RP:Everything Is Lydia's Fault: Part 1

Part of the Do You Believe In Magic? Arc

Summary: Lydia attempts to shift Khitti's dreams from something dark like the bitey one's memories. Unfortunately for Khitti, the dreams become chaotic and only ends in pain much like her waking life.

Raiez's Cave (Dead End)

Khitti was still in that cave. Nothing changed. Well, almost not. Except for now she had over a hundred years worth of memories stuck in her head and Amarrah was gone. She was, in a word, normal. Mostly. Besides the vampirism thing, of course. She sat in her corner of the jar, green eyes half-lidded, her focus completely gone. She was in a near vegetative state; nothing mattered anyway, she was never going to get out of here. It had been some time since she slept; she had tried so hard to stay awake. Visions of drow and their various methods of torture haunted her dreams and even her every waking moment. The vampiress couldn't fight it off any longer though, and as the Sandman stole her consciousness away from her again, she wished for once that maybe she'd dream about something pleasant. Even the cage the mind flayer had put her in so long ago seemed a better fate. Even Amarrah's scolding was welcome. She closed her eyes finally, only to open them immediately moments later. The lithe female lay on something warm, and soft, and cozy. Was it...was it really? It was just as she thought. It was a bed. She didn't think twice about it, curling up in that lovely piece of queen-sized furniture. Then she realized Dominic wasn't there. Then she realized that there was lamp on the table beside her bed, turned down low to act like a nightlight, but it wasn't powered by flame. -Then-...she realized she had a pulse. She sits upright in bed and lets out a sort of yelp mixed with a scream. She was living. She breathed without thinking. Her heart was racing now. What the hell was going on? She shoved the covers off of her and onto the floor, staring down at the clothes she wore. The tanktop with things called Pokemon on it and the really short shorts weren't hers at all. Neither was anything in this room. Now that she was more awake, she just sat there wondering what sort of fresh hell had befallen her.

A loud knock sounded, rhythmic rapping more fit for a drum kit than for a door. “Khitti, you ready yet? C’mon, we’re gonna be late. You don’t want to miss the sunrise like last time, do you?” There was a pause before Brand cracked the door open, peeking just a bit before stepping through. He was dressed in a pair of aquamarine swim trunks with little orange fish doodled on them; a white shirt and a red towel were casually tossed over his shoulder. Sunscreen had been freshly slathered onto his body and was still in the process of sinking into his skin. “Seriously? You’re still in your PJs?” And then Brand was pulling at her, dragging her out of the bed and to the dresser and mirror opposite it. “If you want to start running with me in the mornings, you’re really gonna have to hurry it up, peach. The beach is no good once the crowds start hittin’ it.”

Khitti didn't really allow Brand to just pull her from the bed and shove her at the dresser, but neither did she resist. She just stared at him in the mirror, eyes widened as she looked him over. Had she ever seen him with his shirt off before? Gawd damn. Then she felt it, heat rose into her cheeks and her face grew as red as her hair. Oh no. Oh no no no. That feeling hadn't gone away yet. "B-B-Brand?! Why are you dressed like that?" Wait. Where was her accent? It was there, but only just a hint. "What the hell's going on? Where am I?" She turned and backed away from him into the corner, just next to the dresser, "Why do I sound like this? Running? The beach?" There was practically a question to anything he'd said.

Brand’s gaze narrowed as he stared at her through the mirror. “You don’t have to play games, y’know. If you don’t want to go anymore, you can just say so; I’ll let ya go back to bed. But this is the third time this week, for frak’s sake.” His line of sight fell to the strawberry-dotted bikini that lay across the top of the dresser. “S’a shame, though. That’s a super cute pick.” Winking, Brand took a couple steps backwards toward the door before calling over a shoulder, “ If you’re not serious about this, stop askin’ to be invited. You’re throwing off my groove.”

Khitti's eyes widened again. Did he just...? No, he did. He couldn't have. D-did he just insinuate she'd look cute in something? Him. Her. Cute. What? As he starts to leave, she panics. She didn't want to be alone again. So, she attemts to come up with some excuse. "W-wait. I'm sorry. I just...had a nightmare. I have been." She blinks down at the bikini, "I'll...be out in a few minutes." A wave of shyness overcomes her as she moves towards the bed, dragging the swimsuit with her. "I'll go with you."

Brand shook his head, a ghost of a smirk on his face. “You’re gorram impossible, you know that? But… fine.” From the pocket of his swimming trunks, he pulled out a small black rectangular object. With a soft clicking noise it lit up, and with another click Brand stowed it away again. “Sunrise is in twenty, and it’s about that long of a drive there. Maybe fifteen, if I speed.” His grin broadened. As if he ever -didn’t- speed. “I’m gonna go pack up breakfast. Be ready in five, yeah?” Without waiting for a response, Brand sauntered out, shutting the door behind him.

Khitti tilted her head, watching him saunter out. Hngh. This was all way too trippy. She was dead, right? She died in that cave. The other redhead hadn't saved her. That could be the only explanation for this madness. Not wanting to upset Brand again, she peeled off her pajamas and threw on the bikini and some odd looking black and green shoes. Finding some sort of stretchy hair bands on her dresser, she throws up her hair into a pony tail, long hair strands hanging down either side of her face, then heads out into the rest of whatever sort of home she found herself in. The not so bitey human wanders down the hallway, frowning faintly to herself, "Brand?" Where the heck did he go? She'd head further into the apartment, into the living room. The couch and tables were obvious to her, but what the heck were these other contraptions? The tv and other various electronics that adorned the place were incredibly confusing.

A mechanical whirring sounded from a distance, growing louder as Khitti entered the living room and neared the kitchen adjacent to it. As Khitti rounded a corner, Brand tossed an apple to her from over the counter. “Didn’t wanna do this earlier and risk the wrath of waking you before your alarm,” Brand explained wryly, pouring a thick pink liquid from the blender he’d been using into a pair of thermoses and then packing them and another few apples into a bag. The man vaulted over the counter, bag in hand, and landed inches from Khitti. Showoff. “An’ you forgot your sunscreen,” he added, looking her over with a slight frown. He reached an arm over her shoulder and for an instant it looked like he might -- what, hug her? Pin her to the wall? -- but no, he was only reaching for his keys. “Oh well. You’re just gonna have to put it on in the car again. Or maybe you decided you -like- the roasted lobster look now?” And with that, he backed away from her and made for the door and the world beyond it. Assuming Khitti followed, he’d lead her to a flashy red sports car lined with silver flame decals. Because of course.

Khitti tried really really hard not to hyperventilate with Brand that close to her. You know, while he was shirtless. "S-sunscreen. Lobster. Right." Thankfully, the bottle just so happened to be on the counter next to her. Taking one last look at their strange abode, she'd do her best to keep up while looking at nearly everything inside and out of the building. And when they go to the car, she stared some more. First that odd black box of fire and now flames on this weird red metal thing. Well, Brand was definitely Brand. Mostly. Sort of. "Are...you okay?", she'd ask as she eyed him over the roof of the car. Even when he'd seemed upset, he didn't really yell at her or give her much snark, and he might've even seemed disappointed. The redhead studied him carefully, but as soon as he'd look in her direction, she'd look away again.

Brand had opened the driver’s side door and had been about to get in, but when Khitti asked her question, he froze in place, squinting at her with that suspicious look once again. “Funny; I was about to ask you the same thing.” Gesturing into the car, he added, “Was gonna wait ‘til we hit the road, though.” He ducked a little further in, but still stood such that he’d be able to watch Khitti from over the top of his car. “You really don’t have to come if you don’t want to. Pinky swear. Just thought it'd help.”

Khitti somehow managed to open the car door on her own, merely shaking her head at him. "No. I want to go." Without saying anything else to make him suspicious, she climbs inside, peering around as she shut the door. She spied the belt and observed it for the moment, then magically clicked it into place. Thankfully she didn't have to ask him how to use such a thing. She felt so small in the car and it showed, the girl having never before even ridden in a carriage. It was strange that there were no horses to pull it, but she decided to just go along with things, her line of sight on her joined hands, the thin appendages wringing one another as usual when her anxiety was off the charts. Khitti didn't ask any more questions for the moment, instead choosing to try to wrap her brain around everything that had already happened and hoping to pass it off as she was still tired.

Brand eyed her a moment longer, but soon got in and started up the car. Blaring industrial music greeted them, but Brand quickly silenced it with a muttered, “sorry,” and peeled out of the parking lot. Roads lined with palm trees greeted them near the side of the road, but beyond that there were acres of charred stumps and debris visible. New growth was only just starting to make itself known through all that destruction, the remains of a series of terrible forest fires some years prior. Precious few others were on the road at this hour, and Brand was able to hastily make his way forward, following signs for the beach. The trees soon gave way to a large bridge over an inlet, marked by stained glass murals on either side. When they reached the top, the waves became visible for the first time in between an interminable series of skyscraper hotels that dotted the shore, and it was here at the peak of the bridge that Brand finally spoke again, his eyes remaining fixed to the road. “Khitti. You know I don’t wanna pry, but as your friend and your roommate, your business bleeds into mine at some point.” There was a beat, in which Brand briefly turned to scrutinize her expression. “Half the time lately, it seems like you’re a gorram world away. And I don’t mean WoW. You just don’t seem… present. Y’know? And… I’m not gonna be mad, I just want the truth. The spaciness, the nightmares. The hot-cold attitude switcharooing towards me. Did you go off your meds again? Did somethin’ happen? Did -I- do something an’ you’re just not telling me? What’s up?”

Khitti's brows furrowed as his questions flew in her direction. She hadn't played it off as well as she thought, apparently. WoW? Meds? Spaciness? "I've forgotten my meds a few times." A lie, but it was plausible, at least. "I'm sorry." A pause. "Nothing happened. Everything's fine." No it wasn't, but she didn't want to alarm him anymore. The redhead turns her head away, looking out the window, watching the trees pass by. The hand wringing didn't cease, however, but if he looked her way again and she noticed it, she'd offer him a faint, yet reassuring smile.

Brand heaved a sigh loud enough to communicate that he didn’t quite believe her, but let the matter drop. It was only a few more minutes before they’d reached a beachside parking lot; Brand quickly set about getting their things in order. The food bag was thrown onto his back, and after brief consideration he’d tucked the shirt and towel into the bag, too. Only then did he turn back to Khitti, realization dawning on his face. “The sunscreen, kiwi. Did you remember?”

Khitti's hands stopped finally, her left one reaching over to lightly squeeze his forearm. "Thank you." She pushed her way out of the strange vehicle, waving the bottle she had grabbed at him. "Yeah." The redhead felt weirdly naked in her bikini, but she tried to put that out of her mind. Once out and standing, she started slathering the odd white paste on her skin, making sure to get every single part that she could. There's a brief awkward pause, and then she looks towards him, "Could...you possibly get my back for me?" That wave of shyness hit again, but she did her best to hold it in. Her heart beat like crazy and her face flushed again, her line of sight quickly dropping to the ground.

Unlike the real Brand Khitti knew -- who probably wouldn’t have been able to resist some sort of objectifying comment, or snark about her being unprepared again -- this Brand simply grunted and did as he was asked, disrupting the series of stretches he’d been doing to rub the lotion quickly into her backside. Up not too far ahead, waves met the shore and seagulls argued over scraps of food left by yesterday’s tourists. The first of the sun was beginning to appear over the horizon, staining the sky and ocean in pinks and purples. Brand slapped Khitti’s shoulder to note that he was finished and started his jog to the wooden deck that separated the parking lot from the beach. “Alright, kiwi, you’ve done this a few times now, so don’t expect me to go easy on ya anymore. Last one to the pier’s buyin’ drinks tonight.” He beckoned her forward, giving her time to meet his position. “So… I’ll make sure to pick a bar that won’t totally break your bank. Just mostly.” Flashing her another grin, Brand took off at a sprint. Well… -that- was a bit more like typical Brand.

Khitti blinked at the lack of attitude on Brand's end. It was oddly refreshing and yet, she also missed his snark. This Brand was strangely compassionate, acted like he cared. He was acting, wasn't he? This wasn't how he truly was. Just pretending to help her feel better. Yeah, that was it. After receiving that slap on the shoulder, she tosses the sunscreen into the car, and finally shuts the door. She followed after him, quite unprepared for his speech, and the subsequent sprinting away from her. "But...I..." Well, she didn't get to finish that thought at all. How the hell was she going to pay for anything? She didn't have any money. Quickly she chased after him, doing her best to keep up. Unfortunately for her, she didn't have that vampiric speed. She still seemed to be quite fast regardless, but there was no way she'd keep up with him. And then, in typical Khitti fashion, those feet of hers fail her utterly and she falls face first into the boardwalk.

The pounding of Brand’s feet slowed, paused, then raced toward her again, rattling the boards as he approached. He must have realized fairly quickly what had happened. Maybe the thud gave her away. Before long, he was squatting at her side and nudging her. “Hey! Hey, can you hear me?” He was panting; a bead of sweat slid down his forehead and onto his nose. “Seven hells. Khitti, y’alright?”

Khitti groaned as she pushed herself up and flopped over onto her back. A bit of blood trickled from her nose, tears in her eyes. "What the hell is wrong with me?" She was still quite out of breath, but she tried to sit up regardless. "Sorry...Go finish your run without me." She was sympathetic, but didn't look at him, embarrassment written all over her face. A hand reaches up, pushing at his shoulder, "G-go on. Don't let me ruin your morning." With the back of her right hand, she wipes the blood away, rolling away from him to sit at the edge of the walkway.

“Nah, peach, we need to know you don’t need to get checked out. Head injuries are gorram serious, y’know. You lose consciousness at all? Even a little bit? Were you faint? Dizzy?” Brand thrust his towel at her, gesturing for her to use it on her nose. “Lean forward for a nosebleed, not back.” Circling her, Brand moved to check Khitti’s pupils, gripping her chin if she tried to pull away so he could get a decent look. He was being quite the mother hen, and he certainly wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

Khitti allowed him to look as she tilted her head forward, putting the towel to her nose, and somehow managing to pinch the bridge of her nose as well. "I guess I was a little dizzy, but it's more disoriented than dizzy. I'm just...I'm just off today, is all." She stared at him sadly over the top of the towel, "Why are you acting like this? I don't understand. You're not you...you...you don't care about me..." Just as the last bit of those words leave her mouth does her eyes flutter shut, and more of the memories from jarmate passes through her mind, like thousands of knives stabbing at the inside of her head. She lets out a small pained cry and leans forward against him, saying weakly, "G-go. Please. Brand, just go."

Brand was seemingly satisfied with the result of his first aid tests; he’d just begun to step away, but stilled when Khitti began speaking. Green eyes flitted from her face to the pier and back. “You kiddin’? I can’t leave you like this. C’mon, let’s go home. I’ll just run Saturday and make up for it.” He was pulling her to her feet now, wrapping an arm around her shoulders if she’d let him, trying to bring her back towards the car.

Khitti let out a growl and pushed at his arm, "No. Just stop." Now that she was up, she'd turn away from him and walk the other way, towards the direction they had been headed during their run. Another flash; more drow, more blood, more pain. She mutters something in the language of the dark elves, the words strange and the meaning unknown to Khitti, and yet, she spoke it anyway effortlessly. "Damn it. What did she do to me? Why won't these memories go away? Isn't it bad enough that I've got my own?" She stormed along the boardwalk, trying to keep ahead of Brand, but in reality she wasn't really walking all that fast at all. Her head was spinning, and the swaying her body was doing was showing it clearly.

Brand jogged to stand in front of her, hands on her shoulders in even part to steady her and to stop her from getting any further away from where they’d started. This wasn’t physical, he’d realized -- it was deeper than that. “Khitti, snap out of it. Snap out of it, peach. You’re stronger’n this. C’mon.” He was turning her around, pushing her back the way they’d come. “I’m gonna book you another appointment with Dr. Torres, mmkay? Y’think maybe she’ll see you on short notice? Yeah?” Muttering, he added, “ ‘Course, why you can’t frakkin’ talk to -me- after all this time is beyond me, but…” Brand cut himself off, shaking his head and hoping she’d been too out of it to hear that part.

Khitti just let the things he said go in ear and out the other, trying her best to focus on anything at all. And so, she chose him. She stopped again, letting him pass by her in his attempt to get her to go, her hand reaching for his, to pull him back to her. "Brand." Was this Brand so different from the other one? The real one? Did she dare try it again? Would he get angry with her again? Khitti didn't think she could bear the rejection again, but if this was the real world and Lithrydel was just stuff her mind made up, then there was no reason for her to not do it. He seemed like he gave a damn anyway. But where was Dominic? Why was it Brand? Was Dominic just another figment of her imagination? These questions and more ran rampant through her mind as she stared at the boards between her feet. "I'm really screwed up, Brand, and I'm sorry. Sorry you've got to deal with it. I don't know why you do, but..." She pauses, sorting through her thoughts. No, there wasn't anything else to say. The redhead looks up at him briefly, then leans upwards onto her toes, pressing her lips to his. She savored that kiss, for all she knew it could be her last, then pulled away and finally did as she was told, heading to the car.

Brand gave her… an odd look. Not quite a smile, and not quite a frown. Confusion, maybe. Concern. But unlike the real Brand, he didn’t violently reel away or threaten her with fire. He didn’t get angry. This Brand -was- weird. “Oh, seven hells, kiwi,” he said after a few seconds, shaking away the expression. “Now I -really- know you hit your head.” He walked alongside her though, a hand at her back ready to steady her if she needed it, and fell into a contemplative silence.

Khitti didn't say anything at all. It was never going to be what she wanted, was it? Was she doomed to repeat this same kiss/rejection scenario over and over again? It wasn't fair. She didn't -want- these feelings. They just were. She wanted Dominic. He always knew how to make her feel better, even when she was being an awful cow about something and usually, unfortunately, directed her mood towards him. Brand, on the other hand, not so much. His response was no comfort to her. She wished for the Brand that threatened her with a fiery demise, wished for that warm flame to set her free. This situation might as well have been the same. They'd continue on and arrive back at his car, Khitti still silent and waiting for him to unlock the car. Once inside, she'd buckle up without thinking, and favor the right side of her seat, leaning against the window and staring outside, her features blank and introspective.

Brand … actually drove slow. Imagine that. He’d spent all that time gathering his own thoughts, sorting out what in blazes he should say. Now that they were in his car, though, he still didn’t have it any more figured out. Oh well. Look at her, he had to say -something-. “Khitti,” he started, intermittently side-eyeing her, “you remember a few years back -- all the drinkin’, and the parties, and the…” He rolled a hand at the wrist; so on and so forth. It was awkward to actually -say- it right after she’d kissed him. “You were the only one who was actually lookin’ out for me back then, who stuck through all that shiz. Even when I was tryin’ to push you away. I was a right twat to you, and you put up with me anyway.” The hand closer to reached for her shoulder, squeezed, then pulled away again. “And I’ve never felt like I properly thanked you for that. So yeah, of course I’m gonna frakkin’ be there for you, are you crazy?” A beat. “Ah, hell, wrong choice of words. Sorry. And look, about the kiss --” He broke off again, studying the road ahead in every sense. “I’m not saying no, okay? But you’ve got a lot on your plate and I don’t wanna add to that right now. Take care of yourself first and then we’ll see where it goes.”

Khitti still didn't speak. It might as well have been a no. As they reached the apartment building, and the car came to a halt, she stared at her shoes. "You've been one of the only good things in my life, Brand. Whatever's wrong with me isn't an easy fix and will likely take a long time, if it can even be fixed at all. I-it's okay. I understand." Accepting his words for the rejection it was, she made her way out of the car, into the building, into the apartment, and into her bedroom. She'd kick off her shoes and crawl into bed, hiding beneath the comforter from the rest of the world. Once again, she'd made a very big mistake and now she was regretting it all over again. Sounds of crying and sniffling would come from inside her room, the redhead doing her best to keep the noise to a minimum as she muffled her tears with the blanket.

There was a gentle knock on the door before Brand poked his head in, precariously armed with two plates and glasses. Goodness only knew how he was carrying all that without spilling it, much less get the door open, but somehow he managed. “Your smoothie from earlier,” Brand called, “And I made us omelettes.” He didn’t wait for a response, instead stepping in and placing Khitti’s share on her end table. He took a seat at the edge of her bed with his own food, not quite facing her. “Gotcha an appointment for tomorrow afternoon, and I called out sick from work for today.” A sigh. “I dunno what else I’m supposed to do, peach. You’ve gotta help me help you.”

Khitti didn't come out, even though she smelled the food and heard Brand talk. "Why am I like this...?" She fell quiet again, moving somewhat to get comfortable beneath the comforter. There was an audible sigh, and a bit more movement, until she finally pulls the blanket down. "You don't need to stay here and babysit me. I'm a damned adult. I can take care of myself." That's not true. You clearly can't.

Brand paused in his eating and peered at her over his shoulder. “Can you?” was all he said to start, letting his doubt hang on the air. His stare lingered for what seemed like an eternity. “Cuz I sure as hell couldn’t, when it was me.” A short laugh. “I don’t know how the frak you put up with me, all that anger, and -- y’know, whatever, it’s not about me. Just… c’mon, kiwi. You barely even talk to me anymore. Not really.”

Khitti just stared at Brand, a frown lining her lips, "Using your favorite word, I'm not 'gorram' worth it. Just stop. Go to work. Stop worrying about me. Just get on with your life. Seriously. Not worth it." A pause. "Can you see why I wouldn't want to though? To talk to you? Because I have feelings for you. Because I love you." Another pause, especially after that 'L' word. She turns away from him, staring at the wall across from her. "I'm no good. I'm broken. I can't fix this and no amount of medicine can."

Brand stared back, that odd look from before plastered on his face again. “...Oh. -Ohhh.- Bloody hell, were you serious?!” A series of curses erupted from his mouth; he moved his plate and cup to a spot on the floor where it wouldn’t be easily disturbed and twisted the rest of the way to face Khitti properly. “Are you actually for real right now? You’re not just -- I dunno -- bein’ moody? Or lonely? Or depressed? Frak, I dunno how that shiz is supposed to work; I’m no shrink.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and shook her slightly. “Y’know if you’re yankin’ my chain again like last time I’m gonna hurt you. You had me goin’ for a whole gorram week there.” He retracted his arms and folded them across his chest. “Not that I was any better, but you were an awful cow of a teenager.”

Khitti didn't put up a fight as he shook her, that frown worsening, "I'm not yanking your chain." She crawls out of bed, moving to the dresser, quiet again. She pulls open the top drawer, eyeing the belongings within. Black, dark grey, charcoal. Well, whoever she was now wasn't much different when it came to clothing. Rooting around a bit, she finds a long tank top with the words A Fire Inside on it. Yeah. There was definitely a fire inside of her head. It was burning her alive. Yet, she still didn't turn to ash. A pity, really. Those shorts from earlier were picked up off the floor and something resembling the bikini bottoms she wore currently was pulled from another drawer. They too were black, adorned with roses, and actually seemed comfortable. "Just..." She paused, turning to face him. The look on her face was certainly sad, regret in her eyes, "Forget I said anything, Brand. It doesn't matter. I'm probably better off alone anyway, ya know? The feeling will fade some day, I'm sure." Don't bet on it, sister. That spark's been growing for a long time. "I'm going to go take a bath." With a turn, she'd head towards the bathroom, though it'd take her a few moments for her to actually find it, but she passed it off as idle dawdling.

“But -- wait -- hey! You didn’t even eat your food!” He’d slaved over that, dammit, trying to make her feel better, and now she was walking away from it. And him. And… goddammit. Gorram confusing woman. How clearly did he have to spell it out? Of course he shared those feelings. Duh. But every time he thought she might actually want to do something about it… “You do this every time,” he said to the door finally, fairly certain he couldn’t even hear her anymore. Ugh. Whatever. Maybe he needed to give up and find someone saner already. She was gonna drive him every bit as mad as she was.

Khitti had heard him and was just about to go inside the bathroom, but then she sigh. She set her clothing down on the sink, then went back to her bedroom. She stood in the doorway, watching him for a few moments, then moving to stand in front of him. "Brand...I--", but nothing else came out. She reached out to touch him, but her hand would quickly retract before it'd get anywhere near him. Instead, she turns and picks up the plate, digging in to the omlette. "He loves you too, you know." That voice. She pauses in her eating, blinking a few times. It sounded like -her- voice, but... "You heard me. He can't, but you can. Khitti. Why are you putting up your walls again? Where'll that get you?" Lydia's voice rang out in the bedroom, clear as a bell. ~What the actual hell.~ was all Khitti could think as she stuffed more eggs into her mouth.

Well, she certainly wasn’t getting any -less- confusing, but whatever. He was just glad she’d come back. Brand watched her eat from the corner of his eye for a moment, then returned to his own plate, only to find that -- “What the gorram hell, Dominic! Get outta here!” The blur of a startled cat whizzed out of the room, and Brand lifted up his plate to show Khitti the evidence of kitty noms on his omelette. “That damned cat is part goat, I swear. He’ll eat just about frakking anything.” Well, at least he hadn’t gotten into Brand’s smoothie. Visibly sulking a bit, Brand set his plate on the edge of Khitti’s bed and started on the drink.

Khitti still had half of her omelette left and after the shock of first Lydia, who just happened to be in the doorway now, dressed in a long white gown, and then finding out that her boyfriend is a cat, she sits next to him on the bed, offering him the fork. "It's really good. You can have some of mine, if you'd like?" There's a side glance towards the doorway as she eyes Lydia. "Don't look at me like that. Just because I'm dead doesn't mean I can't smack you. Quit being so damned weird and apologize to him. And, maybe kiss him again. I think he likes it. -You- definitely do." Khitti's right eye twitches as she reaches for her smoothie. What the hell was a smoothie anyway? Guess she'd find out. This Brand doesn't seem like the type to poison her. Real Brand, well, she wasn't so sure anymore.

Brand gave her an uncharacteristically gentle smile. Well, compared to the real Brand, anyway. “Thanks, kiwi, but I made it for you. I’ll just… eat around what he got to. Damned cat.” He picked at his own plate with his fork, but it didn’t seem like he had much of an appetite anymore. Slowly, he forced a bite into his mouth, talking around it. Neither Dominic nor Brand in any reality had perfect table manners, apparently. “S’my fault in part anyway. Shouldn’t’ve left it on the floor.”

Khitti's heart skipped a beat as she saw that smile. Imagine that, her heart was still beating even now and the pace picked up a bit as she stared at him. Had she ever seen him smile like that in Lithrydel? It drew a small, warm smile of her own; a genuine one that hadn't been seen yet. She finished off her plate, set it on the end table, then took a drink of her smoothie. There's an astonished blink and then another gulp of the fruity mixture, "Holy hell, this is amazing." Finishing it off, she puts the smoothie container on the plate, then looks towards Brand. "I really am sorry." There's a bit of hesitation, but she soon lays her head against his arm. She sits there a few moments, goes to look at him again, but...he was gone. And for that matter, so was everything else. Everything was black and there she was sitting on the floor. "Brand...? BRAND?!" Khitti starts to panic, looking around frantically from her spot on the ground. "You didn't think you'd be able to stay there, did you? This isn't your world, Khitti." The moment she looks up, she spies Lydia, towering over her, hands outstretched to help Khitti up, "But...he's never looked at me like that before. He---" Suddenly, there was fire. Lots and lots of fire...