Win or Die

[roguebelle.livejournal.com]

Name: Cass
How did you find out about the community? If it's through an LJ user, please tell us who it is: Errr... honest_illusion, chisakami, pojypojy, and scytheandroses. I think that's all of them.
Age: 24
Location: Staunton, VA
Occupation: grad student, occasional movie-theatre attendant and/or shopgirl, aspiring writer




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 magnificent Victorian farmhouse, nestled in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. This is the area I was born in, and it's where I'm attending grad school. I just love it here. The mountains feed my soul -- gorgeous landscapes, beautiful fall foliage, comfortable summers, light winter snows... I just love it. And this house that's in my head exists somewhere, and I'm going to find it, I'm just sure. I want to live in something that's at least a century old, someplace with a history and all the charm and quirks that go along with houses built before cookie-cutter suburbia took over. White, with blue shutters, and wrap-around porches. Lots of wooden floors and paneling inside. The sort of design where the house is a square, not based on hallways – center staircase, all the rooms arranged around the outside. Maybe a secret passage or two. The kitchen looks out onto the veranda and the backyard. The kids' rooms (when I have kids, that is, which I don't yet but certainly plan on having in the future) are connected by a big open playroom. I've got a giant four-poster bed. A library where the walls are absolutely lined with books -- I lust for built-in shelves. On a few acres of land, so that I can toss the aforementioned hypothetical kids outside to play and not worry about them getting hit by cars, and so that they can have adventures and let their imaginations run wild – the sort of space and freedom I always wanted when I was younger but that living in a tidy little neighborhood made difficult. I need to be relatively close to civilization, though – I need to be able to go shopping or to a nice restaurant when that urge hits me. I would never want to be too close – I grew up in suburban sprawl and I loathe and detest it – but a decently short driving distance needs to be a possibility. I also don't like big cities for living in – I like visiting them, mostly for the theatres and museums and shopping, but I don't like the dirt and noise and how impersonal they are. So, rural but close to civilization is my ideal.
(It's possible I've put far too much thought into my ideal house, but it's on my mind right now, as I've just begun the process of looking for my first "real home". :D )


2. Name three things you are afraid of. Explain.
--Stinging insects – I absolutely detest them. I was stung through no fault of my own when I was six, and I've been afraid of the damn things ever since. They are minions of Satan who inflict pain and suffering on others for no justifiable reason.
--Rollercoasters – This is a control issue. It's not that I mind the drops, the speed, being upside down, any of that. I just don't trust that the coaster won't break and kill me. I trust neither automation nor the laws of physics.
--Water – This is my greatest and most unconquerable fear. I have recurring nightmares of drowning, usually huge ocean waves that swell up and just swallow me and everything around me. The fear has always been present in my life, but it was mild until I was 14, when I watched my little sister almost drown in a river. Since then, I've been absolutely petrified of rivers, and unable to go into an ocean or lake deeper than my chest. It's a completely irrational fear, because I am and always have been a very strong swimmer, but, there it is.


3. 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!
--An agent who loves my work and is willing to fight to make me a superstar. Breaking into the publishing or film business is the hardest part of the process – I would love to magically have someone who would get me in the door, someone so madly in love with my brain that he can't rest until I'm famous.
--Healthy children. Not immediately, but an assurance that I when I breed, I will have healthy babies. No colic, no genetic diseases, no birth defects. Ever since I had a bio-major roommate who read to me about all the things that can go wrong before a baby even makes it out of the womb, I've been severely concerned. So, I would wish for healthy babies. I mean, ideally I'd like them pretty and smart, too, but the health is more important and more chancey – I'm fairly certain that if I marry someone as good-looking and intelligent as I am, our genes will work for us on the other counts. ;)
--For all the wildlife conservation and environmental issues I care about to be resolved. What? It's a genie, they can do magic. Because, honestly, I think that's about the only thing that's gonna be able to fix things now. I get really frustrated sometimes, realising that no matter what I do in life, no matter how successful I become, I'm never going to be able to save all the endangered species, or preserve the rainforests, or clean the oceans, or bring back the species already driven to extinction. Watching Planet Earth regularly brings me to tears, because I just get so upset at my impotency on this. So I'd love a magical solution to the problem that would just put everything in a sustainable equilibrium forever.


4. 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. ;)
This is difficult, because I sort of feel like I'm still very much a work-in-progress. My greatest accomplishments, I certainly hope, are still yet to come. Someday I want to be able to look back and answer this question by talking about the day I hit the New York Times bestseller list. In the meantime? Well, this week I turned in the first complete draft of my Master's thesis, which is on the topic of friendship in Shakespeare. It's 86 pages before appendices, bibliography, etc. I'm pretty damn proud of it. I'll be prouder when it's actually completely finished, nicely bound, and when I actually receive my degree because of it.


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? Please explain why for each choice.
--Love is definitely most important to me, but the thing is, that term is so broad – I feel like it encompasses Family and Friendship as well. And things like the passions I focus so intently on. To me, it all falls under the umbrella of Love, and so I would definitely say that's the dominating force in my life. But Love in the traditional sense, the romantic and sexual sense, is, taken discretely from all the other options, still the most important thing to me, too. I am madly and deliriously in love with my boyfriend; we've been together for a year and a half and have hit that future-planning stage, but somehow we're still in the sex haze that most couples only manage to enjoy for a month or two. We can't get enough of each other, and it's awesome.
--Money is probably least important. At least, I wish it could be. I don't want money for its own sake, but unfortunately our society is rather dependent on having it. If I had my way of it, though, I'd prefer a society that still ran on a barter system. Money bores and depresses me.


6. What's one quote (or passage, song lyric, etc.) that effectively describes you and your values? Explain.
God, there are so many – I keep a quote book, and the damn thing's over 120 pages by now. But, to pick just one, the one feeling the most relevant at the moment...
"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. I believe that dreams are more powerful than facts – That hope always triumphs over experience – That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death." – Robert Fulghum
Those are, in fact, all things I believe quite strongly. I believe all life is story, and that story has power. I think it's important for people to have something fantastical to hope for. I think our modern world is far too preoccupied with the here and now, and not enough with the could-bes and never-weres, which is where I spend most of my time.


7. 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 like financial security. Unfortunately, by nature I tend to be penny-wise and pound-foolish. I'll scrimp and save and be frugal for weeks, even months at a time... and then blow my money on something completely frivolous. Really I don't care for money all that much. I hate thinking about it, I hate budgeting, I hate looking at my bank account statements. I don't balance my own checkbooks; I let the online banking take care of that for me, and I just make sure I check it frequently enough that I don't have to worry about suspicious charges. I resent that things cost money. I detest how money is the center of our entire society. Money bores me, honestly. I am not one of those people who enjoys economics, and despite being pretty intelligent, I really don't understand the subject. Every once in a while, my mother tries to explain economic theory to me, but it really is like she's talking in a foreign language. I view money as an unfortunate necessity. I wish I had to think about it less than I do. I think my need for financial security is more based out of my fear of embarrassment than anything else. Financial status is something by which people in our society are marked, and I don't like to suffer by comparison in any way. The fact that I have a staggering amount of student debt (thanks, grad school), is only mitigated by the fact that student debt is "okay" to have. It still makes me uncomfortable, too.


8. Name (and elaborate on) some of your hobbies. What are your favorite things to do outside of school/the office?
I used to answer this with "writing," but now that I'm actually trying to make that my career... I read voraciously. I've read 124 books this year already, only about half of those for school. My favourite genres are historical fiction, romance, and fantasy, though I've recently been getting into some thrillers as well. I have an unhealthy addiction to Sid Meier's Civilization IV; I'm not allowed to play during the school year because I get too into the game and forget to do work. I also really enjoy needlework. Some of my friends find this bizarre, because I'm generally not all that domestic – I can bake but not cook worth a damn, and my apartment is always something of a minor disaster area. But I love needlework. Embroidery and beading, in particular, but also cross-stitch and garment sewing. Something about the repetitive patterns of pulling a needle through thread, etching patterns across fabric, it just soothes me. I'm also a dabbling actress -- I could never do it as a career because I don't care enough to do the things you have to do as a professional actress, the classes and theories and learning to move like a meerkat or whatever. I would've been great in the Restoration, when all you had to do was show up, be pretty, speak the words, and have a charming personality. But, I continue to dabble, just because I enjoy it, and I have a lot of fun working at the Virginia Renaissance Faire each spring -- where I really do just have to show up, be pretty, and be charming.


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
--Passionate. My life is driven by my passions. When I care about something, it gets all of my fervor and force put behind it; if I don't care, it's capable of escaping my notice entirely. I've never been a creature of half-measures. Nothing frustrates me more than when my world is driven by grey mundanity; I need something to get excited about, something to focus on and aim for. Passion is where all my creativity comes from, and all my ability to love others and be loyal to them. It's the half-measures thing again -- the people I love get me whole-heartedly. I really do think all of my virtues stem from this one, from the passion. Without passion, I don't feel like myself. Also, I'm really good in bed. I'm just sayin'. ;)
--Charismatic. People like me and are drawn to me, and for the life of me, I don't always understand why. I can be a handful. (See negative traits below). But, my whole life, I've always been able to assemble a group around me. Even in my unfortunate early teenage years, when I was far from generally popular, I was still the center of my group of friends. I know this sounds insufferably self-centered, but... people want to love me and want to be loyal to me. It's something to do with leadership skills, with being the one willing to make decisions and speak up first and suchlike. But it's also just a quality I seem to have. I get through life on sheer force of personality, which I can only attribute to general charisma, for lack of any better explanation. ;)
--Eloquent. I have a way with words – felicity of expression, if you will. It's served me well in life. It helps me make a good impression on others when I'm speaking, and it's made me a good scholar. I was always the kid who'd rather write an essay than take a multiple choice test. I am a fast-thinker, who can find an answer and words to put to it. I manage to find the words to comfort my friends when they are in despair or in pain. I can't remember a time I couldn't make a crying friend laugh instead. I am clever and witty, as quick with a joke as I may be with a condemnation, and far more frequent. Words are my weapons and my treasures.
Worst
--Quick-tempered. I get better about this the older I get, and I no longer fly off the handle at the slightest provocation like I once did, but I still have a fairly short fuse. And I am mean when incensed, I'll admit that. When people get the sharp side of my tongue, it's really not pretty; I can be vicious and nasty, and I'm prone to low blows if I'm really thoroughly irate. And I can be a bit slow to forgive -- even once I've technically "made up" with someone, it can still take another day or so for my temper to cool off. In my defence, once I decide to forgive, it's always complete, and I don't hold grudges long-term. I lack the attention span for them, for one thing. My tempers tend to burn hot but fast.
--Pride. I can be prickly about this. I don't like affronts to my dignity, I loathe being made to look foolish or incompetent, and I will, when I'm feeling good, do a little bit of flouncing and giving myself airs. Never, I might add, unjustly. I don't boast of capabilities I don't have. I know my talents and virtues, and I know my flaws, and I know what to accentuate and what I've got the right to be proud of. Vanity has taught me how to emphasize my advantages, so that my flaws are less noticeable. Vanity forces me to improve myself.
--Demanding. I require a lot from people. Not materially at all, but I'm emotionally high-maintenance. From people I chose to trust, I expect a high degree of loyalty, honesty, and reliability. Mind you, I think I'm worth it, and I don't even think my demands are unfair -- I never expect more than I'm willing to give. No one holds me to a higher standard than I hold myself to, and I hold no one else to a higher standard than I hold myself. But those are some pretty high bars, and I know I can be pretty difficult sometimes.





A Song of Ice and Fire Related

1.Who are your favorite three characters in the series? Why?
--Daenerys Targaryen. Post-fire-transformation. Before that she actually sort of annoyed me, but she came out of that a whole different person, and that person is epic. Her story is the best, to me – a queen who needs to reclaim her throne. With dragons. Srsly. (Although if she doesn't get her ass moving in the next book, it's gonna piss me off, because I really don't think she's going to learn all that much about ruling Westeros by hanging out in Meereen, what with them being completely different cultures and all).
--Jon Snow. I have such affection for him. I find his psyche absolutely fascinating. I love exploring the bastardy and its consequences, and I've loved watching him make something of himself and define himself. I always have a soft spot for bastards -- the literal kind. I can't wait to see what he does next.
--Olenna Redwyne. Who is just clearly made of awesome. I love her snark.
(Also Lyanna Stark, but I figure that since she's not actually in the series, and since we don't actually know all that much about her, she doesn't actually count. But in my head she is also seriously awesome).


2.Who are your least favorite three characters in the series? Why?
--Cersei Lannister. There are really few things more unforgiveable than ruining a child, and I completely blame her for the way Joffrey turned out. Also she's psycho-crazy and clearly needs to be taken out.
--Melisandre. Religious fanatics creep me out. A lot. I don't care how fantastic her boobs are. I really hope that she eventually meets Dany, who will introduce her to the dragons and be like, "Yeah, bitch, way to mis-read prophecy."
--Sansa Stark. Bloodless, whinging, weak little thing. I have no respect for her, and so I can't bring myself to feel but so bad for all the things that happen to her.


3.#1 Favorite moment in all of ASOIAF so far? Why?
"Drogon. Dracarys."
...
Do I really need to explain why? It's flipping badass. Gave me such a thrill of excitement. And so nice to see Dany, y'know, exercise power. It's a tantalizing little glimpse of what damn well better be yet to come.


4. In your dream-world, how would you like to see the series end, and why?
Guh. I hate speculation like this, I really do. Honestly I don't think about it but so much – there are too many loose ends to be tied up, and I don't like trying to guess how GRRM will do it. But. Okay. Dany and Arya somehow collide during their travels, and Arya becomes Captain of Dany's Queensguard, having become a super-awesome fighter-woman. Dany meets up with Quentyn Martell and they fall madly in love and shag a lot and awesomely. This little party returns to Westeros, Dany makes all her enemies die in a fire. Especially Melisandre, to whom she will say, "Who's your Prince now, bitch?" as Melisandre becomes dragon-nom. Meanwhile Bran has become a super-shaman type person up in the North, and meets back up with Jon Snow. They form a coalition with Dany to defeat the Others. I'm honestly not sure what I want to happen to Jon, because I am a R+L=J adherent, which makes him Targaryen and all of that, but he's also sworn to the Wall and, y'know, in charge of it and stuff now. So I want Jon to do whatever will make Jon happy. Also for some different kind of magic to restore Dany's baby-making capacities so that the succession will then go smoothly.


Thanks in advance, y'all! I've been meaning to apply to this comm for a while, and I'm super-excited to find out where you think I belong. I've never known what to do with myself, honestly, there are probably several houses I'd do well in. ;) So, let the voting commence!

Comments

Tyrell

[spamdilemma.livejournal.com]

I think I'd be set on Targaryen for your best/worst qualities alone. :)