"Come! Sit down, sit down everyone!", Kori appealed, gesturing with her arms like receding waves.
After a few minutes, the mass of people had calmed themselves, dutifully finding seats on the many sofas that had been assembled in a circle facing one another. Like a camp bonfire, a mound of assorted boxes lay in the centre, each one shrouded in wrapping paper- some luminescent and patterned, others simple in their colours. The largest living room in the Manor had been re-assembled for the evening, to fit the purpose of their gathering before the Christmas dinner Alfred had single-handedly made.
Congregated around the small mound of presents was everyone from Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) to Adyn ad-Djinn to Cassandra Cain. Many not by choice. This Christmas, considering Bruce had decided to bring tens of heroes/vigilantes to Wayne Manor, the idea of them all opening their presents together seemed a decent 'bonding' experience: besides, there was no denying that the Justice League needed to form a tighter connection with the Teen Titans as a whole, as a matter of fact, the entire super-community would benefit from better unity.
Christmas seemed quite the convenience.
"How is this to work?", Kaldur'ahm's mellow voice called out, "Should they all be given out and then opened?"
There was a general consensus that Aqualad's suggestion was reasonable to go through with. Hence, five minutes later, the room became a beehive once more, buzzing with conversation as each person finally had their presents (though they remained unopened).
"Everyone has what is theirs?", Diana announced, sandwiched between Victor and Jason, "Then we ought to begin!"
*
Perched on the same sofa as her half-brother, Damian, Jaime and Bart (the last two's hands interlocked, sending one another quick looks every so often) Raven reached towards the handful of gifts at her feet. Across from them, Donna and Jonathan tore their presents open, seated together due to lack of space rather than by choice, with Clarke and Lois next to their son.
Amidst exclamations and laughter, a joyous voice called to Raven.
"Oh! Open that one first!", Koriand'r enthused, pointing at an...eccentrically wrapped box.
Starfire, clad in a dangerously festive jumper, leaned across her fiancé to speak to the demoness- having been sat of the sofa next to hers besides Dick. Flaming hair spilling over her shoulder and luminous eyes alight with anticipation, Kori observed as Raven lifted the package as though it were radioactive (prompting a snort from Damian at her caution). On the verge of wincing, she warily unwrapped the box, amethyst orbs widening as they beheld what Kori had given her.
Words failing her, Raven stammered, "Why it's...I-I...thank you..."
"You like it?", The Tamarinian tugged at a strangely of her long hair.
Discarding her mask of unaffectedness, Raven's lips lifted in content, easing Koriand'r's worries, "It's beautiful."
Within the now-open box lay a masterpiece of silver created in the image of a vine, intended to circle a person's wrist. Metallic leaves adorned the winding main vine, growing besides minuscule wisterias so lifelike one could almost smell their perfume spreading through the air.
Tenderly removing the plant-inspired bracelet from its case, Raven placed it in her palm, marvelling at its delicacy. Sitting where the jewellery once had, was a note.
**
From Dick and Kori
-Merry Christmas ;)
**
Biting back worries at how much the bracelet must have cost, Raven gave her gratitude to the both of them, slipping the silver back in to its case (so as not to damage it).
Working her way through the rest of the presents (and receiving thanks for the gifts she'd given others), Raven's smile could only grow: both Jaime and Jonathan had given her tea mugs and a book -they'd asked her a while ago what her favourite novels were-; Donna (with her extensive research of modern culture) had brought a set of chokers and other accessories for her; Vic gifted her chic wireless headphones (matte black of course); and Steph, Cass and Babs -who had grown to like the demoness, especially since last night's Christmas Eve party- gave her a designer bag so pricey Raven nearly had a heart attack on the spot. All that was left, sitting alone at her feet, was a rather conspicuous, black box. A rectangular box. One with no wrapping paper or visible note.
Just a box.
Raven, in lifted spirits, smirked, knowing exactly who this was from. Oddly nervous to know what resided within it, Raven tentatively set the plain box on her lap, noting the green eyed demon stiffen next to her.
Making no show of attempting to hide his actions, Damian shifted his torso to face the demoness and gauge her reaction, intently training his gaze on her. Breath leaving her mouth with the same sound as fabric swishing on a hard floor, Raven's fingers gingerly removed the lid.
A sharp inhale. A dilating of the eyes. And Raven slammed the lid shut.
Head snapping up to face Damian, Raven entreated, "You did not...!?"
"Oh, I did.", he grinned, having expected a similar reaction.
They had gained quite a bit of attention.
"But...wha-how...I...Holy Azar..."
She lifted the corner of the lid by a fraction before jamming it down again, with an unexpected, uncharacteristic squeal.
Yes.
...
A squeal.
Covering her mouth, Raven suppressed an awed fit of laughter, returning to the box once more. Biting her finger, Raven took the lid entirely off, dumbstruck at the object inside.
Breath catching within her chest, she reached a quaking hand towards the box's contents, trailing a finger along the object's side, enraptured by its beauty.
"Are you quite alright?", Damian teased, finding humour in her awe.
Mutely, Raven nodded, removing the hand from her mouth to pick the object up with both hands.
"What is it?", Vic raised his eyebrow, drawing even more attention to the two considering he'd called out from four sofas away.
Pushing his question out of her mind, Raven held the object out of the box, allowing the light to reflect off of it. In her hands, held as though a single gust of wind would turn it to ash, was a sheathed blade, roughy twice her handspan and gently curved.
The sheath, simple black material with metallic symbols adorning it's side, covered until the hilt of the blade: revealing a hyacinth purple, leather-wrapped grip and a sleek pommel and guard. Within the rounded pommel, a gemstone the size of Raven's fingertip winked, a shade akin to that of her eyes.
Unsheathing the sword with a practiced hand (though it had truly been an age since the demoness had wielded a weapon like this one) Raven fought back another exclamation, focusing on the etchings in the dagger's side. Each stroke and dot seemed to trail off the blade's edge, twirling off in to her mind to see themselves in to a glorious tapestry both newly born and ancient, teaching its story in simple lines.
The age-old tongue of rune-lore unraveled itself in her mind, granting passage to the meaning behind what could be seen as mere symbols by the ignorant.
Love may shatter the bonds of hatred
Hatred may shatter the bonds of love
Yet Jealousy devoirs both,
For Pride shall overcome all
Carved in to a blade that appeared to draw in all light yet release none, were those words, if Raven had the terminology correct.
"By Hera...that's-"
Raven's eyes flew up to meet Wonderwoman's, which were caught in the throes of awe', "Stygian metal.", the demoness finished, hardly believing the words leaving her lips.
She turned to Damian, flecks of magenta glinting in her otherwise amethyst irises, "How in Azar's name did you find this?"
"Wait he got that-", Hal's persistently vexing voice flew out of the blue, only to be shut down by Cyborgs no-bullshit look.
As though it was a private conversation between himself and Raven, Damian smirked, "If you have the right people in the right places, and can manage an elvish forge, then quite easily."
"A forge? I knew this wasn't the original image of a blade of sin, but,", Raven's brows knitted as she processed the means needed to procure such a weapon, "to have gone so far as to seek out the help of-"
Damian shook his head, "He was repaying a favour, all I asked was to be allowed to make use of his facilities: a cheap price by any standards, which he was more than pleased to oblige."
Touching a finger to the runes adorning the Stygian-metal blade, which took a deathly obsidian shade, Raven frowned, "You...you remoulded this?", upon receiving an offhand nod, she all but gawped, "And you re-carved the runes.", another dip of his head cast Raven in to disbelief, "This is far too much!"
Now it was Damian's turn to protest.
"No, no it is not too much, not in any sense of the phrase.", he pushed. "I came across demonic blade by chance being sold as a basic dagger, and after further inspection, realised it was an original weapon of sin. As a matter of fact, it's one of the legendary daggers of Pride.", he entreated, "Raven, this is rightfully yours, it's hardly any great act of mine!"
A breathy laugh, half out of exasperation, left the demoness, "Believe what you will Damian, my gratitude is going nowhere."
The amethyst of her eyes had relented to red violet, glowing beneath her lashes as she flicked her eyes to meet Damian's.
"Thank you.", Raven beamed, her tone still composed, though she was evidently overjoyed by how much care had been put in this small gesture of his, regardless of what he might say.
In kind, Damian returned, "You're welcome."
Out of nowhere, Jaime groaned, "Can you stop being adorable. PLEASE!"
Outrage.
"ADORABLE! How dare you! I am not adorable!", Damian shouted at the boy further down the sofa, whilst Dick's manic chuckles issues from behind them.
"Yeah, what the fuck Jaime?! That's the last thing you could use to describe me!", Raven burst out, dreading what the Hispanic was insinuating.
Holding up his arms in protest, Jaime soothed, "Relax, relax, I didn't mean it like that...".
Suspicion.
Both of them narrowed their eyes, daring him to say anymore as Bart snickered next to his boyfriend.
Of course, Jaime did.
"Yo, I meant, the two of you...like, together."
Several 'oooh's and 'oh shit's came from across the sofas.
Damian and Raven, in terrifying unison, leant forwards to stare directly at Jaime with the most jarring 'don't you ducking dare' looks on their faces.
With the same faultless unity, aversion plain in their expressions, Damian and Raven scowled, "What?!"
Deftly diffusing the upcoming conflict, Jaime pursed his lips, holding back the smile he desperately wanted to shove in their faces , "Nothing. Definitely nothing."
Many bemused comments later, the part demons were out of the clear, having narrowly escaped direct questions from less subtle people (like Selina Kyle, who reclined besides her kind-of-boyfriend Bruce Wayne, with Belladonna resting in between her dad and 'Aunty Selina') and Raven was free to speak with Damian.
"Have you opened all of yours yet?", she asked, sure to keep her voice out of earshot of most of the others (they could do little to block Clark's hearing without magic, yet somehow they trusted that Superman would go around gossiping like some people).
The Boy Wonder sighed, "No, I figured it would be better to open them in private, I'd much prefer things that way.", he raised an eyebrow. "Why, what did you get?"
"You'll have to open it and see."
"You're being difficult, aren't you Raven?", he said, receiving a rather animated dip of the head from Raven. "That's not typically something one takes pride in."
"I know. But are you going to open it or not?"
He resigned, "Very well then."
A.N:
I genuinely can't believe how terrible and uneventful this chapter was, I hope you can forgive me! This week's update was just...I don't even know, if I'm honest, what I can say.
Things will get a lot more interesting-I PROMISE!!! This was just a little filler chapter, I suppose.
Thanks for dealing with my incompetence and everything!!!
-Bats :(