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#Lost Children Archive
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The White Lotus S02E01 (Ciao)
Book title: Lost Children Archive (2019) by Valeria Luiselli
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butch-reader · 2 months
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Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli
Two parents and their children make a roadtrip across the U.S. as they're experiencing an impending breakup and worrying about their friend's undocumented children who were lost in transit. The family drama is well written and it captures some of those little moments from family trips thoughtfully. I'm not sure if I'd recommend the audiobook or not because the author reads it and it is Very stiff. She even has a line in the book where she complains about an actor reading an audiobook instead of "just reading" it, but like, my mom was less stiff reading books to me as a kid, this is unnecessary. BUT the pov change later on is very good, the reader for that section is much better and the way they read out the, I kid you not, 20 PAGE SENTENCE, is honestly amazing and worth the whole book
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veryslowreader · 1 year
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Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli
The White Lotus: "Ciao"
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poetsandwriters · 2 years
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Valeria Luiselli, author most recently of the novel Lost Children Archive (Knopf, 2019), in “ A Fertile Contamination: Considering Translations Among the Year’s Best Short Stories.”
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wyllzel · 7 months
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That poem ends with a vow to the passing stranger: “I am to see to it that I do not lose you.” It’s a promise of permanence: this fleeting moment of intimacy shared between you and me, two strangers, will leave a trace, will reverberate forever. And in many ways, I think we kept that promise with some of the strangers we encountered and recorded over the years—their voices and stories coming back to haunt us. But we never imagined that that poem, and especially that last line, was also a sort of cautionary tale for us. Committed as we were to collecting intimacies with strangers, devoted as we were to listening so attentively to their voices, we never suspected that silence would slowly grow between the two of us. We never imagined that one day, we would have somehow lost each other amid the crowd.
—from Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli.
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judgingbooksbycovers · 9 months
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Lost Children Archive
By Valeria Luiselli.
Design by Jo Walker.
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awolfinmycity · 1 year
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"Children have a slow, silent way of transforming the atmosphere around them. They are so much more porous than adults, and their chaotic inner life leaks out of them constantly, turning everything that is real and solid into a ghostly version of itself. Maybe one child alone, by himself, cannot modify the world the adults around him or her sustain and entertain. But two children are enough—enough to break the normality of that world, tear the veil down, and allow things to glow with their own, different inner light." -Valeria Luiselli, Lost Children Archive
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arconinternet · 6 months
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Untalkative Bunny - The Complete Series (Videos, 2001-2003)
Holy crap I think they found it. The whole thing. aaaaaaAAAAAAAAAA watch it here.
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themagnustournament · 11 months
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Round Two Part Five - Match 40
Trevor Herbert's second statement is against that fucked up cave! Lost Johns' Cave (and yes, I do insist upon spelling it like that) got 204 votes last round!
MAG 056 - Children of the Night | Spotify - Acast - YT | Wiki | Transcript
Continued statement of Trevor Herbert, regarding the latter years of his career as a vampire hunter.
MAG 015 - Lost Johns’ Cave | Spotify - Acast - YT | Wiki | Transcript
Statement of Laura Popham, regarding her experience exploring the Three Counties System of caves with her sister Alena Sanderson.
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muppet-facts · 2 years
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Muppet Fact #390
Yesterday, June 18, 2022, the formerly lost episode of Sesame Street featuring the Wicked Witch of the West was found by someone who possibly downloaded it from the American Archive of Public Broadcasting at the Library of Congress and uploaded it to Reddit.
Possibly in regards to this event, when visiting the website of the American Archive of Public Broadcasting, a pop-up message appears saying,
The AAPB is committed to complying with copyright law. Unfortunately, this means that sometimes we are unable to make available materials that you would like to see online. Most AAPB users understand this, and comply with our terms and conditions. However, recently, a user improperly downloaded episodes of Sesame Street that were restricted to AAPB premises. The restriction was based on both our agreement with the creators of Sesame Street and copyright law. AAPB has arranged for takedown of these episodes from the Internet Archive and YouTube, and has tightened security. For now, we have been forced to remove any AAPB access to Sesame Street. The archive will still be available on premises at the Library of Congress Moving Image Research Center to all registered users. We regret that the actions of a few irresponsible Sesame Street fans mean that other fans are now deprived of legal access to this cultural treasure on AAPB. We thank you for your understanding. You can get to Sesame Street in its official YouTube channel.
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Sources:
"A "lost," "too-scary" episode of Sesame Street has been uploaded to the internet." William Hughes. AV Club. June 18, 2022.
"[Found] Sesame Street 847 Margaret Hamilton Wicked Witch." u/sarsaparilla170170. Reddit. June 18, 2022.
"Sesame Street; 2648; Season 21." American Archive of Public Broadcasting. (Pop-up notice).
"LEAKED: The Lost Wicked Witch Episode of Sesame Street." Joe Hennes. Tough Pigs. June 18, 2022.
"Sesame Street; 847; Season 7." American Archive of Public Broadcasting.
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partypacking · 1 year
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scpwiki-official · 2 months
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sigh Dove you would have loved those shitty reddit mystery videos
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kedreeva · 2 years
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When I was a kid, maybe 14 or so (which is, you know, 20+ years ago), I belonged to a Yahoo! mailing list for an anime called Gundam Wing. It was mostly populated by other teens, of varying ages, as it was started by a teen and her friends. Eventually it migrated, when Yahoo! groups started as forums, and even branched off into non-GW related stuff in a second forum.
One of the things I remember the most clearly is the oldest person in the group. Her name was Steelsong. She was a 40-something Dom with a sub whose name we knew even though we knew nothing else. She ran her own fanfic archive because the web was still handmade HTML and navigated in webrings and I’m pretty sure Google didn’t exist or was only barely, barely launched and not well known. She was kind and patient and we loved her. She treated everyone on the group with the respect given any adult, even though most of the rest of the world was still treating us like we were children. Not teenagers even, but children. She never once condescended to any of us, never made our youth a barrier to her respect, never treated us like we were incapable of being full people or like we were less than her because we were young.
I remember that she hosted our fanfiction, as absolutely terrible as it was (and I still have some of it, I am WELL aware of how cringingly terrible it is, just absolute nonsense garbage), right there alongside of other fic that was soul-achingly beautiful. Not a separate section for her friends or for kids, just right there like we were good enough to feature alongside other authors. I never once received crit from her that I didn’t ask for, only support. Only love. I am still writing today partly because Steel was so kind about our fic, fanfic and original.
I remember that when I started doing clay sculpture, she commissioned a tiny pair of dragons from me, to support me doing artwork. She sent a check my mom cashed for me, and my mom helped me mail it when it was finished. It broke in transit, and Steel assured me that she mended it and that it was still beautiful. It was a small gold dragon curled up with a small silver dragon.
I remember that her patience knew no bounds. I remember that she was there for us, regardless of reason. When we wanted to know silly things like what to do with a single AA battery, she answered. When we had serious questions about sex, she answered.  When we had questions about writing, she taught us. When one of our group members, a young gay teen in Australia, ended up in the hospital and then stopped making posts, and we all knew what had happened, she let us talk to her about it because we couldn’t go to our own parents, even though we had just lost a friend.
She was not a replacement to my parents, but she was an extra parent, in some ways. A friend, certainly, but someone that had been through more life than we had and was willing to pass on knowledge if we asked for it. Someone older that we trusted with things that were too uncomfortable to go to our parents or teachers or whatever about, because we already knew she wasn’t going to judge us or something, and that we would get an honest answer.
I don’t know why I’m remembering this so hard tonight, and I’m not sure if there’s a point to sharing this, except that I know she’s gone now. She was ill the last time we spoke, and her site went down a long time ago, and I miss her. She was a huge influence on my life, then and now. She was hope, for me, that life as an adult didn’t have to be boring, it wouldn’t have to mean giving up the things I loved and Becoming Only Responsible With No Fun. Her presence meant I had hope I could still write and play with friends even when I wasn’t ‘a kid’ anymore. And she’s gone, and I miss her, and I wanted to share her from the perspective of youth, and the perspective over twenty years later has provided me.
And I think of her, when people go off about older folks being in fandom with younger folks. I’m an older folks now, or at least middle aged folks because there are certainly folks older than me still, but I wasn’t always. I’ve been here since i was a younger folks, and I know how much Steel’s presence and support meant to me, how much she helped not just me but everyone on that group. And I think of the people saying older folks don’t belong in fandom, and that they shouldn’t interact with younger folks at all, and I just think... I can’t agree. I needed that kind of solid presence in my life back then and even at the age I am now, I need the folks older than me to stay. I want them here.
So I guess, like, if you’re here and you’re 40 or 50 or 60 or 70 or 80 or whatever, I want you here in fandom with me, still. Your presence here is a comfort. It is hope. It is a reminder that life will continue to be fun, even as I get older, myself. And if you’re younger and you have this sort of elder in your groups, I hope that they are like Steel. I hope they are kind and patient and supportive, and that knowing them gives you hope for your own future. I hope in twenty years you look back and remember them fondly.
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fullhalalalchemist · 11 months
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URGENT: Congress about to pass a mass censorship and surveillance bill under the guise of "protecting children"
May 13 2023
The Senate has been in a "do something!" mode regarding children's online safety. They're using this as an excuse to push for widespread internet censorship and surveillance. The EARN IT Act, has a slimmer chance of passing with widespread opposition and some senators saying they won't vote for it. TLDR;The real threat is actually KOSA (s.1409), the Kid's Online Safety Act, which will mass censor and surveill the entire internet by giving all 50 state attorney generals the power to remove content that is "harmful" for kids, and force you to upload your govt ID online to access the internet. I'll explain how it works below the action items but it's absolutely urgent that anyone who likes having a free and open internet fights back. It's all hands on deck, because this has so much public support it's insane:
HOW TO FIGHT KOSA
CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES & THE COMMERCE COMMITTEE
This is a link to the Senate Commerce Committee phone numbers and a call script to read off of. (202) 224-3121 connects you to the congressional hotline
Opposition is getting drowned, and these upcoming weeks will be heavy for lobbying and they're using young people to do it. We NEED to show these senators that young people are actually opposed to this and don't want it.
2. Sign these petitions
Open Letter Against KOSA
Petition 1
Petition 2
Petition 3
Petition 4
Resistbot: Text PHJDYH to 50409
3. Spread the word.
The opposition is getting absolutely drowned online. Dove has nearly 100k signatures to push for KOSA. Influencers on tiktok are pushing for this without ever having read the bill. Fucking Lizzo is sponsoring it. If you have twitter, reddit, tiktok, are in any community, SPREAD THE WORD, PLEASE.
Here is a linktree with all the above petitions for easy shargin: Link to linktree
HOW KOSA WORKS
First, KOSA pressures platforms to install filters that would wipe the net of anything deemed “inappropriate” for minors. This means instructing platforms to censor. We saw how these filters impacted websites firsthand with tumblr in 2018, with not only blocking all adult content but also sfw queer content such as suicide hotlines, art archives, wiping out entire blogs because they had queer fandom related posts, etc. Places that already use content filters have restricted important information about suicide prevention and LGBTQ+ support groups. KOSA would spread this kind of censorship to every corner of the internet. And who gets to decide what is and isn't harmful for minors? Oh don't worry, just every single state attorney general and the FTC, which is appointed by the president. You know, the same attorney generals that just banned gender-affirming healthcare under the guise that it "ruins mental health" of minors. This is why the Heritage Foundation was one of the first to sponsor the bill because they can use it to censor trans content, and Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee is it's co-author.
Second, KOSA would ramp up the online surveillance of all internet users by forcing websites to use age verification and parental monitoring tools. Yup, that's right. Now every single person who wants to access the internet has to upload their govt ID online to third party apps that get hacked all the time. You queer in a red state? You undocumented? You an activist? Have fun getting all your online activity and metadata attached to your govt ID.  
Over 90+ human and LGBT rights groups agree that KOSA is dangerous and updates to the 2023 version won’t and can’t address the big problems with the bill. This bill has MASSIVE bipartisan support, and the authors Blumenthal and Blackburn (yes, that Blumenthal that's pushing the EARN IT Act, and who also sponsored the RESTRICT Act and SOPA/PIPA if you remember) are using the tragedy of mothers who lost their kids to online harassment and young adults who've been traumatized online to lobby for it, and got Dove the company to use a bunch of influencers to push for this under the guise it prevents eating disorders...I wish I was lying. There are already 30 co-sponsors.
It is all hands on deck. I'm dead serious when I say if this bill is passed it is the beginning if not end of the open and free internet.
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moonteases · 2 years
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absolutely fucking insane to me how being against the unabashed publishing of LITERAL CHILD PORN OR BLATANTLY RACIST CONTENT (or BOTH at the same time) is the hot topic of the moment about AO3. the people clamoring for that tiffany g girl to get the boot from the board are freaks of fucking nature and make me embarrassed to even share an online space with you braindead fucks
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ellana-ravenwood · 1 year
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From parents to babies - Batfam x fem!reader
Synopsis : You and Bruce got turned into toddlers !! Shenanigans ensue, of course. 
This is part of a little “series” I guess, here’s the first part with Jason : Jason Todd(ler). I’m planning on writing a lil story for all the kids hehe, but I thought : “hey, what about Batmom and Bruce ?” and here we are. Hope you’ll like this ! 
Please, do not repost my stories anywhere else, under any other form. Do not translate and then repost them either. Thank you. 
My masterlist : @ella-ravenwood-archives
_________________________________________________
“Bruce !” 
“(Y/N) !” 
You manage to scream each other’s names before-
Before a white flash engulfed the both of you, and you suddenly disappeared, only a pool of your clothes remaining where you once stood. 
“Nooooo !!” is the last thing you hear before your mind goes blank, and you recognize the voice as being your youngest son’s, Damian. The sound of his scream greatly distresses you, but alas, you cannot do anything to help as you feel yourself slowly fading away and- 
Footsteps. Running fast to reach the place you stood on merely seconds before. But you’re not there anymore, you’re not there !
“It’s not possible !” 
That’s Jason. His voice breaking at the end of his sentence, as he approaches the bunch of clothes left on the floor, a lump in his throat as the inevitable is starting to be clearer and clearer, and he cannot refuse reality anymore.
Vaporized. His parents just got vaporized by that wannabe-magician’s laser ! 
In the mess of it all, that asshole even escaped ! Which was a good thing, in a way, because Jason promised you and Bruce he would never kill again, but he wasn’t sure he could hold that promise if he was faced with the man who took away his beloved parents. 
You all only just made peace with each other, only just became a family again ! How was he suppose to go on losing you once more ?
Dick was the first to reach the spot in which you were. He had always been the fastest of them all. His heart beats too fast in his chest, and he has this horrible thought that it’s the second time he sees his parents being killed right in front of him when-
Movements. Small movements. There, amongst his father’s suit. And there, amongst his mother’s clothes. And then-
Little hands. Fighting to find an exit in this labyrinth of fabrics. Little grunts of frustration, like when a child is trying to do something but doesn’t quite manage to do it. Finally finding an out. And-
“Oh shit.” 
Dick says, as he stares at- Two kids ?? 
One, a little boy. who couldn’t be more than two years old, black hair, bright blue eyes. The second one, (E/C) eyes and (H/C) hair and-
“Oh shit.” 
Tim says, as he’s the second one to reach the place and he immediately understands that his parents aren’t dead, but rather...
They’ve been turned into toddlers ! 
“Oh shit !” You exclaim happily, giggling. 
“Oh shit !” Baby Bruce repeats, and you both look at each other and giggle even more. Damn it. They’ve been in the care of children for only a second, and they already taught you bad words !
Bruce reaches for you, and there’s no doubt now that those two kids are indeed you and your husband ! Because immediately, you move closer to each other, your clothe much too big for you now being like blankets on you. 
Dick picks the both of you up, wrapping you in the cloths, and turns around to greet his siblings. 
Slowly, all your children reach you and-
“Oh shit !” You and Bruce say in unison, proud to show everyone (whomever those people were) that new word you just learned. 
And “oh shit” indeed, is on all of your kids’ mind. 
************
Of course, it had to happen when Alfred was away on his one vacation a year...Of freaking course. 
It wouldn’t be funny otherwise, right ? 
Only Alfred, could find a solution to this problem ! Your kids were totally lost ! 
Evidently, neither you nor Bruce remembered who you really were. You were clearly just two two years old. 
And it seemed you didn’t mind being picked up by people you didn’t know, as long as you could stay together (you two downright SCREAMED so loudly, when Jason tried to take you from Dick’s arms so his brother wouldn’t have to hold the both of you). 
It was as if that, at least, remained. Your bond. 
As if you were just- Instant friends, or something. 
They got you home, and : 
“Ok, any of you ever took care of babies ?” 
“Me not baby !” You say, glaring at your oldest son. It’s true, you knew you were two (somehow), you were no baby anymore ! 
“I’m sorry mom, I just- Oh gods this is so weird.” 
And it truly was, weird, to see their parents, the two people they knew they could always count on if they had a problem, being literal children. 
They couldn’t call them for help, you guys barely knew how to properly walk ! And had a very small vocabulary, too...Dick shook his head. This wasn’t a time to diss babies, this really wasn’t the time ! 
“Ok, first things first, we need to find them clothes. Duke, Jason, go the a shop and get them some stuffs to wear. While Cass and I will go buy some food for them. Damian and Dick, stay here and take care of them.” Aaaah Tim, ever so pragmatic. In a matter of seconds, he had gotten over the shock of the situation, and was taking matter in his own hands. 
And it was good. It was a start. They had no idea what they were going to do after, except the fact they had to find a way to get you back to normal. But at least, they had the beginning of a plan. 
They knew they could all count on Tim for plans. From A to Z, he would find a way. He had no idea how to take care of babies, of course, but his mind could find solutions to every problems. 
Yes. Yes. They only had to start moving. And things would be alright. They could do this. 
They could do this. 
They had to do this, for both your sake. 
************
Officially, Bruce and (Y/N) Wayne went away on a surprise vacation. Your disappearance had to be explained. 
None of your kids called Alfred, the butler deserved his annually vacation after all, and they knew he would come right home if he heard. So they let him be, and started to take care of their “baby parents”. 
Brucie ish scared
Before being the way Gotham’s media, models and such, called him when he still had his playboy persona, and not his “family man” one that he now had, “Brucie” was the nickname his mom gave him. 
Never in public, of course, but when they were home. When she was telling him bed time stories or singing lullabies to him. When she woke him up, gently, in the mornings. When she told him to come home for dinner, as he was playing in the garden. 
“Brucie”, was a name Bruce always associated with his mother’s affection and love. Which is why he hated how the media, and certain people, self-appropriated that name, and associated it with that persona who wasn’t even himself. 
It’s not like he could do anything about it, though. He had a role to play. 
And so, “Brucie” became that “other him”, while initially, it was his true self...
It had been years, since anyone had called him that. He wasn't a playboy, anymore, and your little nickname for him (aside from “my heart” and other term of endearment) was “my Broosh”. 
And so finally, this name came full circle. 
Brucie. 
That’s how he called himself. Toddlers had that tendency to talk about themselves in the third person, sometimes. And Bruce, was referring to himself as “Brucie”, not “Bruce”. 
Your children were a hundred percent sure it was because even if he didn’t seem to ask for his parents, a part of him remembered them, and how his mom called him. 
Even turned into a toddler who didn’t remember much of his own life, Bruce still had his parents in mind. 
And so he called himself Brucie. 
And Brucie was a scaredy cat ! 
The irony of which didn’t escape any of your kids. 
What, the “fearless Batman” was afraid of literally everything ? That was funny. Dick made sure to take PLENTY of videos (just if he needed leverage for something one day). 
Brucie got scared of the vacuum cleaner. Brucie got scared of the dark. Brucie got scared of any noise that was too loud. Brucie got scared whenever (Y/N) wasn’t around. Brucie-
“Brucie ish scared !” He’d whimper, and run towards the closest “adult” he could find (any of your children, though over half of them were far from being official adults), seeking comfort. 
Every time, and it was the most adorable thing to witness, you’d rush to him, and hold him saying : “No scared Brooshie, no scared, me here. Me here.” 
First, “Brooshie” = so darn cute, a toddler adaptation of the traditional “Broosh”. Second, the way you’d shield him in your little arms, and how he’d hide his face and close his eyes, how he’d hold onto you and calm down as you told him to not be scared, it had to be peak adorableness.
And in a way, toddlers you were a good reflection of adults you. 
Bruce was no longer scared, in the strictest sense of the term. He had shunned all his emotions, locked them away deep in his heart, for years. Ignored his pain, and the remnant of his fears. 
And then you came in, and forced open his heart, shattering all the walls he build for years, and making it impossible for him to live without you (and vice versa). 
Just as Baby Bruce found comfort and safety in your arms, just as he was soothed by your voice, Adult Bruce knew he could always be safe and warm in your embrace. 
Nobody, when witnessing such scenes, could even dare say you weren’t made for each other. 
DICK 
It was so weird. 
Dick just couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that you two were turned into kids. Like, what ? 
His...parents were now younger than him. How weird was that ?? 
Of course, he knew he should be used to weird things by now. After all, over the years, from when he first became Robin to now, he had seen his fair share of strange stuffs. But this-
This was really, really odd. 
“Ick !” was the name you and Bruce decided to give him. No matter how many times he made you repeat it, you could never truly manage to say his name properly. And so, he was now “Ick”. 
And “Ick” had no clue how to take care of children. 
Was this how Bruce felt, when he officially adopted him ? Was this how you felt, when you became his mom while being so young ? 
Of course, Dick was older when he first arrived. But he was also a lot more traumatized. And he knew he could be difficult, at times. He could be so damn angry, back then. 
While you and Bruce ? You were adorable kids. You’d listen to him, and never talk back. What, you were supposed to be in your “terrible twos” era, yet it seemed like you were just good kids. 
Of course, the fact that your eldest son let you do absolutely everything you wanted might’ve been a reason as to why you two were so “nice” with him, and didn’t throw any tantrum. 
No tantrum needed, when the person taking care of you would let you do whatever you wanted. 
You didn’t wanna wear pants ? No problems. You didn’t want to eat your vegetables, but wanted sweets instead ? All good. You didn’t want to take a nap ? Then he could play with you a little longer. 
Yes. It became quite apparent that Dick could not resist you, at all. 
Which wasn’t much of a surprise, really. Because he was the same way with his siblings. They could make him do whatever they wanted to (outside of work, of course. When they were vigilantes, it was an entire other story, but it was because he often had to take the “leader” job, and a mistake could cost a life). 
And so, even though he found it extremely weird, and couldn’t quite call you “mom” and “dad” anymore (and who would blame him ?), he didn’t hate taking care of you. 
He sort of saw it as “payback”, for all the years you put up with his moods. For all the time you didn’t give up on him, and all the moments you were there to catch him when he fell. 
The reason he found it so hard to accept and fathom the situation, was because you and Bruce had become such “safety nets”, for him. 
You were his parents. He couldn’t think of a life without you. Without your guidance. Without your soothing words. Without your scolding, when he needed one. Without-
He couldn’t accept this turn of event, because he needed you. He had pushed you enough, in his teenage years and early adulthood. Now, he realized he absolutely needed his parents. 
He had to find a solution, and fast. Because although he didn’t mind taking care of you as you were nice kids, he just wanted his parents back. 
JASON 
Jason was the most responsible one. 
Which, when people knew your children, wasn’t that surprising.
He’d always been a responsible kid, despite what anyone could think. 
He was a really good big brother, always looking out for his little siblings, and being there to be their voice of reason (Dick being his...he had a "decent teacher”). 
And so he became the “mom” of the house (it’s a nickname Tim, Duke and Damian gave him, when he wasn’t there). 
He had always loved cooking, ever since he was a kid. So he took it upon himself to cook healthy meals for both you and Bruce, and would scold Dick whenever he’d caught his brother red handed giving you candies and other ice cream right before dinner ! 
Bruce hated carrots, and you despised spinach. Other than that, it seemed you were willing to try everything he made for you two. 
Jason spend hours on the internet searching for recipes fit for two years old, for things you should feed kids this young. And he came up with quite a diet for the both of you. 
The food he made was delicious (and more than once, he caught one of his sibling eating from your spoon instead of feeding you !). 
Jason would be the one to remind everyone of yours and Bruce’s bed time. After all, “bed time” in the Wayne household had always been a little;..different, to say the least. But with toddlers ? It couldn’t be. It had to be regular, or they’d be too tired. 
Jason made a carefully planned sleep schedule for his “parents”. And when he wasn’t the one babysitting at night (they all took shifts so they could still do their vigilante jobs), he would call his sibling when it was bed time to make sure they’d respect it. He would genuinely harass Dick, because he knew his older brother was “weak” and could never refuse puppy eyes (after all, he abused of that technique to get him to do whatever he wanted, when he was younger), and he had to be reminded that a regular bed time was important !
How odd it was, for thugs, being downright beaten down by the scary Red Hood, while the latter would talk in his income and say things like : “I can’t believe you gave them ice cream before sleepy time again !” and others : “They’re babies, they need at least ten hours of sleep !” 
Jason didn’t let any tantrum through. Where Dick would just let you and Bruce do whatever you wanted, Jason had clear limits.
Because that is how you raised him. Sure, Bruce could be a little too strict sometimes, especially with Dick. But he had grown as a father, and slowly learned the difference between being too rigid and allowing his kids to be kids. 
Jason often joked that Dick was the “trial and error” era, but he wasn’t too far off. With Dick, you and Bruce made plenty of mistakes. You did with your other kids too, of course, but with your eldest most of all. Because he was your first child, and you had no idea what you were doing at the time. 
But, yes. Jason knew the importance of limits, for children. Kids needed boundaries, so they could feel safe. He knew, because it totally worked on him. 
And so, you’d have a tantrum ? Too bad, you’d just have to calm down and ask again nicely. Jason was intransigeant. 
He was, though, the first one there if you or Bruce woke up crying during the night. And he’d take you in his arms (always the both of you at the same time), and sing to you. Or tell you stories. Up until you’d fall asleep again. 
Jason, although he had strict schedules and food diet, was such a gentle soul. Such a gentle carer. You knew that one day, he would make a great dad. And if that experience taught any of you anything, it was that yes, yes. 
Jason told would one day make a wonderful father. 
TIM 
"I think he doesn’t like me...” 
Tim said, deflated and defeated, as, once again, his dad (in baby form) cowered away from him as he approached. 
You ? You enjoyed being taken care of by Tim. You liked him very much. But for some reasons, “Brucie” seemed scared of him. 
“Don’t say that. I think he’s just- shy.” 
“Conner, honey, I appreciate you trying to comfort me, but if he was truly shy, he wouldn’t just- Oh come on !” 
Of course, Bruce chose that exact moment to jump in Conner’s arms, and to hide his face in his chest so he wouldn’t see Tim anymore. Superboy chuckled uncomfortably, trying to act as if it wasn’t because Bruce was scared or anything, but Tim couldn’t be fooled. 
Tim could never be fooled. 
And so he sighed, and held you a little closer. At least, his mom always loved him, no matter what age she was. 
You seemed to understand that Bruce’s actions made Tim sad, and even as a toddler, it greatly distressed you to see one of your “kids” sad. So you wiggled to signify to Tim that you want him to put you back down and-
“Oh, not you too, mom ?” 
You walk towards Conner, and Tim looks even sadder, as now, both of his “parents” seem to like others better than him...Even if they were just kids, and that Tim knew they weren’t doing it on purpose, his feelings were still hurt. 
But then-
You shake Conner’s pants, signifying for him to crouch down to your level. Baby Bruce is in his arms, and beams as he sees you. 
“’Own, ‘own !” He says, meaning “down”, and Conner puts him next to you. 
Immediately, Bruce takes your hand, and smiles widely. Which comforts Tim a little. At least, even as toddlers, it seemed you two were inseparable.
But then, you drag him towards Tim, and it’s obvious Bruce only follows because he seems very attached to you. The little boy does not want to be there, in front of Timothy Wayne-Drake.
And Tim looks down, sadly. He ruffles your hair affectionately, and says : 
“Good try mom, good try. But I don't think he likes me, at all.” 
You look at Tim, and then turns around towards Bruce, who was currently hiding behind you (how cute it was, that you always seemed to protect him when he was scared). But this time, you’d have none of it. 
Very much alike when you were adults, and you took none of your husband’s shit. You’d always set him back on track. Always. 
And so, toddler you said : 
“Bwooshie, Tim nice ! Tim good ! Tim fwiend !”
You let go of Bruce’s hand, and the boy whimpers and tries to catch your hand again, but takes a few steps back because he doesn’t want to get too close from Tim. But then-
Then you hop in Tim’s arms, and you snuggle against him. You smile at Bruce, and nods at him saying again : “Tim fwiend ! Tim nice !” and your son cannot help himself and hold you tight. 
Even turned into a toddler, he could count on his mama to cheer him up, it seemed...
Slowly, unsure, Bruce approached Tim. The boy was still obviously wary, but those were first steps. 
After a while, Bruce finally came towards Tim, and laid his hands on your son’s knees. 
He looked deeply into Tim’s eyes, and must’ve finally decided that he wasn’t so scary, because then, he climbed into his laps and everything was resolved. 
And oh, oh how much this meant to Tim...
DAMIAN 
“Father, you need to give her some air. I swear, even as children you two are impossible !” 
“AAAAAAAAAAH !” is Bruce’s response, as Damian tries to take him away from you. Apparently, young Bruce seemed to think screaming was an appropriate response to show his unwillingness to do something. 
And it frustrated Damian greatly. 
You had fallen asleep on the floor. Laid on your back, you were in a deep slumber, a pacifier in your mouth, your breathing regular. And Bruce was sitting next to you, your head was in his lap, and he was watching TV as one of his hand was on your head, the other one on your cheek. 
He too, had a pacifier in his mouth, and although he was focused on the TV show he was watching, it seemed like he had absolutely no intention on letting you go.
When Damian entered the room, he found the both of you like that, and decided it would be better if you slept in your bed. So he went to pick you up, gently taking his father’s hands off of you and-
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAH !” The pacifier falls from his mouth, as he tightens his grip on you, and glares at a bewildered Damian. 
You’re so deep asleep that you don’t budge, and then Bruce, after glaring some more at Damian, turns back to watch the TV. 
But Damian will have none of it. “Be firm, sometimes.” Jason told him, and he was going to take his big brother advice to heart ! And so he made Bruce let go, and took you into his arms. 
After a pause, as Baby Bruce was too shocked to react, his mouth slowly turned down into a frown and-
The little boy bursted into tears. Big, real tears. Ugly sobs with lots of snots running down his nose. 
And it made Damian panic. 
He hated that. He hated those cries. It reminded him of so many bad memories. He couldn’t handle it, he couldn’t bear it. 
Even less so knowing this was his dad ! 
And so he quickly went to the floor, and took little Bruce in his arms, soothing him expertly as he was still holding you in his other arms. 
His shirt was wet from Bruce holding onto it and burying his face into it. But eventually, the boy’s sobs died down, and-
Asleep.
Bruce was fast asleep, too. And his little face looked so at ease.
There. In Damian’s arms, a hand holding one of your hand. 
It reminded him of his father as an adult, in fact. How sometimes, he would surprise you and him as you fell asleep on the couch in each other’s arms. And how his father’s face would look the most relaxed and pleased, when you were holding him...
Damian tightened his grip on both of you. He was ready to protect you even if it meant he would have to sacrifice himself ! 
And oh- Oh he felt something growing inside him. Something important.  
Eventually, you and Bruce would be back to normal. He knew it, he knew his siblings would figure something out. Yes. You’d become his parents again. 
But he-
He somehow wanted a baby,  in this house. 
CASS
You both clearly adored Cass. 
You would walk towards her, and demand for her to pick you up. And then, when she would inevitably do it, you’d both snuggle against her and quickly fall asleep, absolutely content. 
Damian mentioned that he read somewhere that children felt people’s calmness. And so he conjectured that you liked falling asleep on her, because you felt calmed and secure. 
Which was the truth. 
It made Cass’ heart melt. She, for obvious reasons, never held children before. And she definitely never thought that the first kids she would hold would be her own parents...
Physical touch had always soothed Cass. 
Before she met you and Bruce, she was never allowed to be touch, and to touch other. She’d never receive a hug, or a soothing kiss. 
Never. 
So when you adopted her, she swore she’d take every opportunity to snuggle against you. Against her parents. Oh, and her brothers. None of them could resist a hug from her, not even Jason or Damian. 
If Cass wanted a hug, she would have it. 
So, she felt so fulfilled, when baby you and baby Bruce came to seek hugs from her. As if everything went full circle. 
You and your husband gave her the comfort of parental love. Gave her the safety of your arms, and taught her how important it was to have people you loved close. 
And here she was, soothing little versions of you, making you stop crying just by holding you. 
Yes. It was a full, nice, comforting and warm circle. 
And Cass felt so happy, when you hugged her. Whether you were kids or adults. 
DUKE
Duke had tons of little cousins. 
Cousins he still saw now, of course. None of his uncles and aunts could take him in, for different reasons (the main one being that none of them lived in Gotham anymore, what happened to Duke’s parents being the last straw...And Duke did not want to leave the city just yet). But he still stayed in contact with them. 
Before they all moved, Duke, who was the oldest of the kids in his family, used to babysit his cousins all the time. So, he had experience with children. 
And it showed. 
With you and Bruce, he was nice, yet strict. He (and Jason) was the only one who didn’t let you do whatever you wanted, and who would plainly ignore any of your tantrums. 
He was the only one able to detach himself from the fact you were his parents, and viewed you as normal children he had to take care of. 
This is probably what saved him. What made him be able to live with that situation. Just like Dick, he really wanted you back to normal. But his defense mechanism was to pretend you weren’t you, but random kids he had in his care. 
It was a lot, for a seventeen years old, but Duke was strong. 
You’d always known he was strong, from the moment he became your ward, to now, as he was officially adopted and called you “mom”. 
For his own sanity, Duke viewed this as a “baby sitter” job, and so, on purpose, didn’t get attached to baby you and baby Bruce too much. He didn't want to, because he didn’t want you to stay like that. 
He wanted his parents back too, he needed you still, he was too young to lose parents a second time ! 
And so Duke shut his feelings away, and took care of you as if you weren’t really you. He gave you lots of care and love, as a child needed, but-
But he pretended you, as his parents, were away for a while. And constantly thought of a plan to get you back to your normal self.
They never sleep alone 
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!” Baby Bruce screamed, as loud as he could, holding onto your hands for dear life. 
“Me not want, me not want !” You say, kicking Dick with your little legs and holding Brucie’s hands too. 
Your kids quickly realized that they COULD NOT separate you for bed time. 
They had bought two children’s bed, but in the end, only one was used. You’d fall asleep all snuggled to each others, pacifier in your mouth. 
“It’s- Kind of like when they’re grown up.” Damian says, and they all nod. 
Yes. Yes it’s true that you two found it really hard to find sleep, when the other one was absent. True insomnia would hit you, in the event that one of you couldn’t be here for the night. 
What transpired in your toddler form, how you’d scream if separated, also existed with the adult versions of you. 
And it comforted your children, in a way.
They knew that their parents were still in there, somewhere. 
ACE 
“Doggy !” Little Bruce beamed happily, as he ran as fast as he could towards..Well, his dog, actually. 
Ace was taken aback, at first, as he recognized his master’s smell, but couldn’t figure out why he was so...small. 
Bruce ran to him, and literally fell on the dog hugging him tightly. 
“Doggy !” The little boy said, and your children felt their heart melt. 
None of them ever thought they’d ever call their dad “cute”, despite you trying to convince them that he really could be cute (some would say you were biased). 
But here, in that moment, as their dad seemed so damn happy just because of his dog, no other words came to their minds. 
Cute. 
Unruly little buggers !! 
You two, together, could be...
“Tornadoes !! They’re goddamn tornadoes !!” Jason screams, as he was running after you. 
You were wearing only your diaper, managing to escape the grasp of your son by taking sharp turns there and there, and knocking down every single things on your way. 
On the other side of the living room, Tim and Damian were trying to catch Bruce, as he was doing the exact same things. 
Ten seconds. 
They left the both of you alone for less than ten seconds !! 
And when they came back, you and Bruce apparently had decided that it was fun to break extremely valuable objects, including vase, and a large array of ornaments. 
You were giggling like a little devil, as you slowly devastated the living room. 
“Alfred is going to kill us !” Duke says, holding his head in his hands, standing there watching the disaster unfold in front of him. What else could he do, really, when some of Gotham’s mightiest heroes couldn’t even get a hold of you ?? 
Finally, Jason catches you, just as Tim lunges forward and grasp his dad as well. The two of you wiggle like snakes as you try to get away, but you do not cry. 
No, on the contrary, you both laugh way too loudly, probably thinking that “destroying the house” was a great game.
And your kids could swear that your laughs were genuine “evil laughs”. 
Later, on the security camera, they’d know what happened. 
At first, you were both sitting on the floor, playing with toys, waiting patiently. But then, Bruce got on his feet, and walked that wobbly unsure walk all children have at first towards the coffee table. 
Something had caught his attention. It was a small crystal vase, that Alfred had put there years ago, for decoration. It went splendidly with the carpet, and matched the room perfectly. 
And it was shiny, and Bruce wanted it. 
He tried to climb on the coffee table, wiggling his little butt to give himself some momentum and get on it...but he couldn’t do it. That’s when you came into action, and pushed him so he would get on. 
He turned around, and giggled, as if to thank you, and then-
Then he brought you the vase. 
It was quite adorable, really. He wanted it, because it was shiny and looked cool. But then he decided to give it to you, instead. 
He let himself fall on the floor from the coffee table once he gave you the vase, and you both stared at it for a second. Before, for some reason, you took it and threw it hard on the wall ! 
Seriously, sometimes, kids were absolutely impossible to understand. What made you want to suddenly throw that vase like that ? Nobody would ever know. But what was known, is that it seemed like both you and Bruce liked that, because you looked at each others, as if conniving, and pushed yourself off of the floor, standing up. 
And then, as your children entered the room with some food, you proceeded to start destroying everything you could get your hands on, up until they finally managed to get a hold on you.
And your downright EVIL laughter filled the room.  
Your kids were DEFINITELY going to get that security camera footage out one day again, if you ever decided to punish them or scold them about something. 
Back to normal 
Zatanna, as usual, to the rescue. 
When your kids were finally able to reach her. She arrived barely minutes after they exposed the problems to her. She had been in another dimension, and therefor couldn’t be reached for a while. 
From her understanding, it’s been almost a month since you turned into toddlers. And finally, she was there (which was good, because Alfred’s one month vacation a year was coming to an end, and your kids really wanted to pretend nothing ever happened). 
Ah but she was accompanied by an unwanted visitor...
“What are you doing here, Constantine ?” Damian asks, holding you in one arm, and his father in the other. Protectively. 
“What, I learn that the big bad bat got turned into a kid and you think I could miss that ? No bloody way haha. Curiosity got the best of me !” 
“I’m sorry guys, I didn’t mean to tell him but he was there when you called...”
“It’s all good aunt Z, it’s all good. To be fair, I was hoping someone else would see this too, so we can NEVER let them forget they had to wear diapers again haha.” 
“Grayson !” your youngest son exclaimed. It’s been a while, since Damian called Dick “Grayson”, but he was absolutely shocked about this “betrayal” ! 
“Ok, ok. Let’s make sure dad never forget he had to wear diaper again !”
Damian thought about it for a while, and then said : “And you’ll leave mom alone ?”
“Yes, promised.” Dick says, and Constantine nods too (he wasn’t about to mock you anyway, he was too scared of you). 
“Alright, then it’s acceptable.” 
And on that note, Zatanna started a ritual. 
************
“What the hell happened ??” Are Bruce’s first words. And then, he sees you, and takes you into his arms, holding you with almost too strongly. 
“I thought I had lost you...” He whispers, and you hold him back just as strongly, because you had the same thought. The last thing you remembered, after all, was that laser coming towards the two of you and then-
And then what ? 
After letting you hug each other, your children finally tell you what went on. 
And oh. Oh you were so damn proud of them, they did so good ! 
I want a baby sibling 
A few weeks went by. 
A few weeks, during which both Dick and John Constantine flooded the group chat all the supers had together with baby pictures of the Batman (oddly enough, they didn’t divulge any picture of you...probably because you scared them a little), and embarrassing videos. It was an endless source of jokes, and teasing from everyone. 
But you didn’t worry too much though, you knew your husband would have his revenge (in fact, you were more worried for your son and for Constantine than anything else). 
In any case, that episode would be soon behind you, save for a few mockeries there and there. At least, that’s what you thought. 
One morning, Damian just casually entered your bedroom and stood before your bed, staring at the two of you, as you were slowly leaving the dream world. 
You thought it was an emergency, at first, as none of your children would ever dare to just walk in your bedroom like that (lest they witness something that could scar them for life). But Damian calculated the risks. 
It was much too early, for either of you to be awake. So it was safe. And so he came in, without knocking, and planted his feet resolutely in the floor, his hands on his waist, staring the both of you down. 
“What is it, buddy ?” You ask, half-asleep. Bruce, his hair a mess, sat up, dazed. 
“I came to an important decision. One taken in the light of recent events.”
Confused, neither you nor your husband say anything. Waiting for what your son is going to say next. Slowly, he turns around, and starts to walk left, then right, then left...Pacing in front of your bed, his eyes never leaving you two. 
Finally, he stops, and solemnly says : 
“I want a baby sibling. Sister or brother I do not care, I just want a little one to take care of, and to be a big brother. I think, I am done being the youngest.”
Bruce stares dumbly at his son, his face blank and expressionless, sure now that he must still be dreaming. And you’re not doing any better. You blink fast a few time, and repeat : 
“A baby sibling ?”
Damian doesn’t miss a beat as he says : 
“That’s right. Like I said, a little brother or sister, it does not matter to me, as long as it’s mine. My little brother or sister, I mean. Of course, they’ll be their own person, and we won’t own them per se. We’ll just take care of them.” 
Silence. 
A long silence. 
Finally broken by your son : 
“Well. I’ll leave you to it then. I expect you will take my request seriously. We will talk about it again another day. Thank you for listening to me, and see you at breakfast.” 
And on that note, your son leaves just as casually, as you look at him, astonished. 
You turn to your husband and-
You know what he’s thinking. You and Bruce never talked about having biological children, because the kids you already have were always enough for your happiness. You didn’t need more, you already loved them so much. 
But you both always told yourselves that if it were to happen...
Of course, you would accept it. You would raise that child with joy, too. It would be quite a bonus, to an already happy life. 
And so as your son leaves, and you look at each others you think-
A baby in the house, wouldn’t be so bad. 
__________________________________________________
Well, here we are ! I hope you liked this ! As per usual, comments/reblogs are more than welcomed, and always a great motivation to post more :). Don’t hesitate to tell me what you thought of this ! It always makes the time spend on a story worth it, when I hear from y’all :) <3. Thanks in advance, and thanks for reading this, too ! See you soon with another story ! 
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