Application
The Basics:
Name: CameoAmalthea aka Tea_42
Age: 23
Location: Arizona
Occupation: Law Student
How did you find out about this community? (Specify usernames if you remember them.) Licoriceallsorts said I should join because it’s fun
Personality Questions:
1) List and expand upon your three best traits / strengths. (These should be personality-related, not physical.)
I’m very charismatic/persuasive. When I asked my husband what he thought my best traits were the first thing he said was persuasive. I’m good at making an argument or selling a point. I often get other people to go along with what I want, although I try not to be selfish or manipulative in doing so. I do things like convince a indoor type to come to Disneyland with me because I think they should have more fun or outline the benefits of moving out of your parents house if you’re miserable there, even offering to let you live with me. (Which is how an online friend is now my roommate). In customer service situations people seem to go out of their way to accommodate me. My friends have nicknamed me Hypnotoad.
I’m very optimistic. The story of person who can be seen singing to themselves and practically dancing. (I’ve been accused of prancing or strutting rather than walking). I was sky when I was younger, but even without knowing me people would note that I’m ‘always smiling’.
I don’t mind taking charge and helping others. I tend to think about what I can do to help others and that has led to taking on some leadership positions. I like people, and can direct them to meet the needs of the group. More often than not I’m put in leadership positions by friends because they know I’ll take care of things. My general mind set is ‘how can I take care of you and meet everyone’s needs’. My friends love me for my generosity, they know I’ll look out for them and that they can turn to me. I like giving guidance and more than one friend has thanked me for changing their life for the better.
2) List and expand upon your three worst traits / weaknesses.
Sometimes I am unintentionally manipulative. Some people don’t like to say no, and those people might feel my desire to persuade them to do things is me forcing them to do things. It’s a problem on both sides. I don’t like asking for things because I don’t want people to feel I’m using them, so rather than asking I try to convince people to do things so that when they say yes it’s because they want to not because I ask them. The downside is there’s a fine line between convincing and manipulating. I’m very honest (to the point of tactless bluntness in fact) so I don’t try to trick people, I give them the facts, but telling someone why they should do something rather than asking them isn’t the most straight forward way to go about things. Also, a lot of people have the opposite habit as me where they don’t like to say no so they instead try to persuade me as to why it’s not a good idea, which can be bad if I don’t get that what they mean is no, because then my continued efforts to convince them really come off as pushy.
I worry about everyone else’s happiness. Like for instance I hate the idea that people might say yes to me when they don’t want to because I don’t want to take advantage of anyone. I also tend to put other people’s needs before my own, like lending all the money I had to live on for the summer out to friends because they needed it and I technically had the money to help, so what I now have to live on credit cards I can do that, right? The thing is if you spend all your time worrying about what others think of you or what you’ve done to upset them, it can drive you crazy. I’m the sort of person where someone could stab me and I’d ask them what I’d done to upset them so much before apologizing for making such a mess by bleeding. I constantly worry that I’m bothering people, to the point of apologizing constantly or asking if it’s ok to say send a friend a PM because I’m terrified I might be a bother. I can never just say things, I have to give reasons as if to justify myself because I’m so worried about being misunderstood.
I like control, which can lead to bossiness/being controlling. My life has been out of my control in big ways, my mother falling into drug addiction and being out of control her self, effectively losing my home and parent because of that, being passed around to different relatives during my high school years then being sent out on my own after high school gradation. The ground under my feet has never seemed stable and as a result I grew to crave control. Although I’m fine following instructions, bit of a teacher’s pet really, when no one else is taking a clear lead, I will step up to make sure I have my affairs in orders and sometimes assume other people will just go along with me. I have a bad habit of phrasing requests like orders. Although, the other part of that is I’m very blunt, so might not take time to ask nicely, and just voice my plans out loud, including orders to other people. Of course, if they don’t want to go along with it all they have to do is say so, I take no for an answer and will immediately shift focus to working with them to meet their needs as well…but people still resent being told what to do in the first place.
3) Rate yourself on the following traits by putting an 'X' in the box you think fits best. (E.g. if you are slightly more introverted than extroverted, put an 'X' in the second box.) Explain your choice as well.
Introverted [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [X] Extroverted
Explain:
It’s complicated, I’m definitely an extrovert but I’m also fine with being alone and can even come off as shy. I’m an extrovert in that I love people, being out in a crowd or the center of my group of friends. A simple night out can turn into a part because I’ll include everyone, the more the merrier. When it comes to attention, I love raising my hand in class or giving a speech. I can hold the attention of a room and thrive on that. On the other hand, I like reading, writing, and studying. I’m perfectly fine hiding myself away in the library during lunch to study rather than socialize or eat. I’m also very aloof when I’m not comfortable with someone, so people might mistake this for being cold, distant, or even snobby, but really I’m more comfortable being withdrawn until I know someone likes me. Then the quietness goes away and I can talk your ear off with my tendency to monologue at people.
Cheerful [X] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Gloomy
Explain:
Cheerful, definitely cheerful, everyone has their down moments especially with stress , but generally I’m a ball of light.
Reserved [ ] [ ] [X] [ ] [ ] Impulsive
Explain:
Reserved, but I like spontaneity? I’m a highly analytical person, and tend not to act until I’ve not only thought something through but could give a presentation on why I’m doing something and why it’s a good idea. (Which I often do, see above mentioned need to justify myself). No one who thinks as much as I do can be truly impulsive. On the other hand the idea of leaping without taking the time to look holds a certain appeal, I’m definitely an instigator of going out and doing things…but generally with some forethought.
Energetic [] [X] [ ] [ ] [ ] Calm
Explain:
Energetic, or maybe more enthusiastic than anything: isn’t life exciting, let me talk a mile a minute about how exciting life is right now. That said, I am a library girl and enjoy activities that involve a lot of sitting still. Well, sitting still interrupted by the occasional pacing.
Logical/Thinking [ ] [X] [ ] [ ] [ ] Emotional/Feeling
Explain:
Why does this have to be a dichotomy? Are emotions purely irrational? I suppose I’m an emotional/feeling person who uses logical/thinking as a shield. I don’t like things beyond my control, emotions are not always under your control, and so I much prefer things I can explain, and prove. That said, I’m soft hearted, I cry during movies, I’ve rescued baby birds from storm drains, I’m a bleeding heart. However, does a bleeding heart and tear filled eyes preclude an analytical mind?
Grudge-holding [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [X] Forgiving
Explain:
Forgiving. You remember earlier when I said you could stab me and I’d feel terribly guilty about that. If you’d still be friends with me after that I would forgive you, there’s nothing to forgive really, I’m sure we both made mistakes. I just want you to forgive me, and it makes me feel so good that you’d still want to be my friend, how can I not forgive you?
I also, really don’t get angry in the first place most of the time. Annoyed or hurt, but not angry. The only exception to that is if you do something to hurt someone I care about. I am VERY protective of my friends and won’t forgive you hurting someone I care about very easily.
4) Describe how you typically work in teams. Is it generally a good experience, or do you prefer working by yourself? Do you like to lead and make decisions or do you prefer to let others make decisions so that you can do the legwork? You may find it helpful to give an example of a team you worked on recently and how that went.
Honestly, I can do any of the above. I can get things done on my own and it can be easier to work alone because you’re only responsible for you. That said, I like people and tend to work on teams. I usually end up put in charge because I’m eager to speak up and set goals. I can be very catalytic where I’ll have an idea and am willing to be the one to lead the charge to see it happen. I have this FFVII cosplay group. My Reno cosplayer started it saying wouldn’t it be cool to have an FFVII cosplay group, I told him sure if you want a Rufus Shinra cosplayer I’ll join but I’m very busy so don’t expect me to be in charge. It turned out he wasn’t so good at pulling a cosplay group together and I was much better at working with people so guess who everyone wanted in charge?
Honestly, I never really want to be in charge so much as other people let me be in charge, but I guess I’m doing it naturally anyway. Basically, if there’s a leader I’m happy to follow, if there’s a void in power and the team needs a captain, all right then team what can I do to help you.
It also helps that I’m better at directing than legwork, my only real skill is recognizing talent in other people and getting them to do things…
5) Spider-Man Decision: If you had to choose between saving two dozen innocent children and saving your best friend/significant other/person closest to you, which would you pick and why?
Person closest to me, or anyone close to me really, I have a lot of people I love and they’re everything to me. Even if it’s not the right thing to do, when it comes to the people I care about I’m on their side before anyone else and I’ll protect them first.
6) Your friend has had their feelings hurt and comes to you for consolation. What do you do? Let's say, two days later they come to you again still upset over the same issue. What would you do in that case?
I’ll comfort them, but I’ll do so honestly. I’m not going to nod and tell them commiserate, I’ll tell them what I think of the situation. Even if it means defending my best friend’s ex-girlfriend and sending him into a moment of pure rage, it’s better he gets his feelings out anyway. I try to help more than simply console. I’ll offer suggestions as how to fix the problem where it’s fixable or give my honest opinion otherwise. However, they know if they ever need help I’m there for them. When they come back two days later with the same problem, or months later as the case my be I’ll still hear it out all over again because being a friend means being there.
7) What interests/hobbies do you have? How do you like to spend your free time?
Writing, reading, anything imaginative or creative. I also love discussion so expect to find me on online forums. I also like getting out and spending time with people. Cosplay is my favorite hobby because it combines creativity with hanging out with people.
8) Describe one to three careers you would find ideal, with a little explanation of why it appeals to you.
If I could make it as a best selling author I’d love that job. To get to create and write something that makes people happy would be awesome. The idea of being a motivational speaker is also appealing, I want to inspire others, help them, and I love talking. I’m in law school now because I like the idea that a law degree will allow me to use my strengths (reading, writing, analysis, and speaking) to help other people.
FF Questions:
9) List one to three favorite Final Fantasy games and why you like them. Sequels/spin-offs/non-numbered/KH/Dissidia games are okay.
FFVII Before Crisis: Because I’m a hipster and like games no one has ever heard of…actually no, the real reason is that I like the moral questions the game brings up because the player character, Turks, aren’t exactly the good guys. It also helps that Rufus and the Turks are my favorite characters from the other games.
Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep: Because apparently I have a thing for prequel games…the real reason is because I loved Aqua’s character and getting to play KH from a girl’s perspective. I like KH in general, but Sora’s not as interesting and being a girl I never got the whole self-insert fantasy feeling from it the way I did with Aqua trying on the slipper to stall for time in Cinderella’s world. It was a real ‘hey, I could do that moment, she could be me’ moment.
FFVII: Obviously, if I’m obsessed with a prequel game released on cell phones in Japan only I must actually like FFVII itself. I like that it’s the first FF game to be sort of modern and have modern ideas. The villain isn’t just a bad guy; it’s the evil corporation that made that bad guy.
10) List one to three of your favorite Final Fantasy characters and why:
Rufus Shinra: Because he’s very complex, worthy of hatred at times and complete love at others. He’s brilliant, clever, alluring, and the kind of person who could lose everything and lay there at his lowest point laughing about it. He’s ruthlessly pragmatic, but never sadistic or disrespectful (he gets very upset when another character refers to the Turks as ‘lap dogs’ because you don’t refer to people like that). He’s just an interesting sort of anti-hero. It would be so easy for him to be a stereotypical villain, but he has the potential to save the day if it suites him. He pretty awesome.
Aqua: I love Kingdom Hearts but it does have a problem with it’s female characters being damsels in distress, but Aqua rescues the boys. Even telling Zack Fair to stay out of a fight because she doesn’t want him to get hurt, she’ll handle it. She looks after her friends, even though trying to tell them what to do doesn’t quite work out, you can see she cares. She’s a hardworking, an ace student, a brilliant magic user, beautiful and willing to suffer a fate worse than death to save the people she cares about.
Roxas: When you meet him, you learn he doesn’t really exist or isn’t supposed to exist. All he wants is to have his home and be with his friends, but he has to give that up. I guess I can relate to how that feels. Roxas accepts his fate and is endlessly self-sacrificing. Knowing him changed Axel from a villain willing to murder his own teammates to achieve his ends to someone willing to die to save the person he cared about most.
11) One to three characters you relate to (you may reuse answers from #8 if applicable) and why:
All of the above to some extent, I think relating to a character is part of the appeal. I also cosplay all those characters and I think part of cosplay is putting yourself in the character and it’s easier if they’re someone you can relate to some level. However, there are others I relate to more so here’s my top 3.
Nunchaku (Male) Before Crisis: I told you I was a hipster. In case you haven’t heard of him, he’s a happy, optimistic person who joins the Turks because he admires them. I relate to his attitude, being a bubbly happy person who isn’t going to let the bad things in life stop me from being happy just to be alive. Also I relate to the desire to discover where you belong in life and going for something because you like the idea of it. That’s basically why I’m in law school now, and I’m not sure if I made the right choice. I liked the idea of being a lawyer and thought I could do some good, now it’s too late to back out but hey I’m learning and I’m sure it’ll work out.
Knives (Female): Again with the Before Crisis characters. Knives is summed up as someone who lost her parents, faced the harshness of reality and came out of it as a very straight forward person who still manages to be more cheerful than grim. I relate to learning how hard life can be at a young age and to feeling alone in the world. I’m also a straightforward person, and definitely cheerful. I relate her down to the occasional clumsiness.
Aqua: Everything about her. I tend to be very mothering towards my friends because I want what’s best for them. I’m willing to sacrifice what’s best for myself in order to help them without a moment’s hesitation. At the same time I can come off as lecturing and controlling. Aqua’s also a lot of the things I want to be, she so strong, brave, powerful, and so beautiful.
12) The FF game you liked playing least:
I’m actually not much of a gamer. (I hope that’s not a bad thing, I like Final Fantasy, but I’m in it for the plot). Um…Dirge of Cerberus, I watched my husband play and felt a bit motion sick honestly from the camera angles, and then plot line felt a bit…uh convoluted?
13) One to three FF characters you dislike and why:
Cloud: Yes, at the beginning of the game he’s been traumatized, but that still doesn’t excuse a willingness to join a terrorist organization and participate in an attack which leaves hundreds dead when you don’t care at all about what AVALANCHE is fighting for or anything else. Killing happens, but when you don’t even know what your fighting for and are just doing it? (I guess I don’t like mercenaries) He’s also such a jerk at the beginning of the game. He’s better by the end, sure, but he’s still overly stoic to the point you don’t really get how he feels…I guess I don’t understand introverts as much so I don’t see behind his mask of not caring as readily. I don’t really share any personality traits with Cloud, in contrast to someone like Rufus who despite not being the hero or obviously likeable is relatable to me in some ways…lets just say sometimes I think fanfic writers use things I’ve said as dialogue for Rufus lol.
Yuffie: She stole my materia. I was going to forgive her, I felt so sympathetic, and then she locked me in a steel cage and ran off! I mean, maybe I don’t exactly dislike her as dislike what she did, or thieves in general.
14) Favorite weapon in a Final Fantasy game (either the name if you liked the name, or a picture if you liked the look of it, or a description if it had awesome stats/abilities):
15) Your favorite Final Fantasy summon (e.g. Ifrit, Carbuncle, Bahamut, etc.):
Odin: It does a lot of damage and when you get it, it’s like the most awesome thing you’ve seen so far…also six legged pony!
16) Your favorite spell/ability/technique that can be learned in a Final Fantasy game (e.g. Esuna, Steal, special finishes/overdrives such as Tifa's Final Heaven limit break, etc.):
Um…honestly I’m really bad at video games and tend to just press buttons, I didn’t even know I could change limit breaks in FVII until someone told me I could, I also had to have someone fuse my spells for me in Birth By Sleep. I liked Aqua’s SpellWeaver command style because it was so pretty!
17) A Final Fantasy mini-game/sidequest you invested entirely too much time into:
I tend to ignore minigames and side-quests in favor of getting through the plot, unless I have to do them or am interested in the plot of the side quest.
Although I sort of regret giving all my gil to Fort Condor because I felt sorry for a fictional bird, while at the same time being frustrated they didn’t just try to negotiate with Shinra on a way to relocate the bird. I’m sure I come up with a proposal that would make it rationally advantageous for Shinra to protect the Condor. Even bad press for killing it could lead to economically detrimental consequences less than the cost of saving it?
I feel like policy debates would make for a boring video game, but the entire time I played VII I just wanted to give Shinra suggestions…
18) Your favorite Cid:
FFVII, but I haven’t really played anything else so…
19) Optional: Up to one class you think does not fit you, with reasoning why.
White Mage: I’m NOT saying I think I’m a black mage because I doubt that would fit, but I don’t want to be like a white mage by default. I think people assume I’d be a white mage because I care about other people and seem pure of heart. However, I’m not really very zen or passive, much more passionate (to the point of being stubborn) than peaceful. I’ll take care of those I love, but I don’t think I’m quite white mage level.