You Win or You Die. Unless you're killed by a White Walker. Then shit just gets crazy.

[claro3.livejournal.com]

This is kind of nerve-wracking, guys! Except not really, 'cause it's the internet. But it's a little nerve-wracking!

Name: Sorrel
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!): Uhh... This is embarrassing... But I googled "which westeros house are you?" *hangs head in shame* I'm sorry, guys, I'm sorry...
Age: 22
Location: New York fuckin' City
Occupation: Study-Study-Student! And tutor. I make my money tutoring. Also getting scholarships. Is that an occupation? Receiver of Scholarships? Maybe. Whatever.




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!.

Oh! This is a tricky questions to answer. There are a number of things I could describe as an "ideal house," and while all of them would be places I would like to live, no single one of them would be my "dream home." A house doesn't exist in a vacuum after all, it implies certain things about lifestyle. So I think this question is as much about the kind of life I want, as it is about the architecture and interior decor I appreciate. Bearing that in mind... My ideal life is as something of a globe-trotter, a frequent flier of sorts. I wish I had a good excuse to galavant from city to city to city, so my ideal home is a series of comfortable pied-a-terres in trusted and pleasing hotels. The Grand Hotel Mediterraneo in Florence (not the best, but I have a sentimental attachment to it), the Mandarin Oriental locations in Boston, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Taipei, Milan, Moscow... But it would be impractical to live out of hotels only. While I don't have an overly sentimental attachment to the notion of a single physical home- I think home is wherever you feel at home, not a specific collection of rooms- I do recognize the pragmatic advantages of a single base of operations. It's useful to have a place to keep a roomful of books, a closetful of clothes, more things than you could fit in practical luggage. So, I'd want to live- or at least keep a permanent residence- in New York City, in one of the condos in the Mandarin Oriental New York. Now, I have no trouble living without concierge service- I love hiking and I live in a tent on an island in a lake with no electricity or running water or way to the mainland except for a canoe one month of the year every year- but damn if having someone a phone call away doesn't make life more convient. So, a condo in a hotel, and a series of hotel rooms in cities where I have a passing familiarity with the native language: that is my version of a dream home.


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!

First, I'd wish for fuck-you money. From a philosophical standpoint, I don't actually believe in fuck-you money. Quite the opposite, in fact. I do not believe any amount of money can shield you from yourself. No matter who you are,  I  believe that "sooner or later the day comes when you can't hide from the things you've done anymore." And even if you are enough of a psychopath or a narcissist that you never feel the cold and burning hand of guilt, you'll die one day. Sooner or later, we'll all be equals in that sense. However, I still want a repulsive amount of wealth. I want to be insulated from daily pragmatic concerns, I don't want to worry ever about buying things, not ever. I want to be able to indulge the people closest to me in the extravagant things I think they deserve, and I want to be able to give- even if it's only a little- to all the things that matter to me. Put it another way, I dislike having to confront the problem of choice, and the majority of limits and choices in my (relatively comfortable) life are the product of financial constraints.

Second, I'd wish for a perfect memory. Perfect. Encyclopedic. I'd wish to be able to remember anything and everything: every face, every name, every word, everything I see, everything I read. It would just be really cool. Imagine having total recall of Shakespeare, Plato, Tolkien, the entire U. S. Code- That would just be so freaking cool. Imagine being able to see someone for the first time in five years and remember flawlessly everything you knew about them then- That would just be cool, guys. That would be so cool.

Third, I'd wish for... Faster reflexes, I think. I wouldn't want to look any different from the way I look now, but I'm not as quick and coordinated as I wish I were.

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. ;)

Oh, shit. Um. Shit. I'm pretty proud of my list of miscellaneous camping- and sports-related skills, and my languages skills, I suppose, but this one wants an accomplishment. Well. I was admitted to the interdisciplinary honors program at my University. I'm quite proud of that. I'm really extremely 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.

God, this is a tough one, too. The most important thing to me, on that list, is knowledge. All things flow from knowledge. I think the ignorant man is lost. The advantage of knowledge isn't that it gives you control over the world around you, it's that it allows you to contextualize your lack of control in an elegant and pacifying way.

The least important is money. Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold the fuck up. Number one on my wish list was fuck-you money, wasn't it? Yes! Yes, it was. But that's a list of wishes, and if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. I wish I had a giant, disgusting, obscene pile of money, yes, it would be nice. I also wish I were a princess with magical powers, a polyglot super-spy, a socialite poet of heart-wrenching talent and soul-rending beauty with a series of tortured, passionate lovers, etc., etc.; I wish all sorts of things, depending on the day of the week and the phase of the moon. Of the things that are really important to me, the things I will put above other things that matter, things I will prioritize and strive for above a level of bare minimum necessity in day to day life, no. Money doesn't make that list.

The whole list, in order, goes knowledge, family, love, friendship, pleasure, adventure, then about a hundred thousand other things including the sound of a purring cat, doggie kisses, and the feeling of grass between my toes, then money, way at the bottom. But I would like to emphasize just how important the first six things on that list are: family, love, friendship, pleasure, adventure were all almost first. They're separated by mere hairsbreadths.

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

For the sake of convenience, I decided to pretend this was asking for a quote from ASoIaF, because there are just... So many things to quote from in the world. And even limiting myself to the relatively small (at least by comparison to the entire collected works of human literature thus far) series we all love, there were a few strong contenders. "No matter what you do, you're forsaking one vow or the other," for instance, and "That's no law, just a sword. Happens I got one too," and of course, "'Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?' 'That is the only time a man can be brave.'" I find a lot of meaning in each of those statements. But in the end, I couldn't go with any of them.

In the end, I think the one that most broadly applies to my personality is Renly's quip that "You may well have the better claim, but I have the bigger army." Now I feel a bit odd quoting this because, unlike Ned, or Jaime, or Yoren, I don't like Renly. I never liked Renly. I didn't dislike him, exactly, but I didn't care for him either. I wasn't sorry to see him go. Not happy, but not sad. I felt no real affinity for him. However, I do feel affinity for that statement. It's fairly straightforward in the context of the wars into which Westeros has devolved, but I think it applies in a larger sense as well. I think it can be read as, and I choose to take it up as, a statement about winning and losing in general. Perhaps you do have the moral high ground, hypothetical opponent, but I have the will to win.

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 manage my money rather poorly. Extremely poorly, actually. I have something of an easy come, easy go attitude. For whatever it's worth, it always comes, and easily, when I need it. It's a low priority for me, but it's also not a source of serious worry.

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

Reading. Reading reading reading reading. Also writing. I just love words. I love them. I'm not sure I care to elaborate on that one. I write fiction, I suppose that's a bit of extra detail. I have some fanfiction floating around LJ, but I play things close to the vest with my original fiction.

Also, I cook, camp, hike, sail, swim, crochet, fence, ride, shoot, ski and am fond of- though bad at- archery.

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

Brown Recluse Spiders. They are native to the area where my family keeps our vacation home, and they can actually kill you. They can kill you. They are extremely poisonous, and they don't warn you if they decide to take up residence in your boots, for instance. I've never actually seen one in person, and I haven't been bitten by any kind of spider in years, but I do not want to encounter one ever.

Waking up to find my home on fire. Look, I actually like fire, it's alluring and beautiful and powerful and lets us cook food, and Dany is my girl, but I'm also a real human being who lives in the real world and fire would kill me. Painfully. Horribly. Waking up to find myself trapped, alone, or even worse, hearing my pets or relatives already suffering, unable to escape or do anything but die a terrible death- that is one of my nightmares. I am scared of the electrical wiring in my house shorting out, I am scared of too dry, too hot weather when I'm camping. I am scared of something happening with the stove. I do not want to die in a fire.

Drowning. Being stuck way out in the middle of a large body of water and succumbing to exhaustion and weakness and the patient ineffable strength of the water and slipping away. Fucking nightmare, man. Fucking nightmare. Or getting pulled out to sea in a riptide, and drowning. Or getting caught in a storm and capsizing, and drowning. Drowning. Not cool.

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.

For the record, this is harder than filling out university applications. Also, prepare for a Jekyll and Hyde best/worst selection.

Best:
I'm a good listener. I can absorb and remember and remain interested in literally hours of virtually uninterrupted monologue. I genuinely enjoy giving people a safe space in which to unload everything that's on their mind.

I'm bold. I am not afraid to introduce myself to people, to speak my mind, to get things done. And when I decide that something needs to get done... It. Gets. Done.

I'm sociable! I'm good at dinner parties. No, seriously, I am. I am not overselling here. I have tons of inane trivia at my disposal, all of it easily transformed into cocktail hour banter, and I can socialize with just about anyone. I can schmooze, baby, I can schmooze with the best of 'em. I could probably justify putting "small talk" under hobbies.


Worst:
I am hot-tempered and I can hold a grudge. If I love you and you make me unhappy, I'll snap and snarl and maybe even scream, and then it will be over. If I don't know you, or don't like you, I'll smile polite-like and hold a viscous grudge forever. That bit of self-contradiction runs in the family.

I am prone to extended foul moods, of both the morose and sour, disagreeable sort. There are weeks where I find everything around me to be vaguely repulsive, and I'm dreadfully forward about letting everyone know. I can remain recalcitrant, sullen, and venomous for days on end. Likewise, I can spend days in a prolonged fit of melancholy.

My ego is way more than healthy. I'm prideful.





A Song of Ice and Fire Related

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

Jaime. I- I just love tortured, pretty men, okay? I'm sorry for being so shallow. I could say things about Brienne, I suppose. No, no, it's more than the fact that's he pretty, I promise. Even in the beginning of A Game of Thrones, even when he pushed poor sweet Bran off the tower, I felt for him. (At least I did in the book, I didn't like him very much in the show at that moment.) But that moment, in the book! Everything about it reads so differently: the impulse, the need, to know Bran's age seemed so... Sad, and masochistic. And the line! The infamous line... He doesn't say it casually. He says it "with loathing." I knew there was something going on there. I knew it. And there was.

Daenerys. I suppose I love her for the same reason I love Jaime: from the first moment she stepped onstage, I thought there was something going on there, and I couldn't wait to see what it was. And she didn't disappoint. Her growth over the course of the books so far has been magnificent, I've loved every moment of her journey, and I can not wait to see where she ends up.

I can only pick one more? God, you people are evil! Okay. This is rough. Petyr? I adore that scheming wretch. Sansa, my sweet darling, so frustrating for so long? Tyrion, my spirit animal? Arya, my poor blind angel? Jon Targar- I mean Jon Snow, truly magnificent bastard? No. No. All strong contenders, but no.

No. Actually, it's not that hard, because I've saved the best for last.

I have to go with Ned. I don't care that he died in the first book, I don't care that I spent most of that book wanting to slap him silly. I was only enraged because I cared. Ned is the character who really truly finally drew me into the series. I was wavering for the first few chapters, and it was Ned's voice that caught me, and drew me in. He is, and will always be, my absolute favorite.

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

Cersei. Cersei. Cersei Cersei Cersei. Does this seem two-faced of me? Loving Jaime and hating Cersei? I suppose it does. But, c'est la vie. I detest her. I hated her from the moment she had Lady butchered out of pettiness and spite, and I have never stopped hating her. I could have forgiven her Bran, even though to my mind that was much more her doing than Jaime's. And there's a certain self-satisfaction, almost a pleasure, to her scheming- nothing has been able to shake me of the impression that she is utterly wicked. I don't care how much we've learned about her since, I don't care that she's multifaceted and interesting, first impressions count. She was vile, small, cruel and detestable in the beginning and that impression has remained. She can rot in the Great Sept of Baelor for all I care.

Varys. This one is another purely visceral one. He just skeeved me the the fuck out. I did not appreciate his existence, at all. I am sure he'll return to us before the game is up, and in some ways having him offstage, untethered, is much more disturbing than having him skittering around King's Landing, scheming in relative daylight. I loathe that creep.

Oh, only one again? This is... Almost a tough choice. Stannis? Melisandre? Walder fucking Frey? Mirri Maz Duur? I can not overstate the degree to which I found Mirri's death completely justified, which, given my feelings about fire, is saying quite a lot. Do characters who were dead before the books began count? 'Cause Aerys, Christ, that freak. Viserys is also a strong contender.

But I think I'll have to go with Robert Baratheon. Someone on the internet observed that "9 out of 10 problems in Westeros can be directly attributed to Cersei's vagina." As much as I hate Cersei, I can't agree with that. I think seven out of ten problems in Westeros can be directly attributed to Robert's petulant, inept, expensive, self-indulgent rule. I blame you, Robert Baratheon, for every bad thing that has happened since Ned Stark set out south with you. Every. Single. Thing. I know lots of people contributed in lots of small ways, Cersei and her vagina, Ned and his honor, so on and so forth, but if you'd had your shit together, you obnoxious lazy ass, those people would not have had any snowballing disasters to contribute to in the first place. Robert Baratheon, Worst King Since the Awful Guy Who Was King Before Him.

3.#1 Favorite moment in all of ASOIAF so far? Why?

This really is worse than a University application. It really, really is. Um. I am tempted to say when Tyrion killed Tywin, because... God. Talk about a long time coming. But no, I have to go all the way back to the beginning of the series, actually. Dany, emerging from the fire with the dragons. Everything of Dany's former life and former self has burned away, leaving her as new-born and pure as her freshly hatched dragons: the metaphor alone knocks me down. But that's not why it's my favorite moment. I almost gave up on the entire series when Ned died, you see. Almost. But I thought: no, no, let me at least finish the first book and see what happens. And Dany happened. Ned drew me into the series, and Dany convinced me to stick around.

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

I have an extremely long, obnoxiously detailed dream endgame, but I'll do the short version instead:

Jon Snow, the Bastard King, Frist of His Name, last Targaryen of Westeros, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Defender of the Wall, Bane of the Iron Islands, Scourge of the White Walkers, Restorer of Seasons, Seated by Right and Blood upon the Iron Throne. His reign brought to a close the era of chaos which followed the short and disastrous reign of Robert Baratheon the Usurper. He was served faithfully by his Hand, Petyr Baelish. He was attentive, clever and just, and was rarely seen out of the company of his direwolf, Ghost. He was given no children by his Queen, Margaery of House Tyrell, but their marriage was no less happy for it. He was succeeded by his brother, Brandon Stark, who was in turn succeeded by Eddard, eldest son of Rickon Stark. (Edited at 10:56 EST, Tuesday, July 5th, because I dropped a magical extra letter into Rickon's name, you know, like you do.)

Daenerys Stormborn, Mother of Dragons, She-Who-Restored-Valyria, Queen of the East. Through her great power and wisdom, the last pure Targaryen raised again the Empire of Valyria. She took no husband and bore no children, and was succeeded by an adopted heir.

Comments

Stark

[misstopia.livejournal.com]

Targaryen over a very prominent streak of Lannister. I am about as surprised as ... something very unsurprised ... that Jaime and Dany are among your favorites, heheheh. Anyway you say you are prideful and bold, but there's also a strong dislike of irresponsibility, and I can see that boldness and this perfectionistic streak I see here and the desire to come out on top and win applying to Targaryen as well as Lannister. Hot-tempered, capable of big grudges and fits of melancholy, and hey you love fire! I mean, the tone is very Lannister to me but I think between the lines you're a bit more of a dragon than a lion (with bits of Tyrell and Martell). Very close though!

Stark

[direwolfdragon.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately Baratheon isn't a choice for a house here :( I was tempted with Targaryen for a bit, but I think that Tyrell would fit the best.


(And yes, as a professional student myself, I agree the time spent researching and applying for grants and scholarships, combined with keeping the grades up there to get the most free money, does count as a job :P)

Lannister

[mirasango.livejournal.com]

Your best and worse qualities and how you answered the question regarding money leads me to vote Targaryen

Tully

[kibethsbark.livejournal.com]

I'm getting definite bits of Targaryen, Martell, and Lannister, but I have to agree with misstopia's reasoning above for Targaryen.

Stark

[matitablu.livejournal.com]

I pretty much agree with Miss but to me the Lannister vibe is the strongest, but yeah, either that or Targ.

Stark

[wandaxmaximoff.livejournal.com]

Rhaegar much? LOL

Based on your best & worst qualities, your desire to win, you three wishes answer and your book answers, my vote goes to Targaryen, with a strong streak of Lannister.

Lannister

[lilith-morgana.livejournal.com]

I see some lion in you, but not enough for a vote even if I'd like to have you in my house for this quote alone:

I blame you, Robert Baratheon, for every bad thing that has happened since Ned Stark set out south with you. Every. Single. Thing.

So true. :)

I'll go with Targaryen instead, though.

Re: Lannister

[claro3.livejournal.com]

I am so glad people agree about Robert. Also, thank you for the vooooote. :)

Tully

[fallingtowers.livejournal.com]

I see the dragon and lion, too, but I actually think you're a kraken. Greyjoy,it is.

Lannister

[thessalian.livejournal.com]

Tyrell, all the way.

Stark

[writergirl423.livejournal.com]

I saw the iron of Greyjoy throughout.

Tyrell

[we-got-caught.livejournal.com]

Lannister screams at me.

Stark

[ice-elf.livejournal.com]

I saw some lion but there was slightly more Targaryen so I chose to put you there.

Also, those spiders. Do. Not. Want.

Lannister

[embossedsilver.livejournal.com]

Robert Baratheon, Worst King Since the Awful Guy Who Was King Before Him.

I want you in my house only for this sentiment! But, while there is some Lannister in you, I think Martell and Targaryen are stronger. I think you would do well in both houses, but in the end I went with Targaryen, for many of the reasons misstopia said. Bold, hot-tempered, adventurous, valuing knowledge above all else? Yeah.

Also, I lived in a dorm infested with those spiders one year and D:

Lannister

[sakuraberries]

I'm feeling Greyjoy; something in the way you answered your questions (along with the answers too, of course).

That's an interesting outcome, Dany being Queen of the East. One I've never thought of.

Also, your name is really, really pretty.

Re: Lannister

[claro3.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you. It was my dad's doing.

Lannister

[rvillarrubia.livejournal.com]

I think Targaryen

Stark

[esc-key.livejournal.com]

I was thinking a Lannister, kind of Tyrion and Jaime combined.

Tyrell

[hamsterwoman]

Targaryen, ultimately. I waffled back and forth on that and Lannister, and even considered Tyrell (you're fun at dinner parties! and want Margaery for Jon's queen), but I think Targaryen edges out Lannister as the best fit for the various reasons already stated.

Tully

[just-a-dram.livejournal.com]

It is tough between Lannister and Targaryen, but I'm going with the latter.

Martell

[ohioala19.livejournal.com]

Lannister

I was stuck between Targaryen and Lannister, but in the end I had to go with my first impression, so Lannister it is.

Lannister

[windfury.livejournal.com]

Targaryen

Stark

[kitrinlu.livejournal.com]

Targaryen

Targaryen

[guad.livejournal.com]

Greyjoy

Tyrell

[greyfable.livejournal.com]

Targaryen, with a streak of Lannister, too. I really enjoyed reading your app! :)

Lannister

[ladynyks.livejournal.com]

This is vengeful/grudge-bearing Martell territory more so to me. Sun-fiery, not as much the dragonfire. You hate like a Martell, I suspect. There are Lannister tones in some of the text, and I imagine Tyrion could develop foul moods if later developments drove him further into such territories, but proud and venomous is thus far more the snakes. Grudges + hot tempers running in the family. Faster reflexes = Oberyn spearing things, Sand Snakes.

Stark

[raikune.livejournal.com]

hmmm definitely seeing some Targ but ultimately going for Martell