Win or Die

[erolyn2.livejournal.com]

Name: Anna
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!): I honestly don't remember exactly; I heard of it through random LJ searching and Game of Thrones people on tumblr and decided to take a look.
Age: 24
Location: Chicago
Occupation: Grad student/ intern




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!.

I'm torn here.

On the one hand, I live in a big city now, and I love it. I love being able to access so many different things so easily, and being in the midst of so many people. I would love to have a nice condo in Berlin or London (current top two favorite cities) as well as here in Chicago.

On the other hand, I like being away from all the noise sometimes. And I love the sea; I'd love to live in a place with an ocean view. A nice compromise might be someplace like Portland, Oregon - a city with all the benefits of a city, but close to mountains and oceans so I could get away when I wanted to.

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!

1) A cure for a certain disease.

2) Since I'm unemployed right now, I'm going to pick: a job doing something I really love that pays decent money and has good healthcare.

3) Those are really the only two things I want. Oh, no wait - a dragon. I want a dragon. Somehow. Maybe just a little one, though, that wouldn't burn my house down too much. :-P

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. ;)

Graduating from college was a big one. I know everybody does that nowadays, and I didn't have a really difficult major or anything, but I was really sick for my last two years (especially my last semester) and I pushed through and insisted on graduating on time. So that was kind of a big deal for me.

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.

Most important: knowledge. I like to know things. Often I have to know things, and it bothers me when I can't. I'm addicted to the google app on my smartphone, because being able to find out anything I want to know at any time is my favorite thing in the world.

Least important: I guess if I could have the rest without money, then I pick money. Since it's just a means to an end, anyway. But if that's not possible, then...I'll have to say pleasure, just because I can't imagine doing without any of the other things.

5. What's one quote (or passage, song lyric, etc.) that effectively describes you and your values? Explain.

"Pain is only a pulse / if you just stop feeling it / you might be able to use / the very things that make us up" - Coheed and Cambria, "Time Consumer"

I'm thinking of getting a tattoo of the first part. To me, "pain is only a pulse" means that pain is just part of life, and that at least if you can still feel it you're still alive. If that makes sense.

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.

I'm usually pretty careful about it. Sometimes I slip a bit, especially if I've been good for a long time and I'm getting sick of being good. :-P And I'd say money isn't that important to me, but security is. As long as I can pay all my bills and buy food and feel comfortable, I don't need a lot of money.

7. Name (and elaborate on) some of your hobbies. What are your favorite things to do outside of school/the office?

I'm a reader. I love books. I learned to read when I was four, and haven't stopped. There's something about the simplicity of just words on a page - as opposed, I guess, to movies and such - that appeals to me.

Although I also, admittedly, like TV a lot. Even really trashy TV, like reality shows and stuff.

I also write. I'm a writer. Or trying to be one. Mostly I think to spill out some of the vast array of things rumbling around in my brain.

I also like music a lot. I'm one of those annoying people who always has headphones in when I leave the house. And I was a huge band geek in high school.

8. Name three things you are afraid of. Explain.

Hmm.

- People I care about dying. I've known a pretty weird amount of people my own age who have died, and it freaks me out.

- Childbirth. Which I know is a weird thing to be afraid of, and I probably will have kids one day, but like the whole thing sounds awful. Even pregnancy. I HATE VOMITING. And being fat. It just...freaks me out right now. Obviously I don't mean to offend moms or anything, and I love kids. It's just scary.

- Freemasons. FREEMASONS ARE SCARY. With their weird secret society full of secretly powerful people. They're planning something...

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.

Best:

- Independence. I've always been the sort of person who wants to do things on my own, and try and solve things without help. I moved away from home as soon as I could, even though I love my family, because it's important to me to build my own life. I think being independent makes me stronger, and I value my freedom.
- Honesty. Sometimes I'm honest to a fault, especially to people I care about, and sometimes they don't like it. But I do always tell them the truth, and not just what they want to hear.
- Laid-back-ness. I know that's not a word. But I'm pretty chill most of the time. I'll try most things once, and I tend to go with the flow wherever I am. I don't tend to get ruffled by things, especially little things. I often don't get ruffled by big things either, at least not externally, but I think that's probably more of a defense mechanism. But being easygoing is largely helpful in social situations, and in stressful ones. Not to say that I never get mad or stressed, because I do, but I tend not to linger on it for very long.

Worst:
- Impatience. I am not. patient. at all. Which I know kind of contradicts the easygoing thing I just said. It's a weird mix. I'm chill about most things but I hate waiting. I can deal with lines, and I can be patient with like...kids, when I have to. But I am not cool with lots of traffic, or WAITING YEARS FOR THE NEXT BOOK TO COME OUT GEORGE R.R. MARTIN.
- I'll admit, I can be a bit lazy sometimes. Sometimes "easygoing" translates into "I like my couch I'm just gonna stay here." Which is bad. I need to fight for things more sometimes instead of just letting it go.
- Sarcasm. Again, a defense mechanism. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes I'm way meaner than I need to be. And sometimes I try so hard to be aloof and sarcastic that it it makes me seem unapproachable, and it's hard to make friends that way. I really am nice, I don't know why I can't just act nice to people automatically.




A Song of Ice and Fire Related

1.How many books from the series have you completed?
All of them. And starting re-reads.

2.Who are your favorite three characters in the series? Why?

Do I have to only pick three? I sort of have a top 6...

Okay, fine. Three.

1) Tyrion Lannister. How can you not love him? He's witty, smart, interesting, awesome...I could go on. But I love that everyone underestimates him and he always outsmarts them. He tried to save Kings Landing from Joffrey and got no thanks for it whatsoever. He tries to be kind to Sansa and Shae and gets rejected - or in Shae's case, betrayed - every time. I always look forward to his chapters because I know wherever he is he's going to be snarky and hilarious.

2) Jorah Mormont. And I know I'm going to have to defend this one, so here goes. He's a real person to me; he has good intentions, and does what he does for love (of a women, or home, or what have you), but he makes mistakes (huge ones, admittedly). He acts like a jerk sometimes, but he'd do anything for people he cares about. I liked him most in the first book, because I was drawn to the way he had assimilated into the Dothraki culture and taken the time to learn about them (he and Dany are a huge contrast to Viserys in that regard). He's tough, but also smart, which I love. He's completely grey, but that's why I love him, and most of the characters in this series, and why they feel real to me. And also, I have to admit, I tend to root for the underdog, especially in the romantic sense, so that's probably in play a bit here, too.

3) Brienne of Tarth. Again, how can you not love a badass warrior chick? Brienne is a true knight, more than anyone else in this series (except maybe Davos, but I had to only pick three...). She tries to protect her king, and when he dies she does everything in her power to serve and obey Lady Catelyn. Like Sansa, she's very idealistic about what it means to be a knight, and unlike the rest of the knights we see she upholds those notions no matter the cost. I think she and Jaime make a good pair, because he shows her that right knights can't ever be real, and she shows him that he can still have honor.

3.Who are your least favorite three characters in the series? Why?

1) Euron Greyjoy. Really I don't understand any of the Greyjoys, but Euron is the worst. He killed his own brother, and then just swoops in to take the throne. And like...the nerve of the Greyjoys just thinking they have a right to come in from their tiny island and take the Seven Kingdoms just because they can (or think they can)? Everyone else with a claim to the throne is doing it because they've been wronged (or think they've been wronged - like Robb Stark), that they would be a just ruler (Renly, and Dany to some degree), or because it's their right and their destiny (Stannis and Dany). The Greyjoys just think they're better than everyone else. And Euron is a kinslayer, and slept with his brother's wife, and...just...ugh. I can understand why some of the "evil" characters do what they do - Cersei, for example, I hate, but completely understand - but Euron just wants chaos.

2) Ramsay Bolton. For what I think are obvious reasons. He's not evil fun-kinda-grey-evil, like Cersei - he's just chaotic evil. Ew.

3) Theon Greyjoy. Again, I'm going to have to defend this. I wanted to feel sorry for him in ADWD, especially given my hatred of Ramsay, but...I just can't forgive him. I know he's all conflicted and whatnot because he's torn between the Starks and his real family, but to me the bottom line is this: Robb was his best friend. Robb was like his brother. Yes, Ned killed Theon's brothers and kept Theon a prisoner, so I can see why Theon would be mad at Ned. But what did Robb do? Other than be Theon's friend and bring him into his circle of protectors? I just can't get past the fact that Theon betrayed his best friend. And his whole conflict - family or pseudo-family - could have been solved if he had just picked one. Either never been one of the Starks, and never pretended to be, or stood up to his father. But Theon never stands up to anyone, because he's too weak. When daddy insults him, he tucks his tail between his legs and does as daddy says, always trying to prove he's really a big tough guy by killing Rodrik Cassel (not to mention two innocent children) and having sex in Ned Stark's bed. And even then, I might have felt sorry for him if he'd made a conscious choice to stop betraying the Starks, but he didn't. He only stopped being a jerk when Ramsay tortured the life out of him. He did one decent thing - escaping from Winterfell - in ADWD, but to me that doesn't make up for his lack of a backbone and near lack of a conscience throughout the rest of the series. One thing he said is true - "I should have died with Robb" - and I wish he had, because then I could respect him.

4.#1 Favorite moment in all of ASOIAF so far? Why?

Dany coming out of the funeral pyre. Partly because she's one of my favorite characters (though I had to leave her out of the top 3) and because I love dragons, but also because it was an amazing ending to an amazing book. We'd seen her grow from a scared child into a queen, and at the end she's lost everything but she still emerges from the fire strong and victorious, with new hope (and dragons!). Such an awesome moment.

5. In your dream-world, how would you like to see the series end, and why?

Oh god. This is tough.

I would definitely want either Dany or Stannis on the Iron Throne. Not only because I think they're the only two with a legitimate claim, but because they care about and sacrifice for their people. Stannis got my vote when he went to the Wall; he was the only one to respond to the Night's Watch's letters, the only person who realized that the threat of the White Walkers was more important than the squabbles over the throne. That, to me, was a wise and self-sacrificing decision, and one a true king would make.

Dany is a Targaryen, and the throne is hers by birthright. She, also, cares deeply about her people, and tries to protect them at all costs, even sacrificing her own happiness when she must. That's pretty impressive for a fifteen year old. But on the other hand, I'm not sure she completely understands what it will mean to be the Queen of Westeros - or even much about Westeros, for that matter. I think she has the heart of a true queen, but I'm not sure she has the skills. And I think deep down she doesn't really want it. She knows it's her destiny, but I think she'd be much happier if she weren't a queen. What she really wants is a home, and she's fighting for Westeros because she believes that's her home and she has to...well, win or die. But I think she'd be happiest if she could find a home without having to rule - a house with a red door (not literally, I mean).

So I guess Stannis. Or Aegon if he's real. I'm just not sure - I guess we'll see who's still alive in the last book.

Comments

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[erolyn2.livejournal.com]

Time Consumer = Best Song Ever. It is known. :)