BoM/TWS Message Forum

My own thoughts with the underground set are that Jelena is the overall best option for various reasons.

Let's start with Andrea. Yes, everyone has the hots for her but she's aloof and cool (in the negative sense). Her home is a gathering spot but she herself is very independent and I've never gotten the impression she cares as much about being a leader and if she tried to exert more direct control over things, her personality means it wouldn't go well. Just look at the storyline where Will impersonates her and tries to get into a relationship with his golem, forcing "Will" into Andrea's circle. The response from the rest of Andrea's friends is mostly "what is this shit". I feel like she lacks the charisma needed to actually lead or influence and she's getting by largely on a myth built up by her mysteriousness. Look behind the curtain and the Wizard is just some shmuck, you know?

On the opposite end is Charles and he presents an almost opposite problem. He's too out there, too known and this means that while there's a certain set of people who will follow and be influenced by him, there's a lot of people who aren't. Too many people who would likely find him overbearing or annoying or who want nothing to do with his gossipmongering. That's the problem the gossips have. They're not really in any position to lead and they're not necessarily required to impersonate or turn into doppelgangers to be an effective tool.

Of the Big Three of the underground scene, then, Jelena turns out to be the Goldilocks option. Jelena is cool (in a good way), she's independent, but she's also personable and charming. She's confident without being overbearing and arrogant. She plays in a band. She effectively lives independently but has connections to the college and obviously there's her cooler-than-cool sister who, for the high schoolers of the underground scene, is damn near venerated. Jelena's own natural inclination is to just do her thing and enjoy herself but if Jelena ever wanted to hold more direct/subtle inluence, she'd be very hard to stop.

But I could just be biased.

For the others, Karl really isn't as much of a factor. Karl is more the Skunky Beaumont of the bohemians; he's a guy who others talk about (because he's sleeping with Kelsey) but his actual appearances are minimal. Sienna... I love her but she is just way too abrasive to ever be a proper conduit to rule through. If you wanted to burn the whole thing down, though, then Sienna makes for a great doppelganger.

Fatima I would actually put as number two under Jelena. She has a thing going on with Andrea which means she possibly holds a level of sway over Westside's most mysterious and desirable single girl. She doesn't have a bad reputation and is likable. She has an attack dog in her BFF Sienna. If Will wanted someone who he could use to lowkey wield a ton of power while flying under the radar then she's probably a very enticing choice. But of course it'd mean having to know about her and why she'd make an attractive option first. Probably one he'd consider if he grabbed Andrea first and got that idea from being in her head.