Marching Forth with Beautiful People

Yikes. Long time no post. Sorry about that. Anyway. Not much going on... School is eating me alive [but that's normal].
To keep my blog alive and busy, here's Beautiful People-The March edition. This one was particularly fascinating, because it deals with more than one character at the same time, and because it involves relationships (and not just romantic relationships). Who doesn't find relationships fascinating?
Anywho...
I answered the questions using Sol and Lillee from my newest idea The Thirteen Tales of Solomon Wise. The title has nothing to do with the plot, so that's a problem. Actually, the book's more about time travel. It's an interesting study for me, because I generally don't go near any more sci-fi fantasy stuff like that. But the story is really engaging me, and I hope you find Sol and Lillee engaging, too :3


1. Do they believe in anything that most people think is impossible?
Time travel, for one, because Sol is a time traveller and Lillee is learning more about her deceased father's hand in the time travelling world every day. At first she was skeptical, but the chaotic events which occur when Sol comes to town imply that something bigger is going on.

2. Are they strong, or the "damsel/knight in distress" sort?
Lillee is tough; she dislikes being seen as helpless or in need of assistance. However, deep inside, the idea of being swept off her feet by a knight out of one of her many books fascinates her. Sol, though he suffers from some memory loss at the beginning of the story, is very committed to protecting Lillee and anyone else who is in danger due to his presence.

3. Do they have a special place? (e.g. a corner in his/her bedroom, under a tree...)
Lillee lives in her books. She is well-versed in many genres and knows most of her favorites by heart. She often concerns the townsfolk by walking down streets or in front of cars with a book held up in front of her face. Sol, since he is a stranger in the town and the time, feels out of place and is almost never comfortable unless he is completely alone.

4. What occupation do they have, or plan on having?
Sol is a time traveller. I haven't exactly figured out what he does, or why, or how, or anything. But that is his occupation, and he is an expert in his field. However, a bad accident landed him in 1919 from an unspecified future time and robbed him of a substantial part of his memory. There is probably a lot of corruption and conspiracy going on back at Time Travel Headquarters, and I'm still trying to figure out if there's someone higher up who is out to get Sol because of something he knows, or because of something he is trying to learn.
Lillee, though she's only 17, has made herself quite the scholar. She haunts the library and has more than once mentioned her desire to work there. She is also an artist, though she does not devote half as much time to painting as she does to reading.

5. Describe their current place of residence.
Sol stays at a boarding house while he's in Indiana. He rooms alone, but he has trouble paying for his room and has been threatened with eviction by the home's usually gracious matron.
Lillee lives with her estranged mother in a classic home on the edge of town. Her father bought the house for its character; it is a large house, furnished with ornate carpets and sofas from around the world. Professor Dae (her father) was known as "modestly wealthy" by the townsfolk, and left a substantial amount of money to help pay for the upkeep of the home. Most of the rooms stand empty, though, as Widow Dae refuses to change anything from the way her husband left the house.

6. Explain their last crisis. How had they changed when they came out of it?
Sol reminds Lillee of her father, whom she dearly loved. She wants to invest everything in him, help him in any way she can--after all, this is the first time she's really lived every since her father died and she buried herself in books. Sol, however, knows that not only will he need to leave 1919 before he overstays his welcome but also that there are certain persons searching for him who want to make sure he never leaves. Unwilling to put Lillee in danger and unsure of his own past, Sol rejects her help almost as forcefully as she offers it. Both are high-strung and offended after the fact, but the dire situations they encounter along the way force them to come up with a new strategy.

7. If they could drive any kind of car they wanted, what would it be?
I see Sol in a classic car, probably German and with a nice loud engine. Lillee would probably go for a brightly-colored buggy.

8. How do they deal with change?
Lillee recoils from it, ignores it, overlooks it, as though it never happened. Sol fights it, always unsure as to where another change might land him.

9. If they had to amputate one body part, which one would they choose?
Sol would cut off his hand, as he uses his feet quite often for running and getting from place to another.
Lillee, on the other hand [no pun intended] would rather amputate her leg than lose one of her delicate, overworked hands--and her ability to turn pages quickly and wield a paintbrush.

10. What would their favorite be at the local coffee shop?
Lillee would go for something tall and cold, like an iced coffee. Sol, though it surprises most people, is more of a hot cocoa guy.

Bonus Quezzies!
1. How did they meet?
Sol landed himself in 1919 Indiana after a massive accident. He is disoriented when he meets Lillee; he is looking for her father, Professor Dae, who was a distinguished time traveller before he died in the Great War. Since Dae was the only person who could have helped him, Lillee takes it upon herself to find a way to get Sol back to his own time.

2. How do these two deal with conflict?
Mostly by sulking or screaming it out--it depends on how hot the conflict is. Lillee will rarely dissolve into tears, but when she does, it's a veritable flood. Sol is more likely to stalk off and frown at the wall--or punch it.

3. Do they have a special song, phrase, item, or place?
Lillee often quotes her father. Sol whistles a lot when he's working.

4. What kind of things do they like to do together?
Although the two don't have much free time together, they both enjoy reading and do so to a great extent. One of the thing that endears Sol to Lillee is that he has read Paradise Lost and knows parts of it by heart. Paradise Lost was Professor Dae's favorite story and he read it Lillee when she was only three or four years old.

5. Describe their relationship as a whole in 3 words or less.
Confusing. Multifaceted. Endearing.

That's all for now! Enjoying the spring weather,

~Elisabeth