A. note: You know, this story might be very long too, judging by the amount of ideas floating in my mind.
Entry 3
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It has been almost half an hour since Korian'dr embraced Robin, and while Robin wasn't exactly familiar with the prospect, he wasn't repelled by it.
He felt the hot tears cascade down his chest and soaked into his shirt, and that made him somewhat uncomfortable. No, not because of Korian'dr, he just never had a woman cry into his chest for over thirty minutes. But he knew it was a necessity for the ill-fated girl.
Robin didn't know where this entire thing was going. What was she going to do now? Did she have anywhere else to go? What happened? Is she going to stay? How? Where? As a great strategist, Robin always browsed through questions and information in his head, and right now, the entire situation was definitely not in the text book.
But right now, the girl needed someone, and he could be that someone, at least until his brain can decide what to do later.
Fortunately, the girl wasn't acquainted with earth clichés, like falling asleep as she cried. Her full bawl had simmered and she just sniffed as she continued to hold onto the earthling boy.
While Robin, as noted, didn't mind the hug much, the girl's body scent was beginning to make him a little nauseous. He may have changed her clothes, something he didn't exactly find odious, but he definitely could not just go ahead and bathe her.
And while he changed her clothes, he had a difficult time, since he had to consciously suppress the urge to peek. But he did accidentally feel the soft skin on her thighs and back. He blushed from the memory.
As he saw the girl calm down, he decided it was a good time to talk. But before he could say anything, she uttered first.
"Thank you..." She murmured, and pulled away from him.
"......for everything, I-I did not mean to be a burden, I-I j-just, c-could n-not-"
"Hey, it's fine." Robin interrupted. "You've been through a lot, I can tell. You don't have to talk about it. I know what it feels like to have something you can never put away."
Korian'dr sniffed again, wiping the tears away, trying to regain some sort of dignity in front of her savior. After all, she is a Tamaranian warrior, despite her seemingly weak disposition.
"Y-yes. Thank you again, Richard. I owe you my life. I-I will do anything the best of my abilities to repay you."
Robin didn't why, but when she said that, his head was suddenly infiltrated by a dirty thought, and he chastised himself, harshly.
What the hell is wrong with you!? Keep it clean buddy!
"Well......, there is something you can do for me."
Korian'dr looked curious and slightly deterred. "What do you wish? I-I will try to do it if it is within my ability to do so."
"I'm pretty sure it is." He smiled. "I need you," he pointed, "to take a shower."
She blinked, not expecting that.
Robin chuckled. "No offense, but you stink of something fierce. And I couldn't give you a ba-"He cut himself off, well aware of what he was about to say.
Korian'dr somehow didn't seem to notice. "A what, Richard?"
"Ahahahahaha. Ummmm, c'mon, just go take a shower, you'll feel even better, I promise. I'll get you a towel and some clothes."
Korian'dr didn't exactly know what a shower is, but she could hazard a guess from his sentence, that it was a cleansing ritual of some sort.
Robin got up, and Korian'dr followed him into another room. It was smaller than the rooms she has seen in this lair so far, but a lot more whiter and smelled of cleanness. Also, there seemed to be some odd furniture around. There was what looked like a chair with a hole and some water in it. She couldn't really fathom the use of such a device.
"Here." He then showed her how the shower worked, which she found rather fascinating.
"Eeekk! Your planet has contraptions that produce water!? How incredible!"
Robin chuckled. "No, it doesn't produce water. It just transfers it from different reservoirs in the area through an underground water system."
The girl absorbed this and knew she could relate. Tamaran wasn't that primitive.
"Ah, I understand." She smiled, happy to understand her first knowledge on the technology of Earth, though unaware of the even vaster advanced technology on the outside world.
Robin grinned, and pulled out a towel and some clothes from the convenient drawer under the sink. Korian'dr noted this, and connected it with the large boxes in the room where she slept.
"Here you go. You wipe yourself off with this, and change into these after you're done showering."
It was perhaps then that Korian'dr realized what Robin had to do, and what he meant to say earlier, because she blushed rather fiercely, and turned her head slightly away from him.
"O-oh, t-thank you."
Robin also blushed slightly, knowing that she now knew he was the one who changed her clothes.
"Uh, I'll be just outside. Take as long as you want, there's no hurry. We'll talk once you're all freshened up."
And he left the girl to undress and take her much needed shower.
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Robin sat on a couch, and moaned slightly. He covered his face with his hand, rubbing his eyes in rhythm.
"Well, looks like I got myself caught in something rather interesting. Just great." He said sarcastically, but deep down inside, he knew he didn't regret it.
After a few moments, he heard the sound of the shower being turned on, and also a little yelping. Apparently, the girl had turned the temperature on too cold.
Robin stared at the bathroom door for a few moments, before chuckling.
Suddenly, his cell phone ringed. He frowned.
Click.
"Hello, who is this? There's no Joe Weiner here! I think you got the wrong number."
"Do not play games with me, my apprentice. You should know better." Slade's rhythmic and evil voice carried through the phone.
"Hehe, yeah, but you're just so cute when you're mad."
"I knew I should have disciplined you more strictly, perhaps we should review some of your lessons..." It was a mock threat and Robin knew it.
"Hahaha, sorry. What do you want?"
"I want you to retrieve the UL4 disc from the S.T.A.R. Lab's research facility in the south side of the city. The time limit is two days."
Robin grinned. "Finally, something that'll probably be a worthy challenge."
"I leave your obsessive compulsive thrill seeking antics to yourself. And on a second note, I have a question for you."
"Shoot."
"Trust me, I would."
Robin huffed. "And here I thought you hated humor, you asshole."
Slade ignored that. "By any sane chance, were you the imbecile who caused that rather amusing explosion last night?"
Ooooo, forgot about that. "Ummm, yeah. I got a little bored, and you know how I like to blow up stuff."
What Robin said was mostly true, his discs were often of the explosive persuasion, and he frequently used them as much as possible, whenever possible. He had once blew up half of Slade's lab just because he was hit with inspiration.
"........................"
"What?"
".........give me the disc in two days." Slade ended the communication.
Robin frowned at Slade's previous silence. While Slade took him in and trained him to become the unstoppable thief he is today, the man never truly shared his thoughts with him. They had a platonic relationship of master and ward, something that didn't exactly spell the word 'family'.
Besides training and missions, Robin and Slade never spent quality time together, not like Robin cared for any. He was too occupied by the torment of his trainings and of his life to care.
But he also knew that Slade did trust him more than anyone else. The evil man had never once checked on Robin's apartment or living situation, which is usually taken as a sign of negligence, but in this case, it was a sign of trust. That was how their relationship worked: Robin does not snoop in on Slade's businesses, and Slade leaves Robin's life to Robin.
Robin took another look at the bathroom door, trying to judge how long the girl might take, before he walked to his computer.
His computer has a custom security program that registers specific finger prints and voice recognition, thus only allows him to access. This setup was to prevent anyone from intruding upon his private files, though nothing of true importance was ever stored in it, it would be too easy for people to extract.
"Start up." He commanded, and the computer obeyed.
Instead of a window XP or some other desktop program, the computer showed a systematic outline of the entire Jump City, as well as several nearby cities in the north and in the east.
Robin began typing, his fingers accurate and swift in hitting the keyboard.
The target of his goal showed: S.T.A.R. Lab. Robin smirked, and quickly accessed connection to its security cameras.
"Aye caramba. They're not too shabby." He switched the image.
"UL4 disc.....UL4 disc, now where is....ha, here it is."
Robin leaned back into his chair, smirking. "Idiots, thinking they could hide it by putting it underground."
He popped his knuckles, ready to work on the project further, when the bathroom door suddenly started opening.
Shit! I almost forgot she's here.
"Power save." He said quickly, and the computer turned off.
Korian'dr walked out of the bathroom with some steam still flowing out. She looked very happy, and content. She was wearing the clothes Robin gave her, which was an oversized T-shirt and a pair of grey pajama pants. He thought the situation seemed a bit clichéd.
Cheeks flushing slightly from the shower, Korian'dr smiled as she spoke to Robin.
"Glorious! The ritual you call the 'shower' is so enjoyable. Just as enjoyable as the rilgu'fr hurglo'm!"
"Haha. Told ya you'd feel better. Oh, and what's this ril-goo thingy you mentioned?"
Korian'dr looked excited from the question. "It is a ritual of Tamaranian females to partake in soaking within a large body of warm water and much steam, while discussing various happenings in their recent lives. I myself have only went through the rilgu'fr hurglo'm once, but I remember it to be much fun!"
Robin smirked. "So, it's a spa."
"Gyu-I mean, pardon?"
"It's nothing, just something we earthlings do that's much more similar to that ritual of yours." He said while waving a hand. "Hey, while we're on the subject of Tamaranian rituals, why don't you tell me more about Tamaran?"
Robin felt his lips forcefully twitch upwards as the girl seemingly beamed with excitement.
"Oh! I have so much to share with you! Tamaran is such a lovely planet!"
Robin walked over to the couch and motioned for her to follow. They both sat down.
"Well, let's chat." He placed his elbow on the coach to support his head. "So, what's the planet like?"
Korian'dr closed her eyes, collecting her memories.
"The surface of the lands is of pristine white and a mixture of rosy red. One may see the vastness of the mountain trails that stretches toward the unreachable horizon. Oh, the land beams with luminosity with X'hal's blessings. Children could be seen carousing in the nearby inundated fields. And when the star of X'ahl has gone to rest, Glor'huls and Fin'wars often prowl through the lands. The air would become soothing and calmative, the most comfortable for slumber. The sky would then become a majestic violet that streams with the elements of gold, and some would remain conscious just to watch such a scene."
Her eyes never opened throughout her description, and her voice was saturated with serenity and longing.
Robin had already been pacified when she began to speak in that serene tone of hers, and when she finished, he too remained silent. He was enthralled by her voice and her face. It seemed almost surreal that the fact was the girl had only just learned English roughly over an hour ago.
After a few more moments, Robin spoke. "You miss Tamaran, huh?"
Korian'dr nodded, still not opening her eyes. "I miss my home......" She said in affirmation.
"Well, aren't you going to go back? I mean, there has to be someone looking for you, right? Someone to contact?"
She shook her head. "There is no one in search of my presence."
Robin frowned. "How are you going to get back then? Your shuttle was only for escape, and unless you know how to get there from here, I can't really-"
"I am not returning to Tamaran." She said firmly.
Robin paused. "........but, uh, why?"
Korian'dr finally opened her eyes, and stared into the confused orbs of the boy before her.
"There are circumstances that do not allow my return to Tamaran. But, even if I could return, I would not." She sniffed a bit.
"......in any condition, it is suffice to say that Tamaran is no longer my home."
Robin gazed at her sympathetically. "What are you going to do, then?"
Korian'dr sighed and lowered her head. "I honestly do not know. I cannot fathom my situation even as of now. But, if I could gather enough strength, perhaps I could discover a method of space travel, and maybe seek refuge on the districts of the planet Vanguard III."
Robin watched her, while mentally contemplating furiously.
Korian'dr was also silent, pondering on what to do with herself, worrying about the possibilities of never finding a planet to suite her, and how to thank Robin and how to say goodbye.
Robin reached a decision for her.
One of these days, I'm going to kick my own ass. Or maybe kick someone else's ass, yeah, that'd probably be better. I'm a sadist not a masochist.
"Korian'dr?"
She lifted her head to answer him. "Yes?"
"Why don't you just stay on Earth?"
The girl certainly looked surprised. "But I have no knowledge or familiarity of this planet. It is quite beautiful, but I do not understand how to settle myself into this civilization, if I can even comprehend it, let along find proper shelter."
Robin looked bemused by her reaction. "I don't know why you're worried, 'cause you're just going to be staying with me."
The Tamaranian female was definitely acquainted with many surprises as of late.
"But, I cannot-you have already done so much for me. You saved my life, and I can only give you my eternal gratitude, and now you propose this-I-I, do not know how to answer..."
"Look," Robin said as he laid his left hand on her right shoulder. "I know how it feels to be detached from a former life and a home. I used to live somewhere else, rather far away, though not exactly light years away, but you get the idea."
He cocked his head a bit.
"The point is: that I can relate to how you feel. I can't just let you go off in some uncertain attempt at going to a place I've never even heard of. I saved your life, remember? And I'm going to make sure that your life remains in the best condition: alive."
"But-I would only be a burden......"
"What? You think I'm gonna just keep you in this apartment like a canary? I'll teach you about Earth! I'll show you the city, the park, the people! C'mon, what do you say? Make this planet your new home."
Korian'dr still had some stubborn streak in her. "......but-but you barely know me, perhaps you would become ill of me......"
Robin sneered a little.
I had to live with Slade for over six years, now that was pure hell.
"I doubt that'd be an issue. Not everyone gets to wear that shirt, you know. It's like the greatest privilege in this apartment!"
Korian'dr held the oversized shirt in her fingers while staring at it, lips already starting to quiver as she contemplated Robin's proposal.
For X'hal knows how long, she had to endure constant sufferings and torture in the dark. When she was finally able to escape, she was not only blessed with freedom and a friend, but that friend had also provided her with overwhelming kindness. And now, he had provided her with a home.
She had desperately wanted to rush to the boy and hug him, her emotions were driving her and she had to use all her willpower to refrain herself, since she didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable.
So she just sat there, eyes shut and tears brimming on the edges of her eyelashes, as she scrunched her hands into fists while still holding on to the shirt.
".....th-th-thank y-you......" She sobbed a bit, and wiped her eyes.
Robin stood up and walked in front of her, then knelt to her level.
"Well then, roommate, welcome to your new home."
Korian'dr just could not contain her urge anymore. She wrapped her arms around the teen's neck and rested her head on his shoulder, and for the second time that day, cried with the hot tears. But this time, it was out of joy.
Robin wore a sheepish smirk on his face as he allowed the girl to embrace him.
Once again, he had made a rather idiotic choice. Who knew what complications this new arrangement could bring. It could very likely hinder his secret identity and activities, in having an outsider in his apartment.
He could've just helped her reach another planet, or find someone else to shelter her. There are many organizations in the world that dealt with extraterrestrials, surely they could help a hapless alien girl.
But he just couldn't bring himself to leave her alone, to let her seek aid from other jerks in the world that he trusted as much as he could throw them. Well, he could throw them pretty far, but the meaning is there. He was a dweller of the dark himself, and he knows what Earth is like. Many individuals were crafty and unscrupulous, and the organizations were the same, just ten times more venal.
So right now, he just allowed her to cry, to let everything out.
On a side note, Robin took a mental note that the girl was rather strong, as the hug was slightly painful, but he didn't say anything in fear of breaking the moment.
After awhile, Korian'dr calmed and removed herself from Robin. But this time, she was smiling.
"Now that's what I wanted to see."
"Teehee." She wiped her eyes with the shirt.
Robin then realized that they were going to need a lot more things in the apartment with the new occupant.
"Hey, let's go out and buy you some clothes. You can't be wearing my threads all the time."
She blinked in slight confusion. "Threads? What do you mean?"
"Huh?" Robin exclaimed. "'It's just a way of meaning fashion and stuff."
"Oh, I comprehend."
Robin thought for a bit. "Korian'dr, do you know what the phrase, 'raining cats and dogs', means?"
She looked puzzled. "A downpour of canines and felines? Is that an earth phenomenon? Such a peculiar occurrence."
I guess she doesn't understand idioms and maybe even slangs. Gotta say, this is interesting.
"Hahaha. No, it's not actually raining real cats and real dogs. It's a way of saying that a rain is pouring very hard, as if there were cats and dogs falling from the sky."
Korian'dr gave him a look of understanding but also conveyed confusion.
"Ah, I understand. Though, do earthlings have a habit of creating these flabbergasting wove of words? They are not as practical as just speaking unambiguously."
Robin grinned, agreeing with her. "You know, you're right. But it's just how things work here, something that everyone's used to."
Korian'dr nodded. "Then I shall strive to adapt. Please, teach me these idioms."
"Of course, I already said I was going to. C'mon, let's go buy those clothes now."
He led her to the door, and grabbed a large coat for her to put on, more or less to cover her current appearance until they get something more appropriate. He also gave her some sandals for footwear.
"What is our destination, Richard?"
Robin never thought he was going to say this. "We're going to the mall."
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The trip to the mall took longer than he had anticipated. Korian'dr had been very awed by the building Robin lived in, and she checked and asked about almost everything she didn't recognize or understand.
She asked about the elevator, she asked about the floors, she asked about the people that lived around their apartment (she felt strangely happy when she thought that), and she even asked about the carpets.
When they arrived at Robin's motorcycle, Korian'dr clearly showed the expression of an impressed girl. Well, every girl Robin showed his R-cycle to was impressed. But it felt especially great when the Tamaranian girl beamed at seeing their method of transportation.
Robin gave Korian'dr his helmet (he never wore that anyways, he does like the risk) and they drove off to the mall.
Of course, they went slower than necessary because Robin wanted to give Korian'dr a sight seeing tour as well. He took different and longer routes to the mall and often stopped briefly at different locations, each time explaining the details to the girl behind him.
Speaking of behind, Korian'dr was holding onto him rather tightly during the ride, and he had felt a little heated from the contact.
The interesting part of the ride, though, was when she had abruptly stopped asking questions, and he knew she was afraid of annoying him. So he began explaining things to her actively, and she knew it was his way of saying 'it's okay'.
When they actually arrived at the mall, Korian'dr gasped as if she just saw Elvis back from the dead. Having never seen a shopping center so grandiose and gigantic, she was immediately enthralled.
The bypassing crowd was also enthralled by her. Her golden tan skin, fiery red mane, and exotic green eyes sure as hell caught a lot of attention. Thankfully, no one come up and asked questions. Though Robin did prepare a few alibis.
So now Robin sat on a bench, waiting for Korian'dr to emerge from the dressing room.
His eyes suddenly caught the sight of a man, rather handsome and stylish, chatting and flirting with at least five girls. He probably should just ignore the scene, it was nothing, but an urge made him want to trifle him a bit.
So he walked behind the man, casually and nonchalantly. When he was right behind him, he swiftly dug the wallet out of the man's pockets, without even the girls noticing.
Robin then walked behind a clothes rack, and threw the wallet under it after taking out the credit card. He then waltzed back to the bench.
Just when he was about to sit down, Korian'dr walked out. She was wearing a new white shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans, accompanied by an adorable blue jacket as well. Also, she replaced the sandals with a pair of sneakers, something Robin thought would look cool.
"How do I present, Richard?" She asked, slightly embarrassed.
Robin whistled. "Girl, you look fine!" He exclaimed, and laughed as he explained the meaning to her.
"Teehee. Your flattering compliments are noted."
Robin cocked a grin. "Just stating what's obvious, Kori."
He smiled when she noted the pet name. "Kor-ree?"
"Yeah, I just thought it'd be easier for you to fit in if we give you a simpler name, since Korian'dr kind of throws people off."
"Oh, I understand. I do not wish to cause perplexity and difficulty for people to pronounce my name."
Robin just laughed a bit, and the two went to pick out more clothes.
In the end, they must have bought over at least ten different outfits, with some new footwear and .....ahem......underwear. Robin shamefully admits to himself that he has never gone shopping with a woman before, and had a particularly hard time to explain the concept of underwear to Kori. So, he just asked a female clerk to help do that for him.
The woman was expectedly perplexed, but Robin just told her that Kori was from a faraway island near the land of Themyscira. He knew that no one understood the islands there enough to make any claim.
The woman just seemed satisfied by the answer, or she just didn't care, and helped Kori buy some panties. Robin was slightly more convinced of the idea of Kori having great strength when she hugged the woman in gratitude, and the woman sort of yelped in pain.
The two piled everything and Robin paid the clerk, with the man's credit card, of course.
Kori then suggested she carry all the bags, since she was the one to be using the items. Robin smiled at this, knowing that most girls would probably make the guys carry all the stuff. He, of course, insisted that he would carry the bags.
He now found out that although the girl was extremely nice, she had a fiery soul and a stubbornness that matched his.
They each ended up carrying half of the bags and began their trip back to the apartment.
Robin smirked when they passed the now panicking man. He flung the stolen credit card under the clothe rack, after cutting it up.
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After they got back to the apartment, Robin immediately went about to setting up Kori's stuff and place to sleep. Luckily, Robin was a rather clean and organized person, though he kind of needs to be, so there was enough space to have another bed, which they'll go purchase tomorrow.
Halfway through their tasks, both stomachs growled loudly and they both laughed after a distinct silence.
So Robin went into the kitchen to cook dinner, telling Kori to just relax and maybe rest. She followed him into the kitchen.
"Hey, whatcha doing?" He asked in a slightly teasing tone.
The girl replied in a half serious tone. "You said you would teach me earth customs, and I will like to learn."
They both grinned.
"All right, go grab an apron, and I'll teach you how to make some delicious scrambled eggs."
The Tamaranian hurriedly grabbed an apron and placed it on through simple deduction.
She stood by Robin as he talked and explained, listening diligently, and Robin found himself enjoying teaching the young woman.
In fact, he began enjoying everything more with the presence of the alien girl, who had claimed herself to be a burden, a nuisance. Robin laughed sardonically at that idea.
There's a good chance, that she's probably the best wish I could have ever wished for on a fake wishing star.
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To be continued
Closing notes: So, now they're going to live together, isn't that sweet? Answer the question in reviews, please. Much obliged. Oh, also, Raven possibly will be making an entrance in the next two chapters. So Raven fans look out. Also, people who like the story Titans Rhapsody, don't worry, I'm still writing that, I just wanted to get this story started.