FE Page 168

Another extra large page, with another one on the way ^^

*headdesk* Brian is such a guy, isn't he?

Well I would blush too if I was given a mechanical pencil.

What's wrong with mechanical pencils? I have several Pentel P205's, and I swear by them. Their steel sleeves keep the 0.5 mm leads from bowing, and the thin leads mean a crisp, consistent line every time. As an analogy, this would be like Brian asking for bus change and getting lunch money.

Understandably, Brian is intimidated by Dawn's grace and beauty. However, Ellen-Natalie seems to be ascribing too many feminine traits to a male character. Perhaps it's normal for females to dwell on the social and personal ramifications of minutiae; males, however, tend to regard dating as a game. I cannot see Brian blushing with humility at his contact with Dawn; rather, I'd see him inwardly celebrating his "victory." In his mind, she noticed him, and he scored a solid favor from her. Contact made = beachhead established! No need to feel shame, Brian: you achieved your objective.

oneuglybunny wrote:Understandably, Brian is intimidated by Dawn's grace and beauty. However, Ellen-Natalie seems to be ascribing too many feminine traits to a male character. Perhaps it's normal for females to dwell on the social and personal ramifications of minutiae; males, however, tend to regard dating as a game. I cannot see Brian blushing with humility at his contact with Dawn; rather, I'd see him inwardly celebrating his "victory." In his mind, she noticed him, and he scored a solid favor from her. Contact made = beachhead established! No need to feel shame, Brian: you achieved your objective.

That could be true, if said male was super confident in when interacting with girls. From my discussions with guys, they can get just as nervous and uneasy as girls can. And with Brian's past dating experiences, such reactions are perfectly normal for him.

Actually, oneuglybunny, I don't think gender plays so much of a factor in behavior; just based on my interactions with family and classmates, there's not a drastic enough difference in tendencies between guys and girls to automatically assign them generalized/stereotyped feminine or masculine traits. If a person is crushing as badly as Brian apparently is, I can see him/her obsessing over minute contacts no matter what gender, at least if he/she has the personality for it.

...And apparently the past has contributed in this case as well... *has noticed Ellen-Natalie's comment* I wanna know more about Brian's past experiences so badly now. XD

On another note, I actually think that was a pretty clever test on Brian's part--simple, but clever.

I'm afraid I'll have to side with the ladies on this one. As much as I'd like to think I'm inhumanly cool and collected, the realistic side of me that remembers high school would have to disagree.

Cutekitty wrote:...And apparently the past has contributed in this case as well... *has noticed Ellen-Natalie's comment* I wanna know more about Brian's past experiences so badly now. XD...

I'm guessing Mrs. Doe will get Brian to talk about those at least a little. :-)

I kinda wonder how long it will take Mrs. Doe to put two and two together and realize that Brian's crush and her daughter are the same person. I suspect 'not long'.

Hmm ... actually, in the context of the story arcs in which Brian is featured, his temerity makes perfect sense.

From the side arc where Brian needs to borrow his sister's car, his father is invisible: either absent, unconcerned or irrelevant. This leaves Brian's mother as the acting head-of-household. She seems the strong and controlling type, so Brian has learned to be cowed by strong, decisive females.

Allowing that Brian has been rebuffed or shot down by some other potential doe, he has learned to approach prospects with caution.

When Dawn comes along, Brian is understandably intimidated by her poise and demeanor. Brian's pencil test was done to determine if Dawn is more the sun princess than the ice queen. Dawn's easy graciousness clearly came as a surprise to Brian; he had hoped for civility and got sunshine. Jackpot.

The problem arises in that Brian has limited social skills and little self-confidence. The only tack Brian knows that works on Dawn is the "borrow-pencil" ploy. Coupled with his obvious insecurity, and it's easy for Dawn to misread Brian as a spineless mooch. From a good beginning, Brian has regressed badly in Dawn's view. Brian definitely needs a way to redeem himself in Dawn's eyes.

This is where Dawn's mother can make a critical play in the plot. I suspect that Dawn's mother has already deduced that Dawn and Brian have met, but have misperceptions keeping them apart. She's ailing only in body; her mind is still sharp, and she's observant of details. Dawn's mother could well be the "Get Out Of Doldrums Free" card that Brian needs.

Wow-ee, the pieces are falling into place very nicely.