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Koriand’r of Tamaran can learn core languages of another individual by simply kissing them—as per her peoples’ abilities. Someone can learn and be proficient in many languages of course, but core languages are the ones closest to them; the ones that define them. When she had kissed Dick, she learned four.
English came first to her, as that was the most recent language he had used, and the one he speaks most often from day to day.
Romani came second, faded and full of melancholy. Japanese was third, a distant memory, but still beloved.
The last language was strange. It was unlike any other language on Earth. It consisted of chirps and churrs, relying more on emotion to get a thought across rather than the words themselves.
It was buried deep, almost forgotten.
Even more odd, the language does not even have a name. But there is a yearning for it. She can feel it.
One day, after a mission that had gone almost painfully awry, Dick is still awake, desperately taking his frustration out on a punching bag. There is an already broken one that lays by the wayside, its contents spilling onto the floor.
He blames himself. She hates seeing him like this.
«Friend-Don’t-Mad,» Kori tells him, her voice as soothing as possible.
Dick startles, looking back at her with wide eyes. “Say that again.”
She tilts her head in curiosity, but complies.
Dick lets out a shaky breath, closing his eyes. “Kori... oh my god. Of course you’d learn that. Kori...”
«Confuse-Explain.»
It takes a moment for Dick to finally say, “I haven’t heard anyone talk like that in a long time.”
How awful, no one deserves one of their core languages to be denied. «Friend-Talk-With?»
“No, Kori.. I can’t. I can’t speak it anymore.”
Kori is even more confused now. She’s heard of individuals losing the ability to speak, but didn’t know that losing the ability to speak one’s core language was possible.
Dick holds out his hand near hers. His knuckles are split and bloody. “Hand?”
Kori gives him her hand, letting him guide it towards his throat. “What do you feel?” he asks.
An odd request, but she explores the neck like he asks. Dick’s skin is warm, but there’s just something off. Something is missing. “You can not speak it,” Kori concludes in English.
Dick nods, looking crestfallen.
“I do not understand,” Kori says carefully, “how do you know a language you can not speak?”
He huffs out a breath. He suddenly looks exhausted, as if all the anger had been sapped from him. “What are your views on reincarnation?”
An odd change of topic.
Unless.
Kori widens her eyes in surprise. “…You?”
Dick smiles softly. “Yes. I have memories of my past life. I used to chirp with my brothers all the time.” His eyes begin to dim. Misty.
“I apologize, Dick. I did not mean to cause you distress. I will not speak that tongue ever again.”
“No!” Dick protests, squeezing her fingers. “Please. I miss it. Can you… can you speak more? I don’t care what it is—you can even read a thesaurus if you want.”
«Dick.»
His breathing hitches. “Can you… can you call me Leo?”
«Leo.»
Dick—Leo?—lets out a quiet sob. He almost falls into his knees, but Kori pulls him close, sinking them both down gently.
“I miss them. I miss them so much,” Dick says.
She starts to sing a Tameranean lullaby, the first thing that pops into her head. The lyrics are a bit clumsy because some words have no direct translation, but Dick didn’t seem to mind.
“You have a beautiful voice, Kori,” Dick compliments her, his own sounding hoarse and weak.
«Warm-Thanks.»
He smiles. She sings another song, and to her embarrassment she forgets the words. She opts to replace it with a hum, or in the language’s equivalent, a churr. Dick holds her closer, signaling how much he craves to hear more of it.
Dick closes his eyes, leaning into her. “I never thought I’d hear that language again, let alone spoken by someone close.”
«Friend-Close-Care,» Kori replies instinctively.
He lets out another breath, more even than before. His grip on her hand tightening. “It's funny... I’ve spent so long being Richard, or Dick. But when I hear that name—Leo—it feels like... like I’m home again.”
«Home-Here-Now,» she says, her voice resolute. She cups his face gently, forcing him to look into her eyes. «Friend-Not-Alone.»
Dick stares at her for a moment, his blue eyes glistening with unshed tears. “You’re right,” he whispers, his voice barely audible. “I’m not alone.”
The weight of his words seems to settle between them. Kori continues to churr softly, stroking his hair with one hand.
“Thank you,” he murmurs, his voice breaking slightly. “For speaking.”
«Leo,» she says softly, testing the name again.
“I think…” he pauses, searching for the right words. “There’s so many things going on right now, but I think... I think for today, I’m better. Now that you’re here.”
Kori leans forward, pressing her forehead to his. «Always-With—Speak-For-Leo,» she promises, her voice filled with an unwavering certainty that leaves no room for doubt.
The two find themselves on the rooftop of the Tower for fresh air—leaving clean up of the training area for later. They sit on the edge, a calming silence between them as they enjoy each other’s presence, the only sounds coming from the distant hum of the city below.
Eventually, the curiosity gets the better of her as Kori turns to Dick. She tugs lightly on his sleeve to get his attention.
«Tell-Story?» she asks, her voice gentle but insistent. She scoots closer, drawing her knees up to her chest. «About-Brothers?»
Dick stiffens for a moment, caught off guard by the request.
«If-Leo-Want,» Kori assures him.
His shoulders relax. He sighs, a small, wistful smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “My brothers… I miss them every day.”
Kori leans in, tilting her head, waiting patiently for him to continue.
“I had three younger brothers,” he begins, his voice low. “Raph was the second oldest. Tough, stubborn, but always had our backs. He and I butted heads a lot, but he was loyal, you know? Always ready to throw himself into danger for the rest of us.”
Kori nods, her eyes soft with understanding. «Strong-Heart,» she says quietly.
Dick smiles, his gaze growing distant. “Yeah, that’s a good way to put it.” He pauses for a moment, then continues. “Then there was Donnie. Smartest guy I’ve ever known—smarter than Bruce in some ways. He could figure out anything—tech, science, you name it. He was always tinkering, always coming up with some new invention to get us out of trouble.”
«Wise-Mind,» Kori says, her voice full of admiration.
Dick chuckles softly. “Exactly. Donnie was the brain, no doubt about it. And Mikey… well, he was the youngest. The jokester. Always making us laugh, even when things were tough. He had this way of seeing the world—lighthearted, carefree. It didn’t matter how bad things got; he always found something to smile about.”
Kori’s lips curve into a smile at that. «Light-Soul,» she murmurs.
“Yeah,” Dick says, his smile fading just slightly as the weight of the memories settles over him. “Mikey could brighten any room. I spent most of my life trying to protect them—Raph, Donnie, and Mikey. I was their big brother, their leader. It was my job to keep them safe, to guide them.” He swallows hard, the lump in his throat growing. “But I wasn’t always successful.”
Kori reaches out, resting her hand gently on his arm. «Did-Best,» she says softly, her gaze unwavering. «Brothers-Know-Love.»
Dick looks down at her hand, then back at her, the words sinking in slowly. He nods, though a hint of sadness still lingers in his eyes. “I tried,” he whispers. “But it wasn’t enough.”
They sit in silence for a few moments before Kori speaks again, «Tell-More?»
Dick glances at her, then lets out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. “Okay, I don’t know why but this is the first one that pops up. It’s nothing special... but there was this one time… Raph and I got into this huge argument. It started over something stupid—what music to listen to while training—but it escalated fast. Donnie tried to mediate, but that never worked with Raph. Before we knew it, Mikey jumped in, just egging us on for fun.”
Kori’s eyes brighten with amusement. «Mikey-Cause-Trouble?» she teases.
Dick laughs, the sound light, almost nostalgic. “Oh, definitely. Always. Before long, the argument turned into this full-blown wrestling match. We were rolling around, throwing punches, but none of it was serious. We were brothers. That’s just how we worked things out sometimes. Eventually Donnie started blasting this super crunchy and super bassy song that shook the walls of the dojo. He rigged the sound system to make it so loud we couldn’t hear ourselves think.”
Kori laughs with him, their duet a soft melody in the night. «Sound-Fun.»
“It was,” Dick says, the smile lingering on his face. “We all teamed up and chased him around until he agreed to shut it off—but not before forcing everyone to agree to take turns with the music—like officially. We drew straws for the order and Donnie ended up winning so we still had to listen to that god-awful noise.”
He barks out a laugh, enjoying the memory. When he quiets, his eyes are looking into the distance. “Even when we fought, it never lasted long. We had this bond… something unspoken. I didn’t even have to say anything—just a look or a gesture, and they’d understand. We always knew we had each other’s backs, no matter what.”
Kori squeezes his hand gently, her eyes full of warmth and understanding. «Brothers-Always-With,» she says quietly, her words more than a reassurance—they’re a promise.
Dick swallows hard, his eyes misty. “Yeah,” he whispers, his voice barely audible. “They’re still with me.”
He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opens them again, there’s a flicker of peace in his gaze. “Thank you,” he says, his voice thick with emotion.
Kori smiles softly, her hand still resting on his arm. «Always-With,» she repeats, her words a quiet vow.
Bruce soon takes in another foster kid, a boy named Jason. From the moment Jason stepped through the door, it was clear he had something against Dick. His arms were always crossed when Dick was around, eyes hard, and whenever Dick tried to strike up a conversation, Jason would shut him down, barely giving him the time of day. It’s like trying to talk to a brick wall.
At least, according to Dick.
Dick sighs as he leans against the doorframe of his room, arms crossed in frustration. Kori sits on the windowsill as she watches him carefully. She senses his unease without needing to ask.
“Why does he hate me already?” Dick mutters, more to himself than to Kori.
“He does not hate you, Dick,” Kori says softly, tilting her head. “He simply does not know you yet.”
“He doesn’t want to know me.” Dick huffs, pushing himself off the wall. “I’ve tried everything. I offered to show him around, asked him if he wanted to train with me, even brought him some of Alfred’s cookies. Nothing works. He just… shuts me out.” Dick lets out a snort. “Well, he takes the cookies but then he leaves before I can even put a word in edgewise.”
Kori smiles knowingly. “You are trying. You are a good brother, Dick.”
“Not to Jason, I’m not,” Dick mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Give him time,” Kori encourages. “He is scared. And alone. You remember how that feels.”
Dick pauses. “Yeah, I do. But how do I get through to him?”
Kori hops off the windowsill, crossing the room to stand in front of him. She places a hand on his arm, offering him a comforting smile. “You already know how. You are a good big brother.” She gasps as an idea forms in her mind. “Perhaps you should tell him something about yourself—something not on a dossier to invite trust. Like a story from Before?”
Dick looks at her, unsure but wanting to believe her words. “I don't know, Kori... that's not something many people usually believe in.”
“I believed it.”
“Well, you had proof.”
Kori mulls over his words. “Share it like it is a dream.”
“A dream?”
“A dream from your heart. Everything would still be true, but others could easily consider it a dream, rather than a memory.”
“...You really think that’ll work?”
Kori shrugs. “Perhaps. What is the risk of trying?”
A few days later, Dick brings Jason to the Tower.
“Hey, Jason,” Dick starts, his voice calm and casual. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”
Kori notices immediately how close Jason is to Dick, hiding behind him. She smiles. Something good must have happened.
“This is Kori,” Dick introduces.
Kori smiles. “Hello, Jason,” she says, her voice gentle.
Dick smirks, his eyes calculating. “I thought it might be cool for you to hear something special. Kori has this way of speaking—it’s a language that only she and I understand.”
Jason’s eyes flicker with mild interest.
“Kori,” Dick says, turning to her, “could you greet him in our special language?”
Without missing a beat, Kori steps closer, feeling her throat vibrate whenever she speaks in the unique language she and Dick share. «Hello-Friend-Welcome.»
Jason looks at her in shock. “Say it again,” he says, his voice quiet but urgent, as if he’s desperate to hear it one more time.
Kori repeats the phrase. «Hello-Friend-Welcome.»
His eyes shine, making Kori smile. She recognizes the look. It would seem that despite the impossibility and against all the odds, Dick had found his brother.