Beautiful People

I'm between stories right now, and I'm trying to decide which story to go with. The two I'm deciding between both need some more development, so I'm going to do a Beautiful People thingy for them both. They haven't made a new one for quite some time, so I'm going to use some from the archives.
When I'm finished, you'll have to tell me which one to work on. I'm just not sure...

The first one, which I'm using on Hellen McCoy and her husband, Kenneth, is the March 2012.

1. Do they believe in anything that most people think is impossible?
Hellen believes in True Love. As in, fairy tale, happy ending, no problems that can't be solved by a rescue scene and sword fight, sort of true love.
And Kenneth? Well, Kenneth is Different (but only on his mother's side). So of course, he knows that many things which people think are untrue are really quite possible and real.

2. Are they strong, or the "damsel/knight in distress" sort?
Hellen is definitely a damsel in distress, but in her own way, she is strong. She is a wistful dreamer, and longs to be rescued by a knight. That is why Kenneth's strong personality (and arms! Ha ha) appeal to her.

3. Do they have a special place? (e.g. a corner in his/her bedroom, under a tree…)
Kenneth does not, unless it's where his father is not.
Hellen does, because she's that sort of person (easily attached to people and things). In her closet (in her parent's house), behind her clothes, there is a pillow where she sits and dreams.

4. What occupation do they have, or plan on having?
Kenneth was a teacher before he was drafted into the army.
Hellen had no real ambitions – she really just imagined herself living at home for the rest of her life, or getting married and having a passel of children.

5. Describe their current place of residence.
Hellen has just moved into a tiny (no, I really mean TINY)  four room house (bedroom, bathroom, living room, kitchen). It is very bare, with a comfortable chair and one table in the living room, a bed in – you guessed it! – the bedroom, and maybe a few other sticks of furniture. But she spends most of her time in her parents house.
Kenneth has just been drafted, so he lives in... wherever army people live, I guess. I have no idea. But the story isn't  from his POV, so I don't really care.

6. Explain their last crisis. How had they changed when they came out of it?
When Kenneth was drafted. They found out the day before their wedding day (great timing, right?).
Because of this, Kenneth decided not to tell Hellen that he was Different (to protect her, you see, because he knew the army might find out and then she might be in danger if she knew).
I think Hellen became stronger. I think she stepped into the position of wife/grown-up in general, faster than she would have otherwise (She's only 19, peoples!)

7. If they could drive any kind of car they wanted, what would it be?
Hellen does not actually know how to drive (she learns how to in the course of the book). So she doesn't really care. And Kenneth is not a car person. He's more of a gryphon person.

8. How do they deal with change?
Hellen does not deal well with change. As I said above, she is easily attached to things, so she has emotional trauma over losing even little things (like getting new shoes).
Kenneth is more used to change, and he adapts better to it. He clings to what stays the same (God), and isn't rooted in this world.

9. If they had to amputate one body part, which one would they choose?
Hellen would choose a leg, because, as said above, she's a damsel-in-distress kind of person, so she wouldn't mind not having her legs because it would mean that she would have to be rescued.
Kenneth would, of course, not choose his legs (they're very important to him). He would choose his ears, because he knows how often people lie, and he communicates quite well without needing to hear people.

10. What would their favorite be at the local coffee shop?
Hellen would have a mug of steaming tea to go along with her book. Kenneth would have black coffee.

11. How did they meet?
Well, they live in the same smallish town, so they've always kind of known of each other. They met at a benefit dinner, and then her parents had him and his mother over for lunch one Sunday, and they just hit it off.

12. How do these two deal with conflict?
Kenneth grows quiet. ("What's to be done with a man who just looks?" Congrats if you know that quote.) He doesn't say anything. Just stays firmly, stubbornly, sure of his opinion.
Hellen gets hurt, then defensive.

13. Do they have a special song, phrase, item, or place that they share?
No.

14. What kind of things do they like to do together?

15. Describe their relationship as a whole in 3 words or less.

Trusting, confusing, shallowish.


This one, from August 2011, is about my laundress, Win.

1.What is their biggest accomplishment?
She would say it was turning down her cousin Colin and moving to town as a laundress. And at the beginning of the story, I would agree. But by the end, I would say solving the mystery is her greatest accomplishment.

2.What is one of their strongest childhood memories?
Her father teaching her to brush her horse.

3.What is their favorite food?
She's not picky. But she likes fried food – not like french fries, you know, but fried greens, or fried eggs, or fried rice.

4.Do they believe in love at first sight?
No. She's not the romantic type.

5.What kind of home do they live in?
A one room cottage at the edge of the town.

6.What do they like to wear?
Practical, no nonsense clothing. But this is several hundred years ago, so even the plain dresses were beautiful. She wears black a lot after her parent's death.

7.What would they do if they discovered they were dying?
She wouldn't be sad for herself exactly (until she really realized that she was dying) but would set about making preparations for Laurelle (her baby sister).

8.What kind of holidays, or traditions do they celebrate?
Her parents used to have lots of grand feasts for no reason at all, but now she doesn't really have celebrations.

9.What do your other characters have to say about them?
Colin would say she's foolish and naive. But he's prejudiced because she refused his offer of marriage. 
At this point in the story, I don't have many characters. I need to bring in another one, as an friend or mentor sort of person, but I don't have that worked out yet.

10.If they could change one thing in their world, what would it be?
She would not have to go to the run-down apartments (to deliver laundry) in the southern part of town, but they pay too well for her to just stop going.

So, which one should I work on? I'm still undecided. 
Ta ta for now, darlings!