Apr 28, 2012 21:31
- What sort of profession in the wizarding world would you choose and why?
It would have to meet certain criteria: it would need to be fun, challenging and different, and I'd prefer something outdoors. I think I'd be better suited towards a job in herbology or care of magical creatures than I would be with, say, a job at the ministry of magic. I'd get bored sitting inside all day doing paperwork and listening to self-important people drone on and on and having to pretend I like them (frankly, I'd rather feed flobberworms,) and I'm far too clumsy and conspicuous to be an auror... so, yeah.
I could see myself being drawn to working with dragons, as long as I knew what I was doing and wouldn't turn myself into dragon food by accident ("Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup," and all that? ;))
- You have to venture deep into the Forbidden Forest one night. Pick one Harry Potter character other than Hagrid and one object (muggle or magical), besides your wand, that you'd want with you.
Sirius Black and a flying tank (we'll let Arthur Weasley tinker with it before we take it for a romp in the forest.) For some reason, that just sounds like a ridiculous amount of fun (and the flying is totally necessary - seems a bit less destructive to fragile ecosystems, all things considered. Well, unless we hit a tree or something.) I think Sirius would be the most fun to do something crazy like that, and if I'm serious about anything in life, it is this: if something is not fun, it's not worth doing. I'd even let him drive the tank, which would no doubt lead to something like "WOOOOO!!! THIS IS THE MOST FUN I'VE EVER... OMG SIRIUS! CENTAURS AT TWELVE O'CLOCK! TURN, TURN, TURN!!! OH THE HUMANITY!!!"
Poor centaurs. We will have scarred them for life (on the other hand, they probably saw it coming. Hmmm...)
The reason for the tank is simple: acromantulas. Normally, I don't have a problem with spiders. In fact, I think the little ones are kinda cute. However, the bigger they get... *shivers* Seriously, where I live, they come as big as your hand. I'm not sure I could really deal with life-sized spiders that wanted desperately to eat me. Then again, I'm not really sure I could deal with anything that wanted to eat me. A tank is armored, has firepower, etc. Plus, Sirius is a skilled wizard who has some knowledge of the forest (and, he can mark territory to help us find our way!) I think it's a good bet for staying alive.
Wait. Are we on a mission? Has dear 'ol Dumbles stashed the great big shiny plot element in the middle of the forest? Cause with these choices, I can't really guarantee success. ;)
- If you had the opportunity to live forever, but your family and friends did not, what would you choose? And if you did choose to live forever, what would you do with eternity?
I'd choose to live forever, but I'd have a plan for my family and friends: they'd be cryogenically frozen at death (if that's what they wanted. Otherwise, we'll have a nice funeral, I might even write a poem, etc.) In the future, there may be some way to bring them back - maybe there could be a way to download them into an android body? Or create clones or something? It could work! And besides, I might be eternal, but the Earth isn't. When the sun starts to die, it will likely swallow the earth; therefore, we'll need a spaceship in order to escape and search for a new home. It would be much easier to have a bunch of android buddies than humans on such a trip, as the storage capacity of the ship would be finite. Less food to store, less oxygen, and with no lifeform readings, we'd be less likely to be attacked by Klingons. Or Reavers (yeaaaaaaaah, I've seen far too much science fiction. ;)) In addition, if I've got eternity, I should be able to create a philosopher's stone purely by process of elimination (cause the likelihood of me doing it any other way is like a million to one or something.) That should fix them up quite nicely! :D
Obviously, a good chunk of my time would have to go towards fixing my friends/family (or at least gathering money to pay people to do it, which would probably be the most likely solution given my horrid math skills.) I think the rest would go towards exploring and experiencing different things, reading, painting, writing stuff, doing whatever I can to help people out (maybe be like some sort of crazy superhero? I mean, if I can't die, then it opens up a lot of possibilities there... ;))
As far as why... I'm not that fond of the whole "death" thing. I've thought that way since I was a kid - death equals missing out on things, and I'd hate the thought of that. I'm curious, I like action, I like looking at things and experiencing things and going "this is so awesome!" It would also put a very quick end to my phobias, which, you know, would totally rock. I'm just saying.
- If you could travel back in time to one point, when and where would you go? Why?
There would be two places I'd pick:
1. 12th century; Sherwood Forest, Nottingham, England. I confess: I'm a Robin Hood junkie. I've spent the better part of the last three years writing fanfiction and doing fanart (90% of which is crack!fic, but I take pride in my crackiness. There's always a plot.) I think it would be fun to go back and scour Sherwood for Robin Hood and his gang; and especially Guy of Gisborne, who fascinates me because he's like an oddity to the legend - he dresses odd for the times (basically, a horse costume - somehow, this translated to a bunch of leather in the BBC version I love so very, very much, but in the legends, it was literally a horse;) and he seems like a good guy but is out to get Robin. It feels like there should be a bigger story there, and I do love a mystery (I grew up watching Scooby doo, after all! ;)) I'd love to see if the stories were based on real people, and if so, what were they really like, etc.
2. 18th and 19th centuries; Appalachia, USA. I'd travel around, buying up as many of the mineral rights as I possibly could and then hold them for the people. That way, there would be no coal camps, no men dying young from slate falls and black lung, no mountaintop removal and people wouldn't have to worry about these mines destroying their health, their homes, or the environment in which they live. I'm funny about this kind of thing, because I live here, too, and we're being directly affected (coal blasting and mining has lead to geological problems.) I feel like I'm a part of two different worlds: one, where energy is used in massive quantities (often needlessly;) and another where children are breathing in coal dust, mountains are being carved up and destroyed and people are getting sick from pollution. The latter feeds the former and it makes me so sad that things have to be this way. I feel like there's a better way, and I want to find it.
- What HP character do you identify with most and why?
I always thought that I was most like Tonks, and in some ways I am. I sorta have the hair (I'm sorely tempted to make it purple,) the fashion sense (or lack thereof,) I'd totally stash my wand in my back pocket, I'm as clumsy as the day is long, etc. However, the one thing I would not do is spend nearly a year moping over Lupin (even though Werewolf-boy was one of my favorite characters, along with Snapey-poo, Gred and Forge.) If someone loves me, but is getting too hung up over trivial matters like age and whether they'll eviscerate me in werewolf-form and other nonsense like that... I wouldn't mope. I'd feel angry and betrayed, because for love, I'd accept the risk. And if he wouldn't go for it, I'd just move on, I guess...
And probably give him an atomic wedgie to remember me by... >;)
However, I think I have more in common with Sirius. I grew up in a city around one side of my family that is well-to-do and a bit intolerant at times. Like Sirius, I was a bit of a black sheep - I didn't like my family's ways and I certainly didn't get them. I always felt like they were trying to make me conform, that I had to become a certain way and like certain things for them to accept me. I had to be one of them, basically. I started rebelling when I was about ten years old. They wanted me to be girly; I became a tomboy. They wanted me to dress fashionably and conservatively; I chose comfort and wild colors. They tried to teach me to hate certain people; I embraced those people instead. I felt like I had to break loose, to become my own person. One day, after many bad experiences, alienation and betrayal, I ran off to the mountains to live around the other side of my family and do my own thing. Best decision I ever made. :)
I still, though, have a thing about rebellion and a desire to go my own way. I love the road less traveled. :)
I also get a bit restless, too. I'm not good with boredom. I have to be doing something, working towards something, etc. Like Sirius, I wouldn't want to sit back and let others have all the fun. I would want to be involved.
- What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?
I WOULD BE RULING THE WORLD!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! *mine is an evil laugh*
Kidding. ;)
Sorry, I make jokes all the time about being an evil overlord (I even have an icon, for crying out loud.) It's one of those happy thoughts like winning the lottery that would likely be a complete and utter disaster if it did actually happen. My not-so-serious aspirations of world domination (which at the moment are limited to cloning Richard Armitage and an endless supply of free chocolate,) comes from the desire to slap the snot out of random people in the world and go "DUDE, WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" *sigh* I'm naive. I'll admit it. I don't understand people sometimes, and I often see simple solutions to simple problems (that are too often made complex by things like politics and money and stupidity,) and I have a thing about wanting to fix everything. It seems like it would be a lot easier to fix things if I could rule (even though I'd be truly terrible for the job - I'd get bored with it after a while.)
Seriously, though... I'd see myself happy, living safe and secure in the mountains that I love. We wouldn't be under the threat of mudslides or landslides, or have to worry about nearby mountains being destroyed by surface coal mining (it's not safe to be so close to them.) I'd also have found a way to help the people here live in safe, eco-friendly, sustainable housing that won't be blown away in severe storms/tornadoes, etc., etc. I think that's what I desire most: I want to save the place I live, and find happiness doing it. :)
- Do you believe that moral actions should be judged by the intentions behind them, or by the consequences they create?
In other words, do you believe in good or evil? I feel like this a question of alignment, because morality is skewed towards good rather than evil. A hero is forgiven for his intentions, while a villain would be punished for his.
Personally, I don't think things are so simple. Rarely do you have purely evil villain or a purely good hero. There's always some sort of circumstance in one's life that pushes them towards one side or the other, but for the most part, there's always some sort of middle ground there. Good people can do bad things. Bad people can do good things. It's all sort of relative.
I think I'd rather give someone the benefit of the doubt until I knew the full story.
- What was your ideal job as a kid? Has that changed? What is your ideal job now?
My career plans as a small child went a lot like this:
I wanted to be an archeologist. Then one day, I was playing behind the couch at my aunt's house while my family was watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I happened to pop up from behind the couch at the exact moment the bad guy rips out the other guy's still-beating heart and then sacrifices him in a pit of fire. After that, being an archeologist didn't seem like a good idea.
Next, I wanted to be an astronaut. I was home sick from school one day, lying on the couch and watching the space shuttle Challenger launch on TV. Needless to say, I saw something I was not expecting. I think I was probably too young to process what happened (though I knew they weren't coming back,) but my aspirations of going into space ended that day.
Two things can be gleaned from that: A., I have the worst timing EVER; and B. I like adventurous, exciting jobs until I realize that one can actually be killed in the process. *facepalm* Then, I pause and reflect. I don't think that's really changed much. I don't mind a little danger, as it can be exciting, but I'm still a "look before you leap" kinda girl.
Nowadays, I think I'd like to be some sort of entrepreneur, though I'd definitely be more on the helping people side than monetary gain (to quote Shaggy from Scooby Doo, "materialism's not really my bag, man." Given we artists don't make much money until we're dead, there's no sense in false hope there.) I'm very interested in tiny houses and the whole eco-friendly approach to building. I'd like to build stuff and make things with my hands. I could also see myself growing veggies and living off of the land and doing the whole Thoreau thing. :)
- If you were able to invent one spell, potion, or charm, what would it do, what would you use it for or how would you use it, and what would you call it?
Temporomandibulus! *swish and flick* This spell would immediately fix TMJ disorder - no more annoying pain, no more clicking/popping jaw, and all the bubble gum and jaw breakers me and my fellow sufferers could chew. Would totally be helpful. Oh yes. *rubs jaw, misses gum*
- If you were to face a boggart, what would it turn into? And what does it turn into when you throw the counter-spell, Riddikulus?
It would look like a police officer, because that incorporates a lot of my fears - claustrophobia (locked in a school bathroom by my teacher at age 12;) forcefulness or me feeling threatened (been in situations where I could not feasibly defend myself - I fear situations where I must endure some sort of abuse;) and guns/rifles (having a five year old point a loaded shotgun at you will do that) - into one heavily-armed person
(No offense to any police officers out there.)
Riddikulus? I'm going to steal one from Farscape: pink high heels. Or anything they did to Harris in the Police Academy movies. That would totally crack me up.
- What do you look for in a friend?
To be honest, I don't go looking for friends. They often find me. :) Usually, I hit it off with people who have a sense of humor, who are kind, caring, easy-going and can discuss heavy subjects without getting upset and wanting to throw things at me. ;)
- What trait most annoys you about other people?
There's two things, actually:
- People who judge other people based on appearances. It's happened to me too many times for me to like it. You know, if someone isn't well-dressed, maybe there's a reason behind it? Maybe they don't have the money, maybe they're sad or grieving, maybe they don't have indoor plumbing, etc., etc. And yes, maybe there are some people who just don't care. But maybe they've got reasons, too, and I figure, who am I to judge them for it?
It's even worse when someone judges another for something that's beyond their control. That...no. Just no. >:(
- People who take fun things far too seriously. I think an example of that would be fandom arguments. Being a crackfic writer, I don't really take anything seriously. If the mood strikes me, I might write about one ship one day, the opposing ship the day after, and a maybe a threesome between the characters the day after that. It's all meant to be in good fun, but it always worries me that I'm going to make someone angry. I've ran into people before who like to get all nitpicky with things and take things out of context, wanting to argue about something or other and I'm like "did you miss the smiley face at the end? Or the fact this is humor?" Cause I'd rather be off mpregging all of the males or sending the Marauders against a pack of irate Klingons or something fun like that than arguing with someone in my spare time (not that I'll back down, but I'm more of the "we're all friends here let's group hug!" type.)
- What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?
- Inventiveness. Things break, and I figure out how to do something without the broken object (when the coffee pot broke, I used a bowl, a strainer with the coffee filter and boiling water to make it.) I can look at what I have and somehow make things work. It's unorthodox and I get funny stares, but no one complains, either. ;)
- Adaptability. I've been told by others that I'm strong, given some of the things I've been through in the past (such as the death of a parent at a young age, pretty serious bullying, etc.,) but I sometimes have a hard time believing it because I feel somewhat weak at times. Frequent nightmares and phobias will do that, I suppose. I will say that I can adapt to my circumstances, though. When things get tough, I can shift my mind off of it - I distract myself until things pass - and do what I can to fix things the best I can. I haven't been beaten down yet. :)
- Imagination. I'm forever coming up with stuff, and as a fic writer, I've been pretty prolific - I have over 60 fics written since Jan. 2009, and there would no doubt be more had land-comms not slowed me down. There was one night, in fact, after a chat with a friend where I wrote five short fics in one night, all based on the same subject: medieval toilets (or lack thereof.) I like to say that I have a muse who is a caffeine and sugar addict with ADHD and zero need to sleep - it doesn't take much to get me inspired at all. :)
- Competitiveness. I'm not ashamed to say, I play to win. I am a good loser (I've done it enough,) but I don't like it and will work as hard as I can to avoid it. The last land-comm I did, for example, I was MVP three consecutive rounds - one of which I didn't play for a full round. I've pulled all-nighters, worked while in pain (both emotional and physical,) spent 12+ hours on a challenge project, etc. - anything to keep from letting my team and my friends down.
- I can sleep nearly anywhere. I've fallen asleep in chairs, in a tent, on the floor, couches, etc., etc. I kinda think that's a pretty helpful quality to have, given I never quite know what to expect these days...
- What do you think are your top five weaknesses or worst qualities?
- I have the attention-span of a gnat. For example, I've been skipping around on the questions here, stopping mid-sentence to do another thing and then back again. It's probably amazing I finish anything at all. *facepalm*
- Procrastination. I mod a land-comm that starts a new round this coming Monday. I should be creating games. Instead, I'm doing this app and will stress to the point of tears Sunday night. I know this, I do it anyway and I make little sense, I swear... (ETA: I finished and I didn't cry! WOOT.)
- I turn into Professor Snape on a bad day crossed with a dragon with a head cold if I'm woken up from sleep. I am seriously THAT irate. I'm not sure why I'm like that, but it's like my one thing that I really don't like anyone to mess with. Proper sleep keeps me happy.
- Thinking I can fix everything. I have this quirk about wanting to solve problems - likely because I've been faced with so many. I think above all, I want to be happy, I want other people to be happy, for everything to work out and things just to be easy and relaxing. When something breaks, I want to put it back together or find a solution that'll make it work. If a problem is particularly bad, I can become a bit obsessed with it. Problem is (no pun intended,) sometimes problems don't have a solution and that annoys the heck out of me. :-/
- I ramble. *looks at app* You may have noticed. ;)
- Define in your own words the following key traits:
- Courage: Not running away while urinating self and screaming "OMG WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!" when faced with impossible odds. Urinating self while standing up to impossible odds is okay, though.
- Loyalty: Standing by a person until the end, even if you know they're wrong, and even if it means facing impossible odds with poor bladder control (see courage above.)
- Intelligence: The ability to learn and adapt to whatever life throws at you (in the case of lemons, being able to figure out how to make lemonade without a recipe, without sugar, without a pitcher to put it in, etc. and saying as you hold up your hands, "DON'T PANIC. I can do this.")
- Ambition: Working hard and never giving up, no matter what.
- Name: J!
- Age: 32
- Where did you find out about us? Saw a link somewhere on the LJ homepage.
- Do you plan on being active in the communities once you are sorted? *looks at app* NO OF COURSE NOT! *wink wink nod nod nudge nudge j/k* :D
sorted: slytherin,
term xxiii