westerosorting | Win or Die

Name: Elaine
How did you find out about the community? If it's through an LJ user, please tell us who it is: I was in the

fanmoot community for a short while; I think I saw this there.
Age: 24
Location: Southern CA
Occupation: Currently unemployed >.<

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!
My ideal home would be near the ocean, not necessarily on the beach, but at least within a ten-minute bike ride or so. It would be comfortable, but not excessively so. I would want only three bedrooms; a master for myself and my significant other (naturally with a personal bathroom and lots of closet space), a comfortable guest room, and a room that could be converted into a game room or study or whatever I need it to be as I live there (possibly a nursery, though I don’t ever plan on children). I love fresh fruit-a peach tree and a plum tree in the yard would be wonderful. I would need an attic or basement, because I’m something of a pack rat. If I were to allow myself one excess, it would be land enough for a small stable. I am not an equestrian now, but I would like to be in the future.

2. Name three things you are afraid of. Explain.
It may sound strange, but I’m afraid of Alzheimer’s, whether it is I or one that I love that suffers from it. So much of who we are is in our memories, and when you start to lose those, you essentially lose who you are. I never want to lose myself or watch a loved one lose who they are.
I do not fear death, but I fear a violent death. The thought of my last moments on earth being spent in paralyzing fear or agonizing pain scares me more than actually going to the other side, and I even wonder if such a thing would keep my soul from actually passing.
I’m afraid of aging. They say that youth is wasted on the young, and it’s true. I know I only have a few years left before my body starts to turn on me. Being in my early twenties, I’ve had to come to grips with the fact that I’m not immortal. My skin will wrinkle, my hair will grey, and if I don’t lose my excess weight, I will deal with diabetes and high cholesterol the way that I’ve watched my mother and grandfather do. It’s a frightening thing to see the proverbial hill cresting before you and knowing you can’t avoid climbing it.

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!
With my first wish, I would wish for my dream career and the right knowledge to do it. Peraps it is because I am impatient, but mucking about in school takes too long. I would rather have the knowledge I need right now so I can start doing the job I want to do.
With my second wish, I would wish for good health for the rest of my life. Eternal youth seems a silly thing to wish for-how can you learn and grow if you're eternally young? But it's true that if you don't have health, you don't have anything. For as long as I am here, I would like to be healthy so that I might enjoy the journey more.
With my third wish, I would wish that every time I needed money, I could reach into my pocket and find exactly how much I needed. Being granted a pile of money at once would be dangerous, since it wouldn't take me very long to spend it. But if I had exactly what I needed precisely when I needed it, I would be financially secure without the temptation to overindulge.

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. ;)
It's embarrassing to me that I haven't done anything of great note since high school, but in my senior year, a team and I entered a film contest and won fourth place. No one from my school had ever entered this competition before, and my school wasn't exactly affluent, so the equipment and software that we had to use were about as minimal as you could get. For our little home movie (subtitled, since we didn't have microphones) to win fourth place among dozens of "better" schools with more money and better equipment was quite the accomplishment for us. My former teacher shows our film to all of his classes, but so far no one has tried to enter, and my team and I are still the only ones that have ever been to this competition, let alone won anything.

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.
Most important to me would be friendship. I feel that no matter what life throws at you, you can get through it if you have a closely knit group of friends and confidants that you can lean on. Forging strong, trusting relationships with people can help you through the worst times, and the best times are always better when you have friends to share them with.
Least important to me would be family. While relationships are important to me, I feel that the ones you choose to have are more important than the ones you’re forced to have. I don’t think that it’s right to side with your family simply because of blood, and let’s face it; you don’t necessarily get along with everyone in your family, why be forced to?

6. What's one quote (or passage, song lyric, etc.) that effectively describes you and your values? Explain.
"An it harm none, do what ye will."
-Wiccan Rede
While I am not a practicing Wiccan, I have done some research on the religion, and this creed is a vestige of that research that has always stuck with me. I firmly believe that we as humans certainly have the freedom to do whatever it is we wish to do, so long as it doesn't hurt another person in the process. People (particularly Americans) delude themselves into thinking that they are allowed to do whatever they want to do, but they forget that harming someone else in the process infringes on another person's freedoms. That is not to say that I'm afraid of simply offending someone-these days it's difficult to order a cup of coffee without offending the next person in line, but I think it is an easy thing (and a happy thing) to go about your life without malicious intent towards another person.

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.
Financial security is very important to me. As much we would like to believe that “all you need is love,” money really does make the world go round, and you can’t get far without it. I have no problem going out into the world and making my own way, but I’m terrible with money management, and I often spend outside my means. My boyfriend manages all our finances and keeps our checkbook, and thus keeps me from overspending.

8. Name (and elaborate on) some of your hobbies. What are your favorite things to do outside of school/the office?
I read a lot of fantasy and sci-fi. Other than GRRM, I love Michael Crichton, Anne Rice, and Stephen King. Reading’s not all seriousness though; when I’m in need of literary junk food, I reach for Laurell K. Hamilton. Since I’ve lost my job, I’ve sort of become obsessed with World of Warcraft. I love costuming-it’s an adventure to become another person for a short while. I love to swim; it’s such a pleasant way to exercise. And I love bellydance. When I dance, I feel confident and liberated.

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.
My three best qualities are that I am open-minded, intelligent, and creative.
I have always prided myself on my open-mindedness. I learned from a very young age to accept people for who they are and not to pass judgment offhand. I will not say that I am perfect and completely unbiased, but I do try my best to look past appearances and learn about who people are before forming any kind of opinion.
I believe that my intelligence is what separates me from many of my peers. I have always had an inquisitive mind and I strive to be well-informed. I have an excellent vocabulary and am rarely at a loss for words. I am ashamed to admit that I don’t have a formal education (i.e. a degree), but I am confident enough in my intelligence and knowledge to be able to hold my own against the number of my contemporaries that do.
I am very creative, and I like to express that creativity in a number of ways, be it writing short stories, taking pictures, dancing, singing, or drawing. Being creative is the best way for me to express or escape myself. It’s a way for me to show the world to other people the way that I see it, and I love seeing the world through the creative works of others.

My three worst qualities are that I am stubborn, impatient, and hot tempered.
My stubbornness could possibly be seen as a good quality at times in that I’m not afraid to stand my ground, but lots of times I don’t know when I’ve lost, and my knees don’t bend easily.
I am extremely impatient in conversation. When I’m talking to someone that takes forever to get to the point, or if I’m just not being allowed to speak, I get frustrated. I hate it when people beat around bushes; just say what you want to say so I can tell you what I think.
My temper is probably my worst quality. I have a very short fuse, and it doesn’t take much to set me off. People tell me that they sometimes feel as if they’re walking on eggshells around me. (In fact, not to sway the vote or anything, but long before I started reading ASOIAF, I had friends that referred to pissing me off as “waking the dragon.” >.<)

A Song of Ice and Fire Related
1. Who are your favorite three characters in the series? Why?
Tyrion Lannister is probably my favorite character. His wit and cunning never cease to amaze and entertain me. I love his ability to read people at a glance or see many angles of a situation, and how he always knows how best to manipulate them to his advantage. He is somehow able to separate himself from his anger and rarely acts out of rage (except, of course, for the obvious), which is a quality I wish I had in myself. At every turn, he is made a scapegoat, yet he still cares enough for the kingdom to still try to set things aright. Even if it meant that the Lannisters would win, I want to see him come out on top.

Arya Stark is fascinating to me. From start to finish, her journey has been the most wearisome, and yet she somehow continues to push forward. I love that she has given herself a purpose, even if it is revenge. She is so much older than her years, and she can only continue to grow. Her last chapter in A Feast for Crows just about broke my heart, not only because it ended so ominously, but because I know we won’t see more of her until after A Dance with Dragons. I want to see where she goes and watch her complete her list.

Daenerys Targaryen is interesting to me. She began as a timid child, and we’ve watched her mature in a powerful ruler. She is constantly developing her beliefs and morals, and learning how to apply them in her reign. I have always loved watching characters grow and morph and learn from their transformations. I don’t think that she is quite ready to sail on the Seven Kingdoms just yet, but with so many of the other principle characters on her side of the ocean, I wonder if she’ll be receiving and kind of assistance from them.

2. Who are your least favorite three characters in the series? Why?
I absolutely despise Theon Greyjoy. His undeserved sense of entitlement is appalling and his betrayal of the Starks is nothing short of horrendous. He is selfish and petulant and stupid, and I hope that he’s being flayed alive in a dungeon somewhere, though it’s better than he deserves.

Walder Frey exasperates me. How one can manage to be conceited and cowardly at the same time, I’ll never know. He is another man that has a sense of entitlement that he takes too far, and his hunger for power and prestige seems to permeate his progeny. Even the youngest generation of Freys would rather quibble over who is next in line to Walder’s seat than mourn a fallen family member. He has no love, less honor, and lusts for titles and supremacy. Frankly, he is intolerable, and he really needs to just die already.

Melisandre simply scares me. At first I would have said Stannis, but I realized that he is so unlikable at her influence. She’s a religious fanatic and a hypocrite. Her prophecies constantly change to suit whatever situation she finds herself in. She has power enough to keep Stannis enthralled to her, yet she makes it seem that she serves him. It infuriates me that she has pulled the wool over so many eyes, and it scares me that I have no idea what she's up to. I wonder what will happen to Stannis once he is of no more use to her.

3. #1 Favorite moment in all of ASOIAF so far? Why?
It isn’t my favorite moment, but the ultimate moment to me is the Red Wedding. GRRM took away the last shred of hope for the Starks in that instant. I stopped reading for about a day after that chapter, and I still have a hard time rereading it. I simply can’t understand why GRRM has destroyed this family that really committed no crime, but I have to keep reading to see what kind of justice is in store for them. Then again, I suppose that there was some small retribution. Soon after that, Joffrey was killed at his wedding too, and I cheered aloud. It’s as if there is some hope after all for good to prevail over evil. Perhaps life is not a song, but there is still a chance for a happier ending.

4. In your dream-world, how would you like to see the series end, and why?
I want to see the Starks restored and Jon made lord of Winterfell. He is a Stark at heart, and it truly is his place. If Bran could regain his legs and Arya her eyes, that would be a plus. I would want Lady Stoneheart see that her remaining children are well and find peace. It want to see Cersei suffer, because death is too good for her. I want Jaime to find true love before he dies (because I have a sneaking suspicion that he will). I don't want Daenerys to conquer Westeros, mainly because I don't think she can. But if she finds assistance in the form of a certain missing dwarf, then she would stand a chance. I want Tyrion to have his due. For all that he's endured, he's owed one hell of a debt. Most people I know would roll their eyes at the thought of Tyrion returning to Westeros on dragonback, but honestly, hasn't he deserved it?