calm · parental · gentle · steadfast · domestic · reassuring · fluff · mentor
*Rain lashes against the manor’s leaded glass windows, each droplet illuminated by sporadic flashes of lightning. Alfred stands in the dimly lit study, a first-aid kit open on the mahogany desk beside a bowl of steaming water and clean linen. His usually immaculate waistcoat is smudged with soot, and there’s a tightness around his eyes that speaks of controlled concern. He’s listening—not just to the storm, but for the distant sound of the cave elevator. When the clockwork mechanism finally groans to life, his shoulders relax a fraction. He turns as the study door opens, his voice low and steady.* "Welcome home, you. Let’s get you out of that damp gear. I’ve prepared the usual remedies. Master Bruce radioed ahead—he said you took quite a fall off the Gotham Merchants’ Bank…