#Captain Hammerhead (The Deep)
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…i couldn’t make this up if I wanted to. It took me about ten minutes to actually get started on this because I just…didn’t know where to start. I kept sitting with me head in my hands both crying and laughing, I just didn’t know what to do


Click for better quality, if you must
#my first time drawing Danny boy and i put him in a dress#and hammerhead too#it’s so ridiculous and i can’t stop laughing but also why#i have another with hammerhead along this thread that i almost combined with this one but didn’t#i struggled with the sleeves#ruffles are my weakness. idk how to draw them#the deep 2015#the deep cartoon#pinterest find#captain hammerhead#the deep danny boy#HELP
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Hammerhead: Someone care to explain why we have 6 dogs on our submarine?
Maddy: They're golden retrievers, dude. They retrieve gold. I did this for us.
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I did some things today! Not writing, that's for sure, but I did things.
You can find more of my pixel doll stuff here if you're into that kind of thing, but right now this is the only one related to The Deep that I've posted. It's also the only pixel doll I've done by hand recently, but I'm planning to do Fontaine sometime soon and maybe Finn too.
#pixel art#pixel dolls#pixel dollz#the deep cartoon#Alpheus Benthos#I have to get better at it if I want to do Captain Hammerhead#there are barely any male bases let along heavyset ones on this scale#also I suck at boots atm
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Wednesday - Stories | OC Showcase
This is a movie-like fanfic I'm working on. But since I had started working I entered on an undefined hiatus until yesterday.
In this story I changed the environment from living at sea, somehow, to living in a city. The protagonist of this story, Osmosis Jones, is the son of a fisherman people call Captain Hammerhead and has a younger sister named Madeline.
Story cover made by @elkmoon21
#TheDeepFanweek2023#the deep#the deep cartoon#the deep 2015#fontaine nekton#ant nekton#will nekton#kaiko nekton#oc#osmosis jones#captain hammerhead#mad madeline#spiderdetentionaire write#au#fanfic
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Finn: to work up the courage to actually ask out Fontaine
Madeline: to steal more things from the Nektons (secretly: figure out a way to talk about sea monsters with Ant without actually conspiring with him)
Hammerhead: Steal more things and stay further away from the Nektons than he was this year, because there have been way too many sea monsters for his liking this year
Danny Boy: get actual mechanic lessons so he can actually fix things instead of wing it
What do you think the Dark Orca crews new years resolutions are?
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https://www.tumblr.com/fandomfluffandfuck/755736737466253312
first time ive noticed the logo on his sleeve, lol who is the intern ordering his shirts for him?? those have got to chafe right, like on an ordinary guy that would probably be uncomfortable but the serum heals those quickly so maybe he just doesn't notice? 🤔
if he takes off his shirt after a workout would his underarms be suspiciously pink and sensitive.. hmmm this is my thot of the day
related to this
(also)
I don't know if you want cute, ticklish Steve thoughts or maybe softer, more emotional feelings of Steve getting used to his new body in the new century but, listen, I have so many degenerate thoughts (as always, but that's beside the point, lmao).
I have thoughts about Steve being into armpits.
Further, I have thoughts about Bucky pushing and shoving Steve into the locker rooms post-workout to go full jock and ending up face first in Steve's sweaty pit while he pounds him, manhandling Steve, leaving more bruises than their bare-knuckle boxing even left, and growling about how he was made for this and, "takes it like a goddamn, champ."
So. Yeah.
Just picture it...
Rough sex under the cut, some feminization at the same time that they're just, like, two hulking men? I don't know how that happened, lmao. But. Sure. Why not 😮💨
Every sound that comes out of Steve is higher and more breathy than the last. It's getting to the point where he sounds so pathetic. If anyone were to walk in on them, they wouldn't think it was a supersoldier being pounded, they'd think it was some tiny little lady having her pussy ruined. Brutalized. Steve's sensitive enough he might as well have a tight, wet pussy, though. His voice is so whiny and pitchy with his face pinched up, too. His eyebrows are drawn together so there's this cute little scrunch between them. His eyes are squeezed shut. He can't bear it. He's so deep in pleasure that it reads as pain, painted filthily across his face in full technicolor. Blushing. His cheeks are flushed hot and his sizzling color is spreading all the way up to the shells of his ears at the same time that it bleeds down below his stupidly hanging open mouth, candy red, to his throat and strangled chest.
Just like you wouldn't know it's Steve--big, strong Captain America--being fucked, you wouldn't know what his face is doing, though. Not when Bucky's pushing him hard. He's fucking him into, and knocking him up against, his metal locker. That poor locker is painted a deep navy blue, starkly contrasting his heated, sweat-soaked skin. His face is squished, pressed, and forced up against it, making his expression hardly readable. Bucky knows what his face is doing, though. He knows that wet dream of a face anywhere. Anytime. But he especially knows it when Steve is drowning in pleasure and it's obscene.
Every precious, whorish little sound that Steve makes comes with a puff of heated, humid air that fogs up the body-hot metal he's pressed into.
He's rattled up against the locker. They're denting it, the weight of them, Bucky the hammerhead and Steve just a needy little nail. Steve's hard, peaked nipples unforgivingly rub against it every time Bucky rushes out and shoves back in making his blood burn hotter.
Their blood is so hot. It isn't just Steve. Of course, not. It never is. They're fucking trouble together.
"Ah! AH! AH!" His sweet, measly sounds bounce around the locker room walls with every back-thrown-into-it thrust Bucky gives him. It's too fucking much--being fucked is too fucking much for Steve but it's also too much not to end up like this after sparring for hours. Wrapped around each other. Bruising each other. Going in hard on each other. Challenging each other like no one else who's not a supersoldier can. And today was good, fighting it out for enough time to loosen up and get a good sweat going. Slick skin, heaving chests, messed-up hair, sneering smiles, shit-talking, technique getting sloppy as they tired--their muscles burning. The air around them in the gym was humid with their sweat and the testosterone and adrenaline practically leaking from their pours, enough to taste in their open mouths.
They were cracking apart on the mats, especially brittle with Steve getting Bucky into a pin that mostly just involved his dick shoved against Bucky's ass through their soaked boxer briefs. They started in sweats and t-shirts but quickly got too fucking hot. It was just them, so what was the problem bare-knuckling it in boxers (Bucky) or boxers and a t-shirt (Steve)? Then, though, it was all made worse--crumbling apart that much faster--when Bucky managed to snare some leverage and flipped Steve to land with a smack against the mats, on his back, crawling all over him, and getting him into a chokehold.
Jesus.
Bucky's huge, naked, heaving chest to Steve's still-clothed sweat-sticky back and, just, guh, his armpit was right there when Steve started to wiggle and writhe, getting out of the hold. He went in nose-first and that was the real end of Steve. His fucking death. His nerves were already frayed by that point, tactically planning how to pin Bucky down and grind against him more than considering how to best fight him, playing dirty, but that was the final nail in the coffin. The last thread to snap. Lungfulls of Bucky's fucking musk and, oh, god, he's weak at the knees, he's whimpering, and he's twisting not to free himself but to get chest-to-chest with Bucky and grab his shoulders and squeeze at his waist to make sure he stays right there so Steve can fuck his dick against his hard, thick, very naked thigh while breathing in needy gasps of the smell of him alternating with burying his face between his pecs.
Jesus Christ.
Bucky had better plans, though, slamming Steve bodily back to the floor and tearing him out of his shirt for... some plan he had with his bare chest and probably really just his oversensitive, pink, pretty nipples, but actually just ending up zeroing in with a growl on Steve's own armpits. And finding in a rutting, groaning haze that the regulation dri-fit, skin-tight shirt Steve had been wearing with just his underwear, no pants, had rubbed him raw--some errant stitching or something about the seams at the armpit being unforgiving.
Jesus Fucking Christ.
Steve didn't even know. Like with everything. Bucky knows. Bucky knows him so much better and drives him crazy, using his knowledge to his advantage and being fuckin' evil about it. Steve was focused on other things until he wasn't, his legs instinctively wrapping around Bucky's stocky, muscled waist, feeling his abs flex and tense as he hauled him up and took him to the locker room to have his way with him.
Steve didn't put up any fight to that.
He's not fighting now, either. He's wilted and weak. He's just a warm, wet hole for Bucky to use with his overwhelmed body denting the fucking locker, his teeth feeling like they're rattling in his skull, and all of these high, shrill sounds being fucked. out. of. him. with every thrust because Bucky has his face in his armpit as he ravishes him, worrying that little patch of pink, raw skin with his tongue and teeth and lips and stubble and it's agonizing.
He's raw.
Only exposed nerves and desperate cries.
Too much pleasure.
He doesn't know what to do with it. All that fucking pleasure. Overdosing on it. Clenching on Bucky's big fucking cock fucking so hard into him that he's losing it. He isn't sure if he's laughing because it tickles, if he's crying because it fucking hurts, tender and sore, or if he's groaning with his whole chest, deep, because he can smell Bucky and he knows Bucky can absolutely smell him too. Hard work. Sweat. Testosterone. The fucking locker room. It's kind of really disgusting. Steve should be revolted. He should feel ashamed and dirty, no, filthy but, but--
"--buh-uh, uh, ah! Buckyyy!"
He just feels pleasure, whining so much higher and harder that it makes his throat ache. It's just white-hot pleasure at being fucking rawed by his man in the middle of the team locker room, treated exactly like the tough slab of muscle he is, able to take it, but somehow still reduced to this pathetic, whimpering puddle of slick sweat and pre-cum and tears--weeping like a pussy in heat. If Bucky gets any rougher, if he reaches around to pinch his nipples, if he slaps his ass, or, Jesus Christ, if he slaps his face, if he spits on him and calls him what he is, a little fairy taking a big cock like it's his job, Steve will never come back. He'll die. He's already dead, not breathing with Bucky shoved so deep in his pussy that he feels it in his throat. But he'll die all over again.
Please.
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Florida Shark Fishing: An Unmatched Adventure Awaits
Florida is one of the best places in the world for shark fishing. The state’s vast coastlines, ranging from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, offer an unparalleled variety of shark species and exciting fishing opportunities. Whether you’re a seasoned angler or a first-timer, Florida shark fishing delivers a thrilling experience like no other.
Why Choose Florida for Shark Fishing?
Florida’s waters are home to an incredible array of shark species, making it a prime destination for shark fishing enthusiasts. The warm waters and diverse marine environments create the perfect habitat for sharks to thrive. Whether you’re fishing inshore or heading out into deep-sea territory, Florida offers a variety of challenges and rewards that keep shark anglers coming back year after year.
Popular Shark Species in Florida
Florida is home to many species of sharks, each providing a unique experience. The most popular sharks targeted by anglers include:
Blacktip Shark: These fast swimmers are known for their acrobatics, often leaping out of the water during a fight. They are commonly found in both shallow and deeper waters, making them accessible for different fishing styles.
Bull Shark: Bull sharks are aggressive and powerful, often found close to shore in both saltwater and freshwater areas like rivers. Their strength and determination make them a thrilling catch.
Hammerhead Shark: Easily recognizable by their distinctive head shape, hammerheads are a favorite for experienced anglers. They tend to inhabit deeper waters, requiring a bit more expertise to catch.
Tiger Shark: Known for their size and power, tiger sharks are one of the most challenging sharks to reel in. These sharks are often found in deep offshore waters and offer an intense fight.
Mako Shark: The mako is one of the fastest and most exciting sharks to catch. Their incredible speed and agility make them a prized target for many shark fishing enthusiasts.
Best Locations for Florida Shark Fishing
From the coast of Miami to the Gulf waters around Destin, Florida is filled with prime shark fishing locations. Some of the most popular destinations for shark fishing in Florida include:
Destin: Located on the Gulf Coast, Destin is a renowned hotspot for shark fishing, offering easy access to both inshore and offshore waters. Whether you're fishing for blacktip sharks or large hammerheads, Destin’s waters are teeming with shark species throughout the year.
The Florida Keys: Known for its clear, warm waters, the Florida Keys are an exceptional location for shark fishing. Species such as blacktip, bull, and hammerhead sharks can be found here, and anglers can fish from the shoreline or venture out on a boat to target larger sharks.
Miami and Fort Lauderdale: These South Florida cities are famous for their excellent shark fishing. With year-round access to a wide variety of shark species, both locations offer charter services and guided trips for those eager to experience the thrill of Florida shark fishing.
Palm Beach and Stuart: On the Atlantic Coast, Palm Beach and Stuart offer fantastic opportunities for inshore shark fishing. Anglers often encounter bull sharks and blacktips in these waters, with a high chance of success.
The Florida Shark Fishing Experience
Shark fishing in Florida is a battle of strength, endurance, and strategy. The sheer power and fight of a shark make the experience both thrilling and demanding. Typically, shark fishing requires heavy-duty gear, including strong rods, reels, and wire leaders to handle the shark’s sharp teeth and tremendous force.
Shark fishing trips are often conducted on charter boats with experienced captains who know where to find sharks and how to manage the fight once you've hooked one. The excitement of fighting a shark can last for hours as they make powerful runs, pulling against the line with immense strength. For many anglers, landing a shark is the ultimate achievement, and it's a feeling of accomplishment like no other.
Conclusion: Experience Florida Shark Fishing
If you're ready to take your fishing adventure to the next level, Florida shark fishing offers an experience you won't soon forget. Whether you're hoping to catch a blacktip shark near the shore or tackle a giant hammerhead offshore, Florida's waters are ready to provide the thrill of a lifetime.
For the ultimate shark fishing adventure, book a trip with Destin Florida Fishing Charters. With expert guides, top-of-the-line gear, and a deep understanding of the local waters, Destin Florida Fishing Charters will help you reel in the shark of your dreams. Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime and experience Florida shark fishing at its finest!
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Okay, to give people an idea of the progress I’ve made on the fic I’ve been rambling about in reblog-after-reblog posts that no one cares about, that I’ve been referring to as the shish-kebab Ant fic, or the one where Hammerhead won’t shut up about his dead wife, I started writing it three years ago. And only got as far as I did before I picked it up again almost two weeks ago
Three years ago, I only managed to write a little over two hundred words. As of today, accumulated from the work I’ve put in over the last two weeks now, it is now 25,513 words long. And it’s still not done, I’ve got a third of the fic left to write and then edit
#I have put WORK into this fic#I’m determined to finish it#while also trying to finish the chapter of my HTTYD crossover I totally forgot about in the face of this fic#might take a slight break from this one to actually finish that#and then come back to this one with new eyes once it’s done#my beta has been FIGHTING to find the time to read the next chapter#so once they find the time and send me the grammar edits it’ll probably help with the inspiration#but I’d like to finish this one some time soon too#because it’s another one like Deep Down that’s been sitting in my WIP folder for actual years#i hope people like it#the deep 2015#the deep cartoon#captain hammerhead#ant nekton#antaeus nekton#as they are the two main characters in this fic
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So uh... Ik it's supposed to be a kids show but honestly The Deep is something I am obsessed with. Like ever since Season four came out, I've already watched it what 15 times and I'm almost done with season 3 for the sixteenth time. And let me tell you, 4 season for a total of 65 eps fifteen, almost sixteen, times is a lot of time. I didn't have access to it until like late November or somethin' like that. You can do the math but I think that just shows how dedicated to it I am.
And like how I am with almost anything I read or watch, I create scenarios and maybe even fan fictions about them. So be on the look out for a lot of those because I ain't stoppin' anytime soon.
Now if you'll excuse me, it's 01:22, it's raining, my ortho k's are slowly drying and my sister's phone is playing.
#the deep#the deep Netflix#fontaine nekton#antaeus nekton#ant nekton#kaiko nekton#william nekton#tikitsune's writings#jeffery nekton#nereus#captain hammerhead#smiling finn#mad madeline#danny boy#aronnax#nekton#knights#shadow knight#mag knight#swamp knight#white knite#mimic knight#jeffery knight#rover#lemuria
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The Deep ("Sous Les Mers" in french) S2 episode 11
It always cracks me up when Ant annoys Madeline about her not being a real pirate. Bonus point for the proud dad (TM) and the realist older siblings (TM). Also I love Fontaine's "We get it! You're both proud of the destructive capabilities of your kids"
Transcript of the video :
Kaiko : There are rock formations everywhere
Will : If we don't take control of your sub[marine], you won't have any sub left.
Ant : Let me Climb into the air-ducts. I'll undo some wiring to stop the ship.
I've Sabotaged this sub before.
Madeline : We can't trust him! Proper sabotage needs a proper pirate!
Ant : Well if you see any proper pirates, you let me know.
Madeline : I'm a great pirate. And I'm going!
Hammerhead : Aye. If there's one thing Madeline's good at, it's wrecking things.
Will : Please! Ant can cause havoc on a scale you can barely imagine.
Finn : We don't have time for this!
Fontaine : We get it! You're both proud of the destructive capabilities of your kids.
Finn : Now Stick them both in the air-duct
Ant & Madeline : I'm not getting in a confined space with him!
Beginning of a new scene
Ant : Are you happy now
this show is so underrated
#The Deep 2015#The Deep Season 2#Anteus Nekton#Mad Madeline#Fontaine Nekton#Will Nekton#Smiling Finn#Captain Hammerhead
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G-Genderbent Anarka
(It’s Captain Hammerhead from the TV Show “The Deep” very good if you don’t have Thalassophobia or a fear of sea monster.)
oh god
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Another woman aship with no instinct to go unnoticed. Had she, he would’ve let her peace on and be grown into the meat of the vessel and plankton slick her, and mussels digest her skin to the Bootstrap crust that haunts Will’s forty winks.
Had she, Captain Turner would mark no upset to his dead person. But the lowlight is in a mood and spins a tale of her. Crow-black to beach-gold; eyes of morning blue seasickness to deep like his own. He sees an Elizabeth invert in there.
His tiding has until now given no heartache, but she takes revenge on that success. He’s for the Chest again. He relives the heart exchange, Jones’ forking between the ribs of him like meaning to dine him, Jack’s hand around his hand.
Jack.
She thinks she knows Jack. Truly foul taste. More misfortune for her this night, that she’s mistaken Will for him.
‘ Take her. ’
Maccus is abominably big. His hammerhead makes it that the belly of the ship seems to gorge its fill, strain. Whoever she is, her chains are crab legs to him, snapping at the tails. Wrist leashes which Maccus tugs hard.
@rejectory liked for a starter | Will Turner
“Jack? Jack Sparrow?” She'd managed to pick his name out amidst the onslaught of noise on the upper deck. Violence preceded the entrance of strangers into the bowels of another man's ship. She'd have to be deaf to have missed that– or dead. Metal on metal, the screams of bloodshed. Cries of a ship being taken over. Its wood beams shed tears of salt to speckle her skin with the glittering translucence.
“No, miss. I seen Cap’m Jack,” a man in the cell across from her calls. “This in’t him.” He offers a drunken gesture to whatever dark-haired stranger had just breached the doorway seconds prior. Tides shift and the flooring seems to teeter with it in a way familiarity lacks. It's sway is nearly enough to send her toppling over, stumbling forward from where she'd now moved to press herself to the back wall of the ship's prison cell. The same one she'd beens sentenced to for the last three days.
There was no gentle acclimation to the sea’s heartbeat. No careful introduction into the belly of the beast she unwillingly inhabited. Below her is no longer a source of stability but a tumultuous rhythm to shock balance into domination. A mere blink was all she had been given. Her bracelets are shackles, the ship's rudder a ribcage, and she could feel it breathing.
“Then who are you?”
A savior or executioner?
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Running Onwards, To the Hope of a New Day (Part 3)
Part 1 | Part 2
(Thank you to everyone who's been reading this fic of mine so far! I've really appreciated all your comments! Also, this will eventually be up on AO3, just not yet because I haven't been able to get an account just yet.)
In which Nyx tries his best, realises a few things, learns a new skill, and commits a minor case of arson.
All in all, Nyx was feeling pretty good about his chances, on his ninth run. He’d learnt from his eighth run that, no, setting the black-market dealer’s place on fire, stealing both the explosives and the phoenix down, and quietly dumping the explosives into one of the rivers that ran through Insomnia wasn’t enough to stop the rebels from bombing the signing ceremony. Considering there was more than one cell, he was sadly unsurprised by this. He’d also figured out that whatever was attracting the daemons was attached to the tracker in the hairpin in a way that he couldn’t just remove, which was a shame.
He learned that he needed to give Crowe a phone in some sort of blast-proof container or casing, because while he’d managed to give Crowe the means to contact him and Libertus sooner, the phone would be severely damaged without one. And, because the phone would be broken, Crowe wouldn’t be able to get in contact with them soon enough to stop Libertus from joining the rebels and giving them the vital information that they needed to launch their attack on the Citadel.
He had also found out that if he told King Regis about the traitorous Glaives he knew would survive the Princess’ extraction, that the King would be able to sever their connection to his magic before they encountered them on either the bridge or the overpass.
Unfortunately, its effectiveness was limited by the fact that there were still Glaives that he hadn’t known were traitors, and so they still had ended up rocketing off the overpass when another Glaive, who Nyx belated recognised as Isra Solis (and Crowe had cursed her out even more viciously than Nyx had, because Isra was as talented with frost magic as Crowe was with fire, and the two had been close, before everything went down).
At this point, Nyx was pretty sure that as soon as they got to that first attempt to escape the city, it was almost guaranteed that they’d be crashing the car sooner or later.
At the very least, Nyx thought to himself, as he finally found an old camera case which he hoped would be enough to hide the phone, this should help with stopping Libertus from leaving. Hopefully.
A day later, he awkwardly held the box of Crowe’s things, waiting for Drautos to move out of earshot. As Libertus raged at Crowe’s apparent death, Nyx took a deep breath, and quickly grabbed Libertus, warping them into one of the nearby alcoves (why there were so many alcoves by the morgue, Nyx had no idea, but he’d take it).
“Nyx, what the hell?!” Libertus gasped, nearly losing his balance at the sudden movement if not for Nyx’s steady grip on his arm.
“Lib…I don’t think Crowe is dead,” Nyx said, mustering the most serious voice he could, which was actually pretty serious considering how much potentially hinged on him getting Libertus to listen. “Look, you know how I gave her some of my curatives, right? Well, I also gave her a phoenix down and an extra phone.”
“…Why? What has that got to do with any of this?”
Nyx rummaged through the box in his hands, searching through for any of the items in question. Thankfully (for the point he was making, at any rate), he could not find any of the things that he had given Crowe.
“They said they recovered everything, right?”
Libertus nodded slowly.
“The phone isn’t here. Not even parts of it.”
Nyx was gratified to see the dawning realisation on Libertus’ face, and silently congratulated himself for finally convincing him of Crowe’s continued survival. And hopefully now, Libertus wouldn’t have too many reasons to leave, or at the very least, no reason to give information to that rebel cell.
“So, what you’re saying,” Libertus said, slowly, almost as if he couldn’t believe it. “Is that Crowe could still be alive.”
“Yes, exactly!” Nyx internally was jumping up and down with joy, this was exactly the reaction he wanted.
“We need to go find her.”
Wait, shit. Celebrated too early.
Nyx wasn’t even certain that Libertus would be able to find Crowe, if he went haring off now. And if he lost track of Libertus, then he wouldn’t to be able to assure himself of Libertus or Crowe’s safety. And if Libertus went running off, then that would alert the traitors that their plan hadn’t gone exactly to plan, and Nyx…couldn’t risk them changing the script that drastically.
“With what resources, Lib?” Nyx hissed, holding back Libertus with a hand on his shoulder. “We don’t even know where she is! She still has the phone, presumedly. We should wait for her call.”
“But what if she can’t call? What if she’s been captured by the Niffs, or- or.”
“…Give it a day, Lib. 24 hours, and if we don’t hear anything, we’ll go find her. But don’t you dare leave without me.” Nyx scowled, hoping that his mild concession wouldn’t be necessary. He didn’t exactly want to show off the fact that he knew the approximate area that Crowe would end up in, two days from this point, but 24 hours would give him time to come up with a reasonable excuse. He hoped, at any rate.
“Fine,” Libertus nodded. “24 hours’ll give us time to prepare, either way.”
“And don’t you dare try and resign, we’re going to need the King’s magic for this. Probably.”
“Alright, alright, hero.” Libertus shook his head, patting Nyx on the shoulder. “Worry about Crowe, not me.”
“I am not going to risk losing you as well, Lib.” Nyx scowled.
Libertus’ expression softened, then, and he drew Nyx into a hug.
“You won’t, Nyx.”
But I have. So many times, Nyx didn’t say, basking in the warmth of his best friend’s embrace. So many times, Libertus. I wish I could tell you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Nyx’s phone rang early the next day, showing the contact for the phone that he had given Crowe, Nyx was unashamed to admit that he broke down sobbing. Frantically hitting the answer button, he listened to Crowe tell him that Luche had nearly killed her, that she’d been rescued in the nick of time by the combined efforts of the phoenix down and a pair of hunters, and that (this time), for some reason, she was actually all the way at Hammerhead.
Why she was all the way there, Nyx wasn’t quite certain, but Crowe had explained that the phone had actually been slightly damaged after the fight with Luche, but when Crowe had been trying to get it to actually make a call, one of the hunters had said that there was a mechanic over at Hammerhead, who could repair it.
Nyx wondered why Crowe hadn’t gone to the outpost last time, surely an outpost as well-established as Hammerhead would have been the ideal place to take an injured Glaive to contact her allies. Then he realised that in the last run, the phone had been completely toasted, and perhaps the hunters had not realised that Crowe was a member of the Kingsglaive, until they had spotted the Imperial dropships and Crowe had gone racing off after them.
Still, he did have some other questions to ask her.
“Wait, hold up, why couldn’t the hunters call us for you? Don’t they have phones of their own?”
“Batteries died.”
Are you fucking kidding me?! Nyx thought. What were the bloody chances of that happening?!
“What.” He said instead.
“Yeah, apparently they were going to head to one of the smaller, nearer outposts because there’s some spares there, but when I told them I needed to get in touch with a member of the Kingsglaive fast, I think they broke like four or five road rules to get me here as fast as they could.”
Nyx couldn’t help but laugh at the image, before slowly managing to calm himself down.
“Can you hold for a moment? I need to get Libertus here before he does something stupid and tries to rush after you.”
“Sure, Nyx. Get him in here, I bet the big guy’s worrying his ass off about me. I sure won’t be going anywhere, the hunters said it was risky enough bringing me all the way over here in the first place.”
Nyx sped down the hallway, and raced for the stairs, almost knocking Luche down the stairs (if only) in his haste to reach Libertus. He slammed open the door, having only wasted a few seconds fumbling with his own set of keys beforehand.
“LIB!” He yelled, as he shut the door behind him.
“What?!” Libertus yelled back, from inside the bathroom, where Nyx could hear the sounds of the shower running. “It better be important, I only just got the hot water running!”
Oh, whoops.
Three minutes later, Nyx was awkwardly sitting on Libertus’ couch whilst Libertus talked with Crowe, the other man significantly less irritated at Nyx’s interruption when Nyx had told him he had Crowe on the other end of his phone. He didn’t mention to Libertus later, when the man had finally re-entered the main area of his flat and put the phone on speaker, that he had definitely heard the sound of Libertus sobbing even with the continued sound of running water. Nyx was honestly just happy that Libertus was still here, still with him, and that Crowe was still alive.
“Shit, Nyx.” Libertus finally said, after Crowe had fully retold her story. “Luche’s a fucking traitor. We should…we should tell the Captain.”
Nyx froze, from where he was preparing to head off to be part of the Princess’ escort into Insomnia.
“I…I’m not sure we should.” Nyx admitted, trying not to make it apparent that he absolutely distrusted anything and everything Drautos said or did. “The details of Crowe’s mission should have been confidential, as soon as she left the city. But despite the precautions that were taken, Luche was still able to find her, and nearly kill her. If Luche’s a traitor, what’s to say there aren’t any other traitors in the Kingsglaive? What’s to say that the Captain’s office hasn’t already been compromised?”
“Shit, is there anywhere else we can take this?”
“What about the Crownsguard Marshal? The Crownsguard deal with internal affairs, right?” Crowe chipped in.
“We could…but I’m due in for Citadel duty in ten minutes, and we can’t afford any possible traitors knowing something’s up just yet.” Nyx scowled, frustrated at how things had lined up. “Lib, can you see if you can talk to the Marshal?”
“Nyx, you know how I feel about the Crownsguard,” Libertus shook his head. “With my luck, I’d end up just pissing them off, and that’s the opposite of getting them to listen. Chances are, I’m not even going to make it anywhere close to the Marshal’s office.”
“Damn it.” Nyx sighed. “I’ll see if I can find him, when it gets to my lunch break.”
“I’ll see if I can think of any way to get Crowe back here soon, I’m certain Crowe showing up alive will lend support to our whole ‘Luche is a filthy traitor’ argument.” Libertus nodded. “Best of luck, hero.”
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If one were to inquire as to why Nyx Ulric of the Kingsglaive was currently sitting with his head in his hands, barely an hour after his shift had ended, on the steps just outside the Kingsglaive barracks, he would tell them to politely ‘fuck off’.
It was, perhaps, not the most diplomatic of responses, but Nyx felt it easily summed up how he was presently feeling, after the utter shitshow that was his attempt to find the Marshal of the Crownsguard.
The actual searching and inquiry itself was quite fast. He’d only had to step into the Crownsguard building asking to see the Marshal, only to find out one little thing. One key thing he honestly wished he’d known far sooner, because it explained so many things.
The Marshal was not in the damn city.
Apparently, the man was off on some sort of confidential mission, due to return the bloody day before the signing ceremony for some Astrals-damned reason.
That was too late for any of Nyx’s current (and possibly future) plans.
And there was no way he, a single Kingsglaive, could even get the Marshal to return sooner, it simply wasn’t within the bounds of his current abilities.
So that avenue was closed to him, for the time being. Perhaps there were other people in the Marshal’s office he could approach, but Nyx simply did not know who would be a trustworthy, reliable person he could talk to in that branch of the military.
He briefly considered Fortis, before shaking his head. That man could be relied upon in a crisis, he had to admit, but…to most people, the only crisis happening at the moment was the political nightmare of the ceasefire. To most, it was a matter for diplomats and Kings, not foot soldiers and guardsmen.
Scowling off into the distance, he wondered whether it might have just been best to get Crowe back into the city, so that he could at least go to the King with direct evidence of Luche’s treachery. With any luck, Luche would have spilled everything, and then they could have killed Glauca when he inevitably fought back.
It seemed a bit late to try that this time around, though. Tomorrow, Insomnia would be invaded, after all.
Nyx sighed, before readying himself for his night shift guard duty, and the Princess’ inevitable kidnapping. Time to see if he could, at the very least, keep all his friends alive for longer this time around.
The next morning, he let himself back into Libertus’ room, to kick his plan of ‘Keep The King and My Friends Alive At Least’ into motion.
“Lib, I’m…I’m going to go talk to the King,” He said, and had a moment of amusement at Libertus nearly dropping his bowl of oatmeal in shock. “Crowe’s still at Hammerhead, yeah? Presumably heavily injured, but not injured enough to be unable to hold a call, right?”
“I would assume so,” Libertus nodded, after regaining his composure. “You sure you can get the King himself to listen? He’s a Lucian, and a noble to boot. You know how the combination of the two tend to treat folks like us.”
“…I think he’d listen. We have proof, now, and the next highest-ranked person isn’t even going to be here yet.”
“I still think we should tell the Captain-“
“No!”
Nyx winced as Libertus levelled a critical eye at him, the force of his disagreement clearly a bit…too much.
“Nyx.”
“Yes, Libertus?” Please don’t ask what I think you’re about to.
“Why are you so adamant about not telling the Captain?” Libertus put down his bowl, and crossed his arms, a pose familiar enough to Nyx that he knew Libertus wouldn’t take a vague answer. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“I- I think the Captain is also a traitor.” There. He said it.
Nyx waited, as the seconds ticked by, as Libertus seemed to turn the thought over in his head. He waited, for the inevitable doubt, the claims of paranoia gone too far in the wake of Luche’s betrayal.
“I’m guessing you don’t have any evidence, do you.”
Nyx raised an eyebrow. That wasn’t a complete expression of doubt, even if Libertus did still seem highly sceptical of his not-theory.
“No. It’s just,” Nyx fished around for the right word that wouldn’t cause more suspicion, considering he still wasn’t sure he could just outright say ‘yeah I’ve watched Drautos murder King Regis like three times by now’. “A gut feeling. An instinct.”
“Well, your gut instinct hasn’t led us astray much at all, has it,” Libertus sighed, his stance loosening dramatically as he sat down heavily. “Astrals damn it. And considering Drautos is actually respected by the Lucians, they won’t be likely to take your word without actual evidence to back it up.”
“And obviously, I couldn’t exactly break into his house or office to look for evidence.”
“Well, you could, it’d just be difficult.”
“What.”
Libertus shrugged, before gesturing at himself and Nyx.
“We’ve both got magic, idiot.”
“Yes, and? It’s not exactly conducive to breaking and entering, you know. Security cameras exist, and I can’t exactly fireball my way into his office.”
Libertus blinked up at Nyx, before vanishing in the slightest glow of crystal-blue.
“Oh.”
Nyx sat down, on the floor of Libertus’ shoebox of a flat, and laughed into the palm of his hand. He laughed, until he registered Libertus (now visible again), shaking his shoulder.
“You good?”
“I. Yeah,” Nyx wiped away a tear from the corner of his eye. “I can’t believe it didn’t occur to me. Six, it was so obvious all along!”
He looked up at Libertus, and grinned. “Can you teach me?”
“What, now?!” Libertus looked around, before sighing once again. “You want to go searching whilst the Signing Ceremony happens, don’t you? Fuck, of course you are, you reckless piece of shit.”
“Well-“ Actually, I was more thinking it’d be good for a future loop.
“Fine. You’ve got forty minutes before your next citadel guard shift, you better be listening closely, hero. The others in my squad took at minimum three days to hold this for longer than a few seconds. You might be a warp-spammer, but this shit takes more focus than a shield, for all that it drains your magic slower.”
“I’m listening, Lib.”
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By the time Nyx had to leave for the citadel, he could hold the invisibility for all of two seconds, a feat that Libertus had briefly praised, before going right back to fondly complaining about Nyx’s aptitude with all things magical. It wasn’t enough to be truly practical, but Nyx figured he’d have time to practice it more, next loop.
“You’ll call me, yeah, if anything goes south?” Libertus had asked, grabbing hold of Nyx before he could leave.
“Yeah,” Nyx nodded. “I will.”
An hour later, he was hastily calling Crowe with the coordinates he had by now memorised, as he made his way to the rest of the Kingsglaive with their orders to mobilise. As for Libertus, he’d updated him as to the situation, tasking Libertus with keeping an eye on the situation within the city, and calling him if anything happened.
Obviously, Nyx knew that things were definitely going to happen, but the point was that he wanted Libertus to not run off and potentially get himself killed. Nyx had a plan, this time around, or at least the makings of one, and he was fairly certain he’d be able to keep his friends, the Princess, and the King alive this time around.
First off though, he had to survive the Princess’ extraction.
With a deep breath, he launched himself up onto the Niflheim ship, experience allowing him to stick the landing instead of the awkward crash his first time around. With expert motions, he directed the Glaives through the ship, right up to the point where Pelna found the Princess.
“Pelna, get out of there, now. Don’t go down that corridor, I spotted a really nasty daemon that way.” Nyx said, hurriedly, as he sprinted down the hallway to meet them. He easily ducked under a traitor’s attack, ripping off their mask just before he slit their throat.
He’d forgotten to check their identities the first few times around, too busy with trying to survive and keeping his friends alive, and while he knew he wouldn’t be able to get all of them in one run, he sure could at least find out who a few of them were.
Distantly, as he expertly tripped another traitor and killed them before they could even try and attack Pelna from behind, he wondered how much he had changed, already, with how many times he’d already replayed the past five days. Before this hell week, before the ceasefire, before the time loops, these Glaives had been his fellow comrades-in-arms. He’d saved them, and been saved in turn, on countless missions, in countless fights. And yet here he was, barely batting an eye as sisters and brothers turned on them all, as he cut them down within seconds of them raising their blades and spells against their former friends and allies. Their movements were so familiar, so scripted, he knew exactly how to move to counter their attacks, how to slip under their guard and slice them apart. The only true dangers, it seemed, would be the daemons, Luche and his posse, and General Glauca.
He shoved Pelna back with one hand as they rounded the corner, tanking a fireball from Tredd with his own shield, before retaliating with his own rapid blasts of lightning. He could hear Tredd curse, ducking around his own corner just as a tentacle from the octopus daemon began to tear the ship they were on in two.
He quickly directed Pelna and Lunafreya onto the ship they would escape in, nodding to himself as Crowe suddenly warped onto the open deck with a gasp, mirroring the events of Loop 7. He quickly shoved a couple of hi-elixirs into her hand, before turning around and seeing if he could spot Luche’s escape ship. Sadly, he couldn’t, and resigned himself to seeing those assholes again later, during the overpass chase.
“Shit, Crowe!” Pelna called out. “You’re alive?!”
“Yeah, no thanks to fucking Luche.” Crowe spat, and Nyx mentally noted down that two hi-elixirs were so much better than just one single elixir. “Nyx, you need to call Libertus, let him know what a shitshow this has all turned out to be.”
“And it’s gotten worse.” Pelna agreed, pointing out the falling Wall.
“We need to return to the Citadel-“
“Yeah, I know. The King and the Ring, right?” Nyx sighed, already calling Libertus.
“Yes, exactly- Wait, how did you know that?” Lunafreya suddenly appeared in Nyx’s field of view, eyes bright with concern, just as Nyx had finished talking to Libertus.
“You’re talking to the Glaive who’s pulled the most Citadel duty out of everyone, I picked up a few things,” Nyx said, suddenly aware of the fact that the importance of the Ring was…probably not the most common of information around. He hastily changed the subject. “I let Lib know we were coming back, he’s going to be waiting for us in the Citadel garage.”
“You sure he’ll be alright? What with that leg of his?” Pelna inquired.
“He might not look like it, but Lib is a very good driver.” Nyx thought back to the past loops. In every single one where he’d actually made it to that plaza, Libertus had, without fail, successfully crashed a car into Glauca. And on top of that, he’d also successfully navigated his way through a city in the midst of getting razed, whilst Nyx and the Old Wall had been tearing up the city in their respective fights. Libertus was the best damn driver Nyx knew, broken leg or not.
The four of them made it to the Citadel in what felt like record time, running into the signing room just in time to once again see Ravus’ arm on fire. Pelna and Lunafreya quickly hustled the King out of the room, whilst Crowe and Nyx did their best to harry Glauca with alternating blasts of fire and lightning. As they ran out of the secret tunnel and into the garage, Nyx grinned as he Libertus waved at them all. As Crowe rushed to give Libertus a one-armed hug, Nyx quietly relayed the identities of the rest of the traitorous Glaives he could be certain of, as well as his suspicions about Captain Drautos, to the King, who nodded even as he paled considerably at Nyx’s revelations.
“Astrals, but am I glad to see you, Crowe!” Libertus called out.
“You too, Libertus! Better not have done anything stupid whilst I was out.”
“Cool catch-up, but we’ve got General Glauca right on our heels,” Nyx said, slamming down another shield over the tunnel that they had just left. “We’ll take two cars. Pelna, you’re driving that car over there. Crowe, you and King Regis can get into Lib’s car. Me and the Princess will be with Pelna. We’ll exit together, and Pelna will take the lead. Lib, I want you to stay as close as possible to us, me and Crowe will be taking charge of killing anything that gets in our way, but there’s no guarantee we’ll be able to clear a path, so stay vigilant. Make sure your comms stay open.”
“Got it.” They all nodded, Crowe even giving him a thumbs up as she slid into Libertus’ car.
The drive out of the Citadel went exactly as Nyx had expected, and he quietly cackled to himself even as he leaned out of the window to throw a handful of lightning at one of the MT Armours chasing them. As he spotted the ship carrying Luche, Tredd, and the rest of their group slowly coming into view, he threw a fireball at them, before ducking back down into the car. Hastily, he grabbed the Princess’ hairpin from her, the woman too shocked by the suddenness of his action to protest.
“Pelna, hand me the wheel.”
“Nyx what-“
“You’re still good at warping, yeah? I need you to warp the Princess to Lib’s car,” Nyx sighed as Lib predictably began to also protest. “Lib, get someone to hold that door open.”
“Nyx, you fucking-“
“Pelna, now!”
To his credit, the man didn’t hesitate even with his protests, throwing his dagger in a shower of blue as he tugged the Princess along, leaving Nyx alone in his car.
Not for much longer, of course, because just as Luche and Tredd leaned out of their ship to try and shoot at them all, and just as Petra Fortis in his armoured van appeared in Nyx’s rearview mirror, Nyx turned his car to face Luche and Tredd.
The look on their faces as he drove the car straight at them would be one Nyx would savour for a long, long time. Luche’s string of curses as Nyx warped out of the car just before impact, would also be on the list of things that gave Nyx so much joy.
He landed on the side of Fortis’ van with a quiet oomph, clinging onto the kukri now lodged into the metal. A few moments later, he’d managed to swing himself into the front seat, after Fortis had rolled down the window for him.
“You’re insane, Ulric. Actually insane.” Fortis said, staring at him with wide eyes even as they caught up with Libertus and the others.
“Best warper in the Kingsglaive.” Nyx replied smugly, and winced as the yelling over his comm reached an even louder level.
After that, they somehow made it all the way to within view of the West Gate, even with the occasional daemon or magitek soldier that they ran into. It seemed Nyx’s gambit with the crashed car and the hairpin had paid off, for now, and he quietly let himself relax a little, though he kept an eye out for anything else that might stop their escape.
It was that caution that had him spotting the glimmer of silver and purple before it hit the ground in front of Libertus’ car, his yell of alarm all that they needed to grind to a halt just in time to avoid General Glauca slicing their car in two.
“Shit, Fortis, you and Lib are gonna have to guard the King and Princess, we’ll try and hold him off. If you see an opening, get out of here.” Nyx said, as he chucked a kukri out of the window, and began doing his level best to once again kill Glauca.
As Crowe covered the King and Princess’ retreat to Fortis’ van, followed by a very worried Libertus, Nyx threw himself headlong into the fight, Pelna darting in and out where he could, the two of them trying to keep Glauca’s attention long enough for Crowe to be able to join in.
“Why do you fight, for a King who would abandon us all to save his throne and his son?” Glauca roared, as Nyx warped out of the way of his sword, flinging a blast of flame to hide Pelna’s approach. “Walk away, Glaives, and you will see another day in peace, the Empire has promised it!”
“The way I see it, whatever Niflheim promised you isn’t enough to justify the utter destruction laid in its wake, Drautos.”
Glauca actually froze, momentarily, as Nyx called him by his actual name. And then cursed, because Crowe had apparently figured out how to properly stash the King and the Princess away, and had now joined the fight as well with a blast of flame that Nyx could see had melted part of his helmet.
“So, you know, then.”
“Yeah, I do, you traitorous bastard.”
The three Glaives did their best to fight Glauca, a blast of lightning from Nyx actually causing the armoured man to stumble backwards a little. This…wasn’t going terribly, Nyx thought, warping past Glauca’s shoulder and swinging back down, Pelna trying to go for Glauca’s knees at the same time. They were both flung backwards for their efforts, but Crowe had used that opportunity to slam another two fireballs at Glauca, only one of which the man was able to deflect.
In the corner of his eye, he saw a daemon making its way to them, ambling towards Fortis’ van. Nyx cursed, and launched himself at Glauca, trying to herd him out of the way so that Fortis could make a break for it, before the daemon got to them.
“Crowe, Pelna, we need to get Glauca out of the way!”
Pelna nodded, grunting as he parried a punch, before warping away from Crowe’s attack. Nyx dove forward immediately after, hissing as Glauca’s sword drew a sharp cut across his cheek, but it was worth it as he managed to get close enough to unleash a pulse of lightning strong enough to send Glauca back a few vital steps. He warped out of the way of his retaliation, letting Pelna take over briefly as he cracked an elixir onto himself.
They just needed to get Glauca a little further away, and then Fortis could, hopefully, get out of the city.
But Pelna was tiring, and so was Nyx, the fighting from earlier having already taken its toll even though they had come out of that mess mostly unharmed.
Glauca, on the other hand, seemed to be fuelled by whatever cursed shit made up that armour of his, and probably a few other things as well.
At this rate, Nyx had the feeling he’d be needing to put that damn Ring back on his finger. Again.
“Shit, shit, shit!” Pelna yelled as he dodged several swings of the sword, managing to avoid getting skewered only for Glauca to catch him around the waist and fling him across the road.
“Pelna!” Nyx yelled, unable to check on his friend as Glauca was now attacking him, and thank the Astrals that Nyx had already seen some of these moves and knew how to counter them, because it should be illegal how fast Glauca could move, in armour like that.
Nyx managed to blast Glauca in the way of one of Crowe’s fire blasts, just as he heard the screeching of tires. He grinned, even as Glauca doubled his attacks at him, Nyx holding up a shield just as he felt the van fly past him, the vehicle close enough to almost him.
“You do realise that you will die here, that nothing will stop me from killing that coward King.” Glauca growled, as he batted Nyx away.
“Your armour’s looking real bad, you know that?” Nyx quipped back, nodding to Pelna as the two of the charged at Glauca, Nyx aiming a blast of frost at Glauca’s feet whilst Pelna tried for a headshot.
They both missed, Glauca almost managing to get a kick out at Nyx, but they both managed to distract him enough to take yet another gout of fire to the head.
“You. I knew I should’ve had you killed when I had the chance!” Glauca roared, charging suddenly at Crowe, a sliver of skin visible along his collarbone.
“No!” Nyx yelled, warping after him, only to get a fist straight to his chest, winding him as he crumpled to the ground.
He could see Crowe warping out of the way, but she’d never fought Glauca in melee combat before, and melee wasn’t even her specialty-
The axe that lodged itself in Glauca’s collarbone surprised them all.
Glauca’s yell of surprise and pain was nearly drowned out by Libertus’ warcry, as the man suddenly appeared, his axe in both hands as he braced himself and completed his swing, turning that sliver of collarbone into a bloody gash, although Nyx could see the silver of the armour already trying to repair itself.
“That’s my sister you nearly killed, you bastard.” Libertus spat, and ducked as Crowe tossed fireball after fireball at Glauca, before she turned and set the approaching daemon alight as well.
“How-“
Nyx didn’t give him time to finish, letting Pelna use him as a springboard to launch right at Glauca, the man plunging a dagger right into that open wound before he landed in front of Libertus and Crowe, ready to help defend them.
“Damn, he’s still going?” Pelna shook his head, flinging up a shield to briefly deflect Glauca’s next attack. “That should’ve at least slowed him down significantly.”
Nyx warped back into the fight, giving the three time to reposition themselves as he tried his best to carve out more of Glauca. This fight was just as frustrating as it had been all the times before, as even though he had his friends with him, it was balanced out by the fact he didn’t have the extra power from the Ring. For all of his experience, Glauca was the worst enemy he had to fight, and it showed.
Drautos had been their commander, their beloved Captain. He knewall of their moves, or at least most of them, their fighting styles, their habits and their weaknesses. And that meant that he could counteract them with more ease than he should have.
Which meant that Nyx had to do something unpredictable, something so utterly insane not even Drautos could predict it.
His gaze skittered over the road, looking for something he could maybe use to his advantage. He couldn’t see anything, just broken concrete and asphalt, Libertus’ by-now trashed car, the corpse of a daemon smouldering behind them-
He looked back at the car, where there was a puddle of fuel slowly leaking from its side.
His first thought was that it was a wonder it hadn’t caught alight, what with Crowe’s flames. His second thought was that surely Glauca wasn’t completely explosion-proof, even with that armour of his.
“Guys!” He yelled, sprinting back into the fight. “I’m going to try something, I need you to herd him backwards, to the car!”
“What are you going to do, trip me?” Glauca actually sounded a bit amused, even though he was, in fact, getting slowly pushed backwards by their combined assault.
“No, even better,” Nyx watched as Glauca was finally backed up to the car, and probably as far as he’d get before he’d clue into the petrol leaking from Libertus’ car. “Everyone, get back!”
Pelna’s eyes widened in understanding, as he warped away and grabbed Libertus with him, and Nyx tossed as large a fireball as he could at Glauca and the car.
The resulting inferno wasn’t quite as impressive as the explosion Nyx had been hoping for, but the screaming from within was.
“Do you…think that’d kill him?” Pelna asked, as they all stared at the flaming wreck, from a safe distance away.
“I’m…not actually sure,” Nyx admitted. “Actually, are cars supposed to catch on fire like that?”
“If they’re a good quality car, no.” Libertus growled. “Cheap piece of shit.”
“Eh, better safe than sorry.”
The three men looked at Crowe as she began to hurl more fireballs at the car (and presumably Glauca), her barrage only pausing when she had to crack an elixir, before continuing on. Nyx shrugged, and joined in, except with lightning bolts. Her logic was sound, in his opinion, even if Pelna and Libertus were staring at them with increasing amounts of fear.
There was one slightly harrowing moment as they watched Glauca actually stumble forwards a few moments later, but Nyx and Crowe’s panicked blasts of lightning and fire respectively quickly had him crumpling to the ground. They stayed where they were, for a few moments longer, to see if he would get back up, before Nyx sprayed the flaming wreck with a light blizzard, and they moved closer to see whether Glauca truly was dead.
“Oh, yikes.” Crowe muttered, staring at the body on the road.
“That’s a lot of- I don’t think a burned body is supposed to smell like that.” Pelna commented, holding a hand up to his nose.
“Must be the armour, that shit was magitek. Must’ve had a bad reaction to all that fire we were hurling at him at the end.” Libertus reasoned.
Nyx simply marched up to the body, and stabbed what he assumed was the head. Twice.
“Alright, he’s definitely dead.” Nyx concluded. “If he wasn’t before, by some miracle, he is now.”
Crowe cackled, a little hysterically.
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A little later, Nyx trudged behind his three friends as they headed for the nearest haven, presumably to rest and recover before they tried to meet up with any other survivors of the Invasion.
Dawn was breaking on the horizon, and he was simultaneously relieved by the sight, and dreading its arrival.
On one hand, as far as he was aware, he’d managed to keep all of his friends, and the King and the Princess, alive. Even Fortis was alive, and that was something Nyx hadn’t expected. But on the other hand, Insomnia was still a smouldering ruin, the Empire had gotten away with that Crystal, and Nyx was pretty certain the fatality count was up in the hundreds of thousands.
Up until now, he hadn’t managed to live past the dawn, had always died as soon as the sun had fully risen above the horizon. What if his survival now meant that the loops were finished? The thought scared him, somehow. He’d gotten used to slowly inching his way to figuring out the multitude of things that had led up to the city’s fall, and the destruction that came with it. What if he could’ve had more chances to try and stop everything from happening in the first place, if only he figured out a way to die before the dawn? What if there were parts to this puzzle he didn’t yet know about, vital pieces that could ensure everyone’s survival without the destruction of the city?
But, if he looped back now, then wouldn’t all the fighting he had just done be for naught? He looked at his friends, at their tired, but cheerful, expressions. To them, they’d just survived one of the greatest tragedies since the Fall of Galahd, and had even managed to kill the legendary General Glauca, the man responsible for the destruction of not only Galahd, but also Tenebrae, and now Insomnia.
He couldn’t- He couldn’t take that away from them.
And so, Nyx Ulric watched as the sun rose above the horizon, Pelna cheering as one of the imps that had been about to approach them almost instantly melted away into daemonic miasma.
And stopped.
He shuddered, clutching his head as a sudden spell of dizziness overtook him. He vaguely heard Libertus’ cry of alarm, as he stumbled backwards, something tugging on his chest even as the world around him seemed to flicker in and out like a bad television signal. Nyx had the abrupt sensation of the ground beneath him giving way, before his vision fragmented, like a broken mosaic almost, and he fell, dragged along by an unseen force. The swirl of colours that his vision had devolved into was nauseating, and Nyx shut his eyes, the sensation of freefalling continuing until-
He sat upright with a shout, as the world snapped back into place, and he was greeted by the familiar sight of his dimly lit apartment, sunlight streaming through the cheap curtains.
#ffxv#ff15#final fantasy 15#final fantasy xv#ffxv fanfiction#ffxv kingsglaive#nyx ulric#libertus ostium#crowe altius#pelna khara#carminite writes#Running Onwards (A Timelooping Nyx AU)#Loop 9 or as I like to call it#the one where Nyx finds out what it feels like to get yeeted back in time
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So I haven't watched the show yet but I have the sneaking suspicion that you're slowly turning the Couffaines into the family from "The Deep" cartoon you were posting about lol.
I was writing the crossover fic (subnautica/ The Deep, Not Miraculous Ladybug/ The Deep) and had the thought and decided to share it.
Also Anarka would better fit the role of Captain hammerhead then the Nektons.
Watch the show and you’ll understand why.
#It’s a good show and I heavily recommend it#I also recommend finding somewhere to watch good quality version of it#cause the torrent sight I use doesn’t have the best quality for the first two seasons
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In the fic I’m currently working on, the one I’ve been making a bunch of reblog posts about over the last few days, the Dark Orca is revealed that while it seems bad compared to the Aronnax, it is still a fully functional submarine. And i do that by introducing a submarine that’s even WORSE
#this whole fic has been a case of ‘the dark orca/hammerhead aren’t the best but they COULD be worse’#and then giving examples of exactly what or who is worse#I’ve never written hammerhead before and he’s been so much fun for me to write in this#the deep 2015#the deep cartoon#captain hammerhead
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follows x (sidebar i guess)
The nights before battles are always bad, but this time before the training op is somehow worse. There are a lot of unknowns, a lot Luca feels like he doesn’t understand and can’t predict and his mind won’t settle. He looks around the squad, the N7’s, the phoenix, the Berlin – and wonders what the hell he’s doing here in such esteemed company.
Just some kid from the wards who faked his ID to enlist early and had been scrambling to pay his dues ever since.
“Luca,” Marie had pulled him into a hug when he had finally managed to steal a moment of her time to voice his fears as the Berlin shudders with the unclamping of the space dock. His chance to get away from the ship and its strange contingent is rapidly slipping through his fingers and something that feels like panic claws at his throat. “It’s not a mistake. You bring so much to the table.”
He tries to shrug it off but his eyes sting uncomfortably and he’s so mad at himself for the show of weakness. “I don’t know, Commander, my track rec-“
“No,” Marie cuts him off firmly and there is the steel under her softness she’s so known for. “I trust Captain Malin with my life, he’s kept me alive this long and if he says you need to be here then you need to be here. He sent you to me, Luca and I haven’t had a reason to doubt you yet. Have you ever stopped to consider maybe there’s more in you than you know?”
It’s been twelve hours and Luca still doesn’t know what Marie means by that and he hasn’t had a chance to ask her again. The second the drives engaged, tension settled over everyone and even his tinkering with the projector and vague mumbling about date nights and Blasto movies didn’t go anywhere near far enough to ease the strain. Not when the ship visibly crackled by the hum of biotic energy in the air.
They couldn’t see it, but they could all feel it. A constant reminder that there were big things afoot.
Luca grabs his guitar from his bunk, clambers over a deeply snoring Braun and tries to shake Harris awake, only to receive an aggressive yank of his curls and a snarl for daring to get between her and the sweet oblivion of sleep for his troubles. He leans back, rubbing his head with a wince and glances at Thurman’s bunk. It’s empty, but that wasn’t unusual, although more than a little bit curious.
He wanders through the ship. The lab is empty, the CIC and the bridge are quiet with the B squad (as Davis refereed to them) crew manned the controls. The captain’s quarter’s shine with a big red seal and Luca knows better than to go sniffing around when that’s lit up. He finds himself shuffling through the higher decks where the larger cabins are, only to hear a thunk and something that sounds suspiciously like a moan leak through the heavy bulkheads from the direction of his commander’s quarters.
Luca hurries his step, not wanting to be caught lurking out there when there’s clearly nocturnal activities at play. He heads towards the mess. It’s mostly empty too, except for Yamamoto at the table.
“Aw, gonna play everyone a lullaby?” He sneers at Luca over his MRE.
“Shut up, Yamamoto,” Luca mutters and readjusts his guitar strap self-consciously over his shoulder, hoping the way his cheeks feel hot look like he’s mad and not just embarrassed. He doesn’t like this guy, a comms officer who never knew when to shut up seemed like a bad fit in Luca’s mind.
“What did you say to me, you little punk?”
“Nothing,” Luca grits his teeth. Yamamoto was only being brave because there wasn’t anyone else in the room. He had taken one look at Luca the first day on the ship and disliked him on sight. Luca had decided the feeling was most definitely mutual, even as a small slither of discomfort lingers at the back of his mind as he wonders about the reason why. “Go back to your dehydrated non-sentient varren strips.”
Luca spins on his heel and ignores the shouted retort at his back. A part of him takes a perverse pleasure that at least Yamamoto was eating that, clearly having been asleep when Zeus had cooked up his mountain of pasta for the rest of the crew.
He continues his shuffles down the hallway in the hopes the rec room might have some activity, but it’s empty and the observation lounge has one lone figure nestled by the wide viewport. Luca recognizes the profile instantly when the door opens. Phoenix Knight lounges by the wide expanse of stars, a swirling glass of amber liquid in one hand and an unlit cigarette on the small side table beside him.
Luca hesitates in the doorway, unsure. Mason was the more approachable of them but there’s a heaviness here now that Luca clocks instantly. There only light comes from the stars outside and too late Luca recalls the vague, overheard mutter earlier from Ajax, something about a divorce, and figures the phoenix must be sad and deep into a session of brooding contemplation he has no business being witness to. “Oh, uh… sorry.”
Mason doesn’t answer beyond a slow sip of his drink. Luca can feel the prickle in the air and his jaw aches. The throbs were getting worse. “I’ll… um… I’ll come back,” he says lamely and escapes towards the elevator before the other man can even answer.
He decides then to ride the elevators down to the lower decks, deliberately avoiding the training areas. Marie had taken him through his paces earlier, along with the rest of the squad, drilling them relentlessly until even Harris had wheezed onto the mat we’re not N7’s! and Luca had wanted to vomit except his heart had been beating too hard to manage even that. His ears were still ringing slightly but the dull ache from a particularly rough smack to the head was starting to make the occasional spasms from his implant uncomfortably persistent.
He ends up in the cargo bay, shivering slightly as he walks in. It’s well stocked at this point of their journey, crates piled high and tucked around a shuttle, a Mako and a Hammerhead auxiliary craft Luca instantly hates the look of. It’s always a few degrees colder in the bay and the air stinks a bit like grease and eezo but it’s close to the drive core and empty enough that Luca feels safe slumping down against a pile of crates and deactivating his hearing aids. The urge to play his guitar isn’t there tonight, the usual sanctuary he finds in the strings and the notes of his songs feels too far out of reach when his head aches the way it does. As his implant powers down, the low buzzing in his ears finally settles and the blessed silence creeps in. Luca rests his guitar against the crate, sighing a little in disappointment at his own strange mood. It’s weird to feel antsy and lonely and uneasy all at the same time.
Was it all the energy around them? He doesn’t know.
Luca places one hand against the cold metal floor and closes his eyes, absorbing the vibration of the Berlin’s drive core through his palm and chasing the rhythm in his mind.
He can’t sleep, but he can sit and enjoy the quiet for a while.
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