#technically part 3

[janetbrown711]

Let me get right to the point," webby

Webby made her way back to hotel where she was staying with anxious thoughts haunting her the whole way.

What if Huey changed his mind? What if she came back before he could leave and things went bad and fast? What if Huey stayed?

All the thoughts made her feel nauseous.

She opened the door with her key and her eyes were quickly met with the eyes of Dewey and Louie, both extremely anxious about their brother.

"So? What'd he say? How was he? Was it as bad as we thought?" Louie asked, twisting the side of his jacket. Webby sat down on the bed and he quickly sat down next to her, Dewey sitting across on a chair. She looked at her husband softly, grabbing his hand and squeezing it a little.

"I'm just gonna get right to the point here: dewey was right. It... it's bad. But he actually agreed to come home with us today. He's packing his things and says he'll meet us here around four so... yeah," Webby stated.

"What do you mean? I'm completely lost here," Louie asked.

"Yeah, me too. You need to tell us actual details here. This isn't a mission report we half care about, it's our older brother," Dewey crossed his arms.

"Right, sorry," she apologized. She straightened herself out and tried to recall whar he had said.

"So... apparently Huey met this girl Clarisse soon after the whole Turaco incident. He was feeling incredibly homesick and Caity broke up with him, so he said that's why he was willing to date Clarisse and slowly do absolutely everything she told him. Her grip is apparantly very, very tight and it's clear that he's- well... He's being abused," she said solemnly. Dead silence filled the room as the brothers contemplated her words.

"S-so... i-it's my..?" Louie pondered out loud.

"Louie, no one is saying you had any part in this, okay?" Webby held his hands and looked him in the eyes. He slowly nodded and dropped the idea.

"What about the bottles? The drinking? When i saw his place, they were absolutely everywhere. It was a mess," Dewey asked.

"Oh they were there alright. But don't worry, he agreed to leave with us. It'll be okay," Webby tried to remain optimistic for their sakes.

"You really think it's that easy?" Dewey raised an eyebrow.

"Well... no. But i think he sees its bad, which is good. He has an opportunity to leave now and i think he wants to take it," Webby defended herself.

"Leaving an abusive relationship isn't that easy. He can't just leave like this. He's too scared but won't admit that to you. You shouldn't have left. You should've taken him here with you," Dewey's temper and frustrations were growing short.

"I agreed to help him pack at three, okay? He won't be alone, i promise," Webby swore.

"He won't be leaving. He'll try to stay. It isn't that easy," Dewey said again.

"Why on earth do you keep saying that? Don't you want him to come back?" Webby crossed her arms.

"Of course i do! I'm just..." he sighed, "When i tried to ask him what was wrong, he completely snapped at me. He clearly, whether it's right or wrong, he cares about this Clarisse woman. Or at least from how you described it, he's afraid," he slumped in his chair.

"Webby, i think you should go back now. Help him pack and stuff," Louie said.

"...alright, alright. I will," she slowly nodded and got up. Dewey didn't say anything else. Louie gave her hand a big squeeze as she took her purse and went to the door.

"I'll be back with Huey," she looked at them before leaving.

She probably shouldn't have said that.

She had a bad feeling about this.

[afreesworn]

The Final Match (part 2)

[[Continued from here.]]

Anchor…  has won.

Nabi had been watching the match, her hands clutching the railing the entire time. There were moments where she had to close her eyes, only to open them again an instant later when the crowd roared again.

But in the final moments, she had closed her eyes, her hands clasped pale in its tight grasp, as she prayed to the kami and the Nhaama, for him to live. For him to win.

When all the arena suddenly fell quiet, Nabi’s eyes shot back to the ring, where she saw Anchor’s blade protruding through Ashen Bear’s chest.

She didn’t hear Masashige’s announcement of the victor, nor the thunderous howl of the audience. All she could hear was Anchor’s voice, from two nights ago, as they huddled by the hearth.

"I be imaginin' you be up there with 'em all through all the entertainment. Near and by the end o' that match, no eyes'll be on ya. Even if they were a moment 'til, when the roar o' the crowd be beckonin' their gaze, you'll be movin'. Don't hesitate. Don't be lookin' around wide-eyed an' afraid to make sure. The dais be overlookin' right over the ring, aye? I don' care if it looks like I'm on my last leg."

"I want you to jump."

Nabi pushed off from where she had been praying. Her heart was pounding so hard against her chest, she thought it would burst out. But as she took one step, then another to the edge of the dais, no one stopped her. Their eyes were indeed, all on the ring below and the fight’s finish. She looked behind her once, just to give a look to Ghoa, one that implored her to leave as well. She could not say anything for the fear of alerting others. But she could not let her stay on the dais either. Not when she knew that Shael and Tserende were planning something against the sponsors. Ghoa met her gaze for a fraction of a second, but then Nabi had to keep moving. She could not delay. While everyone looked to the new victor below, it was her chance to escape. But just as her hand reached for the railing at the very edge of the dais, Nabi felt a sudden constriction around her wrist, jerking her backwards.

“Where do you think you are going, precious thing?” Nei Uzuka forcibly pulled her around. “Don’t you want to enjoy his victory?”

Before Nabi could even reply, Nei was turned half way around herself, by a hand upon her shoulder pulling at her attention and frame. It was Ieharu Musa, and he struck the younger woman’s chest with his palm, sending Nei staggering backwards as she released her hold on Nabi. The elder Doman stepped in between the Xaela and the hyur, his stance wide and his hands taking up a defensive pose.

“What… are you doing?” Nei hissed, clutching at her chest. “Your bargain with Saltborn is at an end. He broke your agreement. She is no longer under your protection.”

“She is,” the elder sponsor answered quietly but firmly. “As long as I draw breath, however many I have left.”

Nabi could see Musa’s hand shaking from where she stood. His shoulders rose and fell with breaths that were slowly becoming labored. Her eyes went to the cup of tea that was in his hand the entire match, now rolling empty on the ground. The tea that had contained Nei’s poison, one that the woman had been pouring for Musa for the last many sennights.

Nabi stood frozen with fright. She had only discovered it that morning; the contents of his tea that had been mostly well hidden, except for one flaw. Nei hadn’t succeeded in completely removing the subtle scent of a little known mushroom that Nabi had worked with before. When she had shared her knowledge with Lord Musa in private, his surprise at her candor was obvious on his aged face. He smiled sadly at her, and promised to guard her safety for as long as he lived. But he then continued to drink the tea when the match came, Nei pouring that insidious toxin into his cup.

“I promised her that much when she told me of the poison in your tea,” Musa continued in a low voice. His guards stepped in front of Nabi to block her path, but the elder gave them a nod. “Let them pass.”

Nabi blinked, her eyes going first to Musa, who didn’t meet her gaze. She then spotted the other part of ‘them’ as she saw Ghoa on the other end of the dais, also trying to make her own retreat. Musa’s guards all but surrounded the entire dais, but at his command, they stepped aside, allowing the Xaelas to pass through. Ghoa didn’t give Nabi a second look, and Nabi turned, hurrying to the edge closest to her. Anchor would be waiting for her to jump. She had absolute faith that he would be there.

Gathering her breath, Nabi climbed over the railing. She could see Anchor running towards her. She gave Musa one last look, and the elder gave her a small nod with a slight softening of his eyes, before Nabi released her hold to fall to the sands below.

[goshology]

I’m not a hero @coulsart But seriously I need some vice grips