Beautiful People #9

And it is Beautiful People time again! If you don't know what it is, head over to the linkup post - it's a link-up hosted by Cait @ Paperfury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In.
I'm going to be answering the questions with Ace in mind. I need to write his point of view, so I'd better figure out as much as possible about him. And Mara has always been my favorite so I need to pay Ace some attention.

1. Do they get nightmares? If so, why or what of?
He gets the occasional nightmare that his and Mara's Destinies are switched - that she's really Destined to be a hero and he is Destined to be a murderer.

2, What is their biggest guilty pleasure/shame?
He feels like he's supposed to be tough and manly and all that, so he feels guilty that he indulges in playing his secret keyboard at night because he thinks it doesn't fit in with who he's supposed to be.

Quote not mine.

3. Are they easily persuaded or do they need more proof?
He doesn't really think too much about things. If he feels like something just sounds right, he'll accept it.

4. Do they suffer from any phobias? Does it affect their life in a big way? 
No phobias, but deep down he's scared that he's not who both he and everyone else thinks he should be because of his Destiny. Because of this he tries extra hard to fit in with the image he has created for himself.

It's like he's living to a tune not fully his own.

5. What do they consider their "Achilles heal?"
He thinks that his biggest weakness is the fact that his sister happens to be Mara, a Destined murderer. He doesn't think that he himself has any weaknesses.

Quote not mine.

6. How do they handle a crisis?
His mind blanks for a moment until his brain processes the crisis. Then he'll leap in and use magic to try and right the situation. He may or may not call for the authorities, depending on the exact crisis and how he involves himself in it.

7. Do they have a temper?
Yes, a bit. It doesn't come out very often, but when someone pushes the right button, his temper flares straight up and shows itself physically. He'll summon magic, throw a punch, clench his fists, etc.

When Ace uses magic, it turns blue.

8. What are their core values/and or religious beliefs?
He firmly believes in the justice system, in the infallibility of the law, in his own duty to assist the country in capturing law-breakers, in the inherent evil of said lawbreakers, and the goodness of everyone who is on the "good" side - the Mage League.
I don't really bring any sort of religion into this work-in-progress (even if I think I'd like to spin my magic system into some sort of allegory) so Ace doesn't have any beliefs I'd label religious. The only thing that comes close is his faith that the Destinies decreed by magic through birthmarks are unavoidable and sort of "the way it should be."

Quote not mine, but it reflects some of Ace's beliefs about destiny and fate.

9. What things do they value most in life? 
Justice, friends, reputation, family, music. He's especially concerned the majority of the time with his own reputation, his girlfriend, and justice needing to be dealt out to Mara.

10. What is one major event that helped shape who they are?
When he was born and his birthmark was interpreted to determine his Destiny was a pivotal point in his life. Without the Destiny he has, he would be a completely different young man.
Something he actually remembers though? Once, he had let slip to his father that he didn't think Mara would be able to escape her Destiny, like she wanted to. He said it sort of snidely, you know? In a "why is she being such an idiot" kind of tone. Erm, let's just say his father (Flint) didn't like discord in the ranks, even if it was hidden. He tried to impress upon Ace that Mara could very well end up being right. Maybe she could be a good person, and why should Ace disbelieve it? Ace, being a bull-headed child, continued to disagree. Flint eventually said that maybe Destinies don't have any validity at all; that maybe they are all just self-fulfilling prophecies. That Destinies only get fulfilled because people think it is their duty to fulfill them. For all Ace knew, he may end up not fulfilling his Destiny and becoming a hero. That comment really shook Ace up and is probably the root of his insecurities about his self-image having to fit in with his Destiny.

Quote not mine. What Flint believes and what Ace needs to learn.

Have you ever done Beautiful People? If you did it this May yet, leave me a link below! And do any of your characters have a lesson they really need to learn? What is it? Does anyone around them already know the truth?