Black and Gold/Characters

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


This is a list of characters who appear in the Soul Eater Fanfic Black and Gold. Because this is a fanfic, only OC's will have representation here. There will be untagged spoilers, read at your own risk.

L.J.

Life Junior

"The next five minutes of my talking is basically just me saying, 'Fuck you, I win.'"

Our protagonist.


The main character and narrator of the story. L.J. is rather blunt, cynical, and sometimes tactless. Her most prominent trait is one of her bigger flaws- she covers up her insecurity with sarcasm, and is almost a compulsive snarker. L.J.'s not quick to trust, but when she does, she'll stick by her friends no matter what. Unfortunately, she's had a bit of a rough past, and is eventually revealed as a fairly unstable girl with a load of psychological ticks (the most minor being an inferiority complex) and a pretty dark secret.

  • 100% Adoration Rating: Her classmates love and embrace her as their leader, but mainly because she acts more like a drinking buddy than a boss- i.e. her fears of rejection and responsibility keep her from getting angry or demanding anything of them.
  • Action Girl
  • All Up to You: After her mother left, control of the Institute largely fell to her. And while she's not bad at it, the power was thrust on her so suddenly that she had to give most of it to the school staff.
    • Absurdly Powerful Student Council: L.J. currently leaves most of the political and technical affairs to The Board/Staff, keeping herself as personal leader to the student body.
  • Anthropomorphic Personification: When she comes into her full powers, she'll be the new Guardian Angel.
  • Attention Deficit Ooh Shiny: The Angel is basically the personification of the liberation and freedom in life (to contrast order), so L.J. has her ADHD moments, though she denies it.
  • Barrier Maiden: This is what makes her responsible for the special humans and Godlings sheltered by the Institute.
  • Berserk Button: L.J. hates it when people try to control or manipulate her. After living under her over-protective mother, she reacts badly when she feels her independence is being threatened, which gets her in trouble sometimes. See Pride.
  • Brilliant but Lazy: L.J is this trope. One has to remember that she is technically a god, and also Kid's counterpart. However, her fighting or intellectual prowess is usually overshadowed by her lack of motivation. This is especially vexing for her mother.

"Dark gods help you if you're about to ask me to stand up again."

  • Butt Monkey: A lot of unfortunate but comical things happen to her in early chapters. This continues even as the story grows darker, although the humor is still a bit more bitter.
  • Chaotic Neutral: While she is technically required as an angel to be neutral, her personality also implies that she's not nearly as idealistic as Kid, and in fact she embraces the idea of not restricting herself to any one side. This makes her unpredictable, as she's both willing and able to screw people over to do what she thinks should be done. Must run in the family.
  • Character Development: A shocking amount from Chapter 12 onwards.
  • Consummate Liar: Her aptitude for manipulation and dishonesty are one of the main attributes that set her apart from her counterpart, bringing her a bit short of being a Manipulative Bitch.
  • Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Weirdly played with and possibly inverted- everyone first assumes that she's unstoppable because she's a Guardian Angel, but by being so lazy/deadpan, she immediately lowers all expectations. This is then played straight once she proves how capable she really is.
  • Dark and Troubled Past
  • Deadpan Snarker: Her most prominent trait.
  • Defrosting Ice Queen: Very slowly, but she becomes less of an aloof snarker as she begins to break down. Eventually she seems less petty and more unstable while she's forced to deal with her fears.
  • Distaff Counterpart/ Evil Counterpart: She's the former in regards to the 'symmetry' of the Balance, but also a mild version of latter in that she's Kid's opposite in ethics as well as gender.
  • Enemy Within: Before L.J. banished her murderous sister, Rachel purposely shattered soul and meshed a piece of it to L.J.'s, so that the rest of her soul could use that connection to find her way back from the in-between. It's a Long Story.
  • First-Person Smartass: Good god, yes. Although it's interesting in that this isn't made out to be a good quality by a long shot (in fact it's clear this is one of her big flaws). L.J. doesn't snark from a stance of superiority either, but rather looks at the world, herself included, with a cynical and pessimistic point of view.
  • Foil: To Kid.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: L.J. attempts this, and Kid gets pissed.
  • Heroic Self-Deprecation: About half through the story, the reader gradually realizes how completely, psychologically screwed up L.J. is, and how much she utterly despises herself. While she doesn't exactly deserve all the self hate she gives herself, she's still not that great a person. She lies, manipulates, and cheats without a second thought, thinking nothing of the responsibility and honor that Kid cares so much about. Her sacrifice isn't even very selfless- she's subconsciously taking an easy way out of her problems. See Not So Different.
  • Hidden Depths: All the more shocking considering the story is written from her perspective. She seems bubbly and snarky, but when you realize what's underneath the surface, all her past actions have a darker tone to them.
  • Inadequate Inheritor/ Rebellious Princess: L.J. is not as responsible as Lady Life would like, especially considering L.J. will someday take her mother's position as Guardian Angel and Goddess of Life.
  • Manipulative Bitch: Does some of this to keep her secret safe or to get things her way.
  • Mary Sue: Deconstructed. Being the daughter of Life should make L.J. an unredeemable Sue, but the snark, twisty plot and eventual maturation into darker subject matter won most people over. It also helps that the romance is not the primary focus of the story by a long shot. To the point where readers wanted it to be less realistic and more fluffy. See Will They or Won't They?.
    • Also Defied in that L.J.'s appearance, let alone attractiveness is purposely never mentioned; not hair, eye color, or even ethnicity. It was due to demand for some kind of reference that the author sketched out the above drawing.
  • Meaningful Name: Duh.
  • Nonuniform Uniform: Played with. L.J. does wear a perfect school uniform, but the problem is...its the uniform from her old school. It makes sense that she doesn't want to transfer school loyalties, given she practically runs the Institute in her mother's absence.
  • Not So Different: L.J. and her Spartan Sibling both dealt with issues of inadequacy and pressure, blaming their mother and each other for it (the former due to the latter's Mind Rape, and the latter due to the former being chosen as Life's descendant). This causes Rachel to start devouring human souls and becoming a Kishin Egg in a desperate attempt to get stronger, while L.J. alienates herself from friends through sarcasm and takes part in self-destructive practices. L.J. eventually realizes how similar she and her sister are, forgiving Rachel and deciding to stop hating herself to prevent becoming a monster.
  • Obfuscating Stupidity: Many readers initially assume L.J. is a Mary Sue, or at least quite powerful from the beginning. But then audience is convinced that L.J. is just a Butt Monkey with a Healing Factor after she has half a fight scene (where Kira intervenes), and a one-sided Curb Stomp Battle.
    • Its implied on various levels that L.J. just didn't feel the need to defend herself- thanks to a combination of possessing a healing factor, and having her self esteem really be that bad. But a bit later on, she's revealed to have been genuinely Badass all along.
  • Only Sane Man: She comes off as this, mainly when dealing with Kira, Damian, or OCD!Kid, but it gets completely deconstructed to hell and back as L.J.'s issues come to light.
  • Official Couple: Er... with Kid? No, that question mark is not there by accident.
  • Our Angels Are Different
  • Parental Abandonment: Her mother spends a lot of time in "that other dimension", leaving the authority position in the Institute to fall onto L.J. Her mother's timing couldn't have been worse, as this happened almost directly after L.J. was forced to kill her crazy sister, come to terms with being the new successor, and deal with her soul now being corrupted. No wonder she has issues.
  • Physical God
  • Pride: L.J. has a lot of this. She gets irritated when her cousins poke fun at getting spectacularly pwned after the "orange smoke" incident, and when people remind her of any past mistakes. In particular, Kid asks her at one point to admit that she was wrong. L.J. gives it a valiant effort, but she seems physically incapable. Which is odd given her lack of self-esteem... Or then again, maybe it makes perfect sense.
    • She does put considerable effort into not feeling worthless.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: She's the red to Kid's blue, and the blue to Rachel's red.
  • Shadow Archetype: Her perception is almost completely flipped from Kid's- while he is honorable and idealistic, L.J. fights dirty, manipulates others, and is irrevocably cynical. They seem eerily aware of this, fueling the unease they feel towards each other- L.J. embodies the skepticism that Kid tries to ignore when it comes to trusting the Great Old Ones, and Kid represents the faith that L.J. now resents, but reluctantly wishes she still had.
  • Shut UP, Hannibal: The above quote is this when she finally stands up to her sister.
  • Soul Power/ Light'Em Up/ Holy Hand Grenade: Her powers are rarely mentioned, but the first at least is confirmed, while the latter two may develop in time.
  • Stepford Smiler: After the reader thinks they've gotten to get to know L.J. after a few chapters, The Reveal of how internally and emotionally twisted L.J. is, combined with how she's able to laugh and act so convincingly happy-go-lucky when she's so fucked up is staggering. She's so good at it, that even the readers can't tell how messed up she is while the story is of her own narration.
  • Stepford Snarker: This basically embodies her entire character for most of the story.
  • Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: L.J. is claustrophobic. Which makes for hilarious results when she and Kid are locked in a closet-the door is symmetrical, so Kid won't let her break it down. L.J. tricks him into kicking it down in the end though, by saying Patti was going to mess up his paintings back home.
    • It's not so hilarious when you realize that this is symbolic of L.J.'s terror of being confined, and how it came to be.
  • Trickster: She gets it from her cousins, and even uses it against them at one point.

L.J.: (Narrating) I could have told him she had dissociative personality disorder. I could have told him she was a type 2 schizophrenic. I should have told him she could turn into a missile launcher. But I didn't. Heh heh.

  • Villain Protagonist
  • Will They or Won't They?: It's made clear that L.J. has a lot of issues to work through before starting a relationship. However, she and Kid do get a few moments. It seems that while They Do eventually marry, they question is more along the lines of if they'll ever become emotionally intimate.
  • Woman in White: She wears a white dress most often, and even in informal situations there'll usually just be a random white article of clothing. Her personality fits well also- aloof and mysterious, yet also a quite fractured underneath.
  • Jerkass Woobie / Iron Woobie: Only in later chapters. Despite what's happened to her, L.J. barely thinks about it- and if she does it's in a calm or dry manner. We as the audience don't really know how screwed she is until hell starts actually breaking loose. And no, she's really not that nice of a person- even sacrificing herself had selfish motivations.


Weapons/Partners

Kira Aslen

"No, you just live in a giant red castle with huge candles, spikes, and massive skull on the front. What could possibly go wrong!?"

A very chipper and peppy girl with dissociative identity disorder and type 2 schizophrenia. And she can turn into a missile launcher. L.J. found her in a wrecked town, and since then Kira's become her sidekick and substitute partner. Eventually, her own dark secret comes to light.

  • And the Fandom Rejoiced: She was an OC made as a contest prize. One expected a throw away OC, but instead she became one of the most complex and awesome characters in the series.
  • Ax Crazy: Sometimes, when she literally goes off her meds.
  • Black Sheep: She's a weapon born in a witch family/coven, something she was unbelievably ashamed of and abused for. But after regaining her memories and overcoming her Heroic BSOD, she just rolls with it.
  • Blessed with Suck: Kira's condition is dehabilitating, but the "advice" of the voices allow her to see through trickery and deception, including the Love aura.
    • This comes even more into play when the "voices" are revealed to be the manifestation of her suppressed memories trying to push through.
  • Beta Couple: Hinted with Joey, one of L.J.'s cousins. Interestingly, while he has a crush on Kira (mainly because the aura of infatuation he radiates doesn't affect her due to her Blessed with Suck condition), Kira's "voices" tell her to stay away from him because of how manipulative L.J.'s cousins are. Kira thus treats Joey with indifference, and even goes out of her way to avoid him. But Joey, being the Anthropomorphic Personification of Love's rash and daring side, just doesn't get it, and still chases after her.
  • Beware the Nice Ones
  • Crazy Awesome: Let us reiterate. She's an unstable schizophrenic who can turn into a missile launcher.
  • Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: When she's on a mission, she'll kick ass.
  • Crowning Moment of Awesome: A few, but what really made her awesome in the eyes of fans was her taking a door, and flipping it on it's hinges so that the symmetrical design faced inward. Then she locked Kid and L.J. inside. Cue L.J. trying to break the door down, and Kid not letting her. Hilarity Ensues.
  • False Memories: Either that, or Blatant Lies to cover up her Identity Amnesia.
  • Fun Personified: Someone that Crazy Awesome couldn't be anything but.
  • Identity Amnesia: She doesn't remember being raised a witch until late in the story. Her psychological defects are side-affects from what the Big Bad did to her.
  • I Just Want to Be Normal: She is insecure and aware of her disability, and despite the amiable relationship she has with the "voices", she really isn't too stable.
  • I Just Want to Be Special: When she was born as a weapon in a witch family, all she wanted was to be like her sisters. She was so desperate that she sought out the Big Bad.
  • Jekyll and Hyde: She was a sleeper agent, and would revert back to her witch self and attack the school when triggered. Upon returning to her Jekyll side, she'd remember nothing.
  • Leaving You to Find Myself: A non-romantic example. Kira leaves her newfound friends to try to figure out her past, and is later met up with John and Damian.
  • Love Redeems: Well, her amnesia is what reset her conscience, but it's her friendship with L.J. and Isaac that helped her stay stable in the transition.
  • Person of Mass Destruction: A crazy girl who can shoot explosives, and has knowledge of witch magic. Oh yeah.
  • Religion of Evil: Her family is a renegade coven that scams humans into joining their cult and killing weapons.
  • Split Personality: Oh, Kira. And there's more than one.
  • The Killer in Me: Kira was really desperate for her family's approval.
    • And even after she lost those memories and basically reset her conscience, she was still being used as a sleeper agent against her new friends without her knowledge.
  • Tomato in the Mirror: When her memories come back, she shuts down.
  • White Sheep: She completely defects from her witch roots and chooses to be her own person. Her family isn't pleased, despite how badly they treated her in the past.
  • Woobie: She's even more screwed up than L.J.


Damian Black

"Some dumbass just crashed his crappy car into our wall! Let's go teach 'em a lesson!"

L.J.'s bodyguard and partner, he can transform into a trident sword. Rather laid-back, lazy, and with a slightly sadistic sense of humor, he and John (surprise suprise) have their own dark secret.

Damian: Since I'm the only one with an evil-sounding name, do I get an evil laugh?
Everyone: NO!

Also:

Damian: Oh come on! It's not like I can't tell you're all waiting for me to stab a kitten, just because my mom had a hard pregnancy and wanted to get back at me!


John Grey

"'Not that big a deal!?' Countries have declared war over less insanity than this!"

L.J's other partner/bodyguard, John also turns into a trident sword. Damian's childhood friend, though he is considerably more sane.


Fellow Godlings

The Godlings from the Institute

A Five-Man Band of future PhysicalGods originating from the UK. They're each psychologically eccentric in their own way, and their introduction sets the tone for the story as a (potential) AU. In Black and Gold's universe, there are various Anthropomorphic Personification beings that represent various "Forces". Fragments/Godlings are used as an insurance policy for the Balance, should the original God die.

  • A Friend in Need: No matter the stakes, they'll be there- even if it's incredibly stupid to do so. This is basically why L.J. never told them about her little problem.
  • Anthropomorphic Personification: Naturally.
  • Bros Before Hoes: Works for all genders.
    • Adam also sides with Isaac when he and Mary start having problems. It's more than implied that Adam was projecting his anger towards Leah onto Mary, though.
  • Can't Stand Them Can't Live Without Them: Isaac confesses at one point that all of them are so different, that if they were born human they'd likely hate one another. But being bound together for life helps you get to know a person.
    • Also read quite literally, considering they actually can't live without one another.
  • Childhood Friends: L.J. is going to be bound to the Elementals forever, because they need to be near her (the exact distance is vague) to stay healthy.
  • Childhood Friend Romance: Isaac with Mary, Adam with Leah.
  • Deadpan Snarker/ Sophisticated As Hell: They are British, after all.
  • Enter Stage Window: Done frequently. They also exit this way on the stealthy occasions.
  • Elemental Powers: All of them minus L.J.
  • Fantasy Pantheon: L.J. is a Guardian Angel, but the others are vaguely said to be elemental spirits of some sort. At any rate, all the original gods are implied to come from another dimension.
  • Fire-Forged Friends: If they didn't endure the obstacles they did together (both emotional and physical), their conflicting personalities would have made things very difficult.
  • Five-Man Band:

The Hero: L.J.
The Lancer: Adam (though he and L.J. aren't rivals)
The Big Guy: Mary
The Smart Guy/ The Heart: Isaac
The Chick: Leah (originally her role was reversed with Mary, before she became more badass)

Adam: It's a damn good thing this cake doesn't represent our friendship, because it sucks!

  • True Companions: Everyone, even those in romantic relationships act more like friends than lovers.
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: Everyone, especially between those in romantic relationships.
  • With Friends Like These...: They can act very vitriolic and almost violent towards one another, but it's all "in good fun". Even when amiable, they still like to mess with each other on occasion, such as acting eccentric in the background of an important event to make one of them crack up at an inappropriate time.
  • You Are Not Alone: They try really hard to do this, but sometimes members (notably Mary and L.J.) try to shelter their friends by not showing them their problems. They'll be there for each other, but don't want their own problems to be brought into focus. Eventually they get it right.

Adam

"What you yanks did to the English language, I'm about to do to your face!"'

L.J's childhood friend and the Son of the Wind Spirit/God. He's a bit of a flirt and an Idiot Hero, but he's also very protective of his friends.

Adam: We pronounce words properly, and can really say whatever we bloody well please because we invented the sodding language, you twat.

Leah

"If I see something I haven't seen before, I'll throw a dollar at it."

Another of L.J.'s friends from back home, and the Daughter of the Fire Spirit/God. Very sassy and blunt, she's considers herself more mature than her boyfriend. Unfortunately this is debatable, given that she's a Heroic Comedic Sociopath and all...


Isaac

"He can sense souls, you prat. Break into his house and he'll know!"

Part of the Five-Man Band, and Son of Earth. The most reasonable and patient of the group, he befriends Kira.

Mary

"With all due respect sir, you don't scare me. I once killed a man with a hat stand, and he was way taller than you!"

Member of the Godling Five-Man Band and Daughter of the Water Spirit/God. She seems sweet and unassuming, but she's unbelievably badass, not to mention scary if she wants to be. Loyal to her friends, but rather mischievous as well. Not very good with commitment, apparently.


  • An Ice Person
  • Anthropomorphic Personification
  • Beware the Nice Ones: She comes through big time for her friendship with L.J., and it's one of the things that saves her relationship with Isaac.
  • Classy Cat Burglar: She may have a sweet face and kind voice, but she's also a compulsive thief.
  • Crazy Prepared: Usually, she'll have something in her pocket needed for the current situation. Usually, it's something she's recently stolen.
  • Elemental Baggage: Needs water to use her powers. This bothers her.
  • Fiery Redhead: When she gets pissed.
  • Guile Hero
  • Heroic BSOD: Conceals it well, but she doesn't take The Reveal of L.J.'s secret emotional torment..
  • Hidden Depths: She and L.J both have the problem of self-esteem, what with Mary being extremely afraid of emotional intimacy.
  • Honor Before Reason:It doesn't matter if it's a literally demonic, extremely powerful and evil force that doesn't even have a physical body- screw with the friends she's sworn to protect, and Mary will show zero caution in tearing it a new one.

The Sons of Love-Mike, Peter, and Joey

"It's our move now. So let's take it to the next level."

L.J.'s cousins, and the sons of Love. They're the oldest of the demigods, and well known for knowing everything. No, seriously. Everything.

  • All Powerful Bystander: They'd rather move things around and watch what happens than actually take part.
  • Aloof Big Brother: They know everything, some before it even happens. Everything. And not because they're psychic, they just know through deduction and from being Really Seven Hundred Years Old. They know when L.J. is about to be attacked or is about to walk into a trap, but don't get involved because they know things will work out better if her friends do or if she figures it out herself. Also, they're the oldest and therefore most powerful of the demigods, which may explain why they act nothing like cupids should.
    • It's a bit more than deduction- most of what happens are things they planned on happening and orchestrated years in advance.
  • Anthropomorphic Personification
  • Badass Bookworm: Peter
  • Big Brother Instinct: They jerk and move their cousin L.J. around just like the rest of their "pieces" but they definitely have a soft spot for her.
  • Blessed with Suck: They have the ability to make girls infatuated with them, but they can't turn it off, so will probably never have a real relationship. Basically why Joey likes Kira.
  • Chaotic Neutral/ Lawful Neutral: A bit of both, but the only laws they play by are their own, and the Balance's.
  • The Chessmaster: The Sons of Love are no ordinary cupids.
  • Draco in Leather Pants: They seem really fun and cool at first, but when you realize what Manipulative Bastards they are, it's hard to like them as much. But most people do anyway.
  • Ensemble Darkhorse
  • Mr. Fanservice: This is their power.
  • The Four Loves: It's implied that love is so powerful a Force that she needed three godlings to inherit it. Peter seems to be Storge, Joey is Phileo, and Michael is Eros, with all of them combining into Agape/
  • Fun Personified: They are pretty fun to have at a party.
  • Gambit Roulette: Their favorite hobby is spinning these around.
  • Gentleman Snarker: Peter
  • I Love You Because I Can't Control You: Why Joey is infatuated with Kira.
  • In Love with Love: Since they can't quite experience it themselves.
  • In Your Nature to Destroy Yourselves: They don't have much faith in anything, so they play things around their way. If characters suddenly realize their pasts are connected or intertwined, you can bet it was their doing.
  • Jerkass Woobie
  • Keeper of Forbidden Knowledge: The oldest and most informed of their kind, the Sons of Love are this to the other Godlings.
  • Knight Templar Big Brother: Ironically, despite being the sons of Love, Pete, Mike and Joey have a shameless record of doing everything in their power to scare away potential boyfriends for their cousin L.J. She only explains one instance to the readers but it's pretty extreme: Joey faked a scandal that implied he and L.J were involved in order to scare a particularly persistent boy away when it seemed he may have had a chance.
    • This is a case of Obfuscating Stupidity. The sons of Love are implied to have known all along about L.J.'s arranged marriage, and were scaring away potential dates to save their cousin from the pain of having to leave her boyfriend for her fiance'. But still, it is pretty extreme to go through all that.
  • Love Hurts: Mike is the personification of Eros, but has had so many relationships fail on him that he's really feeling this trope.
  • Love Freak: Averted. They are the sons of Love, but their most primary traits are stealing stuff and being annoying. They also like to ruin L.J.'s chances at getting a date, ironically.
    • They do actually love the idea of love, but are a bit jaded when it comes to their (or L.J's) experiencing it for themselves.
  • Love Is in the Air: Whenever the sons of Love are around, they give off an aura that attracts all girls (minus those already in love) to them while simultaneously making boys (minus those who don't care about love) to get jealous and hate them. Kira is unaffected because her "voices" protect her although the true reason is that she's got experience in the manipulation of emotions), and L.J. isn't affected because they're her family. Black Star wasn't affected either because he was so determined to beat Damian at soccor that he didn't care what was going on at the sidelines.
  • Manipulative Bastard: All three of them, even Joey.
  • Mayfly-December Romance: Mike fell victim to this, and supposedly had to bury his lover (and possibly more than one over the years). So he leads the trio, but is a bit more thoughtful than the others.
  • Memetic Badass: We haven't seen them fight yet, but they'd probably kick ass.
  • Missing Mom: Where the hell is Love during all this!?
  • Morality Pet: For them, it's L.J. Despite constantly manipulating her just as much as anyone else, the true extent of their love for her is revealed when Pete claims it would have been easier to kill L.J. and let Life start over (again) than give L.J. a chance to overcome her Enemy Within. When L.J. asks with they didn't, Pete admits that because the cupids can't have relationships, they use their family has their objects of affection instead.
  • Obfuscating Stupidity: Joey is by far the most lovable of the brothers, but he's just as aware and involved as the others.
  • Our Angels Are Different: They're cupids. Seriously.
  • Pet the Dog: The reason why they spare and eventually help save L.J. See Morality Pet.
  • Physical God
  • Room Full of Crazy: And a big one, too. It keeps track of all the different lives they've made connect or cross paths, all leading up to their mysterious ultimate goal. Supposedly, this "outline" of their plans continues far into future years.
  • Single Minded Triplets: They all share a soul. Er, well to be technical, they all combined the fragments that are their souls in to one, and they pass it around between the three of them so that one can be a decoy and the other two can go under the radar of those with soul perception.
  • Sour Supporter: Peter is a bit more cynical than the other brothers.
  • Trickster Mentor: L.J. and her cousins have been through a lot together, but there's no denying that if the sons of Love are around, check your pockets. Your wallet is probably gone. See Aloof Big Brother and Gambit Roulette.
  • Villainous Rescue: Not necessarily villains, but they apparently aren't as affectionate to Rachel as they are to L.J.