An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
story summary:
In a world divided by conflict, an alliance between the Kingdom of Shadows and the House of al Ghul is forged through an arranged marriage between Prince Damian and Princess Raven. It’s a political move: cold but calculated. There is no animosity between them, but no intimacy either. They don’t expect friendship, let alone love.
But duty calls. The marriage must be consummated, and an heir must follow.
What begins as obligation soon becomes a transactional, passion-laced agreement: friends with benefits in royal garments who, over time—and with a little... manual assistance—begin to unravel.
When I’m looking for inspiration for a story—or when I just need to reacquaint myself with characters—I rewatch the DCAMU. As one does.
Recently I rewatched Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, and something finally clicked for me during that Damian/Raven scene. Specifically this line:
“When I asked you to join me in leading the League of Assassins. I wasn’t doing it because you were a good fighter. I… had feelings for you.”
Now, I know some of you are already like:
“Oh my god, yes, we know. Cute. Peak shipping material. What of it?”
Fair. Valid.
BUT.
Am I really supposed to ignore the fact that Damian phrasing it as “join me in leading” is not, like… a low-key marriage proposal???
And I’m only being half cheeky here.
So. Let’s break this shit down—because it’s fun 🫶
Read my arguments blow👇
What is explicitly canonical in the dialogue
From this scene, we have some very clear, unambiguous canon facts:
Damian asked Raven to join him in leading the League of Assassins
He explicitly states it was not because she’s a good fighter
He 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 is hard canon. No debate there.
Is “join me in leading” literally a marriage proposal in-text?
Strictly speaking?
No.
The film never uses the words marriage, wife, queen, or bride.
So if someone asks:
“Is this explicitly stated as a marriage proposal in canon?”
The honest answer is:
No, not textually explicit.
But that is not where the conversation ends—and this is where I think my argument actually has teeth.
The cultural context matters (and canon allows for it)
Within League of Assassins canon across DC media, leadership is:
Dynastic
Familial
Intimately tied to bloodline and legacy
Almost always ruled by a pair or family unit, not some casual co-lead situation
(Which I think most of us are aware of.)
So when Damian says:
“When I asked you to join me in leading the League of Assassins…”
He is not saying:
“Hey, wanna be my coworker?”
Nah.
He is saying:
“Stand beside me at the highest level of power in my world.”
That is functionally spousal, even if it’s not linguistically labeled as such.
Like, homeboy is basically saying:
“Come be my Demon Queen.”
Ballsy.
And we dig it.
Damian’s character specifically strengthens this reading
This part is key.
Damian Wayne:
Does not emote casually
Does not offer vulnerability lightly
Does not share power unless it is earned or bonded
Was raised in a culture where commitment precedes romance, not the other way around
For this character, with this upbringing, that phrasing carries way more weight than it would coming from literally anyone else.
And the fact that he only clarifies his feelings after Raven declines suggests:
He understood the request as profound
He believed the meaning was self-evident
He only spells it out because she didn’t fully understand what he was asking—and 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 actually reinforces the interpretation.
If you disagree? That’s fine. We’re just not friends 😜
So what is my argument, canonically speaking?
My argument is not:
“Damian canonically proposed marriage.”
But it can be accurately stated as:
“Within the cultural and narrative framework of the League of Assassins and Damian’s upbringing, asking Raven to ‘join him in leading’ functions as the emotional and symbolic equivalent of a marriage proposal, even if not textually labeled as such.”
Which is:
Canon-supported
Textually defensible
Character-consistent
Not contradicted anywhere in the DCAMU
In fandom terms:
This is strong implicit canon, not just shipping headcanon.
In conclusion (aka thanks for coming to my TED Talk)
I’m not claiming Damian said the word marry.
I’m saying that in the League of Assassins, shared leadership is an intimate, lifelong bond tied to legacy. And given Damian’s upbringing, values, and emotional restraint, asking Raven to rule beside him is functionally equivalent to proposing a shared life together.
Anyway. That’s my rant.
Thanks for coming to my TED Talk—
feel free to scream in the comment section 🫶
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
This is the story of Raven, who works part-time at a bookstore, and Damian, a customer. I love the beautiful writing and the portrayal of their feelings.
***Set in an alternate universe without heroes or powers.***
•Family Chaos. Dark Comedy. Sexual Themes.
•Shippings include: Tim x Kon, Damian x Rachel, Bruce x Selina, Dick x Kori.
(A Christmas Story)
Damian Wayne stays home for Christmas for the first time in years. Bruce Wayne has a color-coded binder of mandatory events. Jason Todd is sporting an ankle monitor. Tim Drake is secretly sleeping with the enemy. A hush-hush Wayne elopement featuring Vegas. Koriand’r accidentally gets people high. Cassandra and Stephanie plan to flee the country. Jimmy Olsen can’t catch a cab. The Kents are in an RV. Wally and Irey West get temporarily trapped. Dick Grayson crashes out over peanuts. Duke Thomas learns what it means to be Selina’s favorite.
And halfway across the world, Talia al Ghul— a literal dictator— realizes Damian refused to return home for Christmas because he’d rather spend it with his girlfriend (Damirae this time, sorry) and that suspicious ride-or-die group of friends.
Absolutely nothing goes according to plan.
(Rating change due to certain scenes/incidents.)
Do we like how I wrote up the couples here or no?
Yes
No
Yes but write it again w/Flatline instead (as requested on discord.)
No because your writing is shit (you sound like my mom)
No because your chapters are too long I’m going to cry.
No because, I can totally picture Damian getting unsolicited advice from each of the batkids when they hear he’s going on a date. All of them having a completely different idea of what that entails😭
Steph: Remember to always offer your hoodie, even if she’s taller than you. We girls like that.
Damian: we’re in the middle of June, Brown. In what world do you think is appropriate to bring a piece of clothing designed for cold weather when it’s 90° degrees outside?
…
Duke: Everyone loves a good joke, it’s a good way to break the ice as well.
Damian: Thank you, Thomas. That also works as a great way to defeat Mr. Freeze if he ever decides to escape Arkham.
…
Cass: *explaining in full detail how to look for signs that his date is not interested anymore through body language*
Damian: *taking extensive notes about it*
…
Tim: Don’t forget to find out everything about her and her background.
Damian: *visibly offended* Who do you think I am, Drake? An Amateur? I obviously already did that. Full report is in the batcomputer files.
…
Babs: Just don’t do anything Dick tells you.
Damian: …
…
Dick: Did Babs actually say that? Whatever, just remember to be polite, make her laugh, pay for the meal and walk her home.
*makes a pause*
Dick: Bruce already gave you “the talk”, right? If not, this is about to get veeery awkward…
Damian: *mutters curses in Arabic*
…
Damian: Todd, do you have a minute? I need your assistance in getting intel for a mission.
Jason: Does this mission involve the date everyone else has been so eagerly talking about? *smirks devilish*
Damian: …
Jason: …
Damian: You read Austen, you have the greatest intel of them all to fill me in on this assignment.
Jason: Sit down and listen close, little spawn. Here’s what you’re gonna do if you want that girl to have the best date she’s ever gonna get.
tangentwithtanner
dededos
dailybridgerton
prguitarman
romaincrisis
origamiaround
