2 Tags for the Price of 1!

What-ho everyone! Today I am going to complete two tags that I was nominated for a shamefully long time ago... but that was before I had a blog. ;)

The first is the Fantastical and Felicitous Character Blog Tag:

the creator of this tag

Rules:
•Answer every question honestly. 
•Use as many gifs and images as possible.
•Incorporate at least one YouTube video with a favorite scene of a character.
•NO VAGUE ANSWERS ALLOWED. Explain why you chose that favorite character to fit that description. I love details, my friends.
•If you can’t choose just one, that’s okay – give us a few answers and geek out if that’s what it takes.
•Tag at least 3 people.
•Use fictional characters from any fictional story.
•If you get nominated and/or decide to participate in this tag, please put a link back to this post in your post and credit yours truly (Emily at The Altogether Unexpected) as the creator.
•Have fun and obsess over fictional characters!

(Okay,  for the record, this is an extremely intimidating long list of rules, so don't mind me while I go rebel and break at least half. :P) (Let's hope I can at least accomplish the first.)
Oh, and by the way, Natalie tagged me for this one - thanks, Natalie!! :) <3


Goody-two-shoes: A character who was just so morally good
Elsie Dinsmore or Fred Wright just seem like the obvious choices here, but I'm going to go with someone else. How about Esther Summerson from "Bleak House"? It's been a long while since I've either read the book or seen the miniseries, but I remember thinking that girl had a heck of a lot of virtues. And yet, I really did sympathize and relate with her. Poor, dear Esther.

Heartbreaker: A character who made you cry
Sam Gamgee, from "Lord of the Rings". 

Him and his inspiring talks and his loyalty and his innocence and his selflessness and his kind, gentle, manner - GUYS HE'S JUST SUCH A SWEETHEART, OKAY. And of COURSE he's going to make me sob when *spoilers* they are on Mt. Doom and he starts talking about the Shire but he has no expectation that they would ever return. *cries*

Parrot: A character who won’t stop talking
(I feel like there's one of these characters in every single Dickens book.) But one that comes to mind is Flora Finching from "Little Dorrit". My word can that girl talk! I remember reading the book, gaping at the pages of dialogue seemingly spoken by ONE person. I'd turn the page only to discover it continued for more than two pages! What! Arthur Clennam must be SUCH a man of patience, that's all I can say. 

Devilish: Your favorite villain
Why, what a wicked thing to say. :P My favourite villain? Hmm... I'm not sure if I have a favourite. Perhaps Chauvelin, from "The Scarlet Pimpernel" because I find him quite horrible, and yet marvelously fun to watch. (I'm thinking more of the movie than the book for this one - specifically the one where he's portrayed by Sir Ian Mckellen.) Especially fun when Percy always wins in the battle of wits against him (or fencing, for that matter). 

Love interest: A character who, if alive in reality, you would want to marry
Oh, this one I am quite sure I know. Gilbert Blythe. :D 

Any day, mate!

He had my heart ever since I watched the movie when I was knee-high to a grasshopper. I love his sass, his spunk, his honesty, his intelligence, his protectiveness of Anne, his playfulness... yeah, I'm quite sure if I ever met him in real life he'd sweep me off my feet - even if I took a little while to decide that I liked him, like Anne did. ;) 

Sidekick: A character who was always loyal no matter what
Oh, dang. I've already used Sam Gamgee. :P He's the ultimate one for this one. I think I'll pick the dear character Crutchie from "Newsies" (this tag applies to books AND movies, right??). He never left Jack's side, even when he was taken by the "enemy" and held prisoner and beaten, he never budged, not once. He really deserves the title of a loyal sidekick, in my opinion.

Complicated: A character you love and hate
In a way, Sherlock (from the BBC TV series, "Sherlock").

I mostly love him, for his intelligence, his brain, his wit, and his adorable little weak spots for Molly and for John and a few others. But I will admit there have been many times when I wanted to give him a good ol' punch in the face. He annoys me SO much at times; if only he could SEE how much pain and confusion he was causing. How selfish he was. So perhaps I wouldn't say I 'hate' him so much as I Strongly Dislike and am Mildly Infuriated By him occasionally. ;)

Oddity: A character who was strange, but you loved them that way
This one definitely goes to Captain Jack Sparrow!

Yep, definitely strange

I believe this fellow is the definition of strange, but I still find myself rooting for him in all the movies. And honestly, it wouldn't be Pirates of the Caribbean without strange, funny Jack! Granted, his weirdness is not for everyone. ;)

Queen/King: A female/male character who you admire and aspire to emulate
I'm actually going to say Meg March for this one, so give me some room to explain. ;) 

This girl has been one of my favourite fictional characters since I was about 10. And the funny thing is, she's not the kind of unique character who is often impressed on one's memory. But she stuck with me. I think it's because I saw myself in her - I saw my flaws in her flaws, my struggles in her struggles, and my joys in her joys. And after recently seeing the new Little Women movie (^^), I was reminded of something. This dear girl pushed past her fears of poverty and insignificance, and decided to own her life for what it was. She married the man she loved and stared a life of hardship and toil in the face, because she knew she was strong enough to live it. She didn't settle for the easy path. She didn't settle for the path other people might have chosen for her. But she settled for what she knew was the right path for her, and she lived her life with joy and purpose. And friends, I admire that, and I aspire to do just that. I don't want to gaze at someone else's life like she gazed at Sally Moffat's and think, If only I had that, I would be happy. I want to own my life for what it is, and embrace what God has given me, and be happy in it.

Savior: A character who oddly reminds you of Christ
The one character I think of is Johannes, from "I am David". 

His sacrifice he made for David was one that echoed the sacrifice Jesus made for us, and I am always left with wonder and awe at such a story. It's such a powerful choice. And friends, when I see this in the film, it Gets Me Every Time. In addition to that, the way he gives David gentle, careful instructions for his journey is in parallel to Jesus giving US instructions, too. 
He may not be a main character, but he definitely reminds me of Jesus, in a way.
(Also, for the record, I believe the sacrifice he makes that I'm referring to is only in the movie, not the book.) 


And we made it, guys! I would tag people, but I believe I'm so late to the party that everyone I would tag has already done it, so... ;)

Onto the next! The 7 Questions Book Tag! Yet again, Natalie tagged me for this one. :)

Via Pinterest

Preference: male or female main character?
Yeah, have to admit - I'm always way more drawn to a female character because #relatability. :P

Do you prefer colorful, attention grabbing book covers or simple, understated ones?
Ooohh, good question! I like both, but I'd probably say I generally prefer simple, understated ones. 

A character you'd like to have as your boss at work?
Can I kind of cheat and say Jean Valjean - or Monsieur Madeleine - because he seems like the ideal boss? ;) He was always kind and caring, and went out of his way to help all the people he employed. 

Books-a-Million or Barnes & Noble?
I don't think we have Books-a-Million here - that is, I've never seen one - so I'm going to have to say Barnes & Nobles, although I've never bought a book from there, haha. :P I normally buy online or at a second hand shop, and most often at our massive second hand bookfest that is run twice a year and is the largest bookfest in the southern hemisphere. (#myhappyplace)

Via Pinterest

Would you rather be gifted random "surprise" books from a friend, or a bookstore giftcard?
Oh, great question! I'd actually say a "surprise" book from a friend, because then I get a new recommendation, of sorts. ;) And it means that they specifically went and picked out a title they thought I'd like, which would be extra sweet of them. (And no, my love language is not gifts, but I do Appreciate Them.)

What age range of characters do you generally like to read about? (For instance, would you rather read a book about a 17 year old or a 87 year old?)
Ooohh, depends if we're talking fiction or non-fiction! (Is that weird? :P) For fiction, I'd say I prefer someone around my own age or older - anywhere from 15 to 25, is probably where I would tend to choose from. I always get a special satisfaction when a hero/heroine shares my age. ;) But for non-fiction, I think I might prefer books written by much older people - nearing the 87 mark, yes. ;) They have so much rich life advice, experience and wisdom, and I love learning about people who can share that!

What would you tell someone who defiantly proclaims: "I don't like reading! Why should I?"
(Just to keep us in context, my mouth would be hanging open a little and my eyes bulging somewhat, as I say):
"Why?! Because... because... there are some things in life that cannot be described except in words, and there are some forms of magic that can only take shape within a book."


Thanks, Natalie! Your questions were super fun!! I hope it's not very rude of me to not tag anyone - it's rather late at night, and if I sit here, pondering over 7 new questions I believe I might accidentally fall asleep. So to anyone who would like to use either of these tags - you are more than welcome to!