#bernard has no sense of self preservation

[littlepikmins]

Tim Drake going through a crisis after he realizes Bernard knows he's Robin and he wants to make sure Bernard knows he can leave the relationship at any point if it's too much so he tells him, "I know dating a vigilante puts you in danger - you've already been kidnapped once because of me. I'd understand if you want to end things between us at any point for your safety..."

And Bernard casually replies, "You don't need to worry about that, Tim. I know you'll always save me no matter how many times I'm kidnapped. And I did join a pain cult, remember? I don't think any kidnappers can torture me more than anything the cult did :)"

And Tim is just like :(((((( "Bear, that makes me more worried about you."

[masha-nikita]

How strong is his Mars?- Bernard Montgomery-

Here I am, two episodes of “How strong is his Mars? all at once. I am going to test a theory in Astrology community- you’ve got to have a strong Mars to be competent in the military.

Whether that theory is true or not, you guys know I have to talk about Monty.

Monty has Mars in Virgo; you see, I am writing about his Mars back to back with Patton’s, because Patton also has a Virgo Mars- so far, that makes 3 outstanding generals with Virgo Mars-- even though it is my opinion that Manstein’s Moon, not Mars, is where his military magic happens. Here I can say, Monty and Patton’s Mars works against the odds, and performs better, above Erich’s score.

I commented on Manstein’s Virgo Mars as follows- if stands alone without any other aspects, this Mars is too detail-oriented for its own good, especially in a fast-paced battlefield. An earth sign Mars has poor ability to take actions by intuition and improvising, unless favorably aspected by Neptune or moon. Virgo Mars possesses delicate tendencies to handle smaller details but may easily lose sight of what needs to be done on a grand scale. This Mars makes its native a fussing workaholic.

Monty’s Mars trines Neptune; this indicates that he intuits enemy actions reasonably well. With Mercury and Sun in harmonious sextile aspects, he’s supposed to be very reasonable, and his decision making process grounded in reality. A 3rd house Mars endows active mind. Any malefic astro body in 3rd house becomes innovative and stimulating to the wits (yes, Mars is considered a malefic), which allows the native to be very smart during arguments. I do not think Monty appreciates small talks—small talks would be regarded as petty nonsense by him. His speeches do have very good leadership quality, very exhilarating to listen to.

This is actually a pretty good Mars, but poor Monty has other aspects that aren’t that good.

Monty’s Sun opposites Pluto and Neptune, just like Manstein’s. This brings the native great difficulty in assessing their ego (represented by Sun). This flaw would destine them on a long, hard journey to find who they truly are as an “independent self”. Manstein’s Sun is in 8th house opposite 2nd house Pluto-Neptune; he might have been secretly very concerned with how posterity would value him after his death. What is of personal value that belongs to Erich may be a source of great illusion and inner tension, if handled unwisely. This value struggle may render him a hard cynic whose only concern is money and self-preservation.

Whereas for Monty (4th house sun, 11th house Neptune-Pluto), it looks like worldly reputation for the Montgomery family name is the struggle here—or maybe it is just his own name to be his desperate concern. Family is where a person was born into, and where they eventually establish themselves, and then dies into. He may have an exaggerated sense of patriotism if he could not agree with the family he was born into, or could not find his own family to belong to. He might view anybody who’s outside of his immediate circle “the troublesome other”, a great source of power struggle. It is not easy for him to acquire a smooth friend circle. With a 11th house Pluto, some explosive shit constantly goes down between he and his supposed social groups—he’s a bit antisocial, in a neutral sense of the word.

Now moving on to his Saturn—any planet in conjunction with the ascendant should be given special attention. I admit it is not an amateur astrologer’s place to call a person’s chart “unfortunate”, but there’s something so deeply karmic with Monty’s Saturn.

This Saturn—which symbolizes rigid structure, hard disciplines, delays and pessimism, could act like an invisible iron prison for the native; the tighter the conjunction with the ascendant, the tighter the iron grip. Either he secretly denies himself any personal enjoyments possible, or life would strip him of happiness by taking away important loved ones from him. A positive side of this aspect is that, while it does not give good creativity to weasel oneself out of a danger, it is unphased by any kind of pain and suffering the danger brings.

A Leo Saturn is not fun to deal with, because Saturn is in detriment in Leo. Leo’s natural ruler is Sun; the key words of Sun are “accomplishments, authority, and self-worth”. Saturn not only hollows out Leo’s self-worth, but the native is also very suspicious of any authority over them. Monty may constantly question how come somebody deserves such authority, and how does himself deserve anything? We could hear from Churchill’s single quote on Monty showing how bad he is in getting along with authority- “In defeat, unbeatable; in victory, unbearable.”

It is very difficult for the native to learn about love, because love always involves a level of surrender. With such a karmic aspect, occasionally when Leo Saturn finds someone to love, he'd lose that person in a traumatic fashion. The native might end up going “fuck it, I give up.” Given this Saturn conjuncts ascendant, Monty sees no problem in denying himself worldly love and enjoyment. Leo Saturn is able to maintain some lightheartedness, a little bit of warped hero complex, thus the native is capable of dark humor.

Monty’s Saturn actually conjunct his ascendant from 12th house- a 12th house Saturn doubles down on certain problems. Saturn generally seeks to hold onto anything structured and concrete, yet 12th house is anything but. 12th house rules the afterlife, the disappearance, dissolution, the invisible worlds and creatures—dreams, unconscious, psychic realms, and illusions. Saturn in 12th native secretly believes in his own original sins, and is acutely conscious of and anxious about the existence beyond death. This Saturn has a tendency to draw the native into hermetic isolation and practices, because it is the world of the beyond that he looks at, the world where his loved ones have gone before he does.

However, sometimes this 12th house Saturn gives the exact opposite effect—what is beyond death and what is out there where everything dissolves into inmateriality, is such an acute issue that the native holds onto things and powers of this world to an excessive degree. For example, Vladimir Putin has a 12th house Saturn.

This series so far does draw a conclusion that perhaps it is not the Mars that brings forth a good general—I see no fire sign Mars. I haven’t even seen a Capricorn Mars (Mars is exalted in Capricorn). But I do see an unexpected common denominator- these commanders are all psychic on some level. I couldn’t help but wonder- what does “being psychic” really mean?

Perhaps it means the special ability either to reach into death, or to walk upon thousands of men’s life and death, the strength of coming to terms with the mortality of all the mortalities.

It might be a hot take for some people, but I really don’t see much psychic power from those famous 20th century occultist, especially Aleister Crowley. Neither his 8th nor 12th house is prominent; I don’t know what’s up with him. Maybe Crowley’s strength lies in his knowledge. I can statistically compare my own psychic ability against my friend, by measuring whose Tarot readings have longer projection into the future via client feedbacks, but what I see featured the most in many self-proclaimed magi isn’t psychic power, but the ego. Ego attracts egos, so there you go, a guru whose ego as big as the universe for the rainbow unicorn groupies to resonate with.

I digress. I love that there’s always smile in the corner of Monty’s eyes despite his Saturn, that’s the sign of an indefeatable man. This song is for him. May warmth and may love conquer all.

[suitetarts]

would you like to read some act 1 headcanon highlights for an incredibly self insert and passive tav? can also be read as a fic of sorts

tav is decidedly not the leader of the adventuring party.

she may have gone out at first, but opted to stay in camp after the first grove fight and she realized how out of her depth the situation had become.

shadowheart and lae'zel fought over the outing party's direction at first, but once wyll entered the picture, he assumes the role.

tav feels bad that she can't contribute as much as the others, so she goes overboard. she cleans armor, sorts trinkets and letters, prepares and preserves food, takes care of the animals, keeps notes on the party's actions, prepares meticulously crafted maps and plans, etc.

wyll immediately recognizes her strengths, and asks for her help in planning routes, keeping track of their goals, maintaining focus on the larger issues while solving little quests along the way.

essentially, her and wyll work together to lead the group. but wyll definitely does most of the heavy lifting.

lae'zel is kind of iffy on tav at first, not understanding how she's so terrible at fighting with either magic or blade. she warms up to her eventually, but is still very blunt on tav needing to pull her weight in support duties.

besides lae'zel, the others are protective of tav and friendly.

if anything, tav easily gets shadowheart's respect initially by way of being unliked by a githyanki. eventually, shadowheart realizes how nice it is to have someone she can tell secrets to.

gale helps tav with cooking meals, and she's always asking for magic tips and tricks. she's a slow learner (if she's really learning anything at all), but he's excited to have a willing and interested ear.

without a battle-hardened tav to vouch for him post-vampire reveal, astarion is frequently left out of the adventuring group unless his particular roguish skills are needed.

tav is freaked out by the news initially, but quickly figures if astarion hasn't killed her defenseless ass yet, then he probably won't. and if he does, oh well. what would she do against a vampire anyway?

astarion and tav end up hanging out a lot during the day and he is a really really bad influence on her. they swap books, gossip, look through other people's things (she does so with some amount of respect, he is the opposite), make bets, bother withers, teach each other how to curse in random languages they know bits and pieces of, etc.

tav thinks they are genuine friends. she looks forward to the days when he's benched and they can hang out. meanwhile, astarion finds her pretty and easy to talk to, but simple-minded and a straightforward mark.

seeing the social capital that could be gained with the others by sleeping with tav, astarion is an aggressive flirt. she reciprocates etc etc astarion romance plot you get the gist.

tav isn't strong, but she also isn't stupid. she can sense that astarion is hiding something from her. she has far too much time on her hands to not think over their interactions, and he tries to distract her by bringing scratch to camp.

the distraction works for a time. scratch is a welcome companion on the days when she's alone at camp.

once the areas they travel through are known to be clear and safe, the others will take tav out to see all the places they've been.

her favorite is the arcane tower in the underdark.

tav feels a connection to its previous inhabitant, lenore, and keeps every book and scrap of poetry. the loneliness, the despair, the heartache... it feels deeply relevant to her struggles with her role in the party, and what she is beginning to (subconsciously) realize is an empty relationship with astarion.

shadowheart told tav what to say to make bernard hug her, hopeful that it would cheer her up. as the robot gave her encouragement, tav started crying.

the others were ready for a fight, thinking that she'd been hurt.

tav stopped them, and then softly asked to be taken back to camp. on the walk back, she falls in step next to astarion. she looks at him for a moment. he catches her gaze, and she quickly turns back to watch her feet.

astarion gets a tightness in his chest, one that's been plaguing him ever since he brought scratch to camp for her. its deeper though, thanks to the adrenaline and fear from thinking tav might have been in danger at the tower. this is the moment he realizes he's fucked up his seduction for protection plan.

aaand that's act 1. here's tav (basically me as an elf):

[sylunisart]

Doodled a couple of my castaway ocs

I mentioned in a much earlier post that I hc Collin to have a husband so here he is. Scotch is a ship builder from Giya. It’s mentioned that one of Collin’s old jobs was ship construction, which was where he first met Scotch. Scotch is a pretty laid back guy, but he kind of lacks a sense of self preservation. Scotch is probably one of the only few if not the only castaway who came to PNF-404 with the intention of actually helping Olimar, except you know how that goes, he crashed. He actually ends up being turned into a leafling and once he’s cured, Collin is both surprised and not surprised he’s here. Scotch is based on Scotch Collies.

Mal is a mountain climber from Ohri and a childhood friend of Dingo and Yonny. Mal actually first met Dingo in the very same incident where he got lost in the mountains, Mal is a native to the mountainous region of Ohri so she handled being lost far better than Dingo did(who I hc is from the desert region of Ohri). Mal loves playfully teasing Dingo and has her own speech pattern similar to Russ and Bernard, she always greets people with “yoo hoo”(think Shinobu from demon slayer) and it gets a reaction out of Dingo every single time because he knows that means he has to deal with her teasing ass. Mal is basically the opposite of Dingo personality wise, super friendly even if she does like to tease from time to time, but is more than capable of being passive aggressive if she dislikes someone enough. Unlike Scotch, she doesn’t get leafed, she is rescued the normal way like any other castaway. Mal is based on Alaskan Malamutes.

[wazohoo]

cecil lore cecil lore (he has suffered immeasurably and will only get worse 🤭🤭)

sorry this one is kinda sad! :( poor guy, at the point in which the story takes place he’s forgotten most of this- save for a deep sense of guilt with no real place. i feel bad honestly, he started out as a silly comic relief/ love interest for my main character and i have unfortunately had to put him through The Horrors.

anyway here’s some fun facts about cecil;

- he was sent to America in 1816 and became a deacon (this was mostly so his parents could get rid of him)

- he also studied latin and was responsible for taking care of records in the church

- he comes from a fairly prestigious family in england, who care more about saving face than his wellbeing

- cecil is some flavor of neurodivergent, most likely adhd/asd, but would have no way of knowing this given there was hardly any knowledge of neurodiversity at the time

- because of this, other members of the church found him weird and off-putting, even going so far to accuse him of being posessed

- one of his only friends is Father Caspian (Bernard) , who he ends up developing romantic feelings for

- unfortunately, for reasons undisclosed, the night he plans of telling this to Bernard, they are both jumped by vampires

- bernard is killed, but cecil is left just enough alive- out of self preservation, he consumes vampire blood and becomes one himself

[blogdemocratesjr]

Joan of Arc by Zap-ata

THE LAW OF CHANGE IS THE LAW OF GOD

When Joan maintained her own ways she claimed, like Job, that there was not only God and the Church to be considered, but the Word made Flesh: that is, the unaveraged individual, representing life possibly at its highest actual human evolution and possibly at its lowest, but never at its merely mathematical average. Now there is no deification of the democratic average in the theory of the Church: it is an avowed hierarchy in which the members are sifted until at the end of the process an individual stands supreme as the Vicar of Christ. But when the process is examined it appears that its successive steps of selection and election are of the superior by the inferior (the cardinal vice of democracy), with the result that great popes are as rare and accidental as great kings, and that it has sometimes been safer for an aspirant to the Chair and the Keys to pass as a moribund dotard than as an energetic saint. At best very few popes have been canonized, or could be without letting down the standard of sanctity set by the self-elected saints.

No other result could have been reasonably expected; for it is not possible that an official organization of the spiritual needs of millions of men and women, mostly poor and ignorant, should compete successfully in the selection of its principals with the direct choice of the Holy Ghost as it flashes with unerring aim upon the individual. Nor can any College of Cardinals pray effectively that its choice may be inspired. The conscious prayer of the inferior may be that his choice may light on a greater than himself; but the sub-conscious intention of his self-preserving individuality must be to find a trustworthy servant of his own purposes. The saints and prophets, though they may be accidentally in this or that official position or rank, are always really self-selected, like Joan. And since neither Church nor State, by the secular necessities of its constitution, can guarantee even the recognition of such self-chosen missions, there is nothing for us but to make it a point of honor to privilege heresy to the last bearable degree on the simple ground that all evolution in thought and conduct must at first appear as heresy and misconduct. In short, though all society is founded on intolerance, all improvement is founded on tolerance, or the recognition of the fact that the law of evolution is Ibsen's law of change. And as the law of God in any sense of the word which can now command a faith proof against science is a law of evolution, it follows that the law of God is a law of change, and that when the Churches set themselves against change as such, they are setting themselves against the law of God.

—George Bernard Shaw, Saint Joan

[nrth-wind-a]

"Bernard Dowd!" Tim as robin

Full Naming II Accepting

Bernard froze, from where he'd been slowly approaching the crime scene in front of him. He'd only wanted to see if he could get a look at what Nygma's clues were this time... and maybe talk to him, if he was still there...

"Robin!" He beamed, smoothing over his surprise by playing up his relaxed posture. "How can I help you?"

[tiger-in-the-flightdeck]

I am firmly entrenched in the Bernard Becomes An EMT camp, and I love the possibilities for chaos it allows.

Everyone at his station house whispering behind his back because of the Lois Lane/Clark Kent/Superman style love triangle he has going on with Red Robin and that rich Wayne kid who goes running headlong into shootings with no sense of self preservation. 

Bernard’s own lack of self preservation when he ignores the police tape and sprints into an active scene with his kit because no way is he going to stand on the sidelines and wait for clearance. 

Tim gets shot in his civilian persona because there’s a price on his head (again) and he refuses to be moved until the other people who were caught in the crossfire get into ambulances, so Bernard has to strong arm him onto a gurney because dammit Tim you were shot in the belly you could lose your spleen.

“It’s fine, babe. I already lost it last year. An evil immortal sugar daddy took it out.”

“What thE FUCK, Tim?!”

Oracle would route his truck to Bat related emergencies, and now he has a bingo game going on with his driver. ‘Grappling line released too early and a Robin flew into a window’ ‘Red Hood stuck in a vent’ ‘Glitter grenade mishap’ ‘Batman stuck in a vent’ ‘Nightwing fell off a train’ ‘Red Robin fell asleep while going 112 on his motorcycle and drove into a hot dog cart’ ‘Signal stuck in a vent’

[littlepikmins]

Listen, I love timbern because Tim Drake is Robin and he's so smart and fights bad guys and just in general is a very epic person with great detective skills - but then he's the biggest softie for some blonde dorky conspiracy theorist guy.

Like yeah he could date people like Superboy or other metahumans or heroes but instead he's down bad for Bernard Dowd, seemingly regular civilian who no longer has a sense of self preservation and is a silly weirdo.

Bernard is mad at Tim one day because he prepared a very nice lunch for Tim to eat at work but Tim overworked himself and forgot to eat the whole day (which Bear understands but this has happened multiple times and he wants Tim to remember to take care of himself) and as Bernard is all frowny and obviously unhappy with him, Tim Drake looks at him like this:

[sketchingtons]

I hope you don’t mind me doodling something for this, the idea was too good to pass up 😂 🙌

Bernard: is it possible to be born without self preservation skills?

Tim: why do you ask?

Bernard: you fucking know why

[blenderfullasarcasm]

5 and/or 6 for the wip ask game!!!

thanks for the ask!!! :D

5. AITA if the only communication I've sent to my family in the past two years is a wedding invitation?

- My TimBerKon stardust au where Veronica!Tim has a bit more backstory, by which I mean he does sincerely love Tristan!Bernard but also he's only on this planet because his spaceship crashlanded lmao. He encourages Bernard to go on the quest for the star (Kon) so that he can rebuild his spaceship enough to send a message to his family members (who all think he's dead because he hasn't been in contact with them for a couple years) to invite them to the wedding.

6. I didn't mean to kick him off the bridge, honest! It was a reflex! (Part 2)

- this is the dcmk orv au where at the end of the first installment Conan (accidentally) kicks Kaito off a bridge and into the gaping maw of an icthyossurus. The second installment focuses more on his au backstory, in which he has a sense of self preservation and does not immediately shack up with his childhood best friend when there's an evil murdering organization that will come after him if he implies he's alive. Instead he is unwillingly adopted by Akai, and then also by Furuya as a weird foem of revenge.

[someheroescarryfloss]

Episode 3 Is Out!  Where Is My Tinfoil Hat...

Because I have some theories, most of which will most likely turn out to be wrong, but they’re such fun!  Spoiler warning if you haven’t seen it yet!

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Okay, remember how I said that I didn’t believe that Betty and Noel were the ‘bad guys’, or that they were plotting against Santa?  Yeahhhh...about that.

Terms like ‘bad guys’ and ‘villains’ don’t necessarily fit, but Betty at least is up to something.  Is it something malicious?  I’m not convinced that it is, but I do think that it’s something self-serving...or, rather, self-preserving.  Remember what she said?  “Children hold the spirit of Christmas within their hearts.  Christmas is our purpose.  If Christmas goes away...maybe we do, too.”  Anyone else getting the feeling that this has happened before?  Elves disappearing ring any bells?

No, I’m not actually talking about Bernard going AWOL.  I think, at least in the show’s canon, that he ‘disappeared’ voluntarily for some reason, possibly connected with this and with why he entrusted Betty with the Orb.  Unless she stole it and ‘disappeared’ Bernard to take his job, but clearly he’s still around, so I don’t think it’s that.

The 14th century, with wars, famine, and ‘Mad Santa’ (whatever that means) apparently caused Christmas spirit to take a nosedive, which would have been catastrophic for the Elves if this caused them to start disappearing.  What if Betty is plotting against Santa/Scott, not because she has something against him, but because she’s afraid?  What if Bernard left because he noticed that the Orb was a bit dimmer, and he wanted to look into it?  Look at where the world is going, it makes sense!

What drove the Santa from the 14th century mad in the first place?  When Santa takes the job, he magically puts on weight and gets the white hair and beard, and his wife is (according to the show, this didn’t happen in the movies...) transformed into this grandmotherly figure.  Perhaps to physically resemble the first Santa and Mrs. Clause?  Maybe as time goes on and they don’t change, that could drive one or more of them mad after a while.  Maybe Carol starting to forget her name was a sign of something related to that?  Maybe it didn’t happen in the movies because her personality was strong enough to resist the changes for quite a while?  In any case, I think ‘Mad Santa’ was a case of a man cracking under pressure; not being the cause of those nasty world events, but being so badly affected by them that he can’t cope and his job suffers badly, causing him to mess up more, causing Christmas spirit to dip even lower to the point where his magic fails him and Elves begin to go ‘poof’.  Naturally, the Elves would want to avoid this.  And, to avoid a panic, only the Head Elf and possibly a special confidant (say, a spouse?) would be allowed to know about it.

Maybe Betty sees the signs of a man frozen in time growing frustrated with the changing world, sees him balking at how PC everything is now while the Elves just go with the flow and change their approach, and maybe seeing this makes her panic a little bit.  “Oh no, it’s starting again.  We need to convince Santa that his time is over and he needs to choose a successor.”

I don’t know.  I do think she’s up to something, and Noel is being kept in the dark for the most part.  She’s letting him in on things only when she deems it necessary, and looking back at Episode 2 I think she ‘let slip’ a few tidbits of information during her cider date with Carol to make sure Mrs. Claus didn’t change her mind.  And I think there was some truth to it.  Crazy theory...What if She and Noel themselves were the two children of past Santas she mentioned?  No, not brother and sister, yuck, they’re married for sleet’s sake, but what if ‘turning out weird’ is actually referring to magical influence, and not isolation?  If the two of them were originally human children who became Elves (because this has never been done in fanfiction, insert sarcasm here), maybe their somewhat shared history was the catalyst for them getting together in the first place?

Noel seems to be particularly close with Scott as well, given how broken up he is over the thought of him leaving, so maybe Betty is keeping some things from him because he’s already sad enough.  

Oh, and then we have La Befana, the Christmas Witch!  I’m really liking her so far, and I’m on the fence on whether or not she’s the ‘villain’ of the show.  Antagonist, perhaps?  But I’m not sold on that.  Yet.  I do find it interesting that Sandra has been visiting her in secret, and that she’s the only one who really doesn’t want to leave the North Pole...and now she can suddenly speak to animals?  Hmm...

Okay, crazy thought...what if Sandra is a Witch?  Or a Witch-in-training?  Maybe La Befana wants to retire herself, or maybe she sees something in Sandra and realizes her potential.  

Maybe Santa does need to retire, but maybe Betty was too hasty in moving things along, and that’s why things really start going haywire, because the ‘new Santa’ hasn’t had enough time to prepare.  Scott had nearly a full year to slowly transform and get used to the idea of being Santa.  Simon had it all dumped on his head before Scott and fam split!  So, what if Simon is the right choice, but they dropped the ball when they just kinda yoinked him out of the real world in about 3 seconds flat?  And crazy thought, what if Sandra is meant to stay at the North Pole and train to become the new Christmas Witch?  Hmm...

And have we actually had a Bernard sighting already???  A YouTuber pointed out a silhouette in the top left of an ‘above’ shot when Betty and Santa are discussing this new clause with Scott, and I thought it was just a statue at first, just part of the scenery, but watch the episode and look again.  It’s a head, almost from the back, half in profile.  Look at the jawline, the hair...and is that a beret on the ‘statue’s’ head?  

Bernard is still around, keeping track of everything!  

Anyway, I’m sure the next few episodes will crush most of these theories with a resounding ‘PBBBBT!’ noise, but I think the circulating theory about Betty being a ‘Dark Elf’ might have a teeeeny-tiny bit of truth to it.  Just without the ‘evil’ part.

Oh, and don’t name your reindeer ‘Vomit’, that’s just mean...

[ivyprism]

ye!

okay. let's see....

I'm Crys, I got an integrity soul. I have zero sense of self preservation and fear, I tend to get hyperfocused on my work, and I have a hard time forgiving myself for mistakes I make. I care a lot about other people, sometimes moreso than myself, which can be, uh, detrimental to my mental health to say the least. I try to stay optimistic and positive, and I like to have fun with people. I like to listen to music,, cook, draw, sew, and write. I love animals. I hate spiders and deadlines.

uuuuhhhh.... ye!

Your match is Vanilla/Papyrus!

Papyrus: He believes in people and is an optimist, much like you! He would help you forgive yourself by being there for you when you need him. He will make certain that you take care of yourself while also assisting you in taking care of others! He will motivate you when you need it and assist you in understanding that your mistakes do not define you! He's a social butterfly with a lot of friends, and he'd be happy to introduce you to them if you're interested! He adores the fact that you enjoy music and will ask you to assist him in the kitchen! He enjoys seeing you draw, sew, and write. He will offer to assist you when you are in need, and he has a large saint Bernard named Puzzle! He also understands when you need to be alone!

Dates/Hangouts for him:

Your first date is to a fancy Italian restaurant!

Cooking with him.

He'll spend quiet days with you watching MTT while letting you draw him!

He would absolutely stargaze with you.

He'd invite you to social gatherings with people you like if you're up for it.

He will walk Puzzle with you and carry you when you get tired.

Jogging is a must! Don't worry, he'll carry you when you get tired.

He is totally up for having in days where you both just watch Netflix and talk about anything.

(Hopefully. This is up to your standard.)

[rtfong]

Though people may want otherwise, their upbringing and societal surroundings can often implement cruel and negative characteristics in our lifestyle. In his 1932 novel Brave New World, Aldous Huxley explores how society both shapes behaviour and rewards acts of cruelty in order to uphold social normalcy.

To begin, the citizens of the World State society are complacent in the cruel treatment that constantly occurs around them, which is best exemplified by Lenina. A higher class woman, Lenina spends much of her free time on Soma, a drug that allows the World State citizens to ignore their problems. For example, Bernard and Lenina visit a reservation that is far more “uncivilized” than the World State, including their willingness to care for their elderly, a stark contrast to the World State’s emphasis on either preserving a youthful face even in old age. Upon witnessing the society, Lenina is disturbed and almost disgusted, shocked by the differences between her daily life and the savages. Lenina’s reactions to how the savage society functions displays her inability to reconcile with things that are different. It also emphasizes her unwillingness to accept the validity of these behaviors, as she is so accustomed to the cruel nature of her daily life, which includes the psychological conditioning of children through torture and mental recorrection. To expand, Lenina does not seem to recognize the inherent cruelty of her society, and yet she recoils from the perceived “otherness” of the savages. Despite her taking part in cruelty almost every day, the savages’ rituals shock and terrify her. It seems that it is the strangeness of their actions, rather than the cruelty, that concern her. Furthermore, Lenina and John, a man raised on the reservation despite being the son of a powerful figure in the World State, watch a movie that tells a harrowing tale of cruelty and desperation, to which Lenina delights in. Cruelty prompts cruelty: Lenina is at the proverbial top of the food pyramid and refuses to admit the cruelty of her actions or pleasures. Her apathy alludes to how she has been raised: prioritizing productivity and pleasure without forming real emotional bonds. While this depicts the normalcy of the new world society, Lenina’s passiveness paves the way for more cruelty. Though Lenina is certainly a special case in terms of upbringing, she is not the only character to be shaped by her unusual surroundings. 

Additionally, cruelty in Brave New World is not only taught but inherited. John, a young man raised in a society that shuns him, quickly learns that physical prowess is the only trait he will be respected for due to his status as both a proverbial outsider and the son of a mother who rejects him. Both of John’s respective parents neglect and abandon him, leaving him to build himself up emotionally throughout his childhood. Through his mother’s neglect, he is forced to raise himself alone, learning from books and his surroundings. As such, his mother’s cruelty teaches him to be mostly independent, but still longing for intimacy, thanks to his lack of a support system. His troubled upbringing stirs a sense of righteousness and determination to accomplish something greater. As such, he relies on literature and practical knowledge to guide him through life. However, the reality of society alters the childish views he has of the world. Later in the novel, after seeing the true horrors of the World State and losing his mother, he becomes reclusive and resorts to self flagellation, eventually attacking a woman implied to be Lenina, his once lover.  By doing this, this emphasizes the extent of his parents’ behavior’s impact on him, as he replicates what he has seen before. As such, this cruelty erases his peaceful values, as seen when he previously recoiled at violence in a film. This exemplifies a pattern of inherited abusive behavior, as he had witnessed his mother being abused in his youth. In attacking Lenina, John displays how cruelty can be inherited and repeated. 

Therefore, this shows how cruelty can affect behavior in all aspects of your life, as shown by Brave New World. Though there is no clear answer to the nurture versus nature debate, Huxley’s novel emphasizes that the behavior people are exposed to at vital points in their youth do a great deal to influence behavior later in life.  

[writing-fool]

This’ll serve as a masterlist for the headcanons/scenarios as I fill in each member’s story, but also as a quick summary of their Houses, profiles and special occupations.

-Rémy

Disclaimer: neither the Houses, the HP universe or the members are my creation.

Brave, chivalrous and a natural leader, this boy fits perfectly within the image of Gryffindor. With his athletic capabilities, he’s quite fit to be a Gryffindor Chaser, as well as Quidditch Captain. Outside of Quidditch, Seungcheol is a proud father of twelve rascals and an admirable Head Boy. Although intelligent, he’s known for his practical manner of dealing with problems, which makes him reliable to others. He’s confident in his own abilities, but will always say that he shines in the presence of his best friends. Sociable, respectable and lovable, this Gryffindor is loved by nearly all.

Seungcheol’s Patronus achieves its corporeal form, a St. Bernard dog, at the end of seventh year. The memory that ultimately leads to this Patronus is a memory of all thirteen friends taking a ridiculous picture in front of the lake, during the summer holidays.

read his story here

If you need proof that not all Slytherins are bad people, look no further than Jeonghan. Though a cunning prankster, Jeonghan is a kind and caring friend, often needlessly worrying over his friends. He is often regarded as lazy, but is quietly thoughtful and incredibly clever. Where Seungcheol is practical, Jeonghan is shrewd, using tricks if needed to achieve his goals. Because of his quick wit, soft voice and wise advice, he makes for the perfect Slytherin prefect. He always knows when to give detentions, and when to turn a blind eye to innocent acts of mischief. After all, what’s school without a little fun?

Jeonghan’s corporeal Patronus takes the shape of a Nebelung cat. He casts his first ‘real’ Patronus remarkably early, in fifth year, during O.W.L. preparations. The memory that comes up is one that stems from his first year at Hogwarts, when Jisoo and Seungcheol snuck into his room and fell asleep in bed with him, to ward off the homesickness.

read his story here 

Intelligent and sometimes witty, Jisoo finds his place in the arms of Ravenclaw. Jisoo often seems mysterious and beautiful to outsiders, and while he is beautiful in and out, this absolute dork only shows his true side to his best friends. He is often seen in the Astronomy Tower, looking at the night sky and finding peace in the stars. Because of his intellect, and kind demeanour, this patient boy is the most popular Ravenclaw Prefect. But beware, this young gentleman has some tricks up his sleeve.

Like Jeonghan, Jisoo’s Patronus takes its corporeal form in fifth year, as a collared Inca hummingbird. The memory that comes up the very first time is the memory of being at home, in bed, feeling the warm sunshine flutter through the curtains to land on his face.

read his story here 

It often confuses people how a cute, bubbly boy like Junhui could end up in Slytherin. But as kind and loving as he may be, he is incredibly ambitious and fights for his individuality. Junhui has many talents, and puts pride in what he can do. Although he may look arrogant and prince-like, Junhui is quite shy, and values the opinions of his best friends. He’s no clever prankster and no evil mastermind, but he tends to do what it takes to get what he wants: affection. As a nimble and elegant person, Junhui is a worthy Seeker for the Slytherin Quidditch team, often bringing in victory before others have even realised what has happened.

Junhui’s first corporeal Patronus appears astoundingly early, in fourth year. It takes the form of a panther, and is conjured by recalling the memory of him holding his little brother in his arms for the first time.

read his story here 

Soonyoung takes the world, and the Hufflepuff House, by storm with his eccentric and lovable personality. This ball of sunshine loves with his entire heart and soul, and is always there to share his positivity and motivation. Though Soonyoung looks like he’s always happy, he actually worries a lot, and finds his strength through relying on his friends in darker times. Besides being a kind person, Soonyoung is both creative and a team player, making for an excellent Quidditch Captain and Chaser. He’s always looking out for his teammates’ backs and finding new ways to win a match.

Soonyoung masters the Patronus charm in sixth year. His Patronus takes the form of a tiger, and is conjured using the memory of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team celebrating in the common room after winning the House Cup during his fourth year.

read his story here 

It’s no surprise when little Wonwoo gets sorted into Ravenclaw on his first day at Hogwarts. His looks and serious face betray his intellect, and often intimidate people. Yet, Wonwoo can become very silly, and is often rather bad at hiding his emotions from his best friends. Surprisingly enough, Wonwoo is a fan of wizard and muggle games, which results in him developing extraordinary eye-hand coordination. This, along with his sense of perfectionism, makes him one of the best Quidditch Keepers Ravenclaw has ever had. After hours, Wonwoo is often asked for advice and book recommendations. Wise, strict and collected, Wonwoo is a fine sixth-year prefect, if you dare to approach him, that is. 

Wonwoo’s Patronus takes its corporeal form a couple of months after his graduation and takes the form of a Scottish Deerhound. He casts the spell successfully using the memory of the time he read poetry to his girlfriend while lounging in the Ravenclaw Common Room in sixth year.

read his story here

If Wonwoo’s seriousness is admired, Jihoon’s is feared. A true menace, Jihoon is not afraid to attack any and all who dare mock him and his friends. This young man is a lover of art and sports alike, and often creates his own music on muggle instruments. Rather than being ambitious on the outside, he consistently tries to out-do himself and usually works too hard. After these moments, you can find Jihoon napping anywhere and everywhere. Despite his small stature, Jihoon is an formidable Ravenclaw Beater. The Bludgers he bats are fast and accurate, often sending brooms spiralling.

Jihoon casts his first successful Patronus very early, in fourth year. It takes the form of a Eurasian Sparrowhawk, and is conjured by thinking of the many nights where his friends joined him in the Room of Requirement for a music session. Some would play instruments, others would just jam along to the melody.

read his story here

As a literal personification of the Sun, Seokmin is a perfect addition to Hufflepuff because of his sweet and cheerful personality. He is polite, kind and unafraid to show his real, crazy self to the world. Seokmin never judges, and is always around for a laugh; however, he never seems to stray from his best friends. This boy is not the best student, though he has a knack for Herbology. Seokmin does not busy himself with any clubs, but will join the Gobstones Club for a game or two if he’s asked. He rarely wins, but does not mind as he isn’t competitive.

Seokmin’s Patronus first takes its corporeal form, a chestnut Icelandic stallion, in fifth year. The memory he thinks of to conjure his first corporeal Patronus is that of a snowball fight he had with Seungkwan and Soonyoung in Hogsmeade two weeks before.

read his story here

Because of his tall stature and strikingly handsome looks, Mingyu tends to be seen as a chic person. He personally likes this assumption, but regrettably ruins it once he opens his mouth, after which he reveals his true, weird personality. Among his friends, Mingyu has a puppy-like charm. He fits in Hufflepuff because of his knack for household spells, and clumsy, worrisome demeanour. This young man is often referred to as a mother hen, because he cooks, cleans and most of all, meddles in his friends’ affairs. Although he is clumsy, Mingyu is caring, which makes him a great fifth-year prefect.

Mingyu masters the Patronus spell in seventh year, while preparing for his N.E.W.T.s. He uses the memory of a summer job with Jeonghan at a daycare in sixth year to conjure a beagle Patronus.

read his story here

Mingyu may look chic, but Minghao is chic. Prideful, savage and a little vain at times, Minghao is often misunderstood as a stereotypical Slytherin. But although he does pay a lot of attention to his outward appearance, Minghao is surprisingly cute and giggly once he lets his guard down. This, however, only happens when he’s with his friends, since his strict upbringing has taught him to value self-preservation over kindness. His friends do rub off on him though, and Minghao now does his best to show his kindness through his icy facade. On the Quidditch pitch, Minghao remains a fearsome adversary in the form of a Slytherin Beater, and as the President of the Dueling Club, he is an observant and disciplined teacher.

Minghao casts his first corporeal Patronus after graduation, at the age of 21. It takes on the form of a Runespoor, and is conjured by remembering a hug he shared with Junhui in fourth year, after the older Slytherin had comforted him.

read his story here

Seungkwan is a sensible and sensitive Hufflepuff who always knows what to say when people are having difficulties. He’s not the best problem-solver, and will usually consult his older, seventh-year friends if need be, but he has a great sense of empathy and will always manage to make you feel just a little bit lighter after a conversation. Unfortunately, Seungkwan is rather strict on himself, and underestimates his own strength; however, his friends are all too glad to remind him of his power. Because of his soft touch and sensitive personality, Seungkwan does well in subjects as Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. They say he’s on the way to become a good prefect, but Seungkwan fears giving out detentions to other students.

Seungkwan’s Patronus achieves its corporeal form in sixth year, and takes the shape of a blue-and-white swallow. The memory used to cast his first Patronus is a memory of all twelve friends surprising Seungkwan in the Hufflepuff Common Room for his thirteenth birthday.

read his story here

Hansol’s known as a bit of a wild child. It’s hard to keep him focused for long periods of time, unless he’s very interested. This Gryffindor is not one to pass up on a challenge, and is very easy to read. His expressive nature makes him recognizable to many students and teachers, and his innocence is refreshing to many. Although Hansol is bold and careless, he acknowledges his weaknesses and humbly works hard to become the best version of himself. Hansol requires a lot of space, something he definitely gets as one of the Gryffindor Chasers.

Hansol casts a successful, corporeal Patronus for the first time at the age of 19, after graduating from Hogwarts. It takes the form of an Eurasian red squirrel, and is conjured by thinking of the memory of him seeing his parents and little sister again on platform 9 ¾ after his first year at Hogwarts.

read his story here

Even though Chan insists that he isn’t, he’s the baby of the friend group. This kid never backs down from a fight, although he never purposely instigates one. He’s hot-headed and fast, and will land a few strong hexes in the blink of an eye in the Dueling Club. He makes everyone proud as the Gryffindor Seeker, and is perhaps the only real competitor for the more experienced Slytherin Seeker, Junhui. Chan yearns for maturity, since all of his best friends are older, but is often reminded to be patient, one of the few abilities he does not possess.

Chan’s Patronus achieves its corporeal form in fifth year, during O.W.L. preparations, with the help of Seokmin, and takes the rare shape of a dragon. Chan achieves this by remembering the feeling of flying on brooms with all of his friends during the summer holidays after third year.

read his story here

Patronuses are based on my own daemon-like analysis, paired with existing Patronus forms. I don’t actually know how they’re chosen, but I do it this way, since it seems to fit.

The memories used for Patronuses are not their happiest memories, but they are happy memories I use as an example to show parts of their personality (e.g. Hansol is family-oriented).

I probably won’t disclose more concerning the Patronuses, but if you guys would like an explanation, let me know!

[ljones41]

"OCTOPUSSY" (1983) Review

"OCTOPUSSY" (1983) Review While perusing some of the Bond forums, I have noticed that 1983’s ”OCTOPUSSY” is not highly regarded by many fans. Personally, I have always found this hard to understand or accept, considering that the movie has been one of my favorite entries in the Bond franchise for years. But after watching it recently . . . I still do not agree with its low standing among the fans.

”OCTOPUSSY”’s pre-title sequence is merely a little teaser about Bond’s attempt to sabotage a missile system in the Banana Republic (aka Cuba). It was light, humorous and filled with plenty of solid action. I particularly enjoyed the fact that what started out as failure on Bond’s part after he found himself captured by enemy soldiers, ended up as a success partially through the actions of the enemy, when they attempt to shoot down the Acrostar Mini-Jet he used for a quick escape. Although entertaining, the pre-title sequence has nothing to do with the main story, which involves a power-hungry Soviet general, a mysterious and beautiful smuggler/circus owner and a duplicitous Afghan prince. Written by George MacDonald Fraser, Richard Maibaum, and Michael G. Wilson, ”OCTOPUSSY” starts out in East Germany with 009 dressed as a clown and being pursued by a knife-wielding villain. The villain turns out to be a pair of twins (Mischska and Grischska) who want something that 009 has – namely a fake Faberge egg called Property of a Lady. One of the twins manages to fatally wound 009 with a knife. But before he can die, the British agent manages to reach the local British embassy and deliver the egg in dramatic fashion. James Bond is assigned to investigate his colleague’s death. The investigation leads to an auction at Christie’s where the real Property of a Lady egg is being sold . . . and Bond’s first meeting with the villainous Kamal Khan, his henchmen Gobinda and the lovely Madga. Bond’s investigations lead him to India, where he makes his acquaintance with Kamal Khan for the second time. He survives several attempts on his life and incarceration at Khan’s Monsoon Palace and eventually meet the mysterious Octopussy, who turns out to be the daughter of a former rogue agent whom Bond had met years ago. Bond’s encounters with Octopussy and Khan provides him with clues that lead back to East Germany and Soviet General Orlov and Khan’s plot to detonate a nuclear bomb on a U.S. Air Force base in West Germany. Fortunately, Bond (with Octopussy’s help) foils Orlov and Khan’s plans. Roger Moore returned for the sixth time as British agent James Bond. At age 55 during the film’s production, he struck many Bond fans as too old to be portraying the super spy. Personally, I had no problems with Moore’s age around this time. He still looked handsome and healthy enough to star in the action-packed spy thriller. And he portrayed Bond with a world-weariness and style that seemed to befit his age. Even better, he managed to retain some of that gritty toughness that he utilized so effectively in his previous outing, ”FOR YOUR EYES ONLY” . . . and retained his sense of humor at the same. Speaking of that humor, I usually have nothing against Moore’s humorous style (unlike many fans and critics). But I can think of four occasions when even I found it a bit too much: -Chase sequence in Udaipur with street performers -Bond focusing short circuit camera on Indian operative’s cleavage -The Tarzan yell during Bond’s escape from Khan’s Monsoon Palace -Bond using fake crocodile submarine to sneak into Octopussy’s estate Despite the extreme silliness listed above, I still found Moore’s performance satisfactory. I enjoyed his sense of humor during his encounters with the West German citizenry, while trying to stop Orlov and Khan’s bomb. And I admired his dramatic skills in scenes featuring the discovery of Vijay’s body and his romantic scene with Octopussy. But I was especially impressed by his acting in the scene that featured Bond’s only encounter with General Orlov. Maud Adams returned to appear in her second Bond film, this time portraying the leading female character – smuggler/circus owner, Octopussy. I cannot honestly say I would consider Adams to be among the best actresses that appeared in the Bond franchise. The nine years between ”THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN” (in which she portrayed the villain’s doomed mistress) and ”OCTOPUSSY” seemed to have shown no real improvement in her acting skills. But she seemed competent enough to carry the role. And her looks and screen presence certainly helped. The secondary female lead – Kristina Weyborn – portrayed Madga, Octopussy’s right-hand woman and personal liaison to Kamal Khan. Like Adams, Weyborn is a tall Swedish-born beauty with limited acting skills. And like the leading lady, she possessed enough looks and presence to carry her role. Although I do wish that someone had given her more lessons in performing martial arts on screen. French actor Louis Jordan portrayed Kamal Khan, an exiled Afghan prince who desire for a piece of the Imperial Russian treasure leads him to take part in General Orlov's plot to bomb a U.S. Air Force base and change the political landscape of Western Europe. Khan serves as the liaison between Orlov and Octopussy, who traveling circus/smuggling operation allows the two men to smuggle a nuclear bomb into West Germany. Like Yaphet Kotto and Christopher Lee before him, Jordan seems to be a doppleganger of Moore's James Bond - smooth, suave and very deadly. One scene in particular - Bond and Khan's game of dice at an Udaipur hotel - reflects the mirror image of the two men in a very effective manner. Not only did Jordan perfectly portray Kamal Khan's smooth style and sophistication, he did an excellent job of reflecting the Afghan prince's darker nature - especially his cold-blooded tendency to betray anyone who stood between him and self-preservation. Including Octopussy and his men. "OCTOPUSSY"'s cast of minor villains include Steven Berkhoff as the bombastic General Orlov, whose desire for completely Communist Europe and a higher position in the Soviet hierarchy sets off the movie's plot. Although I found his scenes with Moore, Jordan and Adams effective and subtle, Berkhoff unfortunately revealed a tendency toward hammy acting in a scene that feature a meeting between the Soviet premier and several generals - including Gogol. And when I mean hammy, I mean . . . ham served with eggs. Indian actor Kabir Bedi portrayed Khan's right-hand man, the silent and intimidating Gobinda. One of the Bond sites - "MI-6" Forum - stated the following about the character: "Kamal Khan's faithful bodyguard, big and tough but none too bright.". I do not know if I agree with that assessment. On second thought . . . I do not agree. Gobinda's flaw may have been that he was too devoted and loyal to Khan - after all, he actually obeyed the Afghan prince's order that he climb out of a plane in mid-flight and kill Bond. But less than bright? No, I do not agree. Gobinda struck me as a very observant and intelligent man. And the very handsome Bedi portrayed the henchman with a nice balance of intelligence and menace. In fact, Gobinda happens to be one of my favorite henchmen. Actors David Meyer and Anthony Meyer portray the knife-throwing assassins who killed 009, Mischka and Grischska. They did not say much in the movie, but both did a nice job of projecting competent and menacing killers. With the death of Bernard Lee in 1980, the character of M did not appear in "FOR YOUR EYES ONLY". The character returned in the form of actor Robert Brown, who began the first of his four movie run as the head of MI-6 in "OCTOPUSSY". Brown portrayed M with authority, but very little imagination. Personally, I think he was simply too young to be portraying an authority figure against Roger Moore, who was six years younger. Not until Timothy Dalton's tenure will Brown show that along with Lee and Judi Dench, he could also be an interesting M. Lois Maxwell returned as Moneypenny in one of the most amusing Bond-Moneypenny scenes in the franchise. The scene involved a 'Miss Penelope Smallbone' and Moore and Maxwell managed to inject a lot of humor and charm into the scene, as befitting two old friends. Desmond Llewellyn had once stated that "LICENSE TO KILL" was his favorite Bond film. Which does not seem surprising, since he had a strong role in it. But he also had a strong role in "OCTOPUSSY" and I could tell that he had enjoyed himself. Especially in the scene that featured his rescue of Madga and some of Octopussy's other followers. It seemed too bad that Q's embellished role in this movie seemed just as unecessary as his embellished role in "LICENSE TO KILL". General Gogol returned in the form of Walter Gotell. And he portrayed the Soviet KGB general with his usual competence. Tennis star, Vijay Amritraj made his screen debut as Indian intelligence agent . . . Vijay. Okay this is not exactly an example of original casting, but what the hell? He did a pretty good job, anyway. And he was rather charming. "OCTOPUSSY" marked John Glen's second time in the director chair. And like "FOR YOUR EYES", he did an admirable job. I have to give the man kudos for once again, bringing a touch of realistic grit in Moore's portrayal of Bond and in the franchise. Although I do feel that he made a misstep in allowing those silly moments I had earlier mentioned, in the movie. But I do wonder who had included those ridiculous little scenes? Was it Glen? Moore? Or were the screenwriters - Fraser, Maibum and Wilson - responsible? If the writers were responsible, it was a misstep on their parts. Otherwise, they created an admirable script. One of the scenes highly criticized by critics was the sight of Bond disguised as a clown to infiltrate the circus where the bomb was located. I never understood their criticism of this disguise. Perhaps they disliked the idea of James Bond dressed as a clown. If so, I find their attitude extremely shallow . . . and rather stupid. Also, I wonder why George MacDonald Fraser had been included in this project? Was it because he was a British Army veteran who had served in India? Or that he had incorporated his experiences in India in his Harry Flashman novels? I do not know what to admire more - the screenwriters' creation of the villains' objectives and Bond's efforts to stop the bomb, or Glen's direction of those scenes. Perhaps both. I wish I could say that I enjoyed the movie's theme song, "All Time High", which was sung by Rita Coolidge. But in the end, it simply bored me. However, I did enjoy John Barry's lush and exciting score. And I must commend cinematographer, Alan Hume, for the film's photography. His shots of India and the English countryside (serving as East and West Germany) made "OCTOPUSSY" one of the most colorful entries in the Bond franchise. Despite the low opinion held by many Bond fans, "OCTOPUSSY" remains one of my favorite Bond films. In fact, I consider it to be Moore's second best film (despite a few stupid jokes) and the franchise's sixth best. I give it . . . 8/10.