One of my biggest nitpicks in fiction concerns the feeding of babies. Mothers dying during/shortly after childbirth or the baby being separated form the mother shortly after birth is pretty common in fiction. It is/was also common enough in real life, which is why I think a lot of writers/readers don't think too hard about this. however. Historically, the only reason the vast majority of babies survived being separated from their mother was because there was at least one other woman around to breastfeed them. Before modern formula, yes, people did use other substitutes, but they were rarely, if ever, nutritionally sufficient.
Newborns can't eat adult food. They can't really survive on animal milk. If your story takes place in a world before/without formula, a baby separated from its mother is going to either be nursed by someone else, or starve.
It doesn't have to be a huge plot point, but idk at least don't explicitly describe the situation as excluding the possibility of a wetnurse. "The father or the great grandmother or the neighbor man or the older sibling took and raised the baby completely alone in a cave for a year." Nope. That baby is dead I'm sorry. "The baby was kidnapped shortly after birth by a wizard and hidden away in a secret tower" um quick question was the wizard lactating? "The mother refused to see or touch her child after birth so the baby was left to the care of the ailing grandfather" the grandfather who made the necessary arrangements with women in the neighborhood, right? right? OR THAT GREAT OFFENDER "A newborn baby was left on the doorstep and they brought it in and took care of it no issues" What Are You Going to Feed That Baby. Hello?
Like. It's not impossible, but arrangements are going to have to be made. There are some logistics.
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toji sighs at the vomit dripping down his shirt. of course, baby megumi felt the need to throw up as soon as he was handed to his father by you.
you laugh, taking the also giggling megumi from toji.
"Why does this always happen to me?" toji grumbles, walking to your room to clean himself up. your nine-month old wiggles in your hands, and you coo at him.
"papa's so yucky isn't he?" megumi waves his chubby hands around—you take it as an agreement. "uh-huh, he's icky."
"i can hear you!" toji barks from your room.
raising a baby is not easy, but with toji and megumi, it's fun. Not always fun—there's always hiccups and difficulties—but you're happy.
like right now... as toji comes out in a new shirt, huffing and pouting. megumi always causes issues when it comes to him, but never you. megumi just adores his other parent. toji doesn't even know how a nine-month old baby could have a preference, considering he's trying his best to keep any burden off of you.
"i'm not gross," toji pouts, sitting back down on the carpet, a few feet in front of you.
megumi squirms, and you set him down on the ground, facing his father. he manages to sit up, reaching out to toji with grabby hands.
"oh, now you want to like me, huh? you little brat." toji leans forward to grab megumi's tiny little hands, waving them around and responding to his babbles.
your heart warms—it's just too cute. when you'd first met your husband, he was a homeless, gruff and closed-off man. it's hard to think the two are the same person. you really didn't do much—just gave him enough love for him to try. you're glad.
"why're ya looking at me like that?" toji asks.
you leaned against the counter, watching as your husband did the dishes after dinner. he had always insisted to clean while living with you, even if that meant he spent hours doing so. megumi knocked right out after you fed him, putting him to bed.
"you're a sexy dad," you snort.
toji seems a bit taken off guard. your smile widens as his ears turn red. "are you saying i wasn't sexy before?"
"pah. big baby."
"your big baby."
"and a sap."
toji chuckles, looking back down at the half-washed dishes. you watch him the whole time—his strong, calloused hands lathered in soap and water, moving in circular motions. and his arms—
"you think megumi would like a little sibling?"
toji chokes.
divider by @saradika-graphics ˊᵕˋ
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There was a teen in the cave.
A teen no one knows and looks like he could be a wayne, stands in the cave.
"Actually, I'm a wayne." He says with a shrug.
Bruce, Batman, carefully thinks of the implication.
"Not yet," The teen, Danny, doesn't say anything. Simple smiles. "You're not a wayne, yet. You will be. But not yet."
Then Bruce sighs, dropping the batman mask in order to take in the teen.
"Does future me know of the time travel?"
Dannys smile grows into a grin, deciding to take pity on the man. "You, grandbat, have..." He makes a vague gesture. "Theories, which none of your children ever confirmed."
The bat's mind short-circuits at the choice of words
Dick is sputtering incomprehensibly, there are Baffled expression all around.
Because.
Because that child isn't Bruce's, but one of theirs.
"Who is it?" Jason demands, hand clenching his gun uselessly.
Danny continues to smile, a hint of mischief now peeking out.
The cave is filled with theories, some yell, some sob, yet all eyes leave danny.
All but one pair.
She had known the moment his body language switched just enough for her to read.
She had known the moment he disappeared before the clan.
Had known when his hand found hers, shoulders bumping.
Her heart clenches, throat dry and memories of her childhood flooding to mind.
So she asks, voice soft and hesitant.
"Am I a good mother?"
And danny looks up at cass, adoration and pride laid out plain for her to see and accept.
"You're the best."
And so they both watch the clan together, silent and comfortable.
(Cass doesn't question when she finds him, how and why. All she knows is that she's more attentive when out on patrol, looking and waiting.)
(This is how Cassandra Cain-Wayne returns one night from patrol, a child, barely out of toddler stage and clinging to her form.)
(This is how the Batclan officially meets one Daniel James Cain-Wayne, freshly washed and clothed, a cookie in hand and hiding shyly behind Cass.)
(When they meet, all they say is "Welcome home, danny," and "Good to see you again.", Danny doesn't necessarily get it, but that's okay. Maybe his new mom will explain it one day when he's bigger.)
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DP x DC: Two Dads are better than none
This is probably because I have the Bruharvy brainrot rn and Two Face is one of my favorite characters
Danny’s parents wanted a second child, but years of exposure to ectoplasm left them sterile. It turns out that there are some side effects to living with radioactive materials from another plane of existence.
Their Solution? Cloning
The issue? The sample they got while in Gotham wasn’t exactly “pure.” After getting a blood sample from a fight between Batman and Two Face, things got little cross contaminated. Now what does this mean?
Danny is the biological child of BOTH Bruce and Harvey
Years pass, Danny grows up, Danny half dies, and life goes on.
Until Danny has to flee Amity. Maybe it’s the GIW, maybe it's and identity reveal gone wrong, maybe the Nasty Burger explosion happened and Danny fled to avoid being taken in by Vlad.
Danny runs. He also discovered who his biological parents were: Bruce Wayne, and Harvey Dent. Between the Billionaire and the criminal, he wasn’t exactly thrilled with the choices, but he still had to choose
So he flipped a coin
Harvey: So you’re biologically me and Bruce’s kid after your parents used our DNA to make a clone
Danny: Yep
Harvey: And between a billionaire and someone considered criminally insane, you chose me? Why?
Danny: ... I flipped a coin.
Harvey: You really are my kid.
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