Ok, I want to first give background for this cake. Customer asked for a cake covered in half one color, half another (It's for a bride and groom's rehearsal dinner...they are rival basketball fans). On the top of the cake she wants a guy on one side of the top tier trying to pull the girl to his side. I've never made figures that stand, first of all. Do you guys have any advice on how to secure these figures so they don't fall? Should I make a dowel and wire armature and use modeling paste instead? I imagined how my body would be positioned if I were pulling someone, and I'm just worried this is going to be a disaster. I've tried looking everywhere online and have yet to find any figures modeled in this position. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Do it in stages. If you try to make them all at once they'll sink in on themselves. Do the legs and let them dry, then the bodies and let dry, then clothes and heads.

Yeah, i agree with karma, be sure to let your pieces dry first so you can attach them and they will stand, usually when i do standing figures ( i hate doing them , i always get the proportions wrong lol ) i usually use some support in the legs, lolly pop sticks or cocktail sticks just for added help, but be sure to tell the people that they are in there

I'll use toothpicks sometimes, too, but I make sure and tell people that they're in there. I mean, just because something is edible doesn't necessarily mean it should be eaten.

or depending on how big the people are you can use dried spaghetti