[ Kisa takes a deep, steadying breath, meeting his eyes and finally nodding. She doesn't say anything, just quietly grateful that she'd found her voice some time long before this had to happen.
Okay, she tells herself, straightening up and walking out of her hiding spot. This... is doable. Don't act like Rin, that won't work. Just pretend that the puppet is Tohru. Pretend that they're someone important that you want to be close to, because they make you feel safe.
Once the sorcerer puppet spots her, Kisa lets her eyes lower demurely, a flush (of nervousness) on her cheeks as she reaches out to bashfully tug on the puppet's sleeve and then takes a shy step back. ]
Um... a lot's happened, and I've realized... I don't belong anywhere else, but by your side. I... don't need anyone else but you. Especially not someone so... [ uh. ] ... Rough. Who doesn't show his feelings.
[The only waiting Damian does is for Kisa to get out and to the puppet. As soon as it's distracted, he zips out from behind the pillar like a shadow. He's terribly silent and terribly quick.
But he does have to wonder at the next pillar if she really means what she's saying. It doesn't surprise him so much as... Well, he realizes the truth in it. Dragged. Rough. Doesn't show his feelings.
Nevermind, he can't think about that right now.
Again, he moves out and around. He can snatch the lamp easily. Getting rid of the sorcerer is another issue. Killing is what he's got to do, but killing... Would destroying a puppet be breaking his father's code? Carefully, quietly, he pulls one of the curved scimitars from the wall. The weight in his hand is second nature.
When he comes creeping out behind, he raises a finger to his lips so she won't give him away. First thing, he has to get rid of the sorcerer before anything happens to Kisa. The only problem is how fast and fluidly it happens: ramming the sword up through the back and out of the front of the puppet isn't as gruesome as it would normally be, but one second is there, the next it's gone, and Damian lets go. He doubles back to grab the lamp; races around the dying, disappearing sorcerer and grabs Kisa by the hand.] Hurry! Let's go. [To use the lamp, he means, but...
...the palace begins to change and twist beneath and around them. He freezes. The lamp and the ring vanish. Their clothes unfurl back into what they had on before (thank God). The beautiful, elegant, wide-open palace interior shrinks, becomes stone and wood again. And then it drops, almost as if it's landing. The floor leaves their feet briefly before it stops, and they tumble down again to land in a pile in the middle of Kisa and Sierra's once again house.]
[ Kisa's lucky enough that her tiger instincts kick in long enough to let her actually land on her feet this time instead of on top of or underneath Damian (again). It lasts only a few seconds, though, before she wobbles and sinks down onto the floor, heaving a sigh that feels like it weighs more than she does.
There's no more palace. So... ]
That... means we did it, right?
[ Back to their normal clothing, the familiar sight of her house around her, no random creepy puppets... ]
[This time, Damian manages to also land on his feet. He may not turn into a tiger, but he does act an awful lot like a cat.] I assume as much. I'm hoping it stays this way.
Forever.
[He relaxes, too, glancing over at her afterward. To hell with it. He sits down on the floor. And he's quiet for a few minutes, but manages:] You... did well. [And, like, saying his feelings and stuff!!!]
[The face Damian makes is a weird cross between "gross, feel good shit" and a little embarrassed pride. He keeps his head turns mostly away, weight leaned back on his palms behind him.]
You could have done it easily even without me believing in you.
Slowly, Damian finally glances back over to Kisa, his brows pulling tight in the middle of his forehead. Sure, he's met people exactly this way. Held back by the fear he learned to control as a toddler.] None of that is true.
You're the one who subdued the tigers in the forest. You're the one who broke the ice curse. You've accomplished so much on your own already. You don't need me to tell you it's possible, and you don't need me to believe in you.
... I'm not someone who can believe in my strength without hearing it from someone else. All those times, you were...
[ Well. He was there. She hadn't been afraid of the tigers because she had known, more than any human, she'd never be hurt by another tiger. Damian had told her, while freezing over, that she could save the others. ]
You were with me for all of it, Damian. That's why.
[In the end, there's no way Damian can understand a lack of independence. When he thinks about it, his mother had been with him a good bit of time. Now, his father is also with him a good bit of time.
But smattered between all of that, he spent much of it doing things alone. Maybe the ultimate drive is somehow genetic; the craving he has for strength and knowledge and prestige. An al Ghul thing, a Wayne thing. Maybe lacking fear and having an overabundance of confidence is just who he is as a person.
The frown he continues to give Kisa is peppered with confusion in how tightly knitted his sharp brows are.] I was with you, but-- [She isn't wrong. He told her she could do it. That isn't the point, dammit.]
My presence was irrelevant. [But was it really. Isn't this entire place focused on Being There.] I know you would have done what needed to be done even if you were alone.
... That's why... I think you're giving me too much credit.
[ And maybe that's the fundamental difference between them. Damian was used to doing things alone, independently. Left to his own devices, he made his own decisions and got through things and never once thought that he couldn't do it.
Kisa, on the other hand... when Akito had put her in the hospital, when Hiro had stopped visiting her and started avoiding her, her heart had started to shut down. And when the problem with her classmates had started... ]
When I was alone... I ran away. I couldn't take it. I didn't want anyone to hate me... so I stopped trying to stand up for myself.
I think... I've changed, since then. At least a little.
But I'm not like you. So if I was truly alone... I don't think I'd be that strong.
I think you would be. [His tone is firm. No arguing. There's no question he believes this without a doubt. To him, there's no way Kisa wouldn't try. There's no way anyone wouldn't try.
Be your true self. Don't hide behind bluster and arrogance. Someone who can't say how they really feel.]
You... [His face pinches softly. It feels... vulnerable, and he hates it. Too intimate. He's quiet for a long time, looking away, but then he has the decency to give her his gaze when he's talking to her.] You're worth more than nothing. Everyone is. [He is, and if he can be (HIM!!), she is surely. And even if he didn't believe it, his father makes certain he does.] Being alive at all means you're worth something. Not even to anyone else. To yourself. You're worth being alive.
You can't give up, Kisa. Ever. You have to fight and keep going. No matter what anyone says. No matter what anyone does. Whoever comes and whoever leaves. No matter what stands in your way, even if you're standing by yourself.
You mean something. [This he seems to believe without a doubt, too.] Whatever happens to me, if anything, I want you to keep going here. I don't want you to give up. You can be the last person in this entire town, but I want you to try.
[ That's... a lot to process. Mostly because it's direct and straightforward and not at all what Kisa expected, half because she thought he'd get frustrated and huff and just tell her to get tougher. But he's always been supporting her, hasn't he? All this time, in his own grumpy way.
And it does... mean something, to hear it from something else. That she's worth something. Even if she doesn't like to think about being the last one here. Even if the thought scares her. ]
I... I'll try.
[ It's really all she can promise, quietly, but she thinks she owes him that much. And maybe herself, too. ]
[It's not exactly a promise, but Damian will take it. He understands, logically, it's going to be some time before she's able to truly be independent. Just like it's taking him some time to learn to be... less assassin and more human. "Normal"?]
[Naturally, he looks one hundred percent offended? OFFENDED.] And? I didn't lie. You are going back before me. Just like Jon did. He had this same argument with me, and I won. I'll win this one, too. [So there.]
I don't care. [Look, he wants her to be independent, BUT!! also!! he's, like, Robin, so depend on him A LITTLE!!! HE NEEDS TO BE USEFUL!] Besides, it isn't only me.
You still have the bloodsucker.
[It's a gentle tease, but he knows she'll probably get mad about it anyway because Sierra means a good deal to her. Apparently. (Thanks for the ass-kicking, MiL.)]
[Damian seems weirdly nonchalant about this. Obviously, he gets plenty of challenges to duel and everything. No big deal. Thirteen year olds regularly fight to the death with supernatural beings.]
Mm. [He shrugs one shoulder.] She offered to duel me.
No. [Honestly, nothing really did, but he also doesn't want to fluster Kisa about what all happened.] It was a consented, fair duel. She wanted to see how strong I was. [Test him, more like. For Kisa's sake.] And I accepted because I wanted to see what she can do.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ Kisa takes a deep, steadying breath, meeting his eyes and finally nodding. She doesn't say anything, just quietly grateful that she'd found her voice some time long before this had to happen.
Okay, she tells herself, straightening up and walking out of her hiding spot. This... is doable. Don't act like Rin, that won't work. Just pretend that the puppet is Tohru. Pretend that they're someone important that you want to be close to, because they make you feel safe.
Once the sorcerer puppet spots her, Kisa lets her eyes lower demurely, a flush (of nervousness) on her cheeks as she reaches out to bashfully tug on the puppet's sleeve and then takes a shy step back. ]
Um... a lot's happened, and I've realized... I don't belong anywhere else, but by your side. I... don't need anyone else but you. Especially not someone so... [ uh. ] ... Rough. Who doesn't show his feelings.
[ Sorry, Damian. ]
So please, let me stay with you...!
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But he does have to wonder at the next pillar if she really means what she's saying. It doesn't surprise him so much as... Well, he realizes the truth in it. Dragged. Rough. Doesn't show his feelings.
Nevermind, he can't think about that right now.
Again, he moves out and around. He can snatch the lamp easily. Getting rid of the sorcerer is another issue. Killing is what he's got to do, but killing... Would destroying a puppet be breaking his father's code? Carefully, quietly, he pulls one of the curved scimitars from the wall. The weight in his hand is second nature.
When he comes creeping out behind, he raises a finger to his lips so she won't give him away. First thing, he has to get rid of the sorcerer before anything happens to Kisa. The only problem is how fast and fluidly it happens: ramming the sword up through the back and out of the front of the puppet isn't as gruesome as it would normally be, but one second is there, the next it's gone, and Damian lets go. He doubles back to grab the lamp; races around the dying, disappearing sorcerer and grabs Kisa by the hand.] Hurry! Let's go. [To use the lamp, he means, but...
...the palace begins to change and twist beneath and around them. He freezes. The lamp and the ring vanish. Their clothes unfurl back into what they had on before (thank God). The beautiful, elegant, wide-open palace interior shrinks, becomes stone and wood again. And then it drops, almost as if it's landing. The floor leaves their feet briefly before it stops, and they tumble down again to land in a pile in the middle of Kisa and Sierra's once again house.]
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There's no more palace. So... ]
That... means we did it, right?
[ Back to their normal clothing, the familiar sight of her house around her, no random creepy puppets... ]
Thank goodness.
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Forever.
[He relaxes, too, glancing over at her afterward. To hell with it. He sits down on the floor. And he's quiet for a few minutes, but manages:] You... did well. [And, like, saying his feelings and stuff!!!]
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You said... you believed in me. So I thought I had to do my best.
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You could have done it easily even without me believing in you.
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[ Just remembering it again has her grimacing slightly. Unlike Damian's backwards slouch, Kisa keeps her hands curled on top of her thighs. ]
I would have been too scared. If it wasn't for you, I probably would have wanted to run away.
[ And not finish the story at all. ]
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Slowly, Damian finally glances back over to Kisa, his brows pulling tight in the middle of his forehead. Sure, he's met people exactly this way. Held back by the fear he learned to control as a toddler.] None of that is true.
You're the one who subdued the tigers in the forest. You're the one who broke the ice curse. You've accomplished so much on your own already. You don't need me to tell you it's possible, and you don't need me to believe in you.
You're strong enough already.
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[ Well. He was there. She hadn't been afraid of the tigers because she had known, more than any human, she'd never be hurt by another tiger. Damian had told her, while freezing over, that she could save the others. ]
You were with me for all of it, Damian. That's why.
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But smattered between all of that, he spent much of it doing things alone. Maybe the ultimate drive is somehow genetic; the craving he has for strength and knowledge and prestige. An al Ghul thing, a Wayne thing. Maybe lacking fear and having an overabundance of confidence is just who he is as a person.
The frown he continues to give Kisa is peppered with confusion in how tightly knitted his sharp brows are.] I was with you, but-- [She isn't wrong. He told her she could do it. That isn't the point, dammit.]
My presence was irrelevant. [But was it really. Isn't this entire place focused on Being There.] I know you would have done what needed to be done even if you were alone.
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[ And maybe that's the fundamental difference between them. Damian was used to doing things alone, independently. Left to his own devices, he made his own decisions and got through things and never once thought that he couldn't do it.
Kisa, on the other hand... when Akito had put her in the hospital, when Hiro had stopped visiting her and started avoiding her, her heart had started to shut down. And when the problem with her classmates had started... ]
When I was alone... I ran away. I couldn't take it. I didn't want anyone to hate me... so I stopped trying to stand up for myself.
I think... I've changed, since then. At least a little.
But I'm not like you. So if I was truly alone... I don't think I'd be that strong.
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Be your true self. Don't hide behind bluster and arrogance. Someone who can't say how they really feel.]
You... [His face pinches softly. It feels... vulnerable, and he hates it. Too intimate. He's quiet for a long time, looking away, but then he has the decency to give her his gaze when he's talking to her.] You're worth more than nothing. Everyone is. [He is, and if he can be (HIM!!), she is surely. And even if he didn't believe it, his father makes certain he does.] Being alive at all means you're worth something. Not even to anyone else. To yourself. You're worth being alive.
You can't give up, Kisa. Ever. You have to fight and keep going. No matter what anyone says. No matter what anyone does. Whoever comes and whoever leaves. No matter what stands in your way, even if you're standing by yourself.
You mean something. [This he seems to believe without a doubt, too.] Whatever happens to me, if anything, I want you to keep going here. I don't want you to give up. You can be the last person in this entire town, but I want you to try.
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[ That's... a lot to process. Mostly because it's direct and straightforward and not at all what Kisa expected, half because she thought he'd get frustrated and huff and just tell her to get tougher. But he's always been supporting her, hasn't he? All this time, in his own grumpy way.
And it does... mean something, to hear it from something else. That she's worth something. Even if she doesn't like to think about being the last one here. Even if the thought scares her. ]
I... I'll try.
[ It's really all she can promise, quietly, but she thinks she owes him that much. And maybe herself, too. ]
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[It's not exactly a promise, but Damian will take it. He understands, logically, it's going to be some time before she's able to truly be independent. Just like it's taking him some time to learn to be... less assassin and more human. "Normal"?]
That's where to begin.
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[ It's very gentle teasing, at least. ]
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But in any case, if.
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But if... then I'll try. I can't keep... relying on you for everything.
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You still have the bloodsucker.
[It's a gentle tease, but he knows she'll probably get mad about it anyway because Sierra means a good deal to her. Apparently. (Thanks for the ass-kicking, MiL.)]
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Damian, you know her name by now, so please stop calling her that...
[ Yeah. She's huffing. ]
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I suppose I can find it in me to acknowledge someone who has fought me mostly honorably in combat...
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She fought you??
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Mm. [He shrugs one shoulder.] She offered to duel me.
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Why? Did... something happen?
[ Sierra doesn't seem like the type to pick fights for fun. ]
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It's fine.
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... I guess that's fine.
[ Maybe that means they're friends now?? ]
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