RP:Do You Want To Build A Snowman?

From HollowWiki

Summary: Poor Dominic gets quite the hangover after Brand's little night of drinking. KhittiDom goes to build a snowman and Khitti burns her hands with her newly acquired shadow fire abilities. It's all kinds of sad. I blame Brand. Thanks, Brand.

Frostmaw Tavern

It was Dominic who returned to their room in the hours of the early morning, shambling and looking very much like death. Brand might be able to avoid the transfer of pain to him to some degree, but this hangover was still something the younger male could feel in every bone and muscle. He couldn't remember much of the night prior, but he knew it hadn't been good, that Brand was refusing to face Khitti for the time being. Dominic was apprehensive as well -- terrified she was angry with him, that she blamed him for her being left in the cave, they'd get in a fight again -- but Brand had figuratively shoved him into the forefront and locked the gate the moment they'd begun regaining consciousness. Time to get it over with, then. Dominic knocked faintly on the door before cracking it open just enough to poke his head inside. "Khitti...?"

After Brand left, Khitti didn't know what to do. She had stood there for awhile, staring at the spot where the blonde had sat, where they had both sat. Why was this so difficult? What did she do wrong now? Didn't he -want- her to talk to him? How did she manage to screw things up so severely in the small amount of time she'd been back? The shadowfire should've waited until he was sober. She had let herself become overwhelmed. Those wretched, awful dreams. Damn it, Lydia. She never wanted that again. No dreams of Brand. And so, she didn't dream...because she didn't sleep. Initially, she was so frustrated with Brand that she'd locked the door, but when she realized he wasn't coming back some hours later, she unlocked it and got into bed. It's not like anything was going to get her in the inn. It's not like Brand was coming back either. It'd probably be some time before he wanted to talk to her again. He'd done his job like a good soldier and brought her back. There wasn't any reason for him to stick around now. Or, at least, that's how she saw things. Time passed for her in silence as she stared at the ceiling, much as it had in the jar, the room cold now as Dominic peeked his head into the room. The fire had gone out, literally as well as figuratively, and it was dark. The darkness that had begun to swallow up Khitti in Raiez's cave had started anew. Dominic's voice was heard, of course, but she didn't speak at all, instead retreating further under the covers, hiding from him, and Brand, and the rest of the world. She almost wished he'd go away. Things were different now. She wasn't herself anymore. She was just going to disappoint him. She loved him so...but was that love enough to fix everything? To fix her?

Her reaction just lent evidence to his fears. He shrank back until just one eye was visible through the gap between door and wall. “Oh. I … I understand if you’re upset with me. I can leave you alone if you want, but…” Fingers clenched against the door, turning his knuckles white. They froze like that for a time and then he made the decision to step just barely into the room, swaying uncomfortably and playing with the hem of his shirt. “I… I was hoping…” He trailed off. Words were useless.

The vampiress laid beneath the covers in silence still as he spoke. He was going to leave too? She'd peek her head out from under the blankets, looking over at him. She could see him as clear as day in the darkness. "Dominic..." Khitti sat up a little before finally crawling out of bed. "Don't leave me...please don't...please..." The way she begged him was even a little pathetic-sounding, like one pleading for their life or to be freed from their cage. Emerald eyes would study him a moment, then divert towards the fireplace. Finding the matches, she threw in some new logs and started it up again. It might not have bothered her, but she was sure the cold would be uncomfortable for him. Khitti spun around when she was finished, facing him, but not taking a step forward. "...Do you hate me...?"

Dominic bit at his lip. Hesitant steps led him to Khitti until he was close enough to take her hands in his and press circles into them with his thumbs. He was taking her in slowly, so slowly, like it might be the last time he’d be able to drink in anything about her before she vanished from memory. “Of course not,” he breathed at length, a hint of a smile lighting his face. It faded again and his gaze dropped back down to their joined hands. “I thought you were the one that had reason to hate me…?”

Khitti shook her head quickly, a sort of sad confused expression surfacing on her pale face. "No. Never." There's more hesitation on her side of things as she too stares down at their hands. She was so unsure of everything. She didn't think he was lying, but... No. Don't think like that. It's not his fault. It was her fault...maybe even Brand's fault, but never Dominic's. He was practically goodness incarnate compared to her and Brand. He could do not wrong in her eyes. It didn't take long once that thought process started for her to pull her hands away and throw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "I missed you so much." The waterworks started again too as she buried her face into chest. It was probably something she'd not be able to stop doing much for awhile. "I'm so sorry...so so sorry," her arms tightening around him, intent on not letting him go for the moment if he tried to pull away.

“I thought… I thought you were going to be angry. Because I left you. Because we fought, and because then you got stuck there and we -- we didn’t take you with us.” Dominic was tearing up too, and resting his chin on her shoulder as they embraced. “I should’ve done something. Or Brand should have done something. That never should’ve happened. We went there for -you-. A-and then you were left behind and we thought…” He couldn’t say it. He just squeezed her harder.

"It vas my own fault...I should've listened to Brand." After the night she just had, actually admitting that Brand was right hurt a little bit. Maybe he was right about a lot of things. Specifically, these stupid feelings. She pushes those thoughts away, shaking her head as if to say 'shut up now' both to Dominic and to herself, then promptly presses her lips to his. That overwhelming feeling of love that used to flow over from her side of the link does again after such a very long time. He was definitely still her entire world. Well, at least ninety-nine percent of it. We won't talk about the other one percent. He's a jerk.

Anxiety gave way to catharsis as Dominic returned that kiss, his own feelings seeping into the link and mingling with hers. There had been so much fear. So much guilt. So much helpless anger with nowhere to go except back onto his shoulders. But now… they were going to be alright, weren’t they? [We… we can come back from this, right? I was so worried we were going to fall apart, between us fighting, and then Brand…]

Khitti sighed heavily into the kiss, but didn't pull away. She didn't have answers for him. [...I think so...] Finally, she break the kiss, and even moved entirely away from him. "I zhink it vill just take time. I hope." Bare feet pace back and forth across the carpet for a few moments before she goes over to the bed again. She couldn't seem to keep still for long. It's a wonder that she did after Brand left. She'd just clung to that hope that maybe he would come back. And then...he didn't. "None of zhis is your fault," the vampiress said, waving her hand as if to dismiss the thought from his mind, "I screwed up. I caused all of zhis. Not you. Not Brand. Not anyone else but me. And now, I don't feel like me. Everything's empty up here now." Khitti motioned at her head, "I don't know vhat to do, Dominic. I may not have always listened to Amarrah's zhoughts on zhings, but it vas at least something to go off of. " Throwing her hands up into the air, she falls back onto the bed, bouncing just slightly off the mattress. "I don't know how to fix us. Or myself. Or zhis gods awful situation vith Brand. I'm lost and vandering around in circles. I'm home but I don't feel like I am. I don't know if I can find my vay zhere."

“Of course it’s not your fault. It’s not like you kidnapped yourself.” Dominic’s attempt at humor was rather subpar, and he knew it. Sigh. “Maybe a trip outside would help? We could walk, like before. It could remind you of what’s gone back to normal. That we’re… really not stuck in jars anymore.” An involuntary shudder clawed up his spine. Sure, he’d volunteered himself, but that didn’t mean it had been pleasant.

"N-no." Khitti pulled her legs up onto the bed, shifting her attention away from Dominic. "I-I'm sure I'll be fine...in here. If you vant to go, I understand." The blankets get pulled up over her thin form, up to her chin, the edges of it threatening to go back up over her head. "You two should go get some air or something." She did want to go back outside, but...what if something bad happened...again? "Y-you don't have to stay here if you don't vant to."

“No, I just…” He was full of sighs today. Sighs and the remnants of alcohol from the night before. He really ought to ask Brand to maybe tone it down a bit -- not that that was likely to have any effect. “I’m trying to help and I don’t know how.” He, too, climbed onto the bed, falling stiffly amongst the blankets and pillows and burying his face in the latter like he might never surface again. “I-I just wanted things to be normal after the war,” he said, though perhaps it was too muffled for her to make out.

The redhead sighed too. "...I'm sorry..." She'd sit up enough to yank at his shirt, trying to get him to get under the covers with her. "C'mere. Please? Maybe, I'll be ready to go somewhere in a little vhile. I just...vant to lay here vith you for now." She pauses, brows furrowing as she gets situated, "If you vant to..."

Dominic turned his face away from the pillow enough to give Khitti a weary smile. “I’m definitely going to fall asleep if I get too comfortable. You know that, right?” But nevertheless, he did as she asked, curling up around her under the blankets and lining up a handful of kisses on her neck. “Brand kind of… well, it’s hard to recall. But I don’t think he slept.” Dominic buried his eyes in the boundary between Khitti’s neck and shoulder. Her skin was cool, and it was soothing on those burning eyelids. “Which of course means I get to be exhausted, too…”

Khitti giggled a bit as his kisses tickle her neck. It was the first time in a long while that she'd genuinely laughed. "Vell, -don't- get too comfy zhen." She'd return his kisses, distracting him as her hands stealthily moved down to his sides to tickle him. "I missed you." She paused, pushing him over onto his back, and hopping on top of him. "I missed doing zhis too." Commence. The. Tickling. Lots of it.

Dominic released a prolonged, “Noooo…” and dug himself further into the blankets, using it as a barrier between himself and those evil tickling fingers. From beneath, he’d bat at her hands until she stopped, much like a cat.

There's was definitely quite a bit more giggling as she moved her hands up and down his sides. "Aww, you're no fun. You're supposed to just lay zhere and take zhe tickling, my love." Khitti takes pity on him though, and releases him from that horrible torture. "Ve don't have to go anywhere, you know. You could sleep." She collapses on top of him, resting her head on his chest beneath his chin as she snuggles up against him. "I'm sure you need it." Not long after saying that, there's...snoring? What sort of vampire snores? Apparently -she- needed the sleep too.

When Khitti awoke, she’d find herself alone in the bed once more. Dominic was standing at the window staring out at freshly fallen snow, hands clasped behind his back, deep thought written on his face. A cup of tea sat on the table nearest him, something he must have procured recently enough that it was still steaming. The fire, meanwhile, he’d mostly let run its course. It was dim now, just a few embers that were producing more light than heat at this point.

Panic set in almost immediately as she moved her hand around on the bed before fully opening her eyes, quickly discovering that he wasn't there. Khitti sits bolt upright, brows furrowing as her line of sight settles on him. She parts her lips to speak, but nothing comes out. A frown replaces whatever she might say, and she does her best to calm herself as she curls back up underneath the blankets, watching him. What was he thinking about? Should she ask? Should she bother him? No. Probably not. She'd likely just upset him somehow. She had a knack for upsetting people nowadays, it seemed. Instead, she'd just study him quietly for the moment.

Dominic hadn’t registered the sounds of her stirring. Whatever was on his mind, it had him thoroughly occupied. He reached for the tea after a time, his eyes never leaving the outdoors, hand fumbling blindly until it managed to wrap around his mug. A soft slurping permeated the silence, and nothing else.

Khitti's frown only grew, but she mustered up the courage to actually say something. "Dominic...?" She remains in her blanket nest, wondering what she should do. Ugh. Why was she so afraid of doing everything? It was so frustrating, but still...wasn't it better to be cautious now? She'd watch him a bit longer, and then regardless of whether or not he responded, she'd bury herself deeper into the covers with a heavy sigh.

Dominic jumped, almost dropping his teacup, before turning to look at Khitti. “O-oh, you’re awake. Hi.” He set his cup down and shuffled over to her, moving the covers enough to plant a kiss on her forehead. “It looks like we got more snow while we were sleeping. I was just thinking, would you… do you… want to build a snowman?” His line of sight shifted back to the window. “It doesn’t -have- to be a snowman…”

His question is granted a few blinks. Is...that really what he was so focused on? "Ve can but..." She pauses, considering her newfound fears before finally voicing them, "...are you sure it's safe to? I...just...don't vant anything to happen." She eyes him a moment, watching for his reaction before lookg away again. "I-I mean, if you zhink ve'll be alright, I'll go."

Dominic pursed his lips into a thoughtful frown. “There will always be dangers, but… Raiez is dead, isn’t she? I don’t think it’s any less safe than it’d normally be.” Her hands were taken in his and squeezed. “I don’t… I don’t want to live life in fear, Khitti. There’s always going to be that chance something could go horribly wrong, but I don’t see how fixating on it is going to help us avoid it.”

"It's only going to go horribly vrong because I'll be zhere," the vampiress said matter-of-factly as she stared at their hands. "...I'll go, I guess..." She pulled her hands away from his, moved off the bed, and headed slowly towards the wardrobe. Opening it with a sigh, she looks over the few belongings she had stuffed into there, trying to figure out what to wear. It's not like it mattered when it came to the cold, but she'd feel so naked now if she went outside in just a dress. Too vulnerable. At least for a little while anyway until she felt normal again. -If- that were to happen.

“You don’t have to,” Dominic murmured, that frown reappearing. “It’s just that… I thought maybe it’d help. Both of us. It’s something we could do together. Something that’s not… reflecting on how awful everything’s been.” A shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s a stupid idea.”

"No!" was said rather loudly as he started to sound like her with that negative attitude, but it soon changed as she repeated the word a little softer now, "No. It's not stupid." Opening a drawer, she finds her pair of soft black leather pants and puts them on under her dress for the time being. "Um..." Khitti throws a look over her shoulder at him, motioning to the drawer with his shirts. "Can I...? I guess, I need to go buy some zhings at some point." She sighed. "I suppose I should allow Pilar to drag me somewhere. Hopefully nowhere too far." Her mind wandered a bit with that thought. Going clothes shopping could be disastrous.

Dominic shrugged. “Yeah, of course. Whatever makes you comfortable.” He took a large gulp of his tea, downing most of what was left in just a few seconds, and then pulled his jacket off of where it had laid over the arm of one chair. “If you do go, tell her to be on the lookout for a scarf and gloves that would suit me, would you? I think I’m in need of some.” Finally, Dominic admitted that that light jacket wasn’t truly enough for Frostmaw weather. It was a wonder he hadn’t already gotten hypothermia from the times he’d been out before.

"C'mere." Khitti motioned with her head for him to go to where she was. "You should pick one out for me. And, yeah, her and I vill look together." Waiting for Dominic, she eyed his coat, "You're going to freeze to death in zhat." With a 'hm', she pulled out her duster and offered it to him, "At least for right now? I'd hate to have to deal vith -two- frigid men." That was a joke, of course, at Brand's expense. Hopefully that jerk heard it. The duster was sadly a little ragged from the war, but it seemed like it might be a little bit warmer. "It's a little big on me, so it might fit...if you vanted to vear it." The vampiress shrugs, shutting one drawer before opening the one that held his shirts.

Dominic put on his own jacket, and then threw Khitti’s duster over it. It looked at least a bit ridiculous, but at least he was less likely to shiver himself into a coma. “I… I don’t know if frigid is the right word…” he said hesitantly, adjusting the sleeves and eyeing himself in the mirror. He felt strangely compelled to defend that other entity that resided in his body; even for all the hurt their fights had caused Khitti, it was evident to him that Brand wasn’t exactly in his happy place, either. Nevermind that Brand wouldn’t share why. Brand never shared anything with him. Well, almost anything.

Khitti grinned a little at how he looked in her coat, silently agreeing that it was maybe a bit much for him. It suited her more with that whole dark and brooding air she usually had. Who knows, maybe it -didn't- suit her anymore. Maybe she'd figure that out eventually too along with everything else. The grin soon faded as she reflected on her joke and the fact that Dominic commented on it, the observant female picking up on his hesitation. "I vasn't entirely serious. I just..." Oh good. There's the guilt again. And now it was not only reserved for Dominic, but Brand as well. "I'm sure he's just tired. He vent zhrough a lot in zhat cave to get me back." Shifting her gaze towards the floor, she sidesteps away from the rather large piece of furniture, letting him look over his own shirts. "I zhink I made zhings awkward last night. It vasn't intentional, but..." She shrugs, sighing softly.

Dominic waved a hand dismissively at the dresser. “Take whichever shirt you like. It doesn’t matter to me. As for Brand, well…” Dominic clearly struggled for words, sighing frustratedly after a time. “I don’t think that’s it. I think he’s got something else entirely going on. But believe it or not, I think he talks more openly to you than he does me, so…” He shook his head and stuffed his hands into the pockets of the duster. “Ready whenever you are.”

Khitti got rather frustrated with Dominic now. Didn't he realize she wanted him to pick out a shirt that -he- might think would look nice on her? Sigh. Likely not. Without another thought to her appearance whatsoever, she grabs a shirt hastily and moves behind the changing screen, letting the doors to the wardrobe shut somewhat loudly on their own. "Brand doesn't talk to me about anything besides fighting unless I force a conversation onto him. And vhen I do zhat, it's too overemotional or some such and he either gets pissed off or clams up for awhile. Zhen it usually turns into arguing or strictly him yelling at me and I'm left to be alone to pick up the pieces. You'd zhink ve'd be past zhat now after everything, but clearly not." Bitterness lingered in her voice as she buttoned up the shirt, rolled up the sleeves nearly to her elbows, then went about to gather her boots. She didn't bother tucking it in. What was the point? As the conversation had become more focused on He-Who-Loves-Fire, her mood only soured further. She hadn't even done anything. Why is -she- always the one to take the blame? Grabbing a ribbon along the way, she heads to the door and exits the room, leaving it ajar for him to deal with as she put her hair up going down the stairs.

Dominic had no time to gather his thoughts for a response; she was gone before he’d even fully processed all of what she’d said. Sighing once more, he finished off the last of his tea and took his leave of the room, shutting and locking it behind him. This was supposed to be a fun thing, a bonding experience that wasn’t based in war or fighting or capture (for once), and yet he feared the ripples of that were still determined to tarnish what should have been a simple day in the outdoors, celebrating their freedom.

Once he made it downstairs, he'd find the redhead standing right in front of the door. Her mood hadn't gotten any better, but by now it had shifted from what was the Brand-centered conversation to her anxiety that was made obvious by her body language and that of those around her. She'd begun wringing her hands, and had been standing there long enough that nearby patrons started to stare at her, a few murmurs of wonder and judgement here and there. Right. She still had to go outside. She could do this, right? Just as soon as she started to reach for the door handle finally, it actually opened on it's own or rather by a frost giant retreating to the inn for a meal and a drink. The vampiress would let out a yelp and back away quickly to get out of his way, muttering timid apologies.

Dominic hurried his steps once he’d laid eyes on Khitti again, moving to wrap a reassuring arm around her shoulders. “Come on. We don’t have to worry about any of them.” Gently, he nudged her out the door, then sought a spot where they’d be not so exposed to eyes on the street. He was too contemplative to talk much in the meantime, though. Not so long ago, he’d been even more nervous around people than Khitti was. It was strange for him to remember it now, as if it had been someone else’s life entirely that he just happened to retain memories of. Sure, he still got a bit apprehensive around crowds of strangers when he was alone, but… when had that shift even happened? He couldn’t seem to recall. Shame. Maybe he’d have constructive advice for Khitti if he did.

Khitti allowed herself to be led along, turning her head to hide somewhat in the coats he wore, shielding her embarassment from sight. Why was he even trying? She didn't understand why he bothered with her. The vampiress didn't say anything either as she too reflected inwardly, her feet coming to a halt when his did; her attention was clearly elsewhere, the expression on her features of being off in space made that known.

They arrived, and Dominic parted from Khitti, taking a few steps forward and then turning to face her. “So, um.” His vision swept from side to side, eyes swallowing up the sight of all this untarnished snow. “It occurs to me that I don’t… I don’t a-actually know how to make a snowman,” he confessed. His face was already red from the harshness of the cold, but for a moment it burned even more fiercely. “I’ve never done it before. But you know what to do, right? Can you… is it alright if you teach me?”

The redhead just...well...she blinks a few times at her dear boyfriend. "You...don't know how to make a snowman?" Tilting her head, she thinks about it a moment. There really wouldn't have been any time for him to learn while Brand was out doing Brand things, would there? The sudden confession is enough to shake Khitti from her anxious disposition, dark eyes watching him curiously. "I can show you, but...vill you be okay vithout gloves? I suppose I can do most of zhe vork so you don't get too cold." It was too bad she hadn't fed recently so she could keep him warm. There's a faint sigh of regret, but Khitti pushes on and gathers up a good amount of snow in her hands. "You've got to start vith a snowball and--" She demonstrates with the snow as she speaks. "--pack it all together really vell. Zhen, you roll it about on zhe ground until it's big enough to be zhe base." The vampiress drops the ball on the ground lightly, nudging at it to roll it around carefully. "Zhe base has to be pretty big. Zhe torso vill be smaller zhan zhat, and zhe head even smaller."

“Oh,” replied Dominic dully. “That doesn’t sound as difficult as I thought it would be.” He was already scooping up snow as he spoke, ready to shadow Khitti’s instructions. He’d pulled his jacket sleeves up over his hands -- plenty of extra fabric, given how big it was on him -- in lieu of those aforementioned gloves. With his snowball completed and back on the ground to be pushed forward with his foot, he waved one of his arms at her and let the end of his sleeve flop about. “And I dunno. This should work well enough, right? At least for a little while?”

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Khitti stops for a moment, turning to look at what he'd made so far, then returns to her own giant snowball. This was taking forever. With a 'hm', she eyed it for a moment, glanced around a bit, then gave it a huge shove. She'd been careful enough not to hit it in such a way that it'd break apart. Instead, it rolls across the ground a few feet, gaining in size. Apparently, vampire powers came in handy for making snowmen too.

Dominic diligently pushed his snowball forward, forming a long line in the snow before doubling back, drawing tight zigzags until he had a sphere larger than the largest of pumpkins. He was panting as he returned, clearly straining to move the thing now that it was massive and about up to his hips. “I-is this... big enough?”

Despite her approach at making what she thought was going to be the base for the snowman, Khitti was being rather quite lazy about the whole thing. Dominic on the other hand... Well, when he poses his question to her and she peers over her shoulder at his creation, she can't do much more than utter one word and just stare in awe at his giant ball of snow, "Whoa." She soon realizes that her mouth is very much agape and promptly closes it as she nods at him, "It's perfect, Dominic." The redhead decides to put in a bit more effort, taking a cue from him and getting her own snowball to the proper size needed for the torso. Once she finishes, she picks up the massive thing and starts heading over to the base. It's not long before Khitti's clumsiness kicks in though as she promptly slips on a patch of ice, drops the snowball, and goes face first into it, looking akin to someone with their head stuck inside a turkey or an ostrich with their head buried in sand.

Dominic jogged over to Khitti in mild alarm, calling her name while circling around her. Realizing her predicament, he tried to drag her out by the ankles, but… quickly discovered it wasn’t working. He opted instead to lean over the giant snowball and cup his hands around his mouth so she might hear him. “Khitt, I’m just going to hurt you if I try to pull you out of there...” He twisted around, scanning their surroundings, but… there was no one around. That had been the point of coming out this way, after all. “Maybe you can get yourself out of there with that new fire of yours? Or I could get Brand to do it, but…” He shouldn’t need to finish -that- sentence.

Oh, Khitti heard him. Especially the part about Brand. Nope. No. Nuh uh. Not getting his help. She'll never hear the end of it. He's probably watching now too. Better to deal with this by herself. But how the hell was she going to get her powers going again? Last time it was think of -him-. Happy thoughts of Dominic weren't an option right now either, she was much too embarrassed. No, instead she got angry. She got angry at Brand. Angry at Raiez. Angry at Lydia. Angry at this gods' forsaken snow ball that was frozen around her head. Shadows jumped about the area, skittering along the ground towards Khitti. And then, the fire came. It wasn't some tiny flame like what Brand had seen. This was huge, and melted the wintry sphere in seconds. It was a wonder she didn't manage to turn herself to cinders, but despite that, she still let out a pained cry.

Dominic jumped away as the shadows encircled, ready to -- what? What did he even think he was going to be able to do? Nothing, that’s what. But luckily he didn’t have to, as Khitti’s problem took care of itself. Once she was released he dove forward again, kneeling at Khitti’s side, trying to assess her for any damage the fire may have caused. “Khitti, you did it! A-are you... are you...“

Khitti...wasn't okay. Well, as a whole, she was relatively fine. She didn't kill herself with her own magic anyway. But... The vampiress let out another cry as she stared down at her hands, falling over somewhat from the odd position she'd been standing in; her palms and fingers were charred like well done steaks, blisters forming here and there, skin peeling and cracking. Khitti didn't actually cry, not just yet for the shock was too great. Instead, her mind took two steps back from the one step forward it'd achieved since she'd been home, her hands shaking, mouth open somewhat as she gaped in awe. "I-It...hurt?" Amarrah's magic had never done that. Not once. Even with the acidic ooze, it always hurt every thing else -but- her. "B-but...zhe fire?"

Dominic’s hands hovered just under Khitti’s, torn between wanting to hold her and not wanting to cause her any further pain. “That looks awful. We should take you to a healer...” Gee, thanks, Captain Obvious. “We can always finish the snowman later. I-it’s not that important.” Dominic attempted a smile, but couldn’t overwrite the concern on his face.

"No." Khitti pulled her hands back quickly from him, a step back away taken. "No healers." She remembered the flames in the cave, how the elf lost her entire arm thanks to Khitti's stupidity. Was this magic punishment? "I-I'll just feed...or something...and let it heal on it's own..." Another step back, her attention settling on what was left on the snowman, "I'm sorry. I ruined everything...again." A pause. "Yes...ve'll come back tomorrow. I'm sure it'll be a little better by zhen." Khitti still didn't look at Dominic, concern written on her own face as she studied her hands.

Without hesitation, Dominic rolled up his sleeve and presented his arm to her. “Take me, for now. You can… lessen the pain, probably, at least.” And then she’d go find someone to fully drain later… no. Better for him not to think about that part. He didn’t have much of a stomach for the gruesome, though he could imagine it rather vividly despite that.

Khitti shook her head, frowning at him. "No, Dominic. Not here." She glanced around warily, then looked towards the inn. "I vant to go home. I don't feel safe out here anymore." She sounded almost child-like the way she spoke, like a little girl lost and all alone. "Please..." The vampiress felt awful. She'd ruined his nice day out. She'd have to find a way to make it up to him eventually, and hopefully not destroy that too.

Dominic twisted his lips into a frown, but not because she’d ‘ruined’ anything. “Alright. Come on, let’s go.” He’d nudge her forward, wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders, his other hand gripping her arm to try to further reassure her. “Nothing’s going to happen to you. I’m not going to let anything happen to you…”

Khitti'd sink back into his arm, almost trying to hide from the world beneath his coat. Letting him lead her into the inn, she did her best to keep her hands out of sight. Didn't need anyone asking questions, you know. Once they got to the room and got things sorted, she'd finally take him up on his offer of blood, but wouldn't drink very much. It'd be just enough to kickstart the healing process and nothing more.