Beautiful People: Arthen and Leisa, and sailing

It's this time of the month again. The time when I tell you about my characters. Or rather the Beautiful People linkup. Because it's February It's romance themed.

The two characters I'm doing are are Leisa Rosir, and Arthen Stute. Both of them are secondary characters and their relationship isn't a very important part of the story but it is there nonetheless. I was going to let them speak for themselves, but they are both rather quiet people and would just freeze up and not say anything in front of each other.

How did they first meet?

They knew each other as children, but they met again more recently when her father, Captain Rosir sent him with a letter for her mother. And also to stick around and be helpful in his spare time.

 What were their first impressions of each other? 

Arthen was surprised by how much Leisa had grown up since he'd last seen her. Also he noticed that she was much more dignified and restrained than her sister. She saw why her father had praised him for his steadiness, and that there was strength under his quietness.

How long have they been a couple? 

Well technically they're not quite a couple, but they've been spending time together for a few months.

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're pretty committed. Her father is behind their relationship, so that's a good sticking force. Besides, they do like each other. I think they'd get through secrets and disagreements and they're pretty stressed at the moment. It's bringing them together not pushing them apart. Arthen would die for Leisa and though Leisa doesn't seem very brave, she surprises even me sometimes. So I think she would.

 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!)

This is a tricky one, but he knows she likes inventing new twists on dishes and hates wasting anything. She thinks his habit of sprinkling cinnamon into his drinks is really odd. (Yes, I did just make that all up on the spot.)

Does anyone disapprove of their relationship?  

Not really. Leisa's mother is a little uncomfortable with any young man hanging around her daughters, but she doesn't have anything against him. Aydel(her sister) doesn't completely like him and think he's making Leisa insufferably good at first, but she isn't around for long and later she is quite happy about it.

What would be an ideal date? 

If things are ever peaceful again, they would love to just do some simple things together, go for a walk in a safe part of the forest, walk through a village and talk to the children. Those kinds of things.

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

Arthen is stronger and wiser then Leisa and she looks up to him. Her desire to learn fits well with his knowledge. On the other hand He is a bit of a wanderer, while she is very domestic. When he goes off into danger, she worries. Or she would worry if she knew what he was doing.

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

The best times would be when he was repairing the roof and answering her questions about God's word. And later praying together. The worst would be when there was a conflict between his duties and her needs. Details would spoil the story.

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

Possibly married with children. Neither of them is quite sure how they think of the the other though, not yet at least. What they really need is a bit of danger to make them realize it though. Or time of course, but that's not likely to happen.

I wanted to find a picture for each of them, but after much searching I still failed to find anyone who looks like Arthen, so I'll just give descriptions instead.

Arthen, or Stute as I often call him, has mid-brown skin and dark hair and eyes. He has a small neatly trimmed beard, smiles when he is relaxed.He is of ordinary height, whatever that is and almost always where a broad-brimmed hat and dark green and brown clothes.

Leisa is fair and blond and often wear blue along with natural linen coloured clothing. He eyes are a fairly nondescript grey. She is not particularly tall.

I hope you enjoyed hearing about them. How do you manage romance in your writing? Front and centre? Hidden away in the back? Hate it entirely?

P.S. This post is late because I went sailing this morning. And because I didn't write it ahead of time. Anyway, as I was saying, I got  to sail a boat, a catamaran to be exact. After drifting around in the bay for an hour and getting nervously close to some moored boats, Dad (who was in a different cat) came back and told us we needed to pull the sheet(sail) in close. After that we actually started getting somewhere on the odd moment when there was a breeze. Remember that, if you ever are sailing into the wind, pull the sheet in.