[ She's still relatively new. That's understandable. She's also not a tiger when this happens, which is also understandable, although she might have felt the shift of the ground beneath her paws a lot faster. Or been able to tell through scent that the earth had recently been disturbed.
But she's human when it happens-- one false step, and suddenly the sensation of the ground dropping out from beneath her, and when Kisa opens her mouth to cry out, her voice is so accustomed to being shoved down that nothing emerges and the only actual sound is the thud of impact.
Ultimately, she isn't badly hurt. Scraped, bruised, a little sore, but that's not the problem. The actual problem is discovered when Kisa wobbles to her feet and looks up to discover that she... can't get out. The walls are too smooth, she doesn't have the speed and stamina to simply take it at a leap like some of her cousins could have done, and she can't call out for help. Her body isn't weak enough to transform, either.
But Kisa tries, anyway. Several fruitless attempts as the hours start to crawl by, digging her fingers into the earth to try and carve out some kind of hold, despite knowing that she isn't going to have the strength to haul herself out.
By the time someone comes along, she's already shaking with exhaustion and fear, that no one is actually going to find her. ]
[Being mute is Kisa's biggest downfall. Not even Damian would probably hear her trying to claw her way out of the hole (maybe), and she's fairly lucky he comes along before whatever time Okuni decides it'd be best to check traps.
What helps is he's walking with Ace, and Ace is a very good dog with a very good nose and very good ears. When Ace halts suddenly and goes quiet, ears forward, Damian also slows to a stop and listens. Ace offers a kind of airy, bubbly whuff.]
What is it? [Damian doesn't think he can hear anything noticeable.] Seek.
[Ace takes off for the hole, and Damian follows, surprised to see it when they reach the edge. It's symmetrical, and he recognizes it as being a trap rather than a cave-in. It doesn't seem resemble the hole the Batcave had been through.
What's more surprising is what he finds when he looks over the edge. Not an animal, not a mutated creature from the forest--a damn girl. He goes from one to sixty in about two seconds, and Ace gives a single, concerned bark.] You.
[ There are some things about being cursed that she appreciates-- and that's that even if she fell, it's highly probable that some part of the tiger inside of her let her land in a way that minimized damage.
So no broken bones or sprained ankles, which is why her first reaction (beyond looking startled and shrinking back at the sudden arrival of Curt Boy and Barking Dog) is to slowly shake her head.
Bruises and scrapes don't really count as injuries, she thinks. Not from something like this, anyway.
But, even with the light growing dimmer as the sun starts to set, it's fairly obvious to tell that her face is tear-streaked and she's stupidly pale. ]
[Not talking is slightly worrying, but not terribly so, not when she's at least moving, shaking her head and coherent enough to answer his questions.] Hang on. I'm going to get you out.
Ace. [The dog hasn't barked again, but stands at attention, and Damian gives Ace a good ruffle and pat.] Stay, boy.
Look out. Get over by the edge and don't move. I'm going to jump.
[He waits for her to be out of the way of one side, and then he just... literally leaps right down into the pit. The landing isn't bad when he does it correct, when there's no pressure on his ankles and knees.]
[ Kisa obediently and immediately backs up when told to, pressing herself against the dirt wall and only flinching slightly when Damian just bodily throws himself in.
He lands safely, at least, even if she takes a few seconds to look him over with a trace of (cautious) concern before she lifts her gaze further up to focus on the sky. Darker now. It had been brighter before.
... She can't say how long it's been, exactly, but it definitely feels like all day, so she simply nods and remains where she is. ]
[She looks as if she's been here for a good while, and it makes his stomach twist. Plus she's young? Who the fuck made--? Nevermind, he'll find out later. Quickly, he turns to face one of the walls of the hole and squats down.] Get on and hold on to my neck.
I'll get us back out.
[He thumbs over his shoulder but also looks over it at her.] I'm Damian. You recently came out of the well, didn't you? [Double dammit!! SHE JUST GOT HERE AND IS ALREADY IN A HOLE? He's gonna kick the ass of whoever put this here.
Nevermind it could very well be for a great reason.] Don't worry about Ace. He's a good dog.
[ "She's young," thought Damian, a mere year older.
Well, not that either of them know how old the other one is, and she's admittedly more than a little surprised that someone who doesn't seem much older is so stern and competent. He'd already realized she came from the well, and tried to reassure her about his dog (which is great, she'll want to pet him).
But there's one problem, and that's with his suggestion.
She may have looked distressed before, but now Kisa looks flat-out scared, quickly shaking her head and waving her hands in front of her. She can't climb on his back. She absolutely can't.
(He's being so nice, and if he realizes she's a monster, he'll hate her and leave her down here to rot, and more than anything, she doesn't want to see disgust and hatred anymore--) ]
[The distress causes him to suddenly freeze. He stares at her, visibly shocked. Is... is she serious? (Also SHUT UP HE'S OLD...er!)]
What do you mean, no? Don't be an idiot, girl. Do you want to stay here in this hole for the rest of the night?
The sun has already set! The forest is full of mutated creatures that would love to eat you for dinner.
[Pretty much, he regrets this scare tactic as soon as he's said it. She's just a girl, and she's already scared. His father wouldn't have done such a thing ever. Ugh... Maybe she simply doesn't want to touch him, no trust.
He heaves out a sigh and looks away, thinking, and then he rises to his feet.] Fine. Come here. [From beneath the folds of the cloth belt on the inside of the layered shirt, Damian pulls out the batgrapple.
He aims it up at the mouth of the hole and fires, letting the grapple careen past the top and land, digging in the flat of the ground above. He tugs on it to test the sturdiness, and then he turns to her, holding it out.] Take this.
It'll pull you up when you press the button on the side. Don't hold it down or it'll yank you up too fast. Press it over and over to go up a little at a time.
[ Don't worry, Damian, she wouldn't have wanted Batman to piggyback her either. But at least he's done a bang-up job of scaring the crap out of her!
... More.
Not that it takes much, but she was already drained and terrified, and while she flinches at just how annoyed he sounds, her shoulders have slumped as though she's definitely heard that much before.
Of course she has.
Still, the second method is one she can follow, and even if she's now afraid to meet his eyes, she studies the object he's offered her and commits the instructions to memory. Press the button, but don't hold it down.
Good. [He's terrified her. He hates this. Even when he's trying to be relatively compassionate, he screws it up. Turning away from her, he squats down to pull the stone arrowhead dagger he made from his boot, making sure not to wield it in her direction and spook her more.] Now go.
[The dagger he stabs into the dirt of the hole's wall, higher up, and he begins scaling to the top with the easy and practice of--weird--someone who does this quite often.
Sure, he could have ridden the grapple with her, but he only assumed she wasn't fond of contact, so this is the next best thing.
He at least seems capable of getting up the wall without issue which is a relief.]
[ You'll get it sooner or later, Damian. For now, Kisa concentrates on just getting herself pulled out of there-- with a few jerky rough starts until she gets the hang of it.
It's not the most graceful sight in the world, but it does the job, and she's out and landing beside Ace with a soft thump.
... And promptly collapsing to her knees. She's not as cool as the other kid here. ]
[Sometime after, Damian comes up over the edge of the hole with nothing more than a light sweat. He wipes the dagger on the leg of his pants and then slides it back into his boot.
Ace has already immediately taken an interest in Kisa. The dog is careful and bowed-head when approaching, whining softly, tail mid-way and wagging. Kisa's head gets a sniff and then a gentle bump.]
Ace, stop that. Give her room. She doesn't want you in her face.
[As expected, Ace's tail curls back up and begins wagging when Kisa becomes more certain about petting. Damian heaves a small, exasperated sigh and stands so he can come up beside them.]
Do you think you can walk?
[He extends his hand to try to help her up to her feet. She didn't want to be carried, so... he'll just have to let Ace be a support.] We should get back to town. Someone made that hole. I don't know who did yet, but I'll find them when we get there.
Ace can help you if you hold onto his back near his neck. [He shows her were to rest her hand.] What's your name? Do you--
[He raises his hands, forming the last of the signs, --know sign language? Strangely, people can somehow understand Dextera, he's found. He doesn't know if this works with everyone.]
[ She reaches up to take his hand, stumbling only slightly as she gets her balance back. Both knees are scraped, a little bloody, and she moves a tad gingerly, but it's doable.
But before she rests a hand on Ace, Kisa points to Damian's hand and gestures towards herself. She can't use sign language, but maybe there's another way to tell him her name. ]
[Tail still wagging slowly, Ace glances back and forth between them, tongue out.
For a moment, Damian peers at his hand, and then he peers at the girl. He's not sure, so he holds his hand out in case she wants to take it or something.]
His hand just hangs there; he's not entirely sure what to do with it while she's holding it because he's never really had to navigate these kinds of social etiquettes.
Kisa. The sentiments are, as weird as it feels, received. Somehow.] You... don't have to worry about it. No one should be stuck in a hole. Anyone would have helped you out.
[Um, hopefully.]
Did you find the place you were supposed to be staying yet? The one where your laptop was? I can walk you back.
[Damian is okay with this, sure. He would let her ride Ace's back, but Ace isn't a doberman like Titus and, therefore, not quite that big. Even someone as small as Kisa probably wouldn't be able to ride him.
But he's a helpful dog. Ace is glad to cart her along at whatever pace is easiest.
Damian, on the other hand, isn't sure what to do still. She's--mute? Talking is cumbersome between them while they're walking, he thinks. She's tired. It's likely not the right time to pry.
So he kind of just... continues on in silence, focused ahead of them but walking on the opposite side of Ace as they go, his face pensively thoughtful. He looks so serious for a thirteen year old.
The direction toward Flavo reminds him: Bruce stays in Flavo. He can swing by after dropping Kisa off to tell the man to keep an eye on her.]
[ He looks so serious?? And she's sure by now that he's either around her age or some kind of adult stuck in a kid's body, but obviously she's not about to ask.
Kisa will keep glancing in his direction, though, because she's very curious. How does he know so much? Does he think she's strange? There's no real way to tell, and she's too tired and hungry to dedicate much thought to it now.
[A lovely walk between two tweens. The best walk they could have.
He spends a lot of time in his head, okay. Something he gets from his dad, thinking about everything, planning, making arrangements. He has to take care of Kisa first, then tell Bruce what happened, then try to figure out who built that damn hole someone could fall into.
He can't believe she didn't get hurt. What if he had found her with a broken arm? leg? neck? The most he can be thankful for is the hole hadn't been armed with something lethal. It wasn't a killing trap, only a capturing one.
Suddenly, he focuses, remembering he's literally walking along beside Ace and a strange girl all the while not saying a word. He cuts a look at her and then quickly looks away when she looks back.]
[It's been long enough. He's about ready to speak up when she just White Girls it and trips over her own feet. Doing so startles both him and Ace.]
Watch out!
[And they pretty much both react at the same time. Ace shoots forward to try to block the fall, and Damian leaps to try to catch her from behind before she gets hurt. He thinks it's less she tripped and more she's so exhausted she may have fainted or her legs have given out.
Catching her arm at the elbow, the only thing he can really think to do to make sure she isn't face first on the ground is to pull her against himself and wrap the other arm around her shoulders.]
[ Kisa's already trying to reel back, as though this will prevent her from hitting the ground/the dog (the more important thing to avoid), but she wasn't expecting Damian's stupidly fast reflexes.
It's shock when he catches her arm, but when he pulls her against him, the shock turns to dread and terror, except by then she can't pull away. His arm wraps around her shoulders, and that's trigger enough.
The clouds of smoke seem to appear out of literally nowhere, more like actual clouds than the sting of smoke, but much thicker. The weight of a small twelve-year-old girl seems to have diminished incredibly as well, and if Damian is observant (of course he is, goddammit), he'll notice he seems to be grasping something much smaller in shape and weight.
And furrier.
Regardless of whether he waits for the smoke to clear or waves it away himself, well. There's a dress on the ground by his feet and there's a tiger cub now dangling a tad awkwardly in his arms.
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action; 9/11
But she's human when it happens-- one false step, and suddenly the sensation of the ground dropping out from beneath her, and when Kisa opens her mouth to cry out, her voice is so accustomed to being shoved down that nothing emerges and the only actual sound is the thud of impact.
Ultimately, she isn't badly hurt. Scraped, bruised, a little sore, but that's not the problem. The actual problem is discovered when Kisa wobbles to her feet and looks up to discover that she... can't get out. The walls are too smooth, she doesn't have the speed and stamina to simply take it at a leap like some of her cousins could have done, and she can't call out for help. Her body isn't weak enough to transform, either.
But Kisa tries, anyway. Several fruitless attempts as the hours start to crawl by, digging her fingers into the earth to try and carve out some kind of hold, despite knowing that she isn't going to have the strength to haul herself out.
By the time someone comes along, she's already shaking with exhaustion and fear, that no one is actually going to find her. ]
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What helps is he's walking with Ace, and Ace is a very good dog with a very good nose and very good ears. When Ace halts suddenly and goes quiet, ears forward, Damian also slows to a stop and listens. Ace offers a kind of airy, bubbly whuff.]
What is it? [Damian doesn't think he can hear anything noticeable.] Seek.
[Ace takes off for the hole, and Damian follows, surprised to see it when they reach the edge. It's symmetrical, and he recognizes it as being a trap rather than a cave-in. It doesn't seem resemble the hole the Batcave had been through.
What's more surprising is what he finds when he looks over the edge. Not an animal, not a mutated creature from the forest--a damn girl. He goes from one to sixty in about two seconds, and Ace gives a single, concerned bark.] You.
Are you injured?
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So no broken bones or sprained ankles, which is why her first reaction (beyond looking startled and shrinking back at the sudden arrival of Curt Boy and Barking Dog) is to slowly shake her head.
Bruises and scrapes don't really count as injuries, she thinks. Not from something like this, anyway.
But, even with the light growing dimmer as the sun starts to set, it's fairly obvious to tell that her face is tear-streaked and she's stupidly pale. ]
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Ace. [The dog hasn't barked again, but stands at attention, and Damian gives Ace a good ruffle and pat.] Stay, boy.
Look out. Get over by the edge and don't move. I'm going to jump.
[He waits for her to be out of the way of one side, and then he just... literally leaps right down into the pit. The landing isn't bad when he does it correct, when there's no pressure on his ankles and knees.]
How long have you been in here? All day?
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He lands safely, at least, even if she takes a few seconds to look him over with a trace of (cautious) concern before she lifts her gaze further up to focus on the sky. Darker now. It had been brighter before.
... She can't say how long it's been, exactly, but it definitely feels like all day, so she simply nods and remains where she is. ]
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[She looks as if she's been here for a good while, and it makes his stomach twist. Plus she's young? Who the fuck made--? Nevermind, he'll find out later. Quickly, he turns to face one of the walls of the hole and squats down.] Get on and hold on to my neck.
I'll get us back out.
[He thumbs over his shoulder but also looks over it at her.] I'm Damian. You recently came out of the well, didn't you? [Double dammit!! SHE JUST GOT HERE AND IS ALREADY IN A HOLE? He's gonna kick the ass of whoever put this here.
Nevermind it could very well be for a great reason.] Don't worry about Ace. He's a good dog.
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Well, not that either of them know how old the other one is, and she's admittedly more than a little surprised that someone who doesn't seem much older is so stern and competent. He'd already realized she came from the well, and tried to reassure her about his dog (which is great, she'll want to pet him).
But there's one problem, and that's with his suggestion.
She may have looked distressed before, but now Kisa looks flat-out scared, quickly shaking her head and waving her hands in front of her. She can't climb on his back. She absolutely can't.
(He's being so nice, and if he realizes she's a monster, he'll hate her and leave her down here to rot, and more than anything, she doesn't want to see disgust and hatred anymore--) ]
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What do you mean, no? Don't be an idiot, girl. Do you want to stay here in this hole for the rest of the night?
The sun has already set! The forest is full of mutated creatures that would love to eat you for dinner.
[Pretty much, he regrets this scare tactic as soon as he's said it. She's just a girl, and she's already scared. His father wouldn't have done such a thing ever. Ugh... Maybe she simply doesn't want to touch him, no trust.
He heaves out a sigh and looks away, thinking, and then he rises to his feet.] Fine. Come here. [From beneath the folds of the cloth belt on the inside of the layered shirt, Damian pulls out the batgrapple.
He aims it up at the mouth of the hole and fires, letting the grapple careen past the top and land, digging in the flat of the ground above. He tugs on it to test the sturdiness, and then he turns to her, holding it out.] Take this.
It'll pull you up when you press the button on the side. Don't hold it down or it'll yank you up too fast. Press it over and over to go up a little at a time.
Do you understand?
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... More.
Not that it takes much, but she was already drained and terrified, and while she flinches at just how annoyed he sounds, her shoulders have slumped as though she's definitely heard that much before.
Of course she has.
Still, the second method is one she can follow, and even if she's now afraid to meet his eyes, she studies the object he's offered her and commits the instructions to memory. Press the button, but don't hold it down.
A nod. ]
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[The dagger he stabs into the dirt of the hole's wall, higher up, and he begins scaling to the top with the easy and practice of--weird--someone who does this quite often.
Sure, he could have ridden the grapple with her, but he only assumed she wasn't fond of contact, so this is the next best thing.
He at least seems capable of getting up the wall without issue which is a relief.]
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It's not the most graceful sight in the world, but it does the job, and she's out and landing beside Ace with a soft thump.
... And promptly collapsing to her knees. She's not as cool as the other kid here. ]
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Ace has already immediately taken an interest in Kisa. The dog is careful and bowed-head when approaching, whining softly, tail mid-way and wagging. Kisa's head gets a sniff and then a gentle bump.]
Ace, stop that. Give her room. She doesn't want you in her face.
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So slowly, she shifts into a picture-perfect seiza posture and offers Ace her hand before she'll reach out to pet him properly.
She's frazzled, yes, but this helps. ]
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Do you think you can walk?
[He extends his hand to try to help her up to her feet. She didn't want to be carried, so... he'll just have to let Ace be a support.] We should get back to town. Someone made that hole. I don't know who did yet, but I'll find them when we get there.
Ace can help you if you hold onto his back near his neck. [He shows her were to rest her hand.] What's your name? Do you--
[He raises his hands, forming the last of the signs, --know sign language? Strangely, people can somehow understand Dextera, he's found. He doesn't know if this works with everyone.]
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But before she rests a hand on Ace, Kisa points to Damian's hand and gestures towards herself. She can't use sign language, but maybe there's another way to tell him her name. ]
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For a moment, Damian peers at his hand, and then he peers at the girl. He's not sure, so he holds his hand out in case she wants to take it or something.]
I can read lips, too, if it's easier.
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Her lips move, forming her first name--
And then she grasps his hand in both of hers and lowers her head a bit, squeezing carefully.
"I'm sorry" and "Thank you." Not spoken, not mouthed, but hopefully still conveyed. ]
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His hand just hangs there; he's not entirely sure what to do with it while she's holding it because he's never really had to navigate these kinds of social etiquettes.
Kisa. The sentiments are, as weird as it feels, received. Somehow.] You... don't have to worry about it. No one should be stuck in a hole. Anyone would have helped you out.
[Um, hopefully.]
Did you find the place you were supposed to be staying yet? The one where your laptop was? I can walk you back.
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Maybe a little slowly, though, if Damian is fine with that. ]
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But he's a helpful dog. Ace is glad to cart her along at whatever pace is easiest.
Damian, on the other hand, isn't sure what to do still. She's--mute? Talking is cumbersome between them while they're walking, he thinks. She's tired. It's likely not the right time to pry.
So he kind of just... continues on in silence, focused ahead of them but walking on the opposite side of Ace as they go, his face pensively thoughtful. He looks so serious for a thirteen year old.
The direction toward Flavo reminds him: Bruce stays in Flavo. He can swing by after dropping Kisa off to tell the man to keep an eye on her.]
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Kisa will keep glancing in his direction, though, because she's very curious. How does he know so much? Does he think she's strange? There's no real way to tell, and she's too tired and hungry to dedicate much thought to it now.
What a nice walk. ]
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He spends a lot of time in his head, okay. Something he gets from his dad, thinking about everything, planning, making arrangements. He has to take care of Kisa first, then tell Bruce what happened, then try to figure out who built that damn hole someone could fall into.
He can't believe she didn't get hurt. What if he had found her with a broken arm? leg? neck? The most he can be thankful for is the hole hadn't been armed with something lethal. It wasn't a killing trap, only a capturing one.
Suddenly, he focuses, remembering he's literally walking along beside Ace and a strange girl all the while not saying a word. He cuts a look at her and then quickly looks away when she looks back.]
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Because she'd been looking at him? Had she stared too long, or had some sort of strange expression? Had her eyes unnerved him?
("Why are your eyes so orange, Sohma-san? They match your hair perfectly. Contacts? Do you dye?"
"That can't be natural, right? Isn't that weird?"
"It's freaking me out. Stop staring at me, already!")
She can't control her hair or her eyes. But Kisa also looks away, a little desolate, but if he doesn't want her to look at him--
She'll just trip over a loose pebble or something in her path instead, and topple forward. ]
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Watch out!
[And they pretty much both react at the same time. Ace shoots forward to try to block the fall, and Damian leaps to try to catch her from behind before she gets hurt. He thinks it's less she tripped and more she's so exhausted she may have fainted or her legs have given out.
Catching her arm at the elbow, the only thing he can really think to do to make sure she isn't face first on the ground is to pull her against himself and wrap the other arm around her shoulders.]
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It's shock when he catches her arm, but when he pulls her against him, the shock turns to dread and terror, except by then she can't pull away. His arm wraps around her shoulders, and that's trigger enough.
The clouds of smoke seem to appear out of literally nowhere, more like actual clouds than the sting of smoke, but much thicker. The weight of a small twelve-year-old girl seems to have diminished incredibly as well, and if Damian is observant (of course he is, goddammit), he'll notice he seems to be grasping something much smaller in shape and weight.
And furrier.
Regardless of whether he waits for the smoke to clear or waves it away himself, well. There's a dress on the ground by his feet and there's a tiger cub now dangling a tad awkwardly in his arms.
Said cub appears a bit shell-shocked. ]
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