RP:Do Dominics Dream Of Electric Mice?

Part of the Do You Believe In Magic? Arc

Summary: KhittiDom are finally reunited! The bitey murder woman is a jerk! Dominic gets some sleep! Yay!

Raiez's Cave (Dead End)

To say that Khitti was distraught was a bit of an understatement. At this point, she was certain that she'd never get out of this jar. That she'd never see the light of day. That she'd never not see this damn bitey, murdery, and now female's breasts for every second of the day. Even her book of fairy tales held no sway on her mind; it no longer brought her joy, but now only left an ever-widening hole in her heart where Dominic took up space. The tales that talked of true love and happily ever afters only made things worse. For the most part, the other redheaded female was easy to ignore now. She only seemed to make irritating, sarcastic remarks every so often. Or at least, for now. It seemed she was certainly trying to adapt to the sudden disappearance of certain, necessary dangly bits and the addition of completely different ones. It the beginning, it aggravated the hell out of Khitti. Even when the she had been a he, the training never ceased. Did he/she not ever tire of the same thing over and over again? How the hell did they manage to continue such a thing over and over and over? It was entirely monotonous to Khitti, but then again, hadn't she done the same with her archery for a time? Now, though, it wasn't so hard for her to ignore the lightning-wielding roommate she'd unfortunately acquired. The vampiress sat there on her side of the jar, staring blankly at the pictures in her favorite book, brows knitted together, an ever-present frown plastered on her features. The scene she gazed at just so happened to be from the story of the beast locked away in his castle and the girl that had happened upon him there; it was quite a bit into the tale and now they were dancing in that grand ballroom of his. The scene only reminded her further of Dominic, the vampiress retreating deep into the recesses of her mind in an attempt to ignore the world around her.

Almost as if on cue, the lid above was removed and Dominic was dropped unceremoniously into the jar by a certain Blue. He’d dozed off on the journey over, the fatigue of the last week or so finally overwhelming him beyond his ability to fight it, safe in the knowledge that at least he’d be seeing his beloved Khitti soon. Whatever else happened beyond that was a problem for future-Dominic, a problem to be ignored until after he was at least with Khitti once more, and after he’d gotten some much-needed slumber. So it was that he plummeted, still sawing logs, directly on top of that bitey, murdery fellow-turned-lass.

Unfortunately for Dominic, however, that fall didn't go so well. Not only did he fall on the forever training female, but he also managed to knock her onto her back, and his face sink right into those newly acquired, fleshy and naked pillows on her chest. He probably should get out of there lest he suffocate on them. It takes a few moments for things to register in either Khitti or the bitey one's brains in regards to what just happened. The female with the penchant for mayhem and death was the first to acknowledge it, first with a few blinks, then an irritated narrowing of her eyes at the slumbering human, and then a hard shove to knock him off of her. She's quick to get to her feet as Raiez begins to close the lid, shouting ensuing in the unsavory fashion as a very long string of curses leaves her mouth. Essentially, she was trying to tell the Blue to watch where she was dropping things, but most of the words weren't fit for this PG-13 game. She really needs her mouth washed out with soap, to be honest. Khitti, however, didn't really respond to the situation. A brief glance was sent in Dominic's direction, but with her mind distracted as it was, she didn't realize who the human was, her attention soon returned to her book absently.

Dominic grumbled in his sleep, something about sailors and cursing and couldn’t they at least keep the noise down for one blasted day?! Even being briefly suffocated and then shoved hadn’t fully roused him, at least not immediately. The poor guy hadn’t slept more than a couple hours in a stretch in days, after all. But still that bitey one carried on, and eventually Dominic cracked an eye open to glare at her before sitting up abruptly. This wasn’t a ship and she wasn’t a sailor, but she was… very topless. Errrr. What an awkward thing to wake to. Good thing he didn’t realize his face had just spent a few minutes pressed between those breasts, or he’d likely be even more disoriented. As it was, Dominic blushed and averted his gaze to the other side of the jar -- and therefore to Khitti. Eyes widening at the sight of her, he scrambled over on his hands and knees, greeting her by way of curling up against her and resting his head against her shoulder, taking a hand and clinging to it, trembling. Too many words competed to be said to her all at once and what came out was a jumbled mess that didn’t sound like anything in any language whatsoever. He was still half-asleep, to be fair. “Khitti.” He finally managed her name. That was it.

Khitti wasn't exactly sure what to make of this. It was a trick. It had to have been. Dominic wouldn't have gotten himself captured. She told him to stay with Hildegarde. Told him to be safe. It couldn't have been him. "Vhat? No. Who--what are you?" The vampiress withdraws her hand from his, scooting across the jar's floor away from him. "Stay away from me." She'd finally noticed the other female's yelling and then return to her training, a look shot upwards towards the lid. Raiez. She did this. Her attention returns towards what she believed to be a faux Dominic. "Don't come near me. I know vhat zhis is. It's a trick. Another vay for Raiez to pacify me. Like she did vith zhe books." Her favorite text, the one she never seemed to stop clinging to, was gripped tightly in her right hand. With her accusations given, she'd throw the book at him. Quite literally, in fact.

Dominic’s expression was a mixture of hurt and disbelief, rudely disrupted by that book that hit him square in the forehead. “Owwww.” He grimaced at Khitti while rubbing at the fresh new injury, at a loss for words. Brand sure as hell wasn’t, though. Brand knew -exactly- what he wanted to say, and between the pain and exhaustion Dominic couldn’t be bothered restraining him. The older male burst through and had pounced upon Khitti in seconds, slapping her across the face before pinning her against the wall of the jar, his nostrils flaring and his eyes wild. “Snap out of it, cupcake.” These pet names were getting more and more ridiculous, weren’t they? “Didn’t go through all this trouble finding you for you to lose what remains of your marbles.” A beat; his grip on her loosened up slightly. “You -do- still have some sense left to you, don’t you? Or should I put you out of your gorram misery and tell the kid to start looking for a new damsel-in-perpetual-distress?” He held up the hand that had hit her, fingers wiggling, his glare still of burning intensity. “That was for doing exactly what you -shouldn’t- have. You worry him half to death and his cryin’ about it pisses me the hell off. Your fault.” But of course -Brand- hadn’t worried. Oh no. Not at all.

Khitti could only blink repeatedly as she first realizes that Dominic might actually be hurt and -not- an illusion. Then there was that slap. And then, there was the threat of a fiery demise. "B-Brand...?" She barely manages his name, much like Dominic had with her. "Brand?!" There's zero hesitation in what she does now, the elemental-wielding male pulled close to her immediately and a hurried, yet still somewhat meaningful kiss is pressed to his lips. "Brand!! I don't zhink I've ever been so happy to see you! Bring back Dominic now. Right now!" Her hands move up to grip the collar of his shirt, shaking him in a near violent fashion. "Go away and let me see him now, you arrogant, insufferable jerk!" She didn't seem to care that he slapped her, but she did look like she might cry from happiness. Who knows how awkward that'd be for him. It -is- possible that that might be worse for him than that kiss she just gave him.

It was Brand’s turn to blink in confusion now. He’d been full of righteous fury, and she’d… kissed him? What? The man made a point of wiping his arm across his lips and looking vaguely put off by the act. In effect, he still came off looking less irritated -- and intimidating -- than he had a moment before. Khitti made him strangely… not so good at this whole fierce and dominating thing. Annoying. “Yeah, yeah. You can see loverboy.” Borrowing phrases from a certain frosty death knight, now. “Don’t mind me; I’m as dragged along on Dominic’s crazy ride as ever.” He wheeled away and flourished a hand in dismissal. “Just pretend like I’m not even here.” And then he wasn’t.

Khitti 's lips twitched into a frown as Brand faded away. What? Why was he acting that way? "Brand..." A few of her heartstrings were pulled thanks to his words, and of course she'd bring it up another time, but now as he disappeared and Dominic came back, there'd be no spoken word allowed between them. Her grip would loosen on DomiBrand's shirt, hands sliding up his neck and to his face, holding him still so that she can kiss him. Every ounce of passion in that vampire's thin form was poured into the kiss, and she actually did start crying. She cared so little about what that redheaded bitey female might think right now; Khitti'd deal with whatever idiotic sarcastic remarks the female would put out later.

Dominic had been holding himself together pretty well, all things considered. He’d barely cried, and hadn’t been -too- much of an anxious mess. Mostly he’d spent his time without Khitti in despondence of varying severity, moping around looking for a clue to the vampiress’ whereabouts but with quickly dwindling hope that he’d ever actually find anything. The poor thing finally broke shortly after Khitti did, though; he spoke in hushed tones through sobs and kisses. “I’m here. I’m here. I made it. I never stopped looking, you know.” That seashell bracelet announced its presence with a jangle shortly before he clasped it around her wrist, back where it belonged. “You… you lost this.” He leaned his forehead against hers -- gingerly, thanks to the growing welt there -- and closed his eyes. So tired. “I wasn’t sure I’d see you again.”

Khitti didn't stop kissing him, though she did let him speak occasionally. She did too, but they were mostly apologies for throwing the book at him. The tears never stopped flowing, at least not for some time as her fingers continued to dance across his face, taking in every aspect of his features. "Oh Dominic...I'm so sorry." The vampiress burst into more blubbering sobs as he put the bracelet back on it's rightful spot. She always tried so hard not to cry around him, but this time it couldn't be helped. "You...both of you...you vere right. I'm so sorry. I tried to run...I tried to get help, but I...I'm so useless." What good was all of these abilities she had between her magic and being a vampire if she was going to chicken out and run away? "So sorry..." Nuzzling his cheek, she wipes away her tears, letting the old make way for new as she pushed her way into his lap and curled up against him. The redhead seemed off now that all those emotions had leaked out, almost terrified. Then again, this wasn't the first time she'd been locked up in a cage with no means of escape.

Dominic had contemplated immediately telling Khitti of meeting Lydia, but now that he was in the moment, it simply didn’t seem like the right time. He’d instead sit with his back flush against the wall of the jar, allowing Khitti to rest in his lap and within his embrace, tears still shimmering in his eyes. A fleeting glance was cast toward their bitey roommate -- perhaps she’d made some equally bitey quip -- but he couldn’t be bothered responding. Khitti needed to be his sole focus. Threading his fingers through her hair, he shushed her out of her series of apologies. “It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done.” Nevermind what Brand thought. “More importantly, are you hurt? Do you need anything?” He’d managed to bring his pack along with him; with one hand, he pulled it to rest against his side and rummaged through until he found a wrapped parcel of crumbled, travel-worn cakelog. “It’s not exactly the most fresh, but…” He presented it to Khitti. What better way to cheer the gal up?

The dark ranger eventually calmed somewhat, but she didn't take any of the offered cake. "I can't be in here. I -can't-. It vasn't so bad in zhe beginning but now h-she's in here and I swear to any gods zhat actually listen to me zhat if I smell even zhe faintest whiff of ozone from her lightning magic, I'm going to start chucking books at her." You know, like she did with Dominic. "It's not even zhat. I just...I just can't deal vith enclosed spaces like zhis. I need to vander. I need to get out." And of course, as if on cue (because she's so clearly listening thanks to those pointed, sensitive ears of hers), the bitey murdery one let slip a bit of electricity, the tiny bolt sent flying, landing just near to where Khitti and Dominic sent. All at once, one version of crazy was switched for the other more violent kind, the panicked tendencies washing away, replaced with a twitch of her left eye and the vampiress attempting to quickly scramble out of Dominic's lap to leap at the pile of books Raiez had left for her. A shriek of irritation leaves her throat as books were snatched up, one in each hand, and tossed wildly towards the other redhead. "I hate you so much! I vish zhat damned dragon vould just eat you so I can sit here in peace!"

Dominic blinked, flabbergasted, from Khitti to their other roommate, then down to the cake. Hmm. Come to think of it, he’d barely had anything to eat in the last week, either. And if Khitti was turning it down… well, he’d just eat it himself then. Curling up into himself, he nibbled at it while peering from vampiress to vampiress, observing Khitti’s outburst and very much not wanting to get between her and the target of her ire. “Who -is- she, anyway?” was all he asked -- and even then he regretted the interruption immediately after the words spilled out. She was already in a mood, and who knew what their time apart had done to her emotionally. Were they not all trapped in closed quarters together, he might have slinked off to a safe distance from either of them.

Khitti continued throwing the books until the stack was gone. Sadly for Khitti, however, all of them missed their mark. The much taller, older, and newly well-endowed female caught every single one of those books. All of them. Her movements were so agile, so fluid that it was made apparent real quick that her skill far surpassed Khitti's. Each tome was stacked neatly atop the other after they were caught, and the stack soon returned to Khitti. Nothing is said, however, as the redhead leaves the the books next to Khitti, letting her actions speak for themselves. She does let off another few sparks towards Khitti; not enough to injure yet, but merely make her anger worse. And it definitely did. Khitti lets out another angry scream before giving up to quietly seethe in Dominic's lap again. What was she going to do anyway? Fight her? She'd not stand a chance. The dark ranger is soon gifted with a grin of faux innocence before the bitey, murdery female returns to what she was doing. Khitti crawls back into Dominic's lap, muttering a response finally to him, burying herself within the confines of that overly large coat of his in an attempt to hide herself from the world. "Someone who has been nothing but awful every time I've met zhem. She was a he zhen, also. 'Queen of Spiders', she called me. I'll show her...as soon as I get out of here." Sure you will, Khitti. Sure you will.

Dominic gladly wrapped Khitti up in his arms and in his jacket. “Queen of Spiders, hmm? But I thought you ha -- oh.” A little slow on the uptake there, Dominic. He fell into silence, peering at their surroundings and absentmindedly stroking at Khitti’s hair. He was so calm in all this for someone who’d just been kidnapped. So calm, except for the fact that he was near clinging to Khitti. Not that she could really go anywhere in this jar, but the time spent away from her had maybe made him a bit paranoid anyway. But his breathing was steady and his inspection of their new dwelling was more out of intellectual curiosity than motivation to escape. “She sure didn’t stay long,” he observed at length. “Raiez, I mean. I don’t suppose you’ve figured out what she intends to do with us? Have you been in here this whole time?”

Khitti merely shrugged a bit at his questions, clinging tightly to him. "I've no idea...and I have been for zhe most part. Raiez let me out once, but zhat idiot ruined it." She nods her head in the bitey one's direction. She too falls silent for a bit, a sigh making itself know after awhile. "I miss our bed." is all that's said finally, the words sad and longing. Another sigh and she leans her face up, pressing her lips to his. She didn't care if that idiot vampiress saw the display of affection. She had missed it more than she did the bed.

Dominic returned her kisses, one hand cradling her chin. “I barely saw it without you,” he admitted, a yawn breaking through as though to emphasize his words. “I kept looking, you know. I never stopped.” His free hand toyed with the charms on her bracelet; a contemplative gaze wandered from it to the vampiress’ face and then back to the bracelet. “Might’ve had to keep looking forever, but… but…” How to even explain? He sighed and bit a lip before carrying on. “I, uh, I had a little help. You should know, your sister… I-I don’t know, Brand thinks I was dreaming or delirious or something. But I swear to you that I saw her, and I swear to you that she told me how to find you.” He shook his head and leaned it back against the wall, eyes squeezing shut. He wasn’t even sure he believed himself; why would -she- believe him?

Khitti nuzzled against his hand as he held her chin, a faint smile forming as he spoke of searching for her. But then...then he mentioned Lydia. "You...vhat?" An incredulous look formed, that disbelief he had predicted shining clearly in her expression as her tone grew stern. "Dominic, Lydia is dead. Vhile she has been truly dead for years now, I recently destroyed her body as vell. She's gone. Zhere's no vay..." She even sounded offended by the thing she assumed to be a lie. Clearly, the subject of her poor, dearly departed sister was still quite a sensitive one. "For once, I'm inclined to agree vith Brand." Ouch. It almost physically hurt her to say that out loud. "I'm sure you -vere- dreaming. You did just admit to not having slept in days." Even if it was true, she'd likely not believe him without some ounce of proof, at least when it comes to that topic.

Dominic pried one eye open to judge her countenance only to close it again shortly thereafter. “Probably. I don’t know anymore. But that’s how I found the bracelet, and that’s how I found you, so…” So… he had nothing else to say about that. And his head felt stuffed full of cotton, now that he’d at least verified that Khitti was more or less unharmed. He could probably pass out just like this, right here and right now, even with how uncomfortable the glass was and even with the other vampiress right in there with them. And, in fact, he started to -- the whirls and visions of the edge of sleep began to engulf him even as he sat there. Visions of Hildegarde and the inn. Raiez. Mountainsides and forests that Dominic had trudged through hoping to find Khitti, the colors warped and twisted in that half-dream state. Lydia with a violin -- oh. He started back awake, at least for the moment. “...She -did- say something about a violin, though,” Dominic mumbled thoughtfully. “Said she heard you play.” And then he placed his head back against the glass with a soft -thunk-.

Khitti had all but put that odd bit of news out of her mind and chalked it up to his sleep deprivation before that last bit of information poured from his mouth. She froze instantly, eyes wide with shock as she stared at the human as he started to doze off. No. No, it couldn't be, could it? She hadn't spoken to Dominic at all about knowing how to play the violin, let alone the one song she knew. As the realization that he might actually be telling the truth flickered on in her brain like a flipped switch, those tears of hers starting anew. It was going to be one of those over-emotional kind of days it seemed.

Dominic was roused once more by Khitti’s sobs, at least enough to hold her a bit tighter. He didn’t seem to at all realize the weight of what he’d said, but he had almost some instinctual need to comfort her even in his state. A hand reached for hers and their fingers interlaced before he finally opened his eyes again. “Sorry… it’s been such a long week. Week? I think it’s been a week… maybe two? … oh, I don’t even know anymore.” No further words given about Lydia; perhaps the half-asleep ramblings were already out of his mind again. “Shhhh. I’m here.”

Khitti’s crying subsided eventually into sniffles and a faint sigh. This situation...with Lydia...whatever it was, would give her something to think about during her tenure in the cave. She does her best to push the thoughts from her mind, trying to focus on him as he comforted her. A hand reaches up, tilting his head down to face her, though she wouldn't attempt to wake him anymore than he already was, instead choosing to lightly caress his jaw and cheek. She really had missed him so. "Go to sleep, my love...You're safe vith me. Ve're safe..." The vampiress wasn't entirely sure if that was true, but if the bitey one -did- decide to do what was in her nature and try to harm him, then it was best for her to watch over him as he slept.

Dominic didn’t need to be told twice. Regardless of the accuracy of Khitti’s words, he’d quickly slip more fully into slumber. He had no more reason to fight it, and hardly the willpower to continue fighting it even if he did. His grip would slip down and more loosely around her and he’d murmur one more “Khitti…” as he fell into unconsciousness.