Beautiful People--February

Cait at "Paper Fury" is co-hosting a linkup called "Beautiful People." Each month she announces a new set of questions to answer about your characters so you can learn more about them. This month's theme is Valentine's Day! I'll be answering the questions for two couples, Kya and Lane from a YA contemporary romance, Beneath the Moon and Stars, and Lila and Melody from a YA paranormal romance, 'Til the Last Star Dies.

1. How did they first meet?

Kya and Lane ran into each other at the self-checkout counter in Kya's local grocery store. Lane immediately introduced himself and started babbling on about the disgusting flavorings they put in strawberry Pop-Tarts while Kya tried to keep her head from spinning.

Lila started talking to Melody at a bar when she sensed something was wrong. As a witch, Lila has the ability to see auras, and Melody's was jagged and full of static, like an old TV. They talked for a little while until Melody got too nervous about her cover being blow and ran off.

2. What were their first impressions of each other?

Lane immediately liked Kya, or rather he was intrigued by her and wanted to get to know her better. But Kya prefers to take everything a bit more slowly, and Lane was a little much for their first meeting. She didn't really know what to think at first, she just thought of him as an enthusiastic and overly-friendly stranger.

It was a similar situation with Lila and Melody. Lila was drawn to Melody's aura right away. She wanted to put her at ease however she could, even with just some innocent conversation. Melody was too scared of the people she was running from finding her to focus much on Lila, but she was nice enough. She didn't meet many nice people in her line of work.

3. How long have they been a couple?

That depends on which part of the story we're talking about, and whether they're still a couple by the end . . .

4. How committed/loyal are they to each other? Would they break up over a secret or a disagreement? Could stress drive them apart? Would they die for each other?

Kya and Lane are very committed, and they work hard to keep things as smooth as possible despite the various complications of their home lives. Said circumstances could, however, prove to make things difficult for them.

In Lila and Melody's world, you have to be willing to die for the other once you get close to someone. It's survival. There's danger around every corner, that means you need to be a team. But they love each other more than anything, so it makes it easier.

5. 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!)

I'm not sure if I have 5 quirks for each of them, but they all definitely have at least one.

Lane's "food quirks":

1. Any tea he has needs to be steeped for no more and no less than four minutes for the perfect amount of flavor.
2. No end pieces of bread for him, thanks.

Kya's "food quirks":

1. Blue M&M's taste the best out of all of them.
2. Especially out of a big bag rather than a snack pack.
3. Popcorn must be heavily buttered, otherwise what's the point?

Lila's "food quirks":

1. Stolen french fries (i.e. taken off of Melody's plate when she isn't looking) are preferred to the ones already on her plate.

Melody's "food quirks":

1. She hates any "extras" in her coffee. Just black is fine.
2. Cookies extra crunchy are way better than soft and chewy.
3. Breakfast for dinner is a crime.

6. Does anyone disapprove of their relationship?

Oh, so many people for Lane and Kya. Lane's mother and basically all of her bridge club friends disapprove of someone like Kya (who isn't rich, doesn't go to a private school, etc.), and Kya's stepfather isn't a fan of anything that takes time away from Kya's duties at home.

No one really disapproves of Lila and Melody's relationship, except for maybe the big bad witch, Angelique. She only wants to rip them apart in order to convince Lila to give into her powers and join her on the "dark side."

7. What would be an ideal date?

They both admit it's cliché, but a day in Paris would be a dream come true for Kya and Lane. They go to a little café to eat good food, then go back to their apartment overlooking the city and paint, read, and sing. They'd go to the top of the Eiffel Tower and try to make the day last as long as possible.

Lila and Melody just want to find a little cottage in the middle of nowhere where they can hide away and not be bothered by witches or demons or other supernatural dangers. A cozy night by the fire, swapping stories of their past adventures, would be perfect.

8. What are their personality dynamics? Similar? Contrasting? Do they fight a lot or mesh perfectly?

Kya and Lane's personalities are different enough to challenge each other and never get bored, but similar enough that they can make inside jokes and bond over shared interests. They rarely ever fight, and when they do it's resolved quickly.

Lila and Melody are extremely similar, with the biggest differences being that Lila is confident and Melody has spent a good portion of her life learning to be a shadow. I suppose Lila is more of an optimist and a romantic than Melody, but they both love art and music and want to make the world a better place.

9. What have been their best and worst moments together as a couple?

Kya and Lane's best moment: Probably their first date when everything was laughs and smiles and for a few hours neither of them thought about their personal troubles. Their worst moment: Something I can't tell you (dun dun dunnnn) . . .

Lila and Melody's best moment(s): Whenever they manage to take down some kind of threat together. It gives them more hope for the future. Their worst moment(s): Any of the countless near-death experiences where they both thought they'd lose the other forever.

10. Where do they see themselves and their relationship in the next few years?

Kya hopes to be scraping together enough money to go to community college and maybe even take music lessons, with Lane by her side, of course. Lane would be close to graduating college himself and imagines buying an apartment somewhere far from where they are now to live together.

As long as they're alive and happy, that's the best Lila and Melody can hope for, and they're just fine with that.

Your turn! What are your favorite fictional couples of your own creation? I want to hear all about them. Leave a comment!