TT isn’t ableist it’s DC/the editors/ect stop blaming him ok but he wrote these scenes he wrote this dialogue and this is just off the top of my head not even touching the “subtle” ableism woven throughout the run :

⚠️

Major tw for ableism :

These may seem minor to you but they’re overt to literally any physically disabled person

-why couldn’t Barbara eat pizza in the park before? Take down low level thugs? She literally could. She literally did. This retroactive take on her years as Oracle is ableist. She was not miserable or useless or anything like that. She was quite literally still a crime fighter living an active lifestyle. She was happy as Oracle. In her own words “the joker took nothing from me”. But TT does not understand the disabled experience and cannot write a woman ok being disabled-this is not about Babs being able bodied now-this is about the language used. There are plenty of similar examples throughout the run (and dc period atm) TT did not have to write such dialogue. He chose to do that. It should also be noted that he wants credit for giving Babs accessibility aides but does not have any real interest in showing her use them (the justification of her not using a chair anymore) or writing her as a Disabled woman at all (a similar issue applies to his writing of Dick)

-Why reintroduce Risk and make the point to remember his prosthetic (I should also note he’s a recovering addict as well) just to kill him brutally and rather intimately on panel. It’s important to note that for all intents and purposes Risk was an invincible hero. Killing him (and frankly for shock value) is ableist. I’m not saying you can’t kill disabled characters but if you do it after consistent allegations of ableism it’s hard not to see Risk (and any physically disabled person in his run) as a proxy for the disabled people who criticized him after all they only seem to show up to get brutalized or be a joke. It’s important to contextualize that this was his introduction into main continuity again-they made the point to retain his disability (whilst under scrutiny for ableism) just for killing him without an once of dignity. It’s just horrific and genuinely these panels may trigger me the most.

-now I understand you may not see the big deal here because hey he’s not being hatecrimed here but yet again disabled characters are either brutalized or made into a joke. There’s multiple issues wrong here . You do not touch a hoh persons hearing aides. 1. You don’t touch anyones accessibility tools (especially hearing aides which are delicate at the best of times) w/o explicit permission. This joke is not funny to disabled people this is our lived experience and it’s called assault. 2. In line with TT previous inclination to not actually write the disabled experience this person does not seem to have any emergency setup such as a bed shaker for example which while not criminal does show a lack of research. TT would rather have a joke at our expense then just write a disabled person living realistically. And 3. Dick does actually canonically know sign language. There was no need for ableism in the first place. Instead of highlighting Deaf/Sign culture TT opted for dated jokes and further erasure of Dicks competence (which is a separate conversation). It should be noted that showing sign in comics is not new or impossible if Hawkeye can do it so can Nightwing.

Again these are just three out of many examples and that’s not counting TT’s ableist behavior on Twitter. That’s not talking about the artist. But three is enough. Three is a pattern. At a certain point when people refuse to reflect and address their behavior-when they refuse to even entertain the notion of fixing it-real accountability must be discussed, and if you cannot handle disabled fans discussing his accountability here-if you’re ambivalent, if you’re defensive, if you’re apologetic for him, you’re complicit as well. It’s 2022 we can do better. It’s July. It’s Disabled Pride month. Listen to Disabled voices. Do better. Or be quiet.

Ok to add on and discuss but no clowning and if you are able bodied you do not get to debate the ableism at hand.

* if anyone could write the image ids that would be great my hand feels like it’s going to fall off :(

image ids :

[Three panels from Nightwing comics by Tom Taylor. In the first, Babs is saying, “I have some pretty new technology holding my spine together.* (*see batgirl: three jokers) I’m happy to do most things--eat pizza in the park, take down low level thugs--but leaping from rooftops seems unwise” while Dick looks on. This is from Nightwing 79.

The next part is two whole pages. In the first panel, Dick in a narration box is saying, “..in metropolis” while there is the skyline of metropolis in the background. The next panel is Risk jumping off a building while his prosetic arm is clearly visible. The next three are of him saying, “enough running. I don’t know who you are but we are clear of civilians now. I’m ready to hit back.” The next panel is of him being hit by a purple laser while in the next he says, “ha! I’m invulnerable.”

The next page starts with three people in black suits and jetpacks flying towards him while the lead one says, “we know.” In the next panel, she has Risk slammed on the ground while saying, “we know all about you Risk.” In the next three panels, she drags Risk towards the water and sticks his head in it while monologuing, “we know you were a Titan. and we know that you still have to breathe. The rising has begun.” The last panel is of some bubble underwater.

The third example is one page. In the first panel, Dick (Nightwing) is hitting down a wood door while calling out, “Maurice!” In the next panel, Maurice is in bed while his hearing age is pointed out by zoomed in bubble. In the next panel, Dick has grabbed Maurice’s hearing aid, and is holding it out to Maurice while saying, “Hey. I just need you to put your hearing aid in.” Maurice replies while looking angry, “Is that what you do? Steal hearing aids?!” In the final panel, Dick says while looking confused and still holding out the hearing aid, “what, I’m not” before Oracle interupts him over the comms, “Nightwing!” He responds, “Oracle” end id

Some random DC character doodles, with Owen Mercer, Toni Monetti, Cody Driscoll, Dolphin in the top. And Vanessa in the bottom there.

I especially like the drawing of Dolphin (in the far right) that I did. Based on her outfit from concept comic of the Wonder Woman's Star Riders, a doll line that was never released. Tho DC would try their hand again with the DC Super Hero Girls dolls and succeed.

Maybe DC should try again with the Star Riders, I think it'd be fun!

Anyways, hope you like it!

Titans Academy

Fandom: DC Comics, Titans, Arrowfam

Summary: Grant struggles to accept his new reality when Roy takes him in and enrolls him in Titans Academy. He must adjust to life at a boarding school and life with his new foster family (Roy and Lian). Can he learn to trust the people who claim to care about him? Or will he shut himself off from love altogether?

Chapters: 1/?

Characters: Grant Emerson, Roy Harper, Bart Allen, Toni Monetti, Cody Driscoll, Lian Harper, Jade Nguyen, Audrey Spears, Tommy Blake Jr.

Additional Tags: Father-Son Relationship, Boarding School AU, No Powers AU, Found Family, Second Chances, Roy Harper is a Legal Guardian, Roy Harper is a Father, POV First Person, Grant Emerson POV, Autistic Bart Allen

Chapter One: Gravedigger 101

I thought that when this Roy guy kept me from going to jail, I'd get to be some kind of undercover criminal informant or something. I didn't really understand what they said in court. It sounded like he wanted to use me to get information on the illegal operation that resulted in my adoption by my now-deceased parents. I thought it'd be cool, and besides, it was between going with him or going straight to prison. I was just a kid. I wouldn't have made it long in an adult prison. There was no use in pretending to be tough. I was terrified, and I let the courts know it. The guy knew it too. He said something to the judge on my behalf, and the judge folded like a two-dollar bill. I knew the guy had to have some kind of pull. He showed up to the court late, walked in, whispered to the judge, and that was it.

I won't lie. I was kind of scared of the guy at first. The judge remanded me into the custody of Roy Harper in the state of New York. What I didn't know was that that guy was Roy Harper. "Come on, kid. Wanna go get your stuff?" he asked.

"I can't. My house is an active crime scene," I replied.

"Sorry... We'll get you some stuff in between here and New York. Hungry?" he questioned. He walked fast, so I rushed behind him once they released me. At his pace, he got from the courthouse to the parking garage in less than five minutes. He unlocked the car, and I got in the passenger's seat. "You hungry?" he asked a second time. I nodded.

We didn't say much else until he started driving. "What's good here?" he asked before screwing up his face. "I didn't say who I was, huh?"

I shook my head. "You're supposed to drop me off with that Roy Harper guy, right?" I asked.

"I am that Roy Harper guy. Sorry, my mind was on a hundred other things. I promise I wasn't trying to play some weird mind game by not introducing myself," Roy replied. I nodded. "What do you wanna eat? And if you say Burger Queen or Wackdonals, I'm legally obligated to pretend I didn't hear you."

"There's a BBQ place down the street from here," I mumbled. He grinned.

"BBQ's good. I can do BBQ," Roy replied. I gave him the name of the restaurant and directions. We got there in less than fifteen minutes, and we went in and ordered our food. I didn't feel much like eating before going to court, so I was starving.

We got drinks while we waited for the food, and Roy tapped his knuckles on the table. "I'm sorry about all this, Grant... I'm sure you're a good kid and—."

"What's New York like?" I asked. I didn't want to talk about the case or anything like that. I just wanted to pretend that things were normal.

"You won't see much of it for a little bit, but we're going to Manhattan... You don't happen to have a valid driver's license, do you?" Roy asked. I shook my head.

"Learner's permit," I replied.

"Good enough. It's a fourteen-hour drive, so we'll get there in maybe sixteen-seventeen-ish hours," Roy replied, "But I figure we'll split this into two days and get a little sightseeing in."

"If you're from New York, what are you doing in Atlanta?" I asked. I wanted to ask a bunch of other questions, but that's the one that came out.

"I heard about your situation on the news, and I figured you didn't deserve to be tried as an adult," Roy replied.

"So, am I gonna live with you?" I asked.

Roy nodded. "Yeah, it's hard to explain the living situation, but it'll make sense when we get there."

That made me nervous, but before I could ask anything else, the waitress brought our food to the table. I guess he was just as hungry as I was because neither of us said a word until we finished eating. "Good call, Grant," Roy chuckled as he leaned back in his chair.

I took another sip of my coke, and Roy told me to stay put. He left me at the table for a few minutes by myself, and he came back with two pies and another soda. "Sorry, I figured pie would make a nice snack for the ride," Roy replied, "Ready to go?"

I nodded and followed him to the car. I stared out the window while we drove, and Roy turned the radio on. "If this isn't your flavor, you can change the station," Roy whispered.

"It's cool," I whispered. Roy threw his tie in the backseat and got on the freeway. "Do you do this a lot?"

"Take road trips to keep minors out of jail? Or take custody of kids you've never met? Or maybe—."

"All of it... But mostly, do you have a lot of kids?" I asked.

"Yes and no. It'll make sense when we get there," Roy answered. I nodded, but I didn't understand. "And nope, not really. You're a little bit of a unique case. But that's good. Unique cases are good."

"Did your job make you come out here?" I asked.

"Nope. This is on my time, but I made a deal with the school beforehand about your living situation, and they've got no problem with enrolling," Roy explained.

All I got from that was he worked at a school and heard about me on the news. I kind of wish I didn't ask him anything at all. I closed my eyes and listened to the radio. Eventually, I felt okay enough to sleep. It helped that I finally had food on my stomach. I woke up when we stopped at a clothing store in the middle of nowhere, and he dragged me in there, half asleep. He said I had to buy some clothes. Underwear, t-shirts, jeans... That kind of stuff.

I dragged my feet around the store, still half-asleep, but I managed to do what he asked. He paid for everything, and we walked back to the car. The sun looked like it was about to set, so he checked us into a hotel. It was a room with two beds, and I tossed and turned half the night. He settled in quickly and fell asleep almost immediately. "Roy?" I whispered. I wanted to make sure he was asleep.

"Hm?" Roy mumbled.

"Thanks," I replied. I didn't know what else to say.

"Mhm, no problem," Roy mumbled, "Go to bed, Grant."

I think I fell asleep around two in the morning, and Roy slept the whole night. I slept so heavily that I nearly fell asleep in the shower. He was patient through it all, though. We got breakfast in a drive-thru, and I struggled to stay awake. "We'll get coffee in an hour," Roy replied. I nodded.

My head ached too badly to do anything else. "I didn't forget I planned to switch off, but you look half dead, so I'll give you a break," Roy teased. I wasn't in the mood. I turned toward the window and shut my eyes. He nudged me when we got to Sundollar, and I mumbled my order. He chuckled, and when we got to the window, he woke me up so I could drink my coffee. "Not a morning person?"

"Not a travel person," I replied.

"Well, we'll be halfway there in four hours. Think you can bear with me until we get there?" Roy asked. I nodded. The drink perked me up a little bit. "When I was a kid, it was tough adjusting to new places, but as long as you're under my care, I'll try to keep you in the same place... Okay?"

I looked over at him, and he had this sad look. I couldn't look at him like that, so I turned my head. "Thanks," I replied. Maybe he did care. I guess... Dunno. It all seemed so unreal to me. A complete stranger caring about some teenager he just met? Get real.

As of late I’ve been super into this series. It explored some interesting concepts and the characters bounced off each other pretty well.

Team Titans TPB Idea

Teen Titans (1996): Titan's Children

Consists of Teen Titans #1-5

Teen Titans: Dark Nemesis

Consists of Teen Titans 6-11, Annual #1

Teen Titans: To Everything There Is An End/Then & Now

Consists of Teen Titans #12-16 and the Double Shot specials

Teen Titans: The New Order

Consists of Teen Titans #17, New Year's Evil: Dark Nemesis #1, Teen Titans #18-20

Teen Titans: Titans Hunt (yes, there are 3 of them)

Consists of Teen Titans #21-24, Chase #4

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I LOVE THEM ALL

teen titans (1996) #5

Forgotten Lives 3

A third and final set of FORGOTTEN LIVES tales…

A person is the sum of their memories. A Time Lord even more so.

But some people live so long that there is no longer room for all the memories; they find themselves diminished, whittled away piece by piece…

For many years, Doctor Who has implied that William Hartnell played the Doctor’s first incarnation — but in The Brain of Morbius, we were given glimpses of eight stern-faced men in assorted historical costumes — Doctors before the one we know as the first.

What were they like, these forgotten Doctors? What worlds did they visit, and what adventures did they have there? Who were their companions, and who were their enemies?

And perhaps just as interesting — what sort of stories would this forgotten prehistory of Doctor Who have told?

‘The Lungs of the Birastrop’ by Paul Driscoll

‘Who Needs Enemies’ by Jay Eales

‘Admission to the Unknown’ by Ian McIntire

‘Hope Springs’ by Chris Wing

‘The Swan and the Flame’ by Kara Dennison

‘Scientific Advisor’ by Daniel Tessier

‘The Country of the Young’ by Philip Purser-Hallard

The Seven Scholars and the Storyteller’ by Simon Bucher-Jones

Edited by Philip Purser-Hallard. Cover art by Jon Huff. Cover design by Cody Schell.

PRE-ORDER ONLY. PUBLICATION EARLY DECEMBER.

ALL PROFITS FROM THIS BOOK WILL BE DONATED TO ALZHEIMER’S CHARITIES.

The villainization of Risk really is one of the underappreciated travesties of this book's writing. Cody Driscoll gave up EVERYTHING for this life, he fought as hard as anyone else ever could, looked evil in the eye and faced it with honor and bravery. And what do they do to him? Chop off his arm and turn him into a sad pet for Deathstroke because we didn't have enough of that apparently!

Under the Surface

by SomebodyIUsetoKnow The overall aim of Analytical Music Therapy is to encourage expression of unconscious thoughts and feelings one might otherwise not know how to face. Since the Bats are notorious for not talking about their feelings, maybe its time they start listening. Dick finally lays it all out for his family and tells them everything that he has struggled with since becoming Robin. He just doesn't know that they're there. Words: 14523, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), DCU (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/M Characters: Bruce Wayne, Dinah Lance, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Alfred Pennyworth, Lucifer Morningstar (Vertigo Comics), Oliver Queen, Barry Allen, Diana (Wonder Woman), Tim Drake, Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, Barbara Gordon, Jason Todd, Roy Harper, Dick Grayson, Joseph Wilson (DCU), Rick Flag, Mark Richards, Cody Driscoll, Koriand'r Relationships: Dick Grayson/Koriand'r, Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson (Past), Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Everyone, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson, Cassandra Cain & Dick Grayson, Stephanie Brown & Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson & Roy Harper Additional Tags: Mental Health Issues, References to Depression, Past suicide attempt (mentioned), Past Sexual Assault (mentioned), Songfic, Sort Of, Everyone Needs A Hug, Dick Grayson Gets a Hug, Bruce Wayne Gets a Hug, Hopeful Ending, 100 Percent Self Indulgent Fic, DC Let Dick Grayson Be Happy Damnit!, DC Let the Batfam Be Happy Damnit!, Not Barbara Gordon Friendly, Just never liked her for Dick, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Bats are always Bad at Feelings via https://ift.tt/wThdKDR

Big February Sweep…

Since we are in February, I don’t think we will get those unique Soap Opera February Sweep, such as Metro Court and Monkey Illness in GH. Since most of the major storylines had finished in January except for the Metro Court Shooter, Dex is working for Michael, Gregory’s illness, Tracy is still the owner of Deception, and Cory is Mac’s child. I don’t count whatever Drew and Carly’s plan against Nina because that needs a whole post on its own; I would have two major events going on at the same time to tie up those storylines and to have new storylines out. 

Half of the cast is at Sonny’s Place on the Island, and the other half is at the hospital. And the way I would break it down is: 

Character:

Sonny’s Place: TJ Ashford, Alexis Davis, Sam McCall, Danny Morgan, Scout Cain, Kristina Corinthos-Davis, Molly Lansing-Davis, Sonny Corinthos, Dante Falconeri, Rocco Falconeri, Carly Spencer, Josslyn Jacks, Michael Corinthos, Willow Tait, Wiley Corinthos, Amelia Corinthos, Donna Corinthos, Ava Jerome,  Avery Jerome-Corinthos, Damian Spinelli, Lois Cerullo, Brook Lynn Quartermaine, Olivia Falconeri, Leo Quarteramine, Laura Collins, Anna Devane, Drew Cain, Dex Heller, John Cate, Blaze, Diane Miller, Brick, Sasha Gilmore, Trina Robinson, Kevin Collins, Harrison Chase

Hospital: Marshall Ashford, Jordan Ashford, Curtis Ashford, Scott Baldwin, Lucy Coe, Valentin Cassadine, Charlotte Cassadine, Elizabeth Webber, Jake Webber, Aiden Webber, Maxie Jones, Felicia Scorpio, Georgie Spinelli, James West, Bailey Jones, Tracy Quartermaine, Ned Quartermaine, Robert Scorpio, Cody Bell, Nina Revees, Gregory Chase, Violet Finn, Hamilton Finn, Portia Robinson, Martin Grey, Cyrus Renault, Stella Henry, Brad Cooper, Selina Wu, Yuri, Amy Driscoll, Terry Randolph, Deanna Sirtis, Felix Dubuis, Monica Quartermaine

Events: 

Island - Michael and Willow want to have a huge first birthday for Amelia, and they decided not to have Nina or anyone related to her there. John and Anna join them as they know who the shooter is, and Dex realizes his secrets are coming out. Another shooting happens.

Hospital - Cyrus and Selina set a bomb during a fundraising at the hospital where everyone else is, and they think Sonny and his family were there. 

Characters that are Kill off: 

Island: Baby Lansing-Ashford, Blaze, Willow, Wiley, Donna, Olivia, Drew, Dex, Brick, Sasha, Molly, Damian

Hospital: Marshall, Lucy, Gregory, Cyrus, Finn, Amy, Bailey

Characters that go off-screen aftermath: 

Island: Michael & Amelia take a small break (I would recast Michael when they come back in six months); Leo goes to live with Grandma Falconeri; John finishes his case; Josslyn goes to visit Jax; Kristina takes a break and goes with Ric for awhile. 

Hospital: Violet goes back to Hayden as Jason knows where she is. Nina decides to visit NYC to check in on her family’s company. Cody goes to find Mac to tell him the truth. 

The ending of the storylines: 

Island: the Metro Court Shooter: Blaze is the older sister of Lila Rae, meaning she is Lozreno’s daughter, and it is their mob family who is behind it. Dex is working for Michael: Everything they did and who knew comes out, and he is actually working for the FBI. All of his backstory was a lie as he is Stone Cate Jr. 

Hospital: Gregory’s illness: He dies protecting Elizabeth’s boys, who have Violet with them. Tracy is still the owner of Deception: She overhears Maxie telling Ned who is injured and what his daughter is trying to do, and Tracy realizes that she watched Maxie grow up and this was her dream. Cody is Mac’s child: Robert, Felicia, and Cody are stuck together, and he tells them. 

Start of Storyline 

Island: Carly and Sonny lose their minds again with Jason returning; they are sent to a Mental Hospital, where we get a break from the characters. Sam asks Alexis to help her run Drew’s company for Scout, and she deals with Danny’s anger with Jason and everything that happens to them. Brooklyn and Chase's wedding is put on hold. TJ started having PTSD from losing his girl and baby. 

Hospital: Jason saves Elizabeth and Monica from Cyrus and tells them he has both memories. Elizabeth’s sons (all three of them) have daddy issues, and Elizabeth realizes she has both issues with her parents. While rebuilding the hospital, Elizabeth discovers that her family owns it. Terry realizes how understaffed the hospital is and starts looking for people. Maxie is asked to take over Crimson as well. 

Leave What's Heavy Behind

read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/43985154 by Alyson_Page Tim watched with warm bliss as Jason disappeared, turning over the ever-growing list of surprising things he learned about him briefly in his mind. He knew prior to the day they walked out of Bruce’s study that Jason was hundreds of things more than just a gruff and tough fighter with enough emotional baggage to sink a ship, but there were still times that the soft, boyfriend side caught Tim shockingly off-guard. Words: 1812, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Series: Part 6 of Birdtalker Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Batman: The Animated Series Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: M/M Characters: Tim Drake, Jason Todd, Cassie Sandsmark, Kon-El | Conner Kent, Bart Allen, Toni Monetti, Cody Driscoll, Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Jon Lane Kent, Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson Relationships: Tim Drake/Jason Todd Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Batfamily (DCU), Slash, Tim & Kon friendship read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/43985154

Glad Handing

Glad handing doesn’t come naturally to a serious guy like Liam. He prides himself on being straightforward and honest. Sometimes this puts people off. Tara on the other hand is extremely good at it and is more than happy to teach the brother the art. This is the first time we’ve met Cody Driscol, syndicated columnist for the Homestead Herald. Despite what Tara says, he’s just here to cover the…

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Test Bank For Business Ethics: Concepts, Cases, and Canadian Perspectives by W. Peter Kissick

Part I: Foundations of Business Ethics   Chapter 1: Introduction: What Is Business Ethics, and Why Study It? (W. Peter Kissick, Queen's University)Chapter 2: Theories of Ethics: An Introduction (Christine Coulter, Queen's University)Chapter 3: Critical Thinking for Business Ethics (Chris MacDonald, Ryerson University)   Part II: Making Ethical Business Decisions   Chapter 4: An Introduction to Stakeholder Analysis (W. Peter Kissick, Queen's University)Chapter 5: Some Critiques of Stakeholder Theory (William Woof, York University)Chapter 6: CSR: The Canadian Experience (Kernaghan Webb, Ryerson University)Chapter 7: Law, Morality, and Business (W. Peter Kissick, Queen's University)Chapter 8: Ethics and Leadership (Margaret McKee & Cathy Driscoll, Saint Mary's University)Chapter 9: Making Ethical Decisions (Diane Girard, McGill University, HEC)Chapter 10: Strategy and Ethical Decision Making (Wes Cragg & David Weitzner, Schulich School of Business)   Part III: Cases and Analysis: Applying Ethical Principles   Chapter 11: Socially Responsible Small Business and Entrepreneurship (Cathy Driscoll & Margaret McKee, Saint Mary's University)Chapter 12: International Business and Globalization (David Doorey, York University)Chapter 13: The Individual in the Workplace (Len Brooks, University of Toronto)Chapter 14: Financial Reporting and Accounting (Pamela Murphy, Queen's University)Chapter 15: Marketing Ethics (Peggy Cunningham, Dalhousie University & Jordan Mitchell)Chapter 16: Privacy, Technology, and Ethics (Darren Charters, University of Waterloo)Chapter 17: Energy and Ethics (Richard Dixon, University of Alberta)Chapter 18: Business Ethics in Health Care (Michael Cody)   Appendix: Case Exercises (Frederick Bird, University of Waterloo)   Index   SAMPLE   FOR INSTRUCTORS   FOR STUDENTS   ABOUT EMOND PUBLISHINGOUR COMPANYOUR AUTHORSOUR PARTNERSEMOND EXAM PREPCAREERS   CUSTOMER CAREFAQSORDERS SHIPPING AND RETURNSEBOOKSEMOND+SALES POLICIES   CONNECT WITH EMOND         Read the full article

Titans Academy

Fandom: DC Comics, Titans, Arrowfam

Summary: Grant struggles to accept his new reality when Roy takes him in and enrolls him in Titans Academy. He must adjust to life at a boarding school and life with his new foster family (Roy and Lian). Can he learn to trust the people who claim to care about him? Or will he shut himself off from love altogether?

Chapters: 4/?

Characters: Grant Emerson, Roy Harper, Bart Allen, Toni Monetti, Cody Driscoll, Lian Harper, Jade Nguyen, Audrey Spears, Tommy Blake Jr.

Additional Tags: Father-Son Relationship, Boarding School AU, No Powers AU, Found Family, Second Chances, Roy Harper is a Legal Guardian, Roy Harper is a Father, POV First Person, Grant Emerson POV, Autistic Bart Allen

Chapter Four: Group Therapy I

It felt like the day went on forever, but I still had to go to group therapy. Roy practically escorted me there. I didn't know any of the kids in my group from my other classes. They went around introducing themselves and saying what grades they were in. When they got to me, I introduced myself, but I forgot to say what grade I was in. "Hey, pay attention, Daddy's boy. You forgot to say what grade you were in," the first boy teased. I hated being talked to like that. "Cody—." "Fuck you," I replied. Cody grinned. "Hey, can we bring it back?" one of the other kids suggested. "It's nice to meet you, Grant... Try not to worry too much about what Cody has going on." "Roy's not my dad... I don't know my dad. And I'm a junior," I replied. "Cool-. I mean, the junior part. Not the part about your dad," she whispered. Once the group got back on track, the guy moderating started talking about family and conflict. "My mom was cool about everything, but she worried. I gave her a lot of reasons to worry, I guess. She didn't even tell me I was going here," Cody replied, "She just dropped me off... But I guess it was good that she did." "Sounds like she was trying to avoid conflict for herself, not for you," one of the girls mentioned. Cody softened, and he shook his head. "My mom's doing her best. What's bashing her gonna do?" Cody asked. He didn't seem argumentative or cocky anymore. That all faded away with a bit of criticism of his mom. I felt a little bit sorry for the guy. "At least she did something," I replied, "My—. I guess she's not even my mom... She never tried to help. She stood back, and she'd clean everything up after the fact. All she did was try to make me forget, but it wasn't to protect me. Do you know how bad that feels?" I realized I was talking about myself, and I sank down in my seat. Cody mouthed, "Thank you." I nodded in reply, but I felt weird sharing anything about my parents in front of strangers. Another kid jumped in and started talking about how his dad turned everything into an argument, and a few other kids shared. The guy moderating explained that there's a balance to conflict. Too little battle could prove to be as detrimental as too much. "A fear of disputes can look like complacency or a lack of consideration... While too much can make you feel like your guardians are nitpicking or that they simply don't appreciate you at all," the man whispered. We closed out, and Roy met me outside. He had tears in his eyes. "You okay?" I asked. Roy nodded. "It was a brutal end to the day, but I'll make it. Group's never easy," Roy replied, "How was your first day?" "I thought I was gonna hate it at first... But it wasn't that bad—." "Thanks for today, new kid," Cody whispered. Roy glanced at me and smiled. "Cody's thanking someone?" Roy questioned. He seemed impressed. "You're free to go for the next forty-five minutes, but I want you home by nine." I nodded, and Roy left me to wander the campus. Bart ran into me and offered for me to come back to his room to read comics. I took him up on his offer, but we mostly hung out. Bart talked the whole time, but I didn't hate it. At least he seemed happy. "Hey, Bart... Who's this?" I asked as I touched one of the pictures hanging on his wall. "That's my dad. He died when I was a baby," Bart replied, "And the other pictures are of my grandpa and grandma, my cousins, Wally and Jenni, and—." "You're a twin," I interrupted accidentally. Bart tensed up. "Where's your brother?" "I don't have a brother... I have a twin," Bart replied. I didn't know what he meant by that, so I didn't say anything else. I said goodnight, and I went home. Roy lay on the couch with his eyes closed. "You're early, you know," Roy whispered. He seemed exhausted. "What'd you do?" "Why does Bart hate his twin?" I asked.

"He'll tell you when he's ready," Roy replied, "Could I hear about your day?" I sat in his chair, linking my fingers over my chest as I stared at Roy. He lay still, eyes shut, but I knew he was listening. "It was alright... Am I allowed to talk about the group?" I asked. "You can talk about yourself but no one else," Roy replied. "The day was long, but I'm glad I don't have to talk about myself anymore this week. Am I allowed to hang out this weekend?" I asked. "Yeah. If you get through tomorrow the way you did today, you can go wherever. I think Garth is going to the beach or something... Donna's going bowling with whoever's down to go... And I'm doing movie night. Saturday, though, I'm not sure what we're doing. I'll probably take some of the kids hiking. I feel like I'm forgetting something important," Roy mumbled. He pulled a blanket over himself and stretched out. "You don't have to wake up at four tomorrow... But that's not what I'm forgetting." "Roy? Are you gonna sleep there tonight?" I asked. "Not sleeping, just resting my eyes... Thursdays are my tough days. I run a group just like everyone else, and sometimes it takes a toll... But I'll be okay by tomorrow," Roy reassured me. I rolled my shoulders back and went to the kitchen. I couldn't sleep when people seemed tense, so I made Roy some tea. He had a bunch of different kinds. Some stuff I'd never even heard of. After the kettle started whistling, I picked two packets with a picture of white flowers and what I imagined was a lemon. I set the teacup on a coaster and tapped Roy's shoulder. "I don't know how you like your tea... I just thought that-." Roy sat up and took a deep breath. I thought he'd chew into me for touching his stuff, but he leaned forward, hiding his face in his hands. "Thank you, Grant. That was really thoughtful," Roy whispered. He collected himself without a tear, but I could tell it was hard. It was weird. I'd only known the guy for three days, but it seemed like he knew me way longer than that. I wondered if he knew something I didn't or if he was like that with everybody. It felt good to finally come home at the end of the day, but I worried things wouldn't stay that way. If I learned anything from my parents, things are never what they seem.

Here are all five of the prints I designed. I did adjust a few things that were bothering me in each piece. Overall, I’m super happy with these.

Cody: Don't you think you should be a little be more....careful? Isaiah: *hanging off the side of a ledge to jump into a pool filled with marshmallows* nah, dude, it's called "pizazz"