Marked: Chapter 26
ZeldaQueen: In which Zoey is an idiot and more potential plot is forgotten. Also, poor Elliot's untimely death and Zoey's reaction have sparked a number of lovely spite fics. Check out here for one from mogseltof, on Stevie Rae's point of view on Zoey's callous reaction to Elliot's death. Check out the fic here, in which midoriri gave Elliot a friend. And last, but most definitely not least, read this story by emmram, about Elliot's time at the House of Night.
Projection Room Voices: Very nice. Starting Media in 3...2...1...
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Chapter 26
ZeldaQueen: Zoey is going down a corridor when she sees Skylar hissing at something. That something is Aphrodite, who is sitting in the shadows of an alcove, muttering something while her eyes are all rolled back. Zoey realizes that she's having a vision and promptly starts going on about how EVIL Aphrodite is, hiding herself away so no one will see that Something Bad is happening. Given that it sounds like she's having a seizure and we don't know if she is even conscious right now, that comes across as Zoey being overly bitchy and judgmental. Again.
Zoey drags Aphrodite to Neferet, commenting on how Aphrodite is heavier than she looks. In any other case, it would come across as grumbling. Here, it comes across as Zoey mocking Aphrodite for being fat because ew, fat people are losers! Anyway, Neferet gets Aphrodite in a chair and starts asking her what she sees. Aphrodite starts flailing around and prophesying and I'm sorry that this is such a long quote, but it must be seen
"'So much blood! There's so much blood coming out of his body!'
'Who, Aphrodite? Center yourself. Focus and clear the vision," Neferet commanded.
Aphrodite drew another gasping breath. 'They're dead! No. No. That can't be! Not right. No. Not natural! I don't understand…I don't…' She blinked her eyes again, and her gaze seemed to clear. She looked around the room, like she didn't recognize anything. Her eyes touched me. 'You…," she said faintly. "You know.'
'Yeah," I said, thinking that I sure did know that she was trying to hide her vision, but all I said was, 'I found you in the hall and-' Neferet's raised hand stopped me.
'No, she's not finished. She shouldn't be coming to so soon. The vision is still too abstract,' Neferet told me quickly, and then she lowered her voice again and assumed the compelling, commanding tone. 'Aphrodite, go back. See what it is you were meant to witness, and what you were meant to change.'
Ha! Got you now. I couldn't help being a little smug. After all, she had tried to scratch my eyes out yesterday.
'The dead…" Getting more and more difficult to understand, Aphrodite murmured something that sounded like 'Tunnels…they kill…someone there…I don't…I can't…' She was frantic, and I almost felt sorry for her. Clearly, whatever she was seeing was freaking her out. Then her searching eyes found Neferet, and I saw recognition flash through them and I started to relax. She
was coming around and this whole weirdness would be cleared up. And just as I thought that, Aphrodite's eyes, which seemed to be locked on Neferet, widened unbelievably. A look of pure terror blanked her face and she screamed.
Neferet clamped her hands on Aphrodite's trembling shoulders. 'Awaken!' She spared hardly a glance over her shoulder at me to say, 'Go now, Zoey. Her vision is confused. Elliott's death has upset her. I need to be certain she is herself once more.'"
ZeldaQueen: I would like to point out a few things there.
First of all, Zoey's excuse about how Aphrodite is unfit as High Priestess because she ignores the visions is shot to Hell here. It's obvious why she wanted Neferet to know about the vision - she wants to spite Aphrodite. And when it looks like the vision is ending early, she's glad. She thinks it's weird and is happy that it's over. Oh, but what's the thing they missed? The tragedy! They didn't find out what was going on! Zoey doesn't spend two seconds thinking about whatever bad thing is supposed to be happening, and probably will happen because Aphrodite's prophecy didn't get through! She's just smug because she one-upped the Mean Girl. How nice!
Second of all, Aphrodite clearly alludes to the death of a fledgling ("So much blood! There's so much blood coming out of his body!") and then starts gasping about how they should be dead and it's "not natural" and then says that Zoey knows. Zoey has seen the red-eyed ghost of Elizabeth. You know, the girl who should be dead. And she does not make the connection. I'm sure a lot of people would argue that Zoey was freaked out and wouldn't make connections like that on the fly. I could believe that, except that she's going to see another red-eyed ghost before the story's over and she still doesn't get it! In fact, I don't think she even looks back on Aphrodite's prophecy once!
Third of all, on the subject of stupidity, Aphrodite looks straight at Neferet, seems to recognize her, and starts screaming her lungs out. And Zoey still doesn't get that something is up with Neferet. Unbelievable.
*shakes head* And then...we jump ahead to the end of the day. The fuck? We were just around the middle or early morning and now we're at the end of the Equestrian class? What is this, I don't even! Anyway, Zoey is finishing up with brushing Persephone and runs into Stevie Rae, Damine, and the Twins, who were in the process of talking about something. They all shut up and look guilty when Zoey arrives, and...for some reason they ask her what's up with Heath. *scratches head* Seriously? That's what they're worried about? I mean, granted it's understandable to be worried that one's friend might have a crazy stalker, but they're in a guarded school and they've got ghosts running around, why hasn't Stevie Rae brought that up?
Zoey says that Heath always is "buggin" and...the conversation promptly jumps to the Samhain ritual that night. Wait, hold it, can't these people pick a topic and stick to it? So yeah, they start saying how they think all four of them should go with Zoey to the ritual, in case something bad happens to her. Zoey says no way, not because she's worried about their safety, but because she doesn't want them to see her drinking the blood in the wine. Wow. That's...you'd think I'd be desensitized by now to how selfish she is, but it still sneaks up on you. Oh and Zoey? If you don't want them to see you go nutty for blood in wine, don't drink the wine!
Damien insists that everyone's scared and stressed and they'd feel better if Zoey brought them along. Zoey starts angsting to the readers about how they make her feel accepted and she doesn't want to lose that. She finally falls back on "what I had learned to do too well at home when I was scared and upset and didn't know what else to do-I got pissed and defensive". She tells them that if they want her to be High Priestess, they have to listen to her when she says "no" and that this is something she has to do alone. She then stomps off and feels horrible.
Let us pause here. That bit up there about how she goes to being angry as a coping mechanism for being scared or upset? That could be a legitimately interesting character trait which could also be a good flaw that needs to be overcome - that Zoey is a good person but her broken home life has led her to lash out and drive people away when she gets upset, instead of being able to actually communicate with them. Given that we've seen so little of her home life that it comes out of left field and given that it's never brought up for the rest of this book so she learns nothing from it? It's just bull.
So yeah, Zoey is sitting under that same oak tree, fretting and annoying Nala. She wishes that Stevie Rae would come back so she can apologize, and contemplates the idea that her friends would understand her bloodlust. Oh, there's a notion. She also somehow comes to the conclusion that a fledgling either develops bloodlust or dies, and drinking blood isn't as bad as dying, so thus her situation isn't so bad. Or something. I don't know, at least she stops angsting.
Zoey heads back to her dorm with Nala, as she needs to get changed for the ritual. She starts to decide to be less negative, when she notices that Nala is freaking the heck out. Zoey herself goes all scared for no reason, before she sees a red-eyed Elliot wandering around. She goes on about how he seems a little thinner and very pale and has the same musty smell that Elizabeth had. He hisses and she notices that he has fangs.
Zoey starts to scream at Elliot to go away, and meanwhile has some warning bell in her head telling her that this is seriously wrong and not natural and she should be running. Elliot snarls that he will "have [her]" (yeah, you and every other guy in this series, buddy), and starts towards her. At this point, Nala bunches herself up, throws herself at Elliot, and starts clawing away at him. He tosses the cat off and leaps over the wall, while Zoey freaks out and starts to cry.
I would like to repeat that - thus far, the cat has been more heroic than Our Heroine. That is just sad.
Nala comes out and is all freaked out and Zoey makes sure nothing's broken and goes running as fast as she can from the wall. I will give credit, at least Zoey is acting like a person who just had a scare. As she runs, Zoey notices that there's blood on Nala's paws, from when Elliot was clawed.
Back in her dorm, Zoey is all upset and can't find Stevie Rae anywhere. She tries to figure out if that was a ghost or not, and decides that she needs to go see Neferet about this. And then decides not to. No, seriously
"I should go directly to Neferet and tell her what had happened. I should get up right now and take myself and my freaked-out cat to Neferet and tell her about Elizabeth last night and now Elliott tonight. I should… I should…
No. This time it wasn't a scream within me. It was the strength of certainty. I could not tell Neferet, at least not at that moment.
'I have to go to the ritual.' I said aloud the words that were echoing through my mind. 'I have to be at this ritual.'
As I pulled on the black dress and searched around the closet for my ballet flats I felt myself becoming very calm. Things here didn't play by the same rules as they did in my old world-in my old life-and it was time I accepted that and started getting used to it. I had an affinity for the five elements, which meant that I had been gifted with incredible powers by an ancient goddess. As Grandma had reminded me, with great power comes great responsibility. Maybe I was being allowed to see things-like ghosts that didn't act or look or smell like ghosts should-for a reason. I didn't know what that meant yet. Actually, I didn't know much besides the two thoughts that were clearest in my mind: I couldn't tell Neferet, and I had to go to the ritual"
ZeldaQueen: *rubs forehead* Yes Zoey, this is a new world with stuff that you're not familiar with. But guess what? Stevie Rae freaked the heck out when you told her about Elizabeth's ghost. Nala freaked out. You freaked out. You stated quite clearly that you knew that the ghosts were scary and dangerous and an abomination. I think it's safe to say they're not safe, don't just forget about them you twat!!! Oh my God, she's stupid! And it doesn't occur to her that it has something to do with Aphrodite's prophecy, the one where she kept going on about how something was "dead" and "not natural"? Augh!
And I'm fairly sure that these things where she just knows what to do are Nyx telling her or something similar. If that's the case, not only is it lazy writing, but it makes Zoey look like an idiot because she can't figure anything out on her own.
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Onward to: Chapter 27
Back to: Chapter 25
Back to: Table of Contents
Projection Room Voices: Very nice. Starting Media in 3...2...1...
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Chapter 26
ZeldaQueen: Zoey is going down a corridor when she sees Skylar hissing at something. That something is Aphrodite, who is sitting in the shadows of an alcove, muttering something while her eyes are all rolled back. Zoey realizes that she's having a vision and promptly starts going on about how EVIL Aphrodite is, hiding herself away so no one will see that Something Bad is happening. Given that it sounds like she's having a seizure and we don't know if she is even conscious right now, that comes across as Zoey being overly bitchy and judgmental. Again.
Zoey drags Aphrodite to Neferet, commenting on how Aphrodite is heavier than she looks. In any other case, it would come across as grumbling. Here, it comes across as Zoey mocking Aphrodite for being fat because ew, fat people are losers! Anyway, Neferet gets Aphrodite in a chair and starts asking her what she sees. Aphrodite starts flailing around and prophesying and I'm sorry that this is such a long quote, but it must be seen
"'So much blood! There's so much blood coming out of his body!'
'Who, Aphrodite? Center yourself. Focus and clear the vision," Neferet commanded.
Aphrodite drew another gasping breath. 'They're dead! No. No. That can't be! Not right. No. Not natural! I don't understand…I don't…' She blinked her eyes again, and her gaze seemed to clear. She looked around the room, like she didn't recognize anything. Her eyes touched me. 'You…," she said faintly. "You know.'
'Yeah," I said, thinking that I sure did know that she was trying to hide her vision, but all I said was, 'I found you in the hall and-' Neferet's raised hand stopped me.
'No, she's not finished. She shouldn't be coming to so soon. The vision is still too abstract,' Neferet told me quickly, and then she lowered her voice again and assumed the compelling, commanding tone. 'Aphrodite, go back. See what it is you were meant to witness, and what you were meant to change.'
Ha! Got you now. I couldn't help being a little smug. After all, she had tried to scratch my eyes out yesterday.
'The dead…" Getting more and more difficult to understand, Aphrodite murmured something that sounded like 'Tunnels…they kill…someone there…I don't…I can't…' She was frantic, and I almost felt sorry for her. Clearly, whatever she was seeing was freaking her out. Then her searching eyes found Neferet, and I saw recognition flash through them and I started to relax. She
was coming around and this whole weirdness would be cleared up. And just as I thought that, Aphrodite's eyes, which seemed to be locked on Neferet, widened unbelievably. A look of pure terror blanked her face and she screamed.
Neferet clamped her hands on Aphrodite's trembling shoulders. 'Awaken!' She spared hardly a glance over her shoulder at me to say, 'Go now, Zoey. Her vision is confused. Elliott's death has upset her. I need to be certain she is herself once more.'"
ZeldaQueen: I would like to point out a few things there.
First of all, Zoey's excuse about how Aphrodite is unfit as High Priestess because she ignores the visions is shot to Hell here. It's obvious why she wanted Neferet to know about the vision - she wants to spite Aphrodite. And when it looks like the vision is ending early, she's glad. She thinks it's weird and is happy that it's over. Oh, but what's the thing they missed? The tragedy! They didn't find out what was going on! Zoey doesn't spend two seconds thinking about whatever bad thing is supposed to be happening, and probably will happen because Aphrodite's prophecy didn't get through! She's just smug because she one-upped the Mean Girl. How nice!
Second of all, Aphrodite clearly alludes to the death of a fledgling ("So much blood! There's so much blood coming out of his body!") and then starts gasping about how they should be dead and it's "not natural" and then says that Zoey knows. Zoey has seen the red-eyed ghost of Elizabeth. You know, the girl who should be dead. And she does not make the connection. I'm sure a lot of people would argue that Zoey was freaked out and wouldn't make connections like that on the fly. I could believe that, except that she's going to see another red-eyed ghost before the story's over and she still doesn't get it! In fact, I don't think she even looks back on Aphrodite's prophecy once!
Third of all, on the subject of stupidity, Aphrodite looks straight at Neferet, seems to recognize her, and starts screaming her lungs out. And Zoey still doesn't get that something is up with Neferet. Unbelievable.
*shakes head* And then...we jump ahead to the end of the day. The fuck? We were just around the middle or early morning and now we're at the end of the Equestrian class? What is this, I don't even! Anyway, Zoey is finishing up with brushing Persephone and runs into Stevie Rae, Damine, and the Twins, who were in the process of talking about something. They all shut up and look guilty when Zoey arrives, and...for some reason they ask her what's up with Heath. *scratches head* Seriously? That's what they're worried about? I mean, granted it's understandable to be worried that one's friend might have a crazy stalker, but they're in a guarded school and they've got ghosts running around, why hasn't Stevie Rae brought that up?
Zoey says that Heath always is "buggin" and...the conversation promptly jumps to the Samhain ritual that night. Wait, hold it, can't these people pick a topic and stick to it? So yeah, they start saying how they think all four of them should go with Zoey to the ritual, in case something bad happens to her. Zoey says no way, not because she's worried about their safety, but because she doesn't want them to see her drinking the blood in the wine. Wow. That's...you'd think I'd be desensitized by now to how selfish she is, but it still sneaks up on you. Oh and Zoey? If you don't want them to see you go nutty for blood in wine, don't drink the wine!
Damien insists that everyone's scared and stressed and they'd feel better if Zoey brought them along. Zoey starts angsting to the readers about how they make her feel accepted and she doesn't want to lose that. She finally falls back on "what I had learned to do too well at home when I was scared and upset and didn't know what else to do-I got pissed and defensive". She tells them that if they want her to be High Priestess, they have to listen to her when she says "no" and that this is something she has to do alone. She then stomps off and feels horrible.
Let us pause here. That bit up there about how she goes to being angry as a coping mechanism for being scared or upset? That could be a legitimately interesting character trait which could also be a good flaw that needs to be overcome - that Zoey is a good person but her broken home life has led her to lash out and drive people away when she gets upset, instead of being able to actually communicate with them. Given that we've seen so little of her home life that it comes out of left field and given that it's never brought up for the rest of this book so she learns nothing from it? It's just bull.
So yeah, Zoey is sitting under that same oak tree, fretting and annoying Nala. She wishes that Stevie Rae would come back so she can apologize, and contemplates the idea that her friends would understand her bloodlust. Oh, there's a notion. She also somehow comes to the conclusion that a fledgling either develops bloodlust or dies, and drinking blood isn't as bad as dying, so thus her situation isn't so bad. Or something. I don't know, at least she stops angsting.
Zoey heads back to her dorm with Nala, as she needs to get changed for the ritual. She starts to decide to be less negative, when she notices that Nala is freaking the heck out. Zoey herself goes all scared for no reason, before she sees a red-eyed Elliot wandering around. She goes on about how he seems a little thinner and very pale and has the same musty smell that Elizabeth had. He hisses and she notices that he has fangs.
Zoey starts to scream at Elliot to go away, and meanwhile has some warning bell in her head telling her that this is seriously wrong and not natural and she should be running. Elliot snarls that he will "have [her]" (yeah, you and every other guy in this series, buddy), and starts towards her. At this point, Nala bunches herself up, throws herself at Elliot, and starts clawing away at him. He tosses the cat off and leaps over the wall, while Zoey freaks out and starts to cry.
I would like to repeat that - thus far, the cat has been more heroic than Our Heroine. That is just sad.
Nala comes out and is all freaked out and Zoey makes sure nothing's broken and goes running as fast as she can from the wall. I will give credit, at least Zoey is acting like a person who just had a scare. As she runs, Zoey notices that there's blood on Nala's paws, from when Elliot was clawed.
Back in her dorm, Zoey is all upset and can't find Stevie Rae anywhere. She tries to figure out if that was a ghost or not, and decides that she needs to go see Neferet about this. And then decides not to. No, seriously
"I should go directly to Neferet and tell her what had happened. I should get up right now and take myself and my freaked-out cat to Neferet and tell her about Elizabeth last night and now Elliott tonight. I should… I should…
No. This time it wasn't a scream within me. It was the strength of certainty. I could not tell Neferet, at least not at that moment.
'I have to go to the ritual.' I said aloud the words that were echoing through my mind. 'I have to be at this ritual.'
As I pulled on the black dress and searched around the closet for my ballet flats I felt myself becoming very calm. Things here didn't play by the same rules as they did in my old world-in my old life-and it was time I accepted that and started getting used to it. I had an affinity for the five elements, which meant that I had been gifted with incredible powers by an ancient goddess. As Grandma had reminded me, with great power comes great responsibility. Maybe I was being allowed to see things-like ghosts that didn't act or look or smell like ghosts should-for a reason. I didn't know what that meant yet. Actually, I didn't know much besides the two thoughts that were clearest in my mind: I couldn't tell Neferet, and I had to go to the ritual"
ZeldaQueen: *rubs forehead* Yes Zoey, this is a new world with stuff that you're not familiar with. But guess what? Stevie Rae freaked the heck out when you told her about Elizabeth's ghost. Nala freaked out. You freaked out. You stated quite clearly that you knew that the ghosts were scary and dangerous and an abomination. I think it's safe to say they're not safe, don't just forget about them you twat!!! Oh my God, she's stupid! And it doesn't occur to her that it has something to do with Aphrodite's prophecy, the one where she kept going on about how something was "dead" and "not natural"? Augh!
And I'm fairly sure that these things where she just knows what to do are Nyx telling her or something similar. If that's the case, not only is it lazy writing, but it makes Zoey look like an idiot because she can't figure anything out on her own.
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Onward to: Chapter 27
Back to: Chapter 25
Back to: Table of Contents