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Sunday, January 29, 2017

Dual Character Inquisition Tag

Tags, tags, tags. They've been coming down hard, haven't they? :) Well, I've got another one. It's called the "Dual Character Inquisition Tag", or, as I like to abbreviate thing so much and I will do with it, the "DCIT". ;) I got tagged for it by the wonderful Blue@ToBeASennachie (remember how I said I had another tag from her?). So, I came back from the Pro-life March and decided this would be a good re-starting post to resume from where my hiatus took off. The idea of the DCIT is to take two characters from your NaNo project (or whatever project you are working on) and ask them together in an interview ten random questions. So I suppose I'll get right to it, with my NaNo project characters Tsonja Ristoff and Bertie Fleming (Tsonja is in blue, Bertie is in green. I just put a note to convey Tsonja's accent rather than confusing people by typing it in, like I normally do.)
Belle. Hey, Bertie, Tsonja. You guys ready to answer some questions for me?
Tsonja. *with strong Russian accent* If you insist.
Bertie. *smiles brightly and claps hands together* Let's hop to it then!
Belle. *smiles* Thanks for the enthusiasm, Bertie. Alright, the first question for both of you is this: who is your greatest friend? 
Bertie. *shrugs* I don't know. Vic's fun, but... *laughs* I get the feeling that there are people who know him even better than I do... I might say Tsonja here if she would allow that kind-of talk. Tsonja. *smiles dryly* Well, I won't.
Bertie. *shrugs* Well, than I suppose I'll say it anyways and dare her disapproval. 
Belle. And what about you, Tsonja? Surely even the recluse of the story must have a great friend? Tsonja. I have told I don't like to answer personal questions before, have not I? If you insist, though, I answer. Most likely Gospotitzya Leta.
Bertie. *turns to Tsonja* What's with the 'Gospotitzya' business you always have to do?
Tsonja. *sighs exasperatedly* I believe you use 'Miss', do not you? Gospotitzya is obscure, old-fashioned, to be sure, but it means same thing.
Bertie. *laughs* So that's what it means. *laughs again* I actually already knew that, I just wanted to make you explain it again.
Tsonja. *rolls eyes and frowns, but mouth twitches slightly as though to smile*
Belle. *laughs* You're a rascal, Bertie. The next question is what's one of the worst, most hilarious situations you've gotten into?
Tsonja. *smiles sarcastically and gestures towards Bertie* Meeting this one.
Bertie. *laughs* Now that's even cruel for you, Gospotitzya.
Tsonja. *rolls eyes smilingly*
Belle. *trying not to laugh* Oh, come one, guys, answer this one seriously, please?
Bertie. Well, I got into a pretty bad spot when I met my... *gazes reminiscently into distance* When I met my team... *jerks himself back to reality and tries to laugh* Well, I kinda met them on bad terms. Me and Louis got into a fight with each other in the cadet training, and Kate was one of the people who came to split the fight up, but it ended with us all fighting each other, until we realized we were the only ones still at it, and gave up. Then, well, we got together and became one of the most elite task teams in the entire force. *laughs rememberingly*
Belle. *smiles* And what about you, Tsonja?
Tsonja. *sighs* Probably when I first went into base, and my papers were presented to this one. *gestures to Bertie* He held out a hand to shake, saying that I must be 'Tas-oon-jah'. *frowns* That is no way to speak, I know, even for an Australian.
Bertie. *laughs* Now, woah, woah, woah, sister! Let's not go so low as to start insulting my heritage, Miss Tsarina. Besides, I knew how to pronounce it. I was just playing around saying it like that.
Tsonja. *sarcastically* Oh, yes, Gospodin, of course you were.
Bertie. 'Gospodin' too?
Tsonja. *rolls eyes* It means 'Sir'.
Belle. Haha, alright, break it up, guys. *grins* Here's a good question, and a very personal one, unfortunately for you, Tsonja. Do you two realize that when the idea for your story was first in process, you two were romantic interests?
Tsonja. *raises eyebrow at Belle, then Bertie*
Bertie. *blinks confusedly and then looks down at Tsonja*
Belle. *just waits for reaction*
Bertie. *blinks again and bursts out laughing, shaking himself* That's funny! *looks sheepish* That was before, and not now, right...?
Tsonja. *lifts eyebrow higher, now looking at Belle* Me? Gospotitzya Belle? That was before...?
Belle. *laughs* Haha, yeah. But... *tries to look mysterious* I may or may not have changed it...
Tsonja. *looks back up at Bertie* You definitely changed it.
Bertie. *nods awkwardly* Yep... Definitely. We are not a couple... *laughs*
Belle. *laughs again* Well, I guess I won't try to bring this back as of now. Moving on, what was your best subject in school as a child?
Bertie. *grins* Any subject that didn't require intense studying.
Tsonja. *smiles dryly* Any subject that did require intense studying.
Belle. *laughs* You two are so funny. I mean specifically speaking.
Bertie. *rubs neck sheepishly* Well, probably Geography. I always did well with maps, even though I was better in Track and the like.
Tsonja. I always was more favoring of Mathematics, Coding, and Logic.
Bertie. *grins* Yeah, and that's why she ends up being some genius satellite tracker and decoder, and I end up being an Aussie super-spy.
Belle. Oh, Bertie... *smiles* You two are about as opposite as day and night. How on earth did you ever become colleagues, much less friends?
Bertie. *shrugs and grins* I guess she just couldn't resist my amazing personality.
Tsonja. *unsmiling* What is American saying? Give me the break?
Belle. *laughs* Yeah, that's it, Tsonja. Question number five, what's your favorite food?
Bertie. Cake. Cake. Cake. Especially when it's cake.
Tsonja. *dryly* What an eloquent answer, Gospodin Fleming. I do hope that I can answer with the same wit and poeticism as that.
Bertie. *smiles sheepishly* Well, I just like cake, that's all.
Tsonja. *smiles sarcastically* And who knew cake was the food to destroy your grammar. There should be notices to inform people that their grammar will become twisted if they eat it. I do hope your mind hasn't become too mottled by it, Gospodin?
Bertie. *grins* Yeah... I think I'm already a cake maniac. They should lock me up in irons - I'm just not stable any more!
Tsonja. *rolls eyes* You never were, to my knowledge. As my favorite food, in which telling you of, I hope for having better grammar - despite my flawed English - it is stroganoff. I never really think about foods much, siding from those of my homeland.
Belle. Well, at least you've got a cool accent, even if broken English. I would let you just talk in Russian, but I don't think any of my audience can read Russian letters... and neither can I. *grins*
Tsonja. *shrugs cooly* Oh well.

Bertie. And the next question, Miss Belle?
Belle. Haha, hold your horses, Bertie. Alright, the next is this: have either of you ever had a significant other in your life?
Tsonja. *crosses arms* No. I do not have time for that.
Bertie. *grins a little sheepishly* Well, I can say I have had a few significant others before...But nothing too serious.
Belle. Alright, question seven, how do you react to pressured times?
Bertie. *laughs* Run my hand over my pistol holster and just play it cool.
Tsonja. *frowns* In pressured times, I don't usually have to have a reaction. Normally I am by myself.
Bertie. *laughs again* Yeah, but when you are around others, you pretend like you don't care, and then slowly your hair gets all out of placement and into your face, and then you start wanting to have time alone to work everything out, and then you fall into Russian muttering to yourself if it gets really, really bad.
Tsonja. *frowns* No, I don't.
Bertie. *rolls eyes smilingly* Yeah, you do, Tsarina Tsonja.
Belle. *laughingly* How many times am I gonna have to break you two apart? Alright, next, what's the worst mistake anybody has ever made concerning your name?
Tsonja. *rolls eyes* This one and his 'Tas-oon-jah'. But Americans are constantly mispronouncing it in various way.
Bertie. *laughs* The worst mistake in addressing me is often made on purpose. *grins down at Tsonja* She and Leta seem to think it's funny to leave out the 'Major', and address me like a civilian, even at work. For your information, Gospotitzya Tsonja Ivanovna Ristoff, my name is Major  Bertie Fleming. Major. It took a while to get that rank, and I didn't get it just so a couple of Russian dolls could pretend it didn't exist. *winks at Tsonja*
Belle. *smiles awkwardly* Well, Leta was my dedicated character, so it's kind-of me who purposefully forgets that 'Major'... *clears throat* Ahem, uh, anyways, the next question. How, in one word, would you describe yourselves? What about each other? (By the way, that question was stolen from Miss Lucy Agnes' doing of this same tag.)
Bertie. I think I'd describe myself as 'lucky', probably. I have been in countless dangerous missions, explosions, fights, boring sessions of training, etc., etc., and lived through all of them. I think 'lucky' is definitely the word. As for her... I might say 'reclusive', 'hard-shelled', or 'absorbed'. Yeah, definitely 'absorbed'. She gets so into everything, especially work, and it makes me tired just watching her.
Tsonja. Tired? How do you get tired watching...? I am unfamiliar with this phrase...
Bertie. *laughs* Never mind it, Tsonja. Basically I'm sayin' you work very determinedly.
Belle. And what about you, Tsonja? How would you describe yourself?
Tsonja. *sighs and frowns slightly* My character is not what most would think of as pleasant, or necessarily optimistic. Most would undoubtedly call it, with some measure of correctness, somewhat disagreeable. I think that perhaps it could described as, like Gospodin Fleming said, reclusive, or even cold, unfeeling, perhaps. I might call myself - ah,what is the term? - reserved? I believe that is the word, nyet?
Belle. And what about him?
Bertie. *lifts eyebrow grinningly at Tsonja* Yeah, what about me, Tsonja?
Tsonja. *rolls eyes* A fool.
Bertie. *busts up laughing* Haha, I knew you'd say something like that!
Belle. *laughs* Oh, come on, Tsonja, be serious.
Tsonja. Alright, fine. He is perhaps the exact opposite of my own character. I might call him over-social, reckless, distractable, or warm-natured. I suppose in but a word, though, he is optimistic.
Bertie. *grins* Optimistic, huh? That's about right... I'd like to hear the reason behind those others, though... 'Over-social'... 'reckless'... 'distractable'...? I think you have a very low opinion of me, m'dear Tsarina.
Tsonja. *sarcastically* Then maybe your perception is not so low as I had thought.
Belle. *laughs* Alright, last question, you two. What's your favorite pastime?
Bertie. *gestures at Tsonja* Her? Work. Work, work, work. That's the only hobby I've ever seen her at. 
Tsonja. Maybe your sight is not altogether keen then, Gospodin. 
Bertie. *laughs and slaps his hand to his forehead in disbelief* Really? First you admit my perception isn't so bad, and then you insult my eyesight! Really, I'll have to work with you, because you, Tsarina, have no respect for your captain! *grins*
Tsonja. *smiles dryly* Have I ever had any?
Bertie. *grins sheepishly in defeat* Nope.
Tsonja. But, anyways, Gospotitzya Belle, before this one *gestures towards Bertie* interrupted, I was going to tell you a pastime of my own. My first and foremost occupation, of course, is my work -
Bertie. *snorts with laughter*
Tsonja. *ignores Bertie* - But I also read quite a bit, and not just for my job.
Bertie. *sidles up to Tsonja grinningly* Oh, yeah, I can just imagine you, sitting down in a nice, cozy chair by the fire with a cup of whatever Russians drink instead of hot cocoa, settling yourself to read a nice, little chapter of "Mathematical Proposition and Coding: Volume One". *bursts into more hearty laughter*
Tsonja. *smiles dryly* Don't you think I would have gotten farther than volume one?
Bertie. *laughs harder*
Belle. *tries hard to restrain laughter* And what about you, Bertie? Your favorite hobby?
Bertie. *gasps for breath from laughter* Well - hahahaha - I - haha - sometimes - hahaha - like to - hahaha - swim! *loses control again, and starts laughing harder*
Tsonja. *rolls eyes at Bertie's predicament* I think we best go, Gospotitzya Belle. *nods head to Belle* Good-bye. *takes Bertie's arm as he still guffaws helplessly* Let's go, Gospodin Fleming, before you burst a lung.
Bertie. *calms himself a minute to wave to Belle* Seeya! *starts laughing again*
Belle. See you both soon!
Tsonja. *leaving with Bertie* Oh, come on, Gospodin, it was not that funny...
End Interview.
Those parties tagged for this thingy are as follows:
The Lovely Miss Cait.
The Lively Kayla Marie (I missed the last post on her blog unfortunately, which I think told where to find her new one, so now I am in confusion as to where it is and cannot link to it).
So there you go! The DCIT! Thank you again to Blue for nominating me! And thank you to Anna R., the founder of the lovely tag! Did you like Bertie? What about Tsonja? Can you pronounce her name correctly? (It basically just sounds like the name 'Sonya', with a slightly more Russian-ish pronunciation of the vowels.) Which of them did you like better? Do you like them together? Are you wishing you'd never read this crazy post? ;) 


12 comments:

  1. I can't get over how well-developed these two are! And I love the way they interact - they are too adorable! :) You should totally change that story again so that they are still romantic interests! :) Bertie could help Tsonja chill out a bit. :)

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    1. Oh, thank you! Haha, yeah, they were a drink to a parched traveler in the desert when I was in NaNo. They really kept me alive and writing in a way.
      Haha, maybe I will? ;) I do almost want them to be shipped together again... Hmm...

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    2. I can totally see why! :)

      YAS DO IT!!! :)

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    3. Haha, okay, maybe I will! :D Btw, you are tagged for this. I meant to put in on post. Will have to fix that... :P

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    4. REALLy?? I'm honored! :) I will do it as soon as I can... Um, are the rules just to ask them the same ten questions that you did, or what...?

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    5. Oh, haha, sorry. The rules are to interview two random characters from your NaNo project (or whatever other project) and give them ten random questions. They could be the same as me, or a mix of previous ones, or ones from your readers, or rnaomd ones you just thought up or anything, really. Feel free to work with it! :D

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  2. Oh my goodness gracious, this is one of the most delightful things I've read in I don't know how long! At last I meet Bertie! And he is even better than I expected him to be! And Tsonja is delightful, too! Ah! Uh! Eeh! (Those were meant to be noises of inarticulate excitement.) I need! to read! this book!

    *clears throat* So anyway...I hope you enjoyed your trip to the March for Life!

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    1. Thanks, Lucy!!! :D Yeah, Bertie and Tsonja are pets of mine, and their interaction is one of my joys in this book to be sure. I do love making characters that interact like that. Like how he calls her 'Tsarina'. And how she's so tight-laced Russian and he's a hotshot reckless Australian dude. I love writing them so much! Ahem. Anyways, thank you for that compliment. ;)
      Oh, yes, I enjoyed it immensely! I am considering writing a post to cover pieces of it.

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  3. That's always a fun combination, the stiff with the silly.

    I relate to Tsonja's name troubles. If someone's not mispronouncing my name, they are misspelling it- even my own family.

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    1. Haha, yeah. Thanks!
      Yep, I feel both of you. People are always misspelling my name too. I mean, how hard can it be?! It's just a simple name! :P Hehe, but at least my family gets it right... Sorry about that... Oh dear... :P

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