Couple Character Questionnaire: Avalon and Tripp

Hey guys! Sorry for no posts last week. I think it's official that I'm going to be updating this blog when I can instead of trying to force myself to abide by a schedule that I keep failing to meet. No worries, though--that does not mean I'll be posting once every few months. I'll still be posting as much as I can, just probably no more than one post a week.
Anyway, I mentioned in my last post that my next step in my quest to learn more about the relationship between my two main characters, Avalon and Tripp, would be to put them through a couples character questionnaire. So that's what I did!
The questionnaire I found is a whopping 100 questions, and actually required a lot more brain power than I thought it would (hence why it took me like two weeks to do it). But luckily, it paid off! The questionnaire helped me figure out a lot out about Av and Tripp. Because the questionnaire is so long, I'm only going to post the first 50 or so questions just so you guys have an idea of how this particular questionnaire can help. If you really want to see the other 50, just let me know and I'll add them in my next post. But for now, here are the first 50 questions from "100 Questions for Character Couples" by Alyssa Hollingsworth and her sister. You can check out the full questionnaire and Alyssa's site here!

Basic Information

1.      What real couples could they be compared to and why? Hmmm . . . I honestly have no idea! I’m terrible at comparing my characters to real people.

2.      What fictional couples could they be compared to and why? Fake people I can do! Probably Four and Tris from Divergent. They argue easily and both would die for the other.

3.      What are their common interests? Both Av and Tripp like watching sunsets together. They both love nature, and they both like exploring.

4.      What is the individual goal of each character? Avalon’s goal is to discover who she’s supposed to be, and Tripp’s goal is to not lose Avalon.

5.      What are their common goals? Well… actually, both of them have the same goals. They both want to find themselves and they both don’t want to lose each other. The difference is that Avalon’s top goal is finding herself, while Tripp’s top goal is not losing Av.

6.      Do their goals conflict? Yes and no. See above.

7.      What are a few of their inside jokes? O-hee-o. Don’t ask.

8.      What is the core for each character? Avalon’s core is determination. She doesn’t give up, and she shows that in many ways, from her perseverance to her stubbornness. Tripp’s core is hope. He always looks for a better option.

9.      How do they reveal their core to the other character? Both reveal their cores when things seem hopeless and bad. Tripp searches for the bright side, and Avalon perseveres.

10.  What are their relationship expectations? Due to the complexity of their relationship, neither of them really know. All they know is that they love each other and want to stay together, but it might not be possible.

11.  Does either have an addiction? Not that I’m aware of.

12.  In what ways do they worry about each other? Avalon worries about Tripp in an almost motherly sort of way. If he’s been eating, if he’s been sleeping, etc. Tripp mostly worries about losing Avalon and whether or not she loves him.

13.  How would each character feel if the other had to leave for a time? How would they react if they broke up? Both would be devastated. They love each other, but the circumstances of the story complicate their relationship to the point that they realize that they hardly know each other. Though sometimes Avalon feels like it would be best for both of them to just end it, she subconsciously doesn’t want to and would be heartbroken to lose Tripp. Tripp is much more outward about his fear of losing Avalon. If they broke up, odds are he would shut down for a while and stop caring about himself.

14.  How do they handle dividing up chores and household duties? Very well. Though it doesn’t really apply to the story, I could definitely see Avalon creating a schedule for the both of them and Tripp reluctantly obeying it.

15.  Who brings home the bacon and how? Eh, neither. They don’t have jobs.

16.  Do they ever resent each other? Definitely. Tripp resents Avalon for basically ignoring him, and Avalon resents Tripp for not trying.

17.  What activities do they enjoy doing together? What activities does one enjoy that the other doesn’t? Avalon and Tripp love exploring abandoned places, watching sunsets, and looking at the stars together. Avalon adores reading, but Tripp would rather staple his eyes than sit and read books for hours.

18.  How do they fight for or defend the other? Though they fight each other easily, both Av and Tripp would jump to defend the other in a heartbeat. They are both very protective over the other. Kind of like how you can pick on your siblings all you want, but if someone else does it, they’re dead.

19.  How do they express love for each other? (Examples: Acts of service, physical touch, words of affirmation, quality time, or receiving gifts.) See this blog post.

Comparisons

1.      Who is more grounded? Avalon, but only because she is regaining memories and Tripp is not.

2.      What values do they both share? Mmm… both value honesty. Which is a problem because they are not always very honest with each other. Usually that’s the case because they want to protect the other, but still.

3.      Who takes more responsibility for their actions? I’d say that one is pretty equal.

4.      Who is usually more ready to give in and compromise? Ooo… that definitely depends on the situation. Av is very stubborn, though, so probably Tripp.

5.      Do they feel the same way about money? N/A

How They See Each Other

1.      What habits do they have that makes the other unhappy? (Examples: angry outbursts, disrespectful judgments, annoying behavior, selfish demands, dishonesty, or apathy.) Avalon is not a very outspoken person. Sometimes she holds in what she’s feeling or thinking and expects Tripp to understand her. And since Tripp is really bad at picking up on signals, this frustrates the both of them. Avalon gets irritated by Tripp when he clings to hope in hopeless situations. While that can be good, sometimes he tries too hard to hold onto something that just isn’t true or meant to be.

2.      What do they find most physically attractive about the other? For Avalon, probably Tripp’s eyes and build. Actually, I think it might be the same for both of them. Perhaps I should change that…

3.      What do they find least physically attractive about the other? This is kind of difficult because, as I mentioned before, Avalon and Tripp are both physically perfect. So probably nothing.

4.      What do they find most mentally attractive about each other? Tripp definitely finds Avalon’s intellect attractive, especially because it becomes more apparent to him throughout the books how sincerely smart Avalon really is. Avalon finds Tripp’s quick-thinking attractive. While she tends to get caught in anxiety during a suddenly stressful time, Tripp does not. His quick decisions more often than not lead to him keeping her safe, which makes her really value that quality.

5.      What accomplishments do they most admire in each other? Hmm… by the end of the book, I’d say they both really admire their overall accomplishments of getting through the ups and downs that happen throughout the story. Their relationship gets super strained and their lives are basically flipped upside down, so looking back I think they would both see and admire massive strength in each other.

6.      What small physical details does each character love the most about the other? Though Avalon’s skin is basically flawless, she has very, very faint freckles across her cheeks from pre-Perfection. Tripp adores these freckles. Avalon really loves Tripp’s eyes, but mainly because in certain lighting she can actually see his pupils, when usually she can’t.

7.      In what little ways do they disappoint each other? Avalon disappoints Tripp a lot when it appears that she’s not trying to do anything to fix their relationship. Although Avalon does think she’s trying, it really doesn’t seem like she is. Tripp disappoints Avalon in the same way, just a little differently. While Tripp wants Avalon to try to fix their relationship, Avalon wants Tripp to try and embrace the new life they have away from Society.  

8.      How would each character most want to better themselves for the other? This is actually a struggle Avalon deals with constantly, and not just to better herself for Tripp. She wants to better herself for everyone—including herself. She wants to be the person she’s meant to be, while also being the person Tripp wants her to be. And those are very different people. Tripp wants to push himself to try harder for Avalon, which would then open his mind as well as his heart.

9.      What things would each character appreciate the other doing for them? Quality time, definitely. Avalon would appreciate it if Tripp spent time with her as well as Sam, Emily, Ashton and other minor characters she has become friends with. Tripp, though, would appreciate it if Avalon just spent time with him one on one.

10.  How do they think the other character sees them? Avalon thinks Tripp sees her as a Perfect, small girl who’s kind of timid and needs to be protected (this changes throughout the story). Tripp thinks Avalon sees him as a tough, strong man who will keep her safe. (Again, this changes throughout the story.) By the end of the book, they think of and see each other completely differently.

11.  What little things remind them of each other? Rain, books, empty rooftops, swing sets, his gray sweatshirt, and dandelions remind Tripp of Avalon. Avalon sees Tripp in gray walls, empty rooftops, swing sets, and sunsets. They both are reminded each other when they look at their own hands because the two pinky promise a lot.

12.  How do they think the other is unique? Tripp thinks Avalon is unique because of what she’s been through in life. It’s different than what most people go through, and it makes her stronger and gives her a different view of life. Avalon thinks Tripp is unique for his innate sense of hopefulness despite the overall feeling of hopelessness that hangs over them throughout the books.

13.  What negative traits do they see in the other, and how do they deal with it? Avalon sees a lot of anger in Tripp, and sometimes it slips out more than it should. Usually she deals with it by arguing back or walking away to let him cool down. Tripp sees rudeness in Avalon. Though he knows it’s usually as a result of her being frustrated, it’s not an excuse for her to behave like that. He usually responds with anger or frustration.

14.  What might they like to change about the other? At first, I think Tripp would want to change Avalon and make her Perfect again so they could go back to their normal lives. Avalon would want to do the opposite and change Tripp to forget about Perfection and start a new life together.

15.  What would each character be willing to change in his/herself for the other, and what wouldn’t they change? Tripp would be willing to change his thoughts towards everything and try to have a new life with Avalon, but I don’t think he would want to give up all his memories of Society and Perfection. Avalon would be willing to remember Society and Perfection, but she wouldn’t want to go back to that life.

General History

1.      How did each character come to trust the other? Well… they kind of… didn’t? Avalon and Tripp’s early memories are false, so they don’t actually know if/when they first met and trusted each other.

2.      What are their shared background experiences? Growing up as Perfect citizens in Society, going to school together, spending as much free time together as possible, and basically revolving their whole lives around being Perfect and together.

3.      What are differences in their backgrounds? HA. That’s funny. That’s actually a major plot point so I’m not gonna answer this one.

4.      What was one moment when one side was weak and the other had to be strong for both? OOO… hmmm… I like this question. There are many occasions when this happens to both Avalon and Tripp throughout all the books, but in Unperfected alone I’d say when the two of them are trapped in Society and Avalon thinks she’s going to die. Tripp has to be very strong for the both of them during that time.

5.      When are they jealous for the other? Ooo, I really like this question. I haven’t thought much about this! Tripp is extremely jealous of Avalon during the middle of the book as he watches her have this brand new life without him. But unknown to him, Avalon is jealous of him and the fact that he seems to be handling all of this so much better than she is.

6.      When have they let the other down? Oh, so many times. But they build each other back up, so it’s okay. In Unperfected, Tripp lets Avalon down when he refuses to believe the truth about the world. Avalon lets Tripp down when she seemingly moves on without him.

7.      When have they betrayed each other? This doesn’t happen until the end of the second book, but Tripp betrays Avalon in an extreme way (and it is a scene that I personally adore)

8.      What are the most difficult situations they’ve faced together so far, how did they overcome them? PSSH. That’s basically the whole book.

9.      What are their best memories together? What are their worst? Their best memories together are their memories from Society because everything was Perfect. Their worst memories together are easily the times that they’ve been separated from the other.

10.  What’s a moment one character felt proud of the other? Avalon felt very proud of Tripp when he started showing an interest in their new world and life. Tripp felt proud of Avalon when she decided to turn herself in to be cured of the Dreams at the beginning of the book.

The biggest thing that this questionnaire taught me is that Avalon and Tripp both want the same thing, but are going in opposite directions to achieve said thing. That makes them both feel like the other isn't trying, but deep down inside both of them desperately misses the other. Avalon is not okay but Tripp thinks she is, and Tripp is not okay but Avalon thinks he is. They both are trying to be strong for the other and as a result are making each other think the other no longer cares!

And this, once again, is why I love character questionnaires.

If you would like to put your own character couples through these questions, here's the link again. Now to go see if I can finally get through this pesky chapter I've been stuck on!