Appeal

[pierhias.livejournal.com]

Name: Iris
Age: 25
House you were sorted into: Ravenclaw
Link to original application: http://platform-934.livejournal.com/765547.html
Are there any questions you would like to elaborate on?

Considering I wrote that original app more than three years ago, I want to change/edit surprisingly few answers.

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 don't think I'd still want to live forever. Back in '09 I'd never lost anyone close to me, but in the past years I've had to come to terms with that, as well as watch my grandparents' health deteriorate considerably. At this point I don't think I could stand watching this happen to people I care about again and again.
I'm still curious to see what the future holds, and I'd still love to have all the time in the world to do different things I don't take the time for now. But I don't any longer believe that it would be worth the cost to me.

What would you see if you looked into the Mirror of Erised?
I sort of want to change it, and at the same time not. On the one hand I think that deep down this might always remain one of my most intense desires, the need to see my family whole and around me. But on the other hand I've really come to terms with the situation in the last few years and it's not actively bothering me anymore. My parents are so much happier now than I ever knew them together, and that's more important than who is living where.
If I looked into the Mirror right now, I might see myself in a new apartment, closer to my workplace, surrounded by my parents with their respective partners, and my brother and his girlfriend, holding a baby nephew or niece of mine. It would symbolize having reached a point where my life is good enough that I wouldn't feel the need to change any one given aspect of it.

Do you believe that moral actions should be judged by the intentions behind them, or by the consequences they create?
I believe that, legally, moral actions need to be judged by consequences mostly, though taking intentions into account. Morally, on the other hand, personally I judge people's intentions a lot more.


Pick one or two canon qualities from each of the four houses that you possess and explain why you picked them:
Gryffindor I have a pretty solid set of principles and what I consider to be right or wrong, and I don't like compromise when it comes to that. I try to stand by what I believe in, and stand up for it too, if needed.
I have a certain need to prove myself. Give me a challenge and I'll try my best to get there. I don't like backing down or being proven wrong, I can be pretty stubborn at times, and it's all because I want to prove myself.
Hufflepuff I am hard-working. Don't get me wrong, I like doing nothing all, I am lazy, and I procrastinate like the best of them. But if I achieve something, I want to know that I put the effort in and deserved it. Like Cedric when he offered a quidditch rematch after Harry fell off his broom. He wanted to win because he was better, because of his work, not because of Harry's bad luck, and I'd be the same. Hand me something on a silver platter and I won't appreciate it or be able to enjoy it. Make me work for it, and feel like I earned it and I'll be happier.
I also put a lot of stock in fairness. Few things get me riled up as easily as perceived unfairness towards myself or others. And I'd like to believe I can be impartial and judge a situation fairly without my own interests getting in the way. I'd rather lose in a fair manner than win by cheating or taking advantage of anyone.
Ravenclaw I strive on logic and I am analytical. I got a university degree in math, I just started work as an analyst, I love all kinds of logic puzzles, games, etc., and often I can see connections and mechanisms easily. I'm also naturally inquisitive. I want to know how things work and why, I want to learn and understand. I'm the kind of person who's so immersed in trying to figure something out that they forget to eat.
Slytherin I am ambitious as all hell. If there is a top spot, I want it, if a game needs a winner I want to be the one winning it. I don't really do things for fun, be it playing cards or doing sports or anything, I want to do it as best as I can, and I sure don't want to lose. I try to be a graceful loser if it does happen, but it's eating me up inside.
In social situations I am observant, and I probably know more about people than they realize. It's not that I'm particularly interested in knowing these things or that I am nosy, I just listen when people talk to me. Unlike a good Slytherin I don't use that knowledge to my advantage usually, but I guess I could if I wanted to.

Now pick up to two canon qualities from each of the four houses that you do NOT possess and explain your choices:
Gryffindor: I don't really see myself as passionate. Of course I am passionate about a few things, everyone is, but passion is not a word I'd use to describe myself in most circumstances. It takes a lot to get me riled up, and I regard myself as fairly laid-back in most things. I'm not one to change the world, and I lack the courage to allow myself to care about many things. People who care get hurt, and I'd rather not.
I'm also not brave. I am scared of many things, and if I can, I avoid them rather than facing them. Like said above, I'm scared to get emotionally invested in many ways. I'd rather not care than care and get hurt, which is not a very daring way to go about life.
Hufflepuff I'm not that fussed about loyalty. Not that I am actively disloyal, I am not. But if I have to choose between my principles and what I think is right, and loyalty to someone going against those things, there are extremely few people I would choose over what I believe in. I'm a firm believer that friends and partners in life come and go, and I'd rather be true to myself than to others.
Ravenclaw I am absolutely not the dreamy, creative, Luna-esque kind of Claw. I am also not idealistic or romantic. Give me cold, hard facts, logic and reasoning over emotions and day-dreaming any day. My reaction to Luna would probably be very similar to Hermione's, if hopefully more accepting.
Slytherin I hate networking. Like I seriously abhor the idea of getting places because I happen to know someone. I could easily have gotten a job without ever interviewing or even showing anyone my resume by just dropping my father's name at an opportune time and with the right people. And I might have done it if I had exhausted all other options. But I would have exhausted ALL other options first. I'd never have been happy with a job I felt I hadn't earned. I am really bad at "you rub my back and I'll rub yours."
Besides that I don't use any means to achieve my ends. There's a clearly defined line of what I am willing to do or not, and I think I draw that line more rigorously than many others would. Like I said above, I'd rather lose or not achieve my goals than use means I don't approve of to get there.

Explain why you feel misplaced in your current house. Please be sure to explain how much of your answer is based on your canon understanding of the house (versus the way the house happens to be in HiH): It's not so much that I feel entirely misplaced in Ravenclaw as it is that nagging doubt if it's really the best fit. Do I believe in knowledge for knowledge's sake? Yes. Do I like to feel like I spend my time doing something more "useful" than learning? Yes. I think if my time at school and university had gone differently, I might have turned out to be completely Ravenclaw inside and out. But as it is, both school and uni were miserable places for me to be, for different reasons, and it's put me off learning quite a bit. I hold a deep seated grudge against formal education, and it's hard for me to separate "learning" from my educational experiences.
I am analytical, and I enjoy brain games, for lack of a better word. I teach math for fun, and I like writing logic puzzles as much as solving them. But my main motivation in life is not learning, and I feel more fulfilled doing productive things that benefit someone somehow (even if that someone is just my paycheck at the end of the month, ahem) than "just" learning for its own sake.

Is there a particular house you believe you would feel more at home in? If yes, please explain: Ah, the house I identify the most with changes fairly regularly. I used to think of myself as a Ravenclaw primarily, then as a Hufflepuff, then back to Claw, and these days I can't help but notice the Gryffindor is cropping up more and more. I think at the core I may be a Hufflepuff, but I'm never quite sure.

Comments

[pierhias.livejournal.com]

Alright, I need to preface this by saying we're talking about a crew of conmen here, so every one of them has a good deal of Slytherin in the mix. For my choices for the other three houses I'll have to somewhat ignore that, and focus on the rest of their personalities.

Gryffindor: Nate is titled "Mastermind" in their internal role casting, so you'd think he'd be more of a Ravenclaw. He's extremely smart, very clever, definitely witty, but always always motivated by one (or both) of two things: an intense drive to right wrongs, or a personal vendetta. He's on a crusade to "steal back from the rich and powerful" (his words, not mine), and for that he's even willing to go against his own issues with that whole thieving business. He's so righteous (and self-righteous too, a lot of the time) that for the longest time he refuses to admit that he's a thief too. He puts his noble motivations first and likes the white knight part of his role better than the fact that he's also the black king. Sometimes he gets too emotionally invested, but if he weren't so passionately into doing the right thing, he probably couldn't do this at all.

Hufflepuff: Eliot is the "Hitter", so again, not the most typical choice you could make for a Hufflepuff, I suppose. XD
But Eliot is also per his job definition there to back the team up, to have their backs no matter what the situation and what the risks for himself. And the only time I can remember him putting that loyalty and dedication of his in question is when Nate is drunk and risking everyone for a personal thing. All the other times, when push comes to shove Eliot will be there by your side bailing you out and giving you a clear get away. Sometimes he'll get grouchy and complain about the lack of acknowledgement a bit, but you know he really loves being the one they can all depend on. I definitely think he's the glue that keeps them all together, even if he would never admit that to anyone's face, and probably threaten to hit you if you as much as suggested it.

Ravenclaw: Hardison is the "Hacker", so we're getting to the point where my choices are a bit more stereotypical. He's definitely a geek, and he's proud of it too. (Age of the Geek, Baby...) He quotes popculture, he downloads Doctor Who, he's into figuring things out and making them work. His intelligence and the outlets it provides him with are his refuge from the world, like doing right is Nate's, money is Parker's, and hitting things is Eliot's. Hardison is clever and witty like Nate, and he's openly aspiring to be the mastermind and crew leader one day. But where Nate's plans are shrewd and sneaky, Hardison's have their own meticulous intelligence. They also have a bit of needless extravagancy, which I think is a very Claw thing. He's embellishing his plans with neat examples of his brilliance, not because it makes the plan any better, but because he can.

Slytherin: Another stereotypical choice for Slytherin, Sophie is the "Grifter". She is hopeless as an actress on stage, but on the job there is no one better to don a mask and take on whatever role. She becomes those people in order to get what she needs. Sophie knows when to charm, when to cry, when to threaten and when to just take what she wants. She's so private about who she really is underneath all the layers and masks that her real name is a big secret. She protects her self and her identity extremely well, and it takes a lot for her to let people in. Even Nate, who clearly means a lot to her, doesn't get into the inner circle for a long time because she knows he'll mess it up and hurt her. Sophie is proud of being the best at what she does, and it's clearly ambition and a willingness to do whatever it takes that got her there.