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kippurbirdChapter Fourteen
Samuel is happy now because he may have found a solution that won't involve killing any of his family. Thinking about it, so far, Samuel and Sampson is the most likable of the characters I've seen so far, beyond Richard for whom I have a lingering fondness from the old books. They've been the most reasonable and well not completely enthralled with Anita. Yes, they're doing business with her, but only because Samuel wants to save his sons, not because he wants to. Samuel, Anita notes, is very human like and she wonders if it's a vampire trick or not. She decides not to pry because she didn't want to mess with anyone if she could help it. Of course being bitchily rude to people and acting like you want to start a fight is not messing with people at all. \~/ \~/
Richard, on the other hand, is looking like he's spoiling for a fight with Anita. She makes Richard's name a question, \~/ before saying that he could leave without picking a fight.
Once again, Richard is reasonably upset about having to sit and listen as they talk about Anita having sex with three guys two of whom are seventeen. When he asks her if she would feel the same in reverse, she has to think about it before saying yes, she would.
This is a sort of complete corruption of Anita's morals here. It feels like she doesn't care about Richard enough to be jealous for him. She gets bitchy when she mentions him sleeping with all these girls, but when asked how would she feel if they were discussing such a thing right in front of her, she has to think about it before answering.
The question is, then, which is it? Is she jealous, or is she not?
I believe that here, Hamilton is trying to show that Anita is the calm and rational one here. She uses words like, "Calm" in regards to how Anita speaks and "smoldering" in regards to Richard. Anita is being the good person by trying to sympathize and help Richard through problem of being jealous, which is entirely unreasonable. \~/\~/\~/
She knows he has jealousy issues and doesn't want anyone else to be with her, but she always acts shocked with it's brought up. It's like it completely slips her mind or something because it's not important. I feel sorry for Richard that he's completely hung up on this girl who doesn't even seem to take enough care to remember such things. \~/
In fact, it seems like Anita is emotionally abusing him. She beats him up whenever he gets jealous and but she's allowed to get jealous. He's her bitch, for lack of a better term and because of them being marked by JC he can't leave. No wonder he's so fucked up. \~/\~/
Trying to be tactful, Samuel and Sampson offer to leave. JC however wants them to stay because they have some Master to Master talk that needs to get done. So, Sampson offers to leave because he realizes that he's the cause of a lot of the problems here.
This touches Richard and it's really a genuine sort of emotional expression that happens between them.
Beyond the "face struggling with his emotions" which makes it sound like the two things are wrestling with each other, and Sampson looking up at Richard when Richard is sitting down. (Bad continuity there.) This is a decent and reasonable exchange. Sampson has recognized Richard's emotions and sees them as reasonable and wants to help smooth things over. He also is trying to make Richard see it from his point of view. They're aren't bitching at each other or saying one is wrong and the other is right. Sampson is trying to say that they're both unhappy with this, but he wants to make it as painless as possible.
Because of Sampson's reasonable attitude Richard finds himself liking him, which makes it harder for him to leave. He feels like storming out when the man is being reasonable is childish. He also feels like if he can't storm out in a fury he'll intentionally be leaving Anita and Jean-Claude crippled. If he's angry, he has an excuse. It's not the best coping mechanism or excuse but in a way it's reasonable. He doesn't want to leave his friends alone and unprotected so if he storms off, it looks like he's leaving because he's mad.
The fact that such things are so rare in this book makes it hurt even more when they show up, because, as mentioned, it lets you see what could have been and not what is. \~/\~/\~/
Anita (remember her?) doesn't see it this way.
"Why are you responsible for everything?" I asked. "I deal with more undead than you do; I should have to be able to protect myself. And maybe I should have seen it coming, but I'm not beating myself up about it. It happened, and now we deal with it."
She goes on to say that "I have a conscience, Richard, and my own set of morals. Do I ever worry that I'm a bad guy? Yeah, sometimes I do. Do I wonder if I've traded away pieces of my soul, just to survive? Yeah.... It's the price of doing business in the real world, Richard."
A good person. A sane person would realize that this is somewhat contradictory. She's getting down on Richard for trying to stay a moral person. Getting down on Richard for wishing that she had stayed a moral person and not having her own set of morals. In a sense it feels like she's angry with him for being able to stay such a moral person while she had to fall. And now she's trying to drag him down with her, but he refuses to saunter down. \~/
He tells her flat out that he doesn't want this to be his world. But Anita pushes on.
The thing is, I remember her wanting the picket fences. That maybe she could try for it. The only reason why she seems to hate the ardeur is because of the inconvenience it's brought into her life. All the need for random sex with hot guys. At no point does she try and control it. It's just there. It's like a parent who has a child who runs around loose screaming and biting and they just say, "I hate that my kid runs around like that" but does nothing to stop him. \~/\~/
Richard continues to insist that they could have made a nice life together if it wasn't for JC and Anita is like, he saved your life you ungrateful bastard. \~/ This is, of course, the first time Richard is hearing about this. If you want to shove something in someone's face, make sure they know what you're talking about. She continues by saying that she was dying of loneliness before she became like this. Never mind the fact that she had friends and people she worked with and Richard. And you know, a life. Apparently she only had her job. But you see, that's not how I remember it. Her life was busy and she didn't like that the vampires kept on interrupting it. She didn't like dealing with vampires period. Sure she was a bit lonely and wanting to date, but when Richard showed up he seemed to start filling that particular hole in her life. She was the one that appears to have fucked it up, not him. \~/\~/\~/
She continues to say that she's not going to go on this way of feeding the aurder, even if there appears to be another way, because she doesn't want to cripple it. She has been protesting the entire time that she doesn't want to go about feeding the Aurder with having massive amounts of sex, but when she has an alternative, she doesn't take it. Which indicates to me that she really doesn't want to control it and is being her usual contradictory self. \~/\~/\~/
Richard lets down his shields and Anita finds out that he hopes some day that she could get the aurder under control, she'll dump Nathaniel and Micah and they could be together. Anita thinks back that they couldn't even if she was pregnant. \~/
He goes, "pregnant?"
And thus... CLIFFHANGER!!
Drinks: 23
Samuel is happy now because he may have found a solution that won't involve killing any of his family. Thinking about it, so far, Samuel and Sampson is the most likable of the characters I've seen so far, beyond Richard for whom I have a lingering fondness from the old books. They've been the most reasonable and well not completely enthralled with Anita. Yes, they're doing business with her, but only because Samuel wants to save his sons, not because he wants to. Samuel, Anita notes, is very human like and she wonders if it's a vampire trick or not. She decides not to pry because she didn't want to mess with anyone if she could help it. Of course being bitchily rude to people and acting like you want to start a fight is not messing with people at all. \~/ \~/
Richard, on the other hand, is looking like he's spoiling for a fight with Anita. She makes Richard's name a question, \~/ before saying that he could leave without picking a fight.
Once again, Richard is reasonably upset about having to sit and listen as they talk about Anita having sex with three guys two of whom are seventeen. When he asks her if she would feel the same in reverse, she has to think about it before saying yes, she would.
This is a sort of complete corruption of Anita's morals here. It feels like she doesn't care about Richard enough to be jealous for him. She gets bitchy when she mentions him sleeping with all these girls, but when asked how would she feel if they were discussing such a thing right in front of her, she has to think about it before answering.
The question is, then, which is it? Is she jealous, or is she not?
I believe that here, Hamilton is trying to show that Anita is the calm and rational one here. She uses words like, "Calm" in regards to how Anita speaks and "smoldering" in regards to Richard. Anita is being the good person by trying to sympathize and help Richard through problem of being jealous, which is entirely unreasonable. \~/\~/\~/
She knows he has jealousy issues and doesn't want anyone else to be with her, but she always acts shocked with it's brought up. It's like it completely slips her mind or something because it's not important. I feel sorry for Richard that he's completely hung up on this girl who doesn't even seem to take enough care to remember such things. \~/
In fact, it seems like Anita is emotionally abusing him. She beats him up whenever he gets jealous and but she's allowed to get jealous. He's her bitch, for lack of a better term and because of them being marked by JC he can't leave. No wonder he's so fucked up. \~/\~/
Trying to be tactful, Samuel and Sampson offer to leave. JC however wants them to stay because they have some Master to Master talk that needs to get done. So, Sampson offers to leave because he realizes that he's the cause of a lot of the problems here.
This touches Richard and it's really a genuine sort of emotional expression that happens between them.
"You're leaving because you think it will make me less upset," Richard said.
Sampson looked at him, with that open, honest face, and nodded.
"That's... " Richard's face struggled with his emotions, because a friendly gesture, honestly given, always touched him. "That's really ... good of you."
"You obviously don't like sharing Anita, and now here I am asking you to share her again. We need her to help us. I don't want to lose my mother and one, or both of my little brothers." Sampson shook his head, eyes staring off into space, but not seeing anything in this room. The look in his eyes was haunted as if he, like his father, had given up on avoiding the tragedy. As if he'd been picturing it all in his head for months, trying to make peace with it, and failing.
He looked up at Richard. "I won't give up this chance to save my family, but I am sorry it's causing you pain." He came out into the middle of the room, facing Richard. "If my going will make you feel better, I can do that."
Beyond the "face struggling with his emotions" which makes it sound like the two things are wrestling with each other, and Sampson looking up at Richard when Richard is sitting down. (Bad continuity there.) This is a decent and reasonable exchange. Sampson has recognized Richard's emotions and sees them as reasonable and wants to help smooth things over. He also is trying to make Richard see it from his point of view. They're aren't bitching at each other or saying one is wrong and the other is right. Sampson is trying to say that they're both unhappy with this, but he wants to make it as painless as possible.
Because of Sampson's reasonable attitude Richard finds himself liking him, which makes it harder for him to leave. He feels like storming out when the man is being reasonable is childish. He also feels like if he can't storm out in a fury he'll intentionally be leaving Anita and Jean-Claude crippled. If he's angry, he has an excuse. It's not the best coping mechanism or excuse but in a way it's reasonable. He doesn't want to leave his friends alone and unprotected so if he storms off, it looks like he's leaving because he's mad.
The fact that such things are so rare in this book makes it hurt even more when they show up, because, as mentioned, it lets you see what could have been and not what is. \~/\~/\~/
Anita (remember her?) doesn't see it this way.
"Why are you responsible for everything?" I asked. "I deal with more undead than you do; I should have to be able to protect myself. And maybe I should have seen it coming, but I'm not beating myself up about it. It happened, and now we deal with it."
She goes on to say that "I have a conscience, Richard, and my own set of morals. Do I ever worry that I'm a bad guy? Yeah, sometimes I do. Do I wonder if I've traded away pieces of my soul, just to survive? Yeah.... It's the price of doing business in the real world, Richard."
A good person. A sane person would realize that this is somewhat contradictory. She's getting down on Richard for trying to stay a moral person. Getting down on Richard for wishing that she had stayed a moral person and not having her own set of morals. In a sense it feels like she's angry with him for being able to stay such a moral person while she had to fall. And now she's trying to drag him down with her, but he refuses to saunter down. \~/
He tells her flat out that he doesn't want this to be his world. But Anita pushes on.
I sighed, and let him see that I was tired, and sad, and sorry. "There was a time when I would have agreed with you, but I like parts of my life a lot, Richard. I hate the ardeur but I don't hate everything it's brought into my life. I'd have liked to try that whole picket-fence thing, but I think even without the ardeur and the vampire marks that it wouldn't be my gig."
The thing is, I remember her wanting the picket fences. That maybe she could try for it. The only reason why she seems to hate the ardeur is because of the inconvenience it's brought into her life. All the need for random sex with hot guys. At no point does she try and control it. It's just there. It's like a parent who has a child who runs around loose screaming and biting and they just say, "I hate that my kid runs around like that" but does nothing to stop him. \~/\~/
Richard continues to insist that they could have made a nice life together if it wasn't for JC and Anita is like, he saved your life you ungrateful bastard. \~/ This is, of course, the first time Richard is hearing about this. If you want to shove something in someone's face, make sure they know what you're talking about. She continues by saying that she was dying of loneliness before she became like this. Never mind the fact that she had friends and people she worked with and Richard. And you know, a life. Apparently she only had her job. But you see, that's not how I remember it. Her life was busy and she didn't like that the vampires kept on interrupting it. She didn't like dealing with vampires period. Sure she was a bit lonely and wanting to date, but when Richard showed up he seemed to start filling that particular hole in her life. She was the one that appears to have fucked it up, not him. \~/\~/\~/
She continues to say that she's not going to go on this way of feeding the aurder, even if there appears to be another way, because she doesn't want to cripple it. She has been protesting the entire time that she doesn't want to go about feeding the Aurder with having massive amounts of sex, but when she has an alternative, she doesn't take it. Which indicates to me that she really doesn't want to control it and is being her usual contradictory self. \~/\~/\~/
Richard lets down his shields and Anita finds out that he hopes some day that she could get the aurder under control, she'll dump Nathaniel and Micah and they could be together. Anita thinks back that they couldn't even if she was pregnant. \~/
He goes, "pregnant?"
And thus... CLIFFHANGER!!
Drinks: 23
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no subject
Date: 2008-03-25 08:50 am (UTC)Worse character abuse ever.
no subject
Date: 2008-03-25 04:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-25 04:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-25 05:27 pm (UTC)But at this point, no one does.
no subject
Date: 2008-03-25 09:06 am (UTC)Okay, I'm mixing metaphors, but I think my point still stands.
no subject
Date: 2008-03-25 05:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-25 01:55 pm (UTC)Anita needs someone to pour a bucket of water over her. Maybe that'll cool off her hotheaded jealously and raging sex drive.
no subject
Date: 2008-03-25 05:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-25 04:15 pm (UTC)Yes, I'm sure you don't at all hate the fact that every man wants your golden vagina, or the fact that you've assembled a harem of ridiculously-dressed and oddly hairless men, or that it gives you an excuse to sleep around with whomever you want while all the while demanding that anyone you sleep with never so much as looks at another woman or, the gods forbid, another man.
Selfish cow.
no subject
Date: 2008-03-25 05:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-25 06:16 pm (UTC)Sadly, I think even the aurder could be an interesting idea...just not in the hands of a sex obsessed thirteen year old. Or maybe I've just taken advantage of the vagueness of exactly what the aurder is to invent something more interesting in my mind.
Perhaps we could have a different book about Richard and Sampson? They have potential.
no subject
Date: 2008-03-25 11:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-27 04:23 pm (UTC)The plot is Anita needs a new blood apple and must have massive amounts of sex to find one. Duh.
Richard and Sampson are very potential like.
no subject
Date: 2008-03-25 11:59 pm (UTC)Wanna know something really sad? I took a look at something I wrote years ago (like, before I started taking writing classes), and it was almost like this. Just no sex. The long talking, the repeating details from chapter to chapter, the blantant Mary Sue...
Good news is that I'm a better writer now. It's sad that LKH is at the level I was in High School, and she's not only older then I am, has more education then I do, but has also published books.
no subject
Date: 2008-03-27 04:25 pm (UTC)He wants to, I think, but he's stuck in that triumvirate of power or something so he can't leave. And he's JC's animal to call, so he's JC's slave.
Wanna know something really sad? I took a look at something I wrote years ago (like, before I started taking writing classes), and it was almost like this. Just no sex. The long talking, the repeating details from chapter to chapter, the blantant Mary Sue...
Everyone has, I bet.
no subject
Date: 2008-03-26 02:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-27 04:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-27 05:09 pm (UTC)But yes, for the worst of the worst... DM is it.
no subject
Date: 2008-03-26 02:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-27 04:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-26 10:37 am (UTC)More importantly, how far into the book are we? I mean, at this point you'd think there would at least be some form of a plot, but right now it's just a bunch of talking heads.
no subject
Date: 2008-03-27 07:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-27 10:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-27 04:33 pm (UTC)Because LKH put us here. I believe the plot is still "Anita must have massive amounts of sex to determine who is her new blood apple."
About a quarter of the way in. I hate talking heads.