When Iโm looking for inspiration for a storyโor when I just need to reacquaint myself with charactersโI rewatch the DCAMU. As one does.
Recently I rewatchedย Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, andย somethingย finally clicked for me duringย that Damian/Raven scene. Specifically this line:
โWhen I asked you to join me in leading the League of Assassins. I wasnโt doing it because you were a good fighter. Iโฆ had feelings for you.โ
Now, I know some of you are already like:
โOh my god, yes, we know. Cute. Peak shipping material. What of it?โ
Fair. Valid.
BUT.
Am I really supposed to ignore the fact that Damian phrasing it asย โjoin me in leadingโย is not, likeโฆ aย low-key marriage proposal???
And Iโm only beingย halfย cheeky here.
So. Letโs break this shit downโbecause itโs fun ๐ซถ
Read my arguments blow๐
What isย explicitlyย canonical in the dialogue
From this scene, we have some very clear, unambiguous canon facts:
Damianย asked Raven to join him in leading the League of Assassins
Heย explicitly statesย it wasย notย because sheโs a good fighter
Heย confesses romantic feelings
He frames the request as emotionally vulnerable and deeply personal
Raven understands it as such (her response confirms she clocked the weight of it)
That much isย hard canon. No debate there.
Is โjoin me in leadingโย literallyย a marriage proposal in-text?
Strictly speaking?
No.
The film never uses the wordsย marriage,ย wife,ย queen, orย bride.
So if someone asks:
โIs this explicitly stated as a marriage proposal in canon?โ
The honest answer is:
No, not textually explicit.
But that isย notย where the conversation endsโand this is where I think my argument actually has teeth.
The cultural context matters (and canon allows for it)
Withinย League of Assassins canonย across DC media, leadership is:
Dynastic
Familial
Intimately tied to bloodline and legacy
Almost always ruled byย a pair or family unit, not some casual co-lead situation
(Which I think most of us are aware of.)
So when Damian says:
โWhen I asked you to join me in leading the League of Assassinsโฆโ
He isย notย saying:
โHey, wanna be my coworker?โ
Nah.
He is saying:
โStand beside me at the highest level of power in my world.โ
That isย functionally spousal, even if itโs not linguistically labeled as such.
Like, homeboy is basically saying:
โCome be my Demon Queen.โ
Ballsy.
And weย digย it.
Damianโs character specifically strengthens this reading
This part is key.
Damian Wayne:
Doesย notย emote casually
Doesย notย offer vulnerability lightly
Doesย notย share power unless it is earnedย or bonded
Was raised in a culture whereย commitment precedes romance, not the other way around
Forย thisย character, withย thisย upbringing, that phrasing carriesย way more weightย than it would coming from literally anyone else.
And the fact that heย only clarifies his feelings after Raven declinesย suggests:
He understood the request as profound
He believed the meaning was self-evident
He only spells it out because she didnโt fully understand what he was askingโand in the throes of the final hour, he needed her to know what he meant.
Which is.
So.
Fucking.
Cute.
Honestly, I feel like this actuallyย reinforcesย the interpretation.
If you disagree? Thatโs fine. Weโre just not friends ๐
So what is my argument, canonically speaking?
My argument isย not:
โDamian canonically proposed marriage.โ
But itย canย be accurately stated as:
โWithin the cultural and narrative framework of the League of Assassins and Damianโs upbringing, asking Raven to โjoin him in leadingโ functions as the emotional and symbolic equivalent of a marriage proposal, even if not textually labeled as such.โ
Which is:
Canon-supported
Textually defensible
Character-consistent
Not contradicted anywhere in the DCAMU
In fandom terms:
This isย strong implicit canon, not just shipping headcanon.
In conclusion (aka thanks for coming to my TED Talk)
Iโm not claiming Damian said the wordย marry.
Iโm saying that in the League of Assassins,ย shared leadership is an intimate, lifelong bond tied to legacy. And given Damianโs upbringing, values, and emotional restraint, asking Raven to rule beside him is functionally equivalent to proposing a shared life together.
Anyway. Thatโs my rant.
Thanks for coming to my TED Talkโ
feel free to scream in the comment section ๐ซถ
Damian: โWhy is your ex-boyfriend sending you roses and love notes?โ
Raven: โIt's not a love note.โ
Damian: โit damn well looks like one to me. What does he mean by โchange your mind?โ โ
Raven: โI told him about our engagement a few months ago. He showed up in NY and implied heโd be open to giving our relationship another shot. I declined. He left. The end.โ
Damian: โObviously not the end, given this lovely bouquet he sent you.โ
Raben: โitโs just flowers, theyโre harmless.โ
Damian: โSome imbecile is sending you flowers, and you want to tell me itโs harmless?โย
(he picked up the card again) โthought of you at midnight. Hope you're doing well. Love Wally Westโ
Damian: โit doesn't take a genius to know what he was doing while he was thinking of you at midnight.โ
Kind of a reach here, but hey, confessing your love on the altar is still confessing your love, right? (Even if youโve done it a thousand times before?????)
It's only a few months away now, and this year is a bit special as it's the 5th canonversary, starting on the 5th day of May, in the year 2025!
By popular vote, here are the chosen prompts for DamiRae week this May! We hope everyone has fun with the selection and we are excited to see what you all come up with.
Like every year, there are two prompts you can choose from for each day of the week. You can pick your favorite, mix them together, or make changes as you see fit to make it your own. If your favorite didn't make the cut - no worries! We have a 'free space' option you can take advantage of on the last day. What we want most out of this is for everyone to be excited about participating and that we can all have fun!
Yes my friends, Damirae is a confirmed canon relationship in the Harley Quinn show. He mentioned he had a girlfriend last season and apparently it was Raven the whole time. Too bad she dumps him in this episode but I don't even care because DC just made them canon in another universe, WE WON!! Yes it's an unserious universe, but the damirae acknowledgement again feels so incredible. Especially for all those people saying they'd never happen again!
Marriage with Damian Wayne is not a fairytaleโitโs an obsession disguised as devotion.
From the moment Damian slipped that ring onto your finger, he silently swore to himself that no force in the worldโbe it man, god, or monsterโwould ever take you away from him. You are his, and he is yours. Completely.
Damian is the kind of husband who worships you in his own intense, borderline overbearing way. He refers to you as "beloved" in private and "my wife" with a possessive pride when speaking to others. The word "you" leaves his lips like a prayer, filled with reverence and authority all at once.
He memorizes every single one of your habits and preferences. He knows how you take your coffee, the exact temperature you prefer for your showers, the kinds of books you gravitate toward, and even the way your breathing changes when you're upset. Itโs all cataloged in his mind so he can anticipate your every need before you even voice it.
Damian rarely lets you out of his sight. Even when he's at Wayne Enterprises or patrolling Gotham as Batman, his mind is constantly on you. He has cameras in the house to check in on you, and you can bet heโs hacked your phone to keep tabs on your location. He tells himself itโs for your safety, but the truth is he canโt bear the thought of not knowing where you are.
Youโve noticed how Damian often hovers. At first, it felt sweetโyour husband leaning against the kitchen counter, silently watching as you cook dinner. But after a while, you realize itโs less about affection and more about possessiveness. He watches you like a hawk, as if ensuring youโll never slip away from him.
Damian is fiercely protective, to the point of paranoia. Youโve never had to lift a finger in defense because he handles every perceived threat with ruthless efficiency. Some guy at work who got a little too friendly? Fired and blacklisted within the week. A stranger who made you uncomfortable in public? Letโs just say theyโll think twice before crossing anyone again.
He insists on walking you everywhere, hand firmly clasped around yours. When you protest, he coolly reminds you, "The streets of Gotham are not safe, beloved. Allow me this privilege."
Damian is terrifyingly romantic in the most intense, Damian Wayne way possible. He fills your home with rare flowers imported from across the globe, but youโll find out later he had the entire shipment rerouted because he didnโt want anyone else to have them. He writes poetry about you in Arabic, his handwriting bold and precise, and hides the pages in places he knows youโll find them.
Arguments with Damian can be draining because he does not let go. He wonโt shout or lose his temper, but he will dissect the situation until you either agree with him or admit defeat. And if you try to storm off mid-fight? Good luck. Heโs faster, stronger, and determined not to let you leave unresolved.
His softer moments are almost disarming. Youโll catch him staring at you when youโre reading or brushing your hair, and he looks so boyish and in love that it takes your breath away.
Damian is obsessed with physical contact. Whether itโs his hand resting on the small of your back, his arm draped over your shoulders, or his fingers intertwined with yours, heโs always touching you. Itโs both grounding for him and a subtle way to remind himselfโand everyone elseโthat youโre his.
Your wardrobe slowly changes under Damianโs influence. He loves seeing you in luxurious silks and soft cashmere, claiming you deserve only the finest. He buys you dresses and jewelry that scream wealth and power, though he always insists that nothing could ever truly compare to your beauty.
He doesnโt tolerate secrets between you twoโat all. If youโre upset, heโll press and press until you spill your feelings, his voice gentle but firm. And if you ever lie to him? Heโll know instantly. He wonโt get angry, but his silent disappointment will cut deeper than any words ever could.
Damian spoils you to the extreme, but thereโs an undertone of control in it. He doesnโt say it outright, but you know he expects a certain level of reciprocation: your attention, your love, your time.
When he sleeps (if he sleeps), his arm is always around your waist. If you ever wake up in the middle of the night and try to leave the bed, heโll instinctively pull you back, murmuring, โStay with me, habibti.โ
Despite his obsession, Damian loves you deeply and wholeheartedly. In his own way, he truly believes heโs doing whatโs best for youโprotecting you, cherishing you, making you feel adored. And in those quiet, tender moments when he presses a kiss to your forehead and whispers how much you mean to him, you canโt help but believe it too.
But deep down, you know: Damian doesnโt just love you. He owns you. And he will never let you go.
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