[PRP] Don't Kitty Out (Dakota / Molly)

[Lucyal]

A few rare times, like now, Molly would ask herself a rather important question. Did she believe things eventually would go back to the way they were? Most of the time, she chugged along like they would, but in these rare moments, like now, the fact that Molly would ask this of herself was rather ground breaking. She was making herself acknowledge that it was very, very, very possible, Dakota would never go back to the way he was.

That scared her.

Guilt immediately clenched her gut. He scared her. The young man that had been so kind and open and cheerful and who truly did radiate like the sun, now worried her.

...Some best friend she was.

Molly's shoulders sagged as she stood outside the door of his and Candace's apartment, her basket of things, like a first aid, some snacks, and some drinks. She thought she'd come check up on him, see how his wound was doing, and then she got to his door and froze. She'd been standing out here for fifteen minutes without knocking on it. She wasn't sure how to face him. She wanted to help so bad, but it felt beyond her reach. How was she capable of doing anything...?

She heaved a silent sigh, but what kept her in front of that door was a memory. Once when her room got flooded due to the Insanity Phoenix, she slept on the couch in the common room, and when Dakota found her, he insisted she at least have a bed to sleep on, even if it was his. He didn't have to, but he persisted, and though the situation was now was radically different...Molly wanted to channel that dedication.

She raised her freckled hand, and rapped her knuckles on the door, swallowing the lump that formed in her throat.  

[Pixie Nyxie]

Dakota growled at the door, running a hand through his hair. Nowadays, he rarely ventured from his room, rarely did anything. Candace had been pulled away before they could go on their five day trip and set his mood to ten times even more gloomy.

And like always, he wandered the apartment with his shirt off, this time with the bandages off for the scar/wound to heal? to breathe, he reminded himself.

It was always trouble when someone came knocking. He opened the door, expecting to tell someone off. Instead he was staring down at his best friend. A defenite scowl on his features he would never really was there.

"What?" Realizing that sounded mean and unwanted, he tried to soften it. "Sorry, Bad timing-" When was it ever good? "-What do you need Molly?"

Lucyal

 

[Lucyal]

The door opened, and Molly just wanted to cry. In fact, her eyes got misty, but she kept her smile up at the sight of him. Years and years and years of practice. Nothing was wrong, nothing was wrong, nothing was wrong...

"H-hi...." Her voice cracked. "Shawty....um...." There was a long moment of silence. "...W-would another time be better?"

Nyxtsuki Moon

NUNTEEEEEEEEER! BUT ALSO TWINS /sobs

 

[Pixie Nyxie]

Dakota stared at her, first in confusion and then scowling more.

"Stop those right now." He demanded, "It's fine. The timing is fine now, come in." It wasn't asked, he didn't apologize again and left the door open.

"Do you want something to drink?" He asked as soon as the door closed, gesturing to the couch and turning away from her. Obviously his appearance scared her, and though he told himself to take much more care of his best friend...

He just couldn't find it in himself too.

Lucyal

 

[Lucyal]

Now she was confused. What should she stop? Also the timing was okay now? So confused. Dakota turned away, and the door was left open, and Molly stared after him for a moment, her eyes trailing across the scar on his back absentmindedly as she was having another internal confidence boosting session with herself and failing miserably. Be strong, not for her, she told herself, but for Dakota. Be strong for him!

This also made her think about that dream she had with Miss Clarice in it, and it too, added to how uncomfortable and unsettled she felt right now. His question snapped her out of it, and she finally gained some sense about her. "O-oh!" She ducked into the apartment, and softly closed the door behind her, slipping off her boots out of habit. "Um...yes...please....w-whatever you have is fine...! Thank you..." She stood there awkwardly by the door with her basket, and then snapped her attention back to, you know, trying to have a normal conversation with him like she always did.

"H-how are you feeling...Dakota...? Um...your back...?"

Nyxtsuki Moon

 

[Pixie Nyxie]

"It's Fine." He shut the door of the fridge with a little more force then he meant too and winced. Quietly he poured her a glass of orange juice...and then pushed it towards her. A second glass was poured for himself as he set the carton on the counter and eyed her while drinking it.

There was a stretch of silence before he set the glass down.

"If you act like I'm going to bite you, the probability of me doing it is going to rise." He raised an eyebrow at her. "It's a joke." he added, in a completely stoic monotone voice, and gestured his glass toward her basket.

"Whats in there?"  

[Lucyal]

She winced at the 'it's fine' and she winced when the fridge door slammed. "Thank you..." She murmured in earnest as he slid the glass of orange juice to her, and she moved up to the counter to take it. It was something of a small barrier as she worked on keeping it together, sipping on it slowly. Her green eyes drifted back up to the taller hunter as he spoke, and suddenly her expression drained, bordering on semi-horrified that she was miserably failing until he said it was a---Oh.

Molly was silent for a long moment before she let out a soft, awkward giggle that quickly died off. Then she had another pep talk with herself in her head. She wasn't helping him out if she was acting like he was going to bite her! Goodness...

She released a soft breath, closing her eyes momentarily, resisting the action of slumping her shoulders again. His inquiry about the basket was welcomed, and she tried to launch herself into that. "Oh! Well!" Her tone certainly picked up in effort. "I brought some drinks...like...juice boxes and...I brought some snacks! Cookies! Really fancy cookies! Like...French cookies! For you!" She placed the basket on the counter, riffling through it a bit to place some items onto the counter as well. "I also brought the first aid kit...if you wanted me to clean your wound again...?" She offered, and at the bottom of the basket was a small journal, which she hadn't mentioned yet.  

[Pixie Nyxie]

"There you go." He took another drink, pretending that it was okay, everything was okay if Molly just acted normally. Besides Candace, Molly was the only one he left with everyone leaving the island on missions for long periods of time. s**t when was the last time he saw Wilson? Ryan? Marcus? Eva?

His eye twitched a bit as they went back into silence and he wondered if Molly just came here to...just be here. Baby sit him or something? Like he was going to go off the deep end at one point.



Thanks for your solely needed input Chama. Dakota scoffed.

"I'll take them." He reached over and dove hands into the basket, pulling out the goods even as she mentioned them. "Fancy cookies..." He squinted, "Why are you bringing me fancy cookies..." He held them up, "Is this a bribe?" For some reason it felt like a bribe...but for what? He was still squinting at her.

"No." He set the cookies down again, "I'm not 'using' you to clean my wound again." Dakota crossed his arms, obviously still pouting like the giant man child he was over their last encounter of worrrrrrrrrrrrrdsssssssss.  

[Lucyal]

Molly started a bit as Dakota dove into the basket of goodies, but, she decided, that was a good thing? Yes! It was a good thing. It was a small confidence builder, but she'd whole heartedly take it. She squeaked when he squinted at her, and looked surprised when he brought up the word 'bribe'. "Goodness, no!" She exclaimed. "I just thought you deserved some fancy cookies, Shawty! I promise!"

Admittedly, his next words also surprised her. "Ah..." She burned a bit in embarrassment, not at all proud or pleased by their last exchange of words before the whole hall way bit. After a moment, Molly giggled oh so softly, a genuine giggle, and she offered the Hunter a small smile. "It's not using if I offer." She said softly.  

[Pixie Nyxie]

He took a cookie and shoved it into his mouth. Sweets. He loved sweets. It was good.

"Is this some sort of woman's trick or something. Get mad at me because I got issues and then turn around and be all sweet." Dakota knew that wasn't the case, but he found his paranoia about the subject much more...prominent.

He waited before coming around the counter, and taking her chin in his hand, tilting it up. "I said I was sorry, I mean it. But I'm not the same as I was before Molly." He sighed, dropping his hand and turning his back to her.

"If you want to clean it, I'm okay with it, but for the love all that is holy, please be gentle. It hurts...still."

Lucyal

 

[Lucyal]

Molly furrowed her brows as she stared at Dakota. "Uh...goodness, no, Dakota!" She insisted once more, her fingers coming up to her lips briefly in surprise. "I was never mad!" She gasped, her eyes now going wide. "Did I seem that way?" Molly asked worriedly. "I'm so sorry if I did! It's just, you're my best friend, and I want to do everything I can for you, and you were upset and I didn't know what was wrong so--" Her speech picked up as she kept talking, but came to a sudden stop and complete silence as he came around the counter and took her chin in his hand. Even if he wasn't how he usually was...his hand was soft and warm, still. Not unkind.

She held still, looking up at him. "I know." She murmured softly. She knew that he wasn't the same as before...and deep down, she knew that he may never be again..."But..." She lowered her chin back down, and rested her glass of OJ on the counter. Molly twiddled with her fingers as she glanced up at him. "We're...still best friends...and we always will be...right?"

She waited for a reply to that, before she'd get to cleaning his wound. She was elated he'd let her do it.

Nyxtsuki Moon

 

[Pixie Nyxie]

"You sure didn't act that way." He grunted, taking the stool and setting himself up so she didn't have to reach up so high and stuff. Plus he was tired of standing up and wanted to sit. "I thought you were pissed enough to kick me out. So I was gonna save you the trouble." He sighed again, "I'm just easier to irritate more, and that mission was hell."

He gnawed on his lip, "I've been having dreams." He said casually, staring at the wall, "About Julie, and Clarice and s**t. It's messing with my head, and I'm tried of being messed with."

he looked over his shoulder, furrowing his eyebrows. "Why wouldn't you be my best friend. I'm not trying to push you away, I just...I don't ******** know. I'm scared and s**t. Getting over s**t..." He looked away, "Candace and you, you guys are all I got on the Island now. Everyone else left." Or didn't care anymore. If they even cared at all really.

Lucyal

 

[Lucyal]

Molly deflated, and looked utterly miserable. It wasn't something she liked to think back on, but she didn't know how to properly convey how she was feeling at the time to Dakota. He was just acting so...unlike himself, she had no idea how to respond, and whatever she had usually done, didn't seem to reach him. "No...not...that..." She murmured, and looked down at her green socks. "...I was at a loss. Confused..." Hurt. She was hurt he had treated her like that. She then shook her head a bit. "I didn't want you to leave, not...not like that." Not on that awful note they almost did end on.

Noticing he had sat down though, Molly moved to go scrub her hands and arms clean. She listened as the hot water ran over her skin, and gasped when he mentioned Clarice. She was going to ask him more about it, as she came over and opened up the first aid kit, but held off in favor of continuing to listen to him. As always, her hands were gentle as they moved across his skin, starting with the ointment that cleaned the wound.

She offered him a small sheepish smile and equally sheepish shrug of her shoulders, quiet for a moment before she uttered: "I just feel like I'm useless to you sometimes...like I can't help, and it's all I want to do." Her expression fell though. Dakota surely had more...right? What happened to everyone else...? Surely they all couldn't be gone...?

Nyxtsuki Moon

 

[Pixie Nyxie]

He stiffened at her touch before relaxing, remember that it wasn't famines hands over his back, but his best friends. And unlike the horseman, he was pretty sure she wouldn't be digging a dagger through his flesh anytime soon.

"You're an idiot." He sighed out, lacing his fingers together and resting them up on his knee's. He stared at the wall for a moment.

"Yeah you are really an idiot sometimes Molly." He repeated, "If I thought you were useless, then we wouldn't be talking to each other now. Jesus, it's not even about you being useless or not." He grunted, "Sometimes you can't help, and that's fine too. I appreciate you dealing with my attitude now, even if I don't show it."

He lapsed into silence again.

"I'm sure a lot of people are going to wonder what happened to me Molly. But it's actually pretty ******** simple. I've been on the island for three years now. Three long, hard ******** years. Mentally, its damn impossible to stay cheerful around this place. Unless you become some weirdo...like Allan." He growled, "With his obsession with anime and s**t. Sometimes I think its the only think to get him through the day." He relaxed his shoulders as she got closer to them, or tried too.

There was always the urge to turn around and attack, because sometimes he thought this was just another dream or hallucination brought on by Scavenger and his potions. Just another attempt to break his spirit down and crush it into the earth.

"I just want to stop caring about people now." He murmured, "I just don't want to protect anyone anymore, I'm so goddamn tired. I'm...just so ******** tired Molly."

Lucyal

 

[Lucyal]

Molly's hands paused above Dakota's skin, freezing momentarily as he sighed. He repeated it again, and there was a short and soft giggle before her hands returned to his back gently. "Yes...I know." She felt better, well, in a way. She felt better that he didn't think she was useless, but she didn't feel better at the thought she couldn't help him. Was it fine though? She wanted to ask, but kept silent. "Through thick and thin...right?" She murmured, smiling a bit at the back of his head.

She continued to rub the ointment on his wound, just staying quiet as he spoke, though her smile fell. It was...hard to stay cheerful for that long? She...she wouldn't change like that too...would she? Panicked gripped her gut. She hoped not. Oh...she hoped not. She hoped with all her heart she wouldn't.

If her heart wasn't already hurting for him, it did more now. Molly was silent as she applied the ointment down the length of the wound, and then straightened, rubbing the left over on her jeans. Molly rested one hand on his shoulder, and the other reached to thread through his hair in a soothing motion. "Rest now, Dakota. It's okay."

Nyxtsuki Moon