westerosorting | Win or Die

Name: Novindalf/Nia
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mrstater's LJ
Age: 19
Location: England
Occupation: Student

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 suppose it would be greedy to say I have two? Because I’ve never been able to decide between a Tudor-style cottage, and a house/flat with all the mod-cons. I guess my ideal house, would be one that looked Tudor-esque on the outside, but on the inside was pretty modern, although still with the right features, like dark wooden beams, a huge fireplace, wooden floors with thick rugs, flagstones in the kitchen... Oh, and a library. I don't care about how tiny it is, but it's always been my dream to have a library of my own (preferably with another fireplace, and those big squishy armchairs =D). Location-wise, quite close to a city, but still in the countryside.

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!
- A photographic memory. As a student in the midst of revision right now, I could really do with the ability to take in everything in seconds.
- The ability to travel in time. I'm often fascinated by unanswered/disputed questions about the past/mythology (did Troy/Robin Hood/Merlin/Arthur/Atlantis really exist?, why are so few of Shakespeare's first folios not written in his own handwriting?, etc.) so to be able to go back in time and find out the truth would be incredible.
- A cure for illnesses like cancer, AIDS, diabetes, and mental illnesses. Having lost family members to some of the illnesses above, and seen first-hand what others do to the sufferers and their families, I would wish for a cure that could stop the suffering and pain for those affected.

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. ;) I suppose getting into my university has to be the top one, because it's the first time that I've achieved something entirely by myself through my own hard work. I worked so hard with my A-Levels, and I'm really proud of how I did, not because I got top grades or anything, but because I know how much effort I put in, and I got the results I wanted, and into the uni I've always wanted to go to.

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. Love is the most important, be it familial, romantic, or from friends. I guess that kind of encompasses 'Family' and 'Friendship', but to me the two are interlinked with 'Love', so I can't personally seperate them. I never feel more happy that being in the knowledge of love in some form, nor have I ever felt more alone than when I feel without it. A hug to me is worth so much more than praise or knowledge or money.
Adventure would be the least important. I'm not particularly adventurous at all; I much prefer to stick with what I know and what/who/where I feel comfortable with, that go gallivanting off in search of something new and exciting.

5. What's one quote (or passage, song lyric, etc.) that effectively describes you and your values? Explain.
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
- 'Iris' by the Goo Goo Dolls
I've always related to this whole song, but this lyric in particular. It kind of ties in with the 'don't judge a book by its cover' ideal, but I think that in this day and age especially when so much emphasis is placed on appearance and how you portray yourself to other people, there's a tendency to either hide a part of yourself from the world, or to think yourself insignificant because you don't like up to this 'perfect' image. There are so many people out there who are overlooked in whatever situation, or who feel the need to act 'like everybody else', that they are forgotten about. This particular lyric sums up my feelings, as one of those individuals, in that I do feel the need to hide certain aspects of myself from everyone, because I would be scorned or laughed at or mocked, and I do feel I am judged by complete strangers before they even try to get to know me. I'm certainly not the only person like this, and since I know how it feels, I do my best to give heart to those in a similar situation, because it's not all about trying to live up to an unattainable perfection which doesn't exist, and we shouldn't spend our lives in that shadow.

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 seperate it out as soon as I can, into money to save and money to spend. As a student the 'to spend' bit often tends to have the larger portion, but when I can, I save what I can. I've been brought up to know the value of money and have always had a good example set by my parents. Financial security is important, but there's a line between that and frugality. I wouldn't like to spend my life hoarding every penny, but neither would I like to live with the shadow of debt looming over me.

7. Name (and elaborate on) some of your hobbies. What are your favorite things to do outside of school/the office? Reading, photography, dance, writing, icon-making, swimming and walking are my main hobbies. Whenever I can spare the time I will read and read and read, though sadly that become more and more rare of late. I tend to read more fiction than non-fiction, but at the moment I have nine books out to read on the Industrial Revolution/19th Century Britain, because it's a period which fascinates me, and which I'd like to learn more about. Writing is another thing that I love, be it journals or original fiction or poetry or fanfiction. I love to record memories/moments/places through photography, because I don't have the best memory in the world, and I don't like the idea of forgetting things I've done. Photographing things/places that mean a lot to me or that I find particularly beautiful, or that I am proud of, is something I find really satisfying. In terms of dance, I did ballroom and Latin American dance for several years and loved it, and I've now taken up ballet and Irish dance, the latter of which I have wanted to do for ages - since I was about three or four or so. I love the freedom of swimming and being able to just float or scull for ages completely immersed in thought (and love long baths for the same reason!), and being able to go for a walk, particularly in spring, and amble around the countryside is such a lovely way to spend a few hours. Icon-making is something that I only started in the last year or so, but I love being able to experiment and learn new things, in the same way that general arts-and-crafts were great when I was little (i.e. cutting and sticking and trying to sew =P).

8. Name three things you are afraid of. Explain.
- Death. I'm more agnostic than atheist, because while I can't believe everything that religion tells us, I like the idea of there being something other than nothing at the end. The idea of hell terrifies me, but not as much as death being completely final, and it just being an endless eternity of nothingness.
- Deep water where you can't see what is there. I'm not entirely sure how this phobia came about. I've never been particularly scared of the dark, so I guess this is my own version of nyctophobia. The idea of there being things in the water that you can't see, that could brush past you (or worse) any second really gives me chills, and I wouldn't like to fall into the sea/a lake/etc. where I couldn't see the bottom, although I'm not scared of the water itself, and (as I said above), I love swimming.
- The unknown. I suppose that fear of death and deep water both fall into this, but I really don't like not knowing/understanding things. Those things at fairs/museums where there are those boxes you have to put your hand in and you don't know what is going to be in there is another form of this I guess, and I can never bring myself to do that without a heck of a lot of self-restraint (and panic).

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.
Worst:
- One of my worst is certainly my tendency to linger on conversations/memories/actions, often to destructive consequences. I worry far too much about things I said/did/etc. (or didn't), and get really worked up about it all, far too easily.
- I procrastinate far too much - me filling this in rather than revising being just one example of that - and I shy away from things that scare me and put them off and put them off until I have not choice but to get on with them, and by then it's basically too late. Often that's becoming more and more like laziness, and I end up telling myself just to get a move on.
I'm also incredibly stubborn. Ever since I was little I've always hated asking for help (such as with homework), and now it's more like I won't admit I need help with something even when it becomes blindingly obvious to everyone (including myself), and - again - I'll get so worked up about it all that it becomes pretty self-destructive in the end.

Best:
- I'm kind. If ever I see anyone in need of help, or a shoulder to cry on, or someone to talk to, I'll see what I can do to help them. (Urgh, the irony).
- I'm quite smart, and I like to learn.
- I'm very protective of people I care about, and I will defend them fiercely if I have to. It's never come to it before (and I pray it never will), but I hope I would have the strength to defend them with actions as well as with words if they were ever in danger.

A Song of Ice and Fire Related
1. How many books from the series have you completed? I've read all of them.

2. Who are your favorite three characters in the series? Why? Catelyn, Cersei and Sansa.
I still can't put my finger on why I like Catelyn so much, but I think it's because she's not in a position of power, and as a woman she's at a disadvantage in this world, yet she's so fiercely protective of those she loves. I loved what Michelle Fairley said about how if she could, Catelyn would like nothing more than to enfold everyone she cares about in her arms and take them all back to Winterfell and lock the doors behind them. She's so protective of those she loves, and it hurts her all the more because of it when she loses them.
Similarly with Cersei, her struggle against her position (or lack of it) and her place in this world is fascinating. Especially when Margaery is introduced as the younger, more beautiful woman who will overthrow her as queen, it's brilliant to see how she struggles against her own usurper. Of course I don’t condone her incest with Jaime, and I hated her for demanding Lady’s death, but seeing her losing her world is oddly entrancing. The way she slowly loses control of Joffrey, and then loses him completely, and the way she loses her dignity and her pride when she's paraded naked through the streets is so heart-breaking, especially when you consider the lengths she's gone to and the obstacles she's overcome in order to get where she was.
I didn't like Sansa at first, because I thought she was quite petty and weak. I like strong female characters, so when she lost her naivety I did feel sorry for her, but at the same time I've loved reading how she's grown in strength and character.

3. Who are your least favorite three characters in the series? Why?
Joffrey, Walder Frey, and Viserys. Mostly because the three of them are all slimy oiks and they, at some point or another, cause harm to characters I like. Joffrey is one of those characters I love to hate, but he's still one of my least favourites. Walder and Viserys are simply horrible, and they really really set my teeth on edge - Walder particularly, especially after the Red Wedding, but Viserys too in his treatment of everyone else with contempt, and his untempered arrogance and malice. (I realise that I've picked three female characters as my favourites, and three male characters as my least favourites. I should probably stress that this is not deliberate, just that I can relate to the female characters so much more and understand them so much better, while these three are just despicable human beings =/).

4. #1 Favorite moment in all of ASOIAF so far? Why? The arrival of 'Coldhands'. Just when you think all is lost and Sam is a goner, he appears to save the day. I love moments where you it seems hopeless, and then hope is restored =)

5. In your dream-world, how would you like to see the series end, and why? I love the R+J=L theory, so I'd really like that to be true. I want a happy end for Sansa, because after everything she’s been through I think she deserves some goodness in her life. I’d quite like her and Arya to be reunited, and I’d love to see Sansa as Queen of Winterfell, although I think that’s pretty unlikely what with Winterfell being destroyed, and Bran and Rickon still (as far as we know) being alive. Still, one can hope. I want Jorah and Dany to reconcile properly, mostly because of

mrstater’s wonderful A Year From Now fic, but I can’t decide whether I want Dany to reclaim Westeros or not. I daresay this is rather too happy for ASOIAF though! That said, there is some part of me that wants it to end in a kind of apocalyptic way, either with Dany and her dragons exacting revenge on the people of Westeros, or winter consuming the lands... If we can get that (either of those), and happy endings for my favourite characters, then I’ll be a very happy bunny indeed. But, like I said, I think that’s pretty unlikely!!