The Slave Trade

[peppermintyrose]

This was something born out of an upcoming post that just ran away from me, about the differences between how male and female characters are treated, and it lead me to thinking about giving this particular issue its own post. There will be another one in a day or two on broader issues

Comments

[thyradane]

I`ve had quite a lot of people ask me how I know Eric could have gotten out of the deal and one even assumed it was Bill who`d lied to her. It isn`t stated on the page that he could - or what the costs would be if he did get out of the deal - but I find it fairly clear that he could. If it had indeed been a sexual slavery then he would not have been able to bargain or discuss the deal. The deal would have been done.

What I find interesting is what he gets out of the deal and I wish we knew more about that. I mean, he could feel obligated like people are in certain countries when their parents are lining up cousins for them to marry but there must have been more to it. I`m taking a shot at it in my story - finding a possible (but not CH likely) explanation ;-)

And I love Be There too :-D

[peppermintyrose]

It's possible he'd have to pay a huge fine, but I don't know. Vampire marriage contracts are complex. As for Bill lying? It was Pam who said what the original deal was in DEA. The faulty reasoning seems to come in when they think of Eric as some sort of paragon of not fucking, when he clearly fucked a few women we know in Sookie's life.

Oh, I'd say that she'd be generous with him. She wanted Eric for years, so I can see her showering him with gifts. I'd say that her understanding of his need for somewhat autonomy lead her to give him his own area. He'd be Sheriff of Oklahoma City, while she's Queen, or something like that. So he could still micromanage, which would make him happy.

It's a great story! Ooshka is the best. :D

[ext_1537738]

Don't know whether to love you or hate you, but you now have me reading fanfic.

[peppermintyrose]

Love me if it's something I recommend, hate me if it's not. It can get pretty bad outside my recommendations. :D

[the_real_e_f_m]

Most people touting that narrative nonsense about also proudly boast about how they haven't read DEA. I wonder if they've read any of the other books too sometimes. Vamp on vamp isn't all that common and probably after some pre/post nuptial sack time both Freyda and Eric will be off doing other people - human people not other vamps. Lots of FF, and many of the nutters spouting the sex slave shit, only seem to look at Eric's attributes that lie just south of his waistband. They're just as bad as they make Freyda out to be.
I'm also happy Thyra is writing again :D

[peppermintyrose]

Oh yes - completely sensible not to read the book and then talk about it with authority. And yeah - I wonder if they've read any of the other books too.

They seem to have moralised Eric's sexuality into the stratosphere. He's such a monogamous guy he's going to be a born again virgin for the next 200 years out of love for Sookie? That doesn't even seem like Eric for goodness sake. And yet, at the same time, there's this pervasive theme that Sookie was never "out there" enough for Eric, because she wouldn't do anal (Lol). I'm sure that without the requirement of monogamy, Eric will be free to do as he likes. And yeah - it seems like "Gracious Plenty" (which is what Eric seems to be called in these instances) is way more important than the man himself.

I'm only reading her post-DEA fic, and I've given up on everyone else except my favourite authors. I don't want to read a Sookie grovelling to Eric. Blech.

[the_real_e_f_m]

Indeed! Sookie can never self-flagellate enough for some people - because there's 13 books describing in detail how she does this to herself all the time proving just how unworthy she is! *sigh

[peppermintyrose]

She never does anything right!!!1

[fffbone]

It never crossed my mind that Eric would be a sex slave. I only found out when everyone started saying it. I thought I missed something somewhere.
What I didn't realized was Eric did have a choice. I really thought he would try. lmao silly me.

Now this I thought about. Horst (think that's what the vampires name was)Tried to get to Sookie's house. But the wards stopped him because he has a soul. Why was he there. Was he going to attack Sookie and void the contract. Did FDC send him?
This is so off the subject. Got off track. That's what I'm thinking about.

[peppermintyrose]

Lol - well that just goes to show you what a logical conclusion it is, built on prejudice and bias.

Unfortunately, he did have a choice. I hope he never stops to think about it, because he's lost his chance for what I think he should value. And it would be sad if he grasped that.

There are a couple of possibilities for why Horst was there, and the information is slim pickings. Most of the information is second hand, which means we don't have anything to go by out of anyone's mouth - just interpretations. Also, vampires lie their arses off.

1. As Thyra suggested, Felipe was trying to break the contract himself.
2. Horst was trying to overthrow Felipe, or weaken his position, since Felipe threw him under the bus over Eric's complaints to Victor.
3. Horst was trying to make some sort of deal with Sookie himself, and then just bullshitted his way out of it.
4. Horst is an idiot and was telling the truth. He didn't seem particularly politically cogent, and so it's a possibility.

[fffbone]

I think 3. is out. The wards wouldn't have affected him if he weren't there with malice aforethought.
-chicpea.

[peppermintyrose]

It depends if he was going to threaten her for her compliance. Horst didn't seem to grasp her threat when Felipe told him.

[anonymous]

Yeah, a chilling double standard. And then there’s the blood bond.

Good point about Aude, too. Eric has a whole set of cultural influences from his human days that’s been discounted.

Bill says that Eric wanted to know that Sookie would have been *willing* to use the CD on his behalf. The key there is that Eric wanted Sookie to lay it all out for him-not that he actually wanted to get out of the Freyda deal. I do wonder how much backpedaling he would have done if Sookie had actually offered the CD to him for that purpose. JanineMNM

[peppermintyrose]

Ha - yes - yet another set of supernatural shackles that limit the way you think about the guy, and make you happy he's killing people - EMBRACE IT BITCH! IT COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE BAD!

I'm sure that he doesn't see it all that differently. Except this time, throw in a healthy dose of "Felipe won't torture me".

I wondered about that too. The hopeful fangirl assumes that that's all it needed for Eric to stay - that once Sookie offered it up, it would have been an easy choice - but I think that's just all excuses. I mean, this non-evil blood bond, and he couldn't tell how Sookie *really* felt about him, so he needed reassurance that she would give up everything of value? I don't think it would have been the reassurance fangirls seem to think it was. It wouldn't have been a done deal. And I notice that he made it all contingent on the cluviel dor without offering what he'd gone above and beyond to prove he would have stayed.

[anonymous]

Man, I can't keep up with anything - my writing, your posts, just life in general. Big kid had surgery last week so everything went on hold for a bit while I sat and watched many episodes of MasterChef with her which ended in me serving her fish bites and peas and her turning to her sister and saying "I don't think much of the presentation, do you?" So, she's recovered :D

But yeah, this stupid fucking idea is about where I lost patience with the so-called 'fandom' and it just leaves a sour taste in my mouth. What copious shit they all spout.
Ooshka

[peppermintyrose]

I promise, it'll all wait for you, and I reply no matter how behind someone is. Someone else only just finished the book and posted on the first post from almost a month ago, so you're not doing too badly.

I'm glad she's all better again, and critiquing the MasterChef presentation. Lol.

I'm just glad that I don't know any of them in real life, otherwise one poor reader would bear my wrath for all of it. And I'm with you on losing a huge amount of respect for these people - the hypocrisy is astounding.

[ext_1537738]

Hey, that's me who is incredibly bad at keeping up and just posts anyway ;) Might make a habit of it and dredge up old posts :p

[peppermintyrose]

Lol - you're not the worst. I had someone comment once months after I posted. :D