dimwitted creation of science

I’m lucky in that I’ve only been really sick a few times in my life. The most severe case I can think of is when I was about 10, and I had a couple of weirdly high bouts of fever (one was as high as 104.7 for two days) and had to get ~20 blood tests done in two weeks. My arms and head ached constantly. I don’t remember much else, because I was delirious or drugged for a lot of it; it wasn’t fun. (And I just suddenly got better after a fortnight; my docs never did figure out what was wrong with me!)

I also had some seizures when I was littler, around 4 years old, like febrile seizures (the kind that very young babies get). I remember being mad as hell when they made me hold still in the MRI machine and then put these sticky contacts on my head, haha! I wasn’t scared, just pissed. XD (I was a bossy little kid who didn’t like being told what to do…uh…okay, yeah, not much has changed. ;P)

Rapunzel: Do you like being outside?

Sometimes! I love the moderate winters we get here in Arizona, but in the summer it’s just too hot to enjoy being outside. Plus my allergies always act up if I’m out for too long, haha. Guess I’m just not much of an outdoorsy person unless a picnic blanket and/or park bench is involved!

Beauty and the Beast: What makes a person beautiful in your eyes?

A sense of humor. Well-developed (or developing) sense of self-awareness. Willingness to change, and to accept change in others. A desire for growth. A genuine smile. :)

Godfather Death: What qualities do you think make a good parent?

The most important qualities I can think of (beyond “just being there,” which is kind of a given for an active parent) are empathy, and a willingness to forgive. My mom was a social worker, my sibs are adopted, I’ve had personal issues with my family, and I’ve worked in foster care, so I’ve had a LOT of experience with what happens when these things are absent from a parent-child relationship.

Empathy is important in the same way that it is in any human interaction, in that it makes others feel validated and it keeps you from turning into a sociopath, while forgiveness is something that every parent/guardian has to learn if they want to have a close bond with their child. Kids act up, and they grow apart from you, and they do things that you might not like—but they still need you to be there, to be present, and to love them with all your heart. So I guess that takes a certain amount of bravery, too; you have to trust in your child as they first trusted in you. Three things, then. c:

Little Red Riding Hood: Do you trust strangers easily?

Yes and no—I tend to be a little too attached to my first impression of someone, be that for good or ill. For example, if I see someone acting aggressive toward a waiter in a restaurant, I wouldn’t trust them as easily as I’d trust someone whom I’d seen hold the door for the lady coming in with three kids. You know? :)

The Seven Ravens: Do you have any siblings? How is your relationship with them?

Yep, a brother and a sister! (My bro is early-college-age, and my sis is in the middle of high school.) I get along pretty well with both of them, at least since I moved out to go to college—I’m not the easiest person to live with, what with my mountains of schoolwork (well, not anymore, but yeah) and my OCD-like tendencies. I’m also really bossy and nitpicky when I get stressed, so that didn’t make things any easier. XP

Another thing that makes our family interesting is our…very varied interests. My brother’s into cars, racing, and Call of Duty, while my sister loves high class fashion, softball, and talking on the phone with friends until all hours of the night. Neither of them really likes school, and neither of them enjoys reading for fun. And then you have me, the nerdy, cosplaying, perfectionistic, unathletic bookworm. WELL THEN. XD (It’s a good thing we love each other, hmm?)

Pinocchio: What is your greatest wish?

Ooh, that’s a tough one. I’d have to say my greatest wish—or at least my greatest motivating factor—is to spread joy in the world. I want to be happy and express myself, of course, but I also want to help others discover their positive means of expression (art, writing, talking, anything!).

Saying “I wish” in this day and age implies a sense of futility, as though you think your wish will never come true, but I don’t think this is always the case. So, I wish that I was strong enough to be the person that people feel they can come to with their problems, and to be brave enough to find my own happiness while doing so. c:

You know what’s funny, I’m not sure I know, myself! I’m comfortable having faith in some sort of higher power (Christianity, deism, etc.), and with the possibility of prophets, but also with the concepts of reincarnation/Paradise, and multiple lesser powers (sort of like paganism/Hinduism?? idk), as well as karma (in a vague, “you reap what you sow” sort of way).

I also hate the way that many organized religions seem to like telling people how to live their lives; morality is so flexible and individually-based that I think everyone has clashes with their beliefs sometimes, and that’s not a bad thing. (It really irks me when people say that being LGBT, or not going to church, or whatever, is “wrong.” Okay, you think it’s wrong. That doesn’t mean you get to dictate what I do, beyond keeping me from infringing on your rights. :P)

So yeah. XD I can’t say that I fit any major definitions of a specific faith. But I’m okay with that! (To shorten this up, I tend to tell people that I identify as “open-minded,” and leave it at that.) ;)

Thanks for asking, Jason! :D

8. Biggest turn-offs: Hmmm…well, other than a really bad smell or general creepiness, the one thing that has always made me IMMEDIATELY turn and run away from a potential partner has gotta be poor taste in humor. Not just, like, being unable to tell jokes (because that can be kind of adorable). What gets on my nerves is telling—and laughing at—misogynist, racist, ableist, or other offensive “jokes.” It just gets me SO MAD. Not the best way to get on my good side, haha. (Also, on a more lighthearted note, insulting my fandoms/ships/general geekiness. You will be summarily sat down and lectured for at least an hour if you do this. XD)

22. The meanest thing anyone has ever said to me: “You deserve everything bad that has ever happened to you.”

34. My biggest pet peeves: I’ll just pick a few (other than the above-mentioned one, haha). Ranked from “a bit irritating” to “will have me enraged in seconds”: Having to repeat myself a bajillion times because the person I’m talking to isn’t listening/doesn’t care, people who intentionally blow smoke in the faces of passers-by (I have ALLERGIES), and people who buy pets or have children because of a trend or whim (usually to abandon them later). I mean, c’mon. Who does that?! -.- (It’s, uh, kind of a personal issue of mine. Me being an MSW/pet-owner and all. >.>)

Thanks for asking, darlin’! c: <33