Styx is wandering throughout the caves, gathering essential materials for the trip to Neyst. He is carrying silk, some being strands, others woven into bandages. He quietly hopes to himself that no bug, at any point, will need them. Not him, and especially not anyone else.
As he continues searching for more silk, he can't help but feel a sense of unease when he enters one particular cave.
@styxs-nest
*Tec did not move from their spot. Their nail stayed sunken deep into their chest and even reached out of their back as they sat in a puddle of their own blood and tears. When they heard Styx's footsteps they moved ever so slightly, moving their head to look in his general direction.*
Some protective Dracula sisters inspired by a couple protective Ford drawing from @artsymeeshee . I always love letting Mavis have a chance to be a protective angry badass since we don't really get to see much of it outside of Mavis getting protective of Drac (also nice to see bigger expressions on her.) and of course I figure Lucy takes after Ericka and Johnny's firey protectiveness for her family despite Mavis being the stronger and less vulnerable of the two. She's like a small dog who will pick a fight with larger ones to defend her people.
(Gambit and Shadow might put things behind them, but what happens when Shadow's adoptive brother Ebak gets wind of the Cajun's transgressions...?)
"Run that by me again." Ebak said, fixing his friend with a steady stare.
"It's just what I overheard, E." Myst replied, spreading his hands placatingly. "It could just be a rumour."
Ebak said nothing, retreating behind a stony facade and steepled fingers. His partner in Perfectly Legal Business was giving the benefit of the doubt, but he would not. He knew his adoptive sister Shadow as well as the man stood before him, and he knew something bad had happened between her and her beau Gambit. Even Scott had sensed the tension suddenly lingering between them.
And now his best friend brought him rumours of a previous relationship between Rogue and Gambit. That something about it had caused a rupture between the budding romance of healer and thief.
His fingers itched, and he reached; his hand passed easily 'through' the layers of the world, curling around a familiar hefty handle. The slightest tug dragged it to him, and the pipe wrench settled into his grip. He slapped it thoughtfully into his other palm, leaning back in his chair, and watched Myst's eyes widen from the corner of his eyes.
"E, you're not...?"
"I'm not going to do anything." Ebak said mildly, as if he'd just been asked about the weather. He felt the metal, the dirt collected around the jaws of the tool. "I'm just going to talk with him. Get this straightened out."
Myst stared at him, completely and utterly unconvinced.
"Are you sure about this? Shadow's not going to appreciate it if you go wading into something she might have already sorted," he said.
"Then she'll have to forgive me later." Ebak replied, rising from his chair, letting the wrench dangle from his hand. "I want to get to the bottom of this, Myst. If the Cajun has been playing around behind her back, she needs to know." His grip tightened.
"I don't think he has." Myst shook his head, folding his arms. "Look, I'm with you; if he's cheated on her then I'm dumping Ber on him, but I really don't think he has."
Ebak paused, watching him for a long moment.
"Then tell me, my friend. What do you think is going on?"
"Honestly? I don't know." Myst admitted. "But what I do know is we don't know nearly enough to go and immediately blame Gambit for it. Look, I'm not excusing him; guy's a flirt. But aside from what happened with us when we rescued him, he's never shown any interest with anyone that wasn't Shadow. I mean, shit, E, we all saw what he looked like after our game against the Tempest Runners. I just don't think he would go behind her back like that."
Ebak frowned thoughtfully, toying with his weapon as he turned his friend's words over in his head.
"You have a point." He mused. "But all the more reason I need to speak with him."
"Well, yeah, but do you need to take a wrench with you?"
Myst gave a long-suffering sigh as his friend moved out of sight, gone in an instant.
"Guess I better find Shadow before Gambit becomes an X-Man..." He muttered to himself.
---
The hairs on the back of Gambit's neck rose, his skin prickling as he felt the weight of eyes upon him. He didn't move from his perch on the roof, not even to turn around - there was only one person at the Mansion who could move without a trace.
"Ebak. Lookin' for Gambit, mon ami?"
"I had this feeling you'd be up here." Replied the deep voice with the soft lilt no-one could place. Even Gambit had to admit it was pleasant to listen to, even when he could hear the threat humming under the surface. "We need to talk, Cajun."
"Oui. We do." Gambit looked over his shoulder to see Ebak raise his scarred eyebrow at him. The red pipe wrench hung loose in the man's hand for now, but Gambit had been on the end of enough of them to know the shorter man's aim was deadly.
"And what do we need to talk about?" Ebak asked, his friendly tone hiding the trap beneath.
"Sure you heard th' rumours by now - 'bout me an' Rogue." Ebak was good at schooling his expressions, but Gambit was better at reading - the slight widening of the man's white sclera eyes told him he'd struck home. "Was hopin' to talk to you 'bout it 'fore anyone else did an' you got th' wrong idea."
"Can't imagine why." Remarked Ebak flippantly, but he moved closer, stepping carefully on the tiles and keeping Gambit on his right, hearing side.
"Ain't denyin' it looks bad from my side." Gambit said. "Tol' Shadow as much. Shoulda tol' her 'bout it sooner. But least hear me out on this 'fore you put dat wrench in th' back of my head."
Ebak snorted in what he guessed was amusement, but it was difficult to tell.
"I suppose I should." He sat down next to the Cajun, resting the wrench on his lap. "Although, for the record, I'm still debating how upset I'd make Shadow if I dropped you into an active volcano."
A humourless smile tugged at the corner of Gambit's lips.
"Noted." He took a breath, and began to explain:
"Me an' Rogue were a thin' long before y'all came to th' Mansion. Before Shadow, even." Gambit felt his body itch, his nerves craving a hit of nicotine. He reached into a pocket for a stick of gum, twirling it in his fingers to sate the need to roll a cigarette. "To spare ya th' whole sordid tale, I fell in love wit her. Always knew dat not bein' able to touch would be a problem, but we'd find a way. Never wanted her to think I loved her any less 'cos of it."
Gambit sighed. "Rogue, on th' other hand...She blow hot an' cold. One day she be lappin' it up, all temptin' an' coy an' glarin' at any lady lookin' at me nice. Next, she be pushin' me away, worrying 'bout her touch." He unwrapped the gum, popping it into his mouth.
"Don' misunderstand me; Gambit ain't blamin' her for bein' cautious. Been on th' end of dat touch, an' it ain't pretty. Never blame her for wantin' to be rid of it." Another long sigh. "But every time dere were something or someone dat she could touch without hurtin' dem, she'd throw me aside wit barely a backward glance. And when it inevitably didn' work out, den she'd come back t' me." He stared straight ahead, towards the horizon, working the gum methodically around his mouth. "I loved her, mon ami. But to her, I always felt like second-place."
"I'm sorry." Ebak said quietly.
"Me too." He screwed the wrapper up into a tiny ball, his powers incinerating it with a soft 'poof'. "Afta what happened wit her ex Cody an' th' Brood, I'd had enough. Broke it off, tol' her dat I weren't jus' some consolation prize she could have if nothin' else worked out, 'cos dat's not what she was t' me. Weren't a happy time, but eventually we made up, became friends again."
Gambit turned to look at Ebak, who was watching him in rapt attention. "Den th' Professor send me on a mission afta dis Friends of Humanity goon. Managed to wire a Sentinel blaster to himself somehow. Found him harassin' a pretty woman in an alleyway."
"Shadow."
"Oui." Gambit spread his hands. "An' ya knew th' rest."
Ebak leant back, gaze wandering away.
"You said you 'loved' Rogue?" He asked.
"Yeah." Gambit nodded. "Guess dere always gonna be a candle burnin' for her - you don' just forget th' people ya love, even if it end badly. But Shadow, she..." A smile pulled across his lips as he thought of her own smile, the way she'd kissed his forehead when she slipped out of bed this morning, despite his protests for her to stay just a little longer. "She be somethin' else, mon ami. Patience of a saint to be dealin' with a sinner like me."
"Yeah." Ebak replied quietly. "She really is." His own rueful smile pulled at him. "Never thought a woman I'd met by complete chance, looking for a wingmate, would become one of my best friends, all but my sister. She, Myst, Ber, Lemming, the others, I never thought I'd ever be surrounded by friends like them. I'm not exactly...a people person."
Gambit smiled wryly.
"You do have dat...what does Jubes call it, 'resting bitch face'? Not exactly th' most friendly thin'." Ebak gave him a flat look. "But dey follow ya for a reason, mon ami. Clearly you got their respect."
"For now." Ebak looked away, staring into the distance. "Sometimes I wonder when they're going to realize who I really am, and walk away from me."
For the first time, Gambit really looked at Ebak. The man played his cards close to his chest; he was pleasant and genial to be around, but only really opened up among his cadre of friends. Shadow clearly adored him to consider him as close as blood; indeed, she always spoke highly of him.
He could understand why it wasn't a side he was willing to show Gambit; siblings or no, someone like Shadow was worth getting protective over, and Gambit hadn't exactly done his reputation any favours. But Ebak wasn't Julien, Bella Donna's poor excuse for a brother. Ebak had the startling notion that Shadow was her own woman who could make her own decisions, and from what she had told him, it was Ebak who'd seen the love boiling under her skin, and encouraged her to tell him.
Sitting here now, having started out trying to talk this man out of making good on his 'I will hide your body where no-one will ever find it' threat, Gambit realized that he was perhaps more a kindred spirit than he realized. Ebak's past was also purposefully blank, and Gambit wondered if the man who could move through the world like a ghost was just as displaced as he.
"Ain't really th' man to come to for reassurances 'bout dat." Gambit said. "Not exactly got th' cleanest hands."
Ebak looked back at him. For once, there was no hardness in his dark brown eyes, no tension in his body. It took a second for Gambit to realize the wrench had vanished.
"So what did happen, between you and Shadow?" He asked. Gambit sighed.
"Dat stuff I tol' ya, 'bout me an' Rogue? Hid it from her. Was scared dat she'd go to ground when she heard it, thinkin' she were gettin' in the way of us." The Cajun shook his head. "Rogue goes an' tells her, like I shoulda done. Den we have to fight fires dat wouldn't've been dere if I just tol' her in th' first place." A bitter half-laugh. "How she forgive me for dat I don't know."
"What do you mean by 'going to ground'?" Ebak's thick brows furrowed.
"Y' know what Shadow's like, mon ami. She hear dat Rogue and I had a thin' going, she gonna blame herself for gettin' in between us, an' pull away. And I...I were fallin' for her, Ebak. Didn' wanna admit it, an' the thought of her leavin', especially after what happened wit th' Professor..." He lifted a shoulder. "Ain't gonna deny it - it were selfish as hell. I tol' myself I were waitin' for a better time, when she be feeling more secure bein' wit me. But I woulda kept th' secret all the way to my grave if I could."
"Feel like shit for doin' dat to her. Ain't ever seen her so upset wit me, an' don' wanna ever see it again. Somehow she love me enough to forgive me, with the promise we have no more secrets from each other." He scratched a niggling itch on his leg. "Gon' be makin' up for dat 'til the day I die."
A tense silence settled uneasily between them. Ebak might not be Julien, but this was a clear-cut case of Gambit having hurt Shadow. He was no fool; he'd heard the rumours of what had happened to the man who'd almost killed her.
Ebak gave a short sigh.
"I get where you were coming from," he said tersely. "I understand it, but I hate it. She trusted you, and you took advantage of that to hide things from her."
"Yeah, sure did." Gambit admitted. He kept his gaze facing ahead; he didn't want to see the wrench coming. Just get it over and done with. "Hate dat I did too."
"You are...very, very lucky Shadow loves you." All warmth bled out of Ebak's tone, leaving steel behind. "If it wasn't for her-"
"Ebak!" An unmistakeable female voice sliced through the air, and both men whirled around to see a furious Shadow stepping out of a swirling portal, Myst following close behind. "What are you doing?"
"I was just having a 'chat' with your boyfriend, m'dear." He replied, murderous tone only slightly softened.
"A chat involving a wrench, I see." Shadow stepped closer, her body wound up tight like a spring, blue eyes burning bright.
"I'd heard about what happened-" He began.
"And whilst I appreciate you having my back in these sorts of things, what I don't appreciate is you going around behind my back to threaten the man I love." Barely contained rage boiled off her words, her fists clenched, and Gambit wondered if he could actually see her power beginning to glow under her skin.
"I..." To Ebak's credit, he looked contrite, fidgeting with the wrench in his hands. "I wanted to make sure he wasn't hurting you."
"Maybe if you'd asked me about it, like Myst did, you'd have found out that we'd already talked about it and sorted it!" Shadow closed her eyes, and forced out a long breath. Myst hovered awkwardly in the background, anxiously glancing between the men involved. "Yes, Gambit fucked up, and hurt me. But he made a mistake."
Her eyes opened again, her voice softening. "How many times have we fucked up, El? Hurt one another, and worried our relationship would never be the same again? And how many times have we forgiven each other, and gone on to keep being friends? Hell, to consider each other our brother and sister?"
Ebak looked down at the wrench in his hands, and sighed softly, his shoulders slumping.
"You're right. I'm sorry. I just got so caught up, being angry that Gambit was being everything I feared him to be that I didn't..."
"No hard feelings, mon ami." Gambit said. "You worry 'bout ya family, wanna protect dem. Sometimes it blind ya."
"Like I said, I appreciate you looking out for me." Shadow added. "I...It's nice to have people in my corner, who'll back me up. But you should have come to me first to find out what was going on between us, than just assume Remy was being a bastard and go running in guns ablaze."
"To be fair to y' brother, he were talkin' to me first." Gambit said. Ebak glanced at him, eyebrows raised. "He wanted to get th' details. An' I did wanna talk to him 'bout it at some point."
"As did I, because of, well..." She gestured. "This. I thought we would have had more time."
"That...might've been my fault." Myst piped up quietly, all eyes turning to him. "I kept hearing rumours floating around the mansion yesterday and decided to tell E about them. I was also worried that something had happened."
"Can't exactly blame you." Shadow sighed. "It was a bit of a mess. But it's sorted now. Remy apologised, and I forgave him. It's done. There's no need to be dragging him around the town square by his ankles - man's beaten himself up enough as it is."
"...Sorry." Ebak said. He looked even smaller than he usually did, and Gambit couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He offered him a soft smile.
"No harm done, mon ami." He rose smoothly from his perch, offering a hand out to Ebak. He took it with only a brief hesitation, letting Gambit help him up to Shadow and Myst. He shared a look with Myst that Gambit couldn't fully parse, but it made the more wiry of the duo shrug and smile weakly.
"Now, just so we're all on the same page." Shadow stepped over to her brother, gently taking his large soft hands in her own smaller ones. "Don't stop looking out for me. I know it's Big Brother 101, but I appreciate it. However, please check with me first to see if we've already had the important conversation, before you turn the Cajun into a throw rug." A smile tugged on Ebak's lips, and Gambit added:
"Hah, Gambit'd need a lot more hair to make a decent rug outta him, chère." He arched a bow. "Perhaps you ask Ber to warm th' floors for you instead?"
"Cajun..." Shadow sighed, giving him a long-suffering look. Yet it made smiles appear on Ebak and Myst's face (even if Myst was shaking his head), so Gambit counted it as a win.
"I promise I'll get permission to thonk the Cajun next time." Ebak said, his voice timbre lighter and more playful.
"Gotta catch me first, mon ami." Gambit grinned toothily. It only widened at the glint that flashed in Ebak's dark brown eyes.
"Oh God..." Myst said as Shadow rolled her eyes.
"Boys, put your peacock feathers away, you can definitely take each other in a fight." She glanced between them. "I love you both, and I'm not expecting you to be bosom buddies, but can you just please try not to put each other under the floorboards, okay?"
"It's fine, chère." Gambit smiled, spreading his hands. "Like ya said, Ebak be lookin' out for ya, and Gambit certainly ain't gonna complain knowin' dat you always gonna be safe wit' him an' ya friends."
The look on Ebak's face was warm.
"I'll still be keeping my eye on you, Gambit. But," his voice softened, "you were there for Shadow when I wasn't. And it's clear you make her very happy." Myst hummed his agreement.
The genuine emotion in Ebak's tone kindled a proud warmth in Gambit's heart.
"Wouldn't have it any other way, mon ami," he said.
When Ebak reached out with his hand, Gambit clasped and shook it firmly.
"Alright gentlemen, now that's cleared up, is everyone alright with me borrowing my boyfriend for a bit?" Shadow asked, gesturing to the door. Gambit flashed her a sly smirk.
"Oh? Gambit like the sound of dat, ma cherié..." He purred.
"I'm still right here, Cajun." Ebak commented, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow. Myst rolled his eyes.
"Behave yourself, scoundrel." Shadow said, flicking his necklace. "I need you for important training business." A pause, in which Gambit's smirk became a wolfish grin. "Not stamina related!"
"If you're reconsidering your 'no murder' rule, m'dear..." Ebak lazily swung his wrench around.
"I can drop him in the lake!" Myst offered chirpily.
"Both sorely tempting offers, but I need him intact and not bedraggled." Shadow spoke, grabbing a handful of Gambit's shirt. "Assuming neither of you want him for anything else?"
"He's all yours, Shad." Ebak replied, making a shooing motion with his wrench. Shadow glanced to Myst, who just shook his head.
"Excellent. Right, with me, troublemaker!" She declared, tugging Gambit along by his shirt.
"Hey, Gambit didn' do anythin' wrong!" He cried, stumbling over his long legs. "Dis time!"
As Ebak and Myst watched the pair go, the taller of the pair sidled over to his friend, barely able to hide the grin playing on his face. Ebak glared at him.
"Don't," Myst's grin widened, "say it."
"Told ya so."
"...Goddamnit."
---
"T'anks for th' save back there, chère." Gambit spoke, as he and his partner made their way back through the mansion; Shadow no longer dragging him along now they were out of sight. "Don' think ya brother woulda hurt me, but he definitely weren't happy."
"No problem, hun." She glanced over to him, smirking. "That's what, the third, fourth time I've had to save you? You sure enjoy being a damsel in distress, Remy."
He chuckled throatily, stepping closer to her.
"Gambit always love to be saved by strong, beautiful women, ma chère. Although," he smirked, "if ya do want Gambit to play th' damsel, I'm sure he could get some pretty dresses to wear..."
"Like your maid dress?" Shadow grinned sharkishly.
"No."
"Aw, dangit!" She pouted. He resisted the urge to kiss her. "But you'd look so good in it!"
"Dat Gambit have no doubt, but he prefer somethin' a li'l different." He smiled, gently hip-checking her. "How 'bout we sort it afta dis trainin', hm?"
"Sure, sounds good." Shadow smiled back, returning the gesture. "Maybe this time I can keep a hold of my sword."
Gambit chuckled softly.
"Dey do say Gambit have a disarming personality."
"Oh my God!" Shadow groaned. "You're just as bad as my brother!"
"Hehe," Gambit smiled, "t'anks for the compliment, chère."
Hiiii, can you make a prompt about overprotective adult brothers with their teen little sister?
Ohh yes! I rarely see sibling prompts on here or I may have not been looking too far XD but thank you so much for this prompt request my dear anon!
Summon|Mention|Tag me! Would love to read your work!
Card:
The older brother is pretty much just the parent with how much they spend together, them spoiling their little sister either with afterschool food tripping or shopping.
The older brother will always and always pick up their little sister after school, if they're staying for after-school activities you bet your ass they're gonna wait.
"I don't care if I'm at work or at a class you text me or call me when you need me!"
"Oy! watch your eyes! that's my little sister! back off"
Her brother staring down at suitors every valentines day, with their father beside them.
Her brother and their friends were her prom date or valentines dance date when no one (worthy enough) asked her out and them wreaking havoc on the dance floor busting down moves.
Her brother and their friends/gang cornering the ex-boyfriend who broke her heart and made her cry. oh, they'll make the ex-boyfriend regret it.
Cornering their sister's bully when she came home one day covered in scrapes, mud, and tears breaking down and finally telling on the bully that was tormenting her. You don't want to be on the receiving end of a protective angry brother.
Pulling their little sister out of a crowd either holding their wrist in almost death grip or keeping them in armlock.
Chaperoning every.where.
The big brother learning martial arts/boxing or any form of defense to be their little sister's personal bouncer/bodyguard.
"No! Shitty parents won't teach their gremlin sons to keep their hands to themselves so you're going to take this taser and learn self-defense and offense and you tase their nuts you got that! That's my sister! High five!"
"You've got bone to pick with this squirt you answer to me! Got it?"
Wearing matching skirts one day at school when someone insulted their little sister's skirt.
"I don't care that we're going to the beach, bring a cover-up!"
"That's your ex? the one who made you cry? Ima go talk to them a moment"
"I have to go, I gotta pick up my sister, I'm not letting her get a cab this time of night"
I am in love with the fact that Hunter wasn't even interested in what they were doing, but the second he heard Blake ask Tori out, he went "The fuck is going on?"
In second gif I can totally see him thinking "Seriously? I barely managed to pay for our tickets and he just gives hIS? Does he think that we're rich or smth? And he isn't even allowed to date, he's like 10!"
