RP:Can We Fix It? Yes, We--Wait, Can We?
Summary: Khitti and Dominic have a much needed talk about their relationship, Brand, and Khitti's new apparel.
Frostmaw Tavern
In the morning, after the lovely fight and subsequent breakthrough talk between Khitti and Brand, whomever woke up in that bed would find that Khitti wasn't there. The clothing she had bought for herself was put away, and a single, solitary box remained unopened, likely the one for Dominic, a black scarf for both men draped over top of it. On the table nearest to the fireplace, breakfast sat: a rather large plate of scrambled eggs, sausage links that were so massive they looked like they might've come from one of those mammoths out in the wilds, and a bit of toast with butter on it. The vampiress seemed to have covered all bases as not only was a fresh pot of tea brewed and set beside the plate, but also a glass of orange juice, and a decent sized cup of coffee. Her side of the bed had not been slept in, and whatever else needed to be tidied up in the room was tended to. Except for that unfortunate scorch mark on the wallpaper. Upon closer inspection, her boots and duster would be gone, and curiously enough, a small sewing kit was left on the dresser. Perhaps she finally got around to patching that damned coat up, or attempted to, anyway. Regardless, she was gone and left no note. Everything was silent and empty feeling, almost as if she hadn't even been rescued from that jar.
Dominic really needed to have a talk with Brand about the drinking. Not that Khitti attempting the same had done any good. He stirred already battling a horrid headache, a dry mouth and upset stomach. At least it wasn’t so bad that he had to vomit it all up. Silver linings and all that. And Khitti was gone, but it seemed that she’d left them food and drink first. More silver linings. Now, if only he could manage to drag himself far enough out of bed to actually take advantage of it… his limbs might as well have been shackled there, from the feel of them. He did make it to the table eventually, albeit with a lot of groaning and a lot of protesting from every nerve in his body. Slowly, he’d nurse himself back to something resembling a functional human being. Starting with the tea.
It was some time before Khitti returned. She hadn't even gone far, was literally sitting in the snow right outside the inn's door. It had been quiet when she went out there in the wee hours of the morning, but now as everything and everyone in the city started to awaken, it was all becoming a little too noisy for her. With a heavy sigh, she'd quit staring at the snowman her and Dominic had managed to make the second time around without mishap and head inside. The vampiress headed up the stairs quickly, without a look or a word spared for anyone in the tavern, entered their room in silence and shut the door. She hadn't glanced up yet to see who might be awake yet, if either of them even were, and took to shaking the snow off of her. There was quite a lot. She must've been there for awhile. After looking much like a dog shaking water off after a bath, she looks up, finds Dominic seated at the table, and jumps, managing to stifle a faint gasp of surprise. She hadn't even noticed him, her senses were still rather off, it seemed.
Dominic was far too hungover to move quickly, otherwise he probably would have rushed to Khitti’s side, assuming something was wrong. Instead, he just sort of cocked a brow at her from over his tea. He’d had maybe three bites of the eggs and one of the sausages, but that had been about all he could handle for the moment. “Are you okay? Where did you go?” His voice had that strained, gravelly texture of someone who still wasn’t quite awake yet.
"I'm fine." came too quickly from the redhead as she took off her coat and hung it up to dry. She wasn't okay, not by a long shot. Not after the night before. Brand was not making things easy for her at all. He was so damned confusing. "I vas outside," she added soon after, trying to cover up whatever she thought she needed to, hopefully putting his mind at ease if it did indeed need easing. Khitti hadn't slept, and she tried to hide that too by keeping her head tilted forward somewhat to stare at the floor, her impossibly long bangs sliding into her line of sight. It didn't help much though unfortunately. She did sit, however, at the chair across from his, first eyeing his breakfast, and then Dominic himself. Khitti didn't need to ask how he felt at all, it was written all over his face. Thanks, Brand.
Dominic wasn't so far gone that he couldn't tell when his Khitti was not, in fact, doing as well as she claimed. And he hadn't been -entirely- locked out of the events of last night, though knowing how to talk to Brand about it was... another matter entirely. Hell, he wasn't really sure what to say to Khitti, either. "Thank you for the food," he murmured instead. It would have to do for now.
Khitti managed a smile and a nod for him as well as a "You're velcome." The smile would slowly fade as she stared at him, reddish brows knitting together, her expression looking altogether weary. There was a lot of things running through her mind, as her attention slide from him towards the flames in the fireplace that she had made sure to stay comfortable throughout the night. There was one thought though that she let slip, a frown lining her lips to accompany it, "You should've left me in zhat jar." It was a thought she'd firmly decided on since she was brought back.
"What? Why?" He was hurt, and it showed. He was too out of sorts to even try to hide it. "Khitti, there was no way we could have left you there. Who knows what Raiez would have done to you." And I love you too much, he thought. But maybe that part was selfish, if she really did wish she'd stayed...
"Because I'm no good here. For you." For Brand. For everyone. She hoped he wouldn't take it as she intended to leave him because that wasn't the case; her thoughts were just pooling into that one dark corner of her mind and what was once just a puddle was now turning into a lake. "I didn't vant to be zhere, but now zhat I'm here, I just feel numb. You don't seem happy." Brand's definitely not happy. "I vant to go back to how zhings vere, but I've forgotten how. I feel like I'm just making zhings more difficult now zhat I'm back. I...just..." She throws up her hands in frustration, then sinks into her chair, her feet sliding towards his as she slumped down, folding her arms over her chest. "I don't frakking know." Heh, she used a Brand word. That's how you know she's a little off.
Dominic elected to drain what was left of his tea as he gathered his thoughts. "I'd be fine if you were. And... if Brand was." A sigh. "I don't know what's going on with him. As much as he shuts you out, he's actually shut me out even more. You'd think that wouldn't even be possible, given our situation, but..." Here he attempted a smile that fell just slightly flat. "You wouldn't know this, but as bad as things are now? They were even worse after we got out and before we rescued you. Brand got so drunk he was out for days. Actual, literal days. Which of course, uh, wasn't pleasant for me, either." He sighed and set the cup down, eyeing the rest of the food but not yet indicating if he'd be having any more. "He needs you, whether he'll admit it or not. And obviously I need you. I don't know what I'd do without you, Khitti. But... it wouldn't be good."
"I don't know either," was said in reference to Brand. "He's being veird. Vorse zhan he vas before zhe whole Raiez zhing. I don't know. I know I likely didn't make it any better. I can't take back vhat I said in zhat jar, and I vish to zhe gods zhat I could." Khitti knew he'd know what she was talking about. It's likely the one thing that's been on all three of their minds since that kiss happened. "I don't even know vhere to start to try to make it up to you or how to get him to quit hurting himself, -and you-, vith all zhat alcohol. I tried last night and it didn't go so vell for quite awhile." A hand lifted lazily, motioning towards the scorched wall. "And neither of you -need- me, Dominic. I've caused you both nothing but trouble vith one zhing or another. You...you don't...you just don't." Her voice cracked a little towards the end, verdant eyes fixing on him for mere moments, before shifting elsewhere again.
Dominic shook his head and leaned over the table to grasp for her hand. “Stop, Khitti. That’s not true. Of course we need you.” Dominic’s gaze, too, floated over to that scorch on the wall. “For starters, he won’t say a blasted thing to me about the drinking. Or pretty much anything else. The way he’s been acting, it’s like I don’t even exist. Just like everyone else that he ignores. The fact that he said anything to you means… it means I think you’re the only one who’s going to be able to snap him out of it.” A sigh. “And that’s not a fair burden to place on you, especially after everything. But you’re the only one who can. He listens to you. More than he listens to anyone else, anyway.”
The redhead let him take her hand, and she squeezed his, but she was still clearly frustrated, "But vhy? Vhy zhe hell does he listen to me? He never really has and if he did, it usually pissed him off. Vhy listen to me now after all zhis time? It makes no damned sense. -He- makes no damned sense." She shook her head, eyeing the part of the table in front of her now, "He zhought I vas going to kill him last night. I vas only trying to scare him out of being so stupidly angry, but he zhought I vas actually going to kill him. After everything...every single zhing...zhat just..." Doesn't make sense. She doesn't finish the sentence, she was only repeating herself now anyway. "How am I supposed to help him, Dominic? I-I can't. I can't even help myself. I can't get out of zhis hole and he's only digging it further for me."
Dominic actually chuckled a bit. “No, you’re right. He makes no sense. No sort of sense that I can figure out, anyway.” But then she continued, and his brows knit together again, concern for both of them writ upon his features. “I wish I had an answer for you. And I wish he wasn’t like this. He’s so secretive and every time I think I’ve figured out what makes him tick, something in him changes and I have to work it out all over again.” He shrugged. “At least, that’s what it feels like. He’s…” Dominic canted his head, tapping his chin thoughtfully with a single digit of his free hand. “He’s a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.” He’d read that phrase in one of those books Raiez had left for them, and even then had thought it fit Brand perfectly. All that time in that jar didn’t go -completely- to waste, he supposed.
"No. He's vorse zhan zhat even." Khitti pulls her hand from his, then slides from her chair with a sigh, feeling restless again. "I don't get it. I don't even understand vhy I lo--" Nope. She was done talking about Brand. At least for the moment. She shook her head, finally kicked off her boots, and moved to the dresser. The box for Dominic was snatched up in one hand and the long black scarf in the other, then she promptly returned to his side. "Here." She offered the box, then loosely strung the scarf around his neck like tinsel on a Yule tree. "I got you your Yule present early because you're clearly going to need it." She mustered a faint smile for him, "Zhe scarf both of you are gonna have to share for now. Like I told him, I ran out of money unfortunately. I, uh, bought some stuff for myself."
“Right.” Dominic shared in that smile. “I remember. Sort of.” Gingerly, he’d open the box and then try on the coat and gloves, finding them to be of a perfect fit. Well, perfect for him, anyway. The coat had just enough extra room that he could still hide in it if he wanted to. Once he’d put it on, he’d turn to face her, fidgeting with the scarf. “Thank you. I really did need something more fitting for Frostmaw’s climate. I… also want to see what you got for yourself, though.”
"I-I don't know...I really am not so sure about zhem now. It vas kind of all spur of zhe moment vhen Pilar and I got to zhe shop. I just..." Brand hadn't really seemed to care, so why would Dominic? "I might even take zhem back...I shouldn't have spent all of my money on something stupid." Khitti frowns, taking the empty box from him and setting it by the door to be gotten rid of later.
“No, no, no.” Dominic got behind her and pushed her towards the closet, towards where he presumed she’d put all the things from her shopping spree. “You have to at least show me first. I insist. I want to see.”
Khitti Khat: "But...I..." She sighed and did as she was told. Opening the closet, she'd grab the black dress, red and black underbust corset, and the red boots that matched. Turning towards the changing screen, Khitti eyed Dominic warily, then disappeared behind it. The black Kree dress she changed into in the middle of the night is tossed to the side and the first of three new outfits adorned. The redhead fixed her hair a little to seem more presentable, then steps out from behind the screen, silently praying to whatever gods were listening that his reaction to her ensemble was much better than Brand's.
Dominic looked, for a moment, like a child in a toy store. His hangover was even momentarily forgotten as he stepped forward and took Khitti’s hands in his own, pecking her on the cheek before spinning her around to look at her outfit from the side and back. "Why would you return this? You look wonderful."
"Shush, you. I do not." Khitti wouldn't allow him to release her hands just yet, her fingers curling around his own tenderly. She draws him close, intent on pressing a kiss to his lips, the faintest of smiles forming after she did so. "I love you, Dominic..." She gifts him with another kiss, then gives him a bit of a twirl, was tempted to keep things going and just dance with him instead of trying on clothes, but she'd likely get gently scolded for it, so she parts from him and returns to the changing screen. After a lot of fussing and angry muttering to herself, she re-emerges wearing a white dress shirt with ruffled sleeves and a slighty ruffled bow, a black skirt with an odd petticoat-belt combination over top that was striped in black and white, the skirt as a whole quite short, just how she liked it. Her hair was all done up too now, a black bow pulling it all back into a ponytail and a cute little bunny clip fixed to her hair on the left side for decoration. White leather boots with bejeweled bows on the outer side of each boot completed the whole look, and once again Khitti seemed all together awkward and felt out of place.
While Khitti was changing her clothes once again, Dominic picked up his fork and took another few bites of sausage. Maybe it was just the effect of time, or of the tea he’d had earlier, or the fact that he was focused on Khitti… but he was starting to feel a little better. When Khitti emerged from behind the curtain, he had just taken a bit too large of a mouthful and could only stand there, cheeks puffed, and give her a double thumbs-up while hurriedly trying to chew and swallow the excess food. “Mm-mmmph.” Translation, probably: “Looks good.”
Khitti blinked a few times at Dominic. "You looked like a hamster, love." Tilting her head, she edges closer to him, a pretty evil grin spreading across her face as she holds out her index fingers in an attempt to poke at his thoroughly food-stuffed cheeks. "C'mere. Lemme help you vith zhat." She seemed to be in better spirits for the moment, a bit of snickering coming from the vampiress, though who knows how long that'll last.
Dominic could chew really fast when he needed to, apparently -- somehow he managed to swallow the bulk of the food before Khitti could manage to pop it out of his cheeks. “No thanks,” he laughed, sticking his tongue out at her. “Nice try, though.”
Batting her eyes a bit, she shrugs at Dominic, and turns back to the closet. "Zhe last one isn't really all zhat special. Just something casual so I'm not stealing your clothes anymore." Khitti leaned over a little bit to inspect her current attire, then glances at Dominic over her shoulder, "You don't zhink it's a bit much? I mean, I've technically vorn fancier, but still...I'm not sure if it's 'me'." She lets out a sigh, then starts unbuttoning where the outfit called for it as she started the trek to the changing screen again.
Dominic followed along behind her, stopping just outside the limits of the changing screen. “You say that like it bothered me. I went a little overboard when I bought things myself, Khitti. You borrowing things now and then is fine.” I mean, it was hard -not- to when he’d never had things that couldn’t at any moment be taken away from him before. “What do you mean, it’s not ‘you’? You’re the one who decided you wanted it, aren’t you?”
"No...Pilar picked it out for me." Khitti sighed, carefully removing each article of clothing, and draped them over the top of the screen instead of leaving them on the floor. "And, I don't know. I guess I don't vant to overstep my boundaries and upset you or something." She seemed hesitant to even say that much, the silhouette of her form standing still for a few minutes as she stared at the floor on her side of the screen. There's another audible, yet sad sigh that floats over to his side from hers, and then she's back to getting into her old black dress.
"Upset me? It takes more than something like that to upset me.” Yeah, Brand. Take a cue from Dominic, geez. “Anyway, I… I think it’s nice. I think both outfits are gorgeous.” Dominic barely waited for Khitti to be done getting dressed before twirling her around him and planting a kiss on her forehead. “But they could never be as gorgeous as you, of course.” He smirked. He actually frakking smirked. Maybe it was Dominic who was taking cues from Brand.
Khitti allowed him to spin and kiss her, and then she was soon squinting at the smirk of his. That very Brand-like smirk. How the hell does neither of them see that they act like the other? Sheesh. "Yes, vell...I've managed to do so before. I've a knack for it, apparently." He couldn't deny that, of course. She had upset him in the past. Somehow, she could tolerate Brand getting angry. It was typical of him. Dominic, on the other hand...well, he kind of scared her when he did get angry. He -did- set things on fire that one time, you know.
Dominic’s line of sight dropped to the floor; the smile faded. “Well, you’re not wrong… but no, it’s not really your fault.” Khitti’s hands were squeezed as he regained eye contact. “I need to try harder. With -- with a lot of things.” He hadn’t forgotten about that damned magic he supposedly had. Terrifying and unwanted, but he supposed that wasn’t any different than much of the rest of life. Life clearly didn’t care what he wanted, or Khitti never would have been kidnapped in the first place.
"N-no." Khitti shook her head, repeating the word again, but more firmly this time, "No." She squeezed his hands, drawing him closer, "You...you're perfect. You don't need to do anything." There was a look on her face that seemed to say that she'd start up with that self-deprecation, but she holds it in, not wanting to sour the situation further. He didn't deserve that. He'd been through too much lately; whatever happened to her didn't matter. "Hey..." She released one of his hands, lifting her now free one to his cheek, "Let's go to Kelay later... Just you and me. On a date." Khitti smiled up at him, lightly stroking his jawline with her fingertips. "I'll even vear one of my outfits for you. Vhichever one you vant."
“A date?” Dominic visibly cheered. “I haven’t been to Kelay in what feels like forever… you could wear the first thing you wore, and I could wear the new coat and everything you got me?” He was back to spinning her again. “We could go to that one restaurant where we talked one of those first times, do some window shopping, just walk around and see the sights… so many possibilities.”