win or die

[etherealmonkey.livejournal.com]

Name: John
How did you find out about the community? If it's through an LJ user, please tell us who it is: You can blame Lina.
Age: 22
Location: Earth
Occupation: student, freelance bum




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!.
A cozy big old manor out in the countryside, probably some Tudorbethan or Gothic Revival thing, with huge lawns and gardens and lots of trees. There should be many acres of land attached to this house; I like to go for walks in the woods, and I also like to be far away from other people. I also enjoy a bit of camping and boating. I don't care much about the innards... something suitably luxurious and comfortable, of course, but I'm not very picky. Some nice furniture, some tasteful decorating, and I'm happy. The only major exception is that I would love a Roman-style bath, with lots of marble and tiles and some awesome mosaic art.

As far as location goes, I would prefer someplace hilly or even mountainous, but also not far from the sea. Winters should be cold with lots of snow and summers should be pleasantly warm but not hot. There should be a major city within driving distance, but far enough away that I don't have to deal with crowds, traffic, suburbs, etc.

2. Name three things you are afraid of. Explain.
a. Oh God sharks. Motherfucking sharks. They have a billion teeth, they've barely changed in millions of years, they've got those tiny black soulless little eyes... What's not to be afraid of? You are fucked if you're out in the open water and those beady-eyed bastards get a whiff of your blood. They are nature's killing machines.

b. Mirrors in the dark. I always kind of have to avert my eyes if I need to get up in the middle of the night and walk by a mirror. Why this fear? Probably has something to do with the fact that I can see a shadowy, moving figure, but there isn't enough light for me to tell that it's just my reflection. I know that it's my reflection on a conscious level, but this fear is obviously the subconscious, reptilian kind.

c. Irrelevance. Everybody wants to do something important and great, but I think I have it worse than most people. I've got this damn compulsion to do great things, this nagging sense that I am capable of great things, that just bugs me. I keep having the thought that I want to be remembered long after I am dead. The thought that I will live a normal life and be forgotten in a hundred years fills me with some kind of strange existential horror.

3. What is your favorite aspect of your physical appearance and why?
I guess I have to be cliche and say my eyes. They're a good warm brown color and they look nice and blahblahblah. Yeah, I don't really care much about physical appearance. Sorry.

4. If you could change one thing about your physical appearance, what would you change and why?
I would change my inability to grow real facial hair. I grew up in a pretty hairy family; when I was little, I thought (and kind of still do think) that part of being a man meant having a beard and moustache--or at least the ability to grow them.

Due to genetics, I can't grow anything beyond a rather unsightly patch of scraggly hair on my chin and under my nose. It's thick enough that I need to shave, but it just looks too pathetic to let it grow. Worst of both worlds.

5. Imagine you’re given the classic opportunity: a genie granting you three wishes. What would you wish for? Wishing for more wishes is not permitted!
Does that mean I can wish to change the rules so I can wish for more wishes?

a. I never want to sleep again. Fuck sleep. Such a waste of time. Seriously, 1/3 of your life spent unconscious, because our puny organic bodies can't deal with the stress? That's bullshit, and I will have no more of it.

b. Immortality. I always hated that cliche about immortal people becoming miserable or bored. There's so much stuff to see and do, I don't understand how you could come to hate being immortal. Just in case, though, I'd stipulate some kind of escape clause, some way for me to kill myself if I do get bored.

c. Money, lots and lots of money. Yeah, I know. Not very original. But there's a reason it's not very original.

6. In your life so far, what accomplishment are you the most proud of? You can list more than one if you have trouble deciding. ;)
Getting my act together and going back to school. I had a... you could say contentious relationship with schooling when I was younger, which resulted in my dropping out of college for a couple years. Now I'm back in school, a few years older (and hopefully wiser), and I'm doing much better.

7. Which of the following is most important to you: Love, Money, Knowledge, Family, Friendship, Adventure, or Pleasure? Which is the least important to you?
Love, family, and friendship are all of a piece. My friends are family to me. Similarly, I think platonic and filial love are just as important as romantic love.

In other words, I would consider all three of those things to be most important to me, because I can't separate them.

Least important is probably pleasure. I certainly like pleasure, but out of that list it's probably the first thing I would dispose of in a pinch. I have a fairly stoic and laid-back attitude to begin with, and it's easy enough to have pleasure in any set of circumstances: all you need to do is change your standards or viewpoint.

8. What's one quote (or passage, song lyric, etc.) that effectively describes you and your values?
"The happy life is thought to be virtuous; now a virtuous life requires exertion, and does not consist in amusement. If happiness is activity in accordance with virtue, it is reasonable that it should be in accordance with the highest virtue; and this will be that of the best thing in us."

9. How do you manage your money? On that note, how important is money/financial security to you?
I watch my finances like a hawk and spend as frugally as possible. I never allow myself to be indebted unless it is for a specific purpose. In general, I would say that financial security is quite important to me; not only is it a great relief to not have to worry about money or live paycheck-to-paycheck, there are so many more things you can do when you are solvent. Money, or at least credit, is probably the most important resource of modern times.

10. Name (and elaborate on) some of your hobbies. What are your favorite things to do outside of school/the office?
Like many of you, I enjoy reading. In terms of fiction, I enjoy specfic (obviously), historical novels, and
sometimes horror and spy/detective stuff. I also enjoy quite a bit of "real" literature, even if I don't always agree with the distinction. Half of what I read for pleasure is non-fiction, and that tends to be history, economics, politics, and sometimes science and philosophy.

I listen to quite a lot of music, in most modern genres (and pretty much every non-modern one). I also (badly and intermittently) play guitar. I'm not very good and I can't play many songs, but hey, it's fun to mess around.

Also like many of you, I do a bit of writing every now and then. Nothing published or even completed, but it's fun and I often daydream about my stories when I'm at school or commuting.

Oh, and I guess I browse the Internets and play video games like every other young man on the planet, but I don't know if I consider those hobbies.

11. Name (and elaborate on) your top three BEST and top three WORST qualities (personality-related, not physical).
My best qualities:
a. A good sense of humor. I am able to laugh at all kinds of jokes, it would take an act of God to offend me, and I love genuinely smart or witty humor. Of course, this isn't always a good quality. If you've ever tried to tell an offensive joke to a room full of uptight people, you have known a very special kind of awkward.

b. Rationality. I might summarize this one as being reason, critical thinking, skepticism, and things like that. Important in any person, and I hope I don't need to explain why. Everybody claims they possess this quality--or suite of qualities--and a vanishingly small number of people do. I'm not going to try to convince you that I do. I am just pretty damn sure. (And like everybody with this quality, I sometimes have doubts.)

c. Kindness. What I mean by kindness is a lack of cruelty or maliciousness. I'm not a saint or anything, and in most situations I won't go out of my way to do nice things for people... but generally I am non-judgmental and willing to give people second (or third or fourth or...) chances. I tend not to think mean thoughts about people unless they've actually done something appropriately bad/stupid to deserve such thoughts.

My worst qualities:
a. Stubbornness. This is sort of the negative side of my skepticism: it can be hard to budge me from my established beliefs and habits. I don't necessarily consider this a bad quality, but it seems to bug everybody I know!

b. Unfriendliness. I don't really care for social niceties, and I don't really care much for other people to begin with. I enjoy being alone. As such, other people have said I can come off as cold or emotionless.

c. I can be pretty moody. I do a lot of brooding or sulking when I'm out of sorts. My general unfriendliness can make it hard for others to judge how I'm feeling. Again, not necessarily something that I consider bad, but rather something that seems to bug other people.




A Song of Ice and Fire Related

1.Which is your favorite book of the series so far? What about your least favorite?
My favorite is probably A Storm of Swords. It's where the entire situation, the meta-plot of the books, becomes impossible to repair, where shit hits the proverbial fan. There's lots of major character deaths, lots of chaos, and I think it's the best book in the series for giving readers a visceral taste of the consequences of war and power politics.

My least favorite is probably A Game of Thrones. It's kind of weird to say, especially since I think it's probably the best book from a technical standpoint, but subjectively it's just really hard for me to go back to it after all that's happened in the series. It almost seems too pure and naive. Does that make any sense? Probably not.

2.Who are your favorite three characters in the series?
Man, I hate this question!
a. Tyrion. You are pretty much set up to like and sympathize with Tyrion, though I think I sympathized with him more than most people. History's my major, so I know all about the Sword of Damocles situation he was stuck in; it's an extremely common motif in our past. Oh, and he's made so many great burns. Who doesn't love a good retort? I almost put Renly on this list for that reason.

b. Sansa. While I would have somewhat more ambivalent feelings about her as a real person, Sansa is a very realistic and compelling character, and also a fairly unique one in epic fantasy. I wasn't one of those who hated her from the start, and my opinion of her just went up as the series went on.

c. Jaime. Most people seem to forget that he's a monster, or if they do remember, they brush it off like all he did was jaywalk. 'He killed Jory just to spite Ned? Whatever, Jory was a secondary character. And so what if he threw a kid out of a tower window! Bran lived, right?' But his monsterhood is what makes his (probably futile) attempt at redemption so compelling. Plus, for a vain and arrogant lord's son, he is strangely likeable. (Possibly because I am somewhat arrogant myself.)

3.Who are your least favorite three characters in the series?
You know, there aren't many characters I really hate. I sorta like them all. Even monsters like Gregor and Walder Frey. They all add something to the story.

I guess a "love to hate" or "hope they die soon" list would be topped by the aforementioend Gregor and Walder, with the third spot going to that damn Ramsay Snow. But I wouldn't say any of those are my least favorite.

4.#1 Favorite moment in all of ASOIAF so far?
Tyrion kicking Joffrey, maybe, or 'No one wants you for their king. Sorry.'

5. In your dream-world, how would you like to see the series end?
Bronn is crowned king after a swift and bloody ascent up the feudal pyramid.

Comments

Targaryen -- We're insane

[stothechizo.livejournal.com]

I get shades of Tyrell for you, but overall this app has a Lannister feel all over it. You remind me alot of Tyrion, actually.

Re: Targaryen -- We're insane

[trivalent.livejournal.com]

Hiyo, glad to see another dragon sorting! Could you bold your vote though, so it's easy to count for Kim? Thanks =)

[harpseals.livejournal.com]

Omg Kong Ming!

I'll have to agree with stothechizo, Lannister. No other house quite has the tendency of "watching finances like a hawk".

[etherealmonkey.livejournal.com]

Kongming is the best character.

[harpseals.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I love Rot3K so much, it's so tragic.

Stark

[misstopia.livejournal.com]

5a - Right on, right on.

Anyway, I see a Starkaryen, with a whiff of Lannister. I'm ... I dunno, I'm torn. Targ because of what you said about irrelevance, immortality, detachment (I can see very intellectual Rhaegar being detached), I think pleasure would rank higher if you were more Lannister than Targ, and a general broad view when it comes to book characters. Stark also shares some of that, detached and stoic to much of the world (and moodiness), also you are stubborn, rational (for the most part Stark judgment relies on objectivity at least in spirit), a little reclusive ... I just don't see enough for Lannister, and I don't think you're Tully/Greyjoy/Tyrell. What you say about rationality and skepticism and doubt being a good thing, I see that in Ned's interactions with Robert (he serves as a check), and that's not very Targ IMO as they're used to acting imperiously. But I'll go with Targaryen overall, including the creativity in that. You're a child of ice and fire as far as I'm concerned, and I'm torn but dragon in the end from me I guess.

Lannister

[northswainglow.livejournal.com]

Lannistark, the rarest combination! Now, the question is, which are you ...

Ehhhh, Lannister, you admit arrogance and that's something no Stark would ever do. You say you don't care about pleasure but your desire for a house that is "suitably luxurious" belies that statement :D

I like what you said about people brushing off Jaime's crimes -- they're something that I always try to keep in mind, and they actually make me appreciate his character more, especially because, all of his redemption aside, he's never actually apologized for any of it directly.

Re: Lannister

[etherealmonkey.livejournal.com]

Oh, I can enjoy luxury like a champ. I simply find it easy to cast off if necessary. If I am a Lannister, then I'm more of a Tywin-esque one: mostly pragmatic, but able to enjoy the finer things.

Tully

[haremstress.livejournal.com]

There's definitely Lannister, Targ, and Stark here. Based on what I know of you personally, I'm going to go with Stark. You are soooo "Winter is Coming," dude. You have this cold seriousness about you, while still deep down being fundamentally good-hearted. That is a very Starkly combination.

Ambivalent about me in real life, are you?!

Re: Tully

[cyshobbitlass.livejournal.com]

Sansa and Tyrion are still legally married though, and he's getting a lot of Lannister votes. Just sayin'.

Re: Tully

[haremstress.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, good point! ;)

Stark

[just-chiara.livejournal.com]

Stark. I see some Lannister in you, but the Starkish part seems stronger.

Tyrell

[aikodestiny.livejournal.com]

About your wishes... if you're wishing for immortality, then you have an infinite amount of time to live, therefore even by sleeping for 1/3 of your life you'll still have an infinite amount of time at your disposition. Then you can change your first wish to something else (for example, a substantial amount of money, and then you could give me a chunk of said money). Anyway wishing for immortality strikes me as a very Targaryen-ish thing to do, but the rest of the application doesn't quite match this vibe...
In the end I'm going with Stark because I think you're too nice to be a Lannister.

Re: Tyrell

[etherealmonkey.livejournal.com]

Ahh, but being immortal makes the need to sleep even worse. When you live forever, it becomes even more tiresome and annoying having to take your daily 8-hour break from consciousness.

Lannister

[jamesmcgraw.livejournal.com]

You're a Lannistarg, like me. Well done!

Whilst the grandiose nature of your wishes has a Targaryen ring to it (especially irrelevance), along with your moodiness, your humour shines (roars?) through, and c'mon, the Lannisters are SO the funniest House. There's a certain "fuck you all" vibe emanating from your answers as well (which first made me think of Greyjoy, oddly) and your financial management is pure Tywinomics.

Lannister

[ladynyks.livejournal.com]

I thought you were a Lannistheon. ;P

Stark

[matitablu.livejournal.com]

I liiiiike your wish for the end of the series! One more reason to hope you will be joining us in Stark, together with the fact that most of your character features seem to be fitting for this House.

Tyrell

[kyrial-arthian.livejournal.com]

Torn between a few houses here, but I'm gonna go with Lannister for reasons mentioned above.

[claireobscure.livejournal.com]

I see what everyone is saying about the Stark-Lannister-Targ-ness of your application! Your best/worst qualities make me think Stark mostly, the finances and bit about arrogance make me think Lannister...but the arrogance makes me think Targ, as well, along with the fear of irrelevance. I think I'm going to have to go Targaryen for that, specifically. :)

Lannister

[deeplyunhip.livejournal.com]

Nice of you to finally join us. ;)

Does that mean I can wish to change the rules so I can wish for more wishes?

What a Lannister-ish question to ask.

You also couldn't make your three wishes more Lannister if you tried.

Targaryen

[trivalent.livejournal.com]

I was seeing a lot of Stark and Lannister and Targaryen, and there is some overlap there. But there feels to be a lot more "a Stark wouldn't do that" and "a Lannister wouldn't do that" in here than for the Targ. The highest virtue reminds me of Daenerys. Also the immortality and such reminds me of Targaryens. Your arrogance could be Lannister but how many times have we heard "I am the blood of the dragon" and such. Also, your worst qualities all remind me of my house. Targaryen

Stark

[chacusha]

Once you said that stuff about how you manage your money, Lannister was rooted in my mind and never left. Your positive and negative qualities fit so well, and your favorite characters too. :)

Greyjoy

[desire-of-nymph.livejournal.com]

I wavered, like a lot, between Lannister, Stark and Targaryen... and there are good arguements for all three.

I say Targaryen.

Tyrell

[hamsterwoman]

Like the majority, it seems, I saw Lannister, Stark, and Targrayen... picking between the three was pretty hard, but I think I have to go with my gut and say Targaryen -- your wishes feel very Targ, and that's what stayed the most with me after reading the application.

Lannister

[liaku.livejournal.com]

As leah said, I see Lannistark! This means, in honor of my house, I see Lannister. I get this wonderfully cocky vibe from you, and I'd say you're more of the older generation of Lannisters (Tywin, Genna, etc) rather than the newer batch of crazies.

Tyrell

[cloud-wolf.livejournal.com]

Haha, I'm going with your girlfriend here, just look at your qualities. Stark

Unsorted

[hularay.livejournal.com]

You would probably be the nicest, yet isolationist Lannister around.

-Nate

Stark

[esc-key.livejournal.com]

Lannister.

Tyrell

[rose-petals.livejournal.com]

I saw Stark and Lannister while I was reading your application, and while reading the comments I can understand where the Targaryen votes are coming from. I'm voting Lannister though. There's this cold rationality about you that is very Stark-like, but I think the desire for greater things in life tips the scale toward the lions. Your wit reminds me of Tyrion, and your frugality reminds me of Tywin. So, Lannister it is~

P.S. I think immortality might not get boring so much as lonely, if you were the only immortal one, so anyone who you ever cared about would just die eventually. /random thought

P.P.S. I think you have one of the most awesome LJ user names I've ever seen!

Re: Tyrell

[etherealmonkey.livejournal.com]

It is pretty awesome, I must admit.

Martell

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

I see a Targaryen.

Tully

[loveweasleys04.livejournal.com]

I actually teetered through Greyjoy and Targaryen the whole application. I don't really see the Lannister much at all. In then end I am going to say Targaryen the deciding factor being that your hobbies and that you think you are meant for something great. Which now that I look at it could go Lannister too, but I really thought Targ the whole time I was reading :)

Martell- Hot as Hell

[jesatria.livejournal.com]

I can see Lannister, but I think you're much better off with the dragons than the lions. Targaryen. Wish for immortality? So Targ! Fear of irrelevance? So Targ! They're very flashy and they all want to be noticed. Your worst qualities of stubbornness, unfriendliness, & moodiness are all very Targ as well. And I could see a Targ suddenly deciding not to sleep anymore.

(http://s112.photobucket.com/albums/n166/jesatria/?action=view&current=ssaward.png)

Tyrell

[apocalyptically.livejournal.com]

Wishes are pure Targaryen, best/worst attributes are Stark. A pinch of Lannister to keep everyone on their toes. Hmm. After much waffling I'm going with Stark because of the laid-back, articulate, kinda deadpan vibe of this app.

Tyrell

[cyshobbitlass.livejournal.com]

It's so strange to see someone who is so clearly both Stark and Lannister. I'm going to have to go with the Lannister vote though because of your fears having to do with control, your good relationship with money/debts, your intelligence, experiences making people uncomfortable with jokes and the fact that you listed both Jaime and Tyrion as favorite characters.

Welcome!

Stark

[gruselig.livejournal.com]

I have to agree with a lot of the others and say Targaryen. One of the saner ones, mind you.

Martell

[angerfish.livejournal.com]

So Targaryen :)

Targaryens

[guad.livejournal.com]

Lannister I doubt Targaryens manage their money like you would :)

Tyrell. We pity the fools who dare fool us.

[thedls-sword.livejournal.com]

Wow you're so much Lannister you put lord Tywin to shame. Having a great fear of dying before being famous to the world, the way you handle your money, your fav character, your wit, it's just shining red and gold around you.

Targaryen

[hksherra.livejournal.com]

I was thinking that you were entirely Lannister-ish until I saw that you listed kindness as one of your virtues. Har har... kindness isn't exactly a Lannister virtue so far as we've seen in any except sometimes in our dear Jaime.

Even with that, however, I still see more Lannister in you than anything else. You'd be good watching after all the gold in Casterly Rock, so off to there you go! I vote, Lannister!

Lannister - any chance to use the Bolton icon will be taken

[ladynyks.livejournal.com]

Ooh, funny, and Bronn. I see Targ, and frugality in finances could be very winter is coming, hmh, but come to the Rock instead, I guess. Lannister.

Plus I don't remember any Jorys, so clearly he didn't matter on the Lannister scale. ;P

Martell

[violaswamp.livejournal.com]

Targaryen for the reasons Misstopia said.

Re: Martell

[violaswamp.livejournal.com]

Ack! stupid tag. Targaryen.

SORTED: LANNISTER

[deeplyunhip.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! After receiving six votes for Stark and eleven votes for Targaryen, you have officially been sorted into House Lannister with nineteen votes!

(http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v708/fierytempest2/westeros/sorting_banners/?action=view&current=house_martell.png)

You may join thelannisters. If you'd like to display your house banner anywhere, please be sure to upload to your own server first.


Please don't forget to join the following subcommunities:
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We are pleased to have you here and we look forward to your participation!