RP:Stand By Me

Part of the The Day I Tried To Live Arc

Summary: Things are still rather tense between Dominic and Khitti. While he doesn't understand the things she's doing, he still chooses to stay by her side.

Rented Room, Frostmaw Tavern

Dominic had been around less and less often, of late. Something had shifted under his feet after that shared dream between Khitti and Brand, and the two weeks thereafter that Khitti had spent avoiding the schismed Catalian. Something had shattered between them, perhaps irrevocably, and Dominic withdrew because he had no clue how to repair it.

These troubled thoughts were the backdrop behind his tense silence this particular morning, the morning after Amarrah had tried to slaughter the bulk of Khitti’s guildmates. Before Khitti had risen from slumber, he’d set a pot of peppermint tea to steeping. Now, Dominic awoke her with a steaming cup of it wrapped in trembling hands. An olive branch, as it were. A wordless outpouring of all the things he didn’t quite know how to articulate. I love you, it said. Or, I think I love you. Amarrah makes me fear for you. But I don’t understand who you’re becoming, and I’m not sure I’d like it if I did.

Khitti blinked open her eyes as she smelled her favorite tea, looking first at it, then him quizzically. Sitting up somewhat, she takes the cup with a faint ‘thank you’, doing her best to shake off the grogginess. The vampiress hadn’t been without feeling that separation between them, and it’d been made all the worse by the dream inflicted upon her by the necklace, or Amarrah, or both--whichever the hell it’d been; she still hadn’t figured it out yet. A sip was taken, with a sigh, her line of sight falling to the drink. “Hi…” was all she could muster to say right now, her mind a torrent of confusion. It was a wonder she’d even fallen asleep. Her sleeplessness, after that little stunt courtesy of the shadow creature, had forced her to go to the healer there in Frostmaw and purchase the same sort of draught Pilar needed after her ordeal with that horrid lycan in order to get a nice dreamless sleep. A long stretch of silence lingers between them again, for much like him, she didn’t know what else to say. How many more times could she apologize for things that weren’t entirely her fault?

“Hi,” Dominic echoed, gaze falling somewhere in the gulf between them. Once upon a time, he’d been able to better maintain eye contact with Khitti -- something he managed with few if any others. But that comfort with her had been yet another casualty of recent events. At least, for now. “I… I wanted to…” Stop. Rewind. “Brand filled me in on what happened.” There, that was the other thing. Brand had been shutting him out, more and more. It wasn’t even unpleasant, per se -- it felt more akin to simply blacking out for a few hours -- but bloody hell, he’d become so secretive in the name of protecting Dominic from things he didn’t want to see. And it was true, he didn’t, but… “I’m sorry there wasn’t anything I could do.” There never was. Even with the powers gifted him by that damned runestone, there almost never was. And… maybe she’d been right, that time she’d accused him of wanting nothing more out of life than drinking tea and reading books. The thing of it was, there was a time where that would have been -fine-. Where they could have just carried on in some fairy-tale happily-ever-after state of being. Or, Dominic believed there was. Except now there wasn’t. Because Khitti had ~things~ she wanted to do. Changes she wanted to make. And obviously, Amarrah had to go, but everything else? The shadow magic? Training in armed combat? “I… wish things weren’t like this,” Dominic mumbled vaguely, and settled onto his side of the bed with his own cup of tea.

Khitti remained silent and listened to him speak as she absently swirled the tea, watching it swish back and forth in the cup. Something he could do? He wouldn’t have wanted to do anything anyway. Did he even want to protect her, like all the times she’d done for him? Some how some way her and Brand had gotten closer, even despite their fighting--that in itself was one of those mystifying wonders of the world to Khitti--but that was because he actually showed he cared, wanted her to be safe on this insane journey she’d chosen for herself. At least, that’s what it seemed from the outside. Dominic, though, seemed to want no part of any of it, and while that was understandable, she thought -maybe- just maybe he’d stand by her because he loved her.

All through this thought process of hers, she wouldn’t take another drink of tea, instead leaving it on the table next to her. “It is how it is and it’s gone too far to be changed now.” Her words seemed final, she wasn’t going to budge on anything having to do with Amarrah or the cure--especially things having to do with that butterfly. “I’m not sorry zhat I chose zhis path, because I chose it a very long time ago, before you or Brand vere in zhe picture. Zhings are dire. Regardless of zhe cure, zhere’s only one other option for me if I can’t get rid of Amarrah.” She doesn’t elaborate, continuing on. “If, and zhat’s a big if, I can get to zhe Shadow Plane, zhere may actually be something for you to do--and I’m not going to outright ask you. I vill tell you if you vish to know, but I’m not asking, I’m not telling you to do it--but zhat vill be entirely up to you.” The redhead sighed, bringing a hand up to her face, as if it’d block out the entire world and allow her to sit there in peace, “I may not be sorry for choosing zhis path, but I am sorry for vhat it’s done to us, to you and Brand--because at one point, you two vere getting along for a time and now it’s just all undone. Or at the very least, unravelling as ve speak.”

Dominic , too, didn’t yet drink the tea he’d poured for himself, instead electing to stare into its depths. “Well, you say that, and now I kind of -have- to know, don’t I?” A sigh. “What is it you want me to do? I won’t make any promises, but… I want to help. Somehow.” Dominic eyed her sidelong and finally sipped at his tea. Ah, nope, slightly too hot still. “And -- you know, it’s not even that Brand and I aren’t getting along. We haven’t really communicated much, and maybe things are a little tense or awkward, but… I don’t know. I don’t know, about any of it.” He took another sip, despite the tea’s temperature. Scalding his lips a tad was worth the soothing taste of peppermint on his tongue. “I guess something just… happened, along the way, and I don’t really feel like I understand either of you right now. And then, at the same time, the two of you grow closer…” Yeah. He’d noticed it, too. “I don’t know if I ought to be upset by that or not. I feel like maybe I should be, but I actually think about it and I just feel…” What was the right word? “...tired.”

Khitti completely sidestepped the mention of her and Brand in quite the Brand-like fashion by just ignoring it completely. She did think about it at least--hell, she thought about it a lot lately. It’d been a nice change of scenery in her head as opposed to anything Amarrah-related, though it equally confused and frustrated her. No, she decided, she was going to address it, but it wouldn’t come til some moments later after she mulled over it. “Nothing has changed between Brand and I. If ve seem closer, it’s merely because you’ve not been around to take up zhe time in between vhen him and I are together.” She almost sounded angry about it, those red eyebrows of hers knitting together in frustration. Ever since her meeting with Alvina, she never had figured out just -what- her and Brand were, she hadn’t had the opportunity. Did it even matter? Did she even care? Things were really bad now, worse than they’d ever been and nothing mattered but getting rid of Amarrah. “I don’t know vhat else to tell you on zhat front. Maybe you’re just imagining it.” With heavy sigh, she shakes her head, “I don’t vant to talk about zhat anymore.” There was barely a pause between thoughts as she quickly changed the subject, “Your bubble might protect everyone in zhe Shadow Plane. I don’t know vhat’s all zhere besides zhe spores I’ve seen and I don’t vant to risk it. Valen and I vill be fine, but you and Brand...and Lionel...whomever else is going, if ve manage to find someone else stupid enough to tag along. I didn’t bother asking because zhere are other means of keeping everyone safe, at least from breathing in awful air. Air magic...enchantments--hell, I know a damned enchantress in Kelay. -She- could probably do it. I don’t give a damn. I’ll go zhere by myself if I have to.”

Dominic -wasn’t- imagining it. He knew what he saw. But… maybe they didn’t. He’d become almost an outsider, able to look in on them from a distant perspective, with all the clarity that that afforded him. And… every once in awhile, he saw little glimpses of the thoughts Brand shoved away before he could finish thinking them. There were many reasons Dominic had been around so much less than Brand lately, but Dominic certainly wasn’t to blame for all of them. But Brand didn’t see it. And from the sound of it, Khitti didn’t either. So, though her comment caused him to draw his lips into a thin line, Dominic didn’t otherwise address it. “I can try,” agreed Dominic, “but if I use the bubble, I’m not sure I can pull off that illusion at the same time. If I can only manage one, then I guess it depends what’s more necessary to you, I suppose -- protection, or firepower?” Oh no. He’d unintentionally made a pun. He could -feel- Brand smirking in the back of his mind. “Like you just said… there are other ways besides just the bubble.” Implication: obviously, you want Brand there. You know it. I know it. It’s more important that he’s there than that I am. Let’s not even bother pretending otherwise anymore. What’s the point? What am I going to do, -bore- any angry shadow creatures to death?

Khitti felt oddly suspicious now. Why after all this time of fighting against using his magic was he so willingly wanting to do so now? Was he…-jealous- of Brand? Dark eyes narrow somewhat, fixating on him. “I don't zhink you quite understand. -I- von’t be zhe one zhat needs protecting zhere. For once in my miserable frakking life, I von't need someone to come along and rescue me.” The longer this went on, the more irritated she got. “Do you know how powerful I'll be zhere?” she hissed. “Ve’re doing both. You fail to realized zhat your magic is just as important as his. Both are designed to keep people alive, just in different vays.” The redhead pushes herself off the bed and heads to the window to stare outside, “It's almost funny zhat you got healing magic, to be honest. You never have vanted to be like him and you're not--even if you don't see it zhat vay.”

Shaking her head, she gets off that tangent, grumbling to herself, “Like I said, ve're going both routes. I'll even get some elixirs made to keep your strength up. You are both equally important and you're going to goddamned realize it because I'm tired of arguing about it.” A pause. “I'm so damned tired of arguing with everyone about everything. You're all going to do as -I- say for once because it's my damned quest.”

“Yeah.” Dominic didn’t feel like arguing, either. Just roll over. Just… let whatever’s going to happen, happen. She seemed pretty set on how she was going to handle things, anyway. “I guess just tell me what you want me to do.” And he was up off the bed again, looking out the window to the snowy landscape beyond. The teacup he held under his face, where the vapors could rise and soothe him with their heat and that peppermint scent. “I… I really just wish that damned dragon had never come around. I don’t think any of this ever would have happened. Amarrah had faded for a time, before that…”

Khitti shook her head, “You really don’t get it, Dominic. Zhis vould’ve happened regardless. She’s always faded away...and zhen she comes back vhen you least expect it. Zhis vas inevitable. And it’s my fault and I have to fix it.” The anger seems to have subsided a little, her words taking on more somber tones. “I told you both...you should’ve gone away when you had the chance...” Her bottom lip trembles as she speaks and her voice falters somewhat, but she remains as steadfast and as calm as possible now--she didn’t dare make eye contact, though, for if she did, she’d surely break. “I zhink even if you did leave now, she’d try to find you. Anything to make me suffer,” the redhead laughed wryly, eyeing the passersby outside the tavern.

Dominic wouldn’t meet her eyes either. He knew better. But that comment tugged on his heartstrings enough for him to turn around and catch her in his peripheral. Poor Khitti. She hadn’t asked for this, any more than Dominic had asked for Brand, or the consequences of that stupid runestone, or any of the rest of it. “You’re just trying to make the best out of a bad situation,” Dominic sighed. He didn’t agree with her methods, but… “I -do- get that much. And it’s -not- your fault. How could it be? It’s not like you decided to have Amarrah tied to you. But you’re… probably right about that last bit.”

Khitti tried fighting those tears of hers as much as she could, but when they denied her and finally decided to make themselves known, she’d turn away to go grab her tea. Sitting on her side of the bed now, she stared down at that drink again that he’d made her. “I should’ve let zhem burn me. None of zhis vould’ve happened.” Khitti tilted her head somewhat, remembering the day she was banished before draining the cup in one go. Tastebuds be damned.

Dominic didn’t have room to talk, nor did he have room for that look of horror upon his face. It wasn’t like he’d never had similar thoughts before. But hearing them from Khitti, that was different. “No, none of it would have happened,” he agreed, circling around to her side of the bed and resting a hand on her back, “but none of the good things since would have happened either. There have been at least a few of those, right?” That was the only thought getting him through some of the harder days -- that, and the knowledge that Brand would never let him be so ‘weak’ as to try taking a long nap in deep waters again. Even if he never had a bloody purpose anyway. He still had to share a form with Brand, and that meant… sticking around, trying to carve out pockets of joy where he could.

Khitti set down the now empty cup. She was hesitant, but ultimately leaned over against Dominic’s shoulder, resting her head there. Dark eyes stared at the wall in silence for what seemed like forever, the red brows just above them knitting together. Reaching over to grab his hand, she clasps both of hers around it, squeezing it--she was shaking and gripped his hand all the harder to try to make it stop, “...Please...don’t leave me… Zhings...zhey’re going to get so much vorse… I can feel it.” That bit of her dream where Dominic lay in a casket resurfaces in her brain anew, playing over and over in her mind like a broken record. It may not have been -her- Dominic, but it was damned close. It looked exactly like him and she just couldn’t shake the thought from her head.

“Khitti…” He squeezed back, but seemed a bit confused by the degree of fervor she was showing. “There’s nothing Amarrah can do that would make me leave, okay? I know it’s just her. And I’ll do what I can to protect you. And Brand will do his part too, you know?”

Khitti could only nod in silence as he tried to reassure her. Would they? Would they really protect her? She’d been wrong, no matter how many times she said it aloud--she couldn’t protect herself. She couldn’t do this alone. There was a bit of sniffling, and she wiped at her eyes before finally looking up at him. Khitti did her best to smile for him, at least make it look like the entire world wasn’t in flames and resting on her shoulders. “Hey. You should finish your tea...and zhen ve should take a valk like ve used to or maybe go get something to eat. Anywhere but here.” She needed to get out, needed to spend time with him, needed things to feel like they were normal again. But, they weren’t were they? Things weren’t going to be normal again for a very long time.