#dalance

[ladypepperofdavenshire]

Artfight attack of Dalance for @pastwiska

[choilacanth]

Kicking off AF2023 with Dalance for @pastwiska!!

(Adding: referenced Takehiko Inoue’s Vagabond for this)

[regumstavern]

Artfight 3 Dalance vs the Dark Brotherhood

while trying to rest Dalance is ambushed by Dark Brotherhood assassins. Thanks to shagan-fury for attacking me. I really love this character and enjoyed making the revenge

[choccy-zefirka]

An attack on @pastwiska 's Dalance that combines her two AUs, Cyberpunk and Morrowind, into one!

[sothasil]

Elder Scrolls ArtFight 2023! Characters, in order:

Unnamed khajiit OC (ft. Rakkan), by user Quaildro

Rabia the Hide-Seeker, by @baysee

Dalance, by @pastwiska

Stellar, by @falmerbrook

Regum, by @regumstavern

[marvinsbitch]

Newsies TopGun Au

Hi! I was sitting, and I randomly had a thought that Racetrack is 100% a Top Gun fan and then I started coming up with really good ideas for a Newsie Top Gun AU. I'm not very good at writing fanfics but this idea was WAY too good to pass up. So I decided I was just gonna put out all my ideas and see if anyone wanted to do the hard part for me. I'm an artist, so having these ideas are still super fun for fan art and such. But if you're a writer and you wanna write this AU I will most definitely read it. 

Callsigns - Newsie names

Jack - Cowboy

Davey - Walking Mouth 

Crutchie roll undecided (he technically couldn't fly, but he’ll fit somewhere)

Manhattan Flight partners

Jack (flying), Davey (spotter)

Race (flying), Albert (spotter)

Elmer (flying), Buttons (spotter) 

Finch (spotter)

Romeo (flying), Specs (spotter) 

Brooklyn Flight partners ( Ima be so honest I don't know enough about the Brooklyn Boys on who would fly together) 

Spot (flying), Hotshot (spotter) 

Insert Brooklyn Flight partners here - 

Instructors

Kathrine flight instructor (callsign - Plumber??) - having a Charlie moment

The Dalancy Brothers - fly together instructors always trying to get the Newsie Pilots in trouble (Brooklyn pilot supporters) 

Plot and ideas

Jack vs. Spot moment (Mav and Iceman core)

Manhattan newsies vs. Brooklyn newsies

Silly tension between Jack and Kathrine (and some bro tension with Davey. Bisexual pilot) 

Tension between Race and Spot (I’m a Sprace shipper I’m sorry) 

Possible tension between Kathrine and Sarah (for the Sarah Kathrine shippers) 

Sarah coming to visit Davey having a Goose and his wife moment but it's him and his sister. 

Tragic Davey death optional!!! 

Jack losing something losing his ability to fly or want to fly (DOES NOT HAVE TO BE DAVEY DYING! ID BE TOO SAD READING IT) 

If you come up with ideas for this btw please comment them because this has so much potential. Someone somewhere will make this fanfic it's too good to pass up.

@wheres-brooklyn - sorry for the tag i saw you reposing the other top gun post and wanted to tag for the sillies sorry if its annoying

[thewritersofdeceased]

“You deserve to feel safe. And happy.”

MISS MEDDA + NEWSIES || COMFORT ||

"Medda?!" A voice called out aloud, a figure passed out in this voice's arms. A boy with blonde hair was being carried by one with red. Well, ginger red, specifically. The blonde in his arms was a boy by the name of Antonio, or Racer to the others Newsies. The one carrying him and Miss Medda were the only ones to know his true name. Antonio had a couple cuts and bad bruises, shiners, as he'd call them. "We had a run in! Might need some bandages!" Thankfully, all the shows for the night were complete, so nobody would overhear them.

Medda Larkin, the woman who the boy was calling, poked her head out from where she'd been cleaning, her eyes widening upon noticing the boy being carried. "What happened!? Who did you have a run in with!? Was it them Delancy's!?" She'd ask quickly, dropping whatever had been in her hands and going over to take the practically passed out boy from the redheads arms. "They wouldn't stop, Miss Medda! I's tellin' you, true! They's don't like us for no reason! We ain' do nothin to 'em but sell our papes and get 'em sold! Then they's decide to always mess with us!"

The boy explained as Medda took Racer into her arms, her eyes filled with worry. "Did the hurt the other boys? Where are they?! Albert, please, I need answers!" Of course Medda would be worrying. These boys were her kids. Going to place Racer down somewhere comfortable, in her dressing room with a rather comfortable couch. Albert merely followed as he tried to explain. "Jack took it at the sign of the bulls. That's what the Dalancy's are makin' up.. He'll be here soon enough, I know it." Albert explained quickly before hearing the sound of the backdoors open, then slam shut right after.

"Speak of the devil." Albert spoke before turning to Medda and looking back to the slamming doors echoing. "Do you want me to-?" He went to speak, but Medda only waved him off with her hand. It took a couple seconds for the famous Jack Kelly to appear in her line sight, being followed by two others. "Miss Medda! Did- did you see-!?" Jack was out of breath, that could be seen just by how his chest rose and fell rather quickly.

Medda, having placed Race down, went to where Jack was, her arms already held out as Jack had quickly ran into her arms, tightly hugging her. "They almost got crutchie, Medda.." Jack whispered in Medda's arms, his body trembling as the woman held him close.

"Shh.. Shhh... you're okay.. it's okay.. Davey, is Crutchie on his way?" Medda asked, looking to David, who nodded his head. "Most of the boys are, yes Miss." David would reply, letting out a sigh after as the doors behind him opened and closed again. "Speaking of them.. I'll take care of the other boys, okay, Miss? Take care of Jack and Race." Davey explained softly as he began to walk away. Medda nodded her head, having gone off to tend for her boys.

___________________

As the boys got taken care of, Medda's mind had slowly began to overfill with much more worry. The stress, the way she had to keep the theater running, everything of the sort. But that wasn't the worse of these all. As the boys were out on the stage, messing about and sitting together, Medda sat in her dressing room, hands in her hair as she tried to keep her breathing at ease.

These boys deserved to be safe and happy. Of course they did. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, before feeling them begin to slide down her face. The stress bubble at finally popped, resulting in these tears to fall. All the stress was finally being let out. Her eyes were shut, her face hidden in her arms before the sound of footsteps had snapped her head up.

No, no, no. Do not come in, please, please, please-

Her eyes were shut tightly as the voice of one of the boys rang through the air, just outside of the door. "Medda? Can I come in? It's Jack." Oh, Medda could never deny Jack. She wiped her eyes with a makeup wipe just in front of her, trying to push away the flushed red color that had been on her cheeks due to the tears. "Come on in, Jack." Jack, after a couple of seconds, pushed open the door that had separated him from his mother figure.

Medda remained quiet before hearing the soft click of the door closing behind Jack. Though the boy didn't move forward before he had noticed the red on her cheeks. "Medda? Were you.. crying?" He'd ask, his eyes widening slightly and frowning right after. It took a few seconds for Medda to truly answer before she attempted to cover her shaky tone. "No, dear. Why would I be crying?" She'd ask the brunette, her voice shaking as she spoke. Jack could feel his heart shatter in his chest.

"Your face is flushed red. And you're voice." Jack would explain, taking cautious steps towards his mother figure and standing beside her. "What's got ya' feelin' like cryin'? Did we boys do somethin' to upset ya?" He'd then ask, resulting in Medda shaking her head almost automatically. "No, no, no. Not at all. It's just-" She had to take a breath in, standing to her feet.

Walking over to one of her drawers, she would kneel down to take out a paper. The Newspaper Katherine had published about the strike. The photo on it covered all the boys. She held a small frown on her face, taking in a shaky breath before beginning to explain her reasoning.

"You boys, all of you boys, deserve peace. Deserve to feel happy... Deserve to feel safe. And happy. I am only one woman, it's difficult for me to make sure you all are happy, mainly with the Delancy brothers and even Pulitzer. I practically adopted all of you boys into my arms. I just wish you could all be happy."

Medda began to explain, taking a shaky breath in. What she hadn't known was the other boys remaining outside the room, just silently listening in. Race had been leaning against Albert, his ankle a bit busted up, David was quiet, and Crutchie remained where he was, leaning slightly on the wall with his crutch.

Jack could feel his heart shatter in his chest as he gently took Medda's hand and pulled her into a hug. "Medda, youse' don't realize how much we appreciate you, do ya?" He'd ask,looking to Medda, who continued to hold a frown on her face. Medda avoided eye contact before hearing yet another one of the boys voice.

"Youse' is the reason majority of us boys stay alive." Race commented, having now entered the room fully with the help of Albert. Between the two, the blonde continued to talk. "Youse' let us use the theater for the rally. Youse' helped us when we were all bloodied and bruised from the Delancy's."

The ginger he was leaning against only smiled at this, nodded in return. "Racer's right. Youse' treat us like your kids, Medda. Even if we's ain't biological. Is that the right word, Davey?" He'd ask the brunette by the door, earning a nod of approval.

Davey kept quiet however, his arms crossed over his chest. He didn't know Medda as well as the others, so he stuck to remaining quiet. Though Crutchie spoke with a smile on his face. A smile that spreads like butter, as he'd say. "Youse' the best we could eva' have! All of us boys appreciate it." He'd explain happily, making his way over to Medda, who was now quiet as she looked between all of the boys.

"And I wouldn't trade it for the world. You boys are my children. It's my job to make sure you're all safe and sound."

[coggedcorset]

So artfight was awesome this year! I know july isn't finished, but my executive function has checked out so this is what i managed. I'm pretty good at getting about 6 done.

1. Was for rat_stew_ of their character Code.

2. Was for IAD of their character Reaux Chambeaux

3. Was a revenge for Ragel_art of their character Morgana Astier

4. Was for Dalance @pastwiska of their character Dalance with my ratboy Dante! And they made an amazing revenge of him and dalance

5. Was a revenge for Pepper_who of their characters persephone and justin

6. Last but not least, was for @foxglovefaun of their characters shiro and ross with my dante because dangit i wanted them to hang out lol. They also made an amazing revenge of ross and dante which i now have as my phone background

I had a lot of fun and man i got some awesome art of my characters!

Looking forward to next year!

[hackernewsrobot]

Amber: A code search and replace tool

https://github.com/dalance/amber

[makeearthgreenagain]

[sixteenthchapel]

revenge on @pastwiska of Dalance!

[wellhellotragic]

Tease You Tuesday

For anyone following this, I've decided to wait on posting until it's completely finished so people don't have to risk waiting 6 months between updates this time. Currently I'm looking at about 10 chapters total, but here's a little look of what's to come...

Tentative title: Love if it's Torture

“This is a dangerous game you’re playing.”

He doesn’t move, doesn’t back away, and she knows she has him. Dangerous is an understatement. She tilts her head to the side, just enough to get a glance of him behind her, and his eyes darken as she does so, his jaw clenching. All she can do is bite the cherry off her plastic sword, at a loss for words, yet still trying to maintain the upper hand.

He growls before taking her hand firmly, pulling her off the stool to follow him. There’s two hallways in the back, each leading to a bathroom if the line of waiting women is any indication. He chooses the deserted one, and before she can catch her breath he has her pinned against a wall in the dark, his lips descending on hers, his hips grinding into her own. There’s no foreplay now, the whole night full of quick glances has already culminated in the feral need for something more carnal.

His mouth has moved to her neck and the way his tongue slides down to her pulsepoint nearly has her lose all her capabilities. She’s wobbly on her heels as her legs clinch together of their own accord. She needs more, and as much as she’s enjoying their dalance with exhibitionism, she needs privacy for what’s to come.

“Bathroom.”

[paintedkinzy-88]

Cross is the bard, the paladin is Blue, the Dragon is Dragon Dalance Dream and the baby is Lux.

PFFF YOURE NOT WRONG

Gosh little Lux just wiggling around, little tail wagging back and forth and bapping her dad’s face like why are you crying?? Don’t cry!

Blue’s concerned about the amount of dragon children they’re gonna have to keep track of— or, tbh, the amount of dragon children he’s gonna have to babysit XD

[gxrcias-gothgf]

Hi I was wondering if I could request a Spot x Fem Reader with #1 and #11 and after the fight the Brooklyn newsies are walking around and sees her go all badass mode on the Dalancy bro’s cause they’re making fun of Crutchie and she like, kicks their @sses and then is super sweet to everyone (especially Spot) and they’re like what?????? Like super shook cause how’s she so nice??? Sorry if it’s too specific I got a lil carried away. I love your writing!

Of course! Thank you for reading my writing it truly means a lot 🤧💕

[knowledgeableknees]

Okay so this is going to get very dark so if your uncomfy with homophobia, suicidal thoughts and actions, being outed, and a person being in the hospital for a long period of time then stop reading

VERY SAD BUT HAPPY ENDING!!!!!!!

So Race has depression and he’s had a rough life but things are starting to look up

He’s getting along better with his toxic father Gio not to mention he has a boyfriend he absolutely adores

Gio is homophobic so he doesn’t know about Spot

So yeah he’s feeling pretty great

But then

Oscar fucking Dalancy opens his goddam mouth

Oscar tells his uncle he saw Spot and Race on a date or making out idk something rly GAY

and in turn Oscar’s uncle tells his friend Gio

And the Gio gets angry and pushes Race down the stairs

Race breaks his arm and passes out

Gio finds Spot and beats him up for “turning his son”

Spot is caught off gaurd and when he is getting beat up Gio hits Spots head rly hard

And when Spot is admitted to the hospital they find out he’s in a coma

And then Race gets adopted by Medda

Bc his dad is a piece of shit and technically a child abuser

But Race is struggling

It was already hard enough but now he’s think all these what-if’s

What if I hadn’t passed out and was able to called and warned him

It’s your fault he’s in the hospital if you hadn’t met he would be perfectly healthy

So to help cope he calls and leaves messages on Spots phone

Sometimes it’s recounting all Spot has missed

“Hey spot... today jack and davey finally got their shit together. I also aced the test I was telling you about, asking specs for help really paid off. Ect

Sometimes he just breaks down and cries telling spot how much he loves and misses him

These messages usually last about a hour on average maybe more if he’s had an especially eventful day

One day he cant take the pain anymore and makes another call

“Hi Spot. It’s 6:30 pm right now and I’m standing on the Brooklyn Bridge. Do you remember when we first met here? I was running for track and I ran into you. Literally. Then the next day jack introduced us. We also shared our first kiss here. This place is full of memories and that’s why I love it. I’m sorry spot but it’s been so painful lately. All I can think about is how much I miss you and what I could have differently. I try to stop but is so hard. I don’t know if you’ll ever wake up and it tears me apart everyday. I wish I could say it in person but I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to. I love you Spot Conlon and I’m sorry but it’s too much. I’m calling to say good bye. And if you do wake up please don’t blame yourself. That would just hurt me more. I wish I could kiss you, hug you, but most of all I wish you were here. I’m sorry and I love you. Goodbye Spot.”

As he prepares to jump he hears a soft voice

“Please don’t”

He turns and sees Albert, eyes red from crying

“Race I’m begging you please don’t do this. I know I couldn’t possibly understand how you feel but I know this is not what Spot would want. Please climb down and talk to me. I can’t lose another friend.”

Finally Race climbs down and they go back to medda’s where race finds a therapist

Flip forward a year later Race is doing better

Not perfect but better

One day he gets a call from the hospital

Spot woke up

Race jumps in the car and drives there

Flip forward to when Spot is discharged and a few weeks after that

Race finds him lying in his bed listening to the messages race sent him

A year later he gets to the one from the Brooklyn Bridge

After he finishes listening to it he gets up and walks to Races house

Walks in and hugs Race and doesn’t let go for a long time

Then he goes and thanks Albert

They tell this story at their wedding

Some parts of this are super detailed but the rest isn’t bc I haven’t thought of the words

Idk know this is kinda crappy but here ya go tell me watcha think

[higuchimon]

[fanfic] Entertwined

Jim missed the sun. He missed being able to rest on the earth, drinking in energy from above and below. But there hadn’t been a chance to rest ever since things started to happen at Duel Academia, and he’d more or less grown used to being more active than he tended to prefer.

There were benefits, though. He could feel the different energy of the blue comet coursing overhead in his skin and the energy that rose up from the earth under his feet as well. It was different from what he was used to, and he hadn’t yet decided if he liked it.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to call it a benefit but being able to spend time around O’Brien without anyone else interfering certainly pleased him. For someone with neither partner or Healer Cat, O’Brien was one of the most grounded Firestarters that Jim had ever encountered. He’d never given the faintest flicker of indication that he even wanted a partner.

Does he? Jim toyed with that thought now and then when he had the time. That wasn’t as often as he would have liked. They were so busy trying to find either Shou or Juudai that simpler goals fell by the wayside.

Not that he decried the importance of finding Shou or Juudai. Shou practically disappeared after raging at Juudai in Brron’s former fortress, and no matter how often Jim questioned the plants of the area, none of them would reveal where Shou went. Nor did they know where Juudai might have been. At least with him, that was understandable. Plants weren’t nearly as intimately connected to Firestarters as they were to Healers.

But when they had time to do something else, or when they rested in between asking anyone they met, Jim’s thoughts wandered towards O’Brien.

He’d never thought about bonding to a Firestarter himself. He knew that he would probably do so eventually, and he’d rather enjoyed spending time around Tomorrow Girl – such a good person and a very strong Firestarter. But she already had someone she intended to bond with after graduation, though he’d never met them.

There were other Firestarters. He’d met several during his time at South School and more at Duel Academia itself. A lot of those there were already bonded or intended to bond to someone else.

O’Brien was the exception. Level-headed, with a fire burning inside of him that Jim could not help but notice. He’d noticed it when they were on the ship heading towards the school, but since at the time O’Brien worked for Cobra, Jim hadn’t thought much about it. Only as they’d grown closer to one another in the ensuing events did Jim start to wonder that question that most Healers and Firestarters wondered about.

Would he like to bond with me? It wasn’t an easy question. Bonding was a lifelong commitment, more so even than marriage. Marriages could be dissolved. Bonds could be – but at a price to those involved.

So it wasn’t something that anyone leaped into without thinking about. Jim didn’t think he’d ever leaped into anything without thinking in his life. His thoughts might have been brief, but they existed.

Now once again, as they settled in for some rest in a circle of trees, his attention divided itself between the trees themselves and O’Brien, who lay under a spreading tree branch and stared up into the sky.

It was a beautiful grove. Dozens of trees clustered thickly together, none of them being types that he recognized, with leaves in shades that didn’t exist on Earth, at least not as leaves, with bushes covered with berries that were just a shade away from ripeness gathered against their trunks and in whatever spaces remained between the trees. Moss in a familiar gray-green shade covered the ground, dotted along with flowers of yellow and blue and silver, which all sent up a myriad of sweet aromas. Underneath one of the bushes there flowed a tiny trickle of water – not enough to be celled a stream but each of them took a turn scooping up a few handfuls of it to moisten their throats.

Jim rested his head against Karen as she napped underneath a tree. He could feel the trees whispering among themselves. There were a few spirits here, mostly hidden where few could see them, but they didn’t seem interested in attacking. He’d heard whispers among such creatures of a terrifying warlord, someone known as Haou, but he wasn’t sure if that was someone they needed to worry about yet. Dark World politics were extremely confusing and cutthroat. Better for them to find their friends and go home, letting this world deal with who led it in whatever way they chose.

I’m going to court him, Jim decided between one breath and the next. Proper courting would have to wait until they found a way to go home, of course, but he could figure out a few things before then.

He glanced towards Karen, who opened one eye and stared at him. She wasn’t a Fire Cat – or a Fire Crocodile, if such a thing existed – but she understood him as well as one would. She made a faint agreeing noise before closing her eye again.

Jim sat up, scanned the circle of trees, then moved over to one of them. He could feel O’Brien watching him as he sent a faint whisper of energy through the tree. It wasn’t the proper time of year for fruiting, but the tree didn’t put up a protest.

Why would I protest a Healer? You’re a good Healer, the tree whispered to him. Jim patted it again with a faint smile.

“Thanks, friend,” Jim murmured as the tree bent down one branch and settled a pair of ripe fruits, triangular shaped, a deep shade of emerald green, and with a very sweet fragrance.

You’re welcome. My fruit are often used as courting gifts.

Jim patted the tree warmly before turning back to O’Brien and heading over there. “Hungry?” He asked, offering the fruit. O’Brien eyed it carefully, eyes narrowed for a few seconds.

Offering fruit by itself wasn’t an offer of bonding or even an indication of desire to court. But offering fruit brought into being by the power of a Healer, sharing in that power, was.

O’Brien reached over and accepted it. “Thanks,” he grunted mildly before he started to eat. Jim enjoyed the sight before he started on his own. The fruit – a dalance fruit, he heard the tree whisper – had a sweet, almost tart taste to it, a bit like some apples, but with a texture more similar to oranges without having to be peeled.

“There’s a little village over that way,” Jim said, nodding off towards what he thought would be an acceptable designation for east. “We can get more information there later.”

He settled himself back down across from O’Brien. The closer they were, the more he could feel the warmth of those flames of his. Like those of most Firestarters, they called towards him, a comforting blaze that he could warm himself underneath forever if he were allowed. He probed at them briefly out of vague curiosity before a question rose to his lips.

“What level Firestarter are you?”

O’Brien raised his head for a second, before he touched the pin at his collar. “Gold,” he answered. Jim made a noncommittal noise. Gold Flames were reasonably strong, not quite as strong as Green or White, let alone the almost legendary Black Flame – Juudai was a Black Flame, the only one that Jim had ever encountered in his life – and certainly a strong enough match for him.

Jim made himself comfortable next to Karen again. The tree above politely arranged itself for Jim’s own benefit. Vegetation did that all the time for Healers. Even being in Dark World didn’t change that.

“What about you? What level Healer?” O’Brien spoke the question in a way that indicated he was more trying to be polite than anything else.

“Level four,” Jim answered. In Healer terms, that was roughly close to a Gold Flame. He was right; they would make a good match. He considered for a few seconds before he turned to meet O’Brien’s eyes. “Would you like to court? Not much we can do here, but we’ll get home, and then we can really do it.”

O’Brien blinked at that, confusion writ large in his eyes before he shrugged. “Sure.”

Little ideas flickered around in the back of Jim’s head at that. There were things that they could do even here – little items like giving of the fruit. At home, duelists who were courting one another would often challenge each other to duels. Here that wasn’t going to be an option. No dueling each other.

Other options cropped up as well that he knew he’d have to consider when the time came – tiny gifts that he might be able to trade for, more fruit or other food items. He would make the decision when the time came.

O’Brien shifted a trifle. “This is good,” he said at last, burying the core. From where Jim sat, he thought O’Brien intended to say something else, when both of them froze at the sudden sound of laughter ghosting through the air.

Neither of them moved for so much as a second. O’Brien’s eyes shifted, staring off to where the sound seemed to be coming from. Jim’s gaze followed, both of them dropping their relaxed demeanor. Karen stirred and Jim quieted her, not wanting a hint of their presence to escape.

“Did you see the way Haou-sama just burned that village?” The words came through clearer now as whoever spoke approached. “There weren’t even any ashes left!”

Haou was a Firestarter. Jim wondered what sort of Healer that he had, if he had one at all – would he be a warlord trying to conquer if he bonded? The two powers balanced one another, when the partnership was equal.

“I wish I could see it again,” a second voice added. “It was so magnificent. I wish I were that strong.”

Jim glanced at O’Brien, who tilted his head forward. That was a Firestarter – not a strong one, though.

“Don’t worry about it. You’re strong enough,” a third voice spoke. “Did you want to try burning a few things? Just for the practice? Look, there’s a grove. I could grow it back once you’re done.”

Jim winced. From the way the trees twitched and shivered, not only was burning and regrowing a thing in this world, but these travelers were targeting their grove. He dug his fingers into the ground, whispering into the earth, seeking a deeper connection to it. He found the connection and breathed harder, focusing his attention on it. He didn’t dare let them set the grove on fire and drive them out of it. But they also couldn’t let these people know that they were there in the first place.

O'Brien's hand rested on his shoulder. Jim caught his breath and focused more intently. O’Brien’s flames steadied him and he could work better now. This wasn’t an easy action and at any point, one of the others that he couldn't see could figure out what was going on. It was very simple at the same time – a whisper, a sensation that the other would feel that said not to do this, to do no harm to these trees, to go elsewhere for training.

“Not now,” the other Firestarter said. There had barely been a few breaths between the suggestion and the denial of it. “I like the fruit there and I don’t want to burn them up.”

“All right,” the Healer replied without protest. “We’ve got the training area back at the fortress anyway. And maybe if Haou-sama sees us training, he can give us some pointers?”

The Firestarter snorted. “As if anything he does is something I could do. He’s a Black Flame.” His tones hovered on worship. “But let’s go home. Maybe we can see him burning someone else.” He definitely sound interested in that.

The three of them moved onward. Jim couldn’t see him, but sine he was so connected with the earth right now, he could feel them heading away. He didn’t release the earth until they were out of sight entirely, then all but fell backward, trying to drag in breath after breath.

“Are you all right?” O’Brien asked, wrapping a supportive arm around Jim’s shoulders. Jim didn’t want to reach for those flames, but O’Brien extended them anyway, a little clumsily. Jim closed his eye and breathed in, feeling himself steady with the connection.

“Yeah. I’m fine,” Jim replied after a few moments of resting. He breathed a few more minutes, before he ‘stared’ at O’Brien’s flames, and reached out a mental hand to them for a second.

O’Brien flinched at that, not releasing Jim, but clearly not wanting him to continue. Jim raised his head to stare at him.

“You’re not a Gold Flame,” Jim murmured. He couldn’t have told before this, but now with O’Brien’s fires so close to him, it was obvious. He wasn’t sure if he could quite believe what he could feel, but it was there. “You’re a Green Flame.”

The differences between Gold and Green weren’t all that much; a matter of degree – as ridiculous as such a grading might be when it came to fire. But Greens were just that much hotter, a little bit more intense, and one of the earliest levels of a Firestarter deemed strong enough to incinerate someone.

Granted, any Firestarter could do that if they put enough time and effort into it, but while a Gold level might have to strain a bit to keep the flames on someone long enough, a Green level or higher could burn someone to ash within minutes. The higher the level, the more intense the flame.

Legend had it that a Black Flame could incinerate a person so quickly that they wouldn’t even be aware they’d died until two days later. Jim hadn’t ever asked Juudai if he’d done that. He didn’t think that he had. Even as sad as Juudai had been the last time their paths crossed, he’d never seemed to be that kind of person.

O’Brien shrugged. “I don’t want to be,” he said. “I’m not going to use my power to kill people because I’m told to.”

Jim’s eye softened. “All right. I’d never ask.” He started to get himself unentangled from O’Brien’s supportive arm, ready to go back under the tree he’d relaxed under before, then stopped as something else sank into his head.

“Jim?” O’Brien watched him carefully. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” Jim said, drawing a sudden breath to steady himself. “But did you hear them? What they said about that Haou?”

O’Brien frowned in thought before he froze. “He’s a Black Flame. I thought those were rare.”

“They are. The only other one that I know of is the one from history – Pharaoh Atem. Or Juudai.” He’d never asked Juudai anything about his flames, but Juudai did have the mark of a Firestarter on his coat and it was in the rare shade of black. Therefore, black Flame.

“You don’t think -” O’Brien shook his head at once. “I don’t think so. Juudai’s not like that.”

Jim tapped a finger against a log he leaned against. “No, he’s not. Not normally.” He didn’t want to believe that. He wanted to believe that with the help of his Healer Cat, Juudai would keep strong.

But what if something happened to Theodis? It wasn’t impossible. Healer Cats and Fire Cats were as mortal as any other cat. It could happen.

“Let’s see what other information we can find at that village,” Jim said at last. “Maybe they’ll know something that we don’t.”

O’Brien nodded, going over to the trickle of water and getting another drink. Jim settled back and tried to get his thoughts in order. Such wasn’t easy. Black Flames were rare on Earth. Two only known for certain in thousands of years. The rank only existed because Pharaoh Atem existed in the first place, and there had been those thousands of years when no one knew of him to start with.

If it hadn’t been for Mutou Yuugi – current First Healer of Japan – then no one would have known what happened in those old days. There were still some archaeologists, historians, and scholars who weren’t entirely willing to accept his word, but with the help of the Ishtar family, there was more than enough evidence for most.

So were Black Flames more common in this world? He’d never seen Brron for more than a few minutes while he and Juudai dueled, not long enough to even be certain if he were a Firestarter at all. Perhaps being a Black Flame was a prerequisite for being a leader here? This person could even be a proper heir to Brron, not just someone who decided that ruling ruthless and conquering was the best use of his time. With what little information they had, Jim simply didn’t know.

His thoughts wandered their way back to O’Brien. He wasn’t certain of all of O’Brien’s reasons for not wanting his true strength to be known. He’d hardly be the only person who registered at one level but insisted on being known as another. Jim had seen it before, in both Healers and Firestarters. There were those of the White level who never wanted it known, given how that level had a tendency to go Frostflame.

He’d not the frozen type, though. Even if he had been able to survive the process of frosting over – the only one he knew of offhand was Hell Kaiser – he wasn't the type to do it in the first place.

But that wasn’t the sort of problem that O’Brien had. He’d said at least one thing already – that he didn’t want to use his flames to hurt others. He was the nurturing flame, the one to warm others and help them, not kill them. Even here he didn’t like to use his duel to kill others. They’d had to fight a few times since Brron’s arena. Jim had seen that already. He wasn’t fond of it either, though it needed to be done. One had to fight to survive in this world.

Is Shou fighting? Jim learned a lot by watching and listening when others thought he slept or just didn’t pay attention. He’d learned that Shou dedicated himself to respect dueling after everything that happened with his brother. Shou wasn’t even close to wanting to hurt people, let alone kill them.

He was also a barely Sprouted Healer, his power growing stronger by the day but still not as strong as he would be one day. Jim wanted to find him just to keep an eye on him. Just as he did with Juudai.

Juudai would fight. Even with as sad as he’d been, Juudai would duel. His fighting spirit couldn’t possibly have been drained down that far. Thordis would help him; that was what a Healer Cat or a Fire Cat was there for. Jim simply couldn’t truly imagine Juudai not fighting.

How much of that was what he knew and how much was just what he wanted to believe? Could Shou have fallen into the trap of fighting only to live? Could Juudai have given up fighting altogether?

It didn’t feel likely. But Jim chewed over the thoughts until they were in tatters, and he could not be certain at all. Anything could have happened. Anything at all.

The Eye of Orichalcum tingled behind his bandages. It wanted to tell him something, as it had so often since they entered this world and he first saw that comet. The time would come far too soon. What might happen after that, he had no idea.

He would have to tell O’Brien about the Eye eventually. Now wasn’t the time. He wasn’t even certain of what to tell him. About the old man? About what he’d said and how he’s vanished? Even Jim didn’t understand everything that had been said that day, or how he could be so certain that the time for that prophecy drew so close.

Later, he told himself. Later he would work out what to tell and when. For now, they needed to rest and then move on to the village and whatever lay beyond it. Hopefully somewhere beyond it there lay Juudai and Shou and a way back to their own world.

His heart twitched at the thought of having to go back there without the others. How to explain that Johan wasn't lost but dead, and that the others died as well? He wanted to believe there could be a way to change that, though he didn’t know how. No Healer he knew of had ever been able to revive the dead.

Answers would come later. Or so he fondly hoped.

The End

Notes: So, who wants to know what Shou’s up to? You’ll find out in April!