Beautiful People #10: Parental Edition

It is Beautiful People time again! This linkup is hosted by Cait @ Paperfury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In. Go check them out.
This month I'm answering questions for both Ace and Mara. It doesn't seem right to leave one of the twins out . . . aaaaaand all the main characters in Taken are orphans. Whoops. Not cliche at all, there.

I'll mix it up a little and have Mara and Ace answer directly. Any comments I have will be in italics.

1. Do they know their biological parents? Why/why not?

     Mara: Um, yeah, we know our parents.

Ace: We were sort of born to them and all that.

2. Have they inherited any physical resemblances from their parents?

Ace: Mara looks like dad.

     Mara: No I don't! My hair is silver and my eyes are some weird honey brown, like Mom's.

Ace: You have his eye shape and his mouth. Very frowny all the time.

     Mara: Well you have his big nose.

Ace: It isn't big, it's chiseled. Mom also says I have his jawline and eyes, but apparently my hairline is like hers. . . whatever that means.

     Mara: You've got his black hair, too.

Ace: Wrong again. It is dark brown.

     Mara: Whatever. Looks black.

Children, please.

3. What's their parental figure(s) dress style? Add pictures if you like!

     Mara: Mom likes wearing those really flow-y blouses and jeans, but if she doesn't feel like making an effort to look nice she'll wear sweatshirts and yoga pants. Dad is always wearing collared shirts with a tie and jacket and pressed pants.
Ace: He never seems to wear anything but what he wears to work, even on weekends.
     Mara: At least Mom knows how to relax.

4. Do they share any personality traits with their parental figures? And which do they take after most?

Ace: I know I'm like Mom because I like to have a lot of people around. Mara is more like Dad with that - she prefers to be alone.
     Mara: It isn't my choice, you jerk!
Ace: *shrugs*
     Mara: Well Ace is like Dad in that he can be really insensitive.
Ace: And you're like Mom because you get distracted a lot and are procrastination queen.
     Mara: Yeah, and I still get better grades than you! So ha! Dad's genes there!
Ace: There's another trait of Mom's: you're so defensive. And hey, my grades aren't bad either.
Alright, alright, quiet. Since they're busy bickering, Mara is more like her mother, while Ace . . . I'm not really sure where he came from. He isn't much like his bubbly somewhat absent-minded mother, but he certainly doesn't share many similarities with his stone-silent father. I'd guess he's more like his mother as well, if only on account of how friendly he is to people he takes an interest in.

5. Do they get on with their parental figure(s) or do they clash?

Ace: Well I get along just fine with both Mom and Dad. We all do our thing and I chat with Mom over breakfast and don't give Dad any reason to lecture me. But Mara . . .
     Mara: Be quiet Ace!
Ace;  . . . Mara is always arguing with Mom and Dad.
     Mara: Only because they think I'm going to end up killing someone if I set foot in the backyard!
Ace: I think you're just looking for a reason to argue with them.
     Mara: Just shut up, Julian.
Obviously, they clash with each other quite a lot too.

6. If they had to describe their parental figures in one word, what would it be? 
     Mara: Dad - cold. Mom - flighty.
Ace: That's not very positive. I'd say Dad is "quiet" and Mom is "bubbly."
     Mara: *snorts* understatements, both.

7. How has their parental figure(s) helped them most in their life?
Ace: Dad points out if you're being stupid, which isn't really nice, but at least it stops me from making big mistakes. Mom is great to go to for advice . . . *ehem* . . . especially for the topic of girls.
     Mara: *sigh* Mom did help me when I cried because of bullies. She just let me cry into her shoulder and didn't try to give me any false reassurance. She was just there for me. But Dad . . . I don't think he really has helped me much. In fact, since he's the one who recorded my Destiny when I was born, he is sort of the biggest hindrance on my life.
Ace: He didn't have much choice. He couldn't change your Destiny.
     Mara: He could have changed the records. You'd think he'd do something like that for his own daughter, but no.

8. What was their biggest fight with their parental figure(s)?
Ace: Dad and I haven't really argued at all. Mom and I --
*blocks Mara's ears*
-- once got into an argument over Mara.
*unblocks Mara's ears*
     Mara: I've argued with both of them lots of times. The most recent one sort of stands out though. I got home late and walked into the house to find both Mom and Dad - and Ace *glare* - waiting for me in the kitchen. I'd only been hanging out with Gabriel but they started getting on my case for being out so late because "you never know what could happen." They thought I had killed someone! Like, they don't trust me with anything!
They actually didn't, but that's Mara for you - she reads way too much into things.

9. Tracing back the family tree, what nationalities are in their ancestry?
I'll take this, since I doubt either of them ever bothered to wonder. A few generations ago, the Harrods (Flint's family, or the father) immigrated from England, and the primary ethnic group in his bloodline is Celt, which is rare compared to all the Germans and French in England. Emma's family (mother) is Swedish. 

10. What's their favorite memory with their parental figure(s)?
     Mara: A few years ago I remember Ace and Dad went camping and me and Mom stayed at home and watched romance movies until three in the morning. We ate so much ice cream and popcorn that I swear I'm still digesting it! Not that things are still like that.
Ace: When we went deep-sea fishing a couple years ago. Mom had a really big fish on the end of her line and nearly got yanked over the railing. Dad had to grab her around her waist and pulled her back, then helped her haul the fish in. Then Mara's sandwich got stolen by a seagull. That was funny.
     Mara: No it wasn't. *glares*

That's the end of the questions! Mara didn't seem to be in a very good mood. I guess I chose the Mara  further into her character arc than from the end of Shadows and Light instead of the beginning. Ace wasn't quite as arrogant as his beginning self either. It seems you got them both at the end of their character arcs.

Have you done Beautiful People this month? Leave me a link in the comments! Also, don't forget that a week ago I made Tempe available for questions! If you want to know something, now is the time to ask! Head over here and leave a comment to ask whatever you want.