Danse Macabre--chapter 11

I think my problem with having Richard show up--other than, you know, the obvious--is that means whatever progression we've made in terms of plot goes out the window. Given that "progression" cannot be air-quoted enough with these books, that is so fucking significant it isn't even funny. When a character sets your series back by several plot arcs? GET RID OF THE CHARACTER. HE (or she) IS NOT HELPING THE FUCKING STORY.

Richard is so pissed that he's got Claudia the were-rat's hackles up, and she's showing Anita that Claudia really is Super Rat under the mousy exterior (I couldn't resist. I'm sorry).

Richard also reminds me of drunk calling your ex. Not actually drunk calling, but the fantasy that preceeds it. You come up with the story that you ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE will bring them running, and if you're lucky you manage to pass out before you reach the phone.

Richard is actively "spoiling for a fight", which is a term I've always hated. Anita thinks that it's more like her than him, which would be something we both agree on if Richard actually had anything resembling a character. JC gets out of the tub first to go soothe Richard, and Anita gets out of the tub and towels off. She spends a second looking at herself in the mirror and hoping that Richard gets aroused looking at her.

He looked at me with that rage-filled face, and the moment he saw me, his eyes filled with such pain, as if the sight of me like that was a knife blow straight through his heart. I was sorry for the pain, but happy about the reaction.

You. Wish.

Moving on.

Richard screams about "How could you do that with him?" And for a minute I'm thinking we're about to go into homophobia City while we demonize Richard for not wanting to have sex with men. (It's kind of amazing how this series manages to do both at once) but that's not it at all.

Richard lowered his hands, and his eyes were pure chocolate brown. He’d swallowed some of that awful, burning power. “You helped him rape the Master of Chicago.”

ANITA HAS BEEN TOLD.

It's not gonna last, we're going to justify this and turn it into Richard is Wrong in a minute, but let's all just enjoy the moment while it lasts. Anita just raped an entire city, and Richard is calling her on her shit.

(Also, can I point how ungodly squicky it is that Richard is magically tied to his rapist? In that he senses every time she rapes someone else the way she did him? I think that was a horror movie plot, only the sexes were reversed and the rapist wasn't the protagonist.)

 And then the hypocracy just flows like fucking wine. "I WOULD NEVER RAPE ANYONE AND NEITHER WOULD JEAN CLAUDE."

ANITA. YOU. JUST. DID.

And then Richard says "Well, did the other guy really pick a fight with you?" becasue THAT totally justifies everything. Jean Claude decides to send all the bodyguards out of the room because it accomplishes...something. Anita realizes one of the bodyguards wants to have sex with her. She'll have to do something about that later.

Richard asks her to please put something on, she's making him very nervious. They then discuss the vampire politics, including the "they'll probably kill us all" part, which makes Richard start asking if this gathering thing really was that great of an idea. Jean Claude doesn't really answer. Jean Claude and Richard then go over the list of all the local vampries who could become Anita's new fuck toy because why not?

And of course things descend into the relm of emotional breakdowns and the chapter closes with Anita cradling Richard's head in her lap because of course she does.

It amazes me how someone can spend so much time writing something and have absolutely nothing happen.