Marked: Chapter 24
ZeldaQueen: In which, yet again, the plot is forgotten
Projection Room Voices: Starting Media in 3...2...1...
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Chapter 24
ZeldaQueen: After that infuriating ritual, everyone is all happy and chattering about how speshul Zoey is, and how uber-fantastamazinglicious they felt while channeling the elements. Zoey, meanwhile, now believes that she has the affinity but wonders why she got it. She can't believe that she was blessed by Nyx just to get rid of Aphrodite. I can't believe that either. Note to Ms and Ms Cast - when your own Mary Sue is pointing out how stupid your conflict is, you might want to get a clue.
And yes, this is dumb foreshadowing for later books. I still think the conflict here is lame.
Also, no Zoey, I don't believe you if you say that the Dark Daughters are more important than a student council. Student councils actually achieve results. The Dark Daughters act like a three-way blend between stoners, Mean Girls, and idiot LARPers.
Zoey tells everyone to go on ahead without her. Damien is worried, but Stevie Rae jumps in like the good little sycophant she is, telling everyone to leave Zoey to her thoughts. They all trot off, leaving Zoey and Nala under the old oak tree with a yellow ribbon. Zoey starts beating the "I'm turning into a monster!" drum, which would be believable internal conflict, except that she's been tempted by blood exactly twice in this book! For the rest of the time, she thinks and acts perfectly normal (or what counts for normal in this weird world, anyway). It's not believable at all!
Anyway, this is all interrupted by the arrival of Erik, who is quoting the line from Romeo and Juliet where Romeo wishes he was the glove on Juliet's hand so he could touch her cheek. *rubs forehead* Another note to Ms and Ms Cast - having characters quote Shakespeare doesn't automatically make them seem Deep and Romantic. Try again, dumbasses.
Zoey asks him what he's doing there and he goes all deadpan snarker, pretending that she asked him how he was and if he would sit with her. Zoey responds by saying that she was just done sitting and was on her way back to the dorm. Erik, this is your cue that she is not interested.
Erik assures her that he was just on a walk to get his mind off of homework (oh wait, they have homework? Huh, could have fooled me!) and assures her that he wasn't stalking her. Normally, given what goes on in these sorts of books, I would be very tempted to call bullshit. I will say though that for this book at least, there is no evidence that he is stalking her, so I guess there's no reason to not take his word on that.
He puts his hands in his pockets and Zoey won't shut up about how cute he is and how she wishes she could have taken him up on his offer to watch the Star Wars movies with him. Jesus woman, just agree to do it another night! This isn't the last night in existence, unfortunately for the readers! She decides that she's taking the High Priestess bit too seriously and I agree. Someone needs to knock a hole in her head to deflate it a little.
She asks him if he'd like to walk back to the dorm with her, and he agrees. As they walk, Zoey wonders about his relationship with Aphrodite and how to ask him about that. *rubs head* Okay, I know that it's a normal response to get nervous about getting together with a guy when he's on the verge of a breakup, particularly if the ex-girlfriend is clearly psychotic, but this is stupid. Zoey is acting like she doesn't know if Erik and Aphrodite are still together, even after seeing him clearly disgusted by her attempts to blow him and his flirting with her!
Erik breaks the silence first, asking if she was worried about the thing with Heath. She internally admits that she has more or less forgotten about Kayla and Heath, which is just dandy. Why was I supposed to feel angry at Kayla for abandoning Zoey? Erik assumes that Heath and Zoey broke up because she was Marked, which is a fair enough assumption. She says that they were already pretty much broken up before that, and the Mark just made it final.
Pause here for a moment, ladies and gentlemen. How does Zoey react when she finds out that Kayla has a thing for Heath? She acts like her best friend is stealing away her boyfriend, who she describes as her sort of-ex, and is such a horrible friend for that. How does Zoey react when the hot new paramour deduces that she and Heath are split up? She not only agrees with that, but pretty much says that all ties were broken even before she went to the House of Night. In short, she aggressively tries to drive away any woman who might have the gall to move in on the hot football player she was dating while denying any relationship when talking to the hot theater student she's interested in.
Hmm, sounds like someone wants to have their cake and eat it too. You fucking whore.
Zoey finally asks what's up with Aphrodite, telling Erik how she (Aphrodite) kept insisting that she was still Erik's boyfriend and trying to get rid of Zoey. Erik replies by being pissed and saying that Aphrodite "has a serious problem with telling the truth". Now, I'm sure that the Casts are trying to have me think that Aphrodite is a psychotic whore and that Zoey is so much better than that. That they're setting up some Sixteen Candles-esque scenario, where the hot boy leaves his shallow, bitchy girlfriend for the nicer, deeper girl.
Well, Ms and Ms Cast, just flip back to the scene with Zoey, Heath, and Kayla. You know, the scene where Zoey threatens Kayla and considers her a whoreish traitor for taking up with Heath even though Zoey said they were already through. In short, the scene where Zoey acts exactly like Aphrodite does!!!
GOD!
Zoey says that what's going on between Erik and Aphrodite is none of her business, and Erik grabs her hand and says that it is her business, or that he'd like it to be. And I do have to say, I'm glad the Casts aren't having Erik playing the jealousy card or telling Zoey that she's a silly girl who doesn't need to know this stuff.
And yes, this chapter is really so incredibly slow and boring. Why do you ask?
Erik asks if Zoey really was just thinking and not deliberately avoiding him, and I'm scratching my head and wondering why he is so attached to her. She's been here for three or four days!!! Is she really the first "nice girl" that has shown up since he got tired of being Aphrodite's sex toy? Anyway, Zoey considers telling him about her affinity, but decides not to. Instead, she alludes to being unused to the various changes her body is going through and yet again, this sounds like it's straight out of Sex Ed. Honestly, all I can think of is the scene from Ginger Snaps, where the guidance councilor thinks that the protagonist's problem is that she's started menstruating and she's actually turning into a werewolf.
So yeah, Erik assures her that she's just a little ahead of everyone else and it will all balance out by the end. No it won't Erik, she's the Mary Sue!
They reach her dorm and Erik tells Zoey not to believe a word Aphrodite says, because things are totally over between them. Zoey then proceeds to make me very angry
"'But you used to be," I said.
He nodded and his face looked strained.
'She's not a very nice person, Erik.'
'I know that.'
And then I realized what had really been bothering me and decided, oh, well, what the hell, I'd just say it. 'I don't like it that you'd be with someone who's so mean. It makes me feel funny about wanting to be with you.' He opened up his mouth to say something and I kept talking, not wanting to hear excuses I wasn't sure that I should or could believe. 'Thanks for walking me home. I am glad you found me again.'
'I'm glad I found you, too,' he said. 'I'd like to see you again, Z, and not just by accident.'
I hesitated. And wondered why I was hesitating. I did want to see him again. I needed to forget Aphrodite. Seriously, she is really pretty and he is a guy. He probably fell into her haggish (and hot) clutches before he knew what was happening. I mean, she did kinda remind me of a spider. I should be glad that she hadn't bitten his head off, and give the guy a chance"
ZeldaQueen: *opens mouth*
*closes it again*
*steeples fingers*
Time for a list.
First of all, considering that Zoey is more or less stringing Heath along by this point all while drooling over Erik, I find it rich that she's delivering some aesop on fidelity in relationships. Adding in what I know will be coming in later books, she has no fucking right to speak. No right at all.
Second of all, glad to know that Zoey's still just as judgmental and stereotypical as ever. "Oh he couldn't help dating her! He's a guy and she's hot! All men are ruled by their hormones and dicks, after all!"
Third of all, the first time we saw Erik and Aphrodite together, she was clearly trying to seduce him. She was clawing his leg and trying to take off his pants while he told her he didn't want that. And she kept on doing it while saying that his mouth was saying "No, no", but his dick was saying "Yes, yes". Do you all know what that was? Attempted rape. In other words, she walked in on Aphrodite more or less trying to rape him. Erik has already told Zoey that the Dark Daughters more or less use the Dark Sons as sex toys and arm candy, while clearly being unhappy about it. Zoey's friends have told her how the Dark Daughters are constantly getting thrills from their boy toys. Aphrodite has just tried to threaten Zoey, who she perceives as a rival, and no doubt would have done the same to every and any other girl that Erik tried to leave her for. And it really has not occurred to Zoey by this point that Erik probably was dating Aphrodite because of huge social pressure and not because he actually liked her and wanted to? WHAT AN IDIOT!
Fourth of all, "give the guy a chance". Yes Zoey, let's just see if you can find it in your heart to forgive him for dating some clingy, psychotic girl. After all, as chief Mary Sue and High Priestess, you have ultimate veto power here.
Fifth, why the fuck does Erik still want her after what she just said to him? Why did he want her before? Just...why?
Zoey can go die until she's dead. Like, right now.
*rubs head* So Zoey sets to have that movie marathon on Saturday, and no we don't get to see that. Why, were you expecting some character development or something? Erik says that it's a date and then starts to lean in all slow, clearly going for their first kiss. After walking to her dorm twice. Wow. Although I am giving credit, we do get mention that Erik is doing it slowly so Zoey has a chance to refuse if she wants. So the first kiss isn't too bad, nice and slow and leaving Zoey feeling kind of happily woozy. And then they move on to this
"Then he kissed me again, only this time he wasn't hesitant. The kiss deepened, and my arms went up around his shoulders. I felt, more than heard, him moan and as he kissed me long and hard it was like he flipped a switch somewhere deep inside me, and hot, sweet, electric desire flashed through me. It was crazy and amazing, and more than anyone else's kisses had ever made me feel. I loved the way my body fitted his, hard against soft, and I pressed myself against him, forgetting about
Aphrodite and the circle I'd just cast and the entire rest of the world. This time when we broke off the kiss we were both breathing hard, and we stared at each other. As my sense started to return to me I realized that I was totally smushed against him and that I'd been standing there in front of the dorm making out like a slut. I started to pull out of his arms"
ZeldaQueen: I swear, she just lost her virginity through that kiss, the way it was described.
Also, while I won't argue that Zoey is a slut, I have to ask what? Since when does kissing in an area that's apparently totally empty "sluttish" behavior? I mean, I know that people are more comfortable with public displays of emotion than others, but then we get the explanation for why she's bothered by it
"'Erik, I'm not like Aphrodite.' I pulled harder and he let me go.
'I know you're not. I wouldn't like you if you were like her.'
'I don't just mean my personality. I mean standing out here making out with you isn't normal behavior for me'"
ZeldaQueen: And then she explicitly compares their kissing in public like that to him being blown by Aphrodite in the corridor that day.
I repeat - she has compared their kissing, which was fairly innocent and totally consensual, to a blow job where the girl was ripping his pants off while he kept telling her "no".
And we're supposed to get morals on this sort of stuff from Zoey. Zoey who is perfectly fine with her friends making all sorts of rude and sexual comments about Erik. Zoey, who continues to string along her ex-boyfriend while going for a new guy.
Ms and Ms Cast, I say unto that, bullshit.
Erik actually does point out that difference to Zoey, but he doesn't seem to actually call her out on being such a bitch and just tells her, with "hurt in his eyes" how everything with Aphrodite was physical and he really has feelings for Zoey (God alone knows why). Zoey goes on about his gorgeous blue eyes, before she does admit she was wrong to say that. Ah, one point in her favor at least. Given what I know is coming up though, she still is a fine one to talk.
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Onward to: Chapter 25
Back to: Chapter 23
Back to: Table of Contents
Projection Room Voices: Starting Media in 3...2...1...
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Chapter 24
ZeldaQueen: After that infuriating ritual, everyone is all happy and chattering about how speshul Zoey is, and how uber-fantastamazinglicious they felt while channeling the elements. Zoey, meanwhile, now believes that she has the affinity but wonders why she got it. She can't believe that she was blessed by Nyx just to get rid of Aphrodite. I can't believe that either. Note to Ms and Ms Cast - when your own Mary Sue is pointing out how stupid your conflict is, you might want to get a clue.
And yes, this is dumb foreshadowing for later books. I still think the conflict here is lame.
Also, no Zoey, I don't believe you if you say that the Dark Daughters are more important than a student council. Student councils actually achieve results. The Dark Daughters act like a three-way blend between stoners, Mean Girls, and idiot LARPers.
Zoey tells everyone to go on ahead without her. Damien is worried, but Stevie Rae jumps in like the good little sycophant she is, telling everyone to leave Zoey to her thoughts. They all trot off, leaving Zoey and Nala under the old oak tree with a yellow ribbon. Zoey starts beating the "I'm turning into a monster!" drum, which would be believable internal conflict, except that she's been tempted by blood exactly twice in this book! For the rest of the time, she thinks and acts perfectly normal (or what counts for normal in this weird world, anyway). It's not believable at all!
Anyway, this is all interrupted by the arrival of Erik, who is quoting the line from Romeo and Juliet where Romeo wishes he was the glove on Juliet's hand so he could touch her cheek. *rubs forehead* Another note to Ms and Ms Cast - having characters quote Shakespeare doesn't automatically make them seem Deep and Romantic. Try again, dumbasses.
Zoey asks him what he's doing there and he goes all deadpan snarker, pretending that she asked him how he was and if he would sit with her. Zoey responds by saying that she was just done sitting and was on her way back to the dorm. Erik, this is your cue that she is not interested.
Erik assures her that he was just on a walk to get his mind off of homework (oh wait, they have homework? Huh, could have fooled me!) and assures her that he wasn't stalking her. Normally, given what goes on in these sorts of books, I would be very tempted to call bullshit. I will say though that for this book at least, there is no evidence that he is stalking her, so I guess there's no reason to not take his word on that.
He puts his hands in his pockets and Zoey won't shut up about how cute he is and how she wishes she could have taken him up on his offer to watch the Star Wars movies with him. Jesus woman, just agree to do it another night! This isn't the last night in existence, unfortunately for the readers! She decides that she's taking the High Priestess bit too seriously and I agree. Someone needs to knock a hole in her head to deflate it a little.
She asks him if he'd like to walk back to the dorm with her, and he agrees. As they walk, Zoey wonders about his relationship with Aphrodite and how to ask him about that. *rubs head* Okay, I know that it's a normal response to get nervous about getting together with a guy when he's on the verge of a breakup, particularly if the ex-girlfriend is clearly psychotic, but this is stupid. Zoey is acting like she doesn't know if Erik and Aphrodite are still together, even after seeing him clearly disgusted by her attempts to blow him and his flirting with her!
Erik breaks the silence first, asking if she was worried about the thing with Heath. She internally admits that she has more or less forgotten about Kayla and Heath, which is just dandy. Why was I supposed to feel angry at Kayla for abandoning Zoey? Erik assumes that Heath and Zoey broke up because she was Marked, which is a fair enough assumption. She says that they were already pretty much broken up before that, and the Mark just made it final.
Pause here for a moment, ladies and gentlemen. How does Zoey react when she finds out that Kayla has a thing for Heath? She acts like her best friend is stealing away her boyfriend, who she describes as her sort of-ex, and is such a horrible friend for that. How does Zoey react when the hot new paramour deduces that she and Heath are split up? She not only agrees with that, but pretty much says that all ties were broken even before she went to the House of Night. In short, she aggressively tries to drive away any woman who might have the gall to move in on the hot football player she was dating while denying any relationship when talking to the hot theater student she's interested in.
Hmm, sounds like someone wants to have their cake and eat it too. You fucking whore.
Zoey finally asks what's up with Aphrodite, telling Erik how she (Aphrodite) kept insisting that she was still Erik's boyfriend and trying to get rid of Zoey. Erik replies by being pissed and saying that Aphrodite "has a serious problem with telling the truth". Now, I'm sure that the Casts are trying to have me think that Aphrodite is a psychotic whore and that Zoey is so much better than that. That they're setting up some Sixteen Candles-esque scenario, where the hot boy leaves his shallow, bitchy girlfriend for the nicer, deeper girl.
Well, Ms and Ms Cast, just flip back to the scene with Zoey, Heath, and Kayla. You know, the scene where Zoey threatens Kayla and considers her a whoreish traitor for taking up with Heath even though Zoey said they were already through. In short, the scene where Zoey acts exactly like Aphrodite does!!!
GOD!
Zoey says that what's going on between Erik and Aphrodite is none of her business, and Erik grabs her hand and says that it is her business, or that he'd like it to be. And I do have to say, I'm glad the Casts aren't having Erik playing the jealousy card or telling Zoey that she's a silly girl who doesn't need to know this stuff.
And yes, this chapter is really so incredibly slow and boring. Why do you ask?
Erik asks if Zoey really was just thinking and not deliberately avoiding him, and I'm scratching my head and wondering why he is so attached to her. She's been here for three or four days!!! Is she really the first "nice girl" that has shown up since he got tired of being Aphrodite's sex toy? Anyway, Zoey considers telling him about her affinity, but decides not to. Instead, she alludes to being unused to the various changes her body is going through and yet again, this sounds like it's straight out of Sex Ed. Honestly, all I can think of is the scene from Ginger Snaps, where the guidance councilor thinks that the protagonist's problem is that she's started menstruating and she's actually turning into a werewolf.
So yeah, Erik assures her that she's just a little ahead of everyone else and it will all balance out by the end. No it won't Erik, she's the Mary Sue!
They reach her dorm and Erik tells Zoey not to believe a word Aphrodite says, because things are totally over between them. Zoey then proceeds to make me very angry
"'But you used to be," I said.
He nodded and his face looked strained.
'She's not a very nice person, Erik.'
'I know that.'
And then I realized what had really been bothering me and decided, oh, well, what the hell, I'd just say it. 'I don't like it that you'd be with someone who's so mean. It makes me feel funny about wanting to be with you.' He opened up his mouth to say something and I kept talking, not wanting to hear excuses I wasn't sure that I should or could believe. 'Thanks for walking me home. I am glad you found me again.'
'I'm glad I found you, too,' he said. 'I'd like to see you again, Z, and not just by accident.'
I hesitated. And wondered why I was hesitating. I did want to see him again. I needed to forget Aphrodite. Seriously, she is really pretty and he is a guy. He probably fell into her haggish (and hot) clutches before he knew what was happening. I mean, she did kinda remind me of a spider. I should be glad that she hadn't bitten his head off, and give the guy a chance"
ZeldaQueen: *opens mouth*
*closes it again*
*steeples fingers*
Time for a list.
First of all, considering that Zoey is more or less stringing Heath along by this point all while drooling over Erik, I find it rich that she's delivering some aesop on fidelity in relationships. Adding in what I know will be coming in later books, she has no fucking right to speak. No right at all.
Second of all, glad to know that Zoey's still just as judgmental and stereotypical as ever. "Oh he couldn't help dating her! He's a guy and she's hot! All men are ruled by their hormones and dicks, after all!"
Third of all, the first time we saw Erik and Aphrodite together, she was clearly trying to seduce him. She was clawing his leg and trying to take off his pants while he told her he didn't want that. And she kept on doing it while saying that his mouth was saying "No, no", but his dick was saying "Yes, yes". Do you all know what that was? Attempted rape. In other words, she walked in on Aphrodite more or less trying to rape him. Erik has already told Zoey that the Dark Daughters more or less use the Dark Sons as sex toys and arm candy, while clearly being unhappy about it. Zoey's friends have told her how the Dark Daughters are constantly getting thrills from their boy toys. Aphrodite has just tried to threaten Zoey, who she perceives as a rival, and no doubt would have done the same to every and any other girl that Erik tried to leave her for. And it really has not occurred to Zoey by this point that Erik probably was dating Aphrodite because of huge social pressure and not because he actually liked her and wanted to? WHAT AN IDIOT!
Fourth of all, "give the guy a chance". Yes Zoey, let's just see if you can find it in your heart to forgive him for dating some clingy, psychotic girl. After all, as chief Mary Sue and High Priestess, you have ultimate veto power here.
Fifth, why the fuck does Erik still want her after what she just said to him? Why did he want her before? Just...why?
Zoey can go die until she's dead. Like, right now.
*rubs head* So Zoey sets to have that movie marathon on Saturday, and no we don't get to see that. Why, were you expecting some character development or something? Erik says that it's a date and then starts to lean in all slow, clearly going for their first kiss. After walking to her dorm twice. Wow. Although I am giving credit, we do get mention that Erik is doing it slowly so Zoey has a chance to refuse if she wants. So the first kiss isn't too bad, nice and slow and leaving Zoey feeling kind of happily woozy. And then they move on to this
"Then he kissed me again, only this time he wasn't hesitant. The kiss deepened, and my arms went up around his shoulders. I felt, more than heard, him moan and as he kissed me long and hard it was like he flipped a switch somewhere deep inside me, and hot, sweet, electric desire flashed through me. It was crazy and amazing, and more than anyone else's kisses had ever made me feel. I loved the way my body fitted his, hard against soft, and I pressed myself against him, forgetting about
Aphrodite and the circle I'd just cast and the entire rest of the world. This time when we broke off the kiss we were both breathing hard, and we stared at each other. As my sense started to return to me I realized that I was totally smushed against him and that I'd been standing there in front of the dorm making out like a slut. I started to pull out of his arms"
ZeldaQueen: I swear, she just lost her virginity through that kiss, the way it was described.
Also, while I won't argue that Zoey is a slut, I have to ask what? Since when does kissing in an area that's apparently totally empty "sluttish" behavior? I mean, I know that people are more comfortable with public displays of emotion than others, but then we get the explanation for why she's bothered by it
"'Erik, I'm not like Aphrodite.' I pulled harder and he let me go.
'I know you're not. I wouldn't like you if you were like her.'
'I don't just mean my personality. I mean standing out here making out with you isn't normal behavior for me'"
ZeldaQueen: And then she explicitly compares their kissing in public like that to him being blown by Aphrodite in the corridor that day.
I repeat - she has compared their kissing, which was fairly innocent and totally consensual, to a blow job where the girl was ripping his pants off while he kept telling her "no".
And we're supposed to get morals on this sort of stuff from Zoey. Zoey who is perfectly fine with her friends making all sorts of rude and sexual comments about Erik. Zoey, who continues to string along her ex-boyfriend while going for a new guy.
Ms and Ms Cast, I say unto that, bullshit.
Erik actually does point out that difference to Zoey, but he doesn't seem to actually call her out on being such a bitch and just tells her, with "hurt in his eyes" how everything with Aphrodite was physical and he really has feelings for Zoey (God alone knows why). Zoey goes on about his gorgeous blue eyes, before she does admit she was wrong to say that. Ah, one point in her favor at least. Given what I know is coming up though, she still is a fine one to talk.
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Onward to: Chapter 25
Back to: Chapter 23
Back to: Table of Contents