Real-ish

Sweet Escape

Damian~

Cora sits by the small pond in a little clearing in the forest by the manor. She seems much calmer than before. As I lean gently against a tree I take in the tranquility of our surroundings.

I'm glad there is at least one place in this universe that she's not wary of. The manor seemed to shock her. I can understand her reasoning if I take her typical living situation into account. However, I want her to be comfortable here.

Maybe she'll get used to it. I don't want her to be uncomfortable, yet I also want her to stay. Is it too much to want for both? 

Most likely.

Cora smiles down at something in the pond, most likely a fish or a frog. The water is clear enough to view the bottom if you look into it.

I love this place. I found it when my brothers started visiting more frequently. I needed an escape from their taunting.

I can handle myself well against them, and I am aware they do not mean anything by their words. But I had grown up in a place where I was respected, and even those I fought with weren't as energetic as those three. Headaches became commonplace.

This little clearing was perfect. The small pond creates an even more tranquil atmosphere. Meditation always comes easier here, and most importantly, the others do not come here.

Cora seems to feel the same. Her body language almost immediately relaxed once she took everything in. It's a fair way away from the manor as well. Rants have been had, with none of my siblings hearing a thing.

It's a surprisingly nice day today. Very few clouds block the sky. A vague thought of Gotham welcoming Cora has me restraining a smile, but the sight of Cora sticking her tongue out at something is enough to break my restraint.

The sun is getting close to setting now. I decide to sit next to Cora, making my footsteps a little louder so she knows I'm behind her. As amusing as spooking her is, the goal right now is to get her to calm down.

She pries her attention away from a grass-colored frog to look at me.

"Hey, Dami." She greets kindly.

"Hello. Are you enjoying the pond?" I ask, even though I already know the answer.

"Yeah. It's so peaceful here. I'll have to remember how to come back." She says. I can almost feel the serenity coming from her.

"I'll show you anytime you'd like. There are plenty of other places you can go in the meantime too if you're ready to see them." I prompt. She has only seen a couple of places in the manor. Just the things I was able to point out as we left.

"Okay, I think I'm ready now." She says, though she still seems a little hesitant. I don't want to rush her into anything she's not ready for.

"Are you sure? We can stay a little longer." I say.

She looks at me, determination replacing hesitance.

"I'm sure. After all, I wanted to come with you. So I'm going to enjoy it as much as I can." She says confidently.

"Where do you want to go first?" I ask, quite pleased with her change in demeanor. I'm not sure if Father told her about the manor or simply showed her to her room and left.

"Well, where is there to go?" It seems he did the latter, typical.

"We can go to the movie room, the gym, the kitchen, the ballroom, the library, the Cave, the dining room or I could show you the bedrooms that are currently occupied." I list, doing my best to remember each room we have that isn't a spare bedroom.