Jun 26, 2012 07:18
- What sort of profession in the wizarding world would you choose and why?
Auror, simply because it is exciting and a profession worthwhile. It also would require me to remain ever on top of my own abilities and knowledge. Complacency wouldn't be allowed in such a workforce, and that's precisely what I prefer.
Additionally, it calls to mind my "real life" aspiration (barring being a writer of some sort) which is to teach. In academia, one cannot simply rest on the things she learned years ago in school, or on the things she is teaching in her daily classes. In order to be effective, she must continue to learn, to continue to prove mastery of her subject, in order to pass the knowledge and (hopeful) passion on to her students.
- You have to venture deep into the Forbidden Forest one night. Pick one Harry Potter character other than Hagrid and one object (muggle or magical), besides your wand, that you'd want with you.
(This is all under the hypothetical that I am also a Harry Potter character, or at least a being of that world, so please keep that in mind.)
I would take my owl. The bond between familiar and student is proven to be strong, and owls are nocturnal creatures. Furthermore, there is rarely a good reason to enter the Forbidden Forest at night, so I am operating under the assumption that I am not exactly supposed to be there. The owl, in that regard, makes a better companion than a sentient humanoid, because the owl isn't likely to inform someone of my evening meanderings. As for an object to take with me, I would say a broom. That way, were I to encounter danger (which seems more than likely) I would have a speedy method of escape.
- If you had the opportunity to live forever, but your family and friends did not, what would you choose? And if you did choose to live forever, what would you do with eternity?
I would take it. The loss of my family and friends would be tragic, and would likely ultimately drive me to the live of a recluse, but the opportunity to spend eternity cultivating skills and knowledge would be too tempting. It would give me the opportunity to watch, to learn and to accumulate power, which I would (hopefully, barring corruption) use to protect the people in the world around me, though I would not, strictly speaking, be a part of it anymore.
And beyond all that, I'm far too curious about what will happen to humanity and to the world to allow such a thing to pass. I want to know what the future will be like. I want to see science fiction become science fact (to borrow a bit of a quote from Thor). I want to see augmented reality in use every day. I want to see if something like Shadowrun happens, or if there is some massive catastrophe that blasts us all back to a time before all this tech was running so rampant. I want to see what animals we drive to extinction, what animals we save, what countries morph into, the way people grow to love things we now hate, and hate things we presently have no concept of. There are too many possibilities, and I honestly don't want to miss them.
- If you could travel back in time to one point, when and where would you go? Why?
I would go to Tombstone, Arizona, during the time of Wyatt Earp, so I could drink, smoke, and play poker with Doc Holiday. I suppose the only reason is that I admire the man for his free spirit, and the way he pursued what he wanted above all things. But Doc Holiday wasn't just about partying and fending off consumption, he was also about is friends. My friends have always and will always know me for my loyalty and my protectiveness. All through High School, I was the one who stood up to the bullies, to anyone else who wanted to say anything negative about them. I've never been fearful of those sorts of people, and even if there was ever a flicker of apprehension, the need to see my friends though something was more important, because they weren't always capable of it themselves. If my closest friends had needed me to ride with them on a vengeance mission, I would have done it without second thought.
- What HP character do you identify with most and why?
Draco Malfoy. Not because he is power hungry or naïve or an integral part to the story line, but because he was pulled into something he didn't understand, couldn't control, and ultimately came to detest. His actions were the actions of a boy trying to be a man, of someone desperately attempting to live up to what was expected of him, and I cannot count the times I have berated myself for not accomplishing some arbitrarily assigned goal. And all the while, of course, I tell myself that everything I do, I do for myself, to further my own identity, to make myself better. But it's not true, it's always for people who care about me. And just like Draco, the people who really matter? They would want me to be me for me, not for them.
I constantly fall into a self destructive cycle. I find myself living the life I thought my grandma, or my father, or my significant other, wanted of me. I make myself miserable for the sake of living up to the expectations of the people that I care about, the people that I believe matter.
- What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?
Myself as I am now. I don't have what I want most in the world (living in a beautiful house in New Orleans, or a sky rise flat in Tokyo), but I'm on the track to reaching it. I'm working to put myself through university, and from there, I'll continue to work until I can move to the city I want to make a life in. That's as far ahead as my desires go, but I wouldn't want to Mirror to show me merely accomplishing those things as though there was no work involved. That is in no way what my heart desires. I want to know the struggles I've experienced, I want to see them for the worth they have. So if the mirror could show me fighting for what I want, what I believe in, then maybe that's what it would actually show me.
- Do you believe that moral actions should be judged by the intentions behind them, or by the consequences they create?
The consequences they create. Intentions can be skewed by trickery and the inner workings of the person committing the action. Anyone can justify an action by claiming a certain intent was the reason. But what does that really mean? It's action that matters, and consequences, be they positive or negative, are the obvious byproduct of that. And besides, intent doesn't count for anything if nothing comes of it.
- What was your ideal job as a kid? Has that changed? What is your ideal job now?
I wanted to be a veterinarian. Somewhere along the way, I got it into my head that one had to be a math whizz in order to obtain that position. I've learned recently that isn't necessarily true, and for a brief moment I considered working to apply to vet school after I graduate my under-grad studies. However, I realized doing so would keep me grounded, keep me in my home state, or at least, it likely would, and that isn't what I want. Right now, my dream job would be to write. I want to be a novelist, a master of prose. Short of that, I would enjoy journalism of almost any kind, or reviewing books. I refer to those things as my "not so likely aspirations," and acknowledge that I will most likely end up teaching, which is fine, as well. Be that the case, I'd like to teach English to students learning it as a second language, specifically East Asian students. This developed from High School, where I watched many (mostly Korean) students struggle with the language barrier. There was one teacher there who spoke Korean, Chinese, and Japanese, and she was able to help them so much more than any of the teachers I could see. That, to me, is a truly noble profession.
- If you were able to invent one spell, potion, or charm, what would it do, what would you use it for or how would you use it, and what would you call it?
I would create a potion to quicken mental capacity, which would in turn allow for more multitasking potential. There are a lot of things I want to do, a lot of things I have to do, and I don't always have the time to accomplish them, because I can't focus on so many things at once. I'd call it, Starkblast, which is a reference to a Stephen King novel I'm reading, but I rather like it. Because the Starkblast is sudden, it's deadly, and if you aren't prepared for it, you'll be blown over.
- If you were to face a boggart, what would it turn into? And what does it turn into when you throw the counter-spell, Riddikulus?
It would turn into a giant bumblebee, or a wasp, anything with a stinger, really. I can't think of a single thing that I am more frightened of, save maybe failure, but I'm not sure how that would manifest. After the counter spell, however, the bee would turn into a floating necklace of a bee, with diamonds causing the wings to sparkle. It would create something beautiful from the thing that terrifies me, which is funny because, honestly, why be afraid of something so small as a bee?
- What do you look for in a friend?
The ability to put up with my insanity and mischievousness. It sounds silly, but it's actually rather important. I also look for someone who is willing to push me, who isn't afraid of my temper, and will thus challenge me on any topic. I live for debate and liveliness, for adversity. It proves that I'm strong, that I'm clever. I also look for friends I can feel comfortable around. I don't care what others think about my friends, so long as I can have just a moment to relax.
When I was in elementary school, I moved a lot, enough that I went for four different elementary schools. I suppose, in doing that, I developed a certain... Difficulty, when it came to making friends. It still doesn't come easily to me. So the last part, about people I can be comfortable around, that I can be myself around, is particularly important to me.
- What trait most annoys you about other people?
I absolutely hate it when people are lazy, or unmotivated. To be truthful, a lot of things about other people annoy me, but that's the biggest one. I'm constantly plotting, constantly planning, constantly on the move, so to see someone who just sits around and is content to stew in mediocrity infuriates me.
As an example, I have a habit of planning out every possible situation conceivable. I'll be lying in bed at night, and I'll hear something. Immediately I'll plot the ways someone could enter the house, the way someone could stage an attack, and all the different things I could do about it. Additionally, I'm moving into an apartment of my own soon, but before I could do that, I had to look at furniture and other apartment necessities online. I know have a bookmarks folder titled "apartment" that's separated in additional folders by room ("dining room," "bedroom," "bathroom," etc). Even things that I think aren't entirely likely to happen, I'll plan for it. And so seeing people who are apparently content to just sit in their room, doing nothing all day, furthering their lives not at all, drives me nutters because I can't fathom it.
- What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities?
1.) The way I use words. Even now, at 3AM and running on four hours of sleep, following a long day at work and swimming with friends, I rather think I'm holding my sentences together rather splendidly.
2.) I'm determined, doggedly so, to the point of being irritating, I'm sure. I've been told that it's as if I don't have a concept of failure, not really. I decide that I want to do something, and then it happens. Sure, I mess up, a lot, stumble and fall and trip and get lost along the way, but I don't stop, I don't give up until I see through to it. I don't let fear or hardship stop me.
3.) I'm perceptive. Most of the time I use it to the disadvantage of others, but if I chose to employ the skill to assist (as I've done a few times) I can be quite helpful. I use this a lot to manipulate a situation, to see what people are going to do, and then act accordingly. It happens a lot when I'm out at a bar, or the like. I usually go with my sister, and I feel the need to watch her, because she's younger than me, and the way people around her are acting. I don't want her to get into trouble, and there have been multiple times where I've come in, dissected what some boy was doing, and then had him leave her alone, when otherwise she might have gotten into an irresponsible situation. (Did I mention that I often think I know what's best for others?)
4.) I am resourceful. No matter what is happening, or what I need, if I sit down and puzzle things out, I can come up with a way around the obstacle without fail. Sometimes it's convoluted, and sometimes I barely get by, but whether it's scraping together rent, finding a new job, or going to some concert, I find a way to make it happen.
5.) I absorb languages, breathe them in and collect them. I adore them. They're probably the only thing that I enjoy for no reason at all, other than to say that I know them. Even books I tend to read so I can talk about them to other people. But there are some languages that I just like, that I want to know so that I can know them, even if I never go to a place where that language is spoken, even if I never use it.
- What do you think are your top five weaknesses or worst qualities?
1.) My temper. I'm quick to anger, and for some reason, I can't bring myself to work on it. I get it from my father, and I know that. These days, I'm a lot better at restraining myself than I used to be. A few years ago, I'd get angry and throw whatever I was holding. I can't remember how many times I chucked my phone across the room, shouted something at someone I care about, that sort of thing.
2.) I manipulate situations too often. Even if I'm not doing it at the expense of someone, it's as though I'm ever attempting to play at commander. I just always feel like I'm watching everyone around me, like I'm not exactly a part of the situation, the interactions with other people. It's why I drink so much at parties with my friends, because it lets me relax, lets me feel like I'm just there to have fun.
3.) I can be so standoffish that it seems I'm an utter asshat. Generally, this is true, because if I don't want to talk to someone, I simply don't. But I don't think that's a good thing. I don't like people to just label me as an unrepentant bitch, and then write me off. And the only reason I'm so reticent to open up is because I've forced myself to become this way. A year ago I wouldn't have even been able to admit that much, to say that I had tried to force myself into as much of an emotional deficit as possible. I'm slowly getting better, especially from three years ago, when I was called a "robot" by my girlfriend at the time. That scarred me a little, I think, and thus, I continue to hide myself, especially in situations with new people.
4.) I'm too judgmental. Too many times have I seen someone, instantly decided I didn't like him/her, and then just run with it for no viable reason. This has happened in the past, and then I've been forced to be around someone, sometimes years later, only to find that I actually like the person. More often it happens with media, particularly music. My absolute favorite band is a Korean acapella group named DBSK. When they were first introduced to me, I was mainly listening to heavy metal and the like, so five dancing, pop singing Koreans wasn't exactly my favorite thing. I instantly decided I didn't like them, and when they were pushed on me, I declared it even more. I abhorred them for something like a year, and when I finally came to them later, on my own, I discovered a lovely group with whom I am completely in love.
5.) I'm paranoid to a fault. I sleep with pepper spray and a cutlass, and every time I hear a noise I have to investigate, fully convinced that a fight for my life is about to happen. It robs me of sleep, because it is so bad that there are many nights where I physically cannot sleep until the sun rises. Even if it means only getting three or four hours of sleep before work, it's still better than sitting upright, with my heart racing, every time the house settles. Most of the noise I'm certain is in my mind, or at least augmented by my fear, but I too often find myself camping out in the living room, so I can keep an eye on more of the house, so I can be closer to the door, and so I can keep the television loudly playing something (anything) in hopes that I can fall asleep.
- Define in your own words the following key traits:
- Courage: The ability to determine what you need to do, and then the wherewithal to follow through with whatever plan you concocted.
- Loyalty: The refusal to betray a true friend, even if it is at your own loss.
- Intelligence: Knowing how the world works, or at least how the world immediately around you works, and using that knowledge to influence your conditions.
- Ambition: Refusal to give up, refusal to back down, knowing exactly what you want and going for it, no matter the pain and no matter the potential shame.
- Name: Nicole
- Age: 22
- Where did you find out about us? Livejournal communities directory
- Do you plan on being active in the communities once you are sorted? That's precisely why I was searching for new communities. I want friends with similar interests, and Harry Potter has captivated my attention since the first book was published. Which is to simply say that yes, I plan to be active in the communities.
sorted: slytherin,
term xxiii