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jasonrae117 · 3 months

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Midnight Promises Broken at Dawn

Part One Here

A few days later, an unusual warm spell had melted the snow, but had left freezing rain in its wake. For the past week, Raven's traps had laid empty since all the animals in the surrounding forest had bedded down to wait out the freezing rain, and the last bit of food she had brought or foraged had been consumed days ago.

It was no surprise that her half-dreams of whispering shadows had returned. Hallucinating was a symptom of extreme starvation, after all. Feeling a presence in the room with her, Raven curled tighter in her thin, worn blankets, listening to stray drops of rain sizzle on the fire in the hearth. She was trying to force herself to sleep. The sooner she could fall asleep, the sooner she could forget about the hollowness in her stomach.

“You're still here.”

Raven chose not to waste precious energy on a response, and instead lay there in silence. Her hallucinations were rarely so curious. However, the shadows continued to talk, as if unnerved by her silence.

“Honestly, it's a feat you've managed to last this long.” The darkness slid along the corners of the room, and she felt the weight of its stare. “Humans tend to die when faced with circumstances like this.” There was another long pause, and the shadow seemed to drop closer to the floor, as if inspecting her like she was a decaying rodent. “Perhaps you will die soon. It would ease your suffering at the very least.”

That was an unnecessary slight. Her eyes snapped open and she glared into the coals of the fire, forcing that gnawing, hungry feeling to the back of her mind. “I refuse to let my father be right.”

The shadows were quiet for a long moment as they continued to watch her. “Your father?”

“Father.” She snorted, the sound growling and divisive. “The unfortunate seed from which I was born.”

There was another pause. “You seem to harbor some hostility towards your father.”

“That's a bit of an understatement.”

A soft hum escaped, as if the shadows fully understood the vitriol in those words. They spoke again, their question genuinely curious. “What would your father be right about?”

“That the only good thing about my existence is ending it.” Raven's words were thick with hatred, and she closed her eyes against the dry heat of the fading coals. The emptiness in her stomach was fading as sleep started to claim her, curling in at the edges of her mind. “The fucker can rot in his grave for all I care. I'll survive just to prove he was wrong about me. I am not the curse he thinks I am.”

“Your determination is almost charming."

She snorted and turned her head into the bunch of clothes serving as a pillow. “I don't need my hallucinations patronizing me.”

“Don't make it so easy then.”

Raven gave a breathy laugh as the last bit of her energy faded, letting sleep pull her into its quiet embrace. “Mouthy bastard.”

The last thing she heard was a low, rumbling laugh.

He wished he could stay away from her.

He should have stayed away from her. Contact between gods and mortals never ended well. The union between his parents was case and point. And yet he had returned to the rotting cabin again looking for… her.

When Damian had visited her next, the deep, bone shattering cold of midwinter had returned, and the brief few days of wet icy warmth had disappeared. The cabin smelled of rot and stagnant water and… something else. His lip curled up in disgust, and Damian covered his nose against the scent.

The coals in the fire had died hours ago, and any light that would have come in from the outside was swallowed by a clouded, moonless sky. It was still and eerie, as though all life had been sucked out of the space, leaving a vacuum where something had once stood. Damian moved through the space, feeling around himself for echoes of her.

She must have left. Well, good. At least it would keep strangers off his land. A small feeling that seemed almost like sadness twisted in his chest, and Damian stepped onto the decayed floor. His toe hit what felt like a heavy bag, and he frowned. Dropping down to a low squat, he pressed his hand against…

Her ribs.

Damian dug around in his pockets until he found his cell phone, and flicked on the flashlight. Raven was laying sprawled out on the floor, her breathing shallow and coarse. The smell of sickness and death washed over her, staining her skin. His fingers slid down her side, feeling her ribs nearly poke through the thin fabric of her sweater.

When had she eaten last… and what was it?

He thought it was odd that was the first thought he had in his mind - a feeling of concern for someone he barely knew. His grandfather was not a benevolent god, and Damian wasn’t sure if he was too. His reign on earth was too short to understand who he really was. His lips twitched, and his fingers pushed back her ragged hair from her face, watching her eyes twist underneath the dark color of her eyelids. She wasn’t going to last more than a few more days, and that was only if she was lucky.

He groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. He shouldn’t do this. He really shouldn’t do this. Cursing under his breath, Damian lifted her slight frame into his arms and stepped out of the cabin into the cold night.

Raven was floating somewhere.

She wasn’t entirely sure where, but somewhere.

Gods, she would hate it if her father was right. She rolled onto her side, expecting to feel the hard cold dirt of the cabin floor, but instead felt soft sheets and an even softer mattress beneath her. She was surrounded by the scent of clean linen, and the room was pleasantly warm. If this was the afterlife, she could have done worse. A window on the far side of the room showcased sweeping views of a wild pine forest that seemed to stretch out for eternity, each tree turned silvery by the sliver of the moon in the sky.

“You’re awake.”

The voice spoke from the darkest shadows of the room, and try as she might, Raven couldn’t see into the darkness.

“Did you… save me?” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Or am I dead?”

“No.” A soft snort was her response, followed by a heavy silence. “Those mushrooms you foraged were not meant for human consumption.”

“I knew… but I didn’t really have many options, did I?” Raven fell back against the luxurious pillows on the bed and gave a harsh laugh. “I didn’t even get a good trip, did I? No, just gastrointestinal distress and a one way ticket to the afterlife.”

She had known that those mushrooms were iffy at best, but she had been without food for nearly two weeks, and her options were limited. She took a chance and gambled, and she had lost. Running a hand over her face, Raven looked up at the ceiling, watching the moonlight flicker around the space, casting long, dark shadows.

“Sorry for any inconvenience I caused you.”

There was a long pause, and the only sounds in the room were a rustling of fabric and her ragged breaths.

“Stay until you feel well enough to travel.”

Raven blinked and looked towards the shadows again, and she got the impression that the person just shrugged.

“I have room enough for both of us.”

There was another pause. “You’re not going to break my legs and force me to stay and write novels, are you?”

“You’re free to come and go as you please, and I don’t know you well enough to gauge your writing ability.” The shadow moved toward the edge of the door, still shrouded from her observation. “You’re safe here, so take your rest while you can, and sleep.”

As if he had spoken magic, Raven felt her eyes grow heavy and she sunk deep into a dreamless sleep.

Damian stepped outside the room and closed the door, looking into the expectant eyes of his half-brother. Fuck. If anyone was going to gossip to Damian’s family about what Damian was doing, it would be Dick.

“Stay until you feel well enough to travel?”

Damian sighed and turned away from him, obviously annoyed. “Are you going to continue to tease me?”

“I’ve never seen you get so worked up over a human before.”

“That’s kindness that I was displaying, in case you didn’t realize.” He started down the hallway, and Dick followed, obviously amused.

“Yeah, I know. That’s what’s so confusing.” Dick glanced over at him with a grin. “I don’t think I’ve seen you act that way with anyone let alone, a human.”

“Father is human.”

“Barely.” Dick snorted. “Your mother thinks his blood is diluted to the point where he’s still got some kind of powers… whatever they are.”

Damian made a noncommittal noise. He’d expected there was some diluted blood in father’s lineage for a long while, but he chose not to mention it. They both fell into a companionable silence for a moment, until Damian could start to feel the tension of an unspoken question hanging in the air. Dick was trying not to say anything, but Damian knew he was about to burst by trying to keep quiet.

With a sigh and an annoyed click of his tongue, Damian stared over at him. “You're like a dog with a bone. Just ask whatever it is you want to ask already.”

“Why her?”

Damian tried to look unaffected by the question, but the truth was that he asked himself the same thing. By all accounts, Raven wasn't special. So, why was he affected by her? Why this disheveled, downtrodden human? Why this woman who slept in abandoned cabins and could carry her entire life in a backpack?

And yet… Damian had never felt this way about a human before. He liked her, but didn’t really have any reason why. With her sharp wit and even sharper tongue, she seemed to keep his ego in check. She was strong enough to keep going, in spite of everything the universe continued to throw at her. But those weren’t reasons to like her, just understand her.

“You look like you're fascinated by her.” Dick's voice held a note of amusement.

“Oh, shut up.” Damian snapped at his brother, his eyes dark. “You’re no better, with the girl you try to keep hidden in town. What was her name again? Kory? Runs the cafe and makes the absolute worst coffee I’ve ever tasted?”

Color stained Dick’s face and he glared. “How do you know?”

“It doesn’t take a genius to realize she’s a bubbling, glowing mess every time you’re in town.” Damian waved him off. “What you do with humans - or anyone else - is none of my business. Just like it’s none of your business what I do with strange women wandering on my land.”

“Fair.” Dick conceded the argument. “Fine. I won’t pry.” Damian snorted, as if he didn’t believe him. If there was anything he knew about his brother, it was that he would never be satisfied until he stuck his nose into everyone’s business.

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jasonrae117 · 3 months

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YAAAASSSS 🎉🎉🎉🎉

"I've been doing some reading."

"Your hoard is books… I'm certain that's how you spend most of your time." Damian gave a breathy snort.

Raven gave a one shoulder shrug, unaffected by his response. “There are some texts that talk of new ways to experience pleasure.” Her eyes darkened and she leaned forward towards him, propping herself up on her hands. “I want to try them.”

Damian felt heat blossom in the pit of his stomach and he fought back the sudden eager feeling. He kept his face blank, making sure none of his emotions betrayed his face. “And what would my role be in these new experiences?”

“I’d like to tie you up and have my way with you.” Her words were simple, her smile was sultry. "Make you beg."

He snorted, but bit back his remark of al Ghul’s don’t beg. He had the unfortunate thought that if anyone did have the ability to make him beg (which he doubted) it would have been Raven. He lifted an eyebrow and continued to stare at her. "And what would be my reward when you lose?"

"When? You’re so certain of my loss?” There was a knowing chuckle in her voice and she waved her hand in the air, dismissive. “If you win, then you can tie me up and do whatever you please with my body." She turned on her stomach and folded her arms under her chin, watching him. "Either way, we both win."

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jasonrae117 · 4 months

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Just Another Hollywood Scene

Just in time for the new year! Please enjoy the next installment!

Also on Ao3!! https://archiveofourown.org/works/49727071/chapters/133334152

Chapter 3: New News

Damian was heading to Dick’s house to have what he called a celebration, but what seemed to really be a ‘I hope the media takes the news well’ support group. Most of the people that worked in the offices were going to be there so Damian really had no choice but to come.

The costume consult went pretty much as expected and like many of his other ones he’s done in the past. The superhero costume itself was slightly uncomfortable yet manageable and defined his physique. His only complaint was that it was the colors of a traffic light, a little more red and black heavy but yellow and green definitely made their appearances. The costumer, Rita Parr, who had a 1950s vibe told him it’s to reflect his background of being from a circus. Damian snorted, the fact that Dick used his own backstory to fuel this character was still very funny to him, especially when others don’t know it and think it's so absurdly original.

The craziest thing about this movie was that Dick was not only directing it, but he is the primary writer too. He didn’t want to come across as too bold and open his sure to be box office smash to criticism because an actor turned director could also write a script well. So he put it under a pseudonym. Damian was quite surprised when he found out, the script was well written, the characters all seemed grounded, and it was more than just an action movie. Dick had found a way to work a compelling romance amongst his characters too. That is why Damian would have begged his brother to be in the movie, of course he didn’t have to, Dick was all too eager to have Damian be a part of it, but Damian would have begged if it came to that.

When Damian’s town car pulled up to Dick’s small mansion, he could already see the cars of about seven others, and by some of the specific vehicles he knew that the majority of the production team leaders were here. And sure enough when Alfred, his family’s butler that Bruce requested help host Dick’s gathering, opened the door, he could already hear some of their voices.

“Welcome Master Damian. Wonderful that you could make it this evening.” The gentle older man stepped to the side, gesturing for Damian to enter.

“Good evening Alfred. I’m afraid I wasn’t allowed to RSVP no to this event.’

“Well, nevertheless, I have brought your favorite bourbon to help you settle in better. Master Grayson is in the theatre room with some of the others. He requested I direct you there upon your arrival.” Alfred walked along beside him.

“Great, already jumping into work talk. I’ll take a double of that bourbon when you get the chance.” Damian shrugged off his coat and put it in the coat closet, politely denying Alfred’s assistance.

Approaching the theatre room, he could already hear the familiar voices of a good chunk of the production team:

Wally West ( Director's Assistant)

Barbara Gordon (Secretary/PA)

Zatanna Zatara (Producer)

Clark Kent (Cinematographer)

Garth Bernstein (Casting Director)

Victor Stone (Sound Designer)

Rex Mason (Production Designer)

Along with Jason Todd, Slade Wilson was also present. Slade Wilson was cast to play the villain and arch nemesis to Robin, Deathstroke. Damian wasn’t a huge fan of the older man, throughout his long tenure of acting he was known to be vindictive, manipulative, and only watch out for himself. He ran his own talent agency poaching other managers of their clients to fill his arsenal. It worked, however, his name and his wealth always convinced the young and naive actors and actresses to buck over to his team. So before him, he had an army of good talent that made him richer and made membership under his agency ridiculously pricey. As for the actors and actresses, Slade saved the best roles for himself and his favorites, so every audition season was cutthroat and everyone sucked up to Slade to gain his favor and potentially better roles. Damian was disgusted by it and was appalled that Dick would include him in his project, but Dick argued that the new movie needed a genius villain and Slade was the best to play the evil man.

He had to agree with his brother, while Slade was unquestionably a terrible man in real life, he elegantly portrayed one even better on the big screen. Once he aged out of the roguish antihero type leading man, he began getting typecast as the man pulling the strings or the mob boss. Slade loved it because people loved his bad guys and he won a multitude of awards for them. It killed Damian to say it, but he was a perfect choice for the role.

Damian took a deep breath and opened the double doors to the large projector screen with luxurious plush red velvet reclining chairs creating three rows facing the front. The various men and women standing or sitting around the room, each with a drink in their hand. They turned their heads to see who the newcomer was. Dick came bouncing toward him while the others raised their glass in acknowledgement, waved, or called out a greeting.

“Hey Dami! I’m so glad you could make it!” Dick embraced him, but really just hugged around Damian’s hanging arms.

“I had no choice in the matter and you know it, now get off.” Damian resisted.

“Well I’m still glad you listened to my threats.” Dick laughed and guided him inside. “We were just going through the final candidates audition tapes, I’ve decided we’re going to decide tonight as a team!”

“We’re casting everyone tonight?” He looked at the screen to find it paused on someone’s audition. An average height, lanky male with blonde hair and green eyes, no doubt someone auditioning for Changeling.

“No, not everyone, but the main team. Well those we haven’t cast yet! We already signed Kori as Starfire, and yesterday we finalized Connor Kent as Super Boy!” Dick practically cheered.

Damian rolled his eyes at the last casting announcement. “Clark’s brother? And I’m the one that gets called out for nepotism.” He crossed his arms.

Clark snorted, “You know I really thought you guys would have been the best of friends back then. Bruce was right though.” He chuckled again, few of the others joining in as well.

“He really does play cocky and arrogant well though, and you can’t play both roles!” Zatanna called out, making the rest burst into laughter.

“Ha ha. You all know he is a diva. Not everyone that fits the description of the character everyday of their real life should be the actual character. We’re actors because we can be things we’re not, not because we can portray ourselves on screen too, that's why we have reality TV trash.”

“Yeah that’s why we cast you as Robin, a leader, noble, maybe a little romantic, hero. You sure aren’t any of that in real life.” Garth hollered, Jason cackled with him. Damian’s eyes narrowed at the pair.

“Oh, but that’s why he’s an actor, because he can sure as hell act like a badass but isn’t one!” Jason added, their laughing continued. Damian dared a glance around the room, seeing Clark trying to hide his enjoyment, Rex’s smile and the way he nudged Zatanna as if they all agreed. Slade was sitting a glass of whiskey in one hand and a smirk on his face. Once his eyes landed on Barbara and Dick who also got caught giggling, he felt his anger start to rise.

“Your own words are biting you in the ass, Wayne.” Barbara snorted, emphasizing the use of his last name and punctuating the snarky comment with a sip from her glass of wine.

“Laugh all you want, you know I’m right. Now can we please just get on with it so I can go home?” He snapped.

Dick, still chuckling, clapped him on the back. “Sure thing. We actually started a bit early and just voted on our Mark Beast A.K.A Changeling! His name in Garfield Logan-”

“The guy from Space Trek?” Damian scoffed.

“The very one! He has a great following and a pretty solid comedic timing. His fans adore him and he’s already got green eyes! The rest will be easy! Plus he is already trained in gymnastics and does parkour, so stunts should be a little easier and perhaps more practical!” Garth chimed in.

“See, watch!” Dick pressed play and the screen brightened to life, displaying Garfield’s audition, followed by some footage of him at a training facility doing parkour and gymnastic routines. In Damian’s opinion, he wasn’t a poor choice, but he was still skeptical.

The group resettled into their chairs and watched clip after clip of auditions, until they narrowed it down and finally selected someone for the remaining roles. After Garfield Logan, they agreed upon Jaime Reyes to play Dan Garret A.K.A Blue Beetle and Donna Troy to portray Wondergirl, or Cassie Sandsmark. Alfred had arranged some catering to come in and supply them with a delicious meal as they were already a few hours deep into deliberation.

It was finally time to face the choice Damian dreaded the most. Who will play the Sorceress? He hadn’t stopped thinking about how important it was that she get along with him and be a good actress herself. The role was the second largest in the movie and could cost them dearly if they choose incorrectly. That and the fact that the office didn’t stop discussing this one girl’s audition for two full days, luckily it died down after that but Damian didn’t want Jason’s new plaything to be involved at all and certainly didn’t want her too close to himself.

Garth, the casting director, had narrowed their choices down to three different women that had been the best of the bunch. The first audition wasn’t memorable, the girl had played it safe, and while it was still very well done, it was missing that certain something.

Damian recognized the second woman instantly, and all he could think of was how horribly wrong the choice would be. Terra Markov, or better known as Slade Wilson’s lapdog. She was his pet, and she also got any audition she could dream of. No doubt Garth was bribed or in some way coerced to give her a shot, because her look did not scream sorceress at all. To give credit where credit is due, she was a decent actress, she just had a temper and her questionable ties with Slade didn’t sit right with him. They still watched her performance and the crowd seemed rather pleased.

“I really like how she delivered that line!”

“Her blue eyes are so pretty!”

“Imagine if we just dyed her hair or used a wig, I think we have a winner!”

Damian looked to Slade who was sitting there with a smug grin on his face. “She is quite talented isn’t she.”

“She’s great, but we’ve got one more. So let’s not make any decisions quite yet.” Dick answered.

“What? You don’t think she is fit for the role?” Slade pushed back.

“No, no. She did very well, I’m just saying we have one left and we should watch it first. Terra is a strong actress, no question why you signed her under your agency.”

“Mr. Grayson, it’d be most efficient to just call it here, everyone approves of her.” A general nodding of heads and agreements filled the room following Slade’s words.

“True, or we can suck up watching five more goddamn minutes like the fucking director wants, and see all the possibilities. Or is it past your bedtime grandpa?” Jason barked.

“You listen here-” Slade was cut off.

Damian had marched over to Dick’s spot in the theatre and snatched the remote out of his hand, he walked back to his place towards the back of the room and away from everyone else and pressed play on the last audition tape.

The slam of the door and the energy that filled the screen silenced everyone. However, no one was more stunned than Damian, who had just realized that the very woman auditioning was the same from the lobby. It was made evident by the large brown coffee stain he caused on her blouse.

Damian watched the audition speechless. This couldn’t possibly be the one everyone was talking about. To his dismay, he had to admit that he was captivated. He knew that she had been late which explained the sudden start to the tape and lack of a slate, but despite what he caused, it seemed to fuel her annoyance of being disturbed by the alarm. She had added some lines and improvised her movements, Damian knew because he practically had the whole damn script memorized.

He almost laughed when she forced a poor assistant to become her scene partner, the shuffle of papers being thrown at the young man caused a few giggles from the small viewing audience. His eyes widened when she pulled her shirt off and he quickly berated himself for appreciating the fullness of her breasts and how prettily they were wrapped in her beige lace bra. While the woman on the screen addressed her apparel, Damian ‘respectfully’ averted his gaze and was curious to see what the others were thinking.

Barbara and Victor were smirking, seemingly appreciating the woman’s strong presence and how she kept going even though the brainless men were stuck on her wardrobe malfunction. Victor and Dick shared a look that confirmed that whatever they were thinking, that they were on the same page. Once the girl appeared back on screen wearing Jason’s signature jacket, the owner proudly grinned and nudged Garth in the chair beside him whose eyes seemed to be glued a little too much on her body. Rex and Clark were happily enjoying the audition and had even put down their food and snacks, fully entranced. What caught Damian’s eye the most was that Slade has shifted his posture, going from neatly relaxed with one ankle resting on the opposite knee, to leaning forward, fingers laced under his chin and elbows planted on his knees merely observing.

Damian’s focus shifted back to the screen, watching her move about so confidently before sitting in a lotus position and chanting lowly.

“Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos.”

Then Dick called cut and jumped in the scene beside her before the tape was stopped seconds later. A few seconds of silence and processing followed before everyone excitedly looked around and began discussing what they had just seen.

“It’s got to be her!”

“Her eyes are so unique!”

“She improvised all that? That’s incredible!”

But all Damian could think about was the war in his head. There was no denying that she was clearly the best, but he knew he already screwed up with her and was certain she hated his guts. He wasn’t sure if they would be able to work together.

“Okay, so that was the fantastic Raven Roth! She is a phenomenal actress whom you might have seen on Skulls as the forensic scientist.”

“I think it has to be her. Even her look is spot on, she is mysterious and cool.” Barbara said.

“I don’t know…didn’t it seem kind of amateurish to just storm in there. That would not fly on set!” Zatana chirped.

“She wouldn’t do that on set, some jerk spilled coffee on her which made her late! I completely sympathize for the poor girl, and to give us a performance this strong? Incredible! Trust me, I’ve seen a lot of auditions over the years.” Damian’s cheeks started to burn at Garth’s words, unknowingly calling him out.

“I for one agree with Mr. Bernstein, here.” The mumbles around the room silenced at Slade’s approval, he never sided with anyone that wasn’t his own talent.

“You do? But isn’t Terra your client?” Dick asked outright, sparing any tiptoeing around the subject.

“Yes, I am not blind and I know when to fold if my hand is not strong enough. Terra cannot out-perform this girl, at least in a role like this. This girl doesn’t seek attention, she demands it with her screen presence, it’s powerful, impactful. Terra’s performance was surface level, good, but inadequate. I’ll coach her about this later. But nevermind that. Miss Roth would be an excellent addition to the cast, as well as my agency. Does anyone know if she’s being represented?” Slade asked the room, Damian noticing a certain look in his eye that he couldn’t quite name.

“Alrighty then.” Dick looked around the room, everyone nodding in agreement to the unspoken question.

Damian felt a weight in his stomach. No way they all almost unanimously chose the vile woman from the coffee shop. Sure she had done well, but they couldn’t see past that? They’d soon find out her temper and Damian would enjoy watching them regret their decision. But still… he’d have to go to work everyday and look at her stupidly, definitely not in any way attractive, face and convince her to like him. It wasn’t fair. Maybe he should speak up? But to speak up would be to reveal himself as the ‘asshole’ and he couldn’t have that. They’d just side with Raven, and he wouldn’t even be able to explain himself. He had to get out of there, he couldn’t risk anyone realizing that he hadn’t given his usually very vocal opinion. Quietly, he snuck out the door just as Dick was finishing his statement.

“It looks like Raven Roth is our Sorceress!”

He could hear the applause from the hallway but he didn’t look back, he proceeded to the kitchen to grab some water and hide. Feeling the cold water slide down his throat, cooling the anger and frustration within him slightly, Damian took a very needed deep breath. Just then, the last person he wanted to see found him.

“Damian, why’d you leave? We just broke out the champagne to celebrate the completed casting!” Dick held his flute of champagne out, swirling the contents as if to entice him.

“I don’t care for champagne.”

“Suit yourself.” he shrugged and took a large sip. After pulling the glace down from his lips, he leaned his hip against the kitchen island and stared directly into Damian’s eyes. “Don’t think I didn’t notice that you didn’t speak up in there.”

“I had nothing to say.” Damian tried to sound nonchalant.

“If there’s one thing I know about you Damian, it’s that you always have something to say, especially when it directly affects you.”

Dick was good, he always knew when something was up, and usually Damian reluctantly found it endearing but right now it was definitely not the time. “It’s not like I have a choice in the matter. You all seemed very pleased with her so there is no point in voicing my opinion for it to be met with criticism.” He shrugged.

“Criticism huh? So you didn’t like her?”

Damian opened his mouth to protest but once again, Dick had caught him. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he figured he might as well get the interrogation over with. “I had the displeasure of meeting Miss Roth sometime before her audition. She was inconsiderate and rude and I don’t think we need that kind of behavior on set. Oh and she’s Todd’s new plaything which also poses a problem.”

“Oh, I had no idea. She certainly seemed nice and courteous enough when we talked to her. But I suppose she could be putting on an act for her benefit and given that she wouldn’t know that you were already cast she'd have no reason to give you better treatment. I was also under the impression that Jason and Raven had never met prior to her audition.” He rubbed his chin in thought, “I will take this into consideration as we onboard her. I don’t want to react harshly without further investigation. As it stands, she will continue to be our Sorceress with Terra Markov as a potential backup if Raven falls through.”

Damian crossed his arms, frowning slightly. “I don’t think this will end well for me…I mean us.”

“Everything will be fine. I’ll look into it and adjust whatever needs adjusting. I’ll tell Jay to back off and we’ll make sure she’s not a diva. I appreciate you telling me and not brooding to yourself about this like Bruce.

“Yeah, whatever.” He relaxed slightly, dropping his arms in surrender. “I’m going to go back to my place.”

“You don’t want to stay for the rest of the party? We were gonna watch some of the segments announcing your casting!”

Just then the sound of shattering glass echoed in from the entryway. Dick winced and looked back to Damian who barely reacted..

“Absolutely not. I can watch them on my own time”

“Fair enough, thanks for coming anyway! I’ll see you soon!”

“I still had no choice.” Damian called over his shoulder as he headed out the kitchen and toward the entrance. He bid Alfred farewell and departed back to his condo.

Finally settled into the peace and quiet his own space brought him, he started searching for the articles about himself. Most of the articles had received and reported the news positively, stating that the casting choice was a no-brainer and how excited they were to see the cast built around him. A few wireless welcoming but they came from more unpopular sites, and some outlets hadn’t reported anything yet. But the information was still new so it will keep trickling down through the circuit until everyone has given their mostly unsolicited insight.

The one thing that still popped up everytime his name hit the headlines though started popping up right in front of his eyes. It never failed to make him feel less than and unworthy.

Nepotism

#raven #teen titans #raven roth #robrae #damian wayne #damirae #jayrae #dc fanfic #demonbirds #fanfic #just another hollywood scene

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jasonrae117 · 4 months

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At Midnight, My Heart Drops

Fuck.

Raven stared into Damian's calm face, desperately trying to think of something to say - an excuse, a flippant comment - anything. But, no. She stood there, frozen on the spot watching the muscle in his jaw twitch as he waited for an answer for the most unnerving question he could have asked her.

“I'm… sorry?” She feigned ignorance, trying to buy enough time to get her brain to process his request again. Her heart was pounding in her throat and he had to have heard it. “Can you ask me that one more time?”

“Be my date for the Wayne New Year's Eve party.”

When he repeated it, it sounded less of a request and more of a demand. As though the inconvenience of repeating himself should have been repaid with a ‘yes’ answer regardless of what the question was. Cocky bastard. Raven fought the automatic urge to open a portal to anywhere and shove him in it. Taking a deep breath, she calmed her pounding heart and stared at him, keeping her face expressionless. Just because she was adept at controlling her emotions, it didn’t mean she didn’t have any.

“What the fuck for? You’re the son of Bruce Wayne. You wake up and trip over people trying to get dates with you. You have a wellspring of viable candidates to choose from for a New Year’s Eve party.” She fought to keep her panic under control, and continued to stare at him, hoping she looked calmer than she felt. “Please don't ask the girl who doesn't know the difference between an oyster fork and an olive fork.”

“Or a dessert fork.” He smirked as he reminded her of the celebratory dinner party the Mayor had in their honor last year, and the horror of some societal elites as Raven ate her salad with a dessert fork. The scandal.

Raven's face fell and she gave him a deadpan stare, but Damian was unaffected. Finally, he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “The truth is that I need someone I trust to run interference.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and lifted an eyebrow, motioning for him to elaborate.

“There are… girls. Women.” He shrugged. “Some men.”

“Yes. That's usually who make up populations of people. Your point?”

“I'm a rich, educated, eligible bachelor.” He groaned and stared up at the ceiling, as if he was ashamed to be direct. “Of marrying age.”

“You forgot good looking.”

Why in the fuck had she admitted that out loud? Raven bit the inside of her cheek to keep from looking embarrassed, but Damian stared at her, and she swore she saw his face flush at least a little. She shrugged, trying to be as objective as possible. “I'm not blind, Damian.” She managed to keep herself from blurting out the rest of that statement: you're drop dead gorgeous and totally stacked - of course people are going to try and at least bang you.

“So what… you want me to lurk in the shadows and scare off anyone you don't approve of? Is there someone specific you're trying to… date? Court?” She rubbed her thumb along her jaw, thinking. “What do rich people from the Hamptons call it? Woo?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. “Is there a reason you're being so blithe about this?”

“You just asked me to be your pretend girlfriend so that you can avoid talking to people who might want to date you.” She shoved at her hair and crossed her arms over her chest, needing to do something with her hands. “That’s a setup for a bad romance movie.”

He sighed again, obviously frustrated that Raven wasn’t taking his request seriously. Raven couldn’t take his request seriously. The minute she stopped trying to treat his request like a joke, her heart would break into a hundred pieces. She had been harboring feelings for Damian for years, practically since they had been pulled onto the Titans team together. She could keep her feelings under control as long as she kept a heavy barrier of friendship and distance between them.

But knowingly putting herself into a situation where she had to be a girlfriend - even a pretend one - would force all of those feelings front and center. It would leave an opening for her to confess those feelings, and she would admit to him (and probably all of his family too) that she loved him. If Raven was being honest with herself, she didn’t want to be hurt when Damian ultimately rejected her confession.

She could see the whole scene play out over and over in her mind, and the risk felt far too great.

“You’re the only one I want to be my date for the party.”

Raven felt like the floor underneath her had just disappeared. Her heart fell into her stomach before leaping back into her chest to pound frantically against her ribs. Damian’s face was unreadable, and he stared at her, his eyes searching her face for something he could read.

Raven panicked again, trying to find something she could say that would keep her in control. “Is it because you trust me to not fall in love with you?” Because too late, she added within her own thoughts.

“Because you’re my friend and I trust you. Full stop.”

The excitement of his words mingled with the pain of the word friend, leaving Raven to feel both elated and disappointed at the same time. But, that was what she wanted, wasn’t it? She would rather be safe behind her barrier of friendship, then put herself at risk of a broken heart. But still… if he only considered her a friend, then there was nothing she needed to worry about. She could do this for him, as a friend.

Rubbing her forehead, she turned and stepped back from him, knowing that her next words were going to be her downfall.

“Just tell me when I have to meet you, and what the hell I should wear.”

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