Beautiful People #8: Sibling Edition

Beautiful People is here again! I tried out this linkup last month and it was fun, and I needed something to post about, so it is back again! The linkup is hosted by Cait @ PaperFury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In. Click on either of those links to check the linkup out.

Last Beautiful People I did, I focused on my pair of twins, Ace and Mara. For the sake of not boring you guys, I won't go over them again (even though I love them to bits and would go on about them forever). Instead, I'm switching to my Camp NaNoWriMo revision WIP, Taken, and its dynamic thieving duo, Tyv and Nitri. They're not actually siblings but they act like brothers, so it's good enough.

"Tyv" by Annika Smith

"Nitri" by Annika Smith

1. What is the first memory they have of each other?
Nitri's is minutes earlier than Tyv's. He spotted Tyv being attacked by two adult thieves, and stepped in to save Tyv's life. That's where Tyv's recollection starts. Then Nitri (being Nitri), turned the fact that he was able to fight off two men away single-handedly to threaten Tyv into paying him a tribute. At the time, Tyv was twelve and Nitri was fifteen.

2. Describe their relationship in 3 words.
Got your back.

3. What kinds of things do they like to do together?
Hang out in the abandoned inn, Tyv whittling while Nitri plays his flute. They also enjoy a unhealthy amount of banter.

Tyv and Nitri bantering from chapter 1 of Taken by Annika Smith

4. What was their biggest fight?
Since they actually started acting like siblings? When Tyv first brought Ambyr back to the abandoned inn. Neither Tyv or Nitri really knew anything about her, apart from that she was an orphan living with her abusive uncle. Nitri wasn't too happy that Tyv had given away where they stayed to a strange girl. Then it was made worse when Tyv revealed he'd promised to protect her. Nitri didn't want to "waste" the resources on who he thought would be a useless addition to their team. Tyv managed to keep Nitri from killing both Ambyr and Tyv himself, and with time as Ambyr proved herself useful Nitri let it go.

5. How far would they go to save each other?
They would both die for each other, if the other's life was immediately threatened. Both are pretty pragmatic, though, so they wouldn't risk their own lives in say, a rescue attempt that turned into a fight, unless the other's life was at immediate risk. That being said, Nitri doesn't seem to care too much about threat of death, so he may be more prone to a hot-headed charge than Tyv would be.

6. What are their pet peeves about each other?
Nitri thinks Tyv is way too serious and cautious. Surprisingly, though, the main issue he has with Tyv is that Tyv is taller than he is, despite being two or three years younger. He's always been the leader of their duo, but he's slightly on the shorter side. He doesn't like the picture that presents.
Tyv, on the other hand, is mainly annoyed by how cavalier Nitri is. He wishes Nitri would be cautious every now and then instead of throwing himself into danger (and therefore dragging Tyv into danger with him).

7. What are their favorite things about each other?
Tyv appreciates Nitri's ability to joke around, in addition to his skill as a ruthless fighter. He is a little awed by how easily Nitri interacts with people of all kinds (usually to fool them). Nitri, for his part, values Tyv as a reliable fighter and for his natural ability to intimidate others with his nigh-perpetual scowl and height. He also loves the challenge of trying to get Tyv to crack a smile.

8. What traits do they share? Mannerisms, clothing, quirks, looks, etc?
They fight in a very similar fashion, since it was Nitri who taught Tyv, and both use a pair of knives as weapons. They both roll their eyes a lot, though Nitri is much more expressive. Tyv picked up on Nitri's smirk. They both have black hair, but Tyv's is more like a raven's wing black and Nitri's is more like pitch. Since they're not even from the same nation they don't share too much in appearance apart from that.

9. Who has the strongest personality?
They both have very strong personalities, but I'm going to say Nitri just because his is so much more noticeable. Tyv is extremely reserved and stoic and serious, but Nitri is all over the place. Dramatics, rage, vanity, wit - it is all out in the open.

10. How does their relationship change throughout your story? 
Most of the change happens on Nitri's part. Once they get to Kampen, and Nitri realizes what Tyv's background is, Nitri gets paranoid that Tyv is going to leave him, so distrusts him and thinks negatively of him (even though Tyv never gave any indication of abandoning Nitri). They do resolve it in time, but Nitri remains slightly suspicious that Tyv will decide that "the grass is greener on the other side." Nitri develops a dislike for a new major person in Tyv's life, thinking that he is going to be replaced by said new person. The dislike is returned and it traps Tyv in the role of a frustrated mediator.

As I said, I've been working more with these two because of Camp NaNoWriMo. They've been making me laugh.

Do you have any siblings in your story? Any characters who act like siblings? Did you do the Beautiful People linkup this month? Leave a comment!