win or die. I prefer winning, tho

[ledbylove.livejournal.com]

Name: Lena
How did you find out about the community? If it's through an LJ user, please tell us who it is (individual user if possible, not just a community name!): About a million people, but main credit goes to klef, who not only pimped, but bought me the first four books for Christmas. As you can see, I devoured them pretty quickly.
Age: 38
Location: Georgia
Occupation: Wireless Sales/Photo Lab Associate at Walmart

All About You
1. Describe your ideal house/home. Please go into as much detail as possible, and be sure to include your ideal geographical location in the description!.
We're going to ignore the fact that my ideal home isn't realistically possible, okay? Okay.

First of all, it would be on a beach. I love the beach. I love the water. I'm not much of a swimmer, but there's something about the sound and the smell of the ocean that I love. I love the way it smells right after a good rain. I'm an Aquarius, so maybe it's a water bearer thing, but I feel at home near the water. I could sit there for hours just watching the waves, listening to the sound of the rushing water and breathing in the scent of the ocean.

Now, here's where it gets a little unrealistic. It would be near every member of my family and every one of my close friends. Or, barring that, it would contain something that allowed me to be with these people at will. They say home is where the heart is and I believe that's true. It would not be my ideal home if I couldn't visit the people I love whenever I wished - my mom, my sisters, my best friend, my other close friends. They are all spread out geographically, but in a perfect world, in my idea home, I would have the means to be with them at a moment's notice. Really, a teleporter or a T.A.R.D.I.S. right there in my backyard would suffice.

The geographical location doesn't matter. I've lived in a lot of different places and there are cities and regions I love, but it's the people that make or break a place for me. Sure, I miss New Orleans for its beneights and I'd miss the south in general for grits and sweet tea if I were to leave it. I miss Canada after only one visit for Tim Horton's and poutine. I miss LA for N and Out Burger and the walk of fame and really great shopping and the hottie waiters at The Farm who used to bring me the best stuffed french toast I have ever tasted. Those things don't begin to compare to the people I have left behind in those places or the people I would miss if I wasn't right where I am now.

My idea home wouldn't have to have a lot of things. I'd want a few material possessions to keep me comfortable and entertained, of course. A Playstation, a television, my Macbook, my iPhone. I'd need a reliable and speedy internet connection. A good coffee maker. I'd have my cat - a gorgeous Siamese/Tortie mix named Narcissa - sleeping on my feet as I read or played on the internet, just as she does now.

Kitty. Loved ones. Beach. These are the essential things. Everything else is just an added bonus.

2. Imagine you’re given the classic opportunity: a genie granting you three wishes. What would you wish for? Please be as elaborate as you can. Wishing for more wishes is not permitted!
→ A teleporter that would instantly transport me to anywhere I wanted to go in the blink of an eye. This would enable me to visit the people and places I miss, which I do not have the means to do at the moment.
→ A steady flow of income that would be sufficient to support me indefinitely while also allowing me to afford those little things in life I want and allowing me to spoil my loved ones. I'm not looking to be a millionaire here, but I'd like the cash to make myself and those I care about comfortable. Preferably without having to really work for it.
→ My best friend would be completely healed. She was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in 2007. She's doing so much better now than when she was diagnosed, but she still has to take medication and she still has to wear oxygen. Her condition requires her to be on disability and medicaid, which means she is unable to work. I am grateful for the progress she has made, but I would love for her to be wholly healthy.

3. In your life so far, what accomplishment are you the most proud of? Why? You can list more than one if you have trouble deciding. ;)
Learning to knit. It seems like such a small, insignificant thing, but I've tried to teach myself to knit in the past and it didn't work out very well. I'm not sure what's different this time - maybe I've grown more patient (although that's doubtful, lol) or maybe I just have a good teacher, but my best friend has been teaching me to knit and I'm not doing too badly at it. My stitches are far from perfect, but I'm doing well enough to have made myself a couple of scarves and to have made some gifts for my loved ones. I'm still learning and there is a lot of room for improvement, but every time I finish a project, I feel really proud of myself.

4. Which of the following is most important to you: Love, Money, Knowledge, Family, Friendship, Adventure, or Pleasure? Which is the least important to you? Please explain why for each choice.
I'm going to just list these in order from most to least important, because I think they're all important in their own way.
Friendship - friends are the family you choose for yourself. They don't love you out of some sense of duty. They love you because of you. True friendship is so rare and amazing that you have to treasure it above all else. This is a big part of why I don't hand the title of friend to just anyone. Those I consider friends have to earn the title, but they're among the most important people in my life.
Family - I love my family and I would do anything for them. They might not be the most important on this list, but they're ranked high.
Love - Um, see below? The quote I chose was about love for a reason. Love is something we all need in life. Love is what gets us through life - the love we bear for ourselves, our friends, our family. The love others bear for us. Life isn't worth living if you don't have some form of love in your life.
Knowledge - They say knowledge is power, but more than that it's hard to go through life as an idiot. Common sense isn't so common, but I think it's important to possess a reasonable amount of intelligence. I can never understand those who don't seem to seek knowledge and want to better themselves.
Pleasure - What is life without pleasure, really? What pleasures a person is going to very, but you have to indulge in those. This is why I fail at dieting... I can't seem to give up the foods I love. I don't think anyone should have to, though. I'd rather be a little chunky that give up the things that bring me pleasure.
Adventure - Adventures sound cool in theory, at least! I don't know if I'm brave enough for real life adventuring, but I love exploring and discovering new things and I really enjoy reading about the adventures of others. That's the best part about reading books like these - you get to live vicariously through the adventures of others without endangering yourself.
Money - Money shouldn't be important, but it is. Money provides us with things like food and shelter. Money pays for the things that bring us pleasure. Money is necessary to visit far away loved ones. Money is needed to buy clothes and other necessities. It's not the most important thing in the world and it comes last on my list, but it is important.

5. What's one quote (or passage, song lyric, etc.) that effectively describes you and your values? Explain.
Love is passion, obsession, someone you can't live without. I say, fall head over heels. Find someone you can love like crazy and who will love you the same way back. How do you find him? Well, you forget your head, and you listen to your heart. And I'm not hearing any heart. Cause the truth is, honey, there's no sense living your life without this. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love, well, you haven't lived a life at all. But you have to try, cause if you haven't tried, you haven't lived. -Meet Joe Black

To me, life is passion. You have to have a passion for something, a drive, something that makes life worth living. You have to have the crazy bad and the crazy good. You can't go through life without passion or you're not really living life at all. Passion is the essential element in life. Passion, heart, love. If you can't feel that kind of obsessive love and passion for someone or something in your life, you're not really living at all. Find that thing you love. Pour your heart and soul into it. Use your head, but also follow your heart. If you fall down, get back up and try again. Getting a few scrapes is just a part of the journey.

6. How do you manage your money? On that note, how important is money/financial security to you? Go into as much detail as you can.
Money? What money?

I'm not very good at managing my money, but I think a lot of that has to do with not having very much of it to begin with. I'm the first to admit, though, that I like to have things. Money/financial security isn't the most important thing in the world, but it is something I crave. I've never really had money and I don't need to be rich, but I wish I had enough to make myself and my loved ones at least comfortable.

7. Name (and elaborate on) some of your hobbies. What are your favorite things to do outside of school/the office?
Hobbies? What are hobbies? LOL. Um, I've been learning to knit and I like doing that. Other than that, I play on the computer - I play the Sims Social on Facebook, I'm active in a Harry Potter sorting community, I read, I dabble with Photoshop and web design. That's pretty much it.

8. Name three things you are afraid of. Explain.
This question has taken me an eternity to answer. I don't know if I can come up with <i>three</i> things I'm afraid of. Truthfully, I don't want to admit to being afraid of <i>anything</i>. There are things I don't <i>like</i>, but there aren't a lot of things I'm truly <i>afraid</i> of.

My biggest fear, I suppose, would be of failure. Of not being able to accomplish the goals I've set for myself. Of not being able to do the things I want to do in my life. Next to that would be ending up alone. I have an amazing support system of friends and family, but I know that there may come a day when I don't have them. People leave, for whatever reason, and they're not always going to be around. That brings me to a third related fear, I guess, and that would be a fear of trusting others, of relying on them. Because if you rely on people too much, they'll always let you down. The only person you can truly depend on is yourself.

9. Name (and elaborate on) your top three BEST and top three WORST qualities (personality-related, not physical). Please answer as fully as you can, as this is an important question.
I always really hate questions that ask for your best and worst qualities, because I think that whether a quality is good or bad is a matter for debate. What one sees as strength, another sees as weakness, after all. Some of my defining traits are like that - they're both good and bad, depending on your perspective.

Independent - I am fiercely independent. I don't like relying on anyone but me. This is mainly because I have trust issues, but I also like to be in charge of my own life, my own destiny. I like to be in control.
Intelligent - I have an above average IQ. I have common sense. I know how to read and follow directions. I learn things quickly. I know I'm smarter than the average bear and I'm pretty cocky about it, too.
Tenacious - I don't give up easily. Setbacks don't discourage me for long. I may whine and moan briefly about how everything sucks, but then I suck it up and just do what I need to do to make it better. I'm not going to just lie down and give up if I'm not getting what I want. If at first you don't succeed, try and try again.
Stubborn - I don't budge easily once I've formed an opinion. Really, you should see the conversations klef and I have had about her beloved Lannisters. I'm determined to hate them and she tries to sway me and.. it's kind of amusing. I don't change my mind easily, though. Although I maybe kind of did decide Jaime was sort of okay once he became a POV character, but that's beside the point.
Judgmental - I'm very judgy about other people - I make snap judgments based on first impressions, especially when it comes to things like someone's intelligence. If you talk or act like an idiot, I'm going to think you are one. I have a lot of trouble respecting people I see in that light.
Distant - I don't trust others easily and I'm not the easiest person to get genuinely close to. I don't like to share too much of my true self with people I don't know well.

A Song of Ice and Fire Related
1.How many books from the series have you completed? I had just finished the first book when I started writing this application, but I've just finished the fifth book now. UH-MAZ-ING. Need more books now, please.

2.Who are your favorite three characters in the series? Why?
Jon Snow - From the moment we meet Jon Snow, it's obvious that he is awesome. I started to fall in love with him in the scene where they find the direwolves. What he does for his half-siblings in suggesting 5 wolves for the 5 Stark children demonstrates a love for his family and an unselfishness that I really admire, even if I don't possess that trait myself. Watching him interact with his siblings, especially with Bran and Arya just made me love him more. I love that he sees things others might miss. I love the way he teaches his new "brothers" once he takes the black. I love the way he protects the chunky kid. I have loved watching him change and grow throughout the series so far and I have a lot of ~feelings about his last chapter in A Dance With Dragons, but I don't want to spoil anyone who hasn't read all five books, yet. I love his sense of honor and duty, but I love that he can be pushed into putting that aside. I just... love him. He is easily my favorite character.
Tyrion Lannister - He is quite literally one of the only Lannisters I can stand and I love him. He's a smart ass. He's not afraid to say what he thinks or do what he wants. He cracks me up a lot with the things that he says, but he also seems to have some sense of honor to him and I love the way he is with Jon, the advice he gives him and their friendship as a whole. I love his whole outlook on life. I love that he doesn't shy away from who or what he is. He's blunt and just generally awesome.
Daenerys Tagaryen - Let me amend what I wrote up there and say that Jon Snow was hands down my favorite until I really got to know Dany. LOVELOVELOVE her. I have loved watching her grow from the scared little girl who took everything her asshole of a brother dished out into an amazing, strong woman who IMO if the true queen of everyone. When she says that she is the blood of the dragon I find myself nodding my head, because to me she is everything a dragon should be. More than that, though, I love her compassion, her sense of honor and of duty to her people. I love her crafty mind. I love that she wants to take care of her "children" rather than simply rushing to claim her birthright, even if that wasn't the wisest course. This series has a lot of strong female characters, but Dany is definitely my favorite.

I need to give honorable mentions to Arya Stark, Bran Stark, Asha Greyjoy, Jaime Lannister, Brienne.. um the list probably goes on. Picking a favorite three was SO hard for me.

3.Who are your least favorite three characters in the series? Why?
Viserys - Well, for starters, he's an ass. The way he treats his sister is appalling. Not only does he obviously not care for her well-being, but he manipulates and uses her shamelessly. I seriously wanted to hit him from the first moment he was mentioned.
Cersei - OMG bitch. Seriously. I'm finding it hard to be articulate, but I can't get over what she maid her brother do to Bran, what she did to Lady or a million other things. She is such a vile woman. I really can't stand her.
Theon - I had a hard time picking a third favorite, because while there are characters I don't love, there are few who inspire the kind of hatred in me that Cersei and Viserys do. Theon is probably the closest I can come to this. What he did to the Starks was just apalling to me. He was Eddard's ward. Regardless of how or why it came about, he was raised as almost a brother to the Stark children. It makes no matter than he didn't REALLY kill Bran and Rickon. What he did do was bad enough.

4.#1 Favorite moment in all of ASOIAF so far? Why?
My favorite moments were the ones that genuinely surprised me. I think my biggest OMGWTF moment was when we learned that Prince Aegon was alive and well. I did not see that moment coming AT ALL and I loved it for that very reason. Because it literally made me sit up and go "holy shit, did that just happen?" I love books that can surprise you like that. <s>Joffrey's poisoning would be a close second, though. Legit cheered at that part.</s>

5. In your dream-world, how would you like to see the series end, and why?
I would like to see Daenerys return to Westeros and claim her rightful throne. Sure, maybe Aegon has just as much claim as she does, but I think she would make a better ruler. And why not a woman on the throne? She proved a good queen in Meereen, more or less. And after everything she has gone through, I really want to see her make it to the home she's never really known, I want to see everything she's gone through pay off and see her win this war. She is a thousand times more worthy than Stannis or the Lannisters or anyone else who might seek the throne. I think even Aegon would not be as good of a ruler as Dany would.

Comments

Stark

[chacusha]

I think you're a Targaryen, although Tully would be my second choice. Starting from question 4 onwards, I got a really Dany vibe -- what you wrote about the importance of love and passion, having to have the crazy bad and the crazy good, just seems to be the way she lives her life. Your fears fit well with Dany as well, and so do your positive/negative traits. Overall, just a very Targaryen app. :)