BULLET, CHAPTER 26
May. 2nd, 2013 10:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
a_sporking_ratI'm on Chapter 44 right now. The first paragraph is about how piss-scared the vampire world is, how they're now willing to turn to JC, etc. The last paragraph emphasizes how time is of the essence, they've got about six hours to get their sh*t together and kick some MOAD ass...but right after the first paragraph it says "But as usual with Jean-Claude and the vampire world, the next step involved a party" and the rest of the chapter before that last paragraph is all about Anita getting dressed up fancy and hating it and what Cardinal and Meng Die and Micah are wearing. WHAT THE EFF. HOW DID ANY VAMPIRES SURVIVE AT ALL IF THIS IS THEIR MODUS OPERANDI. HOW. Well, at least this is canon support for the fancy mixer party in Sue vs Sue. They will clearly throw one over anything, especially when it makes the LEAST sense to do so.
Speaking of future chapters...I have a new favorite character! SPOILER TIME: When they're meeting all the tiger clans, Anita whips the sh*t out of three female tigers. First she dominates one named Julia who dared challenge her/touch Victor (the white tiger prince she boned in Skin Trade). Then she uses sex to take jade, a black tiger sent by a bad Harlequin as a spy and make her one of her harem. And then...she gets in a fight with Reba. Reba. Is. Awesome! She's daughter of the red tiger queen, and she says Anita is just a survivor, not a true queen, not anything, just a human! She tells the red tiger men not to her bewitch them! And then when Anita tackles her, she's all "Are you going to fuck me? Is that all they know how to do in St. Louis?" BADASS LADY ALERT!
Of course, as it turns out, she's a totally weak weretiger who can't partial shift, doesn't deserve to be queen, etc. *eyeroll* And she's criticized for knowing how to use a knife to make up for that. As with Bibi and Julia, I am getting entirely tired of how LKH claims this species is matriarchal, women have the power, etc., yet are repeatedly shown as ineffective and easily defeated. Even jade is said to be omigod sooooo powerful but she has to be dominated and then rescued from her master by Anita and does eff-all herself and is describe as fragile, wounded, etc. (Also her defeat of Julia is really creepily rapey, of course, talking about how she straddles her on the floor and "thrust the power into her" and stuff...this is why you're not allowed a real penis, Anita. Speaking of penises, she has to have Domino doing her from behind while she kinda grinds on Jade. because CAN'T GET TOO GHEY NAO CAN WE?)
Yeah, Reba is going in Lucy's harem. So is Julia. BELONG TO A *REAL* MATRIARCHY, LADIES! Of course, Reba doesn't want to bow to Anita, so I doubt she'll be willing to bow to Lucille...oh, this could get interesting.
BULLET, CHAPTER 26
Anita goes to Nathaniel's bedside and says that in the Circus there are "a series of rooms that had been made into hospital beds". She mentions that "human hospitals didn't always like treating lycanthropes." and that she misses windows. "I'd gotten my hysterics out of the way." Having emotions over having killed someone and someone you love almost being killed are just hysterics! Nathaniel smiles at her and "I regretted having to kill Haven the way I did, but I couldn't regret him being dead. He'd shot Nathaniel. He'd meant to take that smile, those eyes, and the hand in mine away from me forever." Wait, so your issues isn't so much he tried to kill someone you love so much as he tried to take them from you? I know it's the same thing, but the way she words it suggests the issue isn't 'Nathaniel would be dead' so much as 'I wouldn't have my Nathaniel anymore' and that's a big difference. Also, what happened to the reason she killed Haven being because of Noel's sacrifice?
Nathaniel tells her that he's sorry she had to kill Haven, she says it's okay, he says its not, she says it is what it is, he asks if "Do you want me to let you be all macho about this?" and she says she had her breakdown earlier, to which he replies that he's sorry he wasn't there to help. With any other character I'd rage about Anita being first-priority even when they themselves have been shot, but for Nathaniel that actually makes sense. It's a pity there's no reflection from Anita about how this shows he still has a long way to go in terms of psychological repair, though, which makes me wonder if LKH even realizes how he sounds or if she just thinks it's normal at this point for Anita to be the #1 Concern for everyone no matter what now.
There is a knock at the door and Damian comes in. Anita thinks for a second about how "alone in my mind and emotions" she is and how that feels weird now. Does that mean she isn't feeling her connection to all her slaves, or...? I'm not really sure. She quickly moves on to describing that Damian "had changed into his favorite robe" which is a "Victorian smoking jacket except it came down to his ankles" and she thinks he's worn this robe for hundred of years and it's a "comfort object" to him like "a certain toy penguin" is to her. OH MY GOD SHE REMEMBERS SIGMUND! Oh and "his red hair was dry". So important! He's carrying a tray of food. Anita tells us that "I so wasn't hungry" and when Damian tells her she has to eat she tells him "I so don't want food, Damian." The food is "croissants, various cheeses, and fruit. It looked like enough food for all of us, if Damian could eat solid food." Well damn, that sounds delicious to me, but Anita just demands more coffee.
Damian explains to her (and it's facepalm-inducing that she needs this explained, since isn't it something she already should know would be the case?) that "Nathaniel is drawing on us to heal himself. If you want him to heal quickly, and with no scar" because god forbid anyone have any physical imperfections that aren't Asher-style dramatic-overscarring Phantom of the Opera angst "we need the energy to feed him. You and I will have to eat more so Nathaniel doesn't drain us."
Simple, right?
It turns out not to be.
Nathaniel offers to "try to stop taking so much energy from the two of you" and Anita tells him no, that "I'll eat, but I'd really like the coffee first." Damian tells her to eat a certain amount and then she can have coffee. She replies with a frown and "Yes, Daddy" which might be funny coming from another person in another situation, but coming from Anita, it just sounds skeevily sexual, and also YOU ARE EATING TO HEAL NATHANIEL. HE IS DRAINING YOU TWO BY THE SECOND. AND WITH THE MOAD ON THE LOOSE, YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO BE DOWN ON YOUR ENERGY! Damian says that "I could have brought sausage. Protein will help him heal the fastest and give us the most energy. I was nice, bringing something light." Are you fucking serious? You're risking not healing Nathaniel and/or the very life energy of yourself and Anita because Miss Priss doesn't want to eat meat right now?
Anita thanks him, he looks suspicious, she says "Don't look so suspicious. You're right and I'm admitting it." Anita doing THAT is totally reason for suspicion. He says that "You don't usually give in this fast" and Anita says that she wants everyone well and then takes a bite of a strawberry and it's really good and makes her realize she's a lot hungrier than she thought...but she ends up asking for coffee only "two strawberries and half a croissant later." Dude, that is NOT a lot of calories, and Damian said no coffee until you ate a whole croissant. Usually I wouldn't advocate a grown person being bossed around like this, I swear, but it's made ridiculously clear that Anita needs it. However, Damian just smiles at her and gives her a coffee mug and we get AN ENTIRE FUCKING PARAGRAPH about this damn mug and the penguins on it and the clever saying on it and how "Micah had found it for me on one of his business trips" (WHAT THE FLIP DOES MICAH DO FOR A LIVING?) and how "everyone who could drink coffee" Could? Are there a lot of coffee-intolerant therians around here or something? Oh, wait, she means excluding vampires I guess "had their travel mugs, or used the generic ones that matched the red and black plates. The Kitchen was too far away from some of the rooms, so ways to keep hot things hot were important." Important and IRRELEVANT. Like, it's nice that LKH has thought up these little details about the Circus, it really is, and it does make it feel like a place where a lot of people really are residing. It's just that the information is coming in at a time where it's not really something that the reader feels the need for a paragraph for right now. Or at least, I sure don't. I would like the plot to just get the hell on already.
"I sipped the coffee, closing my eyes so the smell and taste of it could have their way with me." Even coffee has to be talked about sexually.
Damian says "That's better" and his robe gapes a little and we get a paragraph about his skin. He tells her that he's taken blood, and now her job is to eat solid food. Because I guess she needs reminding even though he told her that just last page. She just goes on sipping her coffee though, while holding Nathaniel's hand. Dammit, Anita, if you actually give a shit about him, drop his hand and start stuffing your face. Then Damian touches Nathaniel too and Anita can feel "power breathed through us" and a bunch of blahblah about their energies mingling, and she can feel from the pain in her should that "whatever the doctors had done to fix the wound had cost Nathaniel other pain." What does THAT mean?
Then it stops because Damian took his hand away from Nathaniel and he tells Anita that "You're our master, Anita; you have to get better at controlling this." Darn tootin'! Wait, energy going gaga when they touch ISN'T supposed to happen if she's in-control? But didn't it do the same when she was touching her other triumvirate earlier and it was a good thing and not a sign she lacked control? He tells her that he knows a lot of shit has gone down and he's sorry about Haven and Noel "but you can't afford to retreat from your psychic abilities like this." Anita starts to get pissed and says she's doing the best she can. Can I remind you all of that chapter in Flirt where Nicky asks "So, because you have to control it, you just do?" and Anita's like "Yup". Granted, they were talking about something else in Anita's superpower arsenal, but since then I've been suspicious of any and all of Anita's claims that she's really truly trying to control her powers when they do something they shouldn't.
Nathaniel says they know she's trying, and looking at him calms her down and reminds her that Nathaniel being alive means "nothing could be bad today." She apologizes to them both and then says "I'm just tired, but I shouldn't be. We were passed out for hours." Damian tells her that passed out is not the same as sleeping and that "you're more than just tired." I can't tell you if the former is true or not, but I can tell you that Anita proves she's dumb once again by asking what the latter means and he has to tell her that she needs to eat some more and then have a nap for a couple of hours. Anita makes the logical point that "we're trying to stay ahead of some of the most powerful vampires in the world. I don't have time for a nap." and Damian counters with the even more logical point that if she pushes herself Nathaniel won't heal right and she'll start draining Damian. "You can't do your usual, Anita. Not eating, not sleeping, just pushing." She shouldn't do her usual anyway. That's no way for an ordinary person to live, let alone someone who is supposed to be staying strong against supernatural assaults and who has all these people metaphysically tied to them that they will start to drain under those circumstances.
Nathaniel laughs, and Anita asks why and Nathaniel says "It's just I've heard this conversation a lot over the last year. You'll argue, Damian or I will push, and you'll finally take care of yourself. Can't you, just this once, give in now?" Over the last fucking YEAR? Look, I know a lot of people do have problems remembering to take care of themselves in these basic ways for various reasons. I've been one. But when I was, I didn't have people whose well-being literally depended on me eating and sleeping right and who had spent a YEAR trying to make me. Anita doesn't come across here as 'flawed, but finally improving' on this issue. It comes across her being incredibly selfish and callous to a rather terrifying point. Especially since she doesn't seem to have any REASON for not eating properly. She's not depressed or nervous or anorexic, she doesn't have some kind of physical condition that causes it or makes it unpleasant for her to eat or digest, we know she's sure as hell not dieting given her views on that, and while she did sometimes forget to eat or in the earlier novels it was always while she was working a case or something similar, and she didn't do it as much at all. In fact, it didn't become an issue UNTIL she got these guys dependent on her eating. That kind of creeps me out and makes me wonder if this is all just an act and she in fact is deliberately 'forgetting to eat/working too hard to eat/etc.' so that she'll start to drain them and they'll be reminded of their dependance on her and have to come begging her to just eat a damn croissant. Honestly, given LKH's apparent obsession with total control (as evident by the creepiness with Nicky) I would not be surprised if this is why LKH is writing these scenes.
Nathaniel looks like he's in pain, so Anita agrees to finish her food "and then what do you want me to do?" Damian and Nathaniel are shocked, and the former says again that he's not used to her giving in this soon. He tells her to eat and he'll go asks the doctor what to do next. Anita asks "Am I really that big a pain in the ass?" and Damian says "Yes" while Nathaniel says "You can be."
UNGH FUCK YES! I mean, I realize this was supposed to be cutesy, especially with how Damian and Nathaniel answered in unison, but I think this might be the closest we get to a call-out of Anita that DOESN'T get shut down or brushed off as the whinings of a jealous hater. I really hope readers aren't supposed to be impressed with Anita for finally giving a shit enough to EAT SOME DAMN FOOD AND TAKE A NAP when the well-being of a loved one and quite possibly the fate of supernatural America depends on her doing these things. The fact that Damian expected there to be an argument, and even had to take a whole chapter to talk to her at all in order to get her to do these things, says enough. Honestly, I'm just more frustrated than anything else that THIS is what counts for "progress" with this woman.
Anita says that the Vegas tigers should have arrived in St. Louis by now, and Damian says they have but that "Jean-Claude filled them in on what's been happening. They're calling the other tiger clans to try to get as many to St. Louis as quickly as possible." Doubtlessly to fuck Anita. "Get some rest for a couple of hours before you have to start working with the tigers." AND ANITA ASKS WHAT DOES THAT MEAN OH GOD THAT PHRASE NOW OUTDOES 'FLAVOR' IN MY MOST-HATED LIST. Next book I swear I will be keeping a fucking tally of it along with holding and group hugs. Damian tells her not to worry about it right now (yup, she's definitely gonna be boning them) and to just eat, sleep, and "stop being such a pain in the ass". And then he leaves. "I thought of a lot of things to say, but they all sounded petty, so I ate my food" poor baby, having to have a delicious breakfast when you're hungry! "and tried not to be a pain in the ass." Only Anita would have to actively TRY to avoid being a pain in the ass just while having some fruit and cheese. "I think every man in my life, and most of the women" what women? "would say it wasn't one of my best things." So she's fully aware that she's a pain in the ass but never has done anything to try to change that. Am I supposed to like this woman? Find this spunky and cute and tough? I don't know, but I think I am.
I just want to kick her in the face instead though.
Speaking of future chapters...I have a new favorite character! SPOILER TIME: When they're meeting all the tiger clans, Anita whips the sh*t out of three female tigers. First she dominates one named Julia who dared challenge her/touch Victor (the white tiger prince she boned in Skin Trade). Then she uses sex to take jade, a black tiger sent by a bad Harlequin as a spy and make her one of her harem. And then...she gets in a fight with Reba. Reba. Is. Awesome! She's daughter of the red tiger queen, and she says Anita is just a survivor, not a true queen, not anything, just a human! She tells the red tiger men not to her bewitch them! And then when Anita tackles her, she's all "Are you going to fuck me? Is that all they know how to do in St. Louis?" BADASS LADY ALERT!
Of course, as it turns out, she's a totally weak weretiger who can't partial shift, doesn't deserve to be queen, etc. *eyeroll* And she's criticized for knowing how to use a knife to make up for that. As with Bibi and Julia, I am getting entirely tired of how LKH claims this species is matriarchal, women have the power, etc., yet are repeatedly shown as ineffective and easily defeated. Even jade is said to be omigod sooooo powerful but she has to be dominated and then rescued from her master by Anita and does eff-all herself and is describe as fragile, wounded, etc. (Also her defeat of Julia is really creepily rapey, of course, talking about how she straddles her on the floor and "thrust the power into her" and stuff...this is why you're not allowed a real penis, Anita. Speaking of penises, she has to have Domino doing her from behind while she kinda grinds on Jade. because CAN'T GET TOO GHEY NAO CAN WE?)
Yeah, Reba is going in Lucy's harem. So is Julia. BELONG TO A *REAL* MATRIARCHY, LADIES! Of course, Reba doesn't want to bow to Anita, so I doubt she'll be willing to bow to Lucille...oh, this could get interesting.
BULLET, CHAPTER 26
Anita goes to Nathaniel's bedside and says that in the Circus there are "a series of rooms that had been made into hospital beds". She mentions that "human hospitals didn't always like treating lycanthropes." and that she misses windows. "I'd gotten my hysterics out of the way." Having emotions over having killed someone and someone you love almost being killed are just hysterics! Nathaniel smiles at her and "I regretted having to kill Haven the way I did, but I couldn't regret him being dead. He'd shot Nathaniel. He'd meant to take that smile, those eyes, and the hand in mine away from me forever." Wait, so your issues isn't so much he tried to kill someone you love so much as he tried to take them from you? I know it's the same thing, but the way she words it suggests the issue isn't 'Nathaniel would be dead' so much as 'I wouldn't have my Nathaniel anymore' and that's a big difference. Also, what happened to the reason she killed Haven being because of Noel's sacrifice?
Nathaniel tells her that he's sorry she had to kill Haven, she says it's okay, he says its not, she says it is what it is, he asks if "Do you want me to let you be all macho about this?" and she says she had her breakdown earlier, to which he replies that he's sorry he wasn't there to help. With any other character I'd rage about Anita being first-priority even when they themselves have been shot, but for Nathaniel that actually makes sense. It's a pity there's no reflection from Anita about how this shows he still has a long way to go in terms of psychological repair, though, which makes me wonder if LKH even realizes how he sounds or if she just thinks it's normal at this point for Anita to be the #1 Concern for everyone no matter what now.
There is a knock at the door and Damian comes in. Anita thinks for a second about how "alone in my mind and emotions" she is and how that feels weird now. Does that mean she isn't feeling her connection to all her slaves, or...? I'm not really sure. She quickly moves on to describing that Damian "had changed into his favorite robe" which is a "Victorian smoking jacket except it came down to his ankles" and she thinks he's worn this robe for hundred of years and it's a "comfort object" to him like "a certain toy penguin" is to her. OH MY GOD SHE REMEMBERS SIGMUND! Oh and "his red hair was dry". So important! He's carrying a tray of food. Anita tells us that "I so wasn't hungry" and when Damian tells her she has to eat she tells him "I so don't want food, Damian." The food is "croissants, various cheeses, and fruit. It looked like enough food for all of us, if Damian could eat solid food." Well damn, that sounds delicious to me, but Anita just demands more coffee.
Damian explains to her (and it's facepalm-inducing that she needs this explained, since isn't it something she already should know would be the case?) that "Nathaniel is drawing on us to heal himself. If you want him to heal quickly, and with no scar" because god forbid anyone have any physical imperfections that aren't Asher-style dramatic-overscarring Phantom of the Opera angst "we need the energy to feed him. You and I will have to eat more so Nathaniel doesn't drain us."
Simple, right?
It turns out not to be.
Nathaniel offers to "try to stop taking so much energy from the two of you" and Anita tells him no, that "I'll eat, but I'd really like the coffee first." Damian tells her to eat a certain amount and then she can have coffee. She replies with a frown and "Yes, Daddy" which might be funny coming from another person in another situation, but coming from Anita, it just sounds skeevily sexual, and also YOU ARE EATING TO HEAL NATHANIEL. HE IS DRAINING YOU TWO BY THE SECOND. AND WITH THE MOAD ON THE LOOSE, YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO BE DOWN ON YOUR ENERGY! Damian says that "I could have brought sausage. Protein will help him heal the fastest and give us the most energy. I was nice, bringing something light." Are you fucking serious? You're risking not healing Nathaniel and/or the very life energy of yourself and Anita because Miss Priss doesn't want to eat meat right now?
Anita thanks him, he looks suspicious, she says "Don't look so suspicious. You're right and I'm admitting it." Anita doing THAT is totally reason for suspicion. He says that "You don't usually give in this fast" and Anita says that she wants everyone well and then takes a bite of a strawberry and it's really good and makes her realize she's a lot hungrier than she thought...but she ends up asking for coffee only "two strawberries and half a croissant later." Dude, that is NOT a lot of calories, and Damian said no coffee until you ate a whole croissant. Usually I wouldn't advocate a grown person being bossed around like this, I swear, but it's made ridiculously clear that Anita needs it. However, Damian just smiles at her and gives her a coffee mug and we get AN ENTIRE FUCKING PARAGRAPH about this damn mug and the penguins on it and the clever saying on it and how "Micah had found it for me on one of his business trips" (WHAT THE FLIP DOES MICAH DO FOR A LIVING?) and how "everyone who could drink coffee" Could? Are there a lot of coffee-intolerant therians around here or something? Oh, wait, she means excluding vampires I guess "had their travel mugs, or used the generic ones that matched the red and black plates. The Kitchen was too far away from some of the rooms, so ways to keep hot things hot were important." Important and IRRELEVANT. Like, it's nice that LKH has thought up these little details about the Circus, it really is, and it does make it feel like a place where a lot of people really are residing. It's just that the information is coming in at a time where it's not really something that the reader feels the need for a paragraph for right now. Or at least, I sure don't. I would like the plot to just get the hell on already.
"I sipped the coffee, closing my eyes so the smell and taste of it could have their way with me." Even coffee has to be talked about sexually.
Damian says "That's better" and his robe gapes a little and we get a paragraph about his skin. He tells her that he's taken blood, and now her job is to eat solid food. Because I guess she needs reminding even though he told her that just last page. She just goes on sipping her coffee though, while holding Nathaniel's hand. Dammit, Anita, if you actually give a shit about him, drop his hand and start stuffing your face. Then Damian touches Nathaniel too and Anita can feel "power breathed through us" and a bunch of blahblah about their energies mingling, and she can feel from the pain in her should that "whatever the doctors had done to fix the wound had cost Nathaniel other pain." What does THAT mean?
Then it stops because Damian took his hand away from Nathaniel and he tells Anita that "You're our master, Anita; you have to get better at controlling this." Darn tootin'! Wait, energy going gaga when they touch ISN'T supposed to happen if she's in-control? But didn't it do the same when she was touching her other triumvirate earlier and it was a good thing and not a sign she lacked control? He tells her that he knows a lot of shit has gone down and he's sorry about Haven and Noel "but you can't afford to retreat from your psychic abilities like this." Anita starts to get pissed and says she's doing the best she can. Can I remind you all of that chapter in Flirt where Nicky asks "So, because you have to control it, you just do?" and Anita's like "Yup". Granted, they were talking about something else in Anita's superpower arsenal, but since then I've been suspicious of any and all of Anita's claims that she's really truly trying to control her powers when they do something they shouldn't.
Nathaniel says they know she's trying, and looking at him calms her down and reminds her that Nathaniel being alive means "nothing could be bad today." She apologizes to them both and then says "I'm just tired, but I shouldn't be. We were passed out for hours." Damian tells her that passed out is not the same as sleeping and that "you're more than just tired." I can't tell you if the former is true or not, but I can tell you that Anita proves she's dumb once again by asking what the latter means and he has to tell her that she needs to eat some more and then have a nap for a couple of hours. Anita makes the logical point that "we're trying to stay ahead of some of the most powerful vampires in the world. I don't have time for a nap." and Damian counters with the even more logical point that if she pushes herself Nathaniel won't heal right and she'll start draining Damian. "You can't do your usual, Anita. Not eating, not sleeping, just pushing." She shouldn't do her usual anyway. That's no way for an ordinary person to live, let alone someone who is supposed to be staying strong against supernatural assaults and who has all these people metaphysically tied to them that they will start to drain under those circumstances.
Nathaniel laughs, and Anita asks why and Nathaniel says "It's just I've heard this conversation a lot over the last year. You'll argue, Damian or I will push, and you'll finally take care of yourself. Can't you, just this once, give in now?" Over the last fucking YEAR? Look, I know a lot of people do have problems remembering to take care of themselves in these basic ways for various reasons. I've been one. But when I was, I didn't have people whose well-being literally depended on me eating and sleeping right and who had spent a YEAR trying to make me. Anita doesn't come across here as 'flawed, but finally improving' on this issue. It comes across her being incredibly selfish and callous to a rather terrifying point. Especially since she doesn't seem to have any REASON for not eating properly. She's not depressed or nervous or anorexic, she doesn't have some kind of physical condition that causes it or makes it unpleasant for her to eat or digest, we know she's sure as hell not dieting given her views on that, and while she did sometimes forget to eat or in the earlier novels it was always while she was working a case or something similar, and she didn't do it as much at all. In fact, it didn't become an issue UNTIL she got these guys dependent on her eating. That kind of creeps me out and makes me wonder if this is all just an act and she in fact is deliberately 'forgetting to eat/working too hard to eat/etc.' so that she'll start to drain them and they'll be reminded of their dependance on her and have to come begging her to just eat a damn croissant. Honestly, given LKH's apparent obsession with total control (as evident by the creepiness with Nicky) I would not be surprised if this is why LKH is writing these scenes.
Nathaniel looks like he's in pain, so Anita agrees to finish her food "and then what do you want me to do?" Damian and Nathaniel are shocked, and the former says again that he's not used to her giving in this soon. He tells her to eat and he'll go asks the doctor what to do next. Anita asks "Am I really that big a pain in the ass?" and Damian says "Yes" while Nathaniel says "You can be."
UNGH FUCK YES! I mean, I realize this was supposed to be cutesy, especially with how Damian and Nathaniel answered in unison, but I think this might be the closest we get to a call-out of Anita that DOESN'T get shut down or brushed off as the whinings of a jealous hater. I really hope readers aren't supposed to be impressed with Anita for finally giving a shit enough to EAT SOME DAMN FOOD AND TAKE A NAP when the well-being of a loved one and quite possibly the fate of supernatural America depends on her doing these things. The fact that Damian expected there to be an argument, and even had to take a whole chapter to talk to her at all in order to get her to do these things, says enough. Honestly, I'm just more frustrated than anything else that THIS is what counts for "progress" with this woman.
Anita says that the Vegas tigers should have arrived in St. Louis by now, and Damian says they have but that "Jean-Claude filled them in on what's been happening. They're calling the other tiger clans to try to get as many to St. Louis as quickly as possible." Doubtlessly to fuck Anita. "Get some rest for a couple of hours before you have to start working with the tigers." AND ANITA ASKS WHAT DOES THAT MEAN OH GOD THAT PHRASE NOW OUTDOES 'FLAVOR' IN MY MOST-HATED LIST. Next book I swear I will be keeping a fucking tally of it along with holding and group hugs. Damian tells her not to worry about it right now (yup, she's definitely gonna be boning them) and to just eat, sleep, and "stop being such a pain in the ass". And then he leaves. "I thought of a lot of things to say, but they all sounded petty, so I ate my food" poor baby, having to have a delicious breakfast when you're hungry! "and tried not to be a pain in the ass." Only Anita would have to actively TRY to avoid being a pain in the ass just while having some fruit and cheese. "I think every man in my life, and most of the women" what women? "would say it wasn't one of my best things." So she's fully aware that she's a pain in the ass but never has done anything to try to change that. Am I supposed to like this woman? Find this spunky and cute and tough? I don't know, but I think I am.
I just want to kick her in the face instead though.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2013-05-02 04:11 pm (UTC)Victorian robe
Hundreds of years
>:C
I know I'm being pedantic, but come on. You're Goth, LKH. You should know this shit.
She replies with a frown and "Yes, Daddy
Huh. I always assumed Anita was the Daddy.
Seriously, why all the b.s. with the food? She even admits that she's hungry! I hope that this isn't just an excuse for her to go "Nathaniel is dying, (for some reason. God, is 2 strawberries not enough for him?) we need to raise more power! I know how to do that, teehee, and power won't be the only thing I raise, TEE FUCKING HEE"
Whoa, things got... Heated there. Sorry, y'all!
Head canon is that every 'cute' thing the boys say to Anita is just pure aggression and the first person P.O.V skews it. Because seriously, put some meat in your mouth to save Nathanael's life, and by extent your own and everyone else you 'love'. No, not THAT meat!
no subject
Date: 2013-05-02 04:23 pm (UTC)we need to raise more power! I know how to do that, teehee, and power won't be the only thing I raise, TEE FUCKING HEE"
I'm actually still shocked that this WASN'T done. Though what does heal Nathaniel is arguably worse...believe me, you'll know it when I get to it.
Head canon is that every 'cute' thing the boys say to Anita is just pure aggression and the first person P.O.V skews it. Because seriously, put some meat in your mouth to save Nathanael's life, and by extent your own and everyone else you 'love'. No, not THAT meat!
Headcanon accepted!
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Date: 2013-05-02 04:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-02 05:37 pm (UTC)It's just that the information is coming in at a time where it's not really something that the reader feels the need for a paragraph for right now. Or at least, I sure don't. I would like the plot to just get the hell on already.
Ah, there's your mistake! You're expecting there to be a plot! What you're reading is a series of poorly written, thinly strung together sex scenes, with the occasional violence thrown in so some booksellers will still put this under urban fantasy instead of romance. (Not this is a good romance, either. It's hardly my genre but I'm sure there are plenty of romance writers who have interesting characters/plots and sex scenes that are actually hot.)
Her reluctance to eat is UN. FREAKING. BELIEVABLE. The man you cared so much about half an hour ago that you killed someone for him is healing himself, and all he needs is for you to have a goddamn sandwich. I would have sent Damian back out for sausage the second he said that would be better. How is this woman supposed to be sympathetic?! If she had been fighting nausea or something, I might understand her reluctance, but she's drinking coffee (which is actually quite hard on the stomach) so it's clear she can keep stuff down and...AARGH.
(You made basically all these points, but I wrote that before reading the whole spork so I'll just leave the rant intact. For posterity. Or something.)
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Date: 2013-05-02 05:48 pm (UTC)It's hardly my genre but I'm sure there are plenty of romance writers who have interesting characters/plots and sex scenes that are actually hot.
Ditto, I have no interest in romance and have never read a romance novel, but I'm 100% sure there are romance writers who do what they do damn well. LKH is not one of them.
Yeah, I can understand not wanting to eat after having killed someone. I'm sure I'd be too upset to eat. But when the whole NATHANIEL NEEDS IT part comes in, that's when I stop understanding at all. The fact that it's NOT ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT ALL THE TIME is a foreign concept to her, and this rears its head repeatedly from this point on in the book.
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Date: 2013-05-02 05:50 pm (UTC)rapesorgies. He isn't hanging out at Anita's house and he isn't one of her favorites. Can we have Lucille offer to free him in exchange for information? I think he's fed up with being tied to this woman who can't be bothered to take care of herself even when other people depend on it. Reba can be Sailor Mercury to Lucille's Sailor Moon and be a BFF rather than a lover.Are you fucking serious? You're risking not healing Nathaniel and/or the very life energy of yourself and Anita because Miss Priss doesn't want to eat meat right now?
Maybe Damien doesn't like Nate at all since Nate is one of the "perfect boitois" and Damien is afraid that he might be mindfucked into that state. He doesn't want to lose himself. Also, he knows that getting Anita to eat anything is going to be a battle and his continued existence is contingent on getting her to eat, so he's going in with the all the arguments and food items he thinks will get him the win. He doesn't care if Nate gets a scar or if MoaD takes over. He just doesn't want to be drained on by two parasites at once.
Damian says "That's better" and his robe gapes a little and we get a paragraph about his skin.
That makes me think that he had it closed as snugly as it could get, because he doesn't want to be her sex toy anymore.
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Date: 2013-05-02 05:55 pm (UTC)I wonder if this is an example of LKH Failing At Feminism? Like, the stereotypical woman puts everyone else first, so she wants it to be that Anita is cool and tough because she asserts her own wishes? Except she doesn't know where to stop, so instead of being a strong person (or even one with Attitude!), Anita is a sociopath who basically can't or won't give ANYTHING for others?
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Date: 2013-05-02 06:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-02 06:18 pm (UTC)Maybe Damien doesn't like Nate at all since Nate is one of the "perfect boitois" and Damien is afraid that he might be mindfucked into that state....He doesn't care if Nate gets a scar or if MoaD takes over. He just doesn't want to be drained on by two parasites at once.
I like this idea. It actually makes sense. Ditto on the snugly tied robe.
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Date: 2013-05-02 06:37 pm (UTC)Damien is the only character to have ever called JC out on his terrible, terrible fashion choices. During his first scene in the series, I think he strongly implied that JC kept dressing him as a pirate-whore. (JC took the criticism as well as expected and offered to ship him back to his maker if he disliked the clothes so much. Damien said that they were charming and he loved them.)
He's supposed to be a 1000 years old and a fear vamp, although we never see that in action.
Unfortunately, Damien is also Anita's first dip into TOTAL AND COMPLETE CONTROL of another living being. He's made her slave pretty early on in the series -- before Burnt Offerings and Asher's first appearance, even -- but he's also the only character to call her out on it, rail against his fate, and try to escape Anita. Interestingly, doing a favor for Nathaniel and saving Nathaniel's stupid life in Blue Moon is what dooms him to mindless, grateful slavery.
...I bet Damien regrets not trying harder to resist Anita's compulsions in Blue Moon.
LKH probably doesn't mean to do it, but Damien comes off as someone with shit luck who knows he has shit luck and is just trying to survive/make the best of it until he can turn things around or run away... or afford a secluded island.
(Blue Moon is also the first book where Damien accuses Anita of not giving a damn about his life or continued existence. It's also the book where, incidentally, Anita nearly gets Damien MURDERED BY JC because Damien's hot and she wants to put her tongue down his throat. Asher has to intervene to rescue Damien from Anita and save Damien's life. Until it became Richard's/Haven's flaw not to want to share her with everyone and their cousin, it was JC's flaw. He didn't mind sharing her with CERTAIN, obviously superior men (*cough*Asher*cough* and maybe Richard, but he was reluctant about Richard) but Anita making out with or fucking other people or seeing random strangers naked ticked JC off something fierce.
Back then, Richard was angry about the cheating thing and just didn't want to have anything to do with Anita if monogamy was off of the table. Sharing!rage was not even a thing for him because sharing wasn't something that was going to happen in his romantic relationships.
There's a certain argument to be made that both Richard and JC tried to have their version of a "real" relationship with Anita earlier in the series, failed, and gave up. Except now, they can't get shut of her so they're making the best of a bad situation with varying degrees of success.)
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Date: 2013-05-02 06:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-02 06:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-02 06:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-02 06:55 pm (UTC)Oh! Here's something I forgot to put in above: Anita is always harping on about how Damian's so WEAK and PATHETIC but two things that she frequently overlooks tend to contradict this:
1.) He had Asher's job as JC's number two before Asher had it. In fact, he only lost the job BECAUSE OF ANITA. JC didn't want a compromised lieutenant. Asher, learning of this schism, applied for the position.
2.) He's demonstrated the ability to actively and deliberately affect Anita's mood swings. Like, at one point before I quit reading, JC was certain that Anita was going to embarrass him in front of Musette so he assigned Damian the task of keeping Anita's temper under control and making her somewhat agreeable. Damien manages it for a couple of chapters by keeping a death grip on Anita (disguised as cuddling and hand-holding. This is about where all of the gratuitous hand-holding and cuddling starts, by the way.) and then apologizes to JC when he loses his grip and Anita flies off the handle.
JC says that he's impressed that Damien kept her under control for so long.
So, in the above excerpt, when Anita claims that it's "looking into Nathaniel's eyes" that makes her calm down, eat the damn food, and stop being so unpleasant, it might not actually be her better nature or stunted maturity rearing its ugly head. It might just be Damien taking advantage of a distraction to strike, make his stupid master eat, and preserve his own life for awhile longer. ('Cause you can't get free again if you're dead. Or maybe he's JC's secret lieutenant since his resistance to Anita's shenanigans seems to be improving.)
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Date: 2013-05-02 06:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-02 07:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-02 07:02 pm (UTC)2) That is pretty amazing and yes, that is my headcanon now on this scene.
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Date: 2013-05-02 08:11 pm (UTC)I wonder if we're supposed to somehow see Anita's inability to feed herself as somehow admirable? Like, "oh, she's so dedicated to her job and her "people" she forgoes/forgets her own needs! She's so selfless!"
You know, as opposed to, "why won't she just starve to death already?"
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Date: 2013-05-02 08:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-02 09:31 pm (UTC)I remember how Anita and JC dismissed him as someone who would never make it to master vampire. I think that given his demonstrated resistance and ability thus far to keep himself and his personal life out of Anita's view, Damien might be on his way to becoming a master. It would be awesome for him to turn the tables on JC and use Anita against him. I would totally read that fanfic.
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Date: 2013-05-02 09:36 pm (UTC)1. What does missing windows have to do with hospital beds OR getting her hysteria over with? Also, why WOULDN'T the Circus allow windows in some of the rooms? Especially those made to be hospital rooms for lycanthropes? Sunshine and fresh air (even if city air isn't the "freshest") helps with the healing process. I mean, I get that lycanthropes have super-healing but still. Why not let them have some sunlight? And I still don't get what windows have to do with her feels.
2. Nathaniel GOT SHOT IN THE SHOULDER IT DOESN'T COUNT AS HIM ALMOST BEING KILLED. It wouldn't have even hit him if he hadn't jumped in to protect Noel. LIKE THIS IS REALLY STUPID AND I DON'T EVEN CARE. If hoomans can survive from gunshots to the shoulder, a goddamn lycanthrope can. Goddamn shit. But yes. She's had her smelling salts and she's ready to move on now. Good for her.
3. So... does she regret the over-kill present when she killed Haven? Like she could've shot him in the head once and been done, execution style. But she over did it by far with the multiple shots to the head until the clip was empty AND THEN STILL FIRING BLANKS.
4. I'm not gonna touch the "He tried to take my toy from me so he HAD TO DIE" thing. Nope.
She really hasn't matured much from the mentality of a child, though, has she?5. See... I would be totally okay if Nathaniel was like "I'm so sorry let me be there for you" and was intent on putting Anita first and not focusing on himself, because in my experience, the guys I know don't like focusing on their pain/weaknesses. But this would require to be like "No, okay? You're the one who was shot, if we're going to deal with my shit, we're going to also focus on you, okay? We'll heal together" because a relationship is give and take not just give-just take and THIS IS WHAT ALL HER RELATIONSHIPS ARE ALL SHE DOES IS TAKE AND IT'S SO INFURIATING I WANT SOMEONE TO EAT HER FACE OFF.
6. I read this as her being incredibly selfish. Like... she just FEELS SO ALONE AND NO ONE IS REACHING OUT TO HER AND OH MY GOD SHE HAS NO ONE WHO IS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HERRRR. Like, bitch please, you were just coddled on by Richard, JC just did your goddamn hair, and now Nathaniel is ignoring the GUNSHOT WOUND IN HIS SHOULDER to cater to your emotional needs. Have I mentioned I want someone to eat her face off?
7. Uh... WHY DIDN'T DAMIEN BRING HER EGGS? HE COULD'VE BROUGHT LIKE SCRAMBLED EGGS. THOSE HAVE PROTEIN AND AREN'T HEAVY. HELLO? Like, granted, cheese isn't bad. And fruits are good. BUT EGGS. Jesus Christ Almighty people.
8. ANITA WHY ARE YOU A CHILD. WHY. THIS ISN'T SEXY. YOU ARE A RAPING CHILD CHILD RAPIST. IT'S WEIRD AND CREEPY AND I DON'T LIKE IT. ARGH.
9. WHY. IS. THE. COFFEE. FUCKING. HER. Oh God, now I'm thinking of the coffee as like an anthropomorphized person thing and it's fucking her and she's like "OOOH YOU'RE SO HOT" and it's like "MMM YOU'RE SO TIGHT AND WET" and she's like "THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO GET CAFFEINE IT'S EVEN BETTER THAN COFFEE ENEMAS" and now I want to cry and laugh.
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Date: 2013-05-02 09:43 pm (UTC)11. I HATE ANITA BLAKE WITH EVERY SINGLE FIBRE OF MY BODY AND SOUL.
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Date: 2013-05-02 09:56 pm (UTC)1) The Circus is underground, so no windows anywhere. Sorry, should have mentioned that
2) Again, I must have misworded something, it was Noel who took the bullet for Nathaniel, not vice versa. He jumped in front of Nate, bullet went through his head, killing him, and then into Nathaniel.
3) Nope, no mention of that!
4) She is basically an oversexed toddler with super powers
6) Good, becase she *is* incredibly selfish
7) Maybe the wererats ate them all? Ratties loooove eggs!
9) HAHAHAH!
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Date: 2013-05-02 09:58 pm (UTC)11) THAT IS THE THEME OF THIS BLOG, YAY!
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Date: 2013-05-02 10:31 pm (UTC)I remember when he was first introduced with his green lycra pants and waist coat and calling JC a fop. And yeah he did back track when JC reminded him of his place. Then he put on a show when Danse Macrabe first opened by stalking a woman in the audience that caused Anita to throw a fit. So he demonstrated liking the hunt and pushing things. You know - a backbone.
I also remember that in Blue Moon he confessed to Anita how much he liked being near her and that he was happily her slave. It made him feel good just to touch her. He also was the one to tell her that he was incapable of doing anything without her permission. Then he manipulated her into allowing him to tell her all about JC being an incubus.
(So ugh with the feel good slave crap and funny when he got her to ask him about JC.)
Of course, he paid for that by going buggers right before NIC because his "master" cut him off and he ended up killing a couple in a car. Then JC stuck him in a coffin for 6 months.
It was in ID that the shine was officially off his little master because she treated him like nothing and all he had was a coffin in a basement. He was connected to her, dependent upon her and she would literally forget he even existed. So she showed him - she made him her vampire servant in a Tri, prettified his face and gave him a power up that gave him quite a lot of his free will back. Now he didn't have to do everything she said. Anita stated that she kind of regretted that convenience.
After ID, we basically only hear about Damien as some kind of gaige for Anita's power. One reviewer likened Damien to those poor canaries they would send down a mine shaft to see if there were any gas leaks. That is now his purpose in life/death.
OK so that is what all I remember about Damien. What really pisses me off! Why create a 1,000 year old viking vampire and then do nothing with it?? Why not just 50 years or 100 years tops since it adds ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO THE STORY!!!! GAWWD that drives me nuts!