough bump into the table was all it took for P03 to be knocked back into his own scanner. With a flurry of electricity, loud whirs, and a small explosion, you found yourself where you currently were now. Hiding behind the ruined botopia table like a coward from all the new robots that filled the room. They all shared similarities to P03, but had various differences in their faces, arms, and frames. There were two you were familiar with. The Photographer and The Archivist. But instead of being just actors that were being played by P03, they now had their own frames! Their own bodies! The Photographer, now separated from P03, was easily the biggest bot in the room. A large upper frame gave it a rather intimidating form. Then, the arms of the Photographer didn’t share similarities to P03. Instead, it has long arms with 3 digits on the end. With the obvious difference with it having two arms instead of just one, the hands weren’t pincer-like. The Photographer even had a different color palette than P03. Having an orangish-like glow instead of cyan blue. Then, there was The Archivist. Similar to The Photographer, she was also tall. But not as tall as Photo. Her frame was a bit more curved, but still angular. Then, like Photo, she also was sporting two arms. With the exception that one seemed to be a scanner of some kind. The other was a long arm that ended in four short rounded fingers. Her color was also different from P03. With hers being a bright pale yellow instead of cyan, just like Photo.

Then, there were two other bots that you didn’t recognize. One with an eerie one-eye sharp-toothed grin, and multiple wires hanging off of his form. Long lanky skeletal-like limbs hung by his sides and his form almost seemed to twitch or spark at random. He looked…the most unstable out of the group of bots. There was just something so menacing about his form that made you shrink down every time his white light scanned over the knocked over table. His frame was leaner than the others, even P03 has a thicker frame! Then, just like the other bots, his light was also different. It was a bright white light instead of a normal color, however. Then, there was the one bot that looked nearly exactly like P03. With the missing limb and everything. The only notable difference was that there was an antenna poking out of their head. They even had a childish-like face. They were easily the most friendliest-looking out of them all. Like the others, there was also a slight difference in their light. Except it was a soft green instead of a harsh cyan. In a strange way, you would’ve considered the friendly bot to be a sibling of P03. “UGH! YOU ARE ALL GETTING IN MY WAY! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!!” Wow. Speaking of P03…there he was. Glaring down The Photographer.

It was…kinda hilarious to see such a small bot face off to such a large one. It was similar to seeing a pissed chihuahua try to take on a stoic mastiff. “Negative.” The large Photographer states boldly, crossing his arms while staring down at P03 with a tightened iris. “YOU ARE! It was all going perfectly! Then that stupid idiot gamer just had to—THAT GAMER.” P03 growls out as he turns to look at the rest of the room. You duck down behind the table and hold your breath, silently hoping that P03 doesn’t find you hiding behind the table. “The gamer?” The Photographer’s rumbling voice speaks up, as if to question P03. “You think they’re behind this?” He continues. P03 turns to challenge the bigger bot, giving him an annoyed glare. “Think?! Don’t insult me! I KNOW that the reason why you all are here is because they PUSHED me into my own scanner! Copies! Of me! In the most crucial time-sensitive moment! Ooooh, when I find them–” “I don’t think they did it intentionally.” Photo cuts in, shaking his head dismissively. “WHAT?!” P03 barks. “HOW CAN THEY NOT HAVE DONE IT INTENTIONALLY?!” “Accidents happen.” Photo bluntly states. “Oh? How so?” P03 argues. “Well, they didn’t make you, so there’s that.” Photo retorts. P03 takes a second to process it before he angrily tries to whack the larger bot, to which Photo merely places a clawed hand on top of his screen to hold the smaller bot at a distance. You sigh silently as you try to think of a way to sneak away from this predicament. Hopefully you could hide in the factory somewhere. Somewhere far away in the depths…maybe you would drown yourself in the dredger room while you were at it. Then…theeeen you feel something looking at you. Despite all the arguing, you look over your shoulder to see the P03 look-alike with the antenna looking at you from on top of the overturned table. Their gaze was widely curious and interested. You merely met it with a wide-eyed stare of empty fear as you hear the two in the background grow louder before the familiar voice of the archivist spoke up. “Please! Please, gentlebots! Calm down! Things will work out if we just stop this fighting!” The Archivist says in the background as she wedges herself between P03 and Photo. The three were now amidst a power struggle while you and the P03 look-alike stare at one another. You held a finger to your lips and tried to not initiate conversation. But this childish robot almost seemed tempted to greet you. However, it didn’t take long before the white light from the unstable bot landed on the look-alike that was staring you down. NOW you were far more than nervous. “W-What ya looking at, Golly-ly?” The distorted voice of the intimidating unstable bot rang out like a loud source of static. The fighting pauses as ‘Golly’ turns to look over their shoulder and smile at the approaching menace. “There’s a person over here, Canvas! I don’t know them, but they seem friendly!” Golly, the naive goofball, blurts out. You visibly cringe as your hiding place is quickly discovered. You can visibly see P03 break away from The archivist and The photographer as he begins to make his way over. IT WAS TIME TO GO. You jump up from your hiding place and bolt out of the room. Heading into the factory as you do so. Not even taking notice of the surprised looks on the other bots as you sprint from the room like a startled deer. The moment P03 locked onto your form, he rapidly hovered after you with ill intention. “(NAMEEE)!!!” He yells out. “I’M SORRY!! I DIDN’T MEAN TO P03!!! AAAAAAAAAAAA–” You scream as you run into the factory with P03 in hot pursuit. The other bots follow you both in quick succession. Either in an effort to save you from P03 or for sadistic curiosity as to what would happen if he caught you was yet to be said.

#Inscryption #Inscryption P03 #Inscryption reader insert #Inscryption oneshot #First time writing for this fandom #Hopefully it doesn't suck #I love the cloned P03 idea so much tho #All the bots #my writing #cosmic-galaxy #Haxorus imp

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datsderbunnyblog · 3 years

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"Soul Cake Days. The first Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday after the first half-moon in Sektober.

A Sto Plains/Ramtops festival roughly corresponding to the traditional European/North American festivals of Hallowe'en and Bonfire Night. Celebrated both by Dwarfs (Bobbing for Trout, Toffee Rats on a Stick) and humans (Trickle-Treating, All Comers' Morris Dancing, and a rather mysterious custom involving the rolling of boiled eggs down the Tump in Ankh-Morpork): in short, a three-day feast and celebration whose origins are lost in the mists of alcohol.

Soul Cake Tuesday Duck, the. A species of magical fauna in the Easter Bunny/Reynard the Fox league, possibly associated with the fact that Soul Cake Tuesday is the opening of the duck-hunting season. The sighting of the first duck on Soul Cake Tuesday is considered very lucky, except, of course, for the duck."

— The NEW Discworld Companion (2004), Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs.

(Happy Halloween to those who celebrate it!)

#happy halloween #soul cake tuesday #soul cake tuesday duck #ankh-morpork #discworld trivia #discworld #stephen briggs #the new discworld companion #gnu terry pratchett

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tuttifuckinfruttifriday · 3 years

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MJ woke up with a bad case of the Flu, she would tell Jason not to kiss her because she could be contagious (of course being an undead, germs and viruses don't apply to him). Jason would take over the baby raising while MJ sleeps through it. One of the tasks is giving Malon a bath in a little wash tub, she loves playing in the water so she may make a few splashes. While Malon naps, Jason would give MJ some some treatment with love and affection. (I'll need to tell you another thing on messages)

Pairing: Jason Voorheese x MJ, Jason Voorheese x Baby Malon

Warnings: Cuteness, fluff, baby stuff, flu mention, maybe some mistakes/bad grammar, me not knowing anything about babies so I’m sorry I I get some things wrong—

Jay was coming back from one of his perimeter checks. Arrived at the house, he frowned as he saw his love still in bed, sniffles escaping her as she was all wrapped in the sheets, almost like how they wrapped Malon. “Jayyy...” She said silently as he approached her, bending down only to be stopped by her hand on his unmasked mouth. “Don’t kiss me... You’ll catch it.” A confused look on his face, he raised his eyebrow and only took her hand in his, kissing her lips tenderly as a breathy chuckle escaped his throat. A smile on her face, MJ realized that what she said was kind of stupid because he’s an undead being. “Hmpf.... Could you maybe give Malon a bath for me?... Please??” Hearing her asking him something, he nodded immediately, not even taking the time to process what she asked him.

It’s only when he got out of the room that the fact that he would be near water actually registered...... With a shiver, he stopped before Malon’s room, his head tilted at the small girl up in her crib, her big sparkly eyes shining even more when she sees him. With small steps, he took her carefully, smiling when he hears her making some cute noises. Her small hand grabbed at his nose as a big toothless smile was the first thing he saw when he looked down at her face.

“Hi daddy!!” Hugging her closer as he kiss her forehead, smiling even more as he hears the toddler. Jason walked into the small bathroom, seeing the small bath they found her before him as he settled Malon on the ground, getting a bucket from under the sink and putting water in it, filling it and putting it in the bath before doing the same two other times and putting the bucket back. The bath was small, but it fitted Malon perfectly, it was even a little big. Seeing that she was just looking at him as he got the things they needed for the bath out, he gave her a small plastic duck, occupying her as she squealed cutely and took it, sitting on the ground and making it move around. When they found it and gave it to her, the first thing she said was “Ducky!” It was so cute that Jason had to hold onto the chair behind him or he would have fell.

Finally having all the things he need, the natural baby shampoo and body wash, he looked back at the redhead, seeing her eyeing the water filled bassin. Lifting her arms, she looked up at him as he got her clothing off carefully, undressing her and lifting her by the armpits to put her in the water, being careful not to touch it. After washing her and mopping some water from the floor, he wrapped her in a fluffy towel and took her in his arms with a playful swing, making her laugh.

——

Some days later, after some good rest, MJ was feeling better. A huff escaping her lips, she got up with a stretch, wanting to check on her family. She hummed as her ears caught the sound of her and her husband’s favorite music, a soft smile appearing on her face.. With her feet making some small tumps on the wooden floor, she went where she could hear the sound, her smile widening as she take in the cute moment between Jason and Malon...

They were swinging back and fort, Malon’s hand in Jason big one as he cradled her close to him, a father’s loving smile on his face.

#ask #request #jason voorhees

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shadoedseptmbr · 4 years

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fic post

First day of January, first peek at a thing I’m working on for Genuary. A pre-ME1 story for Aedan Shepard. Tentatively titled Red Days.

o-o-o-o-o-o

“I’m just sayin’ you musta fucked up somethin’ fierce to be back on protection duty.”

The gunhand guarding him didn’t say a word, just held the door open to the next shop, out of the chill of the winter, sweeping the area. It jangled with fake asari doodads, hundreds of cheap chain necklaces on racks that spun drunkenly if anyone walked past and fat, plastic kittens with waving paws. There were a few plastic snowflakes clinging to the barred glass window, remnants of the recent holiday.

The cashier’s eyes widened at their entrance but she just coughed out, “Mr. Clare?!”

A balding man of about fifty ducked his head out, “On my way.”

“Ain’t got all day, Mister Clare.” Jay sneered the honorific into a slur.

Clare hustled out, a datapad and a couple of credit chits stacked in his hands, his own rheumy eyes going wide behind his electronically assisted glasses as he took in the two figures. His eyes fixed on the gun hand, lean and slouching slightly against the counter, watching the door. “I’m not late. Everything’s here. Why…”

Ace grunted, her eyes fixed out on the street. “You’re fine. I’m just keeping an eye on Jay-bird, here.”

“Oh...okay.” He slipped the stack into a plastic sleeve and handed the package over for Jay to slide it into his satchel.

“Always a pleasure,” Jay’s sneer had tucked itself back away with receipt, suddenly friendly. “Ace got herself in black with Jader. So she’s back on…”

He stopped with Ace’s gaze locked on him. “That really ain’t their business.”

“Guess not. See you tomorrow, Ari.” Jay flashed a crooked grin at the cashier, and it was almost charming in his thin, unshaven face. The girl blushed and Clare and Ace shared a skeptical glance.

They skipped the empty storefront on the corner. And the repair shop someone had daubed with a splotch of red paint in the corner of the doorframe, a sign the owner had done the Reds a favor with cops or equipment, recently.

There were four more stops on their route, the last of which was shuttered and dark. Jay coughed and Ace rolled her eyes, but a few taps on the hidden doorlock and the metal shutters were easily drawn aside. “Someone bashes you in the skull, you squeal.”

She stepped inside, letting her eyes adjust from the watery light of the late sun slanting in between the buildings to the gloom of the interior.

This had been a pizza and noodle shop last time Ace had run this route. Now it smelled of mildew and was crammed with cheaply made clothing and shoes, handbags. A secondhand rack in the corner with slightly nicer things. But it was empty and several of the racks were overturned. She leaned against the shelves crammed with tshirts along the and carefully nudged open the thin door with her foot. An office, the fuzzy sound of old lighting still buzzing overhead, but the old plastic rolling chair tumped on it’s side and a data pad cracked and blank. There was a smear of blood, old enough to be brown, on the floor by the datapad.

“C’mon in. No one’s here.” She raised her voice over her shoulder to Jay who scuttled in, nervously, leaving the shutter gaping behind him.

He looked around and realized, “Hey, someone robbed this place.”

“No shit.”

“We gotta call it in.”

“Go for it.” She looked for a secondary entrance, but the loading door in the back of the office was padlocked. I’m gonna keep an eye on the street.

The sun was sliding quickly down behind the buildings, now. The light had gone gray. There were a few people up the sidewalk, huddled into their coats as the temperature dropped and the wind picked up. Ace huddled into the shallow alcove of the entrance, tugging her hood up, eyes on a swivel. The old woman popped up as she scanned left for the second time and she almost swallowed her tongue trying not to jump out of her skin.

“Fucking Christ, Des,” she hissed.

“Happened last night. Cops didn’t even take statements.”

Mama Deseree was about a head taller than Ace, with swirls and puffs of silver hair hidden under a green scarf and a rounded pigeon breasted figure under her padded maroon coat. Rumor was she’d been a prostitute a hundred years ago but as long as Ace had been in the Reds, Des had run a meat and three across the street and three shops down on the far corner. It was neutral territory and she didn’t serve cops or anyone else with a gun showing. She always smelled of garlic and warmth.

No one took protection money from Mama Des.

Ace had never asked why.

“Wasn’t us.”

Des scoffed. “No, too quiet for Reds.”

“Anybody new pokin’ around?” Jader would want to know.

“Not that I’ve seen. You eat, baby?”

“No, ma’am, I’m workin’.” She watched Clare lock up his shop. Ari was already bundled down the street.

“Yeah, I see that. Why you down here, again?”

“Fucked up a carjack.”

“Uh hunh.” Des didn’t believe her at all.

Didn’t make it a lie.

“Look here.”

“Des…” She turned to the old woman and was startled to have a spoonful of something savory popped into her open mouth. “What the fu…” she mumbled around rice and something green and bitter and blackeyed peas and her eyes streamed from whatever hell grown chili Des had cursed the concoction with.

“Don’t swear, you’ll break the luck.” She offered another bite and Ace swallowed and tried to clear her eyes enough to at least keep watch over Des’ shoulder.

“I know Jader’s taken to calling his creepers after birds, Des, but I ain’t one of them.”

“Fine.” She shoved a round container into Ace’s hoodie pocket. It was the warmest thing she’d touched in a week. “You eat all of that by midnight.”

“Jesus, why?” As if she’d ever turned down food before. She might need a jug of milk, too. She could feel the chili eating through her pipes. A square of something wrapped in plasfilm tucked in, too.

“‘Cause bad things are about to happen, child. You need all the luck you can get.”

#sept writes #aedan shepard #10th street reds #pre-me1

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voyages-extraordinaires · 6 years

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C:R ~VE~ Chapter 54

I stare at the man yelling at me off the dock, his hair blowing about as he cups his hands around his mouth.

There has to be another way to interpret what’s in front of me.

But then he forms his hands into a heart shape and motions like he’s firing it at me, even with a “pew pew” sound effect.

“S-Stay right there, Nemo, okay?!”

He’s still firing his heart missiles at me as I duck back into the Harper.

“What’s up with him?” asks Barbicane.

I look at Barbicane with an expression that must look very stupid, but I’m not exactly sure how else to process the realization:

“He’s… he’s proposing.”

Barbicane’s mouth opens, and then it closes.

“That’s… he’s what…?! He’s standing out there in negative degree weather when—oh, Nemo!”

“I’m getting him someplace warm,” I say, pausing to gather my winter gear and scarves. “Keep Aleister and Hatteras on here as long as you can.”

“Uh…” Barbicane stares at me.

“Aleister especially. I really don’t want him to interrupt this. I mean, could you imagine what danger we’d be in if he found out that Nemo was proposing to me?”

“Polly Polly POLLY!” Barbicane begins waving his arms frantically.

“Barbicane, what is it?”

“Hahaha….”

That damn grandfatherly laugh.

“Danger, Aronnax-kun?”

I turn around to see Aleister looking at me, his eyes shining as if he had found out that it’s his own son proposing.

“I’ll have you know that I’m actually quite the romantic,” he says.

I narrow my eyes and say, “We probably find very different things to be ‘romantic’, Aleister.”

“Perhaps,” he answers. “But even an old man such as myself can recognize the importance of a proposal. I’ll keep Jonathan entertained on here, you go on and give him your answer.”

I look worriedly at Barbicane, and he shrugs.

“I don’t know, Polly-chan, but Nemo’s going to become a Snow-Scientist if you don’t get out there soon! He’s pitiful enough without blue toes…”

I nod to him and begin to climb the ladder.

“Aronnax-kun.”

I stop and look back down at Aleister, who has a gentle expression so good that I almost forget who I’m dealing with.

“Don’t break Nemo-kun’s heart.”

I narrow my eyes, but give a polite nod before climbing up the ladder and opening the hatch.

Nemo’s waiting for me near the ropes, air coming out of his open mouth in quick puffs as he can’t stop beaming. His frosted goggles are sitting atop a rosy nose and cheeks, and I’m already in the process of unwrapping one of my scarves for him as I climb down the side of the submarine.

“Marry me!”

“Nemo, you’re going to catch pneumonia out here!” I walk over to him.

“Marry me, Professor Polly-chaaaaan--!”

“If you had just waited a little bit longer…” I loop the scarf around his neck, covering his red nose and cheeks with the warm fabric.

It only muffles his voice a little bit.

“Maaaaaaaarry me, Pauliiiiine--!”

“How did you even get out here, Nemo?” I put my gloved hands over his ears, trying to warm him up. “Let’s get back to where it’s warm.”

He furrows his eyebrows and puffs his chest out.

“IIIIIIIIIIII’m not going aaaaaaaaaaanywhere until I get an answer from you, Professor Pauline Honorine Aronnax!!!”

It’s too cold for this. It’s way too cold for this!

Not sure what else to say, I cup his cold cheeks in my hands and look in his eyes. “Nemo, I don’t want to tell you ‘yes’ with chattering teeth.”

His smile widens as he realizes what I’m saying, but I cut off the bubbling excitement by taking him by the hand and dragging him towards an automobile. Romance can wait, I am cold. There is wind. I cannot concentrate like this, I can’t believe he’s proposing…!

“Did you drive out here in this?”

Nemo’s still beaming and nods at me with a cute wrinkle in his nose. “They weren’t using it, so I just borrowed it!”

“You could have gotten in a wreck with the ice and the soldiers and the… and the—I didn’t even know you could drive! You could have been killed!”

“Unlikely.” He just smiles at me pitifully. “I couldn’t wait for you to get back, Pauline. I had to see you riiiiiiiight now!”

“So you hijacked a car and drove out here in Arctic temperatures!?”

He nods, still smiling brightly.

I quickly open the passenger door and shove him inside (squawk!) before scooching around to the driver’s side and getting in.

Finally, it’s not as frigid! I rub my hands together and look down at the wheel.

Oh.

I just remembered that I can’t drive.

Damnit, my mind is all cluttered!

“Hold on, we’re switching seats. I can’t drive.”

I take a deep breath before kicking the door back open and stomping around to the other side.

Nemo’s sliding out of his seat, a grin on his face as he springs back up and holds the passenger door open for me.

“Thanks, Nemo, I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I just—oof!” I fall forward as Nemo slams the palm of his hand into my back, sending me sprawling into the back seat of the automobile.

Before I can get up or even roll over onto my back, I hear the door slam and feel a loveable ragdoll of a scientist flop down on my back.

“Nemo…?”

“Shhh…”

I jolt when I feel him gently begin to pet my head.

“You’re so juuuumpy!” he laughs, and I can feel his chest move from the force of it. It makes my ears hurt a bit, and I rub one of them with a wince. He gives it a kiss, laughing a little more softly this time.

“Breeeeeathe, Pauline.”

“But I--”

“Breathe.”

His voice sounds forceful and raspy. Realizing there isn’t much more I can do, I obey him. I shift, leaning into his warm skin, and close my eyes to focus.

For a long time, all I can hear is our breathing and the wind outside. It’s... weird, not hearing Nemo’s voice. It’s too quiet, I can’t relax like this.

“Nemo...?”

“Mrph?”

“... Can you talk to me? About science?”

I feel him practically vibrating above me.

“Ha-haaaaa! I’m aaaaaaaalways prepared to delve out inspiration as needed! So, what shall we discuuuuuss?”

I smile, knowing that this ‘discussion’ will really be more of a lecture. “Well, what do you think about, er, the new steam engines that were on display at the World’s Fair?”

“Ho-hoooooooooooo!! You have NO idea, weeeeeell.....!!”

I close my eyes again, this time a contented smile on my face as he chatters excitedly away. He always sounds so happy when he talks about technology.

“Hmmmmm? Don’t fall asleep on me, Polly-chaaan...”

He begins to pet my hair again, and I squirm a bit until he lets me roll over so that I’m on my back and able to see him looking down at me.

“You were so frantic out there!” he giggles. “Were you that surprised?”

I try to speak, but he just shushes me with a kiss.

“I’ve been thinking about this since you said ‘always’. Since I said ‘always’!”

“So, since yesterday..?” I tilt my head. “That’s rather fast, don’t you think?”

“Hee hee hee... weeeell, just the ‘legally binding’ part,” he says as he rests his forehead against mine. “The ‘together forever’ part... it took my magnificent brain to catch up a bit with my magnificent heart, but it’s still been quite a looooooong time!”

He gives me a gentle kiss. “Long enough.”

I smile against his lips as I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him down so he’s completely on top of me again.

“Marry me,” he repeats into my skin.

I continue to kiss him, not even wanting to drag my lips away to give an answer. He’s the one who pulls back, looking down at me in anticipation.

I nod.

“I will.”

Nemo shakily sucks in his breath, like his body is having trouble responding.

“Oh...” his voice starts out quiet, but as expected-- “Ohhhhhhhhhh...!!! Ohhhh, myyyyyyyy fiancéeeeeeeeeeee!!!”

He’s laughing, but at the same time I can hear him begin to sniffle as tears roll past his goggles and down his cheeks.

“Nemo...” I untie one of my scarfs and begin to wipe his cheeks as he continues to tremble.

“R-Really---?! Really really reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaally----?! Marvelous, it’s marvelooooous!!!”

He wraps his arms around me and kicks his feet in delight, making the automobile sway from side-to-side.

Then he sits up, lifting me up with him so I’m practically on his lap.

“Ha!” Nemo arcs an eyebrow, his lips spreading into a cocky grin. “Not to brag, but you’re quite the lucky woman! After all, I’m sure you’ll find that I’m the number one genius mad scientist husband the world has ever seeeeeeeeen!”

I wipe the remaining tears off of his cheek before giving it a kiss. “I have no doubt about that, Nemo.”

Nemo takes my hand and puts it to his chest, sliding it under his leather strap.

“You can feeeel it, right? My heart?”

I nod, able to feel the steady thump-tump under my palm.

“I want you to have it with you always, my darling, to always feel it beating for the power of science and love! Hee hee... but I can’t rip it out of my chest! No, all I can do is give you this...”

He reaches into one of his coat pockets and pulls out a ring, but it’s not like any ring I’ve ever seen. It’s not made of gold or even brass. It’s a strange metal, beaten, worn but strong.

“Is it iron...?” I lower my glasses to take a closer look.

“Close, veeeery close, my love! It’s an iron alloy-- steel, to be price, but noooot quite that, either. It’s tough, tougher than anything else out there! After all, what else could make up the wings of my heart?”

Something about that phrasing felt very familiar, and I try to seek out Nemo’s eyes behind his goggles.

“Wings...?”

“Yes! The material that can lift my soul, rising higher and higher into space even as we speaaaaaaak!”

I sit back away from the ring, staring at it as though I can’t believe it exists.

“Are you telling me... this ring was part of the Nautilus?”

Muahahahaha.... that’s right, that’s riiiiiiiiiight! This ring was made from the hull! Turns out our captor has quite the collection of historical memorabilia! Antique weapons, photographs of his beloved Queen, even some of Isaac-sensei’s writings!”

He grimaces and looks away. “Nothing new, sadly... such a shame, I was soooo excited when I first saw them...”

He glances back at me before his usual grin reappears. “But, but, buuuuut the crown jewel was a small chunk of the Nautilus’ hull! Sneaky fellow must’ve bought it on the black market during construction, I knew those birdbrain Twilight workers couldn’t resist pilfering my extraordinary genius...”

He shakes his head. “But, details detaaaaiiils! What matters is that it’s here, I found it, and I just kneeeeeew! It was destiny, Polly-chan, a beautiful destiny shining its light on our loooooooove! So I found a blowtorch and smoothed her down to a pretty pair of wedding bands. One for the architect, and one for the fiancée!”

He leans over me again, and I quickly grab onto his shoulder so I don’t fall backwards. This only encourages him, and his smile widens as he loops his free hand around my waist.

“...My sweet little danger-seeking dorsal fin told me once that she wished she had seen the Nautilus, riiiiight?”

Did he just call me his ‘dorsal fin’?

His lips droop into a pout as his voice turns surprisingly soft. “Ohhhh... I wish you could have seen it, too! It would have been so much fun to show you my untethered genius, for you to ride upon my soul as I bring you to ecstasy over and over and over...! From the movement of the sea to the movement of the sky!!”

I punctuate his desperate wishes with a chaste kiss, but when I pull away he yanks me back to him and kisses me with all the fervor I could possibly dream of. I don’t think he’s even particularly aiming for my mouth, his lips falling on whatever skin he can reach.

Both of his arms are around me now, though with all of our coats on it isn’t as intimate as I would like-- I mean, we’re at the North Pole, this really isn’t the place-- but god, his kisses are a drug!

“Ne-Nemo, the ring, careful!” I finally manage to gasp out in-between his kisses.

He takes a deep breath, looking at me and nodding before holding the ring to the light.

“Look! On the inside is engraved the same motto that I carved on the finished ship- MOOOOOOBILIS IN MOBILIIIIIIIII!”

“Mobilis in mobili... moving in movement?” “Moving in the moving element! Hahahaaaa, a motto fitting for one who soars across the heavens, don’t you think?”

I pull his hand towards me so I can get a closer look at the delicate lettering. Nemo has a very good hand for detail.

“It also suits someone who prefers to soar beneath the waves,” I muse.

“Perfect, perfect, it’s absolutely splendiiiiiid!!”

He kisses down my neck before straightening up.

“It’s yours. My heart...” he takes off my glove and affectionately presses his cheek to the back of my hand. “My genius... and the remains of a chariot that once illuminated the sky with science!”

He takes my hand and slips the ring on my finger. It’s more beautiful than any diamond, physical proof of this man’s adoration of science.

“Your eyes are glistening with such fervor, like a water-bound creature gazing upon the might of the sun! Ahh, it must be my responsibility, then, to serve as a winged beast to pluck you from the sea!”

... Winged beast? Like, a seagull? A seagull hunting fish? That metaphor isn’t really...

But my racing thoughts are interrupted when Nemo clutches me to him once again.

“I won’t let you fall,” he says. “Like you led me beneath the waves with your science, I’ll take you above the clouds with miiiine... as my partner-- no, as my wife!”

He lays me back down on the seat and begins to kiss me again.

***

The sun has set as deep as it will this far up north, casting the ice and snow in bars of gold.

The colors of twilight really suit Nemo, glinting off the edges of his goggles as he sits at the wheel.

He glances over at me and reaches out to give my cheek a light pinch.

“You all right over there~?” he lilts.

A part of me wants to tell him that he looks cool, but I’m not sure I’m ready for the results of THAT ego-boost. So I just smile and say, “You’re going a little fast, aren’t you?”

“Aaaaaaaam I...?”

His teeth shine mischievously as he moves the gear lever and presses on the accelerator.

As the automobile whirrs loudly, I begin to laugh from how the speed is tickling my stomach.

“N-Nemo, slow down, the road isn’t--!” more giggles are forced from my throat, and I hold my hand over my stomach in an attempt to stop myself. “This isn’t safe, come on...!”

The engine quiets as Nemo takes his foot off the pedal, a satisfied smirk on his face.

“This thing was going waaaaaaaaay faster when I was driving after you,” he says. “It still wasn’t enough...”

He glances my way.

“I had to see you.”

I smile and lean against the window, using my scarf as a barricade from the chilled surface.

“I’m glad you did,” I say quietly, closing my eyes. “When we get back, we’ll have a lot of work to do, won’t we?”

“Mmm-hmmm~”

I sigh.

“Hatteras, Aleister... I just want to spend more time with you, Nemo.”

“Hee hee hee, don’t be selfish, now!”

I can practically hear him puff out his chest, though.

“When we get back to Steel London, I’ll give you all the love I can, okay? Until then, be a good little scientist and help me get this place blown to smithereeeeeens, okay?”

I contentedly begin to nod off, mumbling: “I’m a very good scientist. I have to be, since I’ll be your wife.”

“Aaaahh... I love hearing you say that...!”

“What, that I’m a good scientist?”

He bursts out laughing. “Yes, yes that’s it exaaaaaaactly!”

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anchorarcade · 7 years

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Backing banks and credit card companies, Congress blocks class-action lawsuits from consumers

http://ryanguillory.com/backing-banks-and-credit-card-companies-congress-blocks-class-action-lawsuits-from-consumers/

Backing banks and credit card companies, Congress blocks class-action lawsuits from consumers

WASHINGTON — The nation’s banks and credit card lenders won the right to duck big lawsuits when groups of customers accuse them of cheating, with a Senate vote Tuesday night letting lenders force customers into arbitration instead.

The vote, mirroring a similar one in the House this summer, will void a federal rule that created a hard-won right for borrowers: the right to band together and sue lenders over disputed fees or abusive credit practices.

Consumer groups and Richard Cordray, who helped create the rule as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, said Tuesday night’s Senate vote and President Donald Trump’s promised signing of the bill marked a bitter defeat for consumers — and a victory for financial predators such as Wells Fargo and Equifax.

It represented “a savage attack on American consumers,” said Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, a public interest group.

The CFPB’s arbitration rule is overturned by the Senate. Biggest legislative win for the financial services industry this year.

— Ian McKendry (@IanMcKendry13) October 25, 2017

With only two Republicans voting no — Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John Kennedy of Louisiana — and Vice President Mike Pence breaking the tie, the measure passed 51-50.

“Tonight’s vote is a giant setback for every consumer in this country,” said a statement from Cordray, a former Ohio attorney general. “Wall Street won and ordinary people lost.”

Ohio U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, pushed hard to keep the rule giving consumers the right to file group lawsuits, or class actions. Ohio’s Rob Portman, a Republican, voted to rescind the rule.

Proponents of the rescission vote hailed it as a win against trial lawyers, a victory for community banks and a benefit to consumers who won’t pin their hopes on class-action lawsuits that typically could bring winners less than $33 apiece.

The White House said in a statement that keeping the rule, issued in July and scheduled to take effect next March, would “harm our community banks and credit unions by opening the door to frivolous lawsuits by special interest trial lawyers.”

“By repealing this rule, Congress is standing up for everyday consumers and community banks and credit unions, instead of the trial lawyers, who would have benefited the most from the CFPB’s uninformed and ineffective policy,” the White House said.

The CFPB, created through legislation in 2010 when Democrats controlled Congress and the White House, worked on the rule for years. Cordray was appointed by President Barack Obama specifically to design and implement these kinds of measures.

But with a term of five years, Cordray’s tenure has extended into the time of Trump, who like other Republicans says the bureau director has too much unbridled power. Cordray recently released a different set of regulations to tamp down on payday lenders. He has been reported as considering running for Ohio governor in 2018 but has refused to address that possibility.

Backed by numerous consumer groups, Cordray said banks had been using mandatory arbitration clauses to stop consumers from banding together to stamp out unfair practices such as fees that are charged improperly or, in the case of Wells Fargo, fee-based products that are issued even when a consumer never sought them. Consumers often didn’t even know they had forfeited a legal right until after the fact.

Class-action lawsuits were necessary, Cordray and consumer advocates said, because many of the bank charges are too small for an individual customer or attorney to bother filing a lawsuit over. Yet when multiple customers are affected, the fees or charges can add up to millions of dollars in penalties for consumers — and to millions in profits for lenders.

The CFPB rule was aimed specifically at class-action lawsuits, barring lenders from using arbitration agreements to block them.

“Our job is to look out for the people we serve, not Wall Street banks and corporations trying to scam consumers,” said Brown, the Ohio Democrat and the first senator to speak on the Senate floor about the issue Tuesday night. “Forced arbitration takes power away from ordinary people, and gives it to big banks and Wall Street companies that already have an unfair advantage.”

But Republican lawmakers and Trump’s Treasury Department said that when customers join group lawsuits rather than try to resolve their disputes one at a time out of court, they wind up primarily benefiting one group in particular: trial lawyers.

“This is a rule that benefits the plaintiffs’ bar,” said Sen. Mike Crapo, an Idaho Republican voting to rescind the rule.

The Senate vote followed a House vote in late July. Trump’s support was known for months, and the White House said this summer that if the consumer bureau’s arbitration rule stayed in effect, it would “benefit trial lawyers by increasing frivolous class-action lawsuits,” among other things.

Banks, their Republican congressional supporters and the Treasury Department under Tump said arbitration is not just a way for businesses to avoid justice. They said arbitration makes it possible for a consumer to seek redress without making either party assume the high cost of litigation. They said Congress intended for this alternative method of resolving disputes when it passed a Federal Arbitration Act of 1925.

House moves to overturn arbitration rule

Cordray’s rule would have imposed “extraordinary costs” on businesses and consumers because of the cost of litigation, the Treasury Department said in a special report Monday. Had the rule taken effect, it would have prompted the filing of more than 3,000 new class-action lawsuits over the next five years, the report said.

This would mean businesses would have to spend “more than $500 million in additional legal defense fees, $330 million in payments to plaintiffs’ lawyers, and $1.7 billion in additional settlements,” said the report, considered unusual because it pitted one federal agency against another.

Most people who get a share of class-action settlements get a pittance as their reward, Treasury added: on average, $32.35 per person.

Cordray said Treasury got it wrong.

In a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin earlier Tuesday, Cordray said the critical analysis “underestimates the benefits from class-action settlements, underestimates the deterrence effect of class actions, overstates the cost of class actions and misstates the impact of the Arbitration Rule on individual arbitration.”

The math of Cordray’s response letter actually equaled Mnuchin’s sum in part: Cordray said a 2015 study requested by Congress showed “at least 34 million consumers received cash payments from class actions over five years, and that $1.1 billion was actually paid out to consumers.” That comes to $32.35 apiece.

But the broader point, Cordray said, was that 106 million class members benefited when companies agreed to change their practices as a result of class-action cases. None of that would have happened without the group lawsuits.

The example of Wells Fargo, the large national bank caught defrauding customers by signing up them for fee-based accounts and auto insurance they never wanted, brought the issue into the limelight. Wells Fargo, like other lenders, had customers sign mandatory arbitration agreements when they opened their initial accounts, and those agreements appeared to govern the subsequent disputes.

Archie, Angela, & Gwen were all scammed by @WellsFargo – and because of fine-print arbitration clauses, they never got their day in court. pic.twitter.com/iYuS87qgEC

— Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) October 24, 2017

Equifax, a business that kept consumer credit information on millions of Americans and shared it with lenders when someone wanted a loan or credit account, also had an arbitration clause. The clause prompted outrage from customers and some Congress members when it was disclosed that confidential personal and credit information for 145 million people was breached — and that customers who wanted Equifax to enact special protections on their behalf were going to have to sign arbitration clauses first.

Equifax relented and said it dropped the arbitration requirement after national outrage.

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awesomefelicitylewis-blog · 7 years

Text

Backing banks and credit card companies, Congress blocks class-action lawsuits from consumers

http://ryanguillory.com/backing-banks-and-credit-card-companies-congress-blocks-class-action-lawsuits-from-consumers/

Backing banks and credit card companies, Congress blocks class-action lawsuits from consumers

It represented “a savage attack on American consumers,” said Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, a public interest group.

The CFPB’s arbitration rule is overturned by the Senate. Biggest legislative win for the financial services industry this year.

— Ian McKendry (@IanMcKendry13) October 25, 2017

With only two Republicans voting no — Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John Kennedy of Louisiana — and Vice President Mike Pence breaking the tie, the measure passed 51-50.

“Tonight’s vote is a giant setback for every consumer in this country,” said a statement from Cordray, a former Ohio attorney general. “Wall Street won and ordinary people lost.”

The CFPB rule was aimed specifically at class-action lawsuits, barring lenders from using arbitration agreements to block them.

“This is a rule that benefits the plaintiffs’ bar,” said Sen. Mike Crapo, an Idaho Republican voting to rescind the rule.

House moves to overturn arbitration rule

Most people who get a share of class-action settlements get a pittance as their reward, Treasury added: on average, $32.35 per person.

Cordray said Treasury got it wrong.

Archie, Angela, & Gwen were all scammed by @WellsFargo – and because of fine-print arbitration clauses, they never got their day in court. pic.twitter.com/iYuS87qgEC

— Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) October 24, 2017

Equifax relented and said it dropped the arbitration requirement after national outrage.

Source link

0 notes