Win or die. There is no middle ground.

[everchangeling.livejournal.com]

Name: Jackie
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 learned about it a few years ago by people who aren’t part of the community anymore.
Age: 22
Location: Arizona
Occupation: Accountant (hm, yes, boring, I know)




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 don’t think I care much what the outside of the house looks like (adobe versus modern, for example) but the inside is what I would be very specific about. Although, if I had to choose a casing, I’m rather fond of Victorian-style homes. I rather like the idea of being able to entertain on my patio/front porch.

There are certain things I am very specific about so I guess I’ll go room by room. First off, I need a laundry room with a washer/dryer that is large enough to wash my comforters. Man, I love my comforters. The laundry room itself doesn’t have to be large, just sufficient. My ideal kitchen would probably be the most modern room in the house. I love cooking and baking and I do spend quite some time in the kitchen, so I’d like to have the nicest, newest things. (We’re talking ideals with no budget here, right?) Easy-to-clean surfaces with lots of counter and cabinet space. Two living rooms, one for receiving guests (which would always be immaculate) and one for the family (which would always be in organized chaos). The separate spaces are important because I like my privacy and I’m not always comfortable with all guests getting to see where my family spends time together. If I get married, I’d like a den, too, for the husband. I think it’s important for him to have his own space. As far as bedrooms, I’d love a walk-in closet. Not because I have a lot of things (although I kinda do) but mostly because it’s easier to organize that way. A giant bed, mostly because I love sleeping and naps and cuddling with my pup. Oh, and one last very, very important thing. I need a bathroom for myself. Bad experiences with roommates have made it impossible for me to share a bathroom. I need it to be spotless.

As for the setting, I’ve been planning to move to Tucson for a while now. I think it’s a lovely city, especially the desert scape. I like being able to drive for an hour in any direction and being able to escape the actual city and “get away” to either a desert expanse or some mountains. I’m a city girl, so I need to have all the necessities nearby but I like going away to see some nature often. Actually, in Tucson, I would love to live in the desert area just on the outskirts of town, apart from the noise and traffic. Another place I think I would love to live is Disneyland Colorado. I loved it there when I visited and I do enjoy the snow. I have family there and the boy’s family moved from there to Tucson when he was young. And downtown Denver is very pretty, though I don’t think I’d actually move to Denver.

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!
[Goodbye, Student Loans!] The first thing I’d ask for is financial freedom. It’d be nice to not have to pay student loans and the painful interest they come with. This way, I can start focusing on the future and where I want to go. I don’t necessarily want billions of dollars. I think I’d be bored if I didn’t have to do anything. Not being in debt is freedom enough for me, I think.

[Magic Cleaning/Organizing Spell/Clapper] As somewhat evidenced in the question above, I’m not a clean-as-I-go person (unless I’m in the kitchen). I usually make a mess for six days out of seven and then BAM! go into cleaning mode on Saturday. But then, there are Saturdays when I’m not feeling well, feeling lazy, or too busy and the cleaning gets put off for another week (or two or three) and suddenly, my home is in complete disarray. It would be nice to have a magic spell to put things where I want them. I wouldn’t ask for a free cleaning service either, mostly because I want things where I want them and I think it would be unfair to the workers to not get paid anything to clean up after me.

[Permanent Damage Removing Salve!] Both the boy and I are accident-prone. Not because we’re clumsy, but because we’re both active people and injuries tend to follow us. I have injuries from dance (and falling) that are still around or have worn some of my joints out, which still bug me to this day and affect my ability to lift and stay active. A salve to make the permanent damage go away would be great! The boy’s also got some remnant injuries from several sports-related mishaps (like the time he tore all the muscles in the right side of his torso) and for him to be back in tip-top shape would make both our...lives, really.

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. ;)
Without going into too much detail, I’m a survivor. I moved from my native country to the United States where I was put in the care of someone who took advantage of me. The hardest thing to do was to move out of my bad situation and be alone when my nearest relatives were at least 8 hours away by car. I got on my own two feet, worked two jobs while being a full-time student, made a name for myself at the college I was studying at, graduated with honors and accolades above and beyond those of a typical student, and moved on. I’m a toughie and I’m very proud of that. :)

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.
Knowledge would definitely be the most important to me. I’m an academic and in a perfect world, I’d be working in academia, no doubt about it. Being practical, though, accounting is a way for me to fund my interests. I think that once I stop learning, I would...stagnate and die. To me, knowledge represents growth. I also couldn’t possibly make any sort of decision without being informed about it. Finally, I think that the other choices follow from knowledge (for me, at any rate). I derive pleasure from knowledge...and love needs to come from knowledge (of the other person).

Least important is a tough choice, but I think it would be adventure at the end. I can’t imagine a life without love, family or friendship...and a life without pleasure would simply be meaningless. And I’m too specific about how I want to live to be without money. So, I guess, seeking adventure is the last priority on my list. I’d like to have a life that had a little adventure, yes, but it’s not as highly-valued as the other options.

5. What's one quote (or passage, song lyric, etc.) that effectively describes you and your values? Explain.
Off the top of my head? “Ladies don’t start fights; but they can finish them,” which was said by Marie in The Aristocats.

I believe in manners and courtesy, which are two very important things to me. I don’t like it when people are rude or unnecessarily vulgar (I think some instances can call for it). That would be the ‘lady’ part of it. I don’t go around looking for arguments and I don’t think I’m aggressive or confrontational. In fact, I can be pretty passive-aggressive when I set my mind to it. But, I’m not the kind of person to simply endure abuse of any sort. I can be really nasty when I try and I usually hit right where it hurts. I don’t like being mean, but I can really be your best friend or your worst nightmare and it all depends on how a person treats me first.

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 an accountant. I have budgets and spreadsheets and an emergency fund. I stand in grocery store aisles doing the math during product comparisons. I wouldn’t say I’m particularly retentive about it, meaning I still occasionally buy an unnecessary tub of ice cream...or more recently, a labeler...but I do try to be careful about my money. That having been said, financial security is very important to me. I don’t need or want ridiculous amounts of money but I’ve been in the position before where I’ve been so broke I could barely keep a roof over my head. It’s not something I’d like to happen again. Ever. So financial security is very, very important.

7. Name (and elaborate on) some of your hobbies. What are your favorite things to do outside of school/the office?
[Reading/Writing] I’m a big bookworm. It’s probably my oldest hobby that I still keep up to this day. I imagine most everyone in this community put this down since we’ve all enjoyed GRRM’s book and come to this community to share the love. I’m usually reading a book at any given time and I do write actively. I used to write novels/short stories, but lately I’ve been getting my writing fix through poetry and RPG games through Insanejournal.

[Dancing] While I don’t do recitals anymore because my body just wouldn’t be able to handle that kind of strain, I do still love to dance. Because I’ve moved to Arizona, two-stepping and swing are really big deals here and I mostly do that with some friends. I also love Latin dances. And then, of course, in my socks on my linoleum floor. :)

[Video Games] I can’t help it. I’m a big fan. It’s criminal, the amount of time I actually spend in front of a computer between work, writing, and this. I mostly prefer adventure/RPG games that have a straight storyline (beginning and end, versus, say, strategy games that can go on forever) with side quests. I like having a direction instead of the openness of other games. Most recently, I’ve finished Batman: Arkham Asylum and then Arkham City, Saints Row 3, Diablo 3, and I’m trying to work on The Witcher when I can.

[Cooking/Baking] I can be pretty domestic when I want to be. I do like sewing and crafting, but those are things I do when I have large amounts of time (which I don’t really anymore) so they’re not things I do actively anymore. I do love to bake and experiment. I’m gluten-intolerant so there’s a lot of experimentation to be done with food and baked goods there.

[Hiking] Last one. Whenever the boy and I have some spare time, we like to take our dog out and go on hikes (or sometimes just long walks). We both (and the dog, too) enjoy nature and being out in it. Well, I don’t like the bugs in nature but that’s something I can overlook. ;) There’s not much more to add to that, really.

8. Name three things you are afraid of. Explain.
As loathe as I am to tell anyone what I’m afraid of, here goes:
[Roaches] Starting with the most shallow one, I’m not a fan of the creepy crawlies. They carry all sorts of disease, are nearly impossible to kill, and most of them are fat and too gross to squish. And they fly. And I’m allergic to them. I hate them. And I nearly always scream my head off when I see them.

[Driving on Ice] Ridiculous? Maybe. But I’m almost irrationally afraid of driving on ice. I’m no good at it, I tend to panic, and that usually leads to accidents. I can’t afford to fix my car if I destroy it (much less get a new one) so I’m usually asking my boyfriend to drive me whenever it snows.

[Disappointing Others] I’m not so much worried about failure because I know I can pick myself back up again. It’s letting other people down when I do fail that really gets to me. My mother, for example, who has been very supportive of me ever since I was...well, conceived, really, is the number one person I would hate to look at me with any sort of disappointment. I also don’t like letting people down at work or anywhere else. I’ve been accused of being too work-focused and sometimes that’s true because I don’t want to disappoint anyone.

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
[Practical] I’m a practical sort of girl and I’d like to think I’m fairly grounded. I don’t like to waste things and I’m pretty resourceful when it comes to doing things on a budget. This is mostly out of practice rather than an innate ability (but then...that gets into a nature vs. nurture argument so I’ll stop there). I also don’t like to stand there and worry about something bad that’s happening. I’m usually the one who’s thinking up a way to fix it with duct tape. Duct tape is awesome.

[Survivor] I know that whatever happens, I can pick myself back up again. There’s really few other things worse than being stuck in an abusive home (no matter the kind of abuse) and having survived that and coming out stronger for it, I’m pretty confident in my ability to pick myself up and keep going whatever happens.

[Fiercely Loyal and Protective] Yep, I’m a Mama Bear. Give me long enough at a place and even if I’m actively trying to be nice to people, they’ll know I’m not someone they want to cross. There’s a running joke at an institution I’ve been a part of for a couple of years that people either love me or fear me and if they’re smart, both. I do really take care of my own (family and friends and anyone who has earned my loyalty) and I’m not going to put up with anyone giving them grief. If they don’t deserve it. If they’ve been idiots and they deserve it, then I’m all for them getting their knocks, too.

WORST
[Bridge Burner] It’s something that I actually dislike about myself and that I’m trying to fix. I used to have trust issues and so not only would I burn a bridge if I got too close to someone, I’d build a wall and then set armed men with trained attack bears to guard it. I’m still working on it, but I do tend to just walk away from people who hurt me or that I don’t get along with without really feeling any remorse about dropping them. It’s not a very kind thing to be.

[Insensitive] I was that kid that never played well with others in kindergarten. It’s not because I’m mean-spirited or dislike people. I can be blunt or brusque sometimes and people can react very negatively to it. If someone’s behaving like a jerk, I’m usually the first one to call them out on it. I expect people to call me out on things if I’m being unkind but for some reason, it seems like there’s some societal norm where we’re supposed to just stay quiet and let jerks be jerks. I don’t believe in that and sometimes it ruffles people’s feathers.

[Procrastinator] Procrastinators unite tomorrow! I found out about this community years ago. I finally got around to figuring out how the community works and deciding to join it two weeks ago. Here I am applying to it. I like to blame it on how busy I am but even without the workload, I’m still a pretty bad procrastinator...as my two full (overflowing) hampers of laundry can attest to.





A Song of Ice and Fire Related

1.How many books from the series have you completed?
I’ve finished four (up to A Feast for Crows) and I’m waiting for them to publish a paperback copy the same size as the four books I have now. I need them to be in the same size or I feel like I will eventually make the unnecessary purchase of another set just so they can look the same.

2.Who are your favorite three characters in the series? Why?
[Sansa] I’ve realized she’s not a very popular choice for most people, though I do really adore her. I loved her from the beginnings of the book all the way through Ned’s death, her time at the castle, and ending with her time as Alayne. And probably all the way until the end. She’s not spunky or brave like Arya but she does the best she can with what she knows, what she’s been taught, and without ever really compromising who she is. She’s handles herself with composure and grace most of the time and that’s something I can really identify with and respect.

[Tyrion] The fact the he is comfortable in his own skin is something admirable. I can really respect someone who is okay with who they are. He makes the best of his situation and, like Sansa, doesn’t pretend he’s someone else. He knows his strengths and what he’s not capable of and plays to his advantage. That kind of self-awareness is pretty impressive.

[Khal Drogo] In short, he’s a freaking bad-ass who knows how to treat his woman well. What more can you ask for in a dream guy?

3.Who are your least favorite three characters in the series? Why?
[Joffrey] I have a rather specific set of criteria for what I think a real man is like. It’s not like I think they should have a specific number of attributes, but that they have dignity, respect for others, and integrity to name a few. All these, Joffrey lacks. He’s a brat and a child and the worst part is that he simply refused to grow up.

[Daenerys] I’ve never been able to identify with her. She makes poor decisions that cost people their lives, which I’m probably biased about because I loved Khal Drogo so much. She’s a little girl and she is not nearly mature enough to be playing at ruling an empire.

[King Robert] Lysa and Cersei were also in the running for this last spot and it took me a moment to decide. And, honestly, all of the reasons they could be in this spot was responsibility. Lysa and Cersei were both responsible as mothers and they both failed in that aspect. Not to mention that Cersei was actually really disappointing as a villain. Robert, I suppose, had the most responsibility on his shoulders and, therefore, had the capacity to fall the furthest? He failed in his responsibility to the kingdom, to his wife, and even to Ned as his friend. When he says, “If I wanted to honor you, I’d let you retire...” and then goes on to insult the position he’s just offered Ned, it makes it almost impossible to find him endearing. For someone who believes so strongly in loyalty, I cannot respect Robert for the fact that he is disloyal to both his wife and Ned. I could go on and list all of Robert’s sins and it would take up all the space on this page so I’ll stop now. Essentially, he’s not a man I could respect in real life so he’s unlikeable as a character.

4.#1 Favorite moment in all of ASOIAF so far? Why?
This is a tough one. Probably in the third book, when Tyrion escapes prison and kills both Shae and his father. Now, I don’t believe in taking your own justice through revenge, but the whole things was rather satisfying. While I hated to see the relationship between Jaime and Tyrion dissolve and patricide (well, murder in general) is always a no-no in real life and modern times, finally hearing the truth about Tysha was nice to learn. Shae showing her true colors (because I, unfortunately, did really enjoy her character until she betrayed Tyrion and ended up in Lord Tywin’s bed) and promptly being strangled to death by Tyrion was poetic. And then, of course, Tyrion finally being freed from his father. Unfortunately, he can’t actually inherit Casterly Rock because he’s being sought for murder, but it makes him Lord Tyrion! And then, of course, the snarky little comment about how Lord Tywin did not, in fact, shit gold.

Oh, and the scene before that, as well, where Oberyn Martell kicks Gregor Clegane’s butt. Mostly because I did rather love Oberyn Martell in the few scenes he was in. Unrepentant bastards are one of my favorite archetypes in media.

5. In your dream-world, how would you like to see the series end, and why?
I honestly don’t know. Part of the reason I love the books is that I never know what’s going to happen next and what I want never happens (eg, Robb becoming King or Khal Drogo surviving). It may sound like I’m a masochist, but I hate it when I can guess how a book/movie/story ends, so I’ve stopped trying to guess who lives and who dies and how this will all end. In my dream-world, Robb survived and won the throne, but that’s impossible for obvious reasons.

I suppose, if I had to give an answer, it’d be...Rickon on the Iron Throne, with Shaggydog feasting on the corpses of his enemies. Sansa reclaims Winterfell, Asha claims the Iron Islands, Tyrion gets Casterly Rock, Arya and Brienne get knighted, and Dany goes away can stay in the Free Cities freeing all the slaves to her heart’s content.


ETA: I think it might be relevant to note that if you check this journal, it doesn't have any public posts or is a member of any communities. I have been away from LJ for a while and this is an old RP journal that I gutted out and is primarily going to be used to participate in this community. I don't think it will contain any actual personal information. I hope that's ok.

Comments

[TYRELL]

[sephystabbity.livejournal.com]

IDK, while you do have a bit of a growing strong vibe, you still remind me of a Martell a lot.