SWAN SONG / damian wayne

ONE, IMPURITIES

"WE'LL SETTLE AT Wayne Manor for a few days first," Remiel announced on the car, glancing up from her phone. Dick was driving, and Odile was in the back seat. "Get your place in order. And then I'll move in with Dick at Bludhaven."

"Is my place already furnished?"

"Yep." Dick gave a nod. "Don't worry about it. And Damian's living right next to you. You'll be neighbours."

Odile blinked. This was getting out of hand very quickly. "Damian's not living in Wayne Manor anymore?"

"He moved out last year," Dick said with a shrug. "He's twenty-one. Needs his own space. Not like Bruce is going to be lonely with all of us coming in and out anyways. We all need our own privacy."

"Does he know I'm moving in next to him?

"Yeah. He's been helping decorate your place and everything. If you run into any issues in Gotham, just ask him to give you a hand. You've known each other for so long anyways."

Odile wasn't quite sure what to think. Things had already gone a very different way than she'd imagined. She'd expected Damian to want nothing to do with her, to avoid her at all costs. Too many bad memories. Well, it wasn't even bad memories. It was just a bit... awkward.

Extremely awkward.

And now, apparently, she was moving in right next to him and he was just alright with that. He was even helping out.

Maybe there's a chance?

No, he was probably just being friendly. It would be awkward if he said no.

But he doesn't have to go this far to help you. He does care about you, Odile, he's known you since you were little children.

But after what happened...

Odile shook her head, banishing those thoughts from her head. She liked to live in the moment. No point worrying about it until she actually saw him. She could, at least, allow herself to enjoy this reunion with Dick, be happy with the way Remiel was grinning from ear to ear, and admire the scenery they were passing by, trying to commit it all to memory.

She'd picked up painting a few years ago. Remiel had pointed out numerous times it was probably smarter to take a picture of things she found beautiful to use as reference, but Odile always thought things were more... personal if it was taken right out of her brain. The reality of the world meets her mind. She usually drew objects, scenery, but rarely people. It felt strange to draw people. Even when she did, she kept them hidden. It felt too personal, showing people the way she saw them.

She'd prefer keeping that to herself.

She never got rid of them, though. It was interesting, looking through portraits of people she'd done over the years. It was like reading her own diary, a trip through time. Oh, I used to admire this person. Oh, I used to think this person was irritating. It was always weird, looking at the person they'd all been.

And realising how far they'd come.

That always made her feel nostalgic for the old days.

Dick was playing some old songs on the speaker, and he and Remiel were alternating between laughing and singing. Odile tilted her head, leaning on the window and staring outside. It reminded her of that first car journey all those years ago. When she'd first been brought to Hong Kong. Except Damian had been here then, instead of her alone in the backseat.

She'd learnt a lot about the world on that first car journey.

Truthfully, she didn't think Gotham City was as bad as a lot of people thought. There were good parts of it, and most of it was funded by corruption and bribery, but there was a beauty in everything. It was artistic, this city. The way it was cleaved in half. The way rich met poor, good met evil, hope met desperation. She'd already made it clear to Remiel that she was interested in charity. She was extremely interested in charity in Gotham City.