#v.damian

As I have it, Damian started living with Bruce (on and off) around 8 years old, but only began attending school at 14. Similar-ish to the comics. Other people his age see him as a bastard, the product of Bruce's 'Brucie Wayne' socialite persona likely dropped off by whatever foreign supermodel Bruce happened to knock up while on one of those extreme sports vacations he always seems to be taking.

Personality wise, 14 year old Damian is considered a cringey art kid. He's always drawing in class (school is v boring bc he already knows this stuff) and the art ranges from him shipping himself with Nika/Flatline to some more violent stuff when he's in a dark place (got this from two separate runs like a decade apart but I think it fits!)

One thing I love about how Damian is being written in the past 10 years is they're leaning into the whole 'you can't take the Kid out of Kid Assassin/Kid Superhero'. Yeah, he's overly proper and knows a thousand ways to kill a man with just his thumbs or whatever, but he's still a kid. He has crushes on older girls like Supergirl and Zatanna, he enjoys going to the arcade, he doesn't know a thing about dating. But don't get me wrong, he's still a cocky little shit that needs to prove he's better than everyone else which largely stems from insecurities about how unsocialized he is.

He's so used to being around adults, and whenever other kids were involved both with his mom and dad (his cousin Mara, the other Robins, the Teen Titans), they were competition and never 'peers'. So at this age he keeps to himself and expresses himself privately with art. And he makes excellent playlists. So fast forward to 18 year old Damian! You're totally right, he is still more reserved and leaning into the playboy thing that Bruce and Dick have going on is not his thing. There is always a grain of truth in the Wayne public personas, which is why they're so easily believable.

The other students regard him as some exotic ice prince, with his brown skin and foreign accent. He's so mysterious and quiet, and he can be found sometimes alone in the art room making hyper realistic drawings and paintings of people and animals. Everyone has moved past the cringiness of his old drawings and art because his new stuff is so incredible. It gives him a 'more than just a rich kid' vibe. A lot of girls at his school are crushing hard for sure. Ladies love a man with hobbies! He's probably soooo deep, he'd probably take you to a nice restaurant and wine and dine you, or he'd cook for you and play the piano or something you know? Especially when as an academy girl, your other options are a lot of guys who don't need talents or rich inner worlds because they're wealthy. I'd take him over the dudes who are posting money spreads of their allowance any day!

(Damian as Batman | 17? yo Damian in the DCAMU) After 4 years, he's also learned more slang and commits less social faux pas, so his whole 'raised by his mom and grandpa' vibe has gone from weird to gentleman with age. He can be convinced to go to a lowkey party or two by some of his more tolerable classmates, but he won't stay long and will be pretty quiet most of the time. As for his love life! He may not be able to turn on the playboy charm like his dad, but Damian certainly recognizes beauty the same way. His types are superheroines/anti-heros (badass women, somewhat a product of his mommy issues iM SORRY BUT HE WOULD HAVE THEM OKAY) annnnnd alt girls.

(Damian <3 alt baddies) Damians civilian flings in my fic would be almost exclusively other artists with dark or dyed hair and piercings. Platform boot warriors, so to speak. By the time he is 18 I think he's dated Raven and Nika, and then a few short lasting things with civilian girls! He's also drawn to girls who are blunt and honest, likely because he's not exactly a master of socializing.