Marked: Chapter 27
ZeldaQueen: In which, two chapters from the end of the story, we nearly reach the climax
Projection Room Voices: Starting Media in 3...2...1...
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Chapter 27
ZeldaQueen: We open right up with Aphrodite being a Scary Sue, making some lame "scathing" remark about how Zoey basically stole the dress she was given at the last ritual. Yet again, we're supposed to think that Aphrodite is so scary, yet the Cast ladies have fallen to the most basic Suethor technique of making their Scary Sues into tantrumy brats. Also, Zoey is insulted because Aphrodite speaks to her like an adult talking to a child. This would be fine, except that Zoey feels the need to bring up the fact that she has boobs as proof of her maturity. I think I'm going to start a boob count in the next book.
Zoey proceeds to be equally childish and makes a very lame jab at Aphrodite's hospitality, citing her Vamp Sociology textbook on how the leader of the Dark Daughters must make new members feel welcome. Zoey then makes the charming move of saying "And I must say you look better than you did the last time I saw you". Aphrodite noticeably pales at this and Zoey apologizes, only for Aphrodite to go tell her to fuck herself and storm off. We're supposed to think better of Zoey for this, that she takes no pleasure in taunting others and is trying to extend a hand of friendship towards Aphrodite, but Aphrodite is just a bitch who is ignoring that. I would like to remind the Cast ladies that Zoey just taunted Aphrodite about what seemed to basically be a seizure mixed with horrific visions of death and destruction. That, doubled with the fact that Zoey spent the entirety of said last meeting being a smug brat, leaves me with no sympathy for Zoey.
Aphrodite proceeds to act Scary and gets all attention on herself. Zoey takes time to comment on how tight-fitting her red dress is and wonders if she shops at the "Goth ho store". Aphrodite, meanwhile, starts to deliver a eulogy of sorts for Elizabeth and Elliot, which can more or less be summed up as "Elizabeth was nice and Elliot had nummy blood, still better them than us". Zoey promptly starts taking the higher ground on this, even though she still says that no one at all liked Elliot and "The kid was annoying and unattractive (and his ghost or whatever seemed to be carrying on those traits)".
There's then a shift in mood, as Aphrodite announces that it's time for Samhain, baby! Time to honor their vampiric ancestors and shake it up, yo! There's a pointless mention of how everyone is ignoring Zoey, which I guess is supposed to show how isolated she is, except that she hardly said two words to most of those people throughout the entire book. Everyone starts chanting about how they're going to celebrate by going out and Aphrodite gives a laugh which Zoey describes as "too sexual to be appropriate". And then Zoey starts going on about how it looks like Aphrodite was touching herself. JESUS CHRIST, MS AND MS CAST, WILL YOU PUT A LID ON IT?
We then get Aphrodite making a big deal out of how they're going out and OH YEAH, THEY HAVE A NEW REFRIGERATOR, HOW ABOUT THAT? Specifically, it's a "new little refrigerator". Keep that phrase in mind, ladies and gentlemen. Zoey is all disgusted and feels sorry because THERE'S A NEW KID WHO IS A REFRIGERATOR, WHAT A SAD FATE, WHOEVER COULD IT BE? *shakes head* I'm sorry, the foreshadowing just whacked me upside the head.
Everyone starts running off to this mysterious ritual location and Zoey seriously contemplates just running back to the dorm, apologizing to her friends, and telling them about Elliot. Except that the Mysterious Sixth Sense that she has randomly acquired keeps telling her to go to the ritual. And then Erik shows up and she melts and goes with him.
They get to the wall surrounding the school and we find out that there's a secret door in the wall, which the Dark Daughters and Sons use to sneak out. It's automated, like a car door, and while the teachers know about it, they aren't official involved with it and mostly just turn a blind eye.
I would like to repeat that - the Dark Daughters and Sons apparently fixed a wall with an automated secret door and somehow did it secretly enough that almost all of the student body doesn't know about it and the teachers can pretend that they don't know about it.
I hate this book.
So yeah, Erik says that the teachers are fine with them sneaking out, just so long as they don't do anything "too stupid". Given the intelligence and subtlety of these morons, it's a wonder that line hasn't been crossed long ago. They wander into Tulsa and we are told that it's four-thirty AM. Keep that in mind as well. Anyway, we get a lot of purple prose about how creepy it is to be sneaking through yards and whatnot so late at night, and the narrative is pretty nice here. There's also some stuff about how knight-like Erik looks in the dark, which isn't as nice but I suppose is a step up from describing him as an actual Greek god.
By this point, Zoey realizes that they're breaking into the Philbrook Museum. Zoey freaks out and tells Erik that they'll be in a lot of trouble if they're caught. He says that they won't be caught, because Aphrodite drugged them all. Aphrodite slipped out of school, broke into a museum, managed to drug the same guards who would be on shift when she was coming back for the ritual, and got back to school. Without tripping any alarms, getting caught on security cameras, or causing any commotion. Apparently these guards don't have people checking in with them either.
I'd head desk, but you know, by now I'm too worn down. You'll just have to do your own.
Zoey starts privately freaking out about how calm Erik is about drugging guards, and if it were any other character, I'd chalk it up to human empathy. The way she says it though, it sounds like she's soapboxing about how she knows better! This is not helped by her immediately going on an internal rant about how this is another thing she'll be changing when she's High Priestess, before comparing the Dark Daughters to the People of Faith. Oh yay, I almost forgot about them. *rolls eyes*
They finally stop at a...gazebo? The hell? Weren't they just in the museum? Did they walk through the museum? I mean, they describe the gazebo as being "situated at the bottom of the gentle slope that led up to the museum". Are they supposed to be in the museum's backyard? Where is this?
Gawd. The ritual is all set up in this gazebo, complete with some kid in a black cloak all huddled over like Elliot was. Of course, now Zoey shows sympathy for whoever it is and actually wonders if the blood drawing thing had any effect on Elliot's early death.
Aphrodite and her buddies step up and make the circle and start calling for the spirits of their ancestors to show up. Zoey is all creeped out, but at the same time is interested and thinks that it might lead to a clue about the ghosts she's been seeing. You know, the ones she's been ignoring? And surely nothing bad will happen! After all, they've been doing this ritual for years now, so it's certainly not like something bad will happen here, no sireebob! Zoey also goes on about how Aphrodite is a total bully who is all talk under the swagger and so surely she'd never call anything tougher than her in! So yeah, it's all cool, nothing bad is going to happen!
Yes, this is all that obvious.
The ritual has started and we are once again bashed over the head with how Zoey feels all of the elements. She starts to feel positive about the future because SURELY NOTHING BAD WILL HAPPEN, and is annoyed that Erik is only looking at Aphrodite, because "wasn't he supposed to be sneaking looks at me, too?"
By this point, Aphrodite is burning sweet grass for the ritual. Zoey starts to panic because with her Magic Cherokee Knowledge, she knows that sweet grass can summon any kinds of spirits and thus it should only be used after one has burned sage to purify the area. Why no, I'm sure there's no reason why this is being brought up here and now! Zoey certainly doesn't. Nope, she decides that it's too late to say anything, so she just keeps quiet.
Aphrodite gives a prayer to call back the spirits of their vampire ancestors and a bunch of humanoid, smokey beings come forth. They're definitely different than what Elizabeth or Elliot looked like, so Zoey starts to relax. Aphrodite is just about to offer then a cup of blood and wine when OH LOOK, HERE'S HEATH! Apparently he decided to go visiting the museum at four-thirty in the morning, on the off chance that his ex-girlfriend was going to be there
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Onward to: Chapter 28
Back to: Chapter 26
Back to: Table of Contents
Projection Room Voices: Starting Media in 3...2...1...
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Chapter 27
ZeldaQueen: We open right up with Aphrodite being a Scary Sue, making some lame "scathing" remark about how Zoey basically stole the dress she was given at the last ritual. Yet again, we're supposed to think that Aphrodite is so scary, yet the Cast ladies have fallen to the most basic Suethor technique of making their Scary Sues into tantrumy brats. Also, Zoey is insulted because Aphrodite speaks to her like an adult talking to a child. This would be fine, except that Zoey feels the need to bring up the fact that she has boobs as proof of her maturity. I think I'm going to start a boob count in the next book.
Zoey proceeds to be equally childish and makes a very lame jab at Aphrodite's hospitality, citing her Vamp Sociology textbook on how the leader of the Dark Daughters must make new members feel welcome. Zoey then makes the charming move of saying "And I must say you look better than you did the last time I saw you". Aphrodite noticeably pales at this and Zoey apologizes, only for Aphrodite to go tell her to fuck herself and storm off. We're supposed to think better of Zoey for this, that she takes no pleasure in taunting others and is trying to extend a hand of friendship towards Aphrodite, but Aphrodite is just a bitch who is ignoring that. I would like to remind the Cast ladies that Zoey just taunted Aphrodite about what seemed to basically be a seizure mixed with horrific visions of death and destruction. That, doubled with the fact that Zoey spent the entirety of said last meeting being a smug brat, leaves me with no sympathy for Zoey.
Aphrodite proceeds to act Scary and gets all attention on herself. Zoey takes time to comment on how tight-fitting her red dress is and wonders if she shops at the "Goth ho store". Aphrodite, meanwhile, starts to deliver a eulogy of sorts for Elizabeth and Elliot, which can more or less be summed up as "Elizabeth was nice and Elliot had nummy blood, still better them than us". Zoey promptly starts taking the higher ground on this, even though she still says that no one at all liked Elliot and "The kid was annoying and unattractive (and his ghost or whatever seemed to be carrying on those traits)".
There's then a shift in mood, as Aphrodite announces that it's time for Samhain, baby! Time to honor their vampiric ancestors and shake it up, yo! There's a pointless mention of how everyone is ignoring Zoey, which I guess is supposed to show how isolated she is, except that she hardly said two words to most of those people throughout the entire book. Everyone starts chanting about how they're going to celebrate by going out and Aphrodite gives a laugh which Zoey describes as "too sexual to be appropriate". And then Zoey starts going on about how it looks like Aphrodite was touching herself. JESUS CHRIST, MS AND MS CAST, WILL YOU PUT A LID ON IT?
We then get Aphrodite making a big deal out of how they're going out and OH YEAH, THEY HAVE A NEW REFRIGERATOR, HOW ABOUT THAT? Specifically, it's a "new little refrigerator". Keep that phrase in mind, ladies and gentlemen. Zoey is all disgusted and feels sorry because THERE'S A NEW KID WHO IS A REFRIGERATOR, WHAT A SAD FATE, WHOEVER COULD IT BE? *shakes head* I'm sorry, the foreshadowing just whacked me upside the head.
Everyone starts running off to this mysterious ritual location and Zoey seriously contemplates just running back to the dorm, apologizing to her friends, and telling them about Elliot. Except that the Mysterious Sixth Sense that she has randomly acquired keeps telling her to go to the ritual. And then Erik shows up and she melts and goes with him.
They get to the wall surrounding the school and we find out that there's a secret door in the wall, which the Dark Daughters and Sons use to sneak out. It's automated, like a car door, and while the teachers know about it, they aren't official involved with it and mostly just turn a blind eye.
I would like to repeat that - the Dark Daughters and Sons apparently fixed a wall with an automated secret door and somehow did it secretly enough that almost all of the student body doesn't know about it and the teachers can pretend that they don't know about it.
I hate this book.
So yeah, Erik says that the teachers are fine with them sneaking out, just so long as they don't do anything "too stupid". Given the intelligence and subtlety of these morons, it's a wonder that line hasn't been crossed long ago. They wander into Tulsa and we are told that it's four-thirty AM. Keep that in mind as well. Anyway, we get a lot of purple prose about how creepy it is to be sneaking through yards and whatnot so late at night, and the narrative is pretty nice here. There's also some stuff about how knight-like Erik looks in the dark, which isn't as nice but I suppose is a step up from describing him as an actual Greek god.
By this point, Zoey realizes that they're breaking into the Philbrook Museum. Zoey freaks out and tells Erik that they'll be in a lot of trouble if they're caught. He says that they won't be caught, because Aphrodite drugged them all. Aphrodite slipped out of school, broke into a museum, managed to drug the same guards who would be on shift when she was coming back for the ritual, and got back to school. Without tripping any alarms, getting caught on security cameras, or causing any commotion. Apparently these guards don't have people checking in with them either.
I'd head desk, but you know, by now I'm too worn down. You'll just have to do your own.
Zoey starts privately freaking out about how calm Erik is about drugging guards, and if it were any other character, I'd chalk it up to human empathy. The way she says it though, it sounds like she's soapboxing about how she knows better! This is not helped by her immediately going on an internal rant about how this is another thing she'll be changing when she's High Priestess, before comparing the Dark Daughters to the People of Faith. Oh yay, I almost forgot about them. *rolls eyes*
They finally stop at a...gazebo? The hell? Weren't they just in the museum? Did they walk through the museum? I mean, they describe the gazebo as being "situated at the bottom of the gentle slope that led up to the museum". Are they supposed to be in the museum's backyard? Where is this?
Gawd. The ritual is all set up in this gazebo, complete with some kid in a black cloak all huddled over like Elliot was. Of course, now Zoey shows sympathy for whoever it is and actually wonders if the blood drawing thing had any effect on Elliot's early death.
Aphrodite and her buddies step up and make the circle and start calling for the spirits of their ancestors to show up. Zoey is all creeped out, but at the same time is interested and thinks that it might lead to a clue about the ghosts she's been seeing. You know, the ones she's been ignoring? And surely nothing bad will happen! After all, they've been doing this ritual for years now, so it's certainly not like something bad will happen here, no sireebob! Zoey also goes on about how Aphrodite is a total bully who is all talk under the swagger and so surely she'd never call anything tougher than her in! So yeah, it's all cool, nothing bad is going to happen!
Yes, this is all that obvious.
The ritual has started and we are once again bashed over the head with how Zoey feels all of the elements. She starts to feel positive about the future because SURELY NOTHING BAD WILL HAPPEN, and is annoyed that Erik is only looking at Aphrodite, because "wasn't he supposed to be sneaking looks at me, too?"
By this point, Aphrodite is burning sweet grass for the ritual. Zoey starts to panic because with her Magic Cherokee Knowledge, she knows that sweet grass can summon any kinds of spirits and thus it should only be used after one has burned sage to purify the area. Why no, I'm sure there's no reason why this is being brought up here and now! Zoey certainly doesn't. Nope, she decides that it's too late to say anything, so she just keeps quiet.
Aphrodite gives a prayer to call back the spirits of their vampire ancestors and a bunch of humanoid, smokey beings come forth. They're definitely different than what Elizabeth or Elliot looked like, so Zoey starts to relax. Aphrodite is just about to offer then a cup of blood and wine when OH LOOK, HERE'S HEATH! Apparently he decided to go visiting the museum at four-thirty in the morning, on the off chance that his ex-girlfriend was going to be there
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Onward to: Chapter 28
Back to: Chapter 26
Back to: Table of Contents