[Look, Damian has seen more powerful beings do stupider things!!]
Don't worry. [Even with Ace hopping around like an excitable idiot, Damian still sees the change in her ears. He's been with enough animals and loves enough animals to know when cats are perturbed.] Everyone is looking for a way back home.
No one seems to have any ill intent here, and we plan to keep it that way. You don't have to worry about being hurt. [If she's a god, does he have to reassure her about injury...???
He glances down at his hands. ACK. How fucking suspicious does it look for him to be walking through town with a dog and a tiger with a girl's dirty dress in his hands? HELP HIM.
Quickly, he starts folding it up neatly... so it's... less noticeably a girl's dress.] I'll explain everything later.
[ She's definitely not a god, and she's definitely been badly hurt before, so while he thinks he may not have to reassure her, she appreciates it regardless.
But maybe she should have let him carry her, or found some way to warn him (somehow??), because right as they actually enter Flavo, there's that helpful poof of smoke and she's back to being a girl.
Which is great! Except she's naked and instantly trying to cover herself with her hands. ]
[It's amazing how you have one rocky, bad moment and then things just progressively begin to careen unsteadily downhill without any kind of stop in sight.
Damian almost trips over her when the cloud of smoke explodes up from the ground when they get into Flavo. Ace gives a startled, short bark and leaps back, and Damian is left swinging his arms to try to get the enigmatic fog to vanish.
NEVERMIND, BRING THE ENIGMATIC FOG BACK!!!
The neat folding he just did on the dress is torn apart as he hurried flaps it back open and shoves it quickly out at her. He really doesn't mind the nakedness in a way adults would, but it's incredibly awkward to be concerned about someone--a tiger?--only to have them suddenly be naked.
If and when she takes the clothes, he hastily turns his back to her so she can have some privacy. Ace is looking? Ace is a boy.] ACE!
[ And verily did Okuni inadvertently ruin two days without even realizing it, like a true pro.
But this has been a Day, and Kisa is 7% less mortified than she'd normally be because she's 93% more drained today. Still, there's not a peep from her, just the rustle of clothing before she taps Damian's shoulder.
[Okuni should get one of the better prizes for killing two birds with one stone, honestly.
Even when Kisa taps him on the shoulder, he's hesitant to turn around. It's very slow, very cautious, and then his shoulders immediately drop when he realizes she is, in fact, fully clothed.] Alright. Enough.
[He's still embarrassed.]
What are you? Why do you keep transforming back and forth between a girl and a tiger?
[ If she looked ashamed before, Kisa looks downright miserable now. That's probably it, then. If she hadn't tripped, maybe he never would have found out. She would have just been a strange, silent girl and not a "what".
But he saved her. If nothing else, she owes him an answer.
Her lips barely move, fingers clenching into the front of her dress.
[In the end, that one word tells him enough, and it's all he needed. His lips draw into a thin frown. She's so... upset about it, but here, it's laughable at best. Cursed? So is the whole damn town.]
You'll fit right in then.
[For a moment, he just looks at her. His hand starts to rise, but stops, lowers again.] Forget about your house right now. I'll take you to Father's instead. There's food and water, a fire, and we'll find you some clothes or blankets.
Come on. Ace. [He turns to lead the way now, letting Ace stand to wait and herd Kisa. The dog offers her a soft whine.]
[ Fit... right in? Are other people cursed? It's so bizarre to consider; she's lived with this curse her whole life, hidden it as best as she could, and here he is, still sternly fussing.
It's... a lot. Maybe not to Damian, but tears are already sliding down her face. Still, she moves to rest a hand on Ace's back again. No use refusing now. ]
[Ace at least, being a good doggo, lifts his head to give Kisa's face several sloppy, wide licks. No crying.
Damian doesn't look back only because he doesn't want to make her uncomfortable. His focus is ahead, even if he isn't walking too fast. His stride is certain, steady. Ace happily takes up the back with Kisa.
Bruce's cottage is on the outskirts of Flavo, so it takes them a few minutes to get there. The man has decides to make a nest near the forest--dangerous, maybe, but secluded. Except for... the multitude of animals who greet them when they arrive.
Near the front on one side is a goat and a brown-spotted cow sharing a fence. The cow doesn't really give them any kind of bellow, too engrossed with munching, but the goat greets them with a shrill, silly scream. This stirs the fire-breathing geese who are likewise in a fence, only at the back of the house and further away.
They're rather strange. The four of them waddle quickly to the edge of the fence and huddle in a group, peering beady-eyed out at Damian, Ace, and Kisa as they approach. They're not breathing fire thankfully, and they don't make any noise aside from the occasional grunt.
It's fairly come and go; Damian heads right for the door to open it and hold it for Kisa... and Ace, he guesses. The dog will probably try to squeeze in with her anyway.]
[ Ironically, the goat shriek and the very disconcerting stare of the geese don't seem to bother Kisa at all. She even seems to relax a little when she sees the cow. Familiarity, maybe.
But also... this seems familiar. She hadn't really paid attention to where she'd gone the first day, but something about this house...
She'll think about it later. She's still sticking close to Ace, giving a little instinctive "sorry for the intrusion" bow as she steps inside. Damian's dad must really love animals, though. ]
[Yes. Bruce really loves animals. A whole bunch!!!
The inside of the cottage isn’t especially decorated. It has essentials mostly and a few items of personal value here and there. The strangest thing is probably the random sprinkling of unorganized amidst the organization. Bruce lives much like Damian: seemingly minimalistic, everything hidden and in its place, orderly just verging on neurotic. Selina, however, has a cat’s mess. Small instances of her presence, feminine, found here, there.
Once Kisa and Ace are in, Damian begins gathering what he needs to help. Ace is left to be with Kisa, but someone new emerges: a black and white, tuxedo cat. Sleeping more than likely, as he comes out stretching. The merowl he offers Kisa peaks into a strangled squeak as he yawns mid-noise.
The first thing Damian returns with in the living room is a mug of water and a blanket. He puts the mug in the seat and the blanket on the back for her.] If your clothes are wet and cold, you can take them off in that room [He points to a door adjacent.] and wrap in the blanket. You can sit by the fire.
Are you hungry? I’m going to see if Kyle has some clothes you can borrow.
[ As overwhelmed as she is, Kisa still crouches down a little to try and get the cat to come over. These are important priorities. She's definitely going to have to wrap herself in that blanket, but she looks up as Damian speaks--
But her stomach speaks for her, letting out a rumble that has her flushing darker.
She's been in a hole all day, don't look at her. ]
[Well, it's actually good Kisa can be distracted by the animals Damian has brought and hoarded. For one, Damian doesn't have to do as much leg-work to get her mind off things; two, she'll feel a little more at ease in the house.]
Okay. [Momentarily, his face softens, and it seems almost like he wants to let out a dry laugh, but it never comes.] You can change or stay here by the fire. [It's at the most very low, nearly embers. Too warm for heating, it's used for cooking and boiling water mostly. It'll give her a bit of warmth if she's close, though.]
His name is Alfred Pennyworth. The cat.
[Ace decides to lie down somewhere nearby, being watchful. Pennyworth ventures slowly up to have a sniff at the new girl.
Damian, of course, turns back around to go finish gathering things in the house for her.]
[ Logically, she'd probably feel better if she changed.
But there is a dog nearby and a cat ambling towards her, and so Kisa opts to just settle for the blanket, reaching out to pull it free and wrapping it around herself. She'll also take the mug and settle herself down by the fire to give Alfred Pennyworth the cat time to get acquainted with her.
Of course this is what gets her first smile of the day. ]
[It seems Mr. Pennyworth is a glutton for attention. He hurriedly pads after Kisa and waits, as if knowing, for her to settle down. (Selina has spoiled him more than Damian already had.) Her lap gets a cursory sniff, and then he starts climbing into it to sit in a bunched loaf, purring.
Ace is still nearby, but the dog's ears are lifted and turning to listen to the sound of Damian quietly rummaging in the other parts of the house.
After maybe ten minutes or so, Damian returns again. He has a small bowl of some kind of rice stew with potatoes, mushrooms, blue corn, and meat which looks vague like beef. This he holds in one hand, and in the other, he has a few clothing pieces folded over an arm.]
What do you want first?
You have to hold the stew, or Pennyworth will try to stick his face in it. None of Kyle's clothes would fit you, so you'll have to wear mine.
[ Easy enough. Kisa's still probably going to be surprised by this kindness for a good week or so, but she seems to have tiredly settled down with a purring cat in her lap.
She'll give Damian a grateful look, at least, and then point to the stew because-- well, to be frank, clothes are well and good, but if she doesn't eat something first, she's going to end up transforming again and that's just going to be a pain right now.
Just... let her pet the cat for a second and she'll take the bowl.
(Okay, so maybe she also just doesn't want to move Pennyworth yet. That might also be it.) ]
[It's fine. Once Kisa is ready, Damian hands off the bowl to her, but makes sure it's lowered from above so Pennyworth doesn't immediately faceplant inside of it. Regardless, the cat tips his head back and starts curiously smelling anyway.
The clothes Damian puts nearby in a little pile for when and if she wants to change. And then....... he again isn't sure what to do with himself exactly.
So he opts to sit down out of the way on the other side of Kisa with his knees up and his arms around them. Ace, thankfully, wanders over to flop beside him, and Damian gives the dog a short ruffle on the head.] Good boy. [Just so Ace knows search and rescue is something desired.]
I don't think the hole you fell in was intentionally made for one of us. Whoever made it didn't think about the placement, or how frequently to check it.
Anyway, I'll find out who did it and talk to them.
[ She's carefully maneuvering spoonfuls of stew away from her lap captor, blinking rapidly at Damian before she makes a frazzled kind of gesture, like she's protesting.
If it wasn't made on purpose, then wasn't it her own fault for falling into it? She should have been a little more aware. ]
[It takes a moment, but Damian seems to get the gist of her disagreement, and his face pinches softly.] No, stupid. Anyone could have fallen into that hole. If it wasn't you, it would have been someone else.
There's better ways to trap animals or beasts coming out of the forest. Digging a hole is one of the most primitive ways. We're not that lacking in supplies.
Whoever made it should have asked someone how to trap if all they could do was dig a hole.
[ Kisa doesn't look any less guilty, but her shoulders slump a bit in mild acceptance. Or exhaustion, it's hard to say. Arguing is hard when you don't have a voice.
She does look at him briefly, almost resignedly. If he has questions... maybe she can try to answer them. ]
[Her reaction serves to make him feel as bad as he did when he somewhat yelled at her on their walk here. It's... different dealing with someone who is less sure of themselves, someone with less fire in what they're doing and what they can do.
He's so use to his father, Jon, all the other former Robins. Everyone in his family is capable, confident in their abilities, and it's hard for him to pull back and realize not everyone is this way.
So he's quiet for a bit, folding his legs down and crossed, and Ace takes the opportunity to drop a head on Damian's thigh.]
Were you crying? [And before she can deny it, if she had planned to:] Your eyes are red.
[Damian just keeps frowning. This is the worst. He's not his father, and he doesn't know how to bridge the connection between knowing compassion and saying it. "I'm sorry," and "Are you okay?" and "I understand," all die short of the back of his throat.
He was always taught to get over it, power through.] You don't have to worry about anyone hurting you despite the ridiculous hole you fell into. No one else in town will bother you.
You can stay here for a while, even when I go back out. Father and his fiancee live here. Father is kind and patient. He'll help you with whatever you need. His name is Bruce Wayne.
Kyle is a bit mischievous, but she's patient. She loves cats, so try not to get her too excited if you tell her what you can transform into.
[ In a sense, the lack of gentle, soothing words helps. Kisa lives in a family of very bizarre people who pick fights, yell loudly, spit sarcasm, apologize incessantly or confidently laugh everything off. People like Tohru and her gentle compassion were rare. But there's a kindness to Damian, despite his brusque manner, that's comforting.
She doesn't think she'll linger after he leaves, if just because Sierra will worry, but she's silently committing all of this to memory.
And lightly shaking her head, because she won't transform. Not--
[Quickly, Damian runs back over the things occuring when she poofed into a tiger.] Touch? [He...... is too stupid to consider a hug. What's hugging? Surely, he wonders why someone would even think to be squeezing someone else with their whole body.]
You didn't want to get on my back to get out of the hole. [And then when he had grabbed her, she turned into a tiger.
But they hadn't been doing anything when they hit Flavo, not touching for sure.] You changed again. I wasn't touching you that time.
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Don't worry. [Even with Ace hopping around like an excitable idiot, Damian still sees the change in her ears. He's been with enough animals and loves enough animals to know when cats are perturbed.] Everyone is looking for a way back home.
No one seems to have any ill intent here, and we plan to keep it that way. You don't have to worry about being hurt. [If she's a god, does he have to reassure her about injury...???
He glances down at his hands. ACK. How fucking suspicious does it look for him to be walking through town with a dog and a tiger with a girl's dirty dress in his hands? HELP HIM.
Quickly, he starts folding it up neatly... so it's... less noticeably a girl's dress.] I'll explain everything later.
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But maybe she should have let him carry her, or found some way to warn him (somehow??), because right as they actually enter Flavo, there's that helpful poof of smoke and she's back to being a girl.
Which is great! Except she's naked and instantly trying to cover herself with her hands. ]
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Damian almost trips over her when the cloud of smoke explodes up from the ground when they get into Flavo. Ace gives a startled, short bark and leaps back, and Damian is left swinging his arms to try to get the enigmatic fog to vanish.
NEVERMIND, BRING THE ENIGMATIC FOG BACK!!!
The neat folding he just did on the dress is torn apart as he hurried flaps it back open and shoves it quickly out at her. He really doesn't mind the nakedness in a way adults would, but it's incredibly awkward to be concerned about someone--a tiger?--only to have them suddenly be naked.
If and when she takes the clothes, he hastily turns his back to her so she can have some privacy. Ace is looking? Ace is a boy.] ACE!
TURN AROUND!
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But this has been a Day, and Kisa is 7% less mortified than she'd normally be because she's 93% more drained today. Still, there's not a peep from her, just the rustle of clothing before she taps Damian's shoulder.
She's decent! Very shame faced, but decent! ]
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Even when Kisa taps him on the shoulder, he's hesitant to turn around. It's very slow, very cautious, and then his shoulders immediately drop when he realizes she is, in fact, fully clothed.] Alright. Enough.
[He's still embarrassed.]
What are you? Why do you keep transforming back and forth between a girl and a tiger?
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But he saved her. If nothing else, she owes him an answer.
Her lips barely move, fingers clenching into the front of her dress.
"Cursed." ]
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You'll fit right in then.
[For a moment, he just looks at her. His hand starts to rise, but stops, lowers again.] Forget about your house right now. I'll take you to Father's instead. There's food and water, a fire, and we'll find you some clothes or blankets.
Come on. Ace. [He turns to lead the way now, letting Ace stand to wait and herd Kisa. The dog offers her a soft whine.]
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It's... a lot. Maybe not to Damian, but tears are already sliding down her face. Still, she moves to rest a hand on Ace's back again. No use refusing now. ]
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Damian doesn't look back only because he doesn't want to make her uncomfortable. His focus is ahead, even if he isn't walking too fast. His stride is certain, steady. Ace happily takes up the back with Kisa.
Bruce's cottage is on the outskirts of Flavo, so it takes them a few minutes to get there. The man has decides to make a nest near the forest--dangerous, maybe, but secluded. Except for... the multitude of animals who greet them when they arrive.
Near the front on one side is a goat and a brown-spotted cow sharing a fence. The cow doesn't really give them any kind of bellow, too engrossed with munching, but the goat greets them with a shrill, silly scream. This stirs the fire-breathing geese who are likewise in a fence, only at the back of the house and further away.
They're rather strange. The four of them waddle quickly to the edge of the fence and huddle in a group, peering beady-eyed out at Damian, Ace, and Kisa as they approach. They're not breathing fire thankfully, and they don't make any noise aside from the occasional grunt.
It's fairly come and go; Damian heads right for the door to open it and hold it for Kisa... and Ace, he guesses. The dog will probably try to squeeze in with her anyway.]
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But also... this seems familiar. She hadn't really paid attention to where she'd gone the first day, but something about this house...
She'll think about it later. She's still sticking close to Ace, giving a little instinctive "sorry for the intrusion" bow as she steps inside. Damian's dad must really love animals, though. ]
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The inside of the cottage isn’t especially decorated. It has essentials mostly and a few items of personal value here and there. The strangest thing is probably the random sprinkling of unorganized amidst the organization. Bruce lives much like Damian: seemingly minimalistic, everything hidden and in its place, orderly just verging on neurotic. Selina, however, has a cat’s mess. Small instances of her presence, feminine, found here, there.
Once Kisa and Ace are in, Damian begins gathering what he needs to help. Ace is left to be with Kisa, but someone new emerges: a black and white, tuxedo cat. Sleeping more than likely, as he comes out stretching. The merowl he offers Kisa peaks into a strangled squeak as he yawns mid-noise.
The first thing Damian returns with in the living room is a mug of water and a blanket. He puts the mug in the seat and the blanket on the back for her.] If your clothes are wet and cold, you can take them off in that room [He points to a door adjacent.] and wrap in the blanket. You can sit by the fire.
Are you hungry? I’m going to see if Kyle has some clothes you can borrow.
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But her stomach speaks for her, letting out a rumble that has her flushing darker.
She's been in a hole all day, don't look at her. ]
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Okay. [Momentarily, his face softens, and it seems almost like he wants to let out a dry laugh, but it never comes.] You can change or stay here by the fire. [It's at the most very low, nearly embers. Too warm for heating, it's used for cooking and boiling water mostly. It'll give her a bit of warmth if she's close, though.]
His name is Alfred Pennyworth. The cat.
[Ace decides to lie down somewhere nearby, being watchful. Pennyworth ventures slowly up to have a sniff at the new girl.
Damian, of course, turns back around to go finish gathering things in the house for her.]
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But there is a dog nearby and a cat ambling towards her, and so Kisa opts to just settle for the blanket, reaching out to pull it free and wrapping it around herself. She'll also take the mug and settle herself down by the fire to give Alfred Pennyworth the cat time to get acquainted with her.
Of course this is what gets her first smile of the day. ]
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Ace is still nearby, but the dog's ears are lifted and turning to listen to the sound of Damian quietly rummaging in the other parts of the house.
After maybe ten minutes or so, Damian returns again. He has a small bowl of some kind of rice stew with potatoes, mushrooms, blue corn, and meat which looks vague like beef. This he holds in one hand, and in the other, he has a few clothing pieces folded over an arm.]
What do you want first?
You have to hold the stew, or Pennyworth will try to stick his face in it. None of Kyle's clothes would fit you, so you'll have to wear mine.
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She'll give Damian a grateful look, at least, and then point to the stew because-- well, to be frank, clothes are well and good, but if she doesn't eat something first, she's going to end up transforming again and that's just going to be a pain right now.
Just... let her pet the cat for a second and she'll take the bowl.
(Okay, so maybe she also just doesn't want to move Pennyworth yet. That might also be it.) ]
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The clothes Damian puts nearby in a little pile for when and if she wants to change. And then....... he again isn't sure what to do with himself exactly.
So he opts to sit down out of the way on the other side of Kisa with his knees up and his arms around them. Ace, thankfully, wanders over to flop beside him, and Damian gives the dog a short ruffle on the head.] Good boy. [Just so Ace knows search and rescue is something desired.]
I don't think the hole you fell in was intentionally made for one of us. Whoever made it didn't think about the placement, or how frequently to check it.
Anyway, I'll find out who did it and talk to them.
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If it wasn't made on purpose, then wasn't it her own fault for falling into it? She should have been a little more aware. ]
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There's better ways to trap animals or beasts coming out of the forest. Digging a hole is one of the most primitive ways. We're not that lacking in supplies.
Whoever made it should have asked someone how to trap if all they could do was dig a hole.
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She does look at him briefly, almost resignedly. If he has questions... maybe she can try to answer them. ]
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He's so use to his father, Jon, all the other former Robins. Everyone in his family is capable, confident in their abilities, and it's hard for him to pull back and realize not everyone is this way.
So he's quiet for a bit, folding his legs down and crossed, and Ace takes the opportunity to drop a head on Damian's thigh.]
Were you crying? [And before she can deny it, if she had planned to:] Your eyes are red.
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For now, simply, she nods. He doesn't sound angry about it, and that's the important thing. ]
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He was always taught to get over it, power through.] You don't have to worry about anyone hurting you despite the ridiculous hole you fell into. No one else in town will bother you.
You can stay here for a while, even when I go back out. Father and his fiancee live here. Father is kind and patient. He'll help you with whatever you need. His name is Bruce Wayne.
Kyle is a bit mischievous, but she's patient. She loves cats, so try not to get her too excited if you tell her what you can transform into.
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She doesn't think she'll linger after he leaves, if just because Sierra will worry, but she's silently committing all of this to memory.
And lightly shaking her head, because she won't transform. Not--
"I can't control it." ]
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You didn't want to get on my back to get out of the hole. [And then when he had grabbed her, she turned into a tiger.
But they hadn't been doing anything when they hit Flavo, not touching for sure.] You changed again. I wasn't touching you that time.
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