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nothing-at-the-moment · 3 years

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Rewrite The Stars IV

“Thank you for helping me with Alchemy last night.”

It was a Saturday morning. A much needed break from all the mounting homework the students of Hogwarts had been put through.

Y/N, Remus, Sirius and Peter were sitting in the great hall eating breakfast when Remus was left speechless at the claim made at him.

He raised a suspicious brow to his soulmate and thought back to the events of last night.

He had talked to her till midnight before retiring to his bed while James and Sirius had been awake till early hours of the morning. Sirius had slept at two but James was awake till around three in the morning. Nobody knows how Sirius is still chipper after getting barely four hours of sleep while James was still in the Gryffindor dormitory sleeping off his tiredness after his late night adventures.

“I really appreciate you staying awake just to help me with the fucking gold spell.”, Y/N said with an exhausted strain in her voice which she tried to drown out by tilting her head back to finish the last bits of her morning coffee.

Sirius watched the interaction with great curiosity while Peter slept with his head on the table. There’s no concept like enough sleep for that boy.

“…I don’t take Alchemy. I opted out of it at the start of the year.”, Remus said cautiously as he could suspect something was wrong.

Sirius’s eyes widened.

“That can’t be possible. You helped me last night with the gold spell. You helped me. We were talking through our thoughts. You helped me complete the Alchemy homework.” Y/N’s voice grew more confused and loud with every word.

This can’t be happening. Her soulmate had stayed up with late at night till three in the morning helping her with Alchemy. And he seemed quite brilliant at the subject.

“Holy Shit…”, Sirius exclaimed with widened eyes and an even wider open mouth.

Remus looked over at Sirius with horror. Sirius’s head whipped frantically from side to side looking at both their expressions. Y/N looked like she hadn’t quite comprehended what this means and was still trying to process. Remus looked absolutely devastated. He looked like he was on the verge of crying with tears pooling at the corner of his eyes.

It’s like the whole Great Hall grew silent while the chatters and the occasional laugh still drifted through the room. Remus and Y/N were completely silent while all the noises; thud of footsteps, the constantly growing chatter around them, clanking of spoons and forks on plates, slurping of tea and coffee, even the mere sound of gulping, the sound of everyone happy became too overbearing as they came to terms with their sudden realization.

They were not soulmates.

Remus started sweating as he couldn’t sit between the continuous commotion and felt claustrophobic with the crowds around him. His breaths came out quick and heavy as he processed the thought in his mind and his throat closed up. Everything was becoming too hot around him and he couldn’t breathe.

Y/N, in complete contrast, had lost all sense of warmth from the happy and bright sunshine and lazy hue that entered the Great Hall through the big windows on either sides of the room. She felt goose bumps run up her arms and couldn’t help but shiver at the sudden emptiness. It was like she had been hollowed out in a few mere seconds. Her throat too closed up but she didn’t care right now to breathe. If you don’t watch closely at her every slight movement, you could see she was barely breathing.

Her eyes refused to blink while Remus’s blinked rapidly trying to make sense of the abrupt halt in his life.

Both their wrist’s tingled.

Remus’s jerked his head to look at the thoughts of his soulmate hoping against hope that it wasn’t true, hoping that his wrist hadn’t displayed in thick black cursive, just the words ‘Good Morning.’

Y/N still couldn’t muster up the courage to look at her wrist, afraid of what she might find.

Sirius quickly glanced at her wrist to find a stick figure of a tall boy high in the clouds on his latest model of broomstick.

Figures only appeared to show what the soulmate was dreaming of while asleep.

“I need to go.” Y/N simply said with her voice barely above a whisper. She quickly scrambled awkwardly to get up and swiftly made her way out of the room.

Tear pooled at the corner of her eyes as she took a quick glance at Remus and left without another word. She had just started to calm down when her wrist tingled again. She couldn’t bear to look at it now. All those thoughts, all those late night talks which she treasured like an unspoken secret, all the love and warmth she felt from Remus and all the smiles his absurd but intelligent thoughts brought to her lips, had all been someone else’s.

She should’ve known. Remus wasn’t ever interested in Quidditch the least bit. He wasn’t always thinking of crazy pranks to pull up on Professor Flitwick. He wasn’t ever the cheesiest person to exist, showing her dreams of running away together and thinking way far into the future.

Remus’s love was more warm and calm and soothing. Her soulmate’s was anything but.

Her soulmate’s love was probably the most chaotic, cheesiest, dramatic, arrogant and obnoxious. Her soulmate’s love was crazy and she reveled in the insanity.

She ran all the way to the courtyard where it had started raining. Of course it would start raining. Her life hasn’t been anything but cliché ever since she came back to school this year.

She wanted her soulmate. She wanted all of him. All the crazy thoughts brewing in his mastermind, all his quirks which she were sure he has, all the cheesy pick-up lines he used on her, all the promises he made her, all the flaws she had noticed he has, all the arrogance which reflected on her wrist when he thought about how good he looked in the mirror at early morning, all the early morning thoughts because she knew her soulmate was an early riser, all the late nights because she knew he was also a night owl.

She wanted to be there with him when he ate potato crisps that he had snuck from the kitchen under his blanket from one of his late night ventures. She wanted to be there with him and for him when he was constantly worried about his friends like he was mother. She wanted to be there with him when he got all excited from getting all O’s in his exams. She wanted to be there with him when he got all pouty and sad because he had no cuddle buddy and his friends refused to cuddle with him.

She wanted to be there with him.

But now she was back to square one.

She laid down on the grass completely drenched from the rain and closed her eyes as she let herself feel the rain drops calm her down and mix with her tears. She lay completely still, in the middle of the courtyard and thought of all she could’ve had with Remus but fate had pulled her golden strings.

James Potter was walking groggily to the Great Hall before he missed breakfast. He had slept in after helping his soulmate with Alchemy till three in the morning.

A smile came on to his face as he thought of how awkward she had been with him the whole night but immediately turned into a complete ray of sunshine when at exactly two minutes past three, she had finally mastered the gold spell.

He was walking past the courtyard but then he saw a figure lying unmoving in the middle of the grass. He pushed his crooked glasses up his nose and focused on the figure trying to figure out why a person would be lying outside on grass unmoving while it was raining and they could get sick.

Are they hurt? Are they dead?!

With not a second thought about him getting drenched, he rushed towards the figure and immediately sank to his knees besides them. It was Y/N. He looked around reluctantly as if the air around him would tell him why Y/N L/N was lying unmoving in the rain.

Gulping down his animosity, he erratically rattled her shoulders and pulled her head on to his lap while trying to wake her up.

Y/N immediately sat up and looked around frantically before her eyes landed on James.

“What the fuck?! What did you do that for?” She shrugged his hands of her shoulders and stared wide eyed at him.

“Don’t ‘What the fuck’ me. What the fuck were you doing lying in the rain? i thought you were hurt. I thought you were dead!” He shouted at her still trying to wrap his mind around what just happened.

He was completely drenched by now and the thin white shirt he was wearing didn’t help much in hiding his well-built physique. Years of Quidditch had done him good and puberty had been very kind on him.

Then it registered to her that she was talking to James Potter and a whole new wave of emotions came over her because she remembered that he was Remus’s best friend.

A fresh set of tears rolled down her cheeks at the mere thought of Remus and James could see that the sudden redness that took over eyes and the water running down her cheeks was not because of the rain.

His eyes met hers reluctantly because James doesn’t know how to deal with his emotions much rather anyone else’s. Certainly not someone’s who despised him and he despised back.

“A-Are you okay…? Do you need me to get Remus?” That certainly didn’t help the girl in front of him in anyway as a sob escaped her lips.

“No…,” she whimpered and cried harder.

James panicked.

“Okay! Okay…no Moony. No Remus. We don’t want Remus. That’s completely alright! Just please stop crying.” He rambled on to try to make her calm down as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders hesitantly to keep both of them warm but also a little because he wanted to comfort her in any way he can.

Both of them were completely drenched but none of them cared.

One was a sobbing mess as she just wanted the rain to wash away all her sorrows and pain. Such excruciating pain.

The other had nothing in his mind other than the need to comfort her. He didn’t know why he was there basically drowning in the rain and quite probably catching a cold for a girl he had hated for so long. He just couldn’t bear to see her cry. It hurt him to see this strong, always happy, always challenging, complete ray of sunshine girl look so broken, so small. So he didn’t care if he was completely drenched, he didn’t care if he was going to be sick for a week after this, he didn’t care that the breakfast he was rushing to had already ended, and he didn’t care she hated him and he hated her. Because she was crying and broken in his arms and she needs him and damn it all if he wasn’t going to be there for her.

James was still awkwardly holding her when the rain had slowed to a quite drizzle as the tears on her cheeks dried and the sobs turned into whimpers. He hesitantly looked into her swollen bloodshot eyes and carefully asked her, “How’re we feeling now?” She replied with a broken and twisted forced smile. “I’m alright now. I’m sorry for being so dramatic. I was just really stressed.” She gave him a half smile while his face turned into a comforting wide grin.

“You call this stressed? You call this dramatic? Here’s a fun fact; Octopuses eat themselves when they’re stressed. They just go complete cannibal on themselves. Now that’s dramatic. Sirius not letting us touch his hair because and I quote, ‘Your filthy hands don’t deserve me and my hair’. That’s dramatic. This? This is just a good ole cry. Letting out frustrations. Don’t worry about it. Happens to all of us.” James was trying to make her laugh because that’s all he wanted to see in her eyes and on her lips right now. But she just stared at him with a blank face.

“Who told you that?” she whispered.

“Well, Sirius reminds us on a daily basis. Never stops really. We once touched his hair while he was asleep and he-“

“No, the octopus fact. Who told you that?”

“Oh. Um, my soulmate. She’s always telling me these random animal and magical creature facts. Like how lobsters can live forever. How crazy and easy it is to breed a basilisk even though it’s illegal. She even dreams of them. She once had a dream she was riding through a forest on a unicorn while being chased by a giant. She told me once that she wants to be a magizoologist. I just know she’s going to be wonderful, whenever I meet her.” A smile adorned his lips as he talked lovingly about his soulmate.

He talked about her like she was the most precious thing in the whole universe. And to him, she was.

While on the other hand, Y/N’s world was crashing down around her and she stared at him talk about his soulmate perplexed.

The thing was that she already knew that octopuses eat themselves when they get stressed. It was not that long ago she had found that out and had excitedly told her soulmate. She had told her soulmate about how lobsters can live forever. She had told her soulmate how to breed a basilisk. She had dreamed just a few days ago of riding a unicorn while being chased by a giant. She had told her soulmate she wanted to be a magizoologist.

It was just a coincidence, right?

She suddenly became really aware of how she was still sitting between James’s arms. How his fingers were unconsciously drawing doodles on her back. How close her face was to his.

She abruptly pushed herself out of his arms. He gave her a confused look before realizing the compromising position they had been in just mere second ago. His whole face lit up red like a lantern.

All of it was too much for Y/N to handle. And she could certainly not wrap her head around her thoughts of the sudden realization when James was looking so adorable with his flaming cheeks, ears and neck.

So, she did the only thing she could possibly do right now.

She ran.

She ran out of the courtyard and out of his sight without another word or even a glance, leaving him sitting by himself on the grass in the middle of the courtyard.

His gaze followed her until she was out of sight.

“A thank you would’ve been nice,” James grumbled to himself as he stood up.

“Thank you James for being there for me and sorry for making you completely wet and missing your breakfast.” He said to himself in a high pitched girly voice before realizing his words and blushing again.

“Merlin help Moony.”

#James Potter #james potter imagines #james potter x reader #james potter soulmate au #hufflepuff!reader #soulmate au #wizarding world #the marauders #marauders era #Remus Lupin #sirius black #james potter fanfictions

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iamrealbuilder · 3 years

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Bill Buchalter interview

Bill Buchalter was a level designer for Sunstorm Interactive. He’s worked on 3 official add-on of Build Engine games: Cryptic Passage for Blood, Suckin’ Grits On Route 66 for Redneck Rampage, Caribbean Life for Duke Nukem 3D. Interview, November 2020: Corentin: Can you introduce yourself?

Bill Buchalter: My name is Bill Buchalter. I’m an avid gamer of all kinds – video games, board games, and especially tabletop RPGs. I’m currently a freelance writer for AAW Games (Adventure A Week Games) writing mini adventures for Dungeons & Dragons 5E. I live outside Indianapolis, IN with my wife Jane, our three kids, and our dog Roxi. When I’m not gaming, I also enjoy music, playing guitar, hiking, and camping.

C: With Sunstorm Interactive, you're credited for level design on Cryptic Passage, Caribbean Life and Route 66. How did you start working with Sunstorm and what do you remember from that time?

BB: In the mid 90’s, maybe around 1995 or 96, I was very into playing Duke Nukem 3D. Like most PC gamers at the time, I had played Castle Wolfenstein and Doom, and Duke Nukem just blew me away. Back in those days, when we played online, we would use a 3rd party program called KALI. You dialed up on your modem, logged onto the internet, and then used KALI as a portal to chat with other gamers and find someone to play with. The KALI software would then allow you to network together over the internet and play PVP matches. It was crude, and the lag could be horrible, but we didn’t know any better at the time and we loved it!

I remember I was in a B. Dalton bookstore in the mall one day (another relic of the 90’s that is long gone!) when I found a book called the “Duke Nukem 3D Level Design Handbook”. I was intrigued, and as I flipped through the pages it talked about a program on the Duke Nukem CD called Build, which allowed you to create your own levels. I had no idea Build existed, let alone how to use it. I bought the book and spent the next couple weeks diving into learning how to use Build. I was hooked!

Making my own maps quickly became an obsession. I would share them with my friends on KALI and I quickly earned a reputation for making user maps. I remember there was a map building competition, but I don’t recall who sponsored it. A guy named Robert Travis won the competition. When I saw his maps, I was blown away! His designs were so much more advanced than mine. He was using tricks I had never thought of to get lighting effects and set moods. I had to reach out to him to pick his brain.

Robert responded and we began talking and quickly figured out that we both lived in Indianapolis. He was working for Sunstorm at the time and invited me to come to their office to discuss level design. I met him there one evening, and he showed me some of the stuff he was working on. We ended up playing Duke all night on Sunstorm’s network with some of the other guys in the office. I was in heaven!

Robert introduced me to Anthony Campiti, the lead producer on Sunstorm’s next project – Cryptic Passage, an add-on for a Build engine game called Blood. They invited me to design some levels for the game and I jumped at the chance. Robert assigned me to design an opera house level and immediately I got pictures in my head of the theater scenes from Interview with a Vampire. I went home and worked furiously on designing the level. I was still rough, but with Robert’s help I tweaked things here and there and slowly learned his techniques. In the end I was really pleased with the level I’d designed. Robert and Anthony were happy too and asked me to design a second map specifically for deathmatch.

The next project Sunstorm was working on was Suckin’ Grits on Route 66, an add-on for another Build engine game called Redneck Rampage. Robert again asked if I’d like to be a part of that team and assigned me to build a truck stop level. Using a lot of the things I’d learned on Cryptic Passage, and the campy feel of the Redneck Rampage game, I had a lot of fun designing that level.

The last project I worked on for Sunstorm was Duke Nukem Caribbean Vacation. By this time Duke’s popularity was beginning to wane, and Quake was taking over. Robert was already starting to experiment and learn how to use the Quake engine. I was a new dad at the time (my first daughter had just been born) so unfortunately, I didn’t have the spare time to devote to learning a new engine. I barely had the time to design my level for Duke Caribbean, but I did manage to finish the casino level for that project. I do recall that Robert ended up going through in the end and changing a lot of the aspects of my level to fit the theme they had in mind. I remember being a bit disappointed and not really feeling like the level was “mine” because of so many of the changes. It was the last project I worked on for Sunstorm.

I kept in touch with Robert and Anthony for a while after that. They were branching out, working on other projects, and even trying to develop their own FPS game that I don’t think ever really got off the ground. Sunstorm was having the most success with their Deer Hunter line of games that at the time were selling well in Wal-Mart. Sadly, I eventually just lost touch with those guys.

I’m sure this is WAY more information than you were wanting (I’m a writer… I can’t help but go off the deep end!) but you dusted off some fond, old memories for me, so I apologize for walking so far down memory lane!

C: I see that you're still making maps, different kind of maps! This makes me wonder if maybe you were involved with W!Zone (a pack of maps for Warcraft 2 released by Sunstorm). Can you tell us a bit about that if possible?

BB: I didn’t have any hand in the W!Zone project for Sunstorm, but I loved the Warcraft series. As was common for many video gamers like me, who had roots in fantasy games like D&D, I played a lot of Warcraft and eventually got sucked into the world of MMOs with Ultima Online, Everquest, and World of Warcraft! If only I had back the time I sunk into those games!

These days I’m exclusively writing and designing for Dungeons and Dragons. I started about ten years ago writing for D&D Organized Play in a campaign called Living Forgotten Realms. I co-authored two adventures for that with my good friend, Michael Pearman, and authored a third adventure on my own. As you know from tracking me down via AAW Games, I’ve now authored six adventures for them, five of which are already published and one that is still in the works but should be released soon.

When I do manage to find time for video games, Diablo III is my game of choice these days. I’m looking forward to Season 22 starting here shortly, and like many others, I’m really hoping for something great with Diablo IV. I’ve been a huge fan of the series since the beginning, and even wrote an entire campaign for D&D 5E that translated the story of Diablo III into Dungeons and Dragons for the players in my home game! Thanks again for the opportunity to share some of this history. It was fun putting it all down and reliving those days!

C: There are two signatures in the Truck Stop level for Route 66. Do you remember anything about that ? There also several levels with no known credit : Fun Park, House of ill Repute, Mystery Dino Cave, Bigfoot Convention.

The signature on the truck stop is Route 66 was a joke! I was the only designer on that one. I just signed it "Billy Joe Jim Bob Buchalter" as a joke for bad redneck name. I wasn't the kind of guy that had to sign my maps the EXACT same way every time. :)

Other than the truck stop, I don't recall designing any other maps for Route 66. I pretty sure none of those you listed below were mine, but I don't recall whose they were.

Finally, here are some final comments Bill made after reading through some forum posts:

Wow, I am really quite humbled that you guys looked so deeply into my work! The fact that you could recognize my build style is pretty cool - I didn't even know I had a style! LOL. The truth be told, the reason you probably had so much trouble telling my levels from Robert's is because he was a big influence on me. I learned a lot from him and incorporated a lot of that into the stuff I built.

Its funny how reading through that thread you linked brought back memories... I remember now that my biggest disappointment from Duke Caribbean was that my only level in the game ended up being a secret level - that some people wouldn't even find it or ever play it. I was actually pretty excited about that level. I was the one that suggested a casino because my folks had retired to Vegas, so I'd been in a lot of the casinos there and had some great ideas for the map. I'd forgotten all about the restaurant I worked into it, and the big fish tanks.

There seems to be some debate about Robert. From what I remember, he was a really good guy. Maybe a bit tough to work for, but only because he really strived for our designs to be the best they could be, and he demanded that of both himself and the other designers. As I said before, I learned early on to accept criticism and critique and not take it personally. It was just Robert doing his job. I'll be the first to admit that I designed better levels thanks to the stuff I learned from Robert.

Someone on the message board made a very astute comment, basically to the effect that "Bill had to have other work out there. Sunstorm wouldn't hire an unproven guy off the street." But truth be told, that's exactly what they did! I hadn't done a single thing before working there. But I think a few things played in my favor. First, I lived in Indy, just 15 minutes from their office, so it was easy for me to go in and work directly with Robert. Second, while I didn't have anything officially published, I did have a disk full of the maps I'd designed on my own, and Robert thought I showed promise. I would design at home a lot, then go into the office a couple times a week and sit with Robert while he critiqued my work and offered advice on how to improve it.

I'll be honest - I'm blown away at the number of people STILL playing these old maps we made so many years ago. I watched a couple YouTube videos of a guy playing and reviewing Duke Caribbean and Blood Cryptic Passage. His high praise of both Full House and the Opera House really made my day. It's nice to know that people enjoyed my work.

_____________________________

Thanks a lot to Bill Buchalter for taking the time to answer these questions! Thanks also for sharing... “Big City” !

A Duke Nukem 3D map he created back in the day before joining with Sunstorm Interactive which was never released before! Screenshot:

Map download:

https://msdn.duke4.net/bigcity.zip

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External link: Duke4 forum blog megathread: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11471-blog-interviews-of-build-engine-video-games-developers/page__pid__353013#entry353013 The forum posts Bill read, mentionned above, can be found here: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/9418-duke-caribbean-multiplayer-levels/

#build #build-engine #blood #duke nukem #redneck-rampage #duke #nukem #duke nukem 3D #video games #route 66 #caribbean life #cryptic passage

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northoftheroad · 4 years

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The Robin 80th Anniversary Special

It's not a secret that I'm first and foremost a Dick Grayson fan, whether he comes dressed as Robin, Nightwing, Batman or something else. But I try to be charitable and be happy for fans of the other Robins that they got a pice of the birthday cake, i. e. the Robin 80th Anniversary Special.

For your enjoyment (?), here are my thoughts about the book. Spoilers ahead, obviously – don't like, don't read!

I honestly thought almost all of the stories were ok – but pretty forgettable. Marv Wolfman's spin on Dick leaving to become Nightwing, in "A little nudge" (art by Tom Grummett and Scott Hanna), is probably the only one I will remember and reference in the future. I don't know if or how it is supposed to fit into the (any?) continuity, but as far as I can see, it works nicely in the current setting.

Dick's parting from Robin and Bruce was successively portrayed as more and more hostile. When he originally left Robin to become Nightwing (1983–1984), the two still had a good relationship. This changed in comics to, first, that Bruce decided to retire Robin, and then to that Bruce outright fired Dick and kicked him out of the cave. This lead to that their relationship was portrayed as poor, antagonistic even, for a good many comics years.

The bad mood was picked up by Batman The Animated Series, where Dick left being resentful of Bruce and his methods.

I don't have a lot of good things to say about what has happened to the Bat-family after Flashpoint. But from what we've seen from scattered panels, Dick was the one who decided he wanted to leave Robin. You can read Marv Wolfman's story as confirmation of that. Which is nice.

Bruce is only a little bit of a jerk in this story, being utterly rigid about that Robin has to follow orders. Dick, however, chooses to stay with a kid that had been shot instead of following the criminals.

Dick has had it with Bruce's rules and leaves the cave, but he says "later" rather than "goodbye".

It's made clear that those strict rules were Bruce's way to say, "I know you've grown up, and you should move on; I'll be fine without you."

Batman # 408, where Bruce decides to retire Robin because he got scared when the Joker shot Dick, is firmly established in my mind as the "correct" leaving story in my mind. It was the only one I had read and knew of for many years, and the two still part on decent terms. But Marv Wolfman's 80th Anniversary version has a lot going for it.

On to the rest of the stories...

"Aftershocks" By Chuck Dixon, art Scott McDaniel and Rob Hunter.

Set during Cataclysm (a storyline from 1998) where Dick lived in Blüdhaven before he moved back to Gotham and became Batman. It's an action-filled story where (fingerstripe) Nightwing comes to Gotham after an earthquake has hit the city.

It's interesting to read this, living through the corona crisis that is going on right now. I don't know how it is where you live, but where I am, people are setting up networks to help people who can't go out to shop or walk the dog, University students are helping kids do their math lessons with the help of Facebook, people make masks for health workers etc. But when Chuck Dixon writes what happens after a catastrophe, Dick has to fight his way through masked thugs who are trying to rob an ambulance of "painkillers and tranks" when he tries to save a cab from falling with a damaged bridge. A woman is giving birth inside the car, and the story ends with that the mother wants to name the boy after Nightwing.

"Well...Robin works, right", he says.

"Team building" by Devin Grayson, art Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapund.

Well, I'll always soak up everything that has to do with Dick and the Titans – Teen Titans, New Teen Titans, Titans, any Titans...

Devin Grayson wrote The Titans 1999–2000, which is the setting of this story. Most of it takes place inside a H.I.V.E. locale, where an exasperated boss (Damien Darkh) chews out his soldiers after a fight with the Titans. But Darkh decides not to kill the lot of them, because they did distract the Titans while he stole a red crystal/power source. Of course, it turns out Dick is the soldier who has kept his helmet on; he takes the crystal with him and gives Darkh a bit of advice on team-building on his way out.

"Generally speaking, fear of execution isn't a great motivator. I've found basic team-building and morale-boosting to be much more effective. Like, I'm just spitballing here, but... You ever consider a pizza night?"

Well, it did keep me amused, and it shows us that Dick is a good leader and strategist, (and a great acrobat who manages to get out of the H.I.V.E. uniform with one hand, on the way out), although it isn't exactly a surprise that Dick was in the building when you get near the end.

"The Lesson Plan" by Tom King and Tim Seeley, art Mikel Janín.

Now, I do like some things about the Grayson run, but with a bit of distance, I've realized it was mostly the art. The sexualization of Dick and how King and Seely wrote him as a guy who jumps first and plans never got tiresome. This story is in-character for Grayson; Dick is accompanied by a girl (Paris) from St Hadrian's on a mission, and on the way, he remembers the lessons Batman gave him and imparts his own interpretation of them to Paris. As is Batman says, "plan everything", and Dick says "Improvise. Leap first... figure it all out on the way down." Ergo, classic King and Seeley. Also, it is possibly implied Dick made out with a beautiful girl that turned out to be gorilla in disguise...? Yep, vintage King and Seeley.

Other than that, I don't have a big problem with the story. Some things ring true to me – as when Dick remembers Batman saying, "At their core, people are cowardly and self-serving. Trust no one until you know them. And even then, never completely". And what Dick says is, "Give the benefit of the doubt until you gotta knock 'em out."

For my own peace of mind, I'm reading this as Dick is half-joking with his advice. It's not like we've never seen him make plans and be suspicious post-Flashpoint.

On a side note, one of the best characterizations of Dick Grayson to my mind is a panel from Black Mirror. When Dick explains he had injected James Gordon Jr with a subdermal tracer, and says about himself, "I am a softie. And I do try to see the best in people... but that doesn't mean I'm stupid."

Detective Comics # 881. By Scott Snyder, art Jock and Francesco Francavilla.

"More Time" by Judd Winnick, art Dustin Nguyen.

Jason has a cute story about him repairing Thomas Wayne's watch as a present to Bruce. He started the work as a tiny Robin (too tiny, in my opinion, but with Dustin Nguyen on art it probably couldn't turn out any other way) and finished the work as Red Hood. Jason delivers the present to Bruce on his birthday, placing it on the Batmobile while it is parked in a Gotham alley.

"Extra Credit" by Adam Beechen, art Freddie E. Williams II.

Tim has an appointment with the guidance counsellor at Gotham City High School. Tim sees a future in law enforcement (that's the first I've heard of that, but I'm no expert on Tim) and he's adopted (again, something I haven't seen post-Flashpoint). But the counsellor doubts that Tim will be admitted because he has nothing to show when it comes to extracurricular activities. It's kind of a fun few pages where the counsellor suggests things that Tim could do, and Tim thinks about what he does as Robin on his spare time.

"Boy Wonders" by James Tynion IV, art Javier Fernandez.

Tim, Red Robin, is unsure what he wants to do with his life and goes to his brothers? fellow Robins? for advice.

I know emotions have been running high because Dick tells Tim that he is "demonstrably smarter" than he is, which makes it sound as if Dick is not really smart at all.

Again, for my peace of mind, I choose to read this as I want: that "big brother" Dick is encouraging, he has always thought highly of Tim, he has no ego to preserve. This doesn't make Dick a reliable narrator on the subject, and the page ends with that Tim thinks "He was the first. He's the best. He's always going to be the role model. "So, two brothers who admire each other.

Tim also talks to Jason and Tim, and the story ends with that he tells Batman he wants to start Gotham Knights protocol, the team in Detective Comics (Rebirth.) 2016-2018.

"Fitting In" by Amy Wolfram, art Damion Scott.

Stephanie, as Robin has problems because Tim's Robin suit doesn't fit her female body. But at the end of the day, Bruce gives Stephanie her own "changing room" in the Bat-cave, because she's female.

...are Bruce and Alfred idiots? Did Dick, Jason and Tim have exactly the same body type when they were Robin? Stephanie deserved a story worth being told, not this one.

"My Best Friend" by Peter J. Tomasi, art Jorge Jimenez.

Jonathan Kent writes a school essay about his best friend, Damian. As he writes the words on his laptop at home, they are illustrated with pcitures of the two as both Robin and Superboy, and as Damian and Jon in civvies. Tomasi and Jimenez worked with Super Sons (2017–2019), and though I didn't read that, I'm pretty sure this story is an extra chapter in that series.

"Bat and Mouse" by Robbie Thompson, art Ramon Villalobos.

It's not the worst story in the book, but somehow the one I disliked the most. It is part of what is going on in Teen Titans and Bat-titles right now; we see Alfred's tombstone and how Batman and Robin have a strained relationship and difficulties in communicating. I'm not keeping up with what is going on with Damian and Bruce in detail, so I really can't say whether this story is consistent with how things have been going lately. I'll let Bruce-and-Damian fans take that ball.

To be honest, my reaction to "Bat and Mouse" is probably due to that I really, really don't like what's happened in the Bat titles lately. I firmly hope that the current situation will be changed and Alfred will be alive again, and I wish I could go back and re-read this book years from now without being reminded of this very dark time when DC seemingly doesn't want any money from me for new comics...

Being who I am, I probably take it waaaaay too seriously to try to understand where/if these stories fit in the DC continuity... The writers have probably (rightly) thought more about writing a good story than making it consistent with any grand plan for a timeline for all of the DC universe. But whatever.

The Grayson story clearly happens in a post-Flashpoint universe, as does Damian's and Tim's stories. But Tim says he's adopted, which I believe has never been said outright post-Flashpoint. And Stephanie has as far as I know not been Robin in this continuity. Chuck Dixon's Nightwing story is explicitly set during Cataclysm (a storyline from 1998) where Dick lived in Blüdhaven before he moved back to Gotham and became Batman. Post-Flashpoint, he moves to Blüdhaven for the first time in Nightwing vol 4., so Dixon's story should take place in the old continuity.

On the other hand. The last pages of the book are made to look like profile overviews in the Bat-computer and use pictures from different Robin runs. If the snippets of information are supposed to be the current continuity for the Robins, a lot from the pre-Flashpoint universe is back in canon.

Shortly, Dick was adopted (that's the word they use), formed the Teen Titans, moved to Blüdhaven and was Agent 37 for a while. Blüdhaven comes before Agent 37, but it's not explicitly stated when he first moved there. Because if Dick was in Blüdhaven before his time with Spyral, it is inconsistent with parts of Rebirth Nightwing. (Which I can live with...)

Jason's story starts as the street kid who tries to steal the tires of the Batmobile, his stint as Robin was short, and today, Red Hood has formed a tenuous alliance with Batman. Tim uncovered Batman's secret and made a bid to become the new Robin – and his new moniker "Drake" is acknowledged. Stephanie was Robin for a very short while. Damian was created with genetic material that Talia stole after a romantic tryst with Bruce, and he was bred to be an assassin.

Personally, of course, I think that Dick Grayson was worth more of an effort from DC on his 80th anniversary. But on the whole, the things we got were decent, "A little nudge" gave me something I will keep with me, and several of the covers are great.

(The cover photo is still pinched from Dan Jurgens' Twitter – I haven't bought all of the variant covers.)

#Dick Grayson #Robin #Nightwing #Jason Todd #Tim Drake #Damian Wayne #80 years with Dick Grayson

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rcsegrden · 4 years

Photo

& . ✧ › MEETING MACE !

✦ ▓ AND WHO GOES THERE? oh, it’s just [ MACE TYRELL ]. some say [ HIS ] resemblance to [ ANDRE BRAUGHER ] is almost uncanny, but the [ FIFTY-FOUR ] year old has been in the capital for [ TWENTY YEARS ]. many suspect that they are the notorious [ ASSOCIATE ] of the [ TYRELL ] family: perhaps that has made them [ DENSE ] && [ CREDULOUS ] of late, when they used to be so [ JOVIAL ] && [ COMMITTED ]. during the daylight hours, [ MACE ] can be found working as a [ PRESIDENT OF TYRELL AND ASSOCIATES ], but when night falls over king’s landing, they are best remembered listening to [ KISS FROM A ROSE BY SEAL ]. may the gods be with them in these dark streets.

it’s attina and i’m back, back again. this time with meme daddy. read more under the read more xox. also heads up, im more than likely not going to use gifs or use them sparsely due to a lot of cop gifs and how things currently are / not even having a lot of gifs in the first place ajklf;asd. just know that this image embodies how mace looks 24/7.

& . ✧ › I. THE BASICS !

full name › mace tyrell.

nickname(s) › oaf by his mother, just mace.

age › fifty-four ( 54 ).

d.o.b. › april 20, 1966

gender › cis-male.

pronouns › he/him.

allegiance › the tyrells.

occupation › president of tyrell and associates.

current location › king’s landing.

& . ✧ › II. THE BIOGRAPHY !

you were born in a family that climbed through the thorns to find roses at the end. your mother took a dying business and made it into what it is today and as a young boy, you found yourself intrigued by the business, but as a toddler there wasn’t much you can do but poke at buttons that weren’t meant for poking and running down the halls butt naked. you were definitely a goofy child, one who would laugh at the littlest things, you were never found with a frown on your face even as you grow into your teens.

you followed you parents footsteps every moment of your life, looking up at them with doe orbs eyes. there was no doubt in your mind what you were going to be doing as you grew up, considering all the time you spent at the business office. there was once a time that you ran around there, chasing after your sisters while your parents worked that would soon turn into you knowing every bit of the place.

taking over this business was always something you were meant to do, and something you wanted to do. you weren’t into politics like the rest of your family, you liked how much there was to the business --- it couldn’t be written off as one thing, not when your family had their hand in so much. if you were to take over it one day, you had to start young with learning the business. your first job in your early teens was in one of the lowest positions inside tyrell and associates, you learned by doing. every job in every department you oversee, you have done before countless times and you would do it again if needed. you never ask your employees to do something you wouldn’t do yourself which is why it was so important for you to know how everything worked. no matter what exactly it was.

which was another reason for your focus to be on the business, you spent your entire teen years and into your early adulthood working the ropes, learning everything you possibly could before going to college for business. taking over the business meant you needed to be qualified for it, and hell, you’re going to make sure that you are. business school seemed to fly by and you continued to work. it wouldn’t be long before your hard work would pay off and soon you found yourself at the top of tyrell and associates.

but that wouldn’t be for a while, during the stages of you working under your father at t&a, you would fall in love with alerie hightower. once she entered your life, you were done for. head over heels and while you were certain she was out of your league, somehow you caught her eye and you knew that there wasn’t anything you wouldn’t do for her and soon enough, you had a bouncy baby to look after and that was the moment that you would feel prouder than anything you have done throughout your work.

your children would become the pride and joy and in your defense, the business would become second in your importance. your family will always be first and when you started raising your kids, you stopped seeing whatever plans you had for tyrell and associates even after you became president. it was on the backburner and now your energy became on your family, raising kind and beautiful children and you are certain that you succeed.

there is no one you are more proud of than your kids, carrying their photos around every where you go. you hope willas takes the business and continues doing what is working, you know margaery is going to do great things for the family --- proud when her name was announced to be taking over the citadel. loras could never do any harm in your eyes and garlan always succeeds in what they do. your pride and joy is in your children and you could always go on about them in any conversation --- most of the time, you’re the one who brings them up.

family means a lot to you. you can recall your childhood filled with playing with your sisters, looking after them, staying up late to play games with them. you never saw a world without your siblings at your side but eventually, that world would come to light. your younger sister, mina, you can remember her so clearly and you wish that you could turn back time. take her place so she would be the one still alive. when the news of her murder came to your ears, you vanished within your office for a week. not coming out the entire time. words cannot explain the loss you felt with the absence of your younger sister.

growing up, you spent most of your time inside your office but now? you’ve grown tired of such a thing. you prefer spending that time outside, either taking a walk or going golfing. you know your business is going to do just fine. it’s only a matter of time before you announce your retirement and your eldest finally takes over. you just aren’t there quite yet.

& . ✧ › III. THE FACTS !

one thing that mace has done since becoming president is hosting community events. he’s a social butterfly and loves interacting with other people which is why he spends quite some time getting to know his friends, enemies, neighbors. if he just so happens to stumble into some information, he is certain to pass it along to his mother.

at the end of the day, he’s a good son and still wants to make his mother proud even if she looks like he’s a buffoon ( she’s not completely wrong ).

he has, at the very least, two full wallets that don’t have anything but pictures of his kids and he will actively pull them out when talking to someone.

meme dad! will say random memes to seem “cool” and “hip”. he’s neither cool nor hip and never has been.

out of both his parents, he’s a lot more like his father than his mother, however, he really does look up to his mother more --- heeding her advice.

the only reason why he hasn’t retired yet is because he wants to be certain that his eldest, willas, actually wants to take over the business. he’s wanting for willas to ask him to step down as that will be the point where he would be certain that this is something his eldest actually wants and not something they feel forced into. if willas never asks, he’s worried that perhaps his kid wants something else out of life and that, is far more important than a business.

WILL ALWAYS SUPPORT HIS CHILDREN NO MATTER WHAT !!

he typically doesn’t have anything to do with the mafia side of business, nor does he want to. he’s okay with not knowing what’s going on with the family in that aspect but regardless, he’ll defend his family until his dying breath ( which may or may not be soon ).

& . ✧ › IV. THE CONNECTIONS !

everyone is welcome’d › positive; this is someone who attends or attended his public community events and they have strikes up a conversation with mace whenever they get a chance. more than likely, they’ve become good friends and mace has certainly talked their eye off about nothing in particular. i’ll talk while you listen › negative; mace is, someone who’s not particularly distrusting of people. ultimately, someone could see that as a way to easily manipulate him. the problem is, the information that they’re seeking, mace wouldn’t know a thing about so instead mace has been talking their ear off about his children’s accomplishments that aren’t exactly secrets to the world.

i legit can’t think of anything else but i’m done for nearly everything.

#vixere:intro #how long shall he liveeee #who knows : )

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oh-its-souichi · 5 years

Text

Yo!

Shigaraki X Reader

Another fic about Shig being a father?

Hell ya

... I can’t help it... Him being a dad just gives me... life.

Im sorry

Also the final chapter of Ultra Violence will be posted sometime this week and after that I will be continuing the Dabi fic Ive been working on.

Warning- I didn’t know how Nomu were made so I just guessed, FLUFF, Daughters name is Shi because its like "she" but spelled cool and Im lazy.

It was all but silent in the warehouse.

Around him was the bothersome buzzing of the machines at work while the water that the Nomu grew in sloshed around. With the attack on the Yuuai summer camp underway they were there to check on Dabi’s Nomu’s.

The patchwork villain wouldn’t shut up about it so Shigaraki, fed up, told him to meet up with his at the warehouse so they could see how the creature was progressing.

To the left of him Kurogiri was fidgeting with a control panel while Shi played with a small nail she had found while wondering around the warehouse.

Dabi stared down at her wondering if he should take the nail away from her but shrugged and turned his attention to one of the brains floating in the sickly green water. "Hey boss are you cool with her having that?" Dabi suddenly spoke the situation irking him for some reason.

Shigaraki looked briefly down at his daughter and grunted seeing no issue. It was nice she had found something to preoccupy herself with instead of badgering him.

Shi quietly hummed a song Shigaraki had heard play at the beginning of one of the magical girl series she was obsessed with.

Well, the one she was obsessed with right now. It seemed to change every week though.

The only reason he was aware of the change is because sometimes he got on his computer to read the news and what not he would hear two little feet tumble into the room, the pressure of her eyes falling on him. “Daddy” she would say locking her sights beginning the silent battle.

He would try to ignore her, grumbling under his breath at her while focusing on whatever he was doing that day until he just gave up.

“Uh fine. You’re so annoying.” he would groan minutes into the stare down.

Begrudgingly he would lift her onto his lap and go to the website that illegally uploaded movies and episodes of various titles, clicking on whatever caught her interest.

Usually the shows consisted of brightly colored character who were overly enthusiastic and made his head ache. His fingers would find their way up to his throat scratching ruthlessly.

He didn’t like having to share especially with a little girl that just walks in and demands things of him without saying a single word but he found it was easier to let her watch it for a few minutes and often times he didnt give into her, like yesterday, but on days he was to exhausred to fight he would

It was better then dealing with her silently crying, having hidden herself under a blanket in a corner somewhere and then you looking at him with the damn puppy dog eyes asking "She just wants to spend time with you T"

The two of you drove him crazy.

But secretly he liked it.

Shi dropped the nail in her hand to the ground and wandered up to his side standing up on her tip toes staring down into the water. “For me?” He heard her say. “Huh? he said twisting his expression underneath Father, casting his sights down to her. She shifted awkwardly under his gaze feeling the pressure. Nervously she twisted the toe of her small beat up sneakers into the cement floor. She had learned in the two years she had been alive that odd things set her father off and it was not fun to be at the receiving end of his dangerous temper. “One for me?” she repeated pointing at herself.

Shigaraki paused letting her words sink in before a smile spread across his face. “You want a Nomu?” he asked shifting his eyes from the little girl to one of the floating brains. A lightness entered his chest and he almost felt uncomfortably elated. The feeling wasn’t entirely new he had felt it before when he saw himself on the news and heard the newscasters say his name with a adorable twang of fear in their voices.

It made him proud.

He felt proud.

He knelt down connecting he red eyes with her similarly colored ones. “Now what would a- How old are you?” he asked. She paused prodding her bottom lip with her pointer finger.

“56 probably”

“56?! Are you stupi-”

“She’s two and a half Tomura Shigraki” Kurogiri said from the work bench himself and Dabi stood by while waiting for the machine he had been using to load the program he had to install. Shigaraki cocked his head in thought. ‘It’s been two years already. What the hell’

Shi had been his greatest mishap.

At 18 you were introduced into his life and he quickly became intrigued by you, obsessed with you. Eventually the two of you formed a strange relationship and he found himself spending more time alone with you in his room, knocking you up in the process.

After breaking the news to All for One he was surprised the elder man was somewhat supportive. ‘It’s a little earlier then I would have liked it to be but it’s good to secure an ere.’

They were not exactly the words he wanted to hear but that’s all ancient history now.

He studied her childish features seeing a lot more of himself in her face then you. She had light blue hair that was slightly wavy and bright red eyes the only real difference being she was a little bit cuter.

“What would a two year old want with a Nomu?” he asked. Shi with a determined look on her face walked away from her father (to his confusion) making her way to Kurogiri where she interrupted the conversation he and Dabi were having to tug the newspaper he had in his hand. He released it watching her shyly walk back to Shigaraki. Clumsily unfolding the paper she pointed to a picture of All Might that was printed on it. “For Game over” she said.

Shigaraki’s breath got caught in his throat leaving him breathless, his chest tightening harshly. Quickly his brain was overrun with images of him and his daughter releasing mass destruction upon the city hand in hand, well pinky in pinky. The effects on the public seeing a small innocent child basically murder innocent civilians would shake then to their core. The heros wouldnt even know what to do.

“Well” he said “What a promising little mistake you’re turning out to be. Kurogiri give one of these to her” he said grabbing Shi lightly by the hand, twirling her around.

Kurogiri looked away from Dabi who raised his eyebrows unimpressed. “Are you sure that is wise?” he asked warily. Shigaraki dropped Shi’s hand raising up his arms. “What kind of father would I be to deny his own daughter’s wishes and aspirations.” he said smiling down on Shi who blushed. Dabi scoffed “Where was that attitude when you yelled at her for wanting to watch that kid show? Isnt that kinda like denying her aspirations??”

Shigaraki grew irritated “ Shut up patchwork. Kurogiri can you do it or not?” he asked glaring at the man.

Kurogiri sighed to himself. “Yes I will set it up now” he said moving himself back to the control panel silently thinking to himself. (A peek into the mind of Kurogiri- ‘WHAT IN THE HELL IS THIS ABSOLUTE HELL GOBLIN THINKI-)

Dabi flashed Kurogiri an amused look before propping himself against one of the metal tables that sat adjacent to the Nomu’s “So Shi” he said earning a glare from Shigaraki.

Shi looked at him shyly her cheeks flushed. “Once you get this Nomu of yours how are you going to take him down?”

She thought for a moment before smiling viciously, much like her fathers smile. “Like this!” she triumphed fiercely punching Dabi in the leg making him jump slightly in shock. Shigaraki burst out in laughter standing up to ruffle Shi’s hair. “Very good!” he praised picking her carefully up. “Next time aim a little higher.”

...

Later in the evening after you had returned from shopping you expected to be berated by Shigaraki for being out to long but instead were left alone. Pleasantly surprised you retired to the bar reading one of your books when you noticed Shi and her father whispering to one another for a suspicious amount of time. You snuck a glance at them every now and then. It was very rare for him to interact with her so much.

Breaking their secret meeting Shi wobbled over to you with a smile as bright as the sun.

“Hi mommy” she said attempting to grapple up the stool to the right of you. “Hi Shi” you replied setting the book you had attempted to read down on the bar top. You reached your arms out to grab her and lift her up but were beat when Shigaraki picked her up with two pinkies in the air and placed her on top of the stool. You smiled at her as she situated herself, resting her head on her arms with a big yawn. Her eyes drooped and you could tell she was fighting off a powerful wave of sleep. It was a little past her bedtime. Normally Tomura was so strict about bedtime but today he didn’t seem bothered by her presence as he normally did.

“How was today?” you asked mimicking her position feeling a finger run gently down your spine it’s owner retiring next to you, unmasking himself. Ephemerally you looked at him puzzled. “He sure is in a good mood today’ you thought becoming instantly reluctant about the situation. “Good. I got Nomu!” Shi exclaimed tiredly.

You turned your attention back to her lovingly brushing a few stray strands of hair behind her ears. “You got a Nomu?” you questioned looking to Kurogiri for some sort of explanation who only looked back at you exhausted. ‘Great’ you thought. “Yep!” Shi said happily. “Daddy give it!” You clicked your tongue and sat up resting your eyes on your handsome boyfriend who only beamed proudly.

A chuckle slipped past your lips. “He did huh? I’m sure that is going to be very fun for the two of you especially when daddy gets to clean up whatever mess you and the Nomu make.” Shigaraki grunted at your words not liking the sound of that.

#tomura shigaraki x reader #tomura shigaraki #shigaraki tomura #tenko shimura x reader #shimura tenko #boku no hero academia #boku no hero fanfic #my hero academia #my hero academia fanfiction #mha shigaraki

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devilgem-archive · 5 years

Note

Can we hear more about the swap au?

yes absolutely!!!i got some basic info for the ones with distinct roles (most of which are based off personal hcs ive conjured in chats) the rest will come as soon as i have concrete stories for them!!

the story revolves around angel, an ex-mobster slash p*rn star, who decides to abandon his vices to better himself and those around him. because he lacks a higher status in hell’s society, he has a harder time gathering funds and support, so his hotel is a lot more run down compared to canon charlie’s. many dub him as a “nobody trying to be somebody”

ANGEL DUST

swaps with charlie

gay trans man

grew up in a mob family during the 30s-40s. his relationship with his family remains difficult

he’s a lot more optimistic here, still values innocence and all the littlest things that make the world go ‘round. he’s still angel dust tho,therefore has moments where he’s just a plain jackass

continued his line of Shady Work in the afterlife for survival. retired decades later to pursue his Dream Project in running a rehabilitation center in the form of a hotel. the public was baffled at his choice to step down from crime, why give up all of that for…this? is he stupid? whatever respect they held for him was snuffed out quickly and angel became a laughing stock

is very much aware of the doubts, even those of his friends’ and frankly…it stings. tries to mask it with sunshine and rainbows

still struggles with addictions + suffers from episodes of alcohol withdrawal himself. despite everything he keeps pushing forward- lowkey has a habit of brushing off his own problems in favor of others’

CHERRI BOMB

swaps with vaggie

trans lesbian

was an orphan in life, turned to crime as a bomb specialist as she grew

had canon!cherri’s personality and appearance up until angel made his ambitions known; she chopped her hair short and sports a more formal fashion to honor his new passion

is best friends with angel and looks up to him like a father. while she does offer her best support, she is not without doubts regarding the hotel’s success. not that she’d outright say it ofc

despite her own concerns, she wont hesitate to fuck up anyone who insults or otherwise jeopardizes angel’s hotel

she jokingly suggested angel turn to the princess of hell for assistance…only for the man himself to take it as serious advice. angel dust is a synonym for absolutely fucking stupit

CHARLIE

swaps with angel

bi trans girl

the princess of hell. an absolute bratty delinquent who loves using her status to get what she wants– or get away with the trouble she stirred up

only cared about her status, wealth and vaggie before the hotel.

she’s the carlyle to angel’s barnum

angel sought her out for support–though she initially snorted at the very idea of a rehabilitation center in hell,she found herself begrudgingly funding the hotel. even checked in as the very first patient, fun for the entire family huh.

she truly has a heart of gold beneath the hardass exterior and it gradually shines through the more time she spends at the hotel

VAGGIE

swaps with cherri

lesbian + demigirl

is charlie’s girlfriend and partner in crime. together, theyre ur typical Mean Girls that enjoy making snide remarks at the expense of others

has an arsenal of knifes and spears she uses to win turf wars and lovingly defend her still-ditzy gf from danger.

is more cool and collected- gotta do what it takes to come out the winner! only loses her temper when her loved ones are threatened/insulted

retains a difficult relationship with angel

only checked into the hotel, which she is skeptical of, to keep charlie company. and to see how fast this dump falls apart lmao

just like charlie, she gradually softens up and befriends the others

ALASTOR

swaps with husk

pan/ace trans man

he is biracial

was an ex-radio host that succumbed to the great depression in Every sense of the word. no really. alastor is a disaster

he pushed away his friends and family and loyal fans that reached out in support, destroying whatever positive relationship he had left. who needs people when you got booze!

is a complete shut in. dont talk to him, do not even look at him.begone thot. remained stubborn at the idea of opening up, even in a place as disgustingly positive as angel’s hotel

1000/10 capable of ripping your guts out if you test him

still enjoys the good thrill of hunting deer every now and then. probably the one thing that makes him feel anything

hates hate HATES the permasmile with every ounce of his being. he wouldn’t be wearing a smile if frowning wasnt so damn painful

SIR PENTIOUS

swaps with katie

bi trans man w a pref for Wahmen

he was a well-known journalist in the 1800s.

in hell, he adapted well enough to have his own “picture news show”

vocally, he isn’t very pleasing to listen to, but! he has a knack for grabbing the most sensational stories to keep the attention of his audience unwavered

has an ego the size of jupiter

is completely uninterested in anything that doesnt give his rep a boost

enjoys sciencey stuff and reviews the latest trends/memes on occasion

mocking the hell out of angel and his stoopid hotel is his second hobby

he has ‘friends’ but rarely, if ever, treats them well

THE EGGBOIS

swap with tom

they all hate penti

penti still enjoys pushing them around. sometimes would use them as anger/stress-relievers

i do not have a lot for them

#askies #anon #headcanons #trash aus #hazbin hotel #hazbinswap au

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azuresquirrel · 6 years

Text

OKAY FOLKS, MY INTITIAL HOT TAKES ™ ON STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI, BEFORE I EXPOSE MYSELF TO ANY OF THE DISCUSSION OR DISCOURSE. UNLESS IT IS NOT CLEAR, THIS POST IS SPOILER-TASTIC.

Alrighty, before we get to the meat of the thing let me give ENTIRELY too many disclaimers:

-I would not consider myself a Star Wars Expert. I’d say I’m a fan and about a half-step up from the standard casual moviegoer. I love the movies, the original trilogy was a big deal in my childhood. I have encountered the EU in small bits – a novel here and there, an episode of a cartoon here and there. But I am decidedly not a person who is Keeping Up with the billions of Star Wars media out there so I want it clear that’s the perspective I’m coming from.

-Also my Overall Take on the movie is generally positive and I also think I will enjoy it more on a second viewing, whenever that may be. But I did go into it, given the non-spoilery rumblings I’d heard to either Love It or Hate It. I’d say neither is the case. I Liked it, which really is something of a disappointment, but perhaps that second viewing would move it up. Also I will likely be more detailed on the stuff I had problems with than the stuff I liked, but the stuff I liked did outweight the stuff I had issues with.

-As to “where” I would rank this movie in my personal rankings . . . bros, I don’t know. I have immense childhood built-in bias to Episodes IV – VI. Better than the prequels, OBVIOUSLY (which let’s be real, the prequels had SOME good stuff in the them but it sure is a lot of bullshit to wade through). I never really gave my Official Take on Rogue One because IT WAS THE DAY THAT CARRIE FISHER PASSED, and I honestly think it will take me a while to be ABLE to watch it again because I associate it so strongly with her passing. But here’s my Take anyway: it had good concepts and a goddamn killer third act, but the first two acts were a goddamn SLOG and I just could not find Jyn an investing protagonist for all that I tried. I’d rank The Last Jedi over Rogue One – I had a similar “when are we going to get to the fireworks factory” deal with it, but still the stalling period was more enjoyable in The Last Jedi than in Rogue One. And it falls short to The Force Awakens to me. The Force Awakens felt more focused, and it had more of what I personally was looking for – that “SHIT YEAH I’M WATCHING STAR WARS” feeling. The Last Jedi got there EVENTUALLY but it got there really really late. I pretty much enjoyed The Force Awakens the whole way through whereas I was feeling a good deal of FRUSTRATION a ways into The Last Jedi.

So, let’s get to specifics:

-Well, I mean I think it’s clear why I think a second viewing will improve my opinion on the film. I spent a LOT of it WAITING and FRUSTRATED and thinking “WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET TO THE FIREWORKS FACTORY/THE POINT.” I had Concerns about things, not knowing where they were going (AND I THINK VALIDLY SO AT THE TIME), so since it largely ended up in places that I LIKED maybe I’ll be able to enjoy the waiting period a lot more in the future.

-Look, I know that Star Wars movies are Events and are never short but fucking, this movie was still TOO LONG. Felt the same about Rogue One (but less so here), didn’t feel that way about The Force Awakens.

-Well let’s see, in my mind there were basically four plots in this movie – Rey and Luke, Finn and Rose, Poe and the Rebels, and Kyle Ron Bullshit (I suppose some would argue that Kyle Ron bullshit was pretty much a part of the Rey and Luke plot. Technically, they are probably correct. IN MY NON-TECHNICAL MIND, IT IS A SEPARATE THING GIVEN I THOUGHT “OH THIS SHIT AGAIN” WHENEVER HE CAME ONSCREEN). The overall: Finn and Rose was GREAT THROUGHOUT, THE MOST MOVIE-ISH OF THEM AND THE MOST ENJOYABLE AND I LOVE THEM AND ALSO BB8. Rey and Luke I ALSO LIKED A WHOLE, WHOLE LOT, THOUGH I IMAGINE THERE MAY BE ~CONTROVERSY~ THERE. However I also felt a good deal of Frustration and Concern thanks to all the Kyle Ron Bullshit inserted there. Poe and the Rebels . . . . . oooooooooooooof. Yeah. That was a thing.

-On a more shallow note: one thing that was uniformly good throughout was all the NEW STAR WARS CREATURES. Icicle-foxes on mineral planet (and actually being of MINOR PLOT IMPORTANCE), stupidly adorable giant rabbit-horses, JUDGEMENTAL FISH NUNS, and the godawfully adorable merchandise mandate of the porgs. We didn’t get that much in the way of exciting new Star Wars planets/worlds, but the creatures made up for it.

-Okay I don’t count it as new because we saw it at the end of The Force Awakens, but I was extremely appreciative of Ireland: Luke’s picturesque Cranky Jedi Exile Planet. THE SOUTHWEST COAST OF IRELAND, LAND OF MY ANCESTORS, IS BEAUTIFUL.

-I HAVE A LOT OF EMOTIONS ABOUT LUKE SKYWALKER: MY DEAD GAY DAD/SON (courtesy of spaceoperetta, that joke). I just . . . loved . . . my heart . . . .

-OLD CRANKY LUKE HAVING RETIRED TO HIS ANGRY GAY PICTURESQUE EXILE PLANET BECAUSE HE HAD THE HUBRIS ™ AND FAILED ™. JUST. RELATABLE.

-REY JUST FUCKING FOLLOWING HIM FOR ALL HIS CRANKY EXILE DAYS, BEING JUST A FUCKING STUBBORN.

-All the stuff Luke had to say about The Force and why the Jedi were crap was just . . . GOOD. I APPROVE.

-And Force Ghost Yoda ends up burning the damn tree anyway, what a troll.

-. . . why do I have the feeling that Luke in The Last Jedi is going to become my new AA4 Phoenix? I just have a HUNCH. YES HE MADE SOME BAD CHOICES ™ AND IS OLD AND BITTER BUT. I GET IT. FOLKS, I GET IT.

-And the whole END when he ASTRAL-PROJECTS AWESOMENESS ONTO MINERAL PLANET. BEING AWESOME AND OLD AND SASSY. PULLING SOME STRAIGHT-UP AIRBENDER MOVES ON KYLE RON.

-I was keeping the tears back throughout the movie but the Leia and Luke scene BROKE ME.

-And then he dies (as I expected), looking out at the double sunset just like in A New Hope fucking forty years ago. I CRIED SOME MORE.

-I HAVE A LOT OF EMOTIONS ABOUT LUKE SKYWALKER.

-Okay REY. Somehow felt like there was . . . less of Rey in this film than in TFA? Like probably actually not but it felt like she got to do more STUFF in TFA. And the CONCERNS did not help. BUT YES, REY WITH A LIGHTSABER, REY PILOTING THE FALCON, REY MOVING SOME FUCKING ROCKS. REY!!!!!!

-Also can the third movie NOT go back on the conclusion that we came to re: Rey’s parentage from this film? Her “coming from nothing” having just regular-ass junker parents, she DOESN’T have that ~special Skywalker blood~. PLEASE. PLEASE DON’T GO BACK ON IT, SERIES. BECAUSE I LIKE IT. She “doesn’t have a place in this story” in the Multigenerational Skywalker Family Drama. BUT SHE IS REY!!! SHE IS HERSELF AND CAN BE GREAT ANYWAY!!!! THE FORCE IS NOT “A POWER TO MOVE ROCKS” AND IT’S NOT MIDICHOLIRAN BULLSHIT, IT ISI WITHIN HER AS IT IS EVERYTHING! THAT STRENGTH COMES FROM HERSELF DAMMIT.

-(okay bad joke time, you all know I was totally thinking “YES REY, FIND YOUR GAY DESTINY IN THE GIANT SEAWEED VAGINA” re: the Empire Strikes Back ripoff cave that only shows you your own face).

-Before I get to The Issues – FINN AND ROSE WERE GREAT AND I LOVE THEM!!!! I AM GLAD THAT ROSE ARTICULATED THE REBELLION SO WELL!!!! THEY WORKED GREAT TOGETHER!!!! FINN CONTINUES TO BE A JOY!!!! BOTH OF THEM ARE THE HOPE OF THIS REBELLION!!!!

-AND SHE SAVED HIM AND I HAD THE EMOTIONS. AND I WORRIED SHE DIED BUT THANK GOD SHE DID NOT. AND THAT KISS WITH THE EXPLOSION IN THE BACKGROUND! FIGHTING FOR THE THINGS WE LOVE! EMOTIONS!

-ALSO SHOUTOUT TO FINN FOR HAVING MY REAL FIRST “SHIT YEAH I’M WATCHING STAR WARS” MOMENT WHEN HE GOES AT CAPTAIN PHASMA IN THE FUCKING BURNING DOWN SHIP. THAT WAS GOOD SHIT!!!!

-ALSO FINN RALLYING EVERYONE IN MINERAL PLANET BASE WITH HIS HOPE – YOU ARE THE TRUE FUTURE OF THE REBELLION!!!

-(okay but for the next movie can we have more than like two minutes of Maz Kanata? PLEASE?)

-Okay so circling back to Rey because of KYLE RON BULLSHIT. You can probably tell what my Concerns were. Like . . . I mean geez, I want to root for that hopefulness but CHRIST, COME ON HERE.

-I was happy that it turned out that their stupid ~connection~ was forged by Snoke, who is unimportant anyway and dies, that was frankly a bit of a relief.

-OKAY, BASICALLY I HAD WORRIES ABOUT THE SHIP I DARE NOT NAME, BUT LUCKILY REY IS GOOD AND KYLE RON CONTINUED TO BE AS HE IS, AS I EXPECTED. But can you blame me for the CONCERNS about their ~omg special Force connection~?

-But . . . . honestly it IS a problem with this new trilogy that I don’t care about Kyle Ron. So much of these movies are hanging on the fact that we have some investment in his decisions and his fate and I . . . don’t. Like when Leia was reaching out to him with The Force I should have Felt Something and I did not. I perhaps should have been slightly less “eh, can you really blame him” at the reveal that Luke did indeed for a moment consider offing him. He is so important to so many of the characters but I just . . . . they’re trying to make him into a Zuko but he ISN’T. HE’S JUST SHITTY. I DON’T CARE ABOUT HIS SUPPOSED ~CONFLICT~. AND HONESTLY THAT’S A PROBLEM. HE *SHOULD* BE A COMPELLING VILLAIN THAT YOU FEEL CONFLICTED ABOUT. YOU SHOULD *WANT* HIM TO BE REDEEMED LIKE HOW YOU WANTED LUKE TO SUCCEED IN REACHING VADER LIKE IN RETURN OF THE JEDI. BUT I JUST. DON’T. CARE. HE’S JUST A SHITTY WHINY SPOILED MANBABY.

-So like on the one hand I was happy that SNoke and his stylish gold robe essentially ended up being UNIMPORTANT. He dies and it made little difference. Because I didn’t really care!

- . . . but then again, isn’t that similar to the Kyle Ron problem? Because like . . . if the whole dealio of this plot, that Kyle Ron was corrupted to the Dark Side and Sith Ways thanks to his Andy Serkis CGI fucker, then SHOULDN’T it matter a bit? WHO IS THIS GUY AND WHERE DID HE COME FROM? WHAT IS HIS MOTIVATION BESIDES “EVIL?” WHERE DID THIS SITH FUCKER POP UP FROM AFTER PALPITINE WAS OFFED? Like . . . I don’t personally care but for the story itself it SHOULD matter. Instead it’s just “and then Kyle Ron became Dark Side because The Evil Guy said so.” If you want something actually compelling you need to fucking put MORE into it.

-So then the part where we needed to care about the tracked and almost out of fuel Rebel Forces. One would think I would given that Leia was there (for like five minutes and also SHE USED THE FORCE TO SAVE HERSELF AND I HAD THE EMOTIONS) But. Well.

-Oh, and pausing to point out that Star Wars is getting BETTER with women as it has more women onscreen than ever but like – I was concerned about Rose dying with ALL THE DYING ASIAN WOMEN ONSCREEN. Yes the bomber ended up being her sister and important and it was a badass scene but like – could we not have killed her off IMMEDIATELY? Also was that Jasika (I’m not sure) who got unceremoniously blown up in her X-Wing? I’m just saying, STAR WARS STILL HAS SOME WAYS TO GO EVEN WITH REY AND ROSE.

-Also movie thank you for ultimately validating Purple-Haired Laura Dern as a good leader and a badass but I somehow doubt that will be the takeaway that most people have.

-BECAUSE I GUESS DREAMY POE DAMERON OF THE FORCE AWAKENS IS GONE AND REPLACED WITH A HOTHEADED CLONE WHO HAS A PROBLEM WITH WOMEN IN AUTHORITY OR SOMETHING.

-Like . . . why was it necessary . . . for this plot . . . for Poe to talk over and mansplain to and disobey orders from his fucking commanding officers who all just happen to be women.

-And I guess we’re not supposed to find him a rank hypocrite at the end when Finn disobeyed his orders to pull off from the Death Star But a Battering Ram (???) even though THAT’S WHAT POE’S BEEN DOING THIS WHOLE FUCKING MOVIE.

-Like god cutting back to those ships every time was TIRESOME and frankly I’m glad I did not have a ton of investment in Poe as a character before this or else I’d be RIGHT PISSED instead of just annoyed that the movie turned this character into a sexist and pretty much did not do ENOUGH to refute his ways. STILL ANNOYED THOUGH.

-Also is there any problem that the Empire/The First Order has encountered that they didn’t go “throw a Death Star” at it? I think a barked a laugh when they were like “IT’S MINIATURE DEATH STAR TECH.”

-Other disappointments – I THOUGHT KYLE RON WOULD STRAIGHT UP MURDER HUX AT LIKE TOO POINTS AND HE DIDN’T. I would’ve at least appreciated that ginger asshole getting murdered (especially when he slapped Finn I thought “M U R D E R”), but NOPE, KYLE RON MUST BE A DISAPPOINTMET IN ALL THINGS.

-THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE LEIA!!!!! AND NOW WHAT WILL THEY DO WITH THE NEXT MOVIE!!!!! BECAUSE CARRIE!!!!! I AM VERY UPSET!!!!!!!

-Oh Christ, this is so long and I’m kind of trailing off into shitpost territory, SO IF I HAVE MORE SHITPOSTY THOUGHTS I WILL HAVE THEM LATER.

-So good movie but I had FRUSTRATIONS.

-In conclusion: I LOVE LUKE SKYWALKER, MY DEAD GAY DAD/SON.

#CHRIST THIS IS FAR TOO LONG AND I STILL PROBABLY MISSED SHIT #Star Wars spoilers #The Last Jedi spoilers

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gordonwilliamsweb · 4 years

Text

‘I just fell in love with it’

“How do I just stand up and walk away and leave him here?” the mother asked emergency department nurse Laurielynn Hinman.

The mother’s teenage son had died after being hit by a vehicle, and she sat at his bedside in the Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital.

Hinman, a young nurse at the time, compassionately said, “I don’t know how you do that, but you don’t have to until you’re ready.”

Decades later, Hinman recalls how that incident helped shape her outlook in providing empathetic care to patients.

“That was so impactful for me,” Hinman said. “Unless you’ve been through it, you don’t have a clue about what people are experiencing. It was a great lesson for me to learn.”

Hinman, along with fellow Ludington Hospital nurses Clara Whitaker and Sally Wright, have all served more than 40 years at the hospital, the bulk of it in the emergency department together.

They all cite a love of helping patients and showing compassion as the driving motivation and source of joy in their nursing careers.

Candy striper to seasoned veteran

Hinman is planning to retire in October after a 45-year career. She’s looking forward to spending time with her grandchildren. No. 4 is on the way.

The Royal Oak, Michigan, native began working in health care as a high school student, serving as a hospital volunteer, or candy striper as they were called at the time for their novelty red-and-white striped aprons.

After high school, Hinman worked as a nurse aide in Florida for a year before returning to Michigan to start her college career. She received her nursing certification from Kirtland Community College in 1975 and began work in the labor and delivery unit of a Detroit-area hospital.

She moved to Ludington in 1979 and began work at the Ludington hospital. She’s worked the past 32 years in the emergency department, while earning an associate degree in nursing from West Shore Community College and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Ferris State University.

Hinman has relished working with patients over the years.

“It’s a great honor that you can be with them during some of the greatest times of their life, and some of the hardest times and that’s an honor that our patients give us that I think sometimes we forget,” Hinman said. “That’s been my biggest joy.”

And in working in a small town, she values providing care for friends and neighbors.

“That’s one of the joys of working in a community like ours; you know your patients and you become a part of their lives,” she said. “It’s a comfort for them. I think there’s a lot of advantages to being in a small community like this.”

A key to providing that comfort, that compassionate care, is to remain empathetic even when part of the job becomes old hat.

“One of the hardest things is that the emergency room is everyday life for us,” she said. “But it’s not for them and we have to remember that.”

“It’s been a very rewarding 45 years,” she said. “I’ve gotten back a whole lot more than I’ve given. I’m very thankful for that.”

She said the people she’s worked with have made the job rewarding.

“Clara, Sally and I should give a shout out to all the people who have helped us through the years, as we couldn’t have done it without all of them.”

Paying it forward

Sally Wright agrees.

“I’m thankful for the mentors that I had,” she said. “For over 40 years I’ve had the opportunity to work with some phenomenal people.”

She called out Linford Davis, MD, as someone who inspired her in her early years as a nurse.

“He had a great influence on me,” she said. “He was always teaching. I loved that, and I was always picking his brain.”

“I credit a lot of what I’ve done and accomplished to people that have paved that way for me and taught me, and it feels like it’s my turn to pass that on to other people.”

Wright grew up locally, just down the road from Ludington in nearby Scottville.

She recently marked 40 years of working at Ludington Hospital.

She attended Spring Arbor College in Jackson after high school and, between her freshman and sophomore year, still felt undecided on her career choice.

While home for the summer, a friend’s mother, who headed the Ludington Hospital emergency department, invited her to work as nurse tech to see if it would be something she’d like.

“I loved it,” Wright said. “I just fell in love with it.”

With renewed focus, she started taking nursing classes, completing prerequisite classes at Spring Arbor before getting her associate degree in nursing from Jackson Community College and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Spring Arbor.

She would work summers and holidays at the hospital. After college, she worked in the critical care unit for a year until a position opened in the emergency department. She’s been in the ED ever since.

“I love the pace of the ED,” she said. “I love the variety of the ED— no two days are ever the same.”

She would add a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Grand Valley State University and a teaching degree from Ferris State University, the latter to fulfill a calling to teach and help other students find their way— just as the hospital leader helped her long ago.

For the past 21 years, she has been teaching for the West Shore Educational Service District while working part time at the hospital.

She teaches allied health for high school students who are considering going into health care. She teaches nurse aide certification, an EKG technician certification program and basic life support.

“I have this combined love of nursing and teaching and it’s been a great career,” Wright said.

“That’s why I’m so passionate about helping students to see if it’s something they want, because somebody gave me a chance,” she said.

As a nurse, Wright believes strongly in being a patient advocate.

“That’s the most rewarding for me,” she said. “When you’re truly there for the patient and the family.”

Wright said she tries to keep the golden rule in mind.

“People need help,” she said. “That’s been my passion—be there for the patient, treat them like I’d want to be treated and treat their family like I’d want my family treated. Sometimes it’s just that little extra, like offering a family member a cup a coffee.”

“Nobody is really at their best when they come to the emergency department,” she said. “They’re scared, and they react out of fear and worry. Think about what they’re going though.”

Wright is considering retiring from teaching in the next couple of years, but said she wants to keep nursing until she “retires, retires.”

Following family footsteps

Clara Whitaker also points to helping patients as the part of her job she’s enjoyed the most.

“You help them feel better, you keep them safe, you see the improvement and you see them feeling better,” she said. “I think that’s the most fulfilling part.”

Whitaker, who is from Ludington, started as a nurse aide at just 16 at the former Baywood Nursing Home as part of a co-op program in high school.

She began working summers and weekends at Ludington Hospital in 1977 as a nurse aide, while getting her nursing degree. She graduated from the Hackley School of Nursing in Muskegon in 1979.

Her mother, Caroline Majewski, also worked as a nurse at Ludington Hospital and she inspired Whitaker to join the ranks. Mom worked nights, daughter days.

“As an aide, I used to take report for my mother in the morning,” Whitaker said laughing.

Whitaker said she knew as a senior in high school that nursing was her calling.

“I figured out that I really enjoyed it,” she said. “I liked helping the patients.”

After graduation, she worked in the surgery department for a year, and then transferred to the ED, where she’s now nursed for the past 43 years.

And she still enjoys it.

“It’s always changing,” she said. “The patients are constantly rotating, and you’re taking care of everything in the realm of medicine. You take care of little minor injuries and very ill people, and every one is a new challenge.”

Whitaker says she plans to retire in the next couple of years.

“It’s hard, it’s fast-paced and you’re on your feet a lot—and I’m getting older,” she said laughing.

“I’ve truly enjoyed it,” she said. “There’s stressful times and there’s times when you think ‘I’m not going back’ but you do, because you do enjoy it.”

The trio have seen dramatic changes in nursing over the years.

They said advances in technology and the use of personal protective equipment have been major changes in the profession. It wasn’t until HIV became prevalent that they even wore gloves.

“We didn’t wear gloves to start an IV,” Wright said. “We’d have a trauma and if they were bleeding we’d put our hands in there��the bloodier you got, the more you worked that day,” she said. “We didn’t understand all the bloodborne pathogens that caused disease.”

Hinman said there’s been increased accountability for nurses, too.

“Instead of working for the doctors, now we work with the doctors; it’s more of a team effort,” she said. “We can make more decisions and assessments.”

Whitaker said staying current with advances and changes in medicine is a never-ending challenge.

“There is always so much new—new equipment, new education, new protocols and procedures,” Hinman said. “They come so fast it can be hard to keep up.”

The three nurses have kept up, and developed a special bond through the years.

“Laurie, Sally and I have been down in the ER the entire time together; it’s been great working with them,” Whitaker said. “They’re very dear friends.”

With the end of their respective careers in sight, they each said they’d pick nursing as career all over again.

“It isn’t for everyone, but if you have a passion to help people, it’s a great career,” Wright said. “I wouldn’t consider anything else if I was 19 again.”

‘I just fell in love with it’ published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/

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michellelinkous · 4 years