#outofguard

[angelique-of-the-volturi-guard]

I don’t need Dick Grayson being a great big brother content I need Dick Grayson still being Bruce Wayne’s little boy at heart in spite of him being the eldest content.

[therpistlr]

“After the Last Lunchbox” for the mother whose hands are suddenly still

You packed the last lunchbox without knowing it was the last. The door closed, the car pulled away— and time moved too fast.

There is no parade for this kind of goodbye, no ceremony for letting them fly.

Just rooms that echo your silence, cups in the cupboard that don’t disappear, and a calendar that no longer revolves around someone else's year.

You gave them roots. You gave them wings. You made a life from the littlest things. Now the house is whole, but something's gone— and you’re still here, figuring out how to go on.

But hear this: You are not empty. You are expanding— into places you had set aside, into hours once filled with wiping tears, cutting crusts, soothing cries.

Now is not a loss. It’s a return. To dreams you pressed down, to a self you still yearn to know.

You are allowed to grieve. You are allowed to rest. You are allowed to feel a little lost in this nest.

But you are not finished. You are not done. You are a story still being spun. ______ A Superb Must Have Tool for Empty Nesters Moms

[angelique-of-the-volturi-guard]

All the political discourse rn and I have seen NOBODY talking about The Third Wave???? Do you know what that is???? No???? Well Imma tell you! in 1967 high school teacher Ron Jones conducted an experiment during a lecture on the holocaust when they couldn't understand how the German people could allow the Nazi's to do such things to the jewish people. Jones started a movement called "The Third Wave" and told his students that the movement aimed to eliminate democracy. Jones postulated that democracy’s focus on individuality was against mankind’s “authoritarian” nature, which he aimed to emphasize with the movement’s motto: "Strength through discipline, strength through involvement." and only made simple changes on the first day like asking his students to sit properly, to raise their hands before speaking, and to address him as Mr. Jones. The experiment was meant to be only one day, but the students took to it. On day two a salute was made and the movement was called the third wave. It began to grow as his students not only took to his tactics, but other students wanted to join in. The line "Strength through community" was added in. And then on the third day as the movement grew again, the motto "Strength through action" was added. Students were given member cards, taught how to initiate new members, and were instructed to report anyone who did not abide by the rules. By the fourth day the experiment was blowing out of Jones' control so he told the students that it was a nationwide movement, and that he next day a presidential candidate of the Third Wave would announce its existence to the public. Students were asked to attend a rally at noon the next day, and three students who dissented were banished to the library while the rally was held- where jones had other friends pretend to be speakers before revealing the "president" of the movement: Adolf Hitler.

It emphasized being careful about who you follow. The experiment was made into a tv movie in 1981 called The Wave (which I highly recommend watching btw), and shows how easily people can fall into fascism. Please watch it or read the novel of the same name by Todd Strasser, or Check out the wikipedia page. Get yourself educated and use what you learn to protect your loved ones please.

[angelique-of-the-volturi-guard]

The batfam is so much easier to understand once you realize that Dick is an only child and has siblings. As in: Bruce raised him as an only child so he deals with Dick in an only child way. Dick loved his time with Bruce but also loves his siblings. But for Dick’s siblings this comes off as favoritism because they are treated as siblings where dick is not and it rubs them the wrong way.

[angelique-of-the-volturi-guard]

Let Dick Grayson enjoy being Bruce’s son instead of being the emotional glue of the family 2k26.

[angelique-of-the-volturi-guard]

A Batman concept that is being absolutely slept on: Bruce dealing with empty nest syndrome.

Don’t get me wrong, Bruce was (Somewhat ashamedly) relieved when Damian went to his home country to further his cultural studies, but it presented a problem that he hadn’t had in over thirty years- an empty manor with only Alfred for company. It isn’t as though he isn’t used to solitude, but it’s like wearing a shirt that’s a size too small for him- uncomfortable and restrictive. There’s no one in the cave to train with or bounce ideas off of, no one to check in on since all of his children are thoroughly capable of taking care of themselves, and no one coming to greet him when he gets home from work.

For the first few days, the solitude is a breather. The chaos of the house is gone, things are calm and orderly, and he can get everything done that he needs to in a given day, no questions asked. But after the novelty has worn off, he begins to feel the emptiness of the manor. There is no Damian to spar with in the batcave, or the sound of Jason tuning up a motorcycle. There’s no clicking of keyboards from Tim typing furiously, or the chatter of Stephanie and Cassandra echoing through the halls. There’s no Dick to banish the clouds from his mind with an infectious laugh and blinding smile.

At first, he throws himself into his work as he usually does, wielding every bit of power he has as Bruce Wayne, CEO of Wayne Enterprises, and as Batman. He strikes more deals, takes more cases, meets more with the JLA. But no amount of work can distract him from that horrible hollow feeling he gets when he comes home from work to an empty home. As such, he holes up in the study most evenings with the excuse of doing his work, but is instead going through some of the family photo albums every night, reminiscing and having the occasional bourbon or scotch. And while he does attempt at times to keep up with his children, they’re often busy with their jobs, or patrol, or their own social lives, and it leaves him feeling bereft.

Alfred notices those subtle signs of depression in his master- the constant working, the lack of eating, and the creak of the floorboards of the manor as he walks the halls at night by himself. He gives it two weeks for Bruce to snap out of his funk on his own, and once he realizes that isn’t happening, he makes a phone call while Bruce is at work to Dick. As the first of his children and the one most able to open Bruce up emotionally, he knows that if anyone can get him to open up, it’s him. And after hearing of the situation, Dick agrees under the guise of coming for dinner that night.

The Bruce that greets him that night is not the one he knows. He seems genuinely delighted to see him, even pulling him into a hug when he comes into his office that evening. After getting over the initial shock, Dick soaks in the affection and begins to realize something that he’d never considered before- that perhaps he and his siblings had helped Bruce more than he had helped them, because they ensured he wasn’t lonely anymore. When Dick confronts him about his change in recent behavior, he’s surprised when Bruce readily admits to how much he misses his children.

“I didn’t choose solitude, it picked me.” He says. “And I was always fine with choosing it every time after that because it was what I knew. Until you and your brothers and sisters came along.”

Dick sits in the chair across from Bruce’s desk, and can see the loneliness and exhaustion in his face as he admits to not realizing just how much of a difference it all made until he no longer had it. As heartwarming as it is for Dick to hear that, he knows a solution is necessary. He asks to sleep in Bruce’s bed for the night for the first time in years in hopes that that might be enough to get him to sleep at least, and sure enough, it works. Bruce is out like a light for far longer than normal while Dick uses the time he’s sleeping to fill the rest of his siblings in on everything that’s happening and come up with a plan of attack together.

After that a routine is established. Everyone sends a text or gives a call on a different day of the week to check in with him. Once a week, depending on how everyone’s schedule’s work out, one or more of the kids comes to the manor for dinner or comes for patrol. And once per month, the family makes a point of having a family dinner and movie night as a way to catch up and reconnect with one another (Partners included). Bruce’s depression lifts, the bat family begins communicating more effectively, and everyone grows happier as a result.

[angelique-of-the-volturi-guard]

I need a fic where Bruce and Dick believe they’re biologically father and son and the JLA has to deal with the moral dilemma of whether or not to tell them the truth because Dick is so much happier and Bruce is too, and every now and then they get a glimpse of what could have been between them. Dick kissing Bruce’s cheek as he speeds off to work from the tower. Bruce calling after him to be safe. Dick falling asleep in Bruce’s side after an all night patrol and Bruce not having the heart to move him. Dick says the word “Daddy” to Bruce with no shame and Bruce never rejects it. I need flash and Green Arrow losing their marbles over the affection while Superman agonizes over the moral dilemma, while Wonder Woman and Black Canary think it’s sweet. J’onn is fascinated by the change in their behavior and Roy and Wally stock up on blackmail pics. Do you guys see my vision???

[angelique-of-the-volturi-guard]

If Misa got pregnant Light’s attitude toward her would go from uninterested to complete devotion in half a second once he recognized the power in having an heir. It would completely transform his perception of her value to him from just her eyes to her giving him a baby. I think he would become more protective and affectionate with her as a result.