westerosorting | Win Or Die

Name: Corey
How did you find out about the community? If it's through an LJ user, please tell us who it is: Followed a link on Deviant Art.
Age: 33
Location: Indiana
Occupation: Artist

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!.

Ideal location is easy- I'd love to live in the Pacific northwest (Oregon, Washington, or British Columbia). I have a strong preference for oceans or lakes, so living as close to a large body of water as possible is the most important thing to consider as far as location. I chose the west coast because I also enjoy a more easy-going culture, and the tendency towards a more liberal attitude. Finally, I prefer milder temperatures, though given a choice I would take cold over heat any day. The location of house and lands would ideally be a place that would allow for a certain deal of privacy while also being close enough to conveniences and entertainment (I'm not really a small-town person). As for the actual house, well, a ranch-style would definitely suit. All one story, with plenty of windows to let in light. A large kitchen with enough counter space to cook whatever I wished, an airy studio for art projects, a room devoted to our extensive library, and a social room with television, DVD player, computers, etc. A fireplace would also be a huge bonus, because I love to sit and watch the flickering flames, and I'd certainly want places for my cats to sun themselves and watch the birds outside. Speaking of the outside, I'd want enough land for extensive flower gardens, a vegetable and herb garden, and to be able to raise chickens for fresh eggs. Living close enough to the water to fish would also be great, fresh fish tastes so much better.

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

A. Clowns - They wear face paint and baggy clothes, which makes me wonder what they're hiding. In addition, I worked for several years at McDonald's, and used to be harassed by the person who played Ronald when he came to our store because I was a redhead. I used to try and find someplace to hide until he was gone so he'd leave me alone.

B. Being Invisible - The worst possible scenario for me is the idea that I could disappear and no one would notice. I had problems with depression as a preteen and teenager brought on by the fluctuating hormone changes of puberty, and I think part of this fear is caused by the fact that there wasn't a single person who actually noticed how much emotional pain I was in at the time. (Granted, I've always been the type to hide my feelings, but logic tends not to interfere with irrational types of fears.)

C. Contracting some kind of illness or disease that leaves me with a perfectly functioning mind trapped in a body that is, for all intents and purposes, dead. I'm not afraid of death; this fate to me is far worse. Not being able to communicate or create would drive me crazy.

3. 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!

A. Enough money to live comfortably with my chosen family for the rest of my days and to provide for my mother. I don't need to be rich, all I want is to not have to worry about things like house payments, utilities, etc.

B. A new body. This one is defective, and no longer under warranty. It gets tiring being an active-minded person in a body plagued with chronic pain and fatigue.

C. For people to learn to truly understand each other, and to stop spreading hate on the basis of things like race, gender, sexual preference, and the like. I'd like to see people start acting like the higher intelligences we're supposed to be, instead of flinging poo at each other like monkeys. I think if people could come to understand each other, then many of the other problems caused by this would start to disappear.

4. In your life so far, what accomplishment are you the most proud of? You can list more than one if you have trouble deciding. ;)

It was one of my fondest wishes to someday have something of mine published, I wasn't picky about what. I will have some art shown in an upcoming herbal book in the fall. Honestly, I thought this would be one of the things I never accomplished. Despite the fact that the art is donated, it means so much to me to realize that I've come far enough in my work (especially as my degree is in something completely unrelated) to be able to actually consider myself professional, and not just a dabbler. I'm -still- in some awe of this, and so very pleased and excited.

5. Which of the following is most important to you: Love, Money, Knowledge, Family, Friendship, Adventure, or Pleasure? Which is the least important to you?

Most important to me is probably family, since my closest friends are as my family to me and I am close to my mother. if you have no one to share your life with, I find little point in any of the rest of it. While I treasure my time spent in solitude, I would hate to live a life alone. You can depend on your true family to be there for you, even if they don't always understand you.

I would say that money is the least important to me on that list. I have no dreams or desires to be rich. What I tend to want money -for- is to be able to live in comfort (pleasure), to travel (adventure), and to take care of my friends and family. If I could do all of those things without money, I'd be just as happy. I consider money one of the necessary evils of the world.

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

"Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." (Robert Frost)

For many reasons, this particular quote sums up a lot of the things that have happened in my life. I'm the black sheep in my family for several reasons, some by choice and some by nature. Yet, when facing the decisions, I have never simply chosen the more common path. My life would have been a lot easier if I had, but it would have been a lie. So yes, the less traveled path has made the difference to me; I'd rather be myself and face what difficulties arise from doing so.

7. How do you manage your money? On that note, how important is money/financial security to you?

I'm painstakingly organized about my own finances. I tend to know exactly how much income I can expect in a month, and exactly how much needs to go back out into rent/bills/etc. as well as what days those are due. I budget for food, entertainment, and luxuries, and am the type of person who doesn't actually like joint accounts because if even a few dollars gets removed without my knowledge, it makes me twitch. Despite having overdraft protection, I don't actually use it, nor have I bounced cheques. Money is important to me as far as I need to have a roof over my head, utilities, food, etc. As long as I can take care of myself, I tend to be all right.

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

My primary hobby is art. I'm fortunate in that this is also what I am trying to do for a living, so the two nest together very well. Art is so much a part of me that I can't picture myself not doing it. I also enjoy many different crafts, from knitting and cross-stitch to beading; I enjoy working with my hands, and I like to create. Another one of my hobbies is cooking. I was indifferent to food at best growing up, until I moved out on my own. At that point, I discovered how much fun experimenting with foods and recipes can be, and I've come up with several that are on regular rotation in my house. I also spend a lot of time reading (mostly fantasy) and watching movies, the latter of which gives me an opportunity to spend a fair amount of time with my family and my cats. Finally, the last of my hobbies that most bear mentioning are probably my love of gardening (flowers more than vegetables though I'll do both) and role-playing gaming (think Dungeons and Dragons, though D&D isn't what I play). It's a lot of fun to lose oneself in what is, essentially, a group story-telling experience at its best, and allows me to play the sorts of things I don't really do in my actual life.

9. Name (and elaborate on) your top three BEST and top three WORST qualities (personality-related, not physical).

Best Qualities:

A. Creative - My mind is a fertile place, and though what it comes up with sometimes isn't always the best of ideas, no one could ever say that I lack for imagination. It's expressed in many avenues; art, role-playing, music, crafting, etc. I have more hobbies than I should, mostly because of that sense of wanting to bring to life the things that live in my mind. This also tends to work in my favour when presented with puzzles or riddles- I love both, and have a knack for figuring things out on my own and entertaining myself and others with theories on various things.

B. Loyal - Once I have decided to trust someone, then my loyalty is theirs. I can't elaborate much more than that- I would fight with words, tooth and nail, whatever is required, for those that I have decided are my chosen family and friends.

C. Humour - My sense of humour tends to run to the dry side, but I'm told that I tend to be quick of wit, and I often surprise laughter out of others because they weren't quite expecting whatever it is I've come up with. I decided long ago that you have two choices when dealing with life- you can laugh, or you can cry. I chose to laugh.

Worst qualities:

A. Cynical - My father used to despair of the fact that I became very cynical very young. I am even aware of the fact that my notions on the self-interest of others is very likely incorrect in most cases, though that doesn't stop me from feeling that way. I'm worse about it when the apparent kindness is directed towards me- I'm always waiting for the knife in the back.

B. Irritable - I have a bad temper. What's worse is that I enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes with it, so I find things to get irritated about so I can grumble and growl. That said, my bark is worse than my bite- it tends to remain just growling unless a hard line is crossed; at that point, I tend to explode.

C. Self-critical - I can sum this up by saying that it was far easier to think of my worst qualities than my best qualities. Though I work on it, it's far easier for me to see the flaws in myself than the strengths. I expect myself to be perfect, instead of simply allowing myself to be human.

A Song of Ice and Fire Related

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

A. Jamie Lannister - The more I've seen of Jamie in the books, the more I like him. It's no wonder he became the man he is; his greatest act was done to save innocents, and yet he is reviled for that very thing because he broke a vow to do it. As the books progress, you catch glimpses of the starry-eyed boy he once was, striving to become a great knight. It's still there inside him. I certainly don't envy him the choices he's had to make between honour, duty, love, and justice, but I find I relate to him well enough to understand a lot of why he does the things he does.

B. Doran Martell - Doran is the exact image of one of my favourite character types to play. I love to create characters that are not at all what they seem, and are usually far more dangerous than anyone gives them credit for. When other characters were complaining loudly about how he never did anything, I began to have my suspicions, and I was very happy to be proven right. I can't wait to see more of him and what he's up to.

C. Bronn - Bronn is a schemer, interested only in gold and power, willing to change sides whenever it's most convenient for him. However, he's honest about it, and that's something I can appreciate. Besides, the way he thumbs his nose at Cersei and Lisa Arryn is really hilarious.

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

A. Arya Stark - Some of the things that happen to Arya are interesting, but the character herself is not. She's very one-dimensional, and while I suspect that this is deliberate, it does not really make for a sympathetic character. Her answer to all things is violence, and she usually considers anything else to be stupid. Yes, she is still just a child, but she's not really growing as a person at all.

B. Stannis Baratheon - Stannis uses honour and justice as a bludgeon. There is such a thing as keeping to the letter of the law while destroying the spirit of it, and Stannis is an excellent example of this. He wants to be a ruler, but he doesn't have it in him to lead, because he cannot bend. The fact that he actually seems to believe Melisandre's nonsense just puts him even lower in my books.

C. Cersei Lannister - She wouldn't annoy me so much if she wasn't so self-delusional about how very clever she is. She thinks she's the image of her father, when in truth she's blind to those around her, stupid, paranoid, and relies far too much on her body to get what she wants. Watching her essentially paint herself into a corner was not as entertaining as it should have been for a character I dislike, because it was inevitable.

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

I'd have to say the scene where Jamie punches Red Ronnet Connington with his golden hand and says "Her name is Brienne!" It shows the changes in Jamie extremely well- the man he used to be refused to call Brienne anything but 'wench', and he never would have looked at her twice before the war started, certainly. It demonstrates that the man, though soiled, sinful, and so forth, is not completely without a spark of chivalry. In addition, it shows that war and the surrounding circumstances can affect people in ways that they never would have imagined.

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

I don't care how it ends, as long as it's a -good- ending. It doesn't have to be a happy ending, as long as it is true to rest of the story and feels like the proper fit. That's all I desire.