Beautiful People Valentine's Edition: Radley and Clarice (Link-Up with Paper Fury and Further Up and Further In)

For this edition of Beautiful People, I'm going to focus on Radley and Clarice, two characters from my unfinished novel Shadowmen. They're the couple that I think of when I think of couples in my books, and they have been clamoring for the book to be written very loudly lately, so this might satisfy them (a bit).

1. How did they first meet?

Radley met Clarice when she joined the school (which still needs a snazzy name).

2. What were their first impressions of each other?

He thought she was going to be trouble since he's Catholic and she's the daughter of a Protestant preacher. She thought he would try to ask her out within a week because he had this "bad boy" vibe that she interpreted as overconfidence in the romance department.

It took him a month.

3. How long have they been a couple?

By the time of the novel, a year or two.

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?

They are very committed. They have to be loyal because everyone in the school has some sort of power or oddness about them; Radley is a werewolf and Clarice is a mirror master. If those secrets were exposed it could cause all manner of mayhem in their lives. It would take a very big and disturbing secret to drive them apart, but I think they would cling to each other despite most of the circumstances life could throw at them. Radley would most certainly die for Clarice, but Clarice wouldn't let him. Radley sometimes lets his power/oddness/curse drive him away from Clarice, but she usually pulls him back.

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!)

Radley has an aversion to meat because the wolf craves rare and raw meat and the idea of eating that disgusts him. Clarice doesn't like her food to touch on her plate.

6. Does anyone disapprove of their relationship?

Their headmistress has concerns about them, but hopes they'll be able to support each other.

7. What would be an ideal date?

One in which they didn't have to worry about Radley's condition, preferably with a nice dinner somewhere new.

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

They fight, usually over whether Radley should go out and see people, make friends, etc. Not because Radley's an introvert, but because he lets fear of the wolf rule him too much.

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

Best: when they work together to keep their friends safe from each other and the outside forces who want to destroy them.

Worst: when Radley finally lets his guard down and the wolf comes out.

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

Graduated, preferably alive and with a cure for Radley.