Betrayed: Chapter 27
Aug. 15th, 2011 04:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
zelda_queenZeldaQueen: I apologize for my freak-out in the last chapter. Thankfully Zyn did a fine job finishing up and my brain has been repaired, so let's continue on! Five chapters after this, folks! We can do it!
Projection Room Voices: Starting Media in 3...2...1...
Chapter 27
ZeldaQueen: Okay folks, I'm very sorry but this is yet another incredibly boring chapter. While stuff does happen, the Cast ladies just put everything on hold for the characters to do nothing but talk. I guess they figure that if they cut out the inane chatter, they'd run the risk of putting in actual action and plot and that might be interesting and we cant have that.
*sighs*
Zoey exits the library everyone immediately crowds around her and starts asking what happened. Heaven forbid these people go for two minutes without holding her hand and kissing her ass. Zoey tells them that no new information regarding Heath has come up. They ask what their next course of action is, and Zoey decides that they'll...watch the ten o'clock news to see if anything new comes up.
*head desk*
She saw Heath be dragged away at the east wall. She knows Suspicious Things are happening in that vicinity. She knows he's probably going to show up dead if she tarries too long. She got a very strong implication from Neferet that if she had been imprinted with Heath, that dream was some sort of vision of his whereabouts. She's not going to, you know, search around that area? See if she can use the cutting-edge technology around the school to hook up a video feed on the wall to see if the ghosts come back? Set a trap? Anything remotely useful? There's no reason for her to just sit there and watch the news, given that SHE KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM!!! GOD!
So the news comes on, and of course there's no leads. In fact, the search is going badly because of a blizzard kicking up. Zoey randomly announces that she has to go, specifically to the stables to brush Persephone. Oh yeah, remember Lenobia and Persephone? They showed up in that one chapter at the beginning of the book and haven't appeared since!
Anyway, Erik offers to walk her there and they set off together. This is all very quiet and Zoey comments "Usually, our silences weren't awkward, but this one felt weird".
Okay, I know that there are a lot of people who can be comfortably silent together. I know that there are different kinds of silences. And in other circumstances, I would totally get what Zoey is saying. Except, here's the thing. We have been shown none of these non-awkward silences. In fact, we've hardly seen Zoey and Erik together as a couple at all, because the Cast ladies seem to be allergic to showing anyone in a steady relationship for more than two pages! Heck, we don't even get examples of said silences while they are hooking up, because we never see them hang out or go on dates or do anything beyond having Erik give Zoey The Vampire Talk and kiss her!
Finally, Erik does what we've all been waiting for and guesses that Zoey still is in love with Heath. Zoey decides to confess to everything, because "Erik deserved the truth, and I was totally sick of lies". *rolls eyes* Is it just me, or does Zoey seem to only remember to be all contrite when Erik's actually around? She tells him that she still does love Heath but when Erik asks how she feels about him, she insists that she loves him too. Well that's just fan-fucking-tastic. Shame Erik's a party-pooper who's obsessed with monogamy, or they could all have a threesome after Heath was rescued.
Zoey also confesses that she imprinted on Heath, which leads to her also telling Erik about how she drank from Heath again. She keeps going on about how "I tried not to, but he cut himself. On purpose. And I couldn't stop myself". You know, considering that blood drinking is pretty much sex and considering that Zoey's all panicked and keeps saying "I didn't want to, but he made me!" that is rather squicky...
Erik is not very happy to hear this, and Zoey freaks out
"Now that I was actually confronted with the very likely possibility that Erik and I were going to break up, I realized how much I didn't want that to happen, which definitely didn't help my confusion or my stress level because I did still care about Heath"
ZeldaQueen: I repeat, she's only thinking about this now, when Erik's actually around. She doesn't go on about how much she wants him around when she's taking her shirt off for Blake or arranging for dates with Heath. No, she doesn't start going on about how much she wants Erik until he's right in front of her. You know, when she might actually get called out on her bullshit.
Erik tells Zoey that he hopes that they can be together if and when they both survive into adult vampire-hood, and the Cast ladies must be trying to get me to hate the character, because he cites how he won't get old and wrinkled, ew, and instead stay all young and hot with Zoey. He also mentions this
"Being with me won't be something other vampyres will whisper about, and humans will hate you for. It'll be normal. It'll be right"
ZeldaQueen: *rubs head* Okay, given how ham-fisted this all is and how Neferet used a similar analogy before, I'm guessing that the Cast ladies are going for some thing where vampires are just a persecuted minority and that a vampire dating a human will cause people to gossip and cluck and generally be scornful. Thing is, it doesn't quite work. Let's see why.
First of all, I fail to see why this is an issue at all. This is not like Being Human, where we see that a vampire will eventually just snap and go back to blood drinking, so a human dating a vampire simply isn't safe. All we're ever told is that vampires are perfectly safe, vampires are insanely successful and rich, vampires are People Too. I'm sure people could argue that it doesn't matter, because African Americans persecuted during the times of segregation were also regular people who were not threatening and had talented people in their midst, but it still doesn't make sense. If we're to believe that humans are so horrible and persecute vampires, why are all of these vampire actors and singers hired? Why do people buy their books and albums and movies? Is it safe to assume that folks like Faith Hill and Jake Gyllenhall still have their fanclubs in this universe, even though they're vampires? And what about the fact that a lot of those name-dropped vampire celebrities are married in real life. Are we to assume that their spouses are all conveniently vampires as well? Because if not, that's one hella lotta inter-species marriage, considering that it's apparently frowned upon.
Second of all, I'd like to point out something from the vampire side of things - why do they care? I'm serious, why? Again, it's been hammered all over the place that vampires have their need for blood under control, so it can't be that they are worried about slipping up and killing humans. So why? The only reason I can see is that the vampires think that they're better than the humans. That humans are lowly and stupid and ugly and worthless and what sort of a vampire would want to marry a human? After all, they get old and wrinkly and flabbyby next week after enough time goes by. Is that it, Cast ladies? Are you making it canon that your vampires are a bunch of self-centered, pretentious twats?
I would also like to point out that I've read the Fledgling 101 Handbook. There are several famous and prominent "vampire figures" in there (namely Circe and Cleopatra" who have had human "consorts". I honestly have never gotten the impression that a vampire hooking up with (or "imprinting", as the case always is) was considered particularly scandalous or taboo.
*shakes head* Right. I have no idea why I bother so much with logic stuff like that. The Cast ladies clearly didn't.
Back to the story, Zoey and Erik make out and Zoey goes on about how happy and warm Erik makes her feel, and yet again I bang my head on the wall because the Cast ladies refuse to SHOW us them as a couple, damn it all!!! She also agrees with him about Heath, which basically means that she just admitted that she wants a guy who will stay hot for her. And yes, I realize that there are many other ways to read that, particularly that Zoey doesn't want to go through the heartbreak of outliving the guy she's with, given how she has no concern for people beyond how they look and given how she voices the matter like she's matching her purse and shoes, I find it hard to buy that.
Erik leaves her at the stables, saying that he's sure they'll work things out. *glares* Oh Erik, just wait until the next book. He then pauses, before telling Zoey that if she has imprinted on Heath, it's possible to telepathically call him to her, or at least figure out where he is. Of course. Because granting Zoey new powers is just what this book needs. So much better than good old-fashioned character development and having her, I don't know, actually look.
But no. Erik leaves and Zoey starts brushing Persephone and Zoey...starts wangsting about relationships. Because that's exactly the thing to do when someone you care about has been kidnapped and it's within your power to save them! *rubs head* She specifically wangsts about how she's glad Erik didn't dump her, but she probably will get dumped if Heath is saved, and comments "How did those ho-ish girls go out with a dozen or so guys at the same time? Two was exhausting".
*stares* *blinks* Um...sorry guys. Did she just trash unspecified girlslike Aphrodite while admitting in a way that somehow ignores the issue that she is doing the same thing she's scolding unnamed girls for?
Oh and speaking of having multiple boyfriends, she finally remembers her flirting with Blake. She goes on about how guilty she feels for that, and insists that she'll avoid Blake and, if she can't, she won't flirt with him anymore. And folks, given Zoey's track record for actually remembering and following through on her resolutions, how long do you think this is going to last?
Zoey decides that there's little point in worrying about what to do about Heath until Heath is saved. She yammers about how she's so broken from Stevie Rae's death, woe is her, and I might buy that she can't do anything out of fear and grief if there was ever any signs that she could do stuff when she's not afraid and grief-stricken. Anyway, she starts trying to strike up a telepathic link to Heath. She first thinks about all the good times they had together as kids (good times which, of course, are only brought up now and will never be mentioned again). This doesn't do anything, though. She then starts thinking about how tasty his blood is and having what is more or less a vampiric erotic daydream about him and that gets through to him. That's...interesting, especially when you consider that Heath only let her drink his blood because he was clearly nutty from the first time around.
So yeah, Zoey now is mentally linked to Heath, and can see that he's in some sort of underground room. She mentally calls to him and explains what's going on, and we are told how he's all scared and bleeding from the arms and neck and tied up and left on a mattress. Heath explains that he's in one of the old tunnels left over from the Prohibition era. Zoey is all confuzzled at this because Heath is a stupid jock and how astonishing it is that he can know things like that. Huh! Oh, and Heath adds that he only knows about it because it had to do with alcohol and dur hur, Heath used to be a hilarious drunkard.
Zoey asks him where the entrance to the tunnels are and Heath refuses to tell her because he doesn't want her to go down and get attacked by the red-eyed ghosts. Instead, he urges her to send the police or possibly a SWAT team. Zoey admits that she wants to do that, but refuses for some unspecified reason. You know, I know that there are feral monsters down there, but Zoey has seen them in action. She knows what they do. Couldn't she call up Detective Marx and tell him "Hey, I know where the things kidnapping the kids are, but you have to bring in the big guns because these things are extremely dangerous". And if she's worried that innocent kids (you know, the ones she actually cares about) might be killed, she could add for them to bring sedatives or something. The point is, just because humans can't summon the fucking elements doesn't mean we're useless.
But no, Zoey continues on this oh-so-selfless act about how she must be the one to do it. She asks Heath to tell her about his captors, and he says that they drink blood but aren't like regular vampires, with the implication that Something Is Not Right in regards to them. I think the red eyes and claws and general undead-ness are a tip-off on that, yes. Anyway, this leads to Zoey asking if they've drank Heath's blood, the thought of which turns her into a clingy, jealous bitch. Yes, I know she's supposed to be protective (and given the sex/blood metaphor, she would be dealing with the knowledge that her boyfriend was kidnapped and symbolically raped), but she really doesn't come across as too righteous when her thought is "He belongs to me!". Anywho, Heath says that yes they have drunk his blood and apparently complain that something about it tastes wrong. I'm...sincerely hoping that the Cast ladies intended to suggest that the red-eyed ghosts could sense this fantastic, mystic imprint via the taste of his blood. Otherwise, I'm picking up some extremely squicky and bizarre fantasy version of "Aw man, it's no fun molesting him! He's already done it with someone else!" And speaking of vampiric molestation, that is precisely what they've been doing to poor Heath. No, really
"It's not like when you drink my blood, Zo. That feels good. What they do is—is disgusting. They're disgusting"
ZeldaQueen: That guy's going to need a whole lot of therapy by the time this is over.
We find out that there are only three red-eyed ghosts who don't visit Heath in a group, and their names are Elliot, Venus, and Stevie Rae. No, Zoey never seems to put together that this is the same Venus who Aphrodite told her about, at least not in this book. Anyway, Zoey freaks out at the mention of Stevie Rae being there, because I...can only assume she forgot that dream of hers. She also mentions "Heath had just substantiated my fears. I couldn't call in the police". She doesn't tell us why this is, though. What, is she worried that Stevie Rae will use her power of Earth to kill the officers? Is she afraid they'll kill Stevie Rae? GIVE US A REASON!
Zoey tries once more to get Heath to tell her where the entrance is and he continues to refuse. Zoey hears a scurrying sound which "reminded me of the sound the science experiment rats made as they scurried through the mazes we made in AP Bio". I know this is a small thing to get hung up on, but do the Cast ladies really expect me to buy that Zoey, who has shown to have very little drive and hasn't come across as particularly intelligent or interested in biology enough to take an optional, high-level course for it, took AP Bio? If that's the case, I'll salt my hat and eat it.
Anyway, Zoey makes one last appeal, telling Heath thatshe's a Sue she can control the elements and saved him in the last book, and finally convinces Heath to tell her where the entrance is. He tells her (there's an awful lot of telling in this sporking, isn't there?) that it's under the old depot downtown. He also warns her to hang right to find him. Zoey thanks him and hangs up the line and sets off and...I guess we're setting up for a climax? I don't know. I guess having the climax five chapters from the end of the book is a slight improvement from one chapter from the end
Onward to: Chapter 28
Back to: Chapter 26
Back to: Table of Contents
Projection Room Voices: Starting Media in 3...2...1...
Chapter 27
ZeldaQueen: Okay folks, I'm very sorry but this is yet another incredibly boring chapter. While stuff does happen, the Cast ladies just put everything on hold for the characters to do nothing but talk. I guess they figure that if they cut out the inane chatter, they'd run the risk of putting in actual action and plot and that might be interesting and we cant have that.
*sighs*
Zoey exits the library everyone immediately crowds around her and starts asking what happened. Heaven forbid these people go for two minutes without holding her hand and kissing her ass. Zoey tells them that no new information regarding Heath has come up. They ask what their next course of action is, and Zoey decides that they'll...watch the ten o'clock news to see if anything new comes up.
*head desk*
She saw Heath be dragged away at the east wall. She knows Suspicious Things are happening in that vicinity. She knows he's probably going to show up dead if she tarries too long. She got a very strong implication from Neferet that if she had been imprinted with Heath, that dream was some sort of vision of his whereabouts. She's not going to, you know, search around that area? See if she can use the cutting-edge technology around the school to hook up a video feed on the wall to see if the ghosts come back? Set a trap? Anything remotely useful? There's no reason for her to just sit there and watch the news, given that SHE KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM!!! GOD!
So the news comes on, and of course there's no leads. In fact, the search is going badly because of a blizzard kicking up. Zoey randomly announces that she has to go, specifically to the stables to brush Persephone. Oh yeah, remember Lenobia and Persephone? They showed up in that one chapter at the beginning of the book and haven't appeared since!
Anyway, Erik offers to walk her there and they set off together. This is all very quiet and Zoey comments "Usually, our silences weren't awkward, but this one felt weird".
Okay, I know that there are a lot of people who can be comfortably silent together. I know that there are different kinds of silences. And in other circumstances, I would totally get what Zoey is saying. Except, here's the thing. We have been shown none of these non-awkward silences. In fact, we've hardly seen Zoey and Erik together as a couple at all, because the Cast ladies seem to be allergic to showing anyone in a steady relationship for more than two pages! Heck, we don't even get examples of said silences while they are hooking up, because we never see them hang out or go on dates or do anything beyond having Erik give Zoey The Vampire Talk and kiss her!
Finally, Erik does what we've all been waiting for and guesses that Zoey still is in love with Heath. Zoey decides to confess to everything, because "Erik deserved the truth, and I was totally sick of lies". *rolls eyes* Is it just me, or does Zoey seem to only remember to be all contrite when Erik's actually around? She tells him that she still does love Heath but when Erik asks how she feels about him, she insists that she loves him too. Well that's just fan-fucking-tastic. Shame Erik's a party-pooper who's obsessed with monogamy, or they could all have a threesome after Heath was rescued.
Zoey also confesses that she imprinted on Heath, which leads to her also telling Erik about how she drank from Heath again. She keeps going on about how "I tried not to, but he cut himself. On purpose. And I couldn't stop myself". You know, considering that blood drinking is pretty much sex and considering that Zoey's all panicked and keeps saying "I didn't want to, but he made me!" that is rather squicky...
Erik is not very happy to hear this, and Zoey freaks out
"Now that I was actually confronted with the very likely possibility that Erik and I were going to break up, I realized how much I didn't want that to happen, which definitely didn't help my confusion or my stress level because I did still care about Heath"
ZeldaQueen: I repeat, she's only thinking about this now, when Erik's actually around. She doesn't go on about how much she wants him around when she's taking her shirt off for Blake or arranging for dates with Heath. No, she doesn't start going on about how much she wants Erik until he's right in front of her. You know, when she might actually get called out on her bullshit.
Erik tells Zoey that he hopes that they can be together if and when they both survive into adult vampire-hood, and the Cast ladies must be trying to get me to hate the character, because he cites how he won't get old and wrinkled, ew, and instead stay all young and hot with Zoey. He also mentions this
"Being with me won't be something other vampyres will whisper about, and humans will hate you for. It'll be normal. It'll be right"
ZeldaQueen: *rubs head* Okay, given how ham-fisted this all is and how Neferet used a similar analogy before, I'm guessing that the Cast ladies are going for some thing where vampires are just a persecuted minority and that a vampire dating a human will cause people to gossip and cluck and generally be scornful. Thing is, it doesn't quite work. Let's see why.
First of all, I fail to see why this is an issue at all. This is not like Being Human, where we see that a vampire will eventually just snap and go back to blood drinking, so a human dating a vampire simply isn't safe. All we're ever told is that vampires are perfectly safe, vampires are insanely successful and rich, vampires are People Too. I'm sure people could argue that it doesn't matter, because African Americans persecuted during the times of segregation were also regular people who were not threatening and had talented people in their midst, but it still doesn't make sense. If we're to believe that humans are so horrible and persecute vampires, why are all of these vampire actors and singers hired? Why do people buy their books and albums and movies? Is it safe to assume that folks like Faith Hill and Jake Gyllenhall still have their fanclubs in this universe, even though they're vampires? And what about the fact that a lot of those name-dropped vampire celebrities are married in real life. Are we to assume that their spouses are all conveniently vampires as well? Because if not, that's one hella lotta inter-species marriage, considering that it's apparently frowned upon.
Second of all, I'd like to point out something from the vampire side of things - why do they care? I'm serious, why? Again, it's been hammered all over the place that vampires have their need for blood under control, so it can't be that they are worried about slipping up and killing humans. So why? The only reason I can see is that the vampires think that they're better than the humans. That humans are lowly and stupid and ugly and worthless and what sort of a vampire would want to marry a human? After all, they get old and wrinkly and flabby
I would also like to point out that I've read the Fledgling 101 Handbook. There are several famous and prominent "vampire figures" in there (namely Circe and Cleopatra" who have had human "consorts". I honestly have never gotten the impression that a vampire hooking up with (or "imprinting", as the case always is) was considered particularly scandalous or taboo.
*shakes head* Right. I have no idea why I bother so much with logic stuff like that. The Cast ladies clearly didn't.
Back to the story, Zoey and Erik make out and Zoey goes on about how happy and warm Erik makes her feel, and yet again I bang my head on the wall because the Cast ladies refuse to SHOW us them as a couple, damn it all!!! She also agrees with him about Heath, which basically means that she just admitted that she wants a guy who will stay hot for her. And yes, I realize that there are many other ways to read that, particularly that Zoey doesn't want to go through the heartbreak of outliving the guy she's with, given how she has no concern for people beyond how they look and given how she voices the matter like she's matching her purse and shoes, I find it hard to buy that.
Erik leaves her at the stables, saying that he's sure they'll work things out. *glares* Oh Erik, just wait until the next book. He then pauses, before telling Zoey that if she has imprinted on Heath, it's possible to telepathically call him to her, or at least figure out where he is. Of course. Because granting Zoey new powers is just what this book needs. So much better than good old-fashioned character development and having her, I don't know, actually look.
But no. Erik leaves and Zoey starts brushing Persephone and Zoey...starts wangsting about relationships. Because that's exactly the thing to do when someone you care about has been kidnapped and it's within your power to save them! *rubs head* She specifically wangsts about how she's glad Erik didn't dump her, but she probably will get dumped if Heath is saved, and comments "How did those ho-ish girls go out with a dozen or so guys at the same time? Two was exhausting".
*stares* *blinks* Um...sorry guys. Did she just trash unspecified girls
Oh and speaking of having multiple boyfriends, she finally remembers her flirting with Blake. She goes on about how guilty she feels for that, and insists that she'll avoid Blake and, if she can't, she won't flirt with him anymore. And folks, given Zoey's track record for actually remembering and following through on her resolutions, how long do you think this is going to last?
Zoey decides that there's little point in worrying about what to do about Heath until Heath is saved. She yammers about how she's so broken from Stevie Rae's death, woe is her, and I might buy that she can't do anything out of fear and grief if there was ever any signs that she could do stuff when she's not afraid and grief-stricken. Anyway, she starts trying to strike up a telepathic link to Heath. She first thinks about all the good times they had together as kids (good times which, of course, are only brought up now and will never be mentioned again). This doesn't do anything, though. She then starts thinking about how tasty his blood is and having what is more or less a vampiric erotic daydream about him and that gets through to him. That's...interesting, especially when you consider that Heath only let her drink his blood because he was clearly nutty from the first time around.
So yeah, Zoey now is mentally linked to Heath, and can see that he's in some sort of underground room. She mentally calls to him and explains what's going on, and we are told how he's all scared and bleeding from the arms and neck and tied up and left on a mattress. Heath explains that he's in one of the old tunnels left over from the Prohibition era. Zoey is all confuzzled at this because Heath is a stupid jock and how astonishing it is that he can know things like that. Huh! Oh, and Heath adds that he only knows about it because it had to do with alcohol and dur hur, Heath used to be a hilarious drunkard.
Zoey asks him where the entrance to the tunnels are and Heath refuses to tell her because he doesn't want her to go down and get attacked by the red-eyed ghosts. Instead, he urges her to send the police or possibly a SWAT team. Zoey admits that she wants to do that, but refuses for some unspecified reason. You know, I know that there are feral monsters down there, but Zoey has seen them in action. She knows what they do. Couldn't she call up Detective Marx and tell him "Hey, I know where the things kidnapping the kids are, but you have to bring in the big guns because these things are extremely dangerous". And if she's worried that innocent kids (you know, the ones she actually cares about) might be killed, she could add for them to bring sedatives or something. The point is, just because humans can't summon the fucking elements doesn't mean we're useless.
But no, Zoey continues on this oh-so-selfless act about how she must be the one to do it. She asks Heath to tell her about his captors, and he says that they drink blood but aren't like regular vampires, with the implication that Something Is Not Right in regards to them. I think the red eyes and claws and general undead-ness are a tip-off on that, yes. Anyway, this leads to Zoey asking if they've drank Heath's blood, the thought of which turns her into a clingy, jealous bitch. Yes, I know she's supposed to be protective (and given the sex/blood metaphor, she would be dealing with the knowledge that her boyfriend was kidnapped and symbolically raped), but she really doesn't come across as too righteous when her thought is "He belongs to me!". Anywho, Heath says that yes they have drunk his blood and apparently complain that something about it tastes wrong. I'm...sincerely hoping that the Cast ladies intended to suggest that the red-eyed ghosts could sense this fantastic, mystic imprint via the taste of his blood. Otherwise, I'm picking up some extremely squicky and bizarre fantasy version of "Aw man, it's no fun molesting him! He's already done it with someone else!" And speaking of vampiric molestation, that is precisely what they've been doing to poor Heath. No, really
"It's not like when you drink my blood, Zo. That feels good. What they do is—is disgusting. They're disgusting"
ZeldaQueen: That guy's going to need a whole lot of therapy by the time this is over.
We find out that there are only three red-eyed ghosts who don't visit Heath in a group, and their names are Elliot, Venus, and Stevie Rae. No, Zoey never seems to put together that this is the same Venus who Aphrodite told her about, at least not in this book. Anyway, Zoey freaks out at the mention of Stevie Rae being there, because I...can only assume she forgot that dream of hers. She also mentions "Heath had just substantiated my fears. I couldn't call in the police". She doesn't tell us why this is, though. What, is she worried that Stevie Rae will use her power of Earth to kill the officers? Is she afraid they'll kill Stevie Rae? GIVE US A REASON!
Zoey tries once more to get Heath to tell her where the entrance is and he continues to refuse. Zoey hears a scurrying sound which "reminded me of the sound the science experiment rats made as they scurried through the mazes we made in AP Bio". I know this is a small thing to get hung up on, but do the Cast ladies really expect me to buy that Zoey, who has shown to have very little drive and hasn't come across as particularly intelligent or interested in biology enough to take an optional, high-level course for it, took AP Bio? If that's the case, I'll salt my hat and eat it.
Anyway, Zoey makes one last appeal, telling Heath that
Onward to: Chapter 28
Back to: Chapter 26
Back to: Table of Contents
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2011-08-15 10:41 pm (UTC)Let me guess that despite the fact that they have basically played this AS a rape thing it'll go ignored.
Of course if it doesn't there are even more unfortunate implications. You know like that the blood thing isn't supposed to be sex despite playing out that way and that men OBVIOUSLY only want sex so that isn't rape when a women is doing it.
Regardless this whole thing hurts me... pain - THE STUPIDITY IT BURNS!
Also it's nice to see they are derailing Erik already...
The must have decide they want her to be with one of her other planned harem member - or to be precise they decide she should be with ALL OF THEM and decided that Erik wouldn't fit in a harem.
I hate this book... I offcially declare that
a) that wasn't Erik, but a different hot guy with the same name. Not like Zoey would notice.
or
b) Zoey's behavior has finally taken it's effect on his mind. Poor guy...
Also Venus is one of the red-eyed vampires yet Zoey's like - "yeah whatever bitch ain't my friend" to the point where she doesn't even acknowledge her! I'd try to brush it off as the whole Stevie Rae thing distracting her - EXCEPT SHE ALREADY KNEW STEVIE RAE WAS ONE!!!
Besides she never cared as much about Stevie Rae as she did about angsting over her death.
Also there is the fact that Zoey forgets things until they are convenient to the plot! An idiot plot at its finest!
(no subject)
Date: 2011-08-19 02:59 am (UTC)Yeah, you guess right.
"that wasn't Erik, but a different hot guy with the same name. Not like Zoey would notice."
I could totally see that happening. Meanwhile, the real Erik is standing off to the side, waving his arms and going "Um...Zoey? I'm over here!"
I could understand if Zoey thought of Stevie Rae first, because she only did just learn about Venus and she was also worried about Heath. But seriously, I have no idea how long it is until Zoey decides to take two seconds to tell Aphrodite that oh yeah, her best friend is an undead zombie-vampire! >_<
Indeed, it is an idiot plot at its finest.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-08-16 12:47 am (UTC)lolwhat. First of all, yeah, Zoey's not painting herself in a good light here. Second, that's...not really what you say in such a situation. This sounds more like something you as a couch potato say to your fitness-loving friend after she takes you out for a morning jog: "Ugh, how do you run five miles every morning? I'm ready to drop and I've only ran half of one!"
Heath explains that he's in one of the old tunnels left over from the Prohibition era
Well, how do you like that! So, it looks like Zoey learns that Heath isn't as stupid as she thought, that there are some things that interest him and thus he knows about them, he knows more than she thinks he does, maybe he's actually a history buff and she never--
Oh, and Heath adds that he only knows about it because it had to do with alcohol and dur hur, Heath used to be a hilarious drunkard.
...oh. never mind then.
No, Zoey never seems to put together that this is the same Venus who Aphrodite told her about, at least not in this book.
Fucking what. Didn't Aphie not tell Zoey about her, like, a day ago?!
Another reason the book should be about Aphrodite--she'd have way more drama with the realization her BFF is a red-eyed ghost than Zoey has...zero reaction to knowing Stevie Rae is until just this very second.
Actually, that inspires me...there'll be another spitefic soon, mark my words.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-08-16 02:20 am (UTC)Yes, she told Zoey that less than twenty-four hours ago. -_- I could understand worrying about Stevie Rae first because she only just learned about Venus and has her best friend to worry about, but I think we go through this entire rest of the book without any sort of thoughts like "Hmm, maybe I should go find Aphrodite and tell her that her best friend is still alive and in some weird undead state".
"there'll be another spitefic soon, mark my words."
Ohh! :D *is excited*
(no subject)
Date: 2011-08-16 01:45 am (UTC)Rage
Date: 2011-08-16 09:58 am (UTC)Because, you know, no human woman could have done what they did. No human woman could have controlled one of the most volatile and desired states in the ancient world. No human woman could have power and control over a great military leader. No human woman could have put up with being stranded on an island or forced to marry her brothers. No human woman -
*growls*
My Google-fu is lacking today, but I'd be willing to bet a large amount that every strong woman in history is a vampyre in this universe.
Hey, hey Casts? YOU. FAIL. WRITING. FEMALE. PROTAGONISTS. STOP SHITTING ALL OVER HISTORY. OK?
Re: Rage
Date: 2011-08-16 11:19 am (UTC)You are totally right though - I am so sick of the famous people are vampires or bitter toward the vampires thing...
~~~
Lilly flipped through the school history books. The facts listed in the book just didn’t make sense.
Cleopatra, Circe, hell even Jane Austin; it seemed like every prominent female was claimed to be a vampire by this place. Furthermore every prominent male was either influenced by a desire for a vampire or by jealousy of women. It was like one of the creepy faux-feminist rallies where it’s all men are the devil and men are abusers.
Lilly peaked over to Zoey who was reading the books with a sick grin on her face.
“Wow did you know all these famous women where vampires!?”
“Listen Zoey; I’m pretty sure this crap is propaganda at best. I mean vampires have only been around for like fifty years right? That’s when these schools where founded from what I say so…”
“The history books they gave us said that was because jealous men hiding the truth. You know, like how abuse is because men are trying to dominate women and reduce them to traditional feminine roles.”
Lilly wanted to say something about all the other possibilities for why a person might abuse another person; or even that trusting a book written by the people making these claims might be a foolish idea, but the librarian; who called herself Ms. Arcane, quickly came to their side.
“Is something troubling you girls?” Arcane’s overly sugary voice drove Lilly nuts, they where teenagers not preschoolers. Still Zoey decided she’s had enough stupidity of the day and decided to make her way out of the library. She heard Zoey in the background going off about what Lilly had said, but didn’t think anything of it until she turned around and found herself face to face with the librarian’s silver rimmed glasses and beak like nose.
“Is that how you really feel Lilly?” Lilly just stared into her piercing red eyes, she wondered if they had always been that blood red color. “You should be careful of how you speak Lilly…”
“Circe - wasn’t even real. She’s a character from Greek Mythology.” Lilly didn’t know why she said that, it just seemed like the right way to respond.
Much to her surprise the librarian just smiled at her and handed her a history book. “You should read this one, it’ll tell you all you need to know.”
Lilly slowly took the book and stared at it’s cold black cover with no writing on it. She quickly made her way out of the library, running until she was certain nobody was following her.
Re: Rage
Date: 2011-08-17 01:43 am (UTC)Re: Rage
Date: 2011-08-19 04:33 am (UTC)Re: Rage
Date: 2011-08-16 01:43 pm (UTC)Just wait until you see how the Amazons came out of this.
Oh no, not EVERY strong woman. The Fledgling 101 guide tells about a Celtic queen who "while only a human" (&*#$*^!!!) donned armor and fought in a war...and ended up being captured, raped, and killed in front of her daughters. Of course, her daughters were the ones who were turned into vampires and accomplished something. >___
Re: Rage
Date: 2011-08-16 02:21 pm (UTC)Did they just discounted Boudica as just another human?
The same woman who went into battle, knowing that she and her forces were heavily outnumbered by the invading Romans and would most likely die at their hands, and still charged as a her last act of defiance against these men who plundered her and her husband's lands, defiled her and her daughters, and would make slaves of her people? That Boudica is just another human?
If these ladies make reference to Joan of Arc as a vampire or as just another human, I'm seriously gonna have to get violent.
Re: Rage
Date: 2011-08-16 10:42 pm (UTC)"What a tragic fate for such a strong person, but at least she went in fighting for her goals. She's someone to look up to!"
This stupid vampire shit is pissing me off!
ONLY HUMAN! ONLY HUMAN! ONLY HUMAN!
Vampires do everything IMPORTANT!
This is why in my book it's all propaganda, because it sound like propaganda! It's sick, twisted, and has no evidence supporting except they said so!
If it was true than why the hell do people hate vampires! I refuse to believe jealous men are to blame because it just wouldn't make sense!
Historically men did lots of important stuff that gave them power to write down what happened in history that has sadly favor the male gender over equality; this was partially caused by gender roles of the time making it so less women did these history changing events (although plenty still did and are recognized).
If all these important women (and I'm sure plenty of famous men because the Cast ladies are idiots) where powerful vampires who where super strong and all powerful than history should at the very least be better balanced out if not just plain going into the opposite extremity! (I add the note that all vampires seem to worship Nix so even the male ones would be preaching the wonders of women being oh so much better than men)
Vampires (women in particular given the series) do great things =/= Vampires (women) hated! (mostly by those EVIL men of course)
It - doesn't - make - sense! Your world is somehow running on an assumption that history is the same as our world well ignoring there is no way it would be!!!
[cries]
Re: Rage
Date: 2011-08-16 11:33 pm (UTC)Well, of course. If she had been a vampire, she would have defeated them all single-handedly, possibly by summoning the elements or using her laser-vision or something... I think my brain just broke a little just by thinking up that sentence.
Re: Rage
Date: 2011-08-19 03:03 am (UTC)So yeah, I believe that's all Joan of Arc gets in this series.
Re: Rage
Date: 2011-08-22 01:04 am (UTC)There was a lot more to her story than "The English burned her as a witch for heresy and wearing pants".
But then what teenage girl is interested in Medieval HUMAN history?
Re: Rage
Date: 2011-08-16 05:22 pm (UTC)Cast ladies...you suck. You are pure awful. I'm almost wishing for a history lesson in which hey, a vampire gets captured and killed because humans did their research on how to destroy one proper, but it'd get spun into a "SEE HOW BAD HUMANS ARE TO HURT US?" as opposed to "We're not invincible either."
Damn...if my friend thought it was bad in PMMM when Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, Annne Frank, Queen Himitsu etc were all magical girls, wait til she hears this.
Re: Rage
Date: 2011-08-17 01:43 am (UTC)I'm so pissed about this, it just... Yes. I love Cleopatra, she is one of my favourite figures of the ancient world, and seeing this... treatment of women throughout history...
Oh they did not say that about Boudicca! Now I *need* to write spite!
Re: Rage
Date: 2011-08-19 03:05 am (UTC)What I hate about their portrayal of Cleopatra as a vampire is that it means that by default, she's hot as heck. Except that Cleopatra WASN'T hot. Her attractiveness came from her charisma and her wit. But no, that can't be the case here. >_<
Please do so! :D
(no subject)
Date: 2011-08-17 05:21 pm (UTC)So…does she tell him about Loren Blake too? You just said that you were “sick of lies,” Zoey.
/She tells him that she still does love Heath but when Erik asks how she feels about him, she insists that she loves him too./
Oh, dear Lord. *rolls eyes* How many times have I seen this pitiful excuse trotted out in fiction? You know, Zoey, if you want to have a polyamorous relationship, try finding someone who would actually agree to it and letting him know about it before you mess around with two other guys.
/She doesn't go on about how much she wants him around when she's taking her shirt off for Blake or arranging for dates with Heath. No, she doesn't start going on about how much she wants Erik until he's right in front of her./
And it’s only when Erik’s right in front of her that she considers herself to be in a relationship with him. Before he came back, she “wasn’t sure” if they were dating. Now of all a sudden, she does think they’re dating to the point where she’s worried about them breaking up. Why would you worry about breaking up with a guy that you weren’t dating? Oh, right, because all of that whining about how Erik wasn’t your “real” boyfriend was just an excuse for you to cheat on him with other guys.
/She specifically wangsts about how she's glad Erik didn't dump her, but she probably will get dumped if Heath is saved, and comments "How did those ho-ish girls go out with a dozen or so guys at the same time? Two was exhausting"./
…Let me get this straight. Zoey views girls who date multiple guys at the same time as prostitutes, but somehow doesn’t apply the same terminology and standards to herself, even though *she* has flirted with three guys at the same time? The cognitive dissonance is astounding.
Not to mention that the only reason why she’s bothered by this is because it’s “exhausting.” Meaning that it’s inconvenient for *her.* Not Erik. Not Heath. Not Loren Blake. Dating three guys at the same time isn’t difficult because of all of the problems that she’ll cause for *them,* not because they’ll justifiably feel hurt and betrayed, and not because she’s treating them like different pairs of shoes that she alternates between on a daily basis. No. Because it’s “exhausting.” Because it’s just so *hard* to deal with these guys and their feelings. What an uncaring, hypocritical, and self-absorbed *cow.*
/Heath explains that he's in one of the old tunnels left over from the Prohibition era. Zoey is all confuzzled at this because Heath is a stupid jock and how astonishing it is that he can know things like that./
Oh, yeah, she really loves him, given her extraordinary appreciation for his intelligence. *sarcasm*
/Oh, and Heath adds that he only knows about it because it had to do with alcohol and dur hur, Heath used to be a hilarious drunkard./
*head-desk*
/But no, Zoey continues on this oh-so-selfless act about how she must be the one to do it./
Because she’s our Designated Protagonist, don’t you know!
Please, a dog would be a more compelling and active protagonist than this stupid twit.
/Anyway, this leads to Zoey asking if they've drank Heath's blood, the thought of which turns her into a clingy, jealous bitch./
Oh, yeah, I can definitely see how her relationship with Erik is going to last. She doesn’t want to break up with him, but she goes nuts when someone dares to claim another guy whom Zoey has designated as hers. Right.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-08-19 04:29 am (UTC)Oho, just wait until you see how THAT particular corner of the love triangle is dealt with.
Yeah, Zoey's views on relationships are seriously skewed. Apparently there's some book recently released called "Nyx in the House of Night", which has a bunch of essays about the mythology and history that inspired this series (*cough*) and Kristen Cast wrote one about polygamy and how that excuses Zoey running around with multiple dudes. -_- Granted, she does say that hiding her thing for Blake is wrong, but that ignores the fact that Zoey is cheerfully sinning her ass off.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-09-06 03:00 pm (UTC)As for the whole relationship angle between Zoey and Heath, I think what really ticks me off is that if this were written by the right person (or if the Cast ladies actually put more thought and effort into this), their whole relationship could be romantically tragic in a sense. Whenever someone tries to disuade Zoey from being with Heath, though, it's not because they've seen or heard that vampires become completely grief-stricken and heartbroken to the point of almost losing the will to live after their human imprint dies (sort of like in Highlander where Ramirez tells Connor that he must leave his mortal wife Heather because he's speaking from personal experience), but because "EW HE'S A STUPID, STINKY, INFERIOR HUMAN AND HE'S GOING TO GET OLD AND FAT AND WRINKLY AND DIE GROSS".
Though as contrite and infuriating as the whole Zoey x Erik or Zoey x Heath relationships are, just wait until you meet Stark... hoo boy.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-09-07 03:48 am (UTC)Yeah, that's the thing. There are a million reasons why human/vampire relationships (any kind, not just romantic) wouldn't work out in this universe, but they are pretty much skirted over for the generic "Humans are such shallow meanies who get old, EW!" excuse.
...I've heard of Stark. I've heard about the character derailment he undergoes. I'm not looking forward to it.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-12 08:02 am (UTC)"Suddenly I had a vision about what was happening to Heath... Neferet has him bondage!"
Except in that story they actually knew who the villain was...
(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 06:16 am (UTC)