#ilonasaurus

I was tagged by ilonasaurus - thanks, dear!

The rules are: Rule 1: always post the rules Rule 2: answer the questions the person who tagged you wrote, then write 11 new ones. Rule 3: tag 11 people. Rule 4: tell them that you tagged them. Rule 5: tag “#tag”.

Questions are:

1. Would you like to be able to fly or dive? // wings or mermaid things? Oooh, this is a tough one! I actually like being high up, like climbing or being on a plane, and I would LOVE to be able to fly. Also, I’m a sucker for wing!lock - it’s one of my favorite tropes/AUs. On the other hand, I love the ocean and am planning to take a course in diving, so being able to do mermaid things would be awesome (incidentally, “Arielle the little mermaid” was the first movie I ever saw in a cinema). So: Tough choice, but I will go with... mermaid things!

2. If you could keep only one book from your bookshelf, what would it be? Nooo, keeping only one book would be torture! Don’t do this to me, ever! But to answer the questions, if I really, really, REALLY had to decide on one book, it would probably be The Lord of the Rings trilogy (hey, that is NOT cheating, I have an edition with all three volumes bound in one book, so there).

3. When someone visits your home, what will stick in their mind? Adorable nerd (hopefully)!

4. The most traumatising childhood television memory? Don’t think I have one, in fact.

5. Do you have everything planned? YES! I am definitely the planning type.

6. Would you rather spend your night alone or with the last person you spoke to? Definitely the last person I spoke to. In fact, I AM spending the night with him :)

7. What song describes your life at the moment? Wise Guys “Jetzt ist Sommer”

8. What song would you like to be about your life? Katy Perry “Firework”

9. What super cool scifi invention thing would you like to be real? If beaming were real, that would be awesome, since I love to travel but I hate getting to my destination.

10. Are your shoes mainly goodlooking or comfortable? Comfortable - I hate it if something just looks pretty without working properly/being uncomfortable...

11. What is the latest movie you’ve seen and how did you like it? I think that was probably “Avengers 2: Age of Ultron”. I saw it on a Saturday noon because my apartment was completely uninhabitable due to the heat wave, and the cinema at least had air-conditioning. Decent popcorn movie, though I disliked how they treated the infertility issue (I am SO sick of the “Omg I cannot have kids, I’m such a monster and my life is worthless” angle).

So, now on to my question:

1. Who/what is your favorite fictional character?

2. What are you looking forward to the most?

3. Have you ever done something that you never told/confessed to anybody?

4. If there was a zombie apocalypse, who would you want next to you (either for fighting or hiding or simply surviving)?

5. If you could chose any real or fantasy animal/being, what would be your pet?

6. Which book/movie/... was the last to make you cry?

7. What superpower would you like to have?

8. What is your favorite quote/motto?

9. What is your best quality/biggest strength?

10. What is the longest time that you went without sleep?

11. What is your favorite thing to do on the weekends?

That one is quite hard, you should continue to level up in the rest of the map! 

ilonasaurus answered your question “there is this rift in the Hinterlands that is really hard to close -...”

If it's the one quite near the Horsemaster Dennet's place, up and left on the map, then yes it is difficult. I just left it there and returned later when I had gained more level :)

Kiitos!

Wow, you went through all of that in a day? Sorry to inflinct that much confusion and angst into an otherwise quite lovely Saturday. Although I am proud of myself in managing to draw you in, so actually I retract that apology. I’m not sorry at all!

Name your 10 favorite characters from movies or TV series, then tag 10 friends.

I was tagged by the wonderful foiledmonsters! I'm not nearly as eloquent as her in explaining why I love these characters, but I'll give it a try anyway.

1) Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) - Sherlock: Yeah, I know, you're all yawning already, because this is so very obvious, but I still couldn't help putting Sherlock at the top of the list. I love John dearly, don't get me wrong, but I feel more connected to Sherlock. The way he pretends so hard to be a high-functioning sociopath but fails so spectacularly, it just breaks my heart. As a scientist, I identify with his thirst for knowledge, and I understand how hard it must be for him to appear cold and unfeeling on the outside, to keep up the facade, and to never be anything less than brilliant, because otherwise he's useless and worthless, and nobody will ever care for him, everybody just puts up with him because he has utility... I can't wait to see him realize his mistake - I am looking forward to Mofftisson ripping my heart to shreds and then patching it back together again. The bottom line: I just love my small (gay) son, and I really, really want him to be happy!

2) Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) - The X-Files: Dana Sully and Fox Mulder were my first OTP. I grew up with the X-Files, it was my first fandom (though I guess I only lurked at the fringes), the first fanfic I ever read was a shipper fic (though I unfortunately can't remember which one), and it was the first series that I watched undubbed (because Germany is weird that way - everything gets dubbed here, on television and in the cinema). I loved the dynamics between Mulder and Scully, how their respect, understanding and love grows over time. And though I admire Mulder's ability to believe the unbelievable and to think the unthinkable, I always identified more with Scully: She was the scientist, the doctor, the sceptic. And a very strong woman, too. Back in the days, I admired Scully, and today I still do.

3) Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) - Torchwood: Captain Jack is a fairly recent addition to my team of favorite characters. I like that he is unabashedly open about his sexuality, and I admire his self-confidence. He is compassionate, and very protective of those close to him. He struggles with his past, but that only makes him more human, and he is so very strong despite his weaknesses. I'm going to miss him very much!

4) Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) - Game of Thrones: I read the books by George R. R. Martin first, but I was not disappointed when I saw the HBO series. Daenerys is strong, persistent, brave, kind, caring, patient - in fact, I very much hope she gets to sit on the Iron Throne in the end, because there could be no better ruler of Westeros than her. All hail Daenerys Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of Meereen, Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, Protector of the Realm, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, called Daenerys Stormborn, the Unburnt, Mother of Dragons!

5) Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) - The Lord of the Rings: Again, I read the book before I saw the movies, and despite quite a lot of overall artistic licence, I think they got Aragorn just right. Viggo Mortensen plays him with such deep emotion it really pulls on my heartstrings every time I rewatch the movies. His love for Arwen is true and pure, and he is filled with so much tenderness and sadness. At the same time, he is an excellent leader, decisive, strong, strategic, but most of all, he is not greedy for power. Like Daenerys, he is a good ruler because he would gladly give his life to protect the people under his care. Plus, that scruffy ranger look is just SO hot.

6) Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter) - Dexter: I first wanted to pick Dexter himself, because his character is indeed very interesting, but I then decided for his sister. She's the less obvious choice, since the whole series is all about Dexter, but since her first "Fuck" I have loved Debra to bits. She is tough, courageous, impulsive and headstrong, basically the complete opposite of me, and I wish I could be a bit more like her. She has made it through so many horrible things without breaking, and that strength to endure is something I admire very much. And anybody who can say "Motherfucking suck bag, you cock munching fucking fuck nugget!" has my deepest respect.

7) Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) - The Hobbit: Well yes, hello Martin Freeman! Again, I read the book "The Hobbit" before I saw the movies, but if it hadn't been for the movies, Bilbo Baggins would certainly not be on this list (even apart from the fact that I'm only supposed to list TV and movie characters). Martin Freeman's portrayal of Bilbo is simply sublime. How he can convey so many conflicting emotions with just a simple look or a gesture is a mystery for the ages, but I love it. He made me care deeply for this little Hobbit from the Shire, who seemed content with his comfortable little life in his comfortable little home until adventure called him away. I love to observe him struggling with the power of the One Ring, and his loyalty and love for the dwarves and especially Thorin is so touching. Despite being small, he finds his strength when he needs it the most, and if I ever find myself in a desperate situation, I hope I'll find my courage just like Bilbo did.

8) Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) - Doctor Who: I have liked all the Doctor's companions, each for different reasons, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be Donna Noble. Not unlike Bilbo, she is whisked away into an adventure, and she quickly becomes essential to the Doctor. She makes him more human and a bit more humble. She grounds him, and she does all that while being perfectly normal ordinary. She has an attitude, and even if she sometimes blunders, she is one hell of a badass. I also find it very refreshing that she does not pine for the Doctor: She's not a love interest, she's more like a big sister. And a very funny one at that.

9) James Bond (Daniel Craig) - Skyfall: See, I never liked James Bond. I grew up with Pierce Brosnan's Bond, and I thought he was a slick and slimy macho. Really not my thing. And then Daniel Craig happened. I like my heroes dark, broken and tormented, and Daniel Craig's Bond just gets worse better with each movie. I love how the events of the previous movies leave him hollow and empty, how he's basically unfit for duty in Skyfall but refuses to quit because the job needs to be done, and he's going to do it despite any consequences - just like Judy Dench's M, they both will do whatever it takes, for queen and country, even if it kills them. That level of dedication and self-sacrifice is just damn inspiring.

10) Max Guevara (Jessica Alba) - Dark Angel: I have to confess, Max and Logan were my second OTP. Nevertheless, Max is a very compelling character all by herself. A soldier trained to kill, a survivor navigating a hostile world, an outsider trying to blend in and finding friends in the most unlikely places. She can be selfish, because she has learned the hard way that sentiment is a chemical defect found in the losing side, but she also struggles with her past and her genetics (heat's a bitch, thanks to all that cat DNA), and I love how her character must time and again decide and fight for what she wants, where her loyalties lie, who she loves. Max takes a stand for what she believes in, and she is as fierce as a wildcat. X5-452, you weren't only a great woman, you were a good one.

Tagged by ilonasaurus

The 10 Book Challenge

Sorry, I cheated by listing several book series :)

Rules: In a text post, list ten books that have stayed with you in some way. Don’t take but a few minutes, and don’t think too hard — they don’t have to be the “right” or “great” works, just the ones that have touched you. Tag [NUMBER OF] friends, including me, so I’ll see your list. Make sure you let your friends know you’ve tagged them.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, J.R.R. Tolkien

A Song of Ice and Fire Series, George R.R. Martin

This Night's Foul Work, Fred Vargas (this one was really hard, I love all of Vargas' Commissaire Adamsberg novels)

The Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Patrick Süskind

Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell

Inkheart Trilogy, Cornelia Funke

His Dark Materials Trilogy, Philip Pullman

The Chronicles of Narnia Series, C. S. Lewis