Beautiful People | Couples Edition

Well, hello there writer friends! This is my first Beautiful People link-up and I’m looking forward to getting to know my characters a little better, especially with the romantical undertones this month.

In January, I took part in my first Beautiful Books link-up, which you can check out here.

The link-ups are hosted by Cait of Paper Fury and Sky of Further Up and Further In, and involve answering ten questions about your current WIP. Beautiful Books covers your writing goals and progress, and Beautiful People is a chance to get up close and personal with your characters.

Let’s dive straight into the questions then! I’m answering these for my MCs Aria and Xander (you can find out more about my current WIP and my characters first if you like.)

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• How and why did they meet?

  Well, she saw him in her dreams, and then they bumped into each other at the circus, but they didn’t meet properly until he kidnapped her…so not the best first meeting.

• What were their first impressions of each other?

  She thought he was just a figment of her subconscious until he knocked her unconscious, dragged her into the woods, and tried to convince her she was actually part of a fairy race. So obviously, she thought he was a crazed killer. He thought she was just some silly, useless girl he had been tasked with finding and bringing home. But, after a few weeks of surveillance he realised there was more to her than that, and maybe the prophecy wasn’t a fairy tale invented by the villagers to give them hope.

• How would they prove their love for each other?

  That’s an interesting question. Xander isn’t the best at expressing himself, and Aria isn’t sure she sees any redeeming qualities in him anyway. Being the noble, self-sacrificing type that he is, Xander would probably die for her. Aria, on the other hand, would probably pretend she liked his terrible taste in music or eat his bad cooking to show how she felt about him. Basically, they’re both awful at relationships.

• What would be an ideal date?

  They would go to a circus like the one where they first saw each other. Xander would show off his strength at the strongman game and Aria would play at giving the trained animals funny commands, trying to make him laugh. They’d eat candy floss and Xander would win Aria an enormous cuddly toy, and pretend he didn’t notice when she slipped her hand in his.

• Is there something they emphatically disagree on?

  Almost everything. Aria doesn’t believe Xander when he says she’s the Salamander King’s daughter, she doesn’t think the prophecy refers to her, she doesn’t even think she’s really Fair – she’s just a normal girl and she wants to go home. Xander doesn’t want her to discover her abilities or learn to use them, he doesn’t want her getting involved in battling the Solitary at all, in case she gets hurt or killed. And their opinions of what is acceptable in the pursuit of justice for their people couldn’t be any more different.

• List 5 “food quirks” they know about each other. (Ex: how they take their coffee, if they’re allergic to something, etc….and feel free to mention other non-food quirks!)

  Xander knows Aria loves doughnuts, and she doesn’t like eating rabbit or pheasant cooked over a campfire, but sometimes needs must. He knows she likes coffee, but not the super strong, black coffee Quade makes. Aria knows that Xander hardly eats when food is scarce, letting his brothers and her take his share. She also knows he can’t handle his drink…

• What’s one thing they know about each other that no one else does?

  Hmm. How to answer without getting too spoilerific… Aria knows how much the pressure of being the eldest son and crown prince weighs on Xander’s shoulders. The responsibility of one day being king. Xander knows how powerful Aria truly is, even more powerful than she realises herself.

• What’s one thing that they keep a secret from each other?

  Again with the spoilers! Aria doesn’t admit to Xander that she’s actually in love with her best friend, Jasper. Xander has so many secrets I don’t even know where to start. Let’s just say he knows a lot more about Aria and the truth of her situation than he reveals.

• How would their lives be different without each other?

  Aria would still be living in peace and blissful ignorance in the Human Realm, but she would never discover the truth about who she really is, or learn about her Fair abilities. Xander would still be watching his people suffer as a result of the war and the oppression of the Celeste King. He’d probably still believe that the end justified any means, and be willing to sacrifice or betray anyone and anything to bring peace to his kingdom.

• Where do they each see this relationship going?

  I think their opinions on this are probably mutually exclusive. Xander hopes that Aria will take her rightful place as the heir to the Salamander throne, making her a suitable bride for him as Gnome Crown Prince. However, if she chose to stay on and become Salamander Queen it would make the relationship complicated. Perhaps he hopes they could bring the two kingdoms together under both of them, creating a lasting peace. Aria, on the other hand, wants to help bring peace to the Fair Realm in whatever way she can, and then go back home to her parents and best friend in the Human Realm.

 

Wasn’t that fun? I love seeing how my characters react to different situations and how they feel about things I’ve never considered. Now it’s your turn, answer the ten questions on your blog and share the link on Paper Fury and Further In and Further Out. While you’re at it, check out some of the other answers from writers taking part in the link-up.

 

Until next time!

 

Lyndsey

x

 

Currently reading:

Paperback

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

 

Audiobook

The Muse by Jessie Burton

 

Word count: 69,323

(About to start my second draft, wish me luck!)