westerosorting | Win or Die

Name: Mani
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!): I saw it some time back, so don't remember how.
Age: 25
Location: Sri Lanka
Occupation: Intern (who is in the process of becoming an attorney)

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'm a big believer in having a little bit of this and that, so my ideal house would be a reflection of that. I like to be surrounded by nature, have a home in a place that is away from the sights and sounds of a city with trees surrounding it. I like the idea of being close enough to all the places that I would need to or even want to go to (I do have an active social life), but being able to step away and have a 'holiday home' sort of feel for the weekends. The house I currently live in is central to where everything is, which I like. Friends and family generally crash in when they feel like it and I'm used to that. I wouldn't want to lose something like that. It feels like a big family and I don't know anyone who hasn't spent the night.

As for the house, I would really like a two storey house, most probably because I'm so used to it. Not too big, but airy. I like the idea of having a house where there is a central room or area that people have to pass through to get to another. It's one of those things where, if I ever have a family, I'd like to think that no one can go anywhere without being seen. It's a really lame attempt at family time.

And finally, I do want a relatively big garden, not because I want to grow stuff, I'm horrible at that, but because I have such a love for dogs and I do have a habit of taking in strays, giving them shots, and if I can't find a home for them I keep them with me. Dogs need to run and stretch their legs, so a garden is a must.

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!

i. Good health for all - It really upsets me that so many people are suffering from one ailment or another. And it upsets me further that people spend so much money on their healthcare. It can be something small or something big, but whatever it is, I hate hearing about it and I hate seeing it. Most who I know are blessed with passably good health, but those who suffer, really do. I'm not immune either. I suffer from vertigo caused by an imbalance in my inner ear. It's something that is nearly constant and poses a problem at nearly every turn. But it's not as bad as some others, which is the only way I can go through this without feeling sorry for myself.

ii. The destruction/disappearance of all items that have or could be used for the sole purpose of killing/hurting/maiming a human being. - By this, I mean bombs and bullets. Daggers, maybe, but not scalpels. No good can come out of these items. They work as a good defence, yes, but only against those that attack with such weaponry. I live in a country that fought a war for 20 years and I am one person in a world that is constantly at war with each other. I think we're all tired and it is well and truly enough.

iii. Give each person the means to help others - I think the world would be a much better place if the give and take was not just monetary. What I mean by this, is that in the world we live in, the homeless man would have nothing to give to the person who donates him money. How great would it be if he had something that could help the donator? People are not born with skills, how great would it be if they were? Or, as they say in Wedding Crashes... People helping people ;D Believe me, I know it's a flawed idea. The potential for blackmail would be enormous, but it might also teach people a little bit of kindness.

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. ;)

My biggest accomplishment is my work ethic. In real life, when I say I can do something, I do it. When I can’t do something, I say that I will try, and attempt it. Which is why I have done so much in my life. Without going into too many particulars, I’m one of those workaholics who everyone depends on to fix a problem. I’m also the person who balances a million things at one time and somehow gets through it. What’s better than being the person others rely on?

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.

Most important - Knowledge. : It is the one thing that once given, it can never be taken away. I think knowledge is the best way to handle all other entities in life. It's how you can manage your money, foster your friendships, understand your family, plan or not plan your adventures (and survive those adventures), decide what pleasures to partake in and know who to handle love. Knowledge is what we learn from trial and error, not just books, and it is a precious commodity. How you use it is your choice, but the fact that it's given freely makes it all the more important.

Least important - Adventure : I think a good life is a balanced life and a balanced life requires all the above entities, including adventure. But I think that adventure is the least important because a person can live their life quite happily without having more than one adventure per lifetime. Family, friends and love give you a wholesome life. Money would keep you content and able you to do what you want, and pleasure would keep you happy. Knowledge is something you can't succeed in life without. Adventure seems to be the most expendable, only because even though adventure might give you pleasure, what gives you pleasure need not be adventure.

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

"Don't just do the work, show that you do the work." - It's something my father told me when I was a child and it really stuck. He taught me good work ethic, which is to do what you have to do when you can, because a time might come when you won't be able to do what you need. This quote is not about being flashy and boastful. It simply means, do the work humbly, and make sure those who matter know that you do the work. I'm not kidding, this philosophy has helped me so much in life. I have been truly lucky because I am marked as a hard worker. People generally like me, I'm friends with everyone, I help out when I can, and even though this quote doesn't expressly cover all these things, I learned it from my father and work the way he taught me. Even when I feel like I don't want to do something, this quote reminds me that there are rewards when you put in your time.

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.

Financial security is extremely important to me. I've been saving money since I was five years old. Both of my parents are bankers, which means that I learned the difference between a fixed deposit and a savings account at a young age. A good percentage of what I earn go straight into the bank and I try to earn as much interest as I can. I use less than 20% of my total cash amount in stocks and another 10% to splurge on fun stuff (‘cause what’s the point in having money if you can’t spend it?). Otherwise, I'm pretty careful. In other words, I don't just save, save, save. I treat myself once in a while, so long as there's enough money in the bank.

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

I love reading and I hate doing nothing. This means that I have a book in my bag at any given time. If I have to wait for anything or anyone, I pull out a book and start reading. I'm a sucker for law, mystery, fantasy and action/adventures. Honestly, I can't go to sleep without reading first. My brain doesn't shut off. I even told my boyfriend that my dream gift is the library that Beast gave to Belle in the Disney movie. He said he wasn't going to give me one 'cause that would mean he would never see me again. I asked him for a talking pot instead. That, he said, he would give me.

...And that is my second hobby. I love doing things that take my boyfriend by surprise. He's the only one in the world who gets my humour so completely and who can return it just as quickly. We go out of our way to surprise each other by doing crazy stuff and it takes up a lot of our time. Eg:- For my birthday, he recruited 5 of his friends, stole six huge flower arrangements from a wedding (that they crashed, mind you), woke me up, told me to come to my window at 1 a.m. so they could do an impromptu dance number in the middle of the street. I, in retaliation, called, texted, emailed EVERY SINGLE PERSON HE KNEW, and told them to wish him Happy Postal Day on his birthday, because it was, in fact, postal day. After eight years of being together, we still act like kids. And you know what? It's fun!

My latest obsession in the hobbies arena is writing fanfic. It's a superb way of burning off steam. Being able to write characters and manipulate them gives me a sense of harmless control over something in my life if other things are not going my way. It's my haven and the people are friendly and welcoming in the fandoms that I'm in. My only problem is that I have to try not to over-do it (as I am an over-doer of fun things) and balance it out, which hasn't happened so far. But I have faith it will.

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

i. My ill health – It incapacitates me. It makes me stay home and do the one thing that I don’t like to do: nothing. I had to postpone my exam for a year because of it. I had to give up doing so many things that I used to enjoy. I’m constantly on edge and trying my best to keep it at bay as much as possible.

ii. Height – I am deathly afraid of heights. It’s something that I always had and it’s something that I’ve been working on trying to tame. But no matter how many things I do, it’s not lessening. I have a philosophy in life to try things at least once. So, I’ve hiked up a mountain (and hyperventilated when I reached the top), I’ve gone on a rollercoaster ride (and had a mini panic attack when the rollercoaster dipped every time) and I have even done aerial roping (which others had to push me off the 70ft drop because I couldn’t move). No one can say I didn’t try.

iii. Bad things happening to my friends and family – I want them all safe, at all times, every time. I’m actually the calm one in a crisis because I’m a bit more detached than everyone else. Everything always hits me a bit later when everyone else is nearly over it. I’m afraid for any bad things that might happen to them, even though I’m not overly protective and actually encourage them to do whatever they want.

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.

Best Qualities:

i. I’m Switzerland! – I’m the person others come to for conflict resolution. I never get involved in other people’s business unless they ask for it. And I never take sides. That is seriously one of my nicknames

ii. I’m manipulative – I’m putting this as a best quality because of how I use it. I have this way of ‘handling’ people. I can generally say how a person would react, which is why so many people come to me to ask for advice as to how to break news to someone or how to get out of something. I have a knack for knowing how people would respond and knowing the right and the wrong thing to say. I’m not perfect, I do make mistakes, but they are too few compared to the ones that worked. I work for free too! ;D

iii. I’m a hard worker - Like I said before, when I say I will do something, I do it. My word means a lot, so when I can’t do something and I say so, and people don’t question it. My work ethic is what drives me and I will always do my best to make sure that my word has meaning.

Worst Qualities:

i. I am a good liar – Remember when I said that my word means something? People take me for my word so little white lies are not too bad. But what I’ve figured out since I was young is that you can’t make people happy unless you lie to them. The truth is well and good for big things and for a sense of principle to live by, but it isn’t practical. I try to say the truth as much as I can, but when I positively can’t, I lie, and things get so much better.

ii. My anger – I don’t get angry often and it takes a lot to make me truly pissed. But when I am everyone knows it. I’m generally the jovial, fun-loving one, so when someone gets on the wrong side of me, I see red and nothing else. I might have anger issues since when I blow up it’s usually some epic moment that people love acting out, even though they say in no uncertain terms that they would never want to see me angry again.

iii. I’m indecisive in who I support – This is primarily why I am Switzerland. I usually stick up for the person who is getting ganged up on. I like to see an equal fight. So regardless of whether I believe that person is right or wrong, I will support them if they have no one in their corner. And once they get ammunition, I jump to the other side if they need more help. I know! It’s such an awful quality!

A Song of Ice and Fire Related

1.How many books from the series have you completed?

All, I tell you. All!

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

i. Jon Snow - I know what you're thinking: how predictable. Actually, I didn't like him at first. He was a character with a waste of space and even though I found his chapters interesting, Jon as a character was way too...predictable. But then I read Storm of Swords and it changed my mind. Although I had always found him likeable, it was his flaws that drew me in. I love my heroes flawed and I love it even more when they try so hard and nothing goes their way. The fact that Jon cared for Ygritte but turned on the wildlings (even though I knew he would) made me love him as a character. Then, I started reading him in the other books, and I realised that he was not the 'hero' I thought Martin was going to write him. He doesn't always make the right decision and he would sometimes make the stupid decision, as the end of A Dance with Dragons proved. Jon Snow is flawed. He's arrogant, but humble. He's brave, but cowardly. He's smart, but stupid. He's calm, but angry. Just like any other average person. How could you not love such a character, especially when his decisions have become more unpredictable?

ii. Arya Stark - Her chapters have always been interesting. I’m always impatiently looking forward to what Arya is going to do, where she’s going to be. She is the gutsiest character Martin has written in the series. I tried to imagine taking a coin and leaving the only country I’ve never known, but I couldn't. She does a lot of things without looking back. It's a testament to the fact that she's not afraid of change. She takes opportunities when they are presented and doesn't second guess herself when things don't turn out the way she likes. If she goes down a path and it doesn't work, she jumps down another path. She's constantly moving and the people around her are expendable to some degree. Part of me wonders if she has an aim at all or if she is simply taking one day at a time and trying to survive. This is impressive for a child.

iii. Ned Stark - He has been dead for four books now, but I still love Ned Stark. He is the character I wish all characters were. He is flawless, in my mind, because unlike all the other cutthroat snakes in Westeros or the scared cowards who hide behind coins and lords, he was willing to die for his family and for what he believed in. Ned Stark is the subconscious measuring staff I use to decide if a person is good or not. True, his qualities got him killed, but damn if that wasn’t noble.

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

i. Ramsay Bolton – I’m sure he’s on nearly everyone’s lists for obvious reasons. No one should be that cruel. No one. The name itself makes me sick to my stomach. I don’t wish torture on him, I want an arrow through his heart so he dies instantly with no hope of recovering so that he would never inflict pain again. Torturing someone to meet your own gain in a cruel world is something I could understand, but torturing for pleasure is something that I could never wrap my head around. He’s sadistic and therefore my least favourite character.

ii. Cersei Lannister – I’m not sure if I would have thought of her as one of my least favourite characters had Joffrey not died. Ambition is something that I can understand, but she’s also so stupid. She constantly feels that she should have been born a man, but if she had, she would still be incapable of playing the politics of Westeros the way it’s supposed to be. In other words, she’s not intelligent enough to rule but feels way too entitled to it. Others want to rule for power, blood, family honour, but Cersei Lannister wants to rule because she genuinely believes that she could do a better job, which evidence shows that she can’t because she’s not used to making sacrifices for the bigger picture.

iii.Walder Frey will forever be one of my least favourite characters because he’s a rotten man who was given power and he hordes it with no intention of sharing it or even improving it. He has no other ambition but to sleep around, father as many children and get them married off to all of Westeros so that the Freys take over by sheer number. I have no respect for him as a character and he disgusts me to no end.

4.#1 Favorite moment in all of ASOIAF so far? Why?

It would be, definitely, the moment when Joffrey Baratheon clutched his throat and choked to death. I had been waiting so long for that moment since he cut off Ned Stark’s head that it was so very sweet. I am not a person who makes noises when I read, but for that scene, I literally squealed. Then I read the scene an additional five times before I finished Storm of Swords. After I finished Storm of Swords, I read that scene again. I love seeing bad characters get what’s coming to them and I love the sense of hope that things could be good in the end because there’s one less annoying, evil, brat trying to rule Westeros. Who am I kidding? I didn’t like the kid and I was happy to read how he choked to death. There was a great sense of satisfaction. And because I can’t choose only one… A close second was the end of A Storm of Swords. That surprise just blew my mind. It was like the coming of the vengeful spirit to bring pain to all those who had wronged her.

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

I don’t want a happy ending; not really. What I want is a content one. In my dream world, Dany does not come to Westeros. She stays across the Narrow Sea and rules to rid slavery and bring about a peaceful co-existence between Westeros and the others.

I have a theory that Littlefinger would get the throne. No idea how, but it would be interesting for him to get the throne, if only for a moment before he is finally killed by the rightful king who will be Little Griff. I expect Bran would stay beyond the wall as a King of Wisdom, Jon will be given the wall once again to rule, Sansa will marry Aegon and have the life she had always wanted, Rickon will get Winterfell and Arya (even though she will be there in the final epic battle of Westeros against the White Walkers) will leave for the Free Cities once again.

I think the Starks will get together one final time before splitting up for the end of the series to live their own lives. And I think that’s how it should be.

Win or Die

[TULLY]