a_sporking_rat: rat (blue mouse)
a-sporking-rat ([personal profile] a_sporking_rat) wrote2013-05-30 02:51 pm

BULLET, CHAPTERS 33 & 34

Hey, you know what portrays just how fucked up it is to use mind control in order to take away a person's ability to consent? SAILOR MOON!
http://adventuresofcomicbookgirl.tumblr.com/post/5738438031/i-guess-i-should-put-a-tw-sexual-assault-for-all
http://adventuresofcomicbookgirl.tumblr.com/post/5809816030/continuing-the-analysis-tw-sexual-assault-in-the

On a lighter note, have I mentioned I like X-Men in addition to Sailor Moon and rats?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faOf0qSI1us

Speaking of rats, have a giant Gambian pouched rat with a plate of spaghetti!
http://img.fotocommunity.com/Pets-Farm-Animals/Rodents-Rabbits/AL-Dente-Gambian-pouched-rat-a19936589.jpg

And a very chubby chinchilla!
http://www.chin-chillas.com/web%20site%20images-2/DSC03084-293w.JPG

And now, unfortunately...

BULLET, CHAPTERS 33 & 34

She's out the door and going down the steps. I don't know if it's out the door of the Circus itself though, or just out of Asher's office. Her phone rings, and it's Clayton, who tells her to check her email. She asks what he sent her, he says a video and hangs up. Anita tells Jake to go check on his tigers while she sees "what the bad guy sent me." Jake asks who the bad guy is (I would have asked "did you just say bad guy?") and she hands her phone to Nicky and tells him to help her play the video that Clayton sent. Again, I can't do these things, but unlike Anita, it's not part of my job, my job isn't law enforcement, lives don't depend on it, so yeah, I'm gonna judge her for not learning how to do this shit on her own.

Jake reminds her that the Harlequin has spies in almost every major city. She asks what he's offering. He says that if she tells him what's happening, he can tell her if there's anything the Harlequin on his side can do. Nicky says he's got the video open, she tells Jake to wait while she watches it. She mentions she even needs him to pause and rewind it for her. We need to be told that the video screen is "like a little TV" because it's not like that's obvious or anything. On it, someone in white crime scene scrubs, a hood, and a face mask is crawling on the ground, begging "No, please, no!" and Anita can tell it's a woman because of her voice. A decayed hand from behind the camera reaches towards her, and she tries to get away but only has one good leg. He grabs her by the wounded one, pins her down, tears off her hood and mask so Anita can see how scared she is, starts to choke her, then stops after she goes purple, then starts again.

Anita whisper don't, Nicky tells her that the woman is already dead, Anita asks how he knows, Nicky says he'd need both hands to send the video. Then Clayton rips the woman's throat out, and the description is actually pretty good and gory this time, which I appreciate. Then he turns the camera to his own decaying face, which sadly she only describes as far as likening it to a Halloween mask. He taunts her to come and get him because he and his vampires (I like that he doesn't call them a Kiss, just his vampires) are going to kill as many people as they can. Then there is delightful mention of one cheek being collapses and how Anita can see his tongue working in his mouth and how it grosses her out. Aw yeah, I love this stuff. Rotters rule!

There's the sound of gunshot, his body jerks, and he gloats about how there's more police here for him to kill, they shoot at him more, he laughs about how bullets can't hurt him while he's in his rotting state. There are more gunshots, and the screen goes dead. Anita yells curses at the phone, Jake comes back and asks what happened, Anita dials Finnegan. She asks him if Clayton is still at the cemetery. Finnegan says no, that he got through the officers and now he's gone. He asks how can one not find a rotting corpse. Anita tells him that Clayton used Morgan's phone to send her a video. Finnegan tells her to send it to him, she says he doesn't want to see it, he tells her again to send it. Anita, you realize he's a marshal and this is police business, right? You sending this to him is not a matter of whether it's something he wants to see or not, it's a matter of evidence and his job as well as yours. You twit.

Anita tells him what's on it, and explains that bullets don't work on Clayton when he's in his rotted state, but will when he's in regular human form. This is, of course, news to Finnegan because no one but Anita knows anything about vampires, let alone how the rotters work. Since she knows everything, Finnegan asks her how to find and kill Clayton. She doesn't tell him how to find him, but she does say to burn him with a flamethrower when they do. He says there's an extermination crew on the way (again, why do there need to be executioners when we have those guys?) to burn up the vampires still in crypt. He asks Anita why Clayton would leave them behind, Anita says he just went insane like a "serial killer who's devolved into a spree killer" and is probably just going to kill everything he sees, and that the way to find him is to follow the trail of dead bodies. At first I was going to get mad at her claiming he just went snap or ever was a killer to begin with when she knows perfectly well what Morte D'Amour is doing and that quite likely Clayton has no control over his actions...and then I remember that she doesn't want to tell anyone this and thus is probably just lying. So I'll be peeved for that instead.

Anyway, she says if he hides, use cadaver dogs to track him. Finnegan hails this as "the best idea I've heard from anyone." Of course it is, it came from Anita! She reminds him that bullets won't hurt him until after dark (since he'll be stuck in corpse form during daylight), only fire will, so every team of dogs needs one with them, he tells her they don't have that many flamethrowers or that many cadaver dogs, and Anita says that no city does because of how rare rotters are in the USA. So...you told him to do something...knowing he didn't have the resources? Rather than thinking of some other advice to give him? I...just...what.

He tells her to send him the video again, she agrees this time and says she'll be there in a couple of hours. He says it'll be over by then, she tries to argue, he says that she "couldn't do anything but follow the dogs and the flamethrower crew around like the rest of us" and hangs up. Anita thinks to herself that being a necromancer, she might be able to track Clayton with those abilities, but then decides that since "the other marshals weren't always comfortable with my psychic abilities, so I let it lie." Wait, WHAT? The longer that Clayton is running around, the more people are going to die, you have an edge at finding him that the Georgia cops could use, but you're not going to call back and offer it because WELL THEY DON'T LIKE MY PSYCHIC ABILITIES, SO THOSE POOPYHEADS CAN JUST CHASE HIM THEMSELVES WHILE HE KILLS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE NYEAH? What the fresh fucking hell is wrong with you?!

She then notes that of course this is a trap what with Clayton inviting her down there (because no villains in the AB series have employed any kind of subtlety or trickiness for a while, or at least they sure didn't in Skin Trade or Flirt) and if she does go there he'll surely kill her or try to open her to the MOAD and "without my people to touch and get all metaphysical with, I wouldn't be as safe against Mommie Darkest." The defense against the most powerful monster of all time is touching hot guys. I still can't get over this. Also, this is a pretty decent reason not to go, why didn't she just cite this as her reason first and only, instead of saying first (or at all) that she wouldn't lend a hand because some marshals don't like that she's a psychic?

Nicky tells her it's a trap, she says she knows and tells him to send the video to Finnegan. Jake asks what's going on, Anita tells him "because there was no way to keep this out of the media." I'm...not sure how much sense that makes, but okay. She then spends the entire last paragraph of the chapter complaining about how that'll just make the city panic but if it's kept under wraps people will sue the police "because everyone would believe if they'd known they would have been able to keep themselves safe" A great many probably would have. Given that the rules about invitations apply to Anitaverse vampires, just staying inside your home would probably be enough. Getting out an object of faith or staying close to someone who does might help those who can't get to their home at the moment. "I knew better" Oh, of fucking course you do, Anita, when do you not. "but sometimes the illusion of safety is all people have." Sometimes. And sometimes they actually have realistic, easily achievable options like I just pointed out. "I didn't even have that"You are miles away from Clayton in a massive underground stone fortress surrounded by guards and can avoid the MOAD herself just by groping one of your ever-present boyfriends "and hadn't had it for a long time." Is this supposed to be angst? Cry me a river, Anita, I have no sympathy for you and I see no reason I should, seeing as how you've once again proved yourself to be a horrible person this chapter with the whole 'I don't wanna help save people's lives if the marshals are gonna be buttheads about how I do it' bit.

Chaper 34 starts with Jake saying that just as Morte D'Amour hit Atlanta tonight (so, again, quite possibly this is no more Clayton's free will and fault than it was when Vittorio mind-controlled Henry and those other vampires in Vegas) he will hit another city tomorrow night too. Anita asks how many MotCs are of his bloodline, he says a few. I don't see how this is relevant, since obviously Morte D'Amour can incite this kind of killing spree in vampires outside of his line, and in therians as well, given that he did it to Anita and the others earlier, which is why that orgy happened. But Anita seems to think it is relevant, because she demands that Jake share his information more specifically "or get out of my face." Uh, maybe he doesn't know the exact number? Jeez. He responds by telling her to "pick one of my kittens" and she objects to him calling them that. He asks if it helps to know that "they're all older than Cynric from Vegas?" and Anita just shoots back that Cynric is legal. Honey, the sex that you two had was a sick mutual rape, age isn't even the issue compared to that.

Jake says he'd heard she didn't like doing anyone under 18 and apologizes if he heard wrong. I guess considering how old he probably is, he likely has a very different cultural standard for what 'adult' is and thus he can be forgiven for making it sound like having sex or not with teenagers is like a preference for ice cream flavors. MAYBE. Anita says that no, he heard right, and that it's not just the age that bothers her, it's the innocence, that she likes "someone who knows his way around" instead. Nicky pipes in with "A sadder-but-wiser girl for you, huh?" and Anita asks if he just quoted The Music Man at her. I remember he quoted The Princess Bride in Flirt too. Apparently this little quirk is the closest he gets to any sign of a personality. He asks "What, I can't like musicals?" and then we're off on a derailing train with Anita saying she thought he was the type to like death metal or club mixes and he says that he likes club mixes because he likes to dance "but you can't dance to most death metal. Silas was into that."

Okay, remember how we never actually met Silas or saw him do anything besides get stabbed in the gut by Anita and then butchered by her like an animal for a sacrifice SHE DIDN'T NEED to raise zombies? But that they hinted Silas must be a really scary guy by being all freaked out that Anita goes quiet the way Silas does when she goes into her quiet killing calm place in her head? I get the feeling that LKH was thinking 'Oooh, what would a scary killer guy listen to? Something cool! And hardcore! I know, death metal! Yeah! Badass!'

Anita says that Nicky has been with them a year and she didn't know he liked to dance. Nicky says that since Anita doesn't like to dance, and his "primary emotions seem to be all about pleasing you" and it makes him anxious when he doesn't, so he doesn't ask her to dance because "it would make you uncomfortable, which would make me anxious. It's so not worth it." I can excuse him saying 'so' like that because he likely has psychically absorbed it from Anita. The rest, I just...no words.

Anita hops on this derailment and rides it for all it's worth, innuendo intended, by asking Jake what he knows about Brides. He says that it's really rare (of course) and that it "only shows up in bloodlines descended from the Father of the Day, like Belle Morte and the Dragon." YOU SEE WHY VITTORIO'S CANON-FUCKING WAS A BAD IDEA? WE GOT THIS 'BRIDE' SHIT OUT OF IT! Anita asks if it's therefore a power that Marmee Noir doesn't have, and he nods and says that "The Sweet Dark isn't into long-term relationships." DGKJSDKG IS THAT WHAT YOU CALL THIS SHIT?! Yeah, it is, apparently! "Brides can be treated pretty badly by their grooms, but often the vampire who makes them feels responsible for them" Because vampires in this series are such a conscientious people in general, right? "and it does become more like a group marriage" OH, WELL THAT MAKES TAKING THEIR FREE WILL AWAY JUST DANDY THEN, NO PROBLEM!" "albeit with a one-sided power structure." Which is exactly how Anita likes it.

Anita asks if there's a limit to how many Brides she can make.

WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO KNOW THIS

WHY

Between this and her suggestion that she could make the tigers her Brides, I not only believe she has no remorse over what she did to Nicky, I think she's actively looking for another excuse to do it again. Jake, chillingly enough, informs her that it's really only limited by resources aka how much blood is available for harvest in one area. Anita creepily continues to be all too interested by asking what's the largest number he's seen and he says twelve. He then says he thinks she's asking to delay meeting the weretigers (I wish I could believe this) and asks why. She says she doesn't know how to just go up and pick one to have sex with "when I haven't even introduced herself" and that she knows that this sounds "churlish, or childish, or just stupid." What? Churlish? Childish? Stupid? No, Anita, that's how you do tend to sound most of the time, but this actually sounds entirely human, reasonable, and likely. It really should come second to the issue of WHAT ABOUT THE CONSENT OF THE TIGERS but still, it's not any of those things. Jake agrees with me on this; he says her reason for this is because she's a woman. No, I'm serious, he really does. He says that the reason most vampires who have Brides are men is because "women complicate things."

Okay, so, we all know how in the Anitaverse, the way women do things (and we all, except Anita, do things one way and one way only) is always inferior and stupid and wrong compared to the way men do things (which, again, will be all one way, every man), right? If Jake is right in his statement, and the logic of the universe he lives in is followed...then it can be concluded that in the Anitaverse, not only is being hesitant about having sex with total strangers who are being pimped to you by their guardian something that just 'complicates' things and is a silly petty feminine quirk, but having a harem of brainwashed sex slaves isn't a crime so much as just a guy thing because men don't have those silly petty feminine hang-ups about such harmless things as well silly petty female folk do.

I'm going to go hide now.

Nicky starts to laugh and then hides it as a cough. I'm reminded of how, before Anita ate his mind, Nicky used to make a lot of sexist, generalizing comments about women of this type. I think LKH is once again trying to convince us that what Anita did to him is excusable because he was a jerk of a person. Sorry, I fail to be convinced. If you wanted to give me an ethical challenge, make it Olaf she mind-wiped, but a guy who just says prickish stuff still deserves his free will. Anita asks if he has something to say, Nicky says nope, Anita admits that Jake is right and that "If I were a guy I'd just march down there and pick someone."

WOW, WAY TO BE INSULTING TO MEN, ANITA

I GUESS YOU'RE FINALLY BALANCING OUT THAT MISOGYNY A LITTLE

NICE JOB

NO ACTUALLY NOT NICE JOB, YOU'RE JUST MORE OF AN ASSHOLE THAN EVER

Jake suggests that Jean-Claude help her to pick. Anita thinks this is a good idea because "I tended to pick low-power wereanimals to bond with" which has nothing to do with you being a controlling power-obsessed abusive girlfriend/master, I'm sure "with a few rare exceptions like Micah." Which has nothing to do with how Micah is most likely an avatar for Jon, who probably had a hand in decisions such as making him Leopard King and more hung than a donkey. "Jean-Claude could always be trusted to pick the wereanimal or necromancer" can you not talk about yourself for five seconds "most likely to up his power level." Because he actually has two brain cells to rub together. No, not rub like that! Although wait did she just admit JC picked her for power?

The chapter finishes with her assuring us that while Jean-Claude won't be embarrassed to add someone new to their bed, she will be. Because JC is a sexy sexy sexual sexbeast and she's this incorruptibly purely pure practically-a-virgin pure lady-dude, you see.

Yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night, you rapist. You're still participating in human trafficking and seem pretty interested in doing worse, judging by your questions about Brides (none of which included if there was any way to free them). Nobody is fooled here...except maybe LKH herself.

[identity profile] wanderingworlds.livejournal.com 2013-05-31 04:05 am (UTC)(link)
2. WHAT THAT. I DON'T EVEN. WHY. WHY WOULDN'T. Oh, because dogs aren't rare. Also, what did... they look like? Because uh. I'd always have like a problem with that. Because I'd be like "OMG IF YOU'RE FROM THIS COUNTRY YOU COULD LOOK LIKE THIS BREED :D" but then I'd want to make certain people look like French bulldogs and that's just ridiculous. (Turns out the one family's great grandfather was a werewolf and a fairy fell in love with him, so some of the descendants can turn into dogs that have some emotional control abilities over werewolves. But that doesn't get found out til waaaay later so girl just feels like a freak, since the only other history of something like that is in Ireland and she's in New Orleans.)

4. Can I just add that I envisioned Wander waltzing with Nick to distract him as in the background things blow up a la V for Vendetta?

5. IT MAKES IS SO MUCH BETTER AND WORSE GAH
Edited 2013-05-31 04:07 (UTC)