BULLET, CHAPTER 25

[a_sporking_rat]

I knew that regular male mice sang (albeit at a pitch humans cannot hear) in order to attract and woo lady mice, but I didn't know about deer mice singing!
http://www.johnsankey.ca/peromyscus.html

Justin and Jenner are getting some thinning fur on their backs. I guess that's to be expected since they're both almost 2 and half years old...they're still going strong otherwise though!


BULLET, CHAPTER 25

"I sat on the edge of Jean-Claude's bed. Even after a year of living here almost every day of the week I still didn't think of it as our bed." I really miss Anita living in an apartment. It seems she's only in the human world anymore when she's at her office. "I was wrapped in a soft navy blue blanket because one, my hair was wet again, and two, all my robes were silk." Because terrycloth just isn't sexy, I guess. Wait, if she has no robes to wear when she's wet, what the hell does she wear when she's out of the shower? Oh, right, a blanket. "Jean-Claude knelt behind me in his black velvet robe with the fur lapels that were as black as the rest of the robe." Riveting. "I usually liked him in that robe a lot, but today I didn't seem to care." Probably because you just killed a guy and have had enough damn sex for anyone? Also, yeah, I can tell you don't care, since you went out of your way to mention it and all. As with Anita describing the interior of the shower last chapter, what LKH misses (along with many other things) about a first-person protagonist is that rarely should the character be the one to tell the reader they don't care about something, especially when they've just given a detailed description of that something. Anita forgoing any description of what JC has on would communicate that she didn't care a lot better, given her habit of usually describing his outfits down to the stitching.

JC is putting curlers in her hair and is using the hair-dryer on her, after being sure to put some leave-in conditioner into it so the dryer doesn't dry her hair out. On one hand, this is a laughably silly image. On the other, since when do we see any genuinely sweet expressions of care that aren't steeped in ~sexiness~ or all about holding Anita when she whines over stuff? Especially from Jean-Claude of all people? Now if only Anita could do something just as kind, human, and supportive for someone...

Anita tells us that she's "fine" as far as she can tell though. I believe her; sociopaths feel no troubles or remorse. But this situation will of course be used to give her loads of sympathy, because this book needs to be held up even further I guess.

She hears the door open and smells coffee. She realizes she's been "huddling in on myself" and makes herself sit up straight and refuse to "huddle like a dog that had been kicked" even though she says her "emotions felt kicked to hell." Wait, didn't you just say you were fine? I mean, first-person POV characters can be wrong about themselves, of course, that's really more of a must than not, but Anita is generally supposed to be always right about herself except when some convieniant false modesty or Ugly Duckling Syndrome will (LKH thinks) get her more sympathy.

It's Richard, shirtless and in jeans (complete with description in what the jeans look like and how he usually throws out jeans that look like that) and Anita tells him she's sorry all his clothes got wet and notes that her voice doesn't sound right. He hands her a coffee mug, and we get an entire paragraph about how it's red because it "went with the new dishes that Nathaniel had picked out for here. Just like back at our house, he had picked two contrasting colors of plain, heavy dinnerware. For our house it was green and blue, but for the Circus he'd pick red and black." Cliche wannabe-goth dinnerware, I love it.

He tells her she needs coffee but she doesn't take it because all she can think about is Nathaniel and Micah and how she needs to "get my shit together before I went down to see him." Well, then maybe take the coffee? And a voice in her head keeps repeating that Haven meant to kill Nathaniel but she pushes it away so as not to think about anything. Richard asks if she doesn't want the coffee, she says it smells good in a numb voice, he puts her hand around the mug handle and tells her to drink. She tells us how it's "rich, dark, good coffee. Nathaniel had been doing my coffee shopping for me. He was the only one who always got what I wanted." Well isn't he so perfect that I could just puke. No, actually couple-y things like knowing what coffee to get your spouse would normally be a plus for me if I have to read about romance. It's a little, mundane detail that makes them seem so much more real, and better together. But in Nathaniel's case, when he seems zilch like a real person to begin with, it's obviously just another part of how he's her "perfect 1950s housewife" and meant to represent how Jon does everything right and is the best husband ever and may I ask have we ever seen Anita be so thoughtful for Nathaniel?

Anita asks how Nathaniel is doing, JC says he'll be fine, that he's hurt but it's nothing permanent, and Richard tells her to drink. She takes a sip and "there wasn't quite the right amount of sugar in it, but Richard didn't know that I'd started putting in more sugar. He hadn't been around enough to know I'd changed anything." Wow, the cattiness does not stop with her. How about maybe being surprised and appreciative that he's sweet enough to remember how you liked it when you were with him and was sure to make it that way for you?

Anita asks "How do we keep everyone safe?". JC tells her they'll meet with the tigers when she's ready. Yeah, remember that plan? Anita shakes her head and says "I don't mean from Marmee Noir, I mean from things like what just happened. I thought Haven and I had worked things out. I thought it was safe." Richard says that they all thought that, but I'm confused. When did that happen? She never mentioned it when she brought his past (fighting with Micah and Nathaniel, not wanting to share Anita) in Flirt. JC puts his arms around her and tells her that she could not have known. "That Haven was a bad guy? I knew that, and him beating them almost to death showed he hadn't changed." And again, I ask, why would you think that he had?

JC says that there are "bad men" among the wererats that never would have done the same (yeah, because they don't want to die and Anita would off a rat in a second if they dared harm her precious harem) and that it isn't Haven's criminal past that made him do this. Anita asks what did then, and JC says not to ask about it until she's had more time, but she demands to know now because "I don't understand it." Uh, I think Haven made it very fucking clear why he did it? Richard passes her some fresh jeans and she moans about how she has her "whole damn wardrobe here. So I could keep changing after every bloodbath." She asks JC again to tell her, and he puts his arms around her again and puts his cheek next to hers and says "I believe he had never been in love before, perhaps not truly loved anyone ever before in his life before you, ma petite."

OH GAG

GAG GAG GAG PUKE SPUTTER GAG

"So what does that mean? If I was the first love he'd ever had, why did he try to kill one of the other people I love most?"

It's called jealousy, Anita. You should know that, as you are most familiar with it.

"He held me tighter, and I knew whatever he was going to say I wouldn't like, but I needed to hear it. I needed to try to understand what the fuck had gone wrong."

You knew he was "bad" and you let him continue to rule the lions and apparently you had so little to do with it, despite supposedly being Regina, you didn't even realize he was abusing the members and "turned it into an armed camp" nor did you care to learn about the culture and customs of the werelions (even though this literally screwed you in the last book) so as to be aware of how making it clear you weren't screwing weaker lions would be a good idea?

JC: "I am told he answered the question of why he had done it, ma petite."
Anita: "He said, because I loved all the other men more than I loved him." THEN WHAT IS YOUR CONFUSION?
JC: "A certain type of man, when he loves for the first time, his love is not really love, it is possession. Possessions don't have rights or feelings; they are something to be owned and controlled. He had spent more than a year trying to do just that and failing." So just like Anita does to her men, and with success!
Anita: "So when he attacked Micah and Nathaniel the last time we were all at my house, that was a sort of last-ditch effort to try to, what, own me?" He should have tried to ardeur like I do!

Richard says that Haven didn't understand why she fought against him with Jon's avatars, and she says she doesn't let people hurt the ones she loves like Haven did, and Richard says Haven was so strong that he could have won that fight if she hadn't sided against him, and that he still might have won even then if he had been more willing to hurt Anita physically.

Anita: "He was willing to hurt me today."
Richard: "Maybe, but it wasn't you he wanted to bloody. Even in the fight he didn't actually bloody you, did he?"
Anita: "What do you mean?"
Richard: "He didn't want to hurt you physically, even at the end." He could not bear to tarnish such beauty! Or maybe he just finds her too gross to touch. I would. Maybe he's noticed how touch can be the start of enslavement with her.
Anita: "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" No, dingus, he's pointing out support for the theory he was obsessively in love with you/wanted to posses you. He didn't want to break his own toy.
Richard: "No, I mean, yes. Shit." It's okay Richard, I'd get confused around her too because she's so dumb...as she will soon demonstrate.
Anita: "Are you saying Haven wouldn't have hurt me? That I didn't have to kill him?"
Richard: "No, no, he had to die. He was too dangerous."
Anita: "Then what are you saying?"
Richard: "I'm saying he didn't want to hurt you physically, but he wanted to hurt you, Anita. He just wanted to hurt you the way you'd hurt him."
Anita: "What does that mean?" ARE YOU THAT STUPID?
JC: :"It means, ma petite, that he knew who to kill to break your heart the most."
Anita: "What?" YES. YES SHE IS THAT STUPID. DEAR LORD.

JC says he knows that Anita loves him but that it's the thought of Nathaniel dead that "turns your skin cold and makes you unwilling to feel." Because Nathaniel is the one member of her harem that figuratively couldn't live without her in addition to literally. Anita claims she would feel just as bad if Richard or JC had been hurt/killed. Richard puts his head in her lap, along with "the foamy waves of his hair" and says that he thinks "maybe if I stop being such an ass you'll love me again, but I had my own moments watching you fall in love with Nathaniel" because "Nathaniel offended that macho part of me. Haven had a lot more macho to live up to, partly because the lions are just that way, and partly because he'd been in the mob since he was a teenager. He just couldn't share you with someone he saw as weak. He couldn't bear seeing that you loved someone who was weaker, less dominant, submissive in every way, but you loved him more."

Is this supposed to make sense? Because it doesn't. I mean, I could totally buy it for just Haven, but Richard saying he had similar feelings and it's due to a 'macho thing' makes it seem like it's supposed to be one of those ridiculous 'guy things' that LKH seems to think is universal to all males, rather than the individual Haven hangup that it makes much more sense as.

Anita says she didn't mean to hurt anyone, and Richard hugs her legs and lambastes himself some more by saying that "I know that, and sometimes I did mean to hurt you, Anita. I'm very sorry about that now." Because whatever else may be being discussed, Richard has to repent for existing. God, I reckon just reading this makes Jon wary to ever displease LKH, lest she do the same to his avatars.

Anita asks if that was why Haven thinks she was doing Noel and Travis, that they're "weak, submissive" like Nathaniel, and Richard says he thinks that's part of it, and adds that other men that "you love most" tend to be "less dominant" and that even though Micah is Nimir-Raj "he doesn't fight you about ruling the leopards. He doesn't argue with you the way I do." and Anita agrees with this. Of course not! Micah is Jon, so he is super perfect and never does anything wrong and bends over for everything, while you are Gary and therefore dare to have opinions of your own that might differ from Anita's! Seriously, I don't know what Gary did, but the main thing Micah seems to get praised for (and Richard derided for not doing) is agreeing with Anita about everything.

Richard then tells her that "I thought you killed because it didn't bother you." It generally doesn't. Look at her history. "I didn't understand until today how much it costs you." It doesn't usually cost her squat. Haven was just different because he's the first guy she's killed that had his dick inside her. No, she says that at the end of this chapter, really. And that's understandable, since he's also the only person she's killed (to my memory) that she knew long-term. It doesn't mean she gives a shit about killing in general though. Because she doesn't. But then Richard apologizes to her about how he's "let you do my killing for me for years" and "forced you to do terrible things because I'm too squeamish" and always told himself that he thought "it didn't bother you, it didn't mean anything to you" but "that was just to make myself feel better." I assume he's talking about her role as Bolverk for the Pack. Since when did he force her to be Bolverk? I mean, maybe he did, I don't remember, did he? I have a hunch that he didn't. And Richard is not squeamish; he's the one who ate Marcus, Anita is the one who freaked out and ran from it. He goes on to say that after having seen the pain in her face after she shot Haven, he now understands "the pain" that she goes through "to keep us safe" and that he's so sorry she's had to pay that price on her own.

Richard has damn good reason to think that killing doesn't effect Anita, and he's had it for a long time. She killed someone he knew back when they first started dating
http://eternaleve.wordpress.com/2013/03/03/a-review-of-laurell-k-hamiltons-the-lunatic-cafe-chapter-eleven/
And it comes up later that Alfred was his friend to boot, but Anita never has any remorse (and oh, it turns out she was justified, because she finds out LATER that Alfred killed a woman in a snuff film, so that makes it ok to have killed him BEFORE she found that out, right?).

Anita asks Richard if this means he'll help her kill people now. Gee, that sounds like a romantic outing. Richard shakes his head and says that "I'll defend the wolves with violence when it's needed, but I'll never be a shooter" and that "I am sorry that you have to pay more of the price for our safety". Does LKH think that a gun is the only way you can kill people? That never being a shooter means Richard can never be a killer? Also if he feels that bad about this, he can relieve Anita of the Bolverk role...though that won't happen since it's something violent and badass she can milk for angst, like now. Anita asks if he means "you'll never be a killer like me?" and he says he didn't say that (BECAUSE HE DIDN'T, GEEZ ANITA) but that "Haven had to die. He was too dangerous, too unpredictable to be allowed to stay as Rex." Anita says she didn't kill Haven because of that. Richard doesn't understand and she says that she killed Haven for the sake of Noel's sacrifice. She mentions that "we can't even tell his parents that he died a hero, because we can't tell them the truth about what happened." Why not?

She also says she killed Haven because, duh, he tried to kill Nathaniel. She forgets to mention she had to kill him because the man he's possibly an avatar for dared to not give up time with his family for LKH and quite possibly turned down her advances, or at least surely SOMEONE that pissed her off in some way.

Jean-Claude and Richard hold her and she cries "for Noel, and for Nathaniel, and for the knowledge that I'd killed one of my own lovers, killed him with the taste of his body till on my lips, the feel of him still like a memory inside me" Still on her lips? Is she talking about how he tried to RAPE her? Or maybe she banged him during the ardeur-orgy, but there's no mention her remembering that.

I really should have started a count of group hugs and holding Anita, I feel like we must be into the double digits by now.

Comments

[lady-fellshot.livejournal.com]

What I got out of this chapter: O WOE IS ME I HAD TO DO SOMETHING I WANTED TO DO. *flogs Richard* NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAAAAAND?

I think the books would be considerably better if Anita had cognitive abilities beyond that of a carrot. They'd still be Sue-tacular, but this endless explaining crap would go away.

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

Seriously. She *wanted* to kill Haven. When he first got there, she said she was waiting for him to give her an EXCUSE.

I think the books would be considerably better if Anita had cognitive abilities beyond that of a carrot. They'd still be Sue-tacular, but this endless explaining crap would go away.
Agreed.

[subtle-shades.livejournal.com]

I only liked three things about this chapter:
1.) JC's pimp-robe! That thing always makes me smile, especially since Anita/LKH is unaware of how tacky it is.
2.) JC curling and conditioning Anita's hair for her, especially since she's probably not even going to acknowledge that it's as sweet as it is ridiculous. Since she's incapable of fending for herself in even the most basic fashion, Anita's probably used to people primping her. But still, I liked it.
3.) Richard remembering how Anita takes her coffee. She's nasty about him not being up-to-the-minute on her sugar preferences but I thought it marked him as a nice guy.

I vehemently disliked:
1.) The ENDLESS rounds of explanation. I second the carrot comment.
2.) What the hell is up with Nathaniel picking out the circus' dishware? Living people lived there BEFORE Nathaniel took up (questionable) home decor and presumably they occasionally wanted to drink things. What were they drinking out of before Nathaniel introduced them to the wonder of cups? (And did JC have to pay for all of that hideous red and black dishware?)
3.) Poor Richard having to flog himself yet again to cheer Anita up. The only sunshiny parts of her narrative have been when Richard was abasing himself for her pleasure/vindication. (Het Big Bang is coming up. All of this cruelty-to-Richard makes me want to write the fic where he gets together with a naturally blonde Joyce Summers. Yeah, not Buffy.)

I'm actually really grateful that this chapter is so short. (I am not grateful that it's pointless, however)

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

On the liked things:
1) Hahahah, it's true!
2) Sweet as it is ridiculous, yes, that's the phrase I was looking for.
3) Exactly!

[duamuteffe.livejournal.com]

"JC's pimp-robe!"

Dude, exactly! I always imagine it with a hat. A big floppy hat with a long red plume. And a cane.

[subtle-shades.livejournal.com]

Me too!

[watersheerie.livejournal.com]

Any emotional impact in this chapter is completely lost by LKH's insane focus on inane details. This chapter needed to be short and to the point. We are seeing everything through Anita's eyes and perspective, and when she focuses on all the fancy clothes around her and fucking dishware, it sounds as if she is completely removed and emotionless about what happened.

When you just shot someone you 'loved', you don't sit there and talk about the bathrobes people are wearing and how much sugar is in your coffee. And we don't need more of LKH's painful dialogue where everyone has to explain the obvious to Anita, over and over again.

Anita: "Then what are you saying?"
Richard: "I'm saying he didn't want to hurt you physically, but he wanted to hurt you, Anita. He just wanted to hurt you the way you'd hurt him."
Anita: "What does that mean?" ARE YOU THAT STUPID?
JC: :"It means, ma petite, that he knew who to kill to break your heart the most."
Anita: "What?" YES. YES SHE IS THAT STUPID. DEAR LORD.

It just reminds me of this:

Derek Zoolander: But why male models?
J.P. Prewitt: Are you serious? I just told you that a moment ago.



Really, the last part was all that was needed. Everything else takes away from the moment, the pure emotion that could have been there.

Also, I still notice how no one blames Anita for bringing in Haven in the first place. Even though from the very start they all knew he was bad news (even Nate and Micah told her this), yet she fucked him anyway and now looked what happened. But no, Haven is just an evil man who wanted Anita all to himself, how dare he try to kill Nate, Noel is just collateral damage, and no mention will be made of Joseph and his family.

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

Any emotional impact in this chapter is completely lost by LKH's insane focus on inane details. This chapter needed to be short and to the point. We are seeing everything through Anita's eyes and perspective, and when she focuses on all the fancy clothes around her and fucking dishware, it sounds as if she is completely removed and emotionless about what happened.

Yes, exactly this! Making her seem removed from it as in 'numb in order to emotionally defend herself from the agony of processing it' via the absurd absorption in details could work in another case...the case being if this person was someone who normally never noticed or talked about that kind of stuff. Anita is not that person so she doesn't seem numb, she seems like her normal self. Not effective at all.

I AM NOW PICTURING ANITA CONSTANTLY MAKING ZOOLANDER FACES

Of course no one blames Anita, what have you been reading?

[uf-addict.livejournal.com]

What I got from this is LKH still needs to validate her life and her work. She uses her characters to play out this scene of emotional comfort to justify her choices. Its embarrassing how much she has turned this series and her writing into a fantasy playground to work her personal issues. Her writing is so incredibly transparent if you are familiar with her blogs and fb posts (which I sincerely regret EVER discovering). It is all about Anita/her. Even her characters are there to serve her. This is no longer a story but a platform with which to explore and validate her choices.

JC and Richard are now her girlfriends explaining and comforting her because the big bad world is just so mean. That she was right to kill Haven (turn this series to shit) because it is a necessary act to save lives (to explore her creativity how she wants).

Its all one big long painful wince inducing rant. When fans applaud her books, LKH doesn't think "they love my books!", she thinks "they love me!".

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

Sounds pretty spot-on to me!

[dwg.livejournal.com]

THIS EXACTLY. The amount of gymnastics the world in the books have gone through to justify every minute detail of Anita's antics just boggles my mind. It's not just every time she has sex, but it's things like "oh there's a random new law that lets me a) carry a gun on a plane or b) I can take over an execution warrant without having to reapply in my own name with a bucketload of evidence."

The flipside is also true: when people criticise the books, her reaction is very much "They hate me." Which is how we get priceless gems like "jealous whiner babies" making their way into the text.

It's horrible for my second-hand embarrassment squick, but dear god I can't look away.

[watersheerie.livejournal.com]

THIS EXACTLY. The amount of gymnastics the world in the books have gone through to justify every minute detail of Anita's antics just boggles my mind.

The flipside is also true: when people criticise the books, her reaction is very much "They hate me."

Very true. I don't know how many people saw the 'Fishsticks' episode of South Park. Quick run-down: Jimmy writes the most awesome joke in the world, Cartman believes he helped write the joke, then starts to believe that he was the one who wrote it (even though Cartman did nothing but eat snacks). He claims that Jimmy is trying to 'Jew him over', and asks Kyle for help. Kyle responds with one of the most perfect descriptions of people like Cartman/LKH/Anita.

"Yes, I believe that you believe you helped write that joke. That's how people like you work! Your ego is so out of whack that it will do whatever it can to protect itself. And people with a messed up ego can do these mental gymnastics to convince themselves they're awesome, when really, they're just douchebags!"

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

PICTURING CARTMAN AS ANITA NOW AHAHAHAH IT IS SURPRISINGLY PERFECT

[the-mome-wrath.livejournal.com]

You know, if haven had managed to kill Nathaniel, this whole chapter never would have happened because of the whole double triumvirate taking out everyone. No Anita, JC, Richard, or Damien (if anyone even remembers him). Boom. Series over.

Poor Haven. At least he tried.

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

His last act was a heroic one!

[wanderingworlds.livejournal.com]

Nah, at worst, Damien would die.

But we all know that JC and Richard would have like... drained their entire city of vamps/wolves to keep Anita from being taken down. Maybe she could've lost a huge chunk of power or something. Be visibly weakened. Unable to do half the shit she can.

LKH wouldn't kill off Nathy-poo though.

[wanderingworlds.livejournal.com]

I have a question. What kind of hyenas are the werehyenas in the Anitaverse? I'm assuming they're spotted hyenas, because LKH doesn't seem to be the type of person (despite her biology degree, sigh) to differentiate between the subspecies. Because that would be COOL AND AWESOME AND REALLY DIFFERENT. And would really work well with the whole well-this-hyena-doesn't-mind-sharing but this-werehyena-does-mind-a-lot since spotted are like "whatever I want the sex" and striped hyenas are monogamous. But then again, LKH doesn't care about what the real species does. Hence the leopard puppy piles. *twitch*

But no, really. Are there different "kinds" of werehyena? Or are they all just spotted? (Because how cool would it be if someone was an aardwolf or a striped hyena or a brown hyena?! And that would make so much more sense in the "pack" dynamics since aardwolves aren't as big and so on and so forth. GAH LKH YOUR WORLD HAS SO MUCH MORE POTENTIAL.)


1. Why doesn't she just wrap her hair in a towel like NORMAL people do when their hair is wet and they want to wear something they DON'T want to get wet? Oh, right. Logic.

2. Is JC's robe black? I think it might be black. Hm.

3. JC knows how to do hair more than I do. Like... huh. But then again, I'm not big on people taking care of my hair. Hell, I'm not big on taking care of my hair. I wash it and put it into a ponytail, generally. That's it. I do like people playing with it, but they rarely do. Despite being told I have really pretty/soft hair.

4. Eh, that's not true. Sociopaths totally feel "troubles". But their "troubles" are more along the lines of who they can manipulate, and who can they get the most out of, and what can persons X, Y, and Z do for them right now. As for remorse, eh, no. But at least with a lot of therapy they can learn to feel empathy again. That's the major difference between sociopaths and psychopaths, which is why I get so angry when people interchange the words. Psychopaths are genetically incapable of feeling empathy, whereas sociopaths have almost "forgotten" how to feel empathy do to their environment or whatever.

5. Wow, Anita. Nathaniel is injured and you're bitching about Richard not making your goddamn coffee right? Like how is he supposed to know after so-many-months that you SWITCHED THE AMOUNT OF FUCKING SUGAR PERCENTAGE?! How is this relevant? How does this matter at all? WHO GIVES A SHIT? I DON'T! I DON'T EVEN LIKE COFFEE. Hell, Richard should've just brought her chamomile tea. Put her to sleep or some shit. Since she's fine.

6. When did she know he was a bad guy? When she gave him PERMISSION to kill Joseph? When he jealous-rage attacked Micah and Nathaniel the FIRST time? Like I'm not seeing when she figured this out. Or how he's really a bad guy. Killing the leaders of packs/pards/whatever seems to be normal around here. Oh. Right. He dared to attack her Special Sweeties. That makes him the Most Ebul Ebul Doer There Ever Was. Which is so stupid, because like someone commented last time, this is what Anita asked for. She asked him to love her. And this is how he loved her. He loved her all-consumingly and passionately. And his reward for obeying her wishes was a multiple shots to the face and then his lover continued to fire blank rounds anyway.

7. This is where I would be applying all the gifs on the internet of headdesking, facepalming, incredulous disbelief over stupidity. If I could do so without it being spam. Yes, yes it would. HOW FUCKING STUPID ARE YOU ANITA?! AND I AM SO GLAD RICHARD AT LEAST SEEMS TO NOTICE THIS. JC stop being so damn calm and collected. Oh, wait. Ahahahahaha! JC is talking to Anita LIKE SHE'S A FUCKING CHILD. LIKE I CAN EVEN HEAR IT IN THAT SLOW, OVERLY-SIMPLIFIED, ALMOST MUSICAL CADENCE AS IF SINGSONG WILL MAKE IT EASIER. IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

It's never specified what type of hyena they are, no. I don't think we've ever even seen one in shifted form, actually. My headcanon is that there's all types, but that's based on absolutely nothing in actual canon. She mentioned they'll feature in Afflication, though, so we might get an answer there.

3. Well, he's had a few hundred years with really long curly thick black hair to deal with ;D

4. I should have specified, I meant 'troubles' as in troubled about what they've done to other people, guilt, etc., like most people would probably feel in this specific scenario. I knew there was a difference between the two, but I didn't know that the deal with socipaths was that it was due to circumstances. Thank you for the info! Turns out I've been using the wrong term for my genetically-incapable-of-empathy dude all this time! I always mistakenly though the difference was that psychopaths were the ones more prone to violence, more obviously 'wrong' in some way than slick sociopaths, etc., but I have no idea where I got that (possibly my brain mushed it with the way Hollywood uses the term 'psycho')

5. Yeah, it's clear how much Anita REALLY cares about Nathaniel, huh? Especially in the next chapter or so with the fruit and croissants...you'll see what I mean.

6. She never fucking knew he was a bad guy, or at least not the kind that would be a threat to her and the harem. It's all a bunch of obnoxious retconning >:C

8. I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY HOW HE MUST ALWAYS TALK TO HER BECAUSE SRSLY SHE MUST HAVE LIKE SOME VERBAL COMPREHENSION DISORDER OR SOMETHING

[wanderingworlds.livejournal.com]

(I did not mean to post that twice? *pokes at it*)

That... oh. Well, here's hope for Affliction. I hope if she does include all kinds, that she at least does them justice. Otherwise I'll be very angry. But she'll probably do nothing about the anal gland secretions, because that's just icky/

3. Truth. God that's a long time with hair.

4. Ah, true. Well, actually, neither are more prone to violence than the other. The only difference is the genetics, which is why it's really frustrating. Also disheartening, because if you do come across a psychopath, there's literally nothing you can do for him/her. No treatment or therapy. Definitely not group therapy, that's like the worst possible situation ever. They can learn from each other and develop even better manipulation techniques, and often do. It's horrible. (And, unfortunately, exactly what criminal psychopaths are put into when they go through any kind of treatment in prison. Sigh.) Violence just depends on other factors, such as what they want. If it's easier to get what the person wants through violence, then that's what they will resort to. If they're a sexual sadist and a psychopath... look out.

5. It's kind of nauseating, actually. Even though she's like, hiding up in a different room with two other men instead of taking care of him. I'm assuming she's leaving that up to Micah at the moment. And now I have this weird thought of... if Micah and Nathaniel have sex, it's just basically Jon having sex with Jon. So... is that masturbation?

6. I would have no liver right now if I did a shot every time LKH retconned.

8. THIS IS WOULD BE REALLY SAD AND LIKE KIND OF AWESOME IF PLAYED OUT WELL LIKE IT WAS A LEARNING DISABILITY BUT SHE'S STILL A HEROINE THAT IS BADASS? BUT instead we have Doomcrotch... who is just stupid.

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

(That's okay, I'll just delete it when I log in to my other account!)

8. Yup. And a stupid that LKH doesn't realize, which makes it worse.

[subtle-shades.livejournal.com]

4. ...I'm not sure if it's just because you and I learned the definitions of the words "psychopath" and "sociopath" in different places or what, but I'm not sure that those words mean all the things that you seem to think they mean. I admit, I'm not a doctor or a therapist or in anyway make a living in the field of psychology but still...

Anyway, if you like that sort of reading, wellingtongoose on LJ has a series of articles about the various mental disorders among the characters on Sherlock BBC (or the extreme lack of them in Sherlock's case). The articles are well written, well explained, and take definitive stances (which I like because the mob mentality in fandom often intimidates people into wishy-washiness or silence.) Fair warning though, the writer is a med student doing her rounds, although she sometimes interviews actual doctors or specialists in the areas that she's writing about. Also, the British do NOT use the same theories of treatment, terms, or the same diagnosis handbook as the Americans.

Anyway, her master list of Sherlock meta is:

http://wellingtongoose.livejournal.com/tag/meta%3A%20sherlock%20holmes

[wanderingworlds.livejournal.com]

4. I learned this from my professor who works as a forensic psychologist for law enforcement, both locally and internationally (although I think she mostly sticks to Mexico and Canada when outside the US, but I know she's worked with Scotland Yard), and has made it her career to study psychopaths (and specifically what makes them tick).

That's really cool, thanks! I'll probably get around to it at some point, but currently with finals and moving, I'm too stressed. I'd just end up all rage-quit about the terms and diagnostics being different, because I've spent so long studying the DSM-IV. (Which won't matter soon, with the new one coming out, but still.)

[wanderingworlds.livejournal.com]

8. Uh, what pain? WHAT PAIN WAS THERE ON HER FACE? SHE LITERALLY STARED AT HIM AND THEN DROPPED THE GUN WHEN SHE FINALLY REALIZED IT WAS EMPTY. Then she calmly WALKS OVER TO NATHANIEL AND GODDAMN FUCKING SMILES AT HIM AND SAYS "I LOVE YOU"!!!!!!!!!!!! LIKE THERE IS NO PAIN HERE. WHERE IS THIS PAIN!? IS IT IN THE SHOWER? LET ME GO RECHECK THIS SHIT. *rereads* Richard is looking at her with "pity, sorrow, things [she] couldn't decipher" and when she says she can't get the blood out [of her clothes]and he says it's okay, she says it's not, and he apologizes and THEN PROCEEDS TO CODDLE HER. BUT FOR ALL WE KNOW SHE'S SAYING IT'S NOT OKAY THAT SHE CAN'T GET THE GODDAMN BLOOD OUT OF THE GODDAMN JEANS. THERE WAS NO PAIN ON HER FACE. SHE WAS STIFF AND ADSKLFJA;LSDKJF;LKASJDFLKASDJF;LKASJDFLKAJSDLKFJALSDKJG FUCK. ALL OF YOU. WHERE THE FUCK IS SHANG-DA? WE'RE LEAVING.

9. On another note, being Bolverk sounds badass.

10. Wait. WAIT WAIT WAIT. HOLD THE FUCK UP. Is Anita REALLY SITTING HERE AND TELLING US THAT SHE DIDN'T KILL HAVEN TO PROTECT THE PRIDE AT ALL? LIKE THAT WASN'T IN HER CONSIDERATION? SHE ONLY DID IT FOR NOEL AND BECAUSE HE DARED SHOOT HER PRECIOUS NATHY-POO IN THE FUCKING SHOULDER? WITH A NON-LETHAL BULLET THAT HE'D TOTALLY SURVIVE FROM? WHAT. THE. FUCK. IS. THIS. FUCKERY?! Are you SHITTING ME?! LKH! DO YOU EVEN READ WHAT YOU'RE WRITING?! God I wish that those two lioness girls heard this. WERERATS WHY CAN'T YOU JUST RECORD THIS AND LET THEM LISTEN TO THAT.

Omg this should be part of the Sue vs. Sue to turn the STL Pride against her. Like they just have all this FUCKING PROOF of how NO SHITS ARE GIVEN about them by their goddamn supposed REGINA.

11. I'm done. If anyone needs me, I will be having lupine therapy with puppy!Shang-Da. First a bath with anti-flea-and-tick solution because that just COMMON SENSE. And then cuddling. Because fur is soft and yes.

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

Omg this should be part of the Sue vs. Sue to turn the STL Pride against her. Like they just have all this FUCKING PROOF of how NO SHITS ARE GIVEN about them by their goddamn supposed REGINA.

OMG BRILLIANT IDEA!

[wanderingworlds.livejournal.com]

Anita can be all "PRIDE COME HELP ME!!" and the ladies are all "What? Can't hear you over your own apathy! *filing their nails*" and the men are like "*awkward shuffling*"

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

When I picture Nathaniel's "plain, heavy dinnerware," though, I see mass-produced, $8.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond red-and-black mugs for the kids who think red and black are the height of badass.

That is exactly what I also pictured. And Satan's Ye Olde West Bordello actually sounds like a cool idea!

[evilgrayson.livejournal.com]

Ever get the feeling that the description of dinnerware is either:

a) Please buy me this I want it
or
b) I have this and it is awesome
?

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

...I'd not be surprised.

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

re the Diva Ate Her

It's honestly the stuff that makes the least sense that I believe the most.

[subtle-shades.livejournal.com]

I think everyone goes through an Unfortunate Color/Decorating Scheme phase but most of us have the good sense to hide it in a back room. Plus, the people around us are kind enough to gently rib us about it. They don't wax on about how it's the height of awesome taste... unless they're mocking us again.

(The only exception that I can think of being this AWFUL designer that I used to be terribly fond of. His red and black phase was both painful and hilarious. But he grew out of it and then his work actually started to look good. And then it just looked good.)

And those are EXACTLY the dishes that I imagined too! They're not impressive at all!

(But I love your china vs Florida mug idea!)

[wanderingworlds.livejournal.com]

I was trying really hard not to imagine the super-popular Asian-style cookware in which case black and red would actually be kind of stylish. Black and turquoise would be so much prettier, though.

[phantom-kiwi.livejournal.com]

"Haven had to die. He was too dangerous, too unpredictable to be allowed to stay as Rex."
Replace Haven with Anita and Rex with all the titles Anita has and you basically have one of the big reasons why this is a horrible series.
That line about the coffee is annoying. I would never want to be around someone so unappreciative and if Anita was complaining then why doesn't she do some things for herself sometimes? I just don't think Anita is all that tough when the smallest injury causes her to be treated like she is dying. Not in this scene, but there have been plenty of times where I assumed someone who has been through as much stuff as Anita has would be able to survive from some kind of injury or be able to be independent and smart enough to help themselves. Instead, she gets constant reassurance and is always guaranteed to be safe after every book. It's just kind of repetitive and very Status Quo Is God.

[rodentfanatic.livejournal.com]

if Anita was complaining then why doesn't she do some things for herself sometimes?
For fucking real. Like how she always whines about how what Nathaniel picked out for her that day is too sexy or what have you---then dress yourself, woman!

just don't think Anita is all that tough when the smallest injury causes her to be treated like she is dying
Yeah, she is seriously whiny and it gets catered to as if it's legit. I could get behind the idea of a character who is a big baby about small stuff but whom you can actually count on to go into hardcore mode when the shit hits the fan, but that's not how it's handled at all; we're constantly told how tough and capable she is 24/7 while she's actually too helpless to really do any daily life stuff...and as for when the shit hits the fan, she's basically untouchable, both in-universe by her powers and out-of-character by virtue of LKH protecting her, so it's hard to take her as tough at all when any challenge she faces is pretty much going to roll over for her.

[aikaterini.livejournal.com]

/"So what does that mean? If I was the first love he'd ever had, why did he try to kill one of the other people I love most?"/

Gee, I don’t know, Anita. Why did you order the destruction of Joseph and his ENTIRE FAMILY when he turned you down?

/He should have tried to ardeur like I do!/

Yeah, I love how we’re supposed to boo Haven for being possessive of Anita when Anita, our supposed heroine, refers to her lovers as slaves and snarls at any woman who looks at a member of her harem.

/Anita: "What does that mean?" ARE YOU THAT STUPID?/

No, she’s just that deluded. “What do you mean, the way that I’D hurt him? Surely you’re not suggesting that I, goddess of perfection, would do anything wrong!”

/maybe if I stop being such an ass you'll love me again/

No, Richard, she’ll 'love' you again when you become as much of a doormat as Nathaniel.

/Anita says she didn't mean to hurt anyone/

*snorts* Yeah, and I’m the Queen of Sheba.

/but the main thing Micah seems to get praised for (and Richard derided for not doing) is agreeing with Anita about everything./

Which is really sad.

[baeraad.livejournal.com]

I really miss Anita living in an apartment. It seems she's only in the human world anymore when she's at her office.

I notice that problem with a lot of series that start out with (and deriving a lot of their charm from) showing the contrast between the magical and mundane worlds. The writers so often seem to lose interest more and more in the icky mundanes and just focusing on the supernatural bullshit politics. :/

As for Anita's endless whining about how much it huuuuuuurts her to have to, like, kill anyone who displeases her, I don't have the stomach to comment on it. Fuck you, Anita. Fuck you.