Yay! It's time for Beautiful People!
And because Valentine's Day was earlier this month, you get to meet Oriana and Misha, who DEFINITELY would not celebrate Valentines Day. Well, Misha might, but Oriana would REJECT IT and challenge him to a romantic swordfight in the practice arena instead.
1. How did they first meet?
It's kind of a long and complicated story that actually doesn't show up in my novel. After her mother died, Oriana ran off to join the Warriors, a kind of band of fighters independent from the king, but very patriotic nevertheless. The problem was that the Warriors are all men, and Oriana was a small, blond, dirty, sixteen year old girl when she first showed up at the gates of their camp on the island of Nul.
But Oriana is an... intense... kind of person, even when she was small and sixteen. No one knows exactly how she became a member of the Warriors, but there is a rumor that she nearly bit off another Warrior's finger when they tried to force her out. The fact that she caught on to fighting quickly definitely helped, and soon the Warriors, though no less sexist, had just kind of forgotten that Oriana was a woman. She was the exception to their rule.
But there was one fellow who didn't forget, and that was Misha. Everyone was a little shocked when the blacksmith stumbled upon the two lovers behind the stables - it had been so long since they had considered Oriana anything else than a Warrior.
Long story short, they got married, and, soon after, Oriana became leader of the Warriors.
2. What were their first impressions of each other?
Frankly? Misha thought she was extremely intriguing and mildly insane (because seriously, what else do you think when a dirty, loud, and violent creature shows up in camp?). Now he knows she is DEFINITELY insane, and is super cool with it.
Oriana didn't notice Misha until later, but when she did, she thought he was HILARIOUS and pleased that he understood her sense of humor. She didn't tell him though, obviously.
3. How long have they been a couple?
When we meet them in SlavicNovel, it's been... three years? Ish? They've been married for about 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?
I don't think anyone that wasn't really really in love with Oriana would fall for her in the first place. Misha isn't going ANYWHERE. And Oriana is fierce in everything, including relationships, so she's not going anywhere either.
If the secret was super big, than maybe? I mean, it would definitely cause problems. But they probably wouldn't break up entirely.
And oh please. I don't think you realize that their life IS stress. Not only are they Warriors, they are the leader and the husband of the leader. They THRIVE on stress.
Also, they are both Warriors, which means they are willing to die for their country. So they're definitely also willing to die for the love of their life.
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!)
Um. I don't think they have any food quirks? Cuisine is not exactly a major part of their life as Warriors - they eat a lot of meat and vegetables, whatever the cook happens to make that day. So I'm going to go with non-food-quirks, I guess?
Misha knows that Oriana, during meetings, glares angrily at him when she's trying not to laugh at something one of her generals said. She tries to keep up appearances and overcompensates. So he doesn't mind and just grins back, which makes her glower more.
Oriana knows that every time they go to someone's house, Misha invariably ends up leaning against the brick oven, warming himself. He's like a cat. He's also always got cold toes and fingers, so he's attracted to ovens. Oriana likes to watch him maneuver his way during conversations so that he can stand as close as possible to the warmth.
6. Does anyone disapprove of their relationship?
Not really. And anyone who does disapprove better keep their thoughts to themselves because Oriana would destroy them with her fiery stare - and with her dagger too, probably.
7. What would be an ideal date?
Probably something impromptu. Perhaps, after swordsmanship practice together, Misha suggests that they go wander outside of camp and through the forests. Maybe they go riding? Maybe they go boating down the river? Probably riding, it's more lively. And then they come home for dinner with the Warriors and an annoying after-dinner meeting with Oriana's generals, during which Misha keeps winking at Oriana who is trying too hard to keep a straight face. So nothing gets done during the meeting except that Oriana overcompensates and yells irrationally at one of her men, and Misha can't help grinning the entire time because he knows exactly what's happening. Afterwards they walk out and gaze at the stars, then go back to their rooms for sexytimes, probably. ;)
8. What are their personality dynamics? Similar? Contrasting? Do they fight a lot or mesh perfectly?
Misha is more laid back, and usually thinks Oriana's hot temper and badassery just makes her more attractive. But he's not just a blob of laughter either. Both of them will stand strong for what they believe is right, and this means that they definitely fight quite a bit. Misha will back down if it's something he thinks isn't worth the effort, but Oriana is a teeensy bit more competitive (read: EXTREMELY MORE), and she'll get mad sometimes when he won't indulge her arguments.
They really balance each other out though, because Misha keeps Oriana from getting too violent sometimes.
And they have the same sense of humor. And they're super cute together.
9. What have been their best and worst moments together as a couple?
When Oriana was first elected to be the leader of the Warriors, there was a lot of opposition from the people who hadn't voted for her. It was tough for her, and Misha tried to support her through it, so I'd actually say this was their best period since Misha never doubted her.
The worst? Oh dang this is tough. Well, they've had a lot of arguments in terms of war-planning about proper measures to take and levels of retaliation since Oriana tends to go for immediate violence a lot of the time and Misha is a bit less extreme. So I think it's difficult for them to "discuss work at home," since Misha IS one of Oriana's generals so even though they're equal in other aspects of life, and she values his opinion, she's technically his superior professionally. It's complicated. And tough.
10. Where do they see themselves and their relationship in the next few years?
Misha would hopefully like kids, and Oriana theoretically likes the idea of kids but she's always too busy. Misha also understands the problem of having kids while leading a freaking army of Warriors, so no kids as yet.
Did you do Beautiful People this month? (Link me in the comments!) And how's your writing going? Do you have a favorite couple in your WIPs? Tell me about them!
Fourteen-year-old nerd-boy Dan Cereill is not quite coping with a reversal of family fortune, moving house, new school hell, a mother with a failing wedding cake business, a just-out gay dad, and an impossible crush on the girl next door.
Robert "'Cali" Callahan is a teen runaway, living on the streets of Venice Beach, California. He's got a pretty sweet life: a treehouse to sleep in, a gang of surf bros, a regular basketball game...even a girl who's maybe-sorta interested in him.
That's possibly my favorite part of the book - it really delves into that Venice Beach culture, and even though I hadn't been there with my parents, I still was able to get a pretty good idea of the environment and the people, just from Blake Nelson's writing. I want to say - good worldbuilding! - but this isn't fantasy. Nevertheless, worldbuilding is the only word for it, and Blake Nelson does it marvelously.
