Women On Fire Holiday Mixer Poll

Are you sure you've read ALL the books in the Women On Fire series? Cause if not, you should go back to the Women on Fire homepage RIGHT NOW before you have big, important plot developments ruined for you.

As in Florida, there was a fair amount of over-voting and under-voting. I did not represent most undervotes, but overvotes were honored, with one vote assigned to each candidate chosen.

Here are the results of the multiple choice/quantitative type questions, complete with statistical analysis:

HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT WOF?

For those with no real-life or STWTTF connection, the biggest single draw was the Straight Person's Guide to Gay Etiquette; people found WOF after having gotten curious about "this Plaid Adder person" based on reading the etiquette manual. Other roads to WOFdom include the Adder's Lair and the Sith Academy.

IF YOU HAD THE CHOICE TO LIVE IN IDEIRE INSTEAD OF WHERE YOU ARE NOW, WOULD YOU TAKE IT?

It'd have been interesting to do this poll both before and after September 11 and then compare the results. As it is, a whopping 9 respondents said they would move to Ideire in a heartbeat, although it was often unclear whether the motivation was to be in Ideire per se or simply to get the hell out of the world we're in right now. For several of these respondents, however, this would be conditional on being able to develop something to take the place of the internet.

Among the 5 who took the hell no, we won't go position, lack of plumbing/electricity/computer technology was the objection most frequently cited, although Cormac and Jay both brought up the fact that it would be a lot more fun to be a woman in Ideire than it would be to be a man.

Two people took the position that Ideire would be a great place to visit, but that they couldn't hack it long term. Well, that's OK, that hospital's gotta get its staff from somewhere.

IF YOU HAD THE CHOICE, WHICH WOF CHARACTER WOULD YOU MOST WANT TO...

Be?

First place: Aine ni hEmer, 6 votes.
Second place: Theamh ni hUlnach, 4 votes.
Third place: Lythril, 2 votes.
Honorable mentions with 1 vote each: Tyrna, Keanrih (ow!), Lilea

It's interesting to me that so many people want to be Aine, although I suppose it makes sense: she gets to do a lot of the cool stuff, is arguably the most sympathetic character in the series (once she gets over being so timid, she's almost never a pain in the ass, something which cannot really be said for Theamh). She's also one of the few principal characters with a decent family, a stable home life, and no gigantic emotional traumas in her past.

Like the dog who did nothing during the night, those characters who were *not* nominated are also interesting: for example, nobody wants to be Istria, and really, when I think about all the crap I put her through, I can't blame ya. I also notice nobody wants to be Barant, but that's to be expected, as she is pure evil. Of course, Lythril did get a couple votes; but that's to be expected.

Do?

First place: Aine ni hEmer, 5 votes.
Second place: Istria ni Vharen, 3 votes.
Third place: Tie between Lythril and Taric, 2 votes.
Honorable mentions: Ethir, Morat, Chierna

Once again, Aine pulls into the lead, as a plurality declares her the hottest thing in Ideire. What's interesting is that Aine was also the favorite among people who want to both be and do the same character. (The runner-up there is Lythril. And we know who's responsible for that, don't we.) The preponderance of people who want to do Istria, vs. the complete lack of people who wanted to do Theamh, probably has to do, as Cormac pointed out, with perspective: Theamh wants to do Istria so badly that we just can't help kinda wanting that too, whereas she doesn't see herself as particularly doable.

Two people are foolhardy enough to want to do Lythril, even after they've seen what happens to Maerin. Although, there again, this may have to do with the fact that Jay nominated Lythril for every category except for "have killed" (more on that below).

The man-lovers amongst us were faced, essentially, with a two-party system: although I suppose Keanrih might have been an option, the only two names *really* on the ballot were Taric and Ethir, and thanks to the lobbying of a powerful special interest group (viz., Darth Julie) Taric barely squeaks into the lead. In answer to those who asked, I woud like to point out that yes, Ethir does have dark hair. Curly dark hair and blue eyes. It embarrasses me to say this, but in my head, he *does* kind of look a little bit like Bobby Donnell, only more underconfident and disheveled.

Take home to meet your parents?

First place: Aine ni hEmer, 4 votes
Second place: Theamh ni hUlnach, 3 votes
Third place: NightQueen, 2 votes
Honorable mentions: Ulnach, Ethir, Morat, Lythril

Continuing to crush her competition like so many beagi, Aine emerges as the character most people would feel safest taking home to meet the folks. However, there was wide variation in how people interpreted this question: some were looking for a character who would impress their parents, whereas others were merely looking for a character who would kick their parents' asses. Still others selected based on which characters they thought would benefit most from exposure to their own families. And then there's Jay.

Go into battle with?

Many respondents declined to make a choice here, either listing almost everyone in the series who's ever swung a sword or slung a fireball, or pointing out that when there's a battle in the wind, they would really rather be hiding under a table in an undisclosed secure location. Among those who did pick a comrade, however:

6 people wanted Theamh
4 wanted the Daughters of Amranth
2 wanted Istria
2 wanted Morat
Honorable mentions: the Amstian Army, Lythril

Since, as the protagonist, Theamh is required to be indestructible, people felt like some of her luck might rub off on them. If we take the practical approach, however, the people you want behind you are the Daughters; face it, there's more of them. Istria and Morat split the second prize for Shriia With The Most Whup-Ass. And then, of course, there's Lythril.

Go into battle against?

4 people want to take on Lythril (you're mad, I tell you)
2 want a piece of Ulnach
also lined up for ass-kicking: Barant, Gwilna, any and all of the Cretids

Again, see above re: hiding under the table, undisclosed secure location. However, some of the more craven respondents got around it this time by nominating particularly weak foes (this is explains the two votes for Ulnach, Gwilna, and of course the Cretids, who are putty in your hands once you pry their guns out of their cold dead fingers).

Have killed?

This was a big surprise to me, anyway: NightQueen's father, a character who logs so little screen time I'm surprised anyone even remembers him, won this by a landslide with 7 votes. When I stopped to think about it, though, it didn't seem that weird after all. Not only has he ruined NightQueen's life, but he is the front man for the fundamentalist right. Plus, in addition to frequenting strip joints, he has the temerity to hit on Istria, right in front of Theamh. I ask you. The fact that he's so minor actually helps, as nobody has time to get attached to him or indeed see him as a human being. *And* he's a Cretid. So no wonder he's cruising for a bruising.

We have a three-way tie for second place:

2 people want Ulnach put out of Theamh's misery
2 people want to see Barant torn to pieces by wild beasts, or similar
2 people feel that when it comes to Maerin, one gruesome, painful, violent and bloody death is not enough

And dragging along in last place is the Fair-Haired Boy (remember, he's the guy they have to save NightQueen from in AC). I would also like to point out that this is the only category for which Lythril was *not* nominated.

Other

...most like to hang out with: Harani wins with two votes; Istria, Slythe, Lara, and Chandra and her version of the Scooby Gang get one vote each.
...most like to study with: Lilea, Aine
...most like to work for/be taught by: Theamh, Aine
...most like to shop with: Lara, 2 votes
...most like to smack upside the head: NightQueen
...most like to see inconvenienced: Ulnach

WOULD YOU WANT TO BE A SHRIIA, A DARK USER, OR A REGULAR NON-BURNING KIND OF IDEIREN?

Shriia: 9
Regular non-burning: 6
Dark user: 2

You will be unsurprised to learn that the overlap between the group who wants to be a dark user and the group who wants to be/do Lythril is 100%. Barant doesn't seem to be pulling in the recruits in the same way. Meanwhile, among those who are not utterly lost to the minions of evil, 9 people want to grasp the nettle, ride the ragged edge of disaster, and be a shriia, whereas 6 would prefer to sleep late, use money, and not get killed.

IF YOU WERE A SHRIIA, WHICH DEPARTMENT WOULD YOU BE IN?

Practical Magic was the clear favorite here with 8 votes. People like cool stuff, I guess. The only other category that received multiple votes was Tracking, with 3. Rainmaking was a popular second choice for people, although only one person listed it first. Comings & Goings and Border Control get one vote each, and only one soul is nuts enough to want to go into Possessions.

WILL AINE EVER FIND LOVE?

I forgot to tabulate this one exactly, but the overwhelming consensus seemed to be that when it comes to romantic love a la Theamh and Istria, Aine can pretty much take it or leave it. Several pointed out that Aine is already married to her work, and several liked the fact that WOF contains at least one character who's single and happy. And then there were a few people whose response boiled down to, "Sure she will--with ME!"

WHICH SCENE WOULD YOU MOST LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING IN THE TV SERIES/FILM?

This category did not have a real conclusive winner, although the Kiss of Death from *Darkness Bright* (3) barely beat out feeding/capturing the vigils at the beginning of *Taken Child* (2). Others nominated included:

Diana Rigg as anyone

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