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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_FRBhS577oquote:With shaky legs, ignoring the fact that my action was useless, I followed him into the forest. The evidence of his path had disappeared instantly. There were no footprints, the leaves were still again, but I walked forward without thinking. I could not do anything else. I had to keep moving. If I stopped looking for him, it was over. So along with not communicating with Bella and abandoning her in the hopes that they'll wipe themselves from her existence soon, the Cullens also just left a clumsy girl with no sense of direction stranded in the woods at night! quote:As I lay there, I had a feeling that more time was passing than I realized. I couldn’t remember how long it had been since nightfall. Was it always so dark here at night? Surely, as a rule, some little bit of moonlight would filter down through the clouds, through the chinks in the canopy of trees, and find the ground. Some people who aren't familiar with the books may take New Moon as a symbol of something new appearing in Bella's life. It was actually meant by Meyer to signify that Bella is at the darkest, lowest point of her life. quote:It was black for a long time before I heard them calling. Someone was shouting my name. It was muted, muffled by the wet growth that surrounded me, but it was definitely my name. I didn’t recognize the voice. I thought about answering, but I was dazed, and it took a long time to come to the conclusion that I should answer. By then, the calling had stopped. It's the replacement Cullens! quote:The rain continued, and I could feel the water pooling up against my cheek. I was trying to gather the strength to turn my head when I saw the light.  Sam is another case of an incidental cast change. In the Twilight film adaptation, an anonymous friend of Jacob's played by 24-year-old Solomon Trimble was widely accepted by fans as an unnamed Sam. He's of Lakota and Apache descent and has been a traditional Grass Dancer since he was 3. He would continue to act intermittently in later years, but seems to have dedicated most of his time to professional work in improving life for Native Americans on reservations through Project Venture and university research. For New Moon, Chaske Spencer was brought in to replace the stringy and boyish Solomon with someone who looks like he can tear a truck in half through sheer tenacity. quote:There was nothing familiar about his name. I'm really not feeling Meyer actually putting Bella's sorrow into words here. quote:“Bella, honey, are you all right?” Charlie doesn't deserve any of this. quote:He walked slowly, struggling. I wished I could tell him to put me down and let me walk, but I couldn’t find my voice. Not with Edward gone!  quote:“That doesn’t matter.” His voice was gruff. And then he was talking to someone else. “Blankets are in the cupboard at the top of the stairs.” Also, who the hell is Dr. Gerandy? quote:It took me a minute to think that through. I was confused by the memory of Sam Uley’s similar question in the woods. Only Sam had asked something else: Have you been hurt? he’d said. I guess they were just hoping she wouldn't get eaten by a bear or trip and crack her head on a rock like she almost did! quote:Charlie was the closest. He leaned in to hear my answer. As we'll see in the next chapter, there's a lot wrong with her! quote:There was a creaking sound as they both pushed off from the couch to get to their feet. I wonder how differently this book would have turned out if Bella actually showed some assertiveness and tried to talk to the Cullens herself. Edward would obviously be against it because he's permanently an emotionally-stunted child who'd rather brood about how much of a monster he is, but all of the other Cullens (minus Rosalie) seem to be far more open to Bella as a person. Esme, in particular, seems to view herself as a surrogate mother figure. There's no doubt Jasper feels awful, but showing compassion and forgiveness could help him overcome his self-doubt. In short, this entire plot is occurring because Bella was written to just stay on the sidelines and let everything happen. When she could have been written as tougher and more willing to insert herself in the conversation, she instead spends days letting Edward's cryptic emo brooding control everything until it's too late. While the basic concept of New Moon ("What if true love leaves you?") is interesting, it requires Meyer to once again keep Bella weak and remove her agency from the plot to allow it to happen. quote:I didn’t want to listen anymore. I felt around for the edge of the quilt someone had laid on top of me, and pulled it over my ear. I drifted in and out of alertness. I heard Charlie whisper thanks to the volunteers as, one by one, they left. I felt his fingers on my forehead, and then the weight of another blanket. The phone rang a few times, and he hurried to catch it before it could wake me. He muttered reassurances in a low voice to the callers. Is fire just not a thing in Forks? quote:I listened with more interest as he punched in a number. You shouldn't have given that answer! quote:There was only one piece of news I could think of, try as I might not to. And then the pieces snapped together. “Because the Cullens left,” I whispered. “They don’t like the Cullens in La Push—I’d forgotten about that.” Can you really call it a "superstition" if you know for a fact that at least half of it is true? quote:“It’s ridiculous,” Charlie spluttered. At least they were charitable enough to not abandon her completely. Though with the sense of direction she showed in Port Angeles, she could have wandered all the way to the Pacific in a daze. quote:“When you didn’t come back, I called the Cullens, and no one answered,” Charlie said in a low voice. “Then I called the hospital, and Dr. Gerandy told me that Carlisle was gone.” By Bella standards, "within sight of the house" may as well be "dropped in the middle of nowhere with a black bag on her head." quote:Charlie started to say something; childishly, I covered my ears. “I can’t talk about this anymore, Dad. I want to go to my room.” Clearly the best way to get her over this relationship! Nothing bad could ever come from that! quote:I felt the smooth wooden floor beneath my knees, and then the palms of my hands, and then it was pressed against the skin of my cheek. I hoped that I was fainting, but, to my disappointment, I didn’t lose consciousness. The waves of pain that had only lapped at me before now reared high up and washed over my head, pulling me under.
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Aug 20, 2019 15:41
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Thanks, I hate it. Even with editorial oversight.
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Aug 22, 2019 00:45
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I have really been enjoying this thread. I read these shortly after the last one came out, and it turns out they suck just as much now as they did on release. I didn't outright hate the first one, but the rest... And for those of you who haven't read the books and are waiting for things to get even worse on every conceivable level, loving strap in.
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Aug 22, 2019 01:16
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Yeah I have never seen the movies nor read the books so this is a treat!
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Aug 22, 2019 02:20
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One piece of credit I will give Meyer is that the transition to the next chapter is actually pretty well done. I'll be posting screenshots of the pages to start the next post so you get the same experience as if you read the book.
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Aug 22, 2019 02:24
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    Chapter 4: Waking Up quote:Time passes. Even when it seems impossible. Even when each tick of the second hand aches like the pulse of blood behind a bruise. It passes unevenly, in strange lurches and dragging lulls, but pass it does. Even for me. Sometimes, the writing works. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4gEFZ0TJ8o quote:Charlie's fist came down on the table. "That's it, Bella! I’m sending you home.” Be careful what you wish for. quote:That stung a bit. I’d been careful to avoid all forms of moroseness, moping included. And she was so lively normally? quote:This accusation struck home. I sighed and tried to put some animation into my response. While Charlie has trouble grasping the implications of depression, this is a clear sign that Bella's problem isn't just regular teenage angst. I went through a nasty breakup with my fiancee, but the depression subsided for the most part after a few weeks. Someone remaining this depressed after 4 months when she hadn't even been in the relationship for a year is indicative of serious problems. quote:“I know that.” My accompanying grimace was limp and unimpressive. Yes, that's the right response! quote:“You want me to see a shrink?” My voice was a shade sharper as I realized what he was getting at. That's the wrong response! quote:I didn’t know much about psychoanalysis, but I was pretty sure that it didn’t work unless the subject was relatively honest. Sure, I could tell the truth—if I wanted to spend the rest of my life in a padded cell. And there's Bella approaching from the exact wrong direction. Her depression doesn't have any clear connection to Edward and his family's supernatural status, beyond maybe his supernaturally good looks. It's about how she tied her entire sense of self and purpose to him to the point where a breakup after a few months would utterly destroy her. Their unhealthy relationship and her obsessive behavior are independent of any blood drinking. quote:He examined my obstinate expression, and switched to another line of attack. That's an interesting and telling thing to note. "Pretended to be dense." Bella's arguing isn't just her being irrational and mentally ill. She knows what she's saying and doing and intentionally manipulating the conversation. quote:“I want you to be happy—no, not even that much. I just want you not to be miserable. I think you’ll have a better chance if you get out of Forks.” Charlie is a lot more clever than people give him credit for. quote:I glowered at him. The heat almost, but not quite, reached my face. It had been a long time since I’d blushed with any emotion. This would be a lot more shocking if Bella hadn't been so awful to her dad in the last book. It just sounds like she reverted to her personality from the first chapter! quote:In my haste to get away from Charlie, I ended up being one of the first ones to school. The plus side was that I got a really good parking spot. The downside was that I had free time on my hands, and I tried to avoid free time at all costs. Communism: Better Than Romance! quote:Time moved easily while I was in school. The bell rang all too soon. I started repacking my bag. Having such easy access to Bella's head casts an unfavorable light on her. Ordinarily you would think that the "friend who can't understand depression and gets upset about you being depressed" would be depicted as the one in the wrong, but we've already seen how aware Bella is of her actions and what she says. Instead of coming off as deep in depression, she comes off as manipulative. quote:I wasn’t about to face Charlie again without some kind of social interaction to report. I knew I couldn’t lie, though the thought of driving to Port Angeles and back alone—being sure my odometer reflected the correct mileage, just in case he checked—was very tempting. Jessica’s mom was the biggest gossip in town, and Charlie was bound to run into Mrs. Stanley sooner rather than later. When he did, he would no doubt mention the trip. Lying was out. That's a first! quote:With a sigh, I shoved the door open. So do you not actually like her, or.... quote:She seemed a little mollified. “Well, I don’t know.” Technically it never got into theaters hey-yo! hahahaha we're all gonna die quote:“Oh.” I frowned. “Is there anything you’d like to see?” Technically the Cullens are zombies so... quote:“Okay.” She seemed surprised by my response. I tried to remember if I liked scary movies, but I wasn’t sure. “Do you want me to pick you up after school?” she offered. This is what we call "dissociation." quote:I didn’t fight the haze as I turned to my closet. The numbness was more essential in some places than in others. I barely registered what I was looking at as I slid the door aside to reveal the pile of rubbish on the left side of my closet, under the clothes I never wore. I can't help but imagine Emmett desperately searching through the trash for her old radio to try and put it back in after the breakup. quote:I yanked the old purse I rarely used off the nail it hung from, and shoved the door shut. She's too emo even for Linkin Park now! quote:I scanned through the stations until I found one that was harmless. I peeked at Jess’s expression as the new music filled the car. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79M2lSVZiY4 quote:It would be much too hard to interact with Jessica normally if I had to work to tune out the music, too. I nodded my head, hoping I was in time with the beat. This is just embarrassing now. quote:“So what’s up with you and Mike these days?” I asked quickly. In case you forgot, Eric is the "geeky chess club type" Bella was so disparaging of for being friendly toward her, played by Justin Chon in the movies. As you can probably guess from the last name and Meyer's dream casting she revealed, she imagined every single character who wasn't a Quileute as white. quote:She launched into her tale, and I settled into my seat, more comfortable now. I paid strict attention, murmuring in sympathy and gasping in horror as called for. When she was finished with her Eric story, she continued into a Conner comparison without any prodding. No, it'll just make it worse! quote:I was happy to go along with whatever she wanted; after all, I was getting what I wanted—Charlie off my back. Which is the part that would remind her of Edward more? quote:She looked at me with wide eyes that were almost alarmed. “I’m sure that part’s coming,” she whispered. That's a movie that doesn't miss any beats! 10 minutes of character building and 75 minutes of zombies! quote:“Long line.” I offered her some popcorn. She took a handful. I dunno, Edward was pretty emotionless when he wasn't angry. quote:I stood up. “Where are you going? There’s, like, two minutes left,” Jess hissed. Surprise, vampires in this universe are animated corpses! quote:It was depressing to realize that I wasn’t the heroine anymore, that my story was over. Maybe that's why Mike and Eric went for Jessica instead... quote:I shrugged. “Just scared.” If you were hoping anyone in this book would communicate to solve problems, prepare to be disappointed. quote:“Where do you want to eat?” Jess asked. Or maybe Pete has one eye. Don't be insensitive. quote:The metal door was propped open; it was dimly lit inside, and the low murmur of many voices and the sound of ice clinking in glasses floated across the street. Lounging against the wall beside the door were four men. Does Jess normally bring people to McDonalds in the most dangerous part of town? quote:I paused without thinking, looking at the four men with a strong sense sense of déjà vu. This was a different road, a different night, but the scene was so much the same. One of them was even short and dark. As I stopped and turned toward them, that one looked up in interest. Yowza. quote:It seemed too coincidental that I should be in Port Angeles with Jessica, on a dark street even. My eyes focused on the short one, trying to match the features to my memory of the man who had threatened me that night almost a year ago. I wondered if there was any way I would recognize the man, if it was really him. That particular part of that particular evening was just a blur. My body remembered it better than my mind did; the tension in my legs as I tried to decide whether to run or to stand my ground, the dryness in my throat as I struggled to build a decent scream, the tight stretch of skin across my knuckles as I clenched my hands into fists, the chills on the back of my neck when the dark-haired man called me “sugar.”… Ohhh here we go. quote:I saw no reason for fear. I couldn’t imagine anything in the world that there was left to be afraid of, not physically at least. One of the few advantages of losing everything. "They'll give you a Jager shot! You'll never like alcohol again!" quote:That question caught my attention, and my eyes focused on her. So Bella isn't suicidal, but she's right on the verge of it! quote:Remembering that promise, I felt a twinge of guilt, but what I was doing right now didn’t really count. It wasn’t like I was taking a blade to my wrists. Hey Bella, what the gently caress? quote:Jess’s eyes were round, her mouth hung open. Her question about suicide had been rhetorical, I realized too late. This has taken a turn for the disturbing very quickly. quote:I looked around myself in shock. It's taken about three pages for our protagonist to go bumfuck nuts. quote:I began to suspect that I was having some kind of hallucination. Triggered, no doubt, by the memory—the déjà vu, the strange familiarity of the situation. I'm gonna go with option one here. quote:My reaction was hardly sane, though—I was grateful. The sound of his voice was something that I’d feared I was losing, and so, more than anything else, I felt overwhelming gratitude that my unconscious mind had held onto that sound better than my conscious one had. Imagine being a teenage girl who's truly convinced that this is a love story for the ages and that Bella is someone to emulate. quote:Very few seconds had passed while I sorted this all out. My little audience watched, curious. It probably looked like I was just dithering over whether or not I was going to approach them. How could they guess that I was standing there enjoying an unexpected moment of insanity? Imagine seeing this insanity from Jessica's perspective. quote:Now that I was closer—and my eyes felt oddly in focus—I analyzed the short, dark man’s face. It was not familiar in any way. I suffered a curious sensation of disappointment that this was not the terrible man who had tried to hurt me almost a year ago. Yes, pray tell why the gently caress you feel disappointment at that? quote:The voice in my head was quiet now. Somehow it manages to get worse with each page. quote:“That’s okay,” the confident blonde said. “Stay and hang out with us.” This is one of the few books I've read where I feel sorry for the supporting characters for having to deal with the protagonist. quote:We walked to McDonald’s in silence. I’d bet that she was wishing we’d taken her car instead of walking the short distance from the theater, so that she could use the drive-through. She was just as anxious now for this evening to be over as I had been from the beginning. You don't loving say quote:When we got back in the car, she tuned the stereo back to her favorite station and turned the volume too loud to allow easy conversation. What's another YA book that goes so deep into displaying extremely unhealthy coping methods in the reader insert character? quote:That’s why I was more trapped in Forks than I ever had been before, why I’d fought with Charlie when he suggested a change. Honestly, it shouldn’t matter; no one was ever coming back here. This reminds me a lot of getting out of the car after a friend with BPD had a major dissociative episode on the way home. "Disturbing" doesn't begin to cover it. quote:I’d forgotten her by the time I was inside. Charlie is going to go through a hell of a lot worse than this. quote:It was a crippling thing, this sensation that a huge hole had been punched through my chest, excising my most vital organs and leaving ragged, unhealed gashes around the edges that continued to throb and bleed despite the passage of time. Rationally, I knew my lungs must still be intact, yet I gasped for air and my head spun like my efforts yielded me nothing. My heart must have been beating, too, but I couldn’t hear the sound of my pulse in my ears; my hands felt blue with cold. I curled inward, hugging my ribs to hold myself together. I scrambled for my numbness, my denial, but it evaded me. chitoryu12 fucked around with this message at 22:28 on Oct 18, 2019 |
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Aug 22, 2019 23:36
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So Bella was just going to saunter into a gang rape because it reminded her of a time Eddie saved her? 
Midjack fucked around with this message at 04:49 on Aug 23, 2019 |
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Aug 23, 2019 03:36
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Aug 23, 2019 23:23
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Chapter 5: Cheaterquote:"Bella, why don't you take off," Mike suggested his eyes focused off to the side, not really looking at me. I wondered how long that had been going on without me noticing. Accurate depiction of hikers. quote:“I don’t mind staying,” I said. I still hadn’t been able to sink back into my protective shell of numbness, and everything seemed oddly close and loud today, like I’d taken cotton out of my ears. I tried to tune out the laughing hikers without success. This also sounds a lot like a person with BPD and anxiety. Again, it makes me feel like Meyer is speaking from personal experience. quote:“I’m telling you,” said the thickset man with the orange beard that didn’t match his dark brown hair. “I’ve seen grizzlies pretty close up in Yellowstone, but they had nothing on this brute.” His hair was matted, and his clothes looked like they’d been on his back for more than a few days. Fresh from the mountains. Emmett keeps sabotaging the bear-proof food storage to lure more bears in. quote:The doors slid open to let me out into the rain. I hunched over inside my jacket as I dashed for my truck. The rain hammering against my hood sounded unusually loud, too, but soon the roar of the engine drowned out everything else. Aren't you excited to spend the next 81% of the book with this girl? Because we're only 19% in! quote:I wasn’t paying attention to where I was driving—just wandering through empty, wet side roads as I avoided the ways that would take me home—because I didn’t have anywhere to go. Then you should take up your dad's suggestion to get therapy! Spoilers: Bella never gets therapy. quote:I held myself tightly together. As if he’d never existed, I thought in despair. What a stupid and impossible promise to make! He could steal my pictures and reclaim his gifts, but that didn’t put things back the way they’d been before I’d met him. The physical evidence was the most insignificant part of the equation. I was changed, my insides altered almost past the point of recognition. Even my outsides looked different—my face sallow, white except for the purple circles the nightmares had left under my eyes. My eyes were dark enough against my pallid skin that—if I were beautiful, and seen from a distance—I might even pass for a vampire now. But I was not beautiful, and I probably looked closer to a zombie. And also a really unhealthy way to break off from a relationship. quote:I thumped my head against the steering wheel, trying to distract myself from the sharper pain. While Bella never does anything like cut herself or directly attempt suicide, you can see her starting to get the same kind of thinking that leads to self-destructive and self-harming behavior. quote:I laughed humorlessly to myself, still gasping for air. Reckless in Forks—now there was a hopeless proposition. If any of my readers have ever struggled with self-harm and could be triggered by seeing the thought process again, I recommend finding another way to spend your time than with Bella Swan. quote:I stared out the windshield for a long moment, my thoughts moving sluggishly—I couldn’t seem to make those thoughts go anywhere. I cut the engine, which was groaning in a pitiful way after idling for so long, and stepped out into the drizzle. I mentioned how many of Meyer's writing traits match a first-time writer, usually seen in preteen or teenage fanfiction writers rather than published bestsellers. Another one is that occasionally she gets her hands on a thesaurus and uses words or turns of phrase that don't match the rest of the writing and stand out in the wrong way. quote:Coincidence? Or was it meant to be? I didn’t know, but it seemed kind of silly to think that it was somehow fated, that the dilapidated motorcycles rusting in the Markses’ front yard beside the hand-printed FOR SALE, AS IS sign were serving some higher purpose by existing there, right where I needed them to be. And now the clumsiest girl in fiction is going to get a loving motorcycle. quote:Charlie’s job didn’t get a lot of action compared to cops in bigger towns, but he did get called in on traffic accidents. With the long, wet stretches of freeway twisting and turning through the forest, blind corner after blind corner, there was no shortage of that kind of action. But even with all the huge log-haulers barreling around the turns, mostly people walked away. The exceptions to that rule were often on motorcycles, and Charlie had seen one too many victims, almost always kids, smeared on the highway. He’d made me promise before I was ten that I would never accept a ride on a motorcycle. Even at that age, I didn’t have to think twice before promising. Who would want to ride a motorcycle here? It would be like taking a sixty-mile-per-hour bath. That actually sounds refreshing, since it hit 107 degrees here yesterday. quote:So many promises I kept… This is a very ominous sign for the next 80% of the book. quote:That’s as far as I thought it through. I sloshed through the rain to the Markses’ front door and rang the bell. In the next chapter, Bella somehow manages to sever every single finger with a single screw. quote:“What are you going to do with them, anyway?” he asked. “They haven’t worked in years.” Imagine being such a crook that your entire small town would rather drive an hour away than deal with your shop for repairs. quote:I’d been very lucky on that front—I’d been worried, when Charlie first gifted me my ancient truck, that I wouldn’t be able to afford to keep it running. But I’d never had a single problem with it, other than the screaming-loud engine and the fifty-five-mile-per-hour maximum speed limit. "And all the blood I left on the dash after tearing my stereo out with my bare hands while screaming." quote:Jacob Black had kept it in great shape when it had belonged to his father, Billy.… This is where the story actually makes its biggest swerve from Forever Dawn, the prototype sequel that turned into Breaking Dawn. That book is a timeskip several years to a happily married Edward and Bella. Because Edward never left, Bella never got the deeper interaction with Jacob that would create the infamous love triangle. He would remain a supporting character with a childhood crush. quote:The directions he gave me were very simple. I assured him that I would be back for dinner, though he tried to tell me not to hurry. He wanted to join me in La Push, and I wasn’t having that.  The Black household is located in Coquitlam, a suburb of Vancouver. It was painted red to match the book and was still exactly the same as its filming state as of 2015 under the current owners. In addition to the actual filming location, 8320 La Push Road in Forks is home to the "Jacob Black House", a similar looking vacation rental for any die hard Team Jacob fans staying in the area.  quote:He met me halfway to the house.  There's the Taylor Lautner we all know and love! As I explained in his first appearance, he was almost cut from the movie but gained 30 pounds of muscle to keep the role. They also cut his hair short, while in the book canon he keeps it long. quote:“Hey, Jacob!” I felt an unfamiliar surge of enthusiasm at his smile. I realized that I was pleased to see him. This knowledge surprised me. Taylor Lautner is only 5'9, an inch shorter than Twilight-era Jacob. While Kristen Stewart is only an inch taller than the canon Bella at 5'5, Jacob is meant to tower over both her and the 6'2 Edward instead of being average size. quote:He led the way, twisting his hair in his big hands as he walked. He pulled a rubber band from his hip pocket and wound it around the bundle. Keep this disparity in mind as you see how Bella treats Jacob. quote:“Can you stay for dinner?” Billy was eager, too.  The Rabbit is the American name for the first model of Volkswagen Golf. It was the best selling West German car for much of its production life as long as West Germany still existed and became popular in the United States when it first began importing in 1975 as a smaller, more economical vehicle during an energy crisis. When the economy began booming again, the car sold poorly and was mostly replaced in the market by the derivative Jetta. One minor mistake is that it was renamed back to "Golf" in America with the Mk. 2 model Jacob has here, to standardize names among all markets. quote:“How’s it going?” And drag Jacob down with you! quote:“Jacob, what do you know about motorcycles?” I asked. I probably would have chosen a phrase other than "Are you legal?" when asking your future love interest their age. quote:“Not that your age ever stopped you before,” I muttered. “Sorry about your birthday.”  If you see a fixer-upper Harley-Davidson Sprint left out for free, you loving take it. It was produced from 1961 to 1974 by Aermacchi and imported under the Harley brand; most Harleys were big, rough bikes and their line of inexpensive two-strokes like the Hummer were seen as quaint relics. They made a deal to import the Aermacchi 250 and rebadge it when light, zippy cafe racers were becoming popular. The deal ended when Harley nearly went bankrupt and the European oddities and maintenance requirements turned a lot of people off, but they're neat bikes. A 1960s one will run you $9000 in good condition. quote:“That one’s yours, then.” Bella is like a red flag parade. quote:Jacob just nodded. This all made perfect sense to him. chitoryu12 fucked around with this message at 19:48 on Aug 26, 2019 |
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Aug 26, 2019 19:40
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I swear to God, that last paragraph is so remarkably scummy. It's our protagonist gloating to herself how she's manipulating a sixteen year old boy who has a crush on her. How is it in a book with mass murdering vampires, Bella still comes across as the least sympathetic character?
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Aug 26, 2019 23:07
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Epicurius posted:I swear to God, that last paragraph is so remarkably scummy. It's our protagonist gloating to herself how she's manipulating a sixteen year old boy who has a crush on her. The Cullens at least show remorse. They've changed and struggle every day to remain good people in spite of their nature. Bella shows very limited ability for self-reflection and never really needs to grow or change for the story to keep going and for everyone to love her. When talking about writing the book on her website, Meyer goes into a diatribe against people who said Bella is a weak character: quote:Side note: there are those who think Bella is a wuss. There are those who think my stories are misogynistic—the damsel in distress must be rescued by strong hero. Meyer truly believes that the relationship she wrote is a story of "true love", soulmates destined to be together. Because of this, she believes Bella's insane behavior with dangerous adrenaline-seeking activity so she can hallucinate Edward's voice is perfectly justifiable and valid. It only furthers my own belief that Meyer isn't all that healthy in the head herself.
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Aug 26, 2019 23:43
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chitoryu12 posted:The Cullens at least show remorse. They've changed and struggle every day to remain good people in spite of their nature. Bella shows very limited ability for self-reflection and never really needs to grow or change for the story to keep going and for everyone to love her. I think that’s taking it too far to be honest. Having stupid opinions about characters doesn’t make a person crazy. Meyers biggest problem is most likely that she’s a bored housewife so she comes up with outlandish ideas about romance novels. And since her skills are so elementary she doesn’t have the experience to make it more complex or understand that it should be more complex. That’s something that’s always bothered me about Twilight criticism, it always devolves into diagnosing a woman that none of us actually know with mental illness. The actual explanation is that she’s not a good writer and that she’s making the same lame justifications journeyman writers always make before they gain experience.
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Aug 27, 2019 00:36
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chitoryu12 posted:Chapter 5: Cheater https://youtu.be/SMhwddNQSWQ
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Aug 27, 2019 02:43
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HIJK posted:I think that’s taking it too far to be honest. Having stupid opinions about characters doesn’t make a person crazy. The reason it shakes me is that in everything I've looked for, I've never actually seen Meyer talk about Bella suffering from any kind of mental illness. She writes a character that so perfectly encapsulates it down to even the minor details, but seems to be ignorant of it. It comes off as her writing a protagonist behaving in a way that she would find acceptable and agreeable because she can't understand how that behavior would be wrong. I've never seen any Twilight sporkings trying to diagnose Meyer, but that's also because I haven't really read them a lot. They were pretty much all done a decade ago by people with a really aggravating and exaggerated writing style and seemed to focus entirely on Edward being abusive, which created the pop culture view of the series but doesn't go nearly enough into detail about Bella's own severe problems. Most of them were too annoying to read for more than one or two chapters before giving up on. chitoryu12 fucked around with this message at 03:22 on Aug 27, 2019 |
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Aug 27, 2019 03:19
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chitoryu12 posted:The reason it shakes me is that in everything I've looked for, I've never actually seen Meyer talk about Bella suffering from any kind of mental illness. She writes a character that so perfectly encapsulates it down to even the minor details, but seems to be ignorant of it. It comes off as her writing a protagonist behaving in a way that she would find acceptable and agreeable because she can't understand how that behavior would be wrong. Lots of readers also did not think of Bella as mentally ill. That did not make those readers mentally ill themselves. Is it canon that Bella is mentally ill? I got pretty deep into these books and if I recall the only thing that she ever amounted to was being a brat, not that she got a formal diagnosis anywhere. I know that it was a very common reading back in the day. When ripping Twilight was popular lots of people projected their pet mental illnesses onto Bella and Meyer. My friends diagnosed them both with bipolar I and II, NPD, schizophrenia, schizoid disorder, drug resistant depression, and somewhere after the release of New Moon I remember a mutual on LJ posting a very serious screed about how she was convinced Meyer had been raped as a teenager and that she was expressing her post-rape trauma in Bella. As far as I know Meyer has never been attacked or assaulted, so the chances are pretty good my mutual created this theory out of her own head. My point is that yes, it’s valid to look at Bella’s behavior and go “this is the behavior of a mentally unwell person” but there’s also the imbroglio that we have no proof that Meyer is mentally ill or what kind of inner feelings she’s expressing through Bella. So while we can interpet Bella that way it is frankly bizarre to then project this reading onto Stephanie Meyer, who is a living breathing person that does not adhere to dramatic conventions, and has her own history that we don’t know about. I just find it strange that this is so consistent and that this also arises independently. People read a book and they think that they can read a writer’s entire life story from that book. You’re not the first person to go “this terrible writer Meyer is obviously mentally deranged!” Lots of people did that and are still doing it. Imo it’s just a lot more likely that a journeyman writer makes dumb decisions and doesn’t have the skill to know any better. These tropes often appear in fanfic written by high schoolers, are they all suffering mental illness? A 100% rate of mental unwellness seems pretty unlikely. 
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Aug 27, 2019 03:48
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Chapter 6: Friendsquote:The motorcycles didn't need to be hidden any further than simply placing them in Jacob’s shed. Billy’s wheelchair couldn’t maneuver the uneven ground separating it from the house. "Almost like a fanfic character or something!" quote:Jacob chuckled. “Quil’s is a hand-me-down, and I think Embry got named after a soap opera star. I can’t say anything, though. They fight dirty if you start on their names—they’ll tag team you.” Bella just can't understand anyone willing to resort to threats of violence over minor things! quote:Just then a call echoed in the distance. “Jacob?” someone shouted.  Quil Ateara V was played by 19-year-old Tyson Houseman, of Cree descent from Alberta. His parents were high school sweethearts who accidentally had him when they were both 17. Like the rest of the Wolf Pack, he put on a good 30 pounds of muscle through a 2-month workout regimen before filming; he found the job through an online ad that didn't even name the movie, which surprised the hell out of him when he realized what he was auditioning for. He's since graduated from college and is currently working with touring theatre companies.  Like Sam, Embry Call initially appeared unnamed in Twilight played by a different actor, Kristopher Hyatt. He has no further credits after that movie.  For New Moon Hyatt was replaced by 19-year-old Kiowa Gordon. He has an interesting background: a Mormon member of the Hualapai Nation born in Berlin where his father was working. His family moved to Arizona when he was 2 and he actually worshiped in the same ward as Stephenie Meyer. This got him the role, as Meyer approached him personally during the casting for New Moon to encourage him to audition. He's continued to act professionally since, playing Junior Van Der Veen on the short-lived Sundance series The Red Road. He'll be seen later this year on Shudder in Blood Quantum, a film about an enclave of First Nations people immune to a zombie virus dealing with white refugees seeking shelter during the apocalypse. I believe he's also the first Twilight actor to acquire a criminal record after being cast! In August 2011 (5 months after filming wrapped on the series) his vehicle was stopped and police discovered that he had a warrant out for his arrest for failing to appear on a DUI charge from the previous year. quote:Quil and Embry, I still didn’t know which was which, exchanged a loaded look. It's really charming when Meyer's conservative sexism rears its head. We're not going to bother with Life and Death, the gender-swapped version of the first book, but it's been noted that some of the few changes to the original text include reinforcing gender stereotypes; Beau Swan has more stunted displays of emotion, becoming brooding and quiet rather than crying, and lacks much of Bella's self-doubt and poor self-image. The changes are subtle, but they show that even a decade later Meyer still hasn't shaken her upbringing. quote:They were still immersed in talk of parts and pieces when I decided that I needed to head back home before Charlie showed up here. With a sigh, I slid out of the Rabbit. Nerd. quote:Quil nudged Embry’s arm and they exchanged grins. I hate when book characters make a joke before I can. quote:“No, really, I have to go,” I protested, heading for the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Jacob.” I'm sure she won't do anything bad to try and keep this feeling going! quote:I beat Charlie home. When he walked in I was just taking the fried chicken out of the pan and laying it on a pile of paper towels. Now, a healthy person would recognize that despite their grief they weren't as reliant on their ex's presence to remain happy as they thought. Realizing that social interaction with other people could bring them similar happiness would serve as a means to move on and mature. Let's see how Bella responds to this! quote:I lay still in my bed for a few minutes, waiting for it to come back. Because something must be coming. If not the pain, then the numbness. I waited, but nothing happened. I felt more rested than I had in a long time. Ah. So not the healthy way. quote:At breakfast, Charlie was being careful, too. He tried to hide his scrutiny, keeping his eyes on his eggs until he thought I wasn’t looking. It says a lot when Bella being happy and smiling without faking it is now a shocking, strange feeling. Not a lot of them are good. quote:“Hi, Jacob.” If you were hoping for a tour of Jacob's room like we got for Bella and Edward, prepare to be disappointed. All we know is it's tiny. quote:“So where to, Mr. Goodwrench?” I asked as soon as the door closed behind Billy. "gently caress college, am I right?" quote:It was a very strange kind of day. I enjoyed myself. Even at the dump, in the slopping rain and ankle-deep mud. I wondered at first if it was just the aftershock of losing the numbness, but I didn’t think that was enough of an explanation. This should be a lesson for you about your ex... quote:“Did the stereo break?” he wondered. He's not wrong! quote:According to Jacob, we did get lucky at the dump. He was very excited about several grease-blackened pieces of twisted metal that he found; I was just impressed that he could tell what they were supposed to be. Because you're definitely the most mature character here? quote:He laughed, rolling his eyes. “Okay, but if you’re going to get picky like that, you have to average in size, too. You’re so small, I’ll have to knock ten years off your total.” Plus emotional maturity? quote:I hadn’t forgotten the reason for what I was doing. And, even though I was enjoying myself more than I’d thought possible, there was no lessening of my original desire. I still wanted to cheat. It was senseless, and I really didn’t care. I was going to be as reckless as I could possibly manage in Forks. I would not be the only keeper of an empty contract. Getting to spend time with Jacob was just a much bigger perk than I’d expected. Oh yeah, don't get excited if you think Bella is making progress any time soon. She's still manipulating a nice boy to help her get an adrenaline rush in revenge for Edward dumping her. quote:Billy wasn’t back yet, so we didn’t have to be sneaky about unloading our day’s spoils. As soon as we had everything laid out on the plastic floor next to Jacob’s toolbox, he went right to work, still talking and laughing while his fingers combed expertly through the metal pieces in front of him. Is Bella incapable of fake laughter without going into crazy hysterics? quote:Charlie was standing under the little back porch, and Billy was sitting in the doorway behind them. Since 1937! quote:The house was crowded. Harry Clearwater was there, too, with his family—his wife, Sue, whom I knew vaguely from my childhood summers in Forks, and his two children. Leah was a senior like me, but a year older. She was beautiful in an exotic way—perfect copper skin, glistening black hair, eyelashes like feather dusters—and preoccupied. She was on Billy’s phone when we got in, and she never let it go. Seth was fourteen; he hung on Jacob’s every word with idolizing eyes.  Harry was played by Graham Greene, an Oneida from Ontario. He started as an audio technician for bands before getting into acting, eventually being nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Kicking Bird in Dances With Wolves. The number of works he's done is in the triple digits, with prominent recent roles being Rafe on Defiance and Rains Fall in Red Dead Redemption 2. He might be our most decorated actor to appear in the book so far.  Sue was played by Alex Rice, a Mohawk born on the Kahnawake reservation in Quebec. She was raised in Brooklyn, where her father was part of a community of Mohawk ironworkers in the Boerum Hill neighborhood nicknamed "Little Caughnawaga". After initially training to be a dancer, she got into acting and had a recurring role as Janet Pete in the film adaptations of Tony Hillerman's Navajo Tribal Police detective novels, like Skinwalkers and A Thief in Time. She seems to have mostly stopped acting after finishing the Twilight series.  The very intense Leah was played by Julia Jones; despite her character being 19 in this film, she was 29 when she took on the role. She's mixed Choctaw, Chicksaw, and African-American from Boston (finally, a break from the Canadians!). She worked as a model before being cast in Hell Ride, which had Quentin Tarantino's name put in big letters on the poster but was just written/directed/starred in by Larry Bishop with Tarantino's funding. Leah was cut from the adaptation New Moon and wouldn't appear in the films until Eclipse, before which she unfortunately appeared in a small role in Jonah Hex. She finally struck quality with Westworld as Kohana.  Our parade of new characters ends with Seth, played by... Booboo Stewart? Yeah, his real name is Nils Allen Stewart Jr. but he goes by Booboo professionally. Gotta say it sounds like a misstep, but you do you Booboo. His tribal descent is Blackfoot, mixed with a bunch of European and Asian. His father, Nils Allen Stewart, is a longtime stuntman who got his start in Under Siege and is still acting as a stuntman and stunt coordinator on several projects every year. Like Leah, Seth was not in the film adaptation and Booboo wouldn't get his pick-a-nick basket until the film for Eclipse. He would later appear as Warpath in X-Men: Days of Future Past and is the current voice of Victor Kohl in the Marvel Rising franchise. He seems to have had one of the most successful careers of any supporting actor in this series. You go, Booboo! quote:There were too many of us for the kitchen table, so Charlie and Harry brought chairs out to the yard, and we ate spaghetti off plates on our laps in the dim light from Billy’s open door. The men talked about the game, and Harry and Charlie made fishing plans. Sue teased her husband about his cholesterol and tried, unsuccessfully, to shame him into eating something green and leafy. Jacob talked mostly to me and Seth, who interrupted eagerly whenever Jacob seemed in danger of forgetting him. Charlie watched me, trying to be inconspicuous about it, with pleased but cautious eyes. Because the Cullens are gone for almost the entire book, we get to spend it all with the Blacks and Clearwaters. It keeps up the trend of Bella being surrounded by far more interesting and likable characters who only highlight how pathetic she is. quote:This was Washington, though, and the inevitable rain eventually broke up the party; Billy’s living room was much too small to provide an option for continuing the get-together. Harry had driven Charlie down, so we rode together in my truck on the way back home. He asked about my day, and I told mostly the truth—that I’d gone with Jacob to look at parts and then watched him work in his garage. You can see why Charlie wanted Bella to get therapy. quote:To put bedtime off, I checked my e-mail; there was a new message from Renée. Renee has fully left the "mom" club and is now with Charlie on first-name basis with her daughter. quote:I wrote back to her quickly, commenting on each part of her letter, volunteering information of my own—describing the spaghetti party at Billy’s and how I felt watching Jacob build useful things out of small pieces of metal—awed and slightly envious. I made no reference to the change this letter would be from the ones she’d received in the last several months. I could barely remember what I’d written to her even as recently as last week, but I was sure it wasn’t very responsive. The more I thought about it, the guiltier I felt; I really must have worried her. I think we need to ban the "prophetic dream with no supernatural explanation" trope for good. quote:Charlie stared at me during breakfast, and I tried to ignore him. I supposed I deserved it. I couldn’t expect him not to worry. It would probably be weeks before he stopped watching for the return of the zombie, and I would just have to try to not let it bother me. After all, I would be watching for the return of the zombie, too. Two days was hardly long enough to call me cured. I don't think Bella has tried to talk to Jess at all since their time in Port Angeles. Her last interaction with Bella was seeing her go into a dissociative state and try to get herself gang raped. quote:My fourth hour class got out late, and the lunch table I always sat at was full by the time I arrived. Mike was there, Jessica and Angela, Conner, Tyler, Eric and Lauren. Katie Marshall, the redheaded junior who lived around the corner from me, was sitting with Eric, and Austin Marks—older brother to the boy with the motorcycles—was next to her. I wondered how long they’d been sitting here, unable to remember if this was the first day or something that was a regular habit. It doesn't matter! None of these new characters will ever be important! quote:I was beginning to get annoyed with myself. I might as well have been packed in Styrofoam peanuts through the last semester. It's trendy, Bella. Keep up. quote:“Ben’s got the stomach flu,” Angela said in her quiet, calm voice. “Hopefully it’s just some twenty-four hour thing. He was really sick last night.” You could try talking to Jess in private and apologizing for your behavior? Open up to other people about your breakup and self-loathing? quote:“We were going to have a picnic Saturday, actually, but… we changed our minds,” Angela said. There was an edge to her voice that caught my interest. Emmett was the only thing keeping the bear population in Forks under control. Their numbers are growing. Soon, all will be overrun. quote:Lauren snorted. “Oh, not you, too!” Her eyes turned mocking, and I decided I didn’t need to give her the benefit of the doubt. Obviously her personality had not changed as much as her hair. “Tyler tried to sell me that one last week.” That's worrying. quote:Mike recovered. “Yeah, there was a guy who said he saw a huge black bear right at the trailhead—bigger than a grizzly,” he confirmed. Or you just brought up a bad memory of you going crazy on her as if nothing weird happened and she's wondering what the hell's wrong with you. quote:“What movie did you see?” Mike asked, starting to smile. By pretending you didn't do anything wrong? quote:“I heard that was scary. Did you think so?” Mike was eager to continue the conversation. Jess tries to say the rest of the story and Bella just swings her tray at her head. quote:I nodded, trying to look embarrassed. “It was pretty scary.” Somehow everything she does to describe her relationships makes her come off worse! quote:“Not completely,” I admitted. “But I’m a little bit better.” I'm with Lauren. quote:Angela rolled her eyes at them, and smiled at me in encouragement. chitoryu12 fucked around with this message at 08:27 on Mar 1, 2020 |
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Aug 27, 2019 15:43
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"Sure, but, considering the difference in maturity between guys and girls, don’t you have to count that in dog years?" Is it in bad taste to make "dog years" jokes to a werewolf?
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Aug 27, 2019 16:12
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Epicurius posted:"Sure, but, considering the difference in maturity between guys and girls, don’t you have to count that in dog years?" There would be worse ways to make that joke. You could play the only bad Rush song, for instance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8XP4zW1FEg
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Aug 27, 2019 16:45
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Chapter 7: Repetitionquote:I wasn't sure what the hell I was doing here. Man, Bella's really gone if she's saying such nasty un-Mormon language! quote:Was I trying to push myself back into the zombie stupor? Had I turned masochistic—developed a taste for torture? I should have gone straight down to La Push. I felt much, much healthier around Jacob. This was not a healthy thing to do. We're back at the "I'm so bad!" aspect of Bella's character where she repeatedly does bad things, then beats herself up over it instead of actually changing her behavior. Only now instead of just being kind of a dick, she's engaging in actually harmful actions. quote:But I continued to drive slowly down the overgrown lane, twisting through the trees that arched over me like a green, living tunnel. My hands were shaking, so I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. If the lane is overgrown without the Cullens there, does that mean they were doing their own lawn work? I know they could have hired people with their uncountable millions of dollars, but I like the idea of them all having to mow the lawn and cut hedges themselves. quote:What if I couldn’t find it? I shivered. What if there was no tangible proof at all? Not all vampires are savages, Bella. quote:I hit the brakes, looking away. I was afraid to go farther. Except all those people who have tried to be your friends, including the entire Black and Clearwater family. But gently caress them, right? quote:I turned my back on the gaping emptiness and hurried to my truck. I nearly ran. I was anxious to be gone, to get back to the human world. I felt hideously empty, and I wanted to see Jacob. Maybe I was developing a new kind of sickness, another addiction, like the numbness before. I didn’t care. I pushed my truck as fast as it would go as I barreled toward my fix. Not as long as the manipulation works! quote:“Please let me know when I start getting on your nerves. I don’t want to be a pain.” Ah, he's smarter than she thinks. quote:“I would say… that’s too bad, but I’ll bet we could figure out something else to do. If we got really desperate, we could even do homework.” I dunno, how much are you only spending time with him to take advantage of his mechanical skills and feed your addiction to attention from hot boys? quote:“Yes,” I agreed. “We’ll have to start being responsible occasionally, or Billy and Charlie aren’t going to be so easygoing about this.” I made a gesture indicating the two of us as a single entity. He liked that—he beamed. Nerd. quote:He sighed a heavy sigh. Then he reached over his toolbox to a paper grocery sack. He pulled out two cans of soda, cracking one open and handing it to me. He opened the second, and held it up ceremoniously. If you haven't read this book, you have no idea how far that's gonna go. quote:I got home later than I’d planned and found Charlie had ordered a pizza rather than wait for me. He wouldn’t let me apologize. Or any kind of serious apology? You just kinda went "Sorry" when it happened and left! The only reason everyone else has welcomed her back is because she hasn't personally had a bout of dangerous insanity right in front of them, and it's ambiguous if Jess even told anyone. For all they know she was just regular depressed and is now feel better, not entering a fugue state and wandering into a bar. quote:Mike was animated and chatty at work. It was like he’d stored up the semester’s worth of talk, and it was all spilling out now. I found that I was able to smile and laugh with him, though it wasn’t as effortless as it was with Jacob. It seemed harmless enough, until quitting time. I hate how Mike constantly gets the short end of the stick from the author. He's never really done anything to deserve the palpable disgust Bella has for him. quote:“Just as friends?” he suggested. His clear blue eyes were not as eager now. I hoped he really meant that we could be friends anyway. I don't think we've ever seen Bella really make anything that complicated. She's made lasagna, steak, baked potatoes, and a salad from what I remember being named. All of it is really simple, standard food that most adults would know how to make unless they're extremely lazy. quote:Friday was the garage, and Saturday, after my shift at Newton’s, was homework again. Charlie felt secure enough in my sanity to spend the day fishing with Harry. When he got back, we were all done—feeling very sensible and mature about it, too—and watching Monster Garage on the Discovery Channel. Jacob is definitely more interesting. quote:“I probably ought to go.” Jacob sighed. “It’s later than I thought.” He'd add more if he could cook! quote:I laughed. “I’m on my way up!”  In the book, Bella's red motorcycle is a 1970 Honda CL70 Scrambler, a simple street bike made for a few years that looks like an off-road dirt bike but isn't that capable.   The movies went for dual-sport bikes that were easier to acquire than 60s classics and changed Bella's to a more subdued silver and black. These are the actual bikes used in the filming of New Moon as they were put up for auction on Prop Store. Both of them appear to be Hondas from the late 70s or early 80s, but I can't seem to find any info confirming their make and model. quote:“Ready?” he asked in a low voice, his eyes sparkling. And now Bella has a new dream. quote:“Wow. It’s so high.” I slid back into my seat, still staring wide-eyed at the two remaining divers. “It must be a hundred feet.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICS4tU5QDQ0 100 feet isn't fatal, but it's high enough that the impact will basically make you feel like your entire body got slapped at once and can throw you off enough that you could actually drown if you're not a good swimmer. I also do not recommend jumping in cold water, especially if you have a heart condition; a visitor to Action Park in New Jersey infamously died in 1984 when the freezing cold mountain spring water used to fill the pools caused him to have a heart attack on the Tarzan Swing. quote:“You jump off the cliff?” I hadn’t missed the “us.” Oh you thought I was kidding? Nah, Bella wants to dive off a loving cliff! quote:He frowned back at me, his face disapproving. “Bella, you just wanted to call an ambulance for Sam,” he reminded me. I was surprised that he could tell who it was from this distance. "And vaguely suicidal." quote:I sighed. “Yes.” Bella no. quote:He laughed once at my reaction. “Not like that. I swear, they’re like hall monitors gone bad. They don’t start fights, they keep the peace.” He snorted. “There was this guy from up somewhere by the Makah rez, big guy too, scary-looking. Well, word got around that he was selling meth to kids, and Sam Uley and his disciples ran him off our land. They’re all about our land, and tribe pride… it’s getting ridiculous. The worst part is that the council takes them seriously. Embry said that the council actually meets with Sam.” He shook his head, face full of resentment. “Embry also heard from Leah Clearwater that they call themselves ‘protectors’ or something like that.” The semi-official term for them is "Wolf Pack". quote:Jacob’s hands were clenched into fists, as if he’d like to hit something. I’d never seen this side of him. Do you loving want them raping people? Don't answer that, Bella. quote:“Yeah. Annoying is a good word. They’re always showing off—like the cliff thing. They act like… like, I don’t know. Like tough guys. I was hanging out at the store with Embry and Quil once, last semester, and Sam came by with his followers, Jared and Paul. Quil said something, you know how he’s got a big mouth, and it pissed Paul off. His eyes got all dark, and he sort of smiled—no, he showed his teeth but he didn’t smile—and it was like he was so mad he was shaking or something. But Sam put his hand against Paul’s chest and shook his head. Paul looked at him for a minute and calmed down. Honestly, it was like Sam was holding him back—like Paul was going to tear us up if Sam didn’t stop him.” He groaned. “Like a bad western. You know, Sam’s a pretty big guy, he’s twenty. But Paul’s just sixteen, too, shorter than me and not as beefy as Quil. I think any one of us could take him.” Even if this wasn't a supernatural book, wouldn't you just figure Paul would pull a knife or something if he's that crazy? quote:“Tough guys,” I agreed. I could see it in my head as he described it, and it reminded me of something… a trio of tall, dark men standing very still and close together in my father’s living room. The picture was sideways, because my head was lying against the couch while Dr. Gerandy and Charlie leaned over me.… Had that been Sam’s gang? I think Meyer intentionally wrote the Wolf Pack as a polar opposite to the Cullens. They don't have any major struggles with their nature like vampires, but they have more conflict between each other and Jacob doesn't get along with them very well at first. quote:“You just missed the turn,” he said in an even voice. Bella drives like a lovely GTA player. quote:“Thanks for the heads-up,” I muttered as I started up the side road. It's just practice for marriage. quote:“We’ll take it slow,” he promised. I gingerly leaned the motorcycle against the truck’s fender while he went to get his. This is all of the characterization that was missing in the Forever Dawn draft, which I believe never made it past a first draft before being given to her sister. Jacob still becomes a werewolf in that one, but he's left to the side and most of the Wolf Pack doesn't even get named. His personality is basically identical to how it was in the first Twilight. quote:“You don’t have to join anything.” My voice was angry. This was really upsetting Jacob, and that infuriated me. Who did these “protectors” think they were? I wonder how new readers interpreted this before the reveal, before the vampire vs. werewolf plot became common pop culture knowledge. Did anyone find it obvious with all the talk of wolf protectors in the first book? quote:“Have you talked to Billy about this?” I asked. His horror was spreading to me. I had chills running on the back of my neck. He did seem to take until 15 to hit puberty. quote:He was biting his lower lip and clenching his hands. He looked like he was about to cry. Does she think Jacob is in danger of a cult? quote:He was frozen for a second, and then his long arms wrapped hesitantly around me. “Thanks, Bella.” His voice was huskier than usual. Not for long! quote:I pulled away quickly, laughing with him, but determined to put things back in perspective at once. No I think that's how the vampires see her. quote:I rolled my eyes, taking another step away. “Let’s not start with the albino cracks.” chitoryu12 fucked around with this message at 16:46 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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Aug 28, 2019 16:43
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chitoryu12 posted:Booboo Stewart? See? See? You laughed when he called himself "Booboo", but who's getting the callbacks, huh? Who's laughing now?!
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Aug 28, 2019 17:04
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Chapter 8: Adrenalinequote:"Okay, where's your clutch?" Wait, did Bella not even learn to ride a bicycle? Does she not know how bikes work? quote:“It will when you’re moving,” he promised. “Now where’s your brake?” Good on Meyer for actually getting advice on how motorcycles work! On a motorcycle, each wheel has a separate brake. How effective they are depends on how much weight is on them; if your front wheel starts coming off the ground, the front brake won't do anything, while you actually want to use the front brake if you're going downhill because you're leaning forward and putting more weight on that wheel. You'll naturally lean forward when you brake, so trying to use the back brake when there's no load on it can cause it to slip out of control. Granted, Jacob would be better telling Bella this instead of just saying "Because I said so." quote:“Throttle?” I thought she got off on this stuff! quote:I stared down the long stretch of dirt road, bordered by thick misty green on every side. The road was sandy and damp. Better than mud. This is a terrible idea already. quote:He took a step back, and then suddenly slammed his foot down on the pedal. There was a short ripping noise, and the force of his thrust rocked the bike. I started to fall sideways, but Jake caught the bike before it knocked me to the ground. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GKZiVD3JPQ The CL70 isn't exactly a Harley. I would actually love one for my daily commute to work. They only top out around 50 MPH. quote:“Do you remember how to put it into first gear?” he asked. Did she take him seriously about it being a grenade? quote:As I began to loosen my grip, I was shocked to be interrupted by a voice that did not belong to the boy standing next to me. Man, even when he's not here he sounds like a douche. quote:“Oh!” I gasped, and my hand fell off the clutch. I think this is the fifth time in two books her mind has "swiftly ran through the possibilities." quote:Jacob was pulling me to my feet. “Did you hit your head?” he asked. I also care more about the bike than her. quote:“No. You just stalled the engine,” Jacob said, interrupting my quick speculations. “You let go of the clutch too fast.” She'll find a much more effective means later! quote:I smiled tightly—it was still working—and ignored the questions. Jacob wasn’t going to let anything serious happen to me. I'm going to finalize this in canon that Bella never learned how to ride a bike and is already jumping straight to motorcycles. quote:“Brakes, brakes,” I muttered to myself, and I instinctively slammed down with my right foot, like I would in my truck. And here is a perfect demonstration of what happens when you just use the rear brake! quote:I was dizzy and confused. It sounded like there were three things snarling—the bike over me, the voice in my head, and something else.… The bears are here! Emmett can't save us now! quote:“Bella!” Jacob yelled, and I heard the roar of the other bike cut off. Depending on the moss, it could be an antiseptic! quote:“Oh, I’m so sorry, Jacob.” I pushed hard against the gash, as if I could force the blood back inside my head. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPDz5TWc0Zw And now you know why Bella's motorcycle on auction was so banged up! I really can't stand how the movie drags everything out with the long pauses. It makes it seem like everyone just forgot their lines. On the other hand, the film adaptation looks way better than the desaturated Twilight. The filmmakers wanted to use warmer autumn tones, so they filmed (on actual film!) with a more natural appearance for everything and eventually came to dominate the color palette with red for the climax. quote:I was surprised at how far I’d gone. I could barely see Jacob in the distance when he finally got to the truck. He threw the bike into the bed and sprinted to the driver’s side. Maybe Edward made the right idea by reconsidering this relationship. quote:“What about Charlie?” Bella that's called hemophilia! It's a serious condition! quote:Jacob wasn’t happy—his full mouth turned down in an uncharacteristic frown—but he didn’t want to get me in trouble. I stared out the window, holding his ruined shirt to my head, while he drove me to Forks. This is what I said before about self-harming. While Bella's not actively taking a razor blade to herself, she's intentionally engaging in reckless behavior that repeatedly injures her so she can hallucinate her ex's voice. quote:Racing down the road like that had been amazing. The feel of the wind in my face, the speed and the freedom… it reminded me of a past life, flying through the thick forest without a road, piggyback while he ran—I stopped thinking right there, letting the memory break off in the sudden agony. I flinched. I'm surprised Charlie hasn't given Bella a helmet by now. quote:Jacob hurried me out the door, and insisted on driving again. We were halfway to the hospital when I realized he was still shirtless. Oh hey, there's the line we just saw in the video! quote:“Well, then, thanks. Sort of.” I should point out that not only is Jacob 16, Taylor Lautner was 17 when he filmed this. There's been some retrospective discomfort with the films for turning an underage boy into a sex symbol for older women. quote:I had to have seven stitches to close the cut on my forehead. After the sting of the local anesthetic, there was no pain in the procedure. Jacob held my hand while Dr. Snow was sewing, and I tried not to think about why that was ironic. I can't figure out why it's ironic. quote:We were at the hospital forever. By the time I was done, I had to drop Jacob off at his home and hurry back to cook dinner for Charlie. Charlie seemed to buy my story about falling in Jacob’s garage. After all, it wasn’t like I hadn’t been able to land myself in the ER before with no more help than my own feet. Remember that Charlie and Renee just think that Bella's severe injuries last year came from taking a header down two flights of stairs and out a closed window. As far as they know, her clumsiness has reached slapstick comedy proportions. quote:This night was not as bad as that first night, after I’d heard the perfect voice in Port Angeles. The hole came back, the way it always did when I was away from Jacob, but it didn’t throb so badly around the edges. I was already planning ahead, looking forward to more delusions, and that was a distraction. Also, I knew I would feel better tomorrow when I was with Jacob again. That made the empty hole and the familiar pain easier to bear; relief was in sight. The nightmare, too, had lost a little of its potency. I was horrified by the nothingness, as always, but I was also strangely impatient as I waited for the moment that would send me screaming into consciousness. I knew the nightmare had to end. But without therapy. Therapy is bad. quote:The next Wednesday, before I could get home from the ER, Dr. Gerandy called to warn my father that I might possibly have a concussion and advised him to wake me up every two hours through the night to make sure it wasn’t serious. Charlie’s eyes narrowed suspiciously at my weak explanation about tripping again. "I'd had the most amazing hallucination today" is the kind of line that shouldn't be coming with glee from a young adult protagonist. quote:“This didn’t happen in the garage,” I protested quickly. “We were hiking, and I tripped over a rock.” Bella you idiot. quote:“I’ll be more careful,” I promised, surreptitiously crossing my fingers under the table. If she runs into it, her injuries will be grizzly!  Sorry. quote:“Charlie’s getting nosy,” I complained to Jacob when I picked him up after school Friday. Bella's really goddamn eager to drag Jacob into her self-harming adventures. quote:The house had been a mistake, certainly. But his presence must be stamped somewhere, somewhere other than inside me. There had to be a place where he seemed more real than among all the familiar landmarks that were crowded with other human memories. If you're trying to stay out of the hospital, we've already established that hiking is the worst place for you. quote:“What are you thinking about so hard?” Jacob asked. I tried looking at the map to figure out where this trailhead would be and I don't think Meyer got her geography right. The 110 (also called La Push Road) goes from a T-intersection near Forks all the way down to the town of La Push on the reservation. The closest trailhead on the western side in La Push is the beach they went to when Bella met Jacob for the first time in Twilight, and there doesn't seem to be a trailhead at all on the eastern side near Forks. I know it's nitpicky, but generally you shouldn't rely on detailed descriptions of real places if you don't want people checking your work. If you do want to visit yourself, it was filmed in Carver Park on the outskirts of Portland, OR. quote:We didn’t get started immediately; first, Jacob sprawled across the living room floor—taking up the whole room—and, for a full twenty minutes, drew a complicated web across the key section of the map while I perched on a kitchen chair and talked to Billy. Billy didn’t seem at all concerned about our proposed hiking trip. I was surprised that Jacob had told him where we were going, given the fuss people were making about the bear sightings. I wanted to ask Billy not to say anything about this to Charlie, but I was afraid that making the request would cause the opposite result. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6oLN3d5gzQ quote:I glanced at Billy swiftly, fearing a Charlie-style reaction. Of course Billy knows exactly what the "bear" is. He's trolling the poo poo out of the Wolf Pack. quote:Jake chuckled. “Hope your new boots are fast, Bella. One little jar isn’t going to keep a hungry bear occupied for long.” Bella will kill herself through clumsiness long before the bear reaches her. quote:“Have fun,” Billy rumbled, wheeling himself toward the refrigerator. I bet sometimes she even wears socks that don't match! quote:He laughed, and then pulled out our map. "It's like we changed directors!" quote:Jacob checked the compass every few minutes, keeping us in a straight line with one of the radiating spokes of his grid. He really looked like he knew what he was doing. I was going to compliment him, but I caught myself. No doubt he’d add another few years to his inflated age. Be glad you guys aren't dealing with the Canadian police then! quote:We stopped when Jacob said we’d gone six miles, cut west for a short time, and headed back along another line of his grid. Everything looked exactly the same as the way in, and I had a feeling that my silly quest was pretty much doomed. I admitted as much when it started to get darker, the sunless day fading toward a starless night, but Jacob was more confident. Get wrecked Bella. quote:I yanked my hand back and stomped around to the driver’s side while he chuckled at my reaction. You didn't even break in your boots? quote:“I hope we see the bear tomorrow. I’m sort of disappointed about that.” I need to make an edit of the video of Werner Herzog listening to the Treadwell tape for this. quote:“Bears don’t want to eat people. We don’t taste that good.” He grinned at me in the dark cab. “Of course, you might be an exception. I bet you’d taste good.”
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Aug 29, 2019 16:58
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Chapter 9: Third Wheelquote:Time began to trip along much more quickly than before. School, work, and Jacob—though not necessarily in that order—created a neat and effortless pattern to follow. And Charlie got his wish: I wasn’t miserable anymore. Of course, I couldn’t fool myself completely. When I stopped to take stock of my life, which I tried not to do too often, I couldn’t ignore the implications of my behavior. I've said it before, but Meyer's clumsy metaphors make me want to go back to Ian Fleming. quote:I was getting better with my bike, which meant fewer bandages to worry Charlie. But it also meant that the voice in my head began to fade, until I heard it no more. Quietly, I panicked. I threw myself into the search for the meadow with slightly frenzied intensity. I racked my brain for other adrenaline-producing activities. Wow, flashbacks to high school here. quote:“What exactly does that entail?” I hedged. It seems like Edward is the only person Bella will unconditionally do anything for without just trying to manipulate all of her relationships into the way she wants them. quote:“You’d like me to come, with your friends there?” This would be less weird if Bella wasn't legally an adult doing this. quote:I broached the subject with Mike in English. According to the Twilight Lexicon, we're now 5 months from the breakup and Bella is still hosed up over it. Even the people I know with the worst mental disorders had already recovered and moved on to new relationships long before this point. quote:“Sure,” he agreed, visibly less eager. Bella is being very kind by not assuming Quil's sexuality! quote:“Okay,” Mike muttered, foiled. So you're telling me we had to read all of that poo poo trying to work out a game plan and bring everyone the plot could fit for no loving reason? quote:The diminished numbers didn’t dampen Mike’s anticipation, though. It was all he could talk about Friday. "It hasn't even been review bombed yet!' quote:“I want to see Crosshairs,” I insisted. “I’m in the mood for action. Bring on the blood and guts!” Yep! quote:When I got home from school, a very familiar car was parked in front of my house. Jacob was leaning against the hood, a huge grin lighting up his face. In the next chapter, Mike tells Jacob what "Eiffel Tower" really means. quote:“Most of the time it’s just annoying, though.” Mike is so abused for no reason. quote:I heard the phone ringing from the kitchen. Again, is there any reason we had to spend over a page talking about who's coming and then delete them one by one? quote:It didn’t seem like Jake and Mike had made any progress towards friendship in my absence. They were several yards apart, facing away from each other as they waited for me; Mike’s expression was sullen, though Jacob’s was cheerful as always. He would have been healthier for you than Edward, Bella! quote:“Doesn’t the radio work in this thing?” Mike asked with a hint of petulance, interrupting Jacob mid-sentence. You could put the rap back on! quote:“Hmph.” Mike leaned away. Imagine trying to card the 6'5 guy with rippling muscles and Fabio hair. quote:I snickered, and Mike quickened his pace to keep up with us. This reminds me a lot of when Charlie took the battery out of Bella's truck in the first book. It comes off as Meyer needing characters to be unsympathetic at certain points so we can feel like Bella is the one in the right, but she spent so much time building up the characters as decent people that the only way to do it is to have them suddenly behave badly in a way that seems unlikely. Mike has spent two books being perfectly normal and polite while Bella and Edward demonize him for no good reason (including his breakup with Jessica being amicable, unlike Bella and Edward's), so now on this date he shifts gears to become a giant rear end in a top hat who snaps at people and sulks because he's not getting attention from the protagonist. quote:The movie was exactly what it professed to be. In just the opening credits, four people got blown up and one got beheaded. The girl in front of me put her hands over her eyes and turned her face into her date’s chest. He patted her shoulder, and winced occasionally, too. Mike didn’t look like he was watching. His face was stiff as he glared toward the fringe of curtain above the screen. Maybe Meyer should write this as a book. quote:After that, I really watched the show, laughing with him as the mayhem got more and more ridiculous. How was I ever going to fight the blurring lines in our relationship when I enjoyed being with him so much? Remember when the plot was about vampires? quote:Mike gave up first. About halfway through the movie, he pulled his arm back, and leaned forward to put his head in his hands. At first I thought he was reacting to something on the screen, but then he moaned. He was being written too out of character! He's starting to fade from existence! quote:Mike groaned again, and bolted for the door. I got up to follow him, and Jacob copied me immediately. Crosshairs is a work of art and should not be besmirched! quote:There was no sign of Mike in the hallway, and I was glad then that Jacob had come with me—he ducked into the men’s bathroom to check for him there. He's 16. quote:“Now, just hold on a minute, Bella,” he said in a calm voice. “Tell me something.” Well I already made the Team Jacob buttons so you don't really have a choice here. quote:His face was thoughtful, no longer teasing. “It’s still the other one, isn’t it?” But you should! To a therapist! quote:I nodded, grateful. Squeeze that hand like the clutch, Jacob. quote:He chuckled quietly for a minute while his pinky finger absently traced designs against the side of my hand. Bella manages to look like a battle-hardened veteran just from going to work. quote:I waited for the memory to hit—to open the gaping hole. But, as it so often did, Jacob’s presence kept me whole. Can we take this as a metaphor for Bella's refusal to confront her problems in any healthy way? The hallucinations of Edward are represented by the vomit. quote:“Just a sec,” Jacob said as we reached the door. He walked quickly back to the concession stand. “Could I have an empty popcorn bucket?” he asked the salesgirl. Oh no, she's a vampire already! quote:Mike groaned in the backseat, and threw up in the bucket. I grimaced, hoping my own stomach could stand the sound and smell. Jacob checked anxiously over his shoulder to make sure his car wasn’t defiled. There's a lot to unpack here. quote:I drove Mike home in his Suburban, while Jacob followed behind us to take me home. Jacob was quiet all the way back to my house, and I wondered if he were thinking the same things that I was. Maybe he was changing his mind. Yep! quote:A strange look crossed his face. “I really think I’d better go home now,” he said. For someone who claims to have never wanted to use him, she sure showed zero hesitation when it came time to do it. quote:I went inside to sit by the phone and bite my nails. Obviously, everyone coming into this thread knows Jacob is a werewolf and this is clearly the time he makes his first transformation. Stephenie Meyer wrote a summary of the first two books from Jacob's perspective after finding that people had misinterpreted Jacob due to her writing and thought he had some darker motivations than he actually did. quote:Well, at least he’d made it home. Oddly, I didn’t feel less worried. I trudged up the stairs, fretting. Maybe I would go down before work tomorrow to check on him. I could take soup—we had to have a can of Campbell’s around here somewhere. Shouldn't he be perfectly in his element? He took care of his elderly parents for years. He's probably gone through far worse than a teenage girl throwing up. quote:I heard the phone ring a few minutes later. Charlie spoke to someone in a low voice for a moment, and then hung up. Jacob wins for the biggest understatement in the entire series. quote:“Don’t you have the stomach flu?” I asked, confused. Not till the next chapter! quote:He ignored me. “I’ll call you when I can. I’ll let you know when you can come down again.” Since Hurricane Dorian is on its way to gently caress poo poo up again, I'll be returning to post probably next Wednesday.
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Aug 30, 2019 15:44
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Stay safe, OP. Not in the least because I can't stop rubbernecking this thread. I had sort of glossed over Twilight as a phenomenon and had even started to pooh-pooh its detractors because whatever gets people reading, but I don't think I realised it was this awful. Your commentary is fantastic but reading the actual text is an incredible chore. I feel like I want to invoice Stephanie Meyer for all this wasted time.
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Sep 2, 2019 05:10
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Stephanie Meyer posted:I was like a lost moon—my planet destroyed in some cataclysmic, disaster-movie scenario of desolation—that continued, nevertheless, to circle in a tight little orbit around the empty space left behind, ignoring the laws of gravity. chitoryu12 posted:I've said it before, but Meyer's clumsy metaphors make me want to go back to Ian Fleming. I was about to point out that this was technically a similie rather than a metaphor, but then I looked it up to double check and I discovered that actually similies are a type of metaphor.  I Learned A Thing!
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Sep 2, 2019 11:45
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The_White_Crane posted:I was about to point out that this was technically a similie rather than a metaphor, but then I looked it up to double check and I discovered that actually similies are a type of metaphor. My threads are educational! I remember being taught that similies and metaphors are strictly different things in school and getting really annoyed at being unable to call things metaphors because of a single word.
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Sep 2, 2019 22:28
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https://twitter.com/outmagazine/status/1168881768138600448?s=21 All right we’re campaigning to get Kristen Stewart in a a Marvel movie now.
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Sep 4, 2019 00:10
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Chapter 10: The Meadowquote:Jacob didn't call. Unlike every other thing we learn about random characters, Harry's hospitalization will actually be relevant! quote:Finally, Charlie hung up the phone and turned to me. If this were still the first book, we would have gotten a paragraph about all the time Bella spent trying to find WebMD. quote:All I knew about mono was that you were supposed to get it from kissing, which was clearly not the case with Jake. "Nobody would ever date this loser!" quote:I read through the symptoms quickly—the fever he definitely had, but what about the rest of it? No horrible sore throat, no exhaustion, no headaches, at least not before he’d gone home from the movie; he’d said he felt “fit as a fiddle.” Did it really come on so fast? The article made it sound like the sore stuff showed up first. Bella should be a detective. Finding mysteries off of tiny amounts of evidence seems to be the only thing that gets her out of her depression. quote:I was being silly, probably. I was just worried, and, to be honest, I was afraid of not being allowed to see Jacob—that made me nervous. Because it's all about you, right? quote:A week was long. By Wednesday, I was sure I wasn’t going to live till Saturday. Maybe you should date Sam instead if you keep dreaming about him. quote:The hole in my chest was worse than ever. I’d thought that I’d been getting it under control, but I found myself hunched over, day after day, clutching my sides together and gasping for air. I would suggest she spend time with the other people she somehow calls her "friends", but she'd probably just gripe about how lame they are compared to her. quote:I was relieved beyond measure the morning I woke up—screaming, of course—and remembered that it was Saturday. Today I could call Jacob. And if the phone lines still weren’t working, then I was going to La Push. One way or another, today would be better than the last lonely week. And then Bella takes her bike to Port Angeles to find him, crashing repeatedly the whole way. quote:Jacob was better, but not well enough to call me. He was out with friends. I was sitting home, missing him more every hour. I was lonely, worried, bored… perforated—and now also desolate as I realized that the week apart had not had the same effect on him. "What do you mean I'm not the only person he cares about?" quote:“Is there anything in particular you wanted?” Billy asked politely. There's that irrational fear of abandonment back! quote:“Something wrong?” Charlie asked as he came down the stairs. So let's look at this from Charlie's perspective. Your daughter has taken a breakup of a 6-month relationship so badly that she's been depressed for nearly as long as they were together. Her behavior is often shifty and her moods rapidly change in suspicious ways. She's coming home hurt and bandaged so often that you don't even really notice anymore. She has screaming nightmares almost every night. That's not "mopey." If I were him, I would seriously be worrying that my daughter was self-harming or suicidal. quote:“Seriously, Dad. I think I’ll call Jessica,” I fibbed quickly. I’d rather be alone than have him watching me all day. “We have a Calculus test to study for. I could use her help.” That part was true. But I’d have to make do without it. Jesus Christ she's an awful person. quote:Charlie started to turn, but then spun back with a worried expression. “Hey, you’ll study here or at Jess’s, right?” Check out Seattle and you can find all the bears you want! quote:I was glad that Charlie was in a hurry. He didn’t wait for me to call Jessica, so I didn’t have to put on that charade. I went through the motions of gathering my schoolbooks on the kitchen table to pack them in my bag; that was probably too much, and if he hadn’t been eager to hit the holes, it might have made him suspicious. The loving dark side? Because she's upset that you went completely insane in front of her and barely even apologized for it? That you're now pretending never even happened in front of your other friends? quote:I could drive to La Push and get my motorcycle—an appealing thought but for one minor problem: who was going to drive me to the emergency room if I needed it afterward? I'll never get over Meyer writing as if Forks is a gloomy town of depression when every single Google Maps view of the streets has bright sunshine. quote:Getting started took me longer than it would have taken Jacob. After I parked in the usual spot, I had to spend a good fifteen minutes studying the little needle on the compass face and the markings on the now worn map. When I was reasonably certain that I was following the right line of the web, I set off into the woods. I've brought up the stark difference from Ian Fleming's writing a lot, but I really suggest going and reading that for comparison. He had a sequence in the "For Your Eyes Only" short story where he described Bond walking through the forest, and it's stunning how much detail he fills it with by comparison. It really shows how detail padding out the length of a book can actually be used to its benefit, unlike the detail Meyer uses which is very plain and doesn't serve any real purpose except to tell you exactly what everyone is doing at all times. quote:The sense of unease grew stronger the deeper I got into the trees. Breathing started to get more difficult—not because of exertion, but because I was having trouble with the stupid hole in my chest again. I kept my arms tight around my torso and tried to banish the ache from my thoughts. I almost turned around, but I hated to waste the effort I’d already expended. Maybe this is the moment for Bella to have an epiphany about her emotions. She realizes that seeking constant reminders of her past will only drive her further into despair as it never provides the same feeling, which gives her encouragement to move on and seek happiness elsewhere. quote:The disappointment was nearly as instantaneous as the recognition. I sank down right where I was, kneeling there at the edge of the clearing, beginning to gasp. Or she could just resign herself to despair. We could do that to. quote:Alone. I repeated the word with grim satisfaction as I wrenched myself to my feet despite the pain. At precisely that moment, a figure stepped out from the trees to the north, some thirty paces away. Oh poo poo, there were vampires in this book! quote:It was an irrational response. I probably should have stopped at fear. I mean, at this rate... quote:Laurent had been one of James’s coven when we’d first met. He hadn’t been involved with the hunt that followed—the hunt where I was the quarry—but that was only because he was afraid; I was protected by a bigger coven than his own. It would have been different if that wasn’t the case—he’d had no compunctions, at the time, against making a meal of me. Of course, he must have changed, because he’d gone to Alaska to live with the other civilized coven there, the other family that refused to drink human blood for ethical reasons. The other family like… but I couldn’t let myself think the name. I feel like this is something that would have been really important to work into the story. I almost forgot the Denali coven even existed. quote:Yes, fear would have made more sense, but all I felt was an overwhelming satisfaction. The meadow was a magic place again. A darker magic than I’d expected, to be sure, but magic all the same. Here was the connection I’d sought. The proof, however remote, that—somewhere in the same world where I lived—he did exist. Laurent's the new boyfriend! quote:“You’re right,” he agreed. “I did go to Alaska. Still, I didn’t expect… When I found the Cullen place empty, I thought they’d moved on.” And now Bella finds a new kink. quote:“Hmm,” he said, thoughtful again. Oh whoops. quote:“Do they visit often?” he asked, still casual, but his weight shifted toward me. Bella getting dunked on by her own auditory hallucinations. quote:I tried. “I’ll have to mention to Carlisle that you stopped by. He’ll be sorry they missed your visit.” I pretended to deliberate for a second. “But I probably shouldn’t mention it to… Edward, I suppose—” I barely managed to say his name, and it twisted my expression on the way out, ruining my bluff “—he has such a temper… well, I’m sure you remember. He’s still touchy about the whole James thing.” I rolled my eyes and waved one hand dismissively, like it was all ancient history, but there was an edge of hysteria to my voice. I wondered if he would recognize what it was. "The whole 'almost murdered me and mutilated me' thing. Water under the bridge!" quote:“Is he really?” Laurent asked pleasantly… skeptically. With murder? quote:“Don’t move,” the voice whispered. I tried to do what he instructed. It was hard; the instinct to take flight was nearly uncontrollable. Wait, no! That's not honest! That's literally the entire reason they left! Did Meyer forget her own story? quote:“Yes,” Laurent agreed. “I am, too.” We're getting to one of the biggest character changes from Forever Dawn with Laurent. quote:I staggered back another step. The frantic growling in my head made it hard to hear. Obviously this scene is adding drama and returning us to the supernatural side of the story after many chapters of Bella just being crazy and having awkward dates, but it sort of highlights what I said about a big problem with Bella. She really only exists in the plot for it to revolve around her and has little to no agency to change it. Even here, the attack from Laurent is for something someone else did. Things just happen to her and everyone else is affected by it. quote:He frowned. “I suppose she’ll be angry, all the same.” Even the hallucination doesn't know what to do here. quote:Laurent shook his head, his face kind. “Look at it this way, Bella. You’re very lucky I was the one to find you.” I really can't say much about Laurent here. His "smooth, casual, smart vampire" personality is almost a carbon copy of James. quote:I tensed for the spring, my eyes squinting as I cringed away, and the sound of Edward’s furious roar echoed distantly in the back of my head. His name burst through all the walls I’d built to contain it. Edward, Edward, Edward. I was going to die. It shouldn’t matter if I thought of him now. Edward, I love you. Forever Dawn had a similar plot to Breaking Dawn, but one major change is that Laurent actually joined the Cullens for the finale and turned on Victoria, remaining a "vegetarian vampire." quote:“I don’t believe it,” he said, his voice so low that I barely heard it. He can't join the Cullens in this timeline because he's about to get his poo poo loving wrecked. quote:I wished I were lucky enough to see it from a distance. Instead, it padded silently through the grass a mere ten feet from where I stood. It's the other way around with who has death on their hands here. quote:Then another low growl from the leader caused the russet wolf to whip his head around, back toward Laurent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFTItbcpf9g I do wonder just how the werewolves manage to actually catch a vampire. Aren't they able to run faster than a car down a highway and practically leap over buildings? quote:My knees buckled under me, and I fell onto my hands, sobs building in my throat. Laurent was one of those guys in life who was always afraid of big dogs jumping on him. In death, it's become his defining trait. quote:And the wolves should have given Laurent a wide berth. Even if their extraordinary size had taught them to fear nothing, it still made no sense that they would pursue him. I doubted his icy marble skin would smell anything like food. Why would they pass up something warm-blooded and weak like me to chase after Laurent? Our protagonist is a strong woman. quote:At last there was a break in the trees ahead. I came out onto the empty road a mile or so south of where I’d left the truck. Exhausted as I was, I jogged up the lane until I found it. By the time I pulled myself into the cab, I was sobbing again. I fiercely shoved down both stiff locks before I dug my keys out of my pocket. The roar of the engine was comforting and sane. It helped me control the tears as I sped as fast as my truck would allow toward the main highway. Again, view all of this from Charlie's perspective. Meyer tries to write him as an overprotective dad, but he's given all the reason in the world to be terrified that his daughter's going to get herself hurt or killed doing something stupid. quote:Charlie seemed to really look at me for the first time. I remembered that I had spent some time on the forest floor today; I must be a mess. You couldn't have ended it at "bear"? quote:Charlie’s eyes grew round with horror. He strode quickly to me and grabbed the tops of my arms. That might be the most proactive thing Bella's done yet! quote:“Are you hungry?” he asked me when he hung up the phone. In every chapter Jake is another inch tall. By the end of the series he eats the Cullen house. quote:I stood in the hall, thinking about Jacob arguing with his friends. I wondered if he had confronted Embry about the situation with Sam. Maybe that was the reason he’d ditched me today—if it meant he could sort things out with Embry, I was glad he had. Giant wolves the size of horses: well known for respecting their lack of opposable thumbs. quote:Or… Victoria. "Hey dad, sorry but I put all my college money into a surprise trip to Denali! Don't ask!" quote:To calm myself, I fantasized the impossible: I imagined the big wolves catching up to Laurent in the woods and massacring the indestructible immortal the way they would any normal person. Despite the absurdity of such a vision, the idea comforted me. If the wolves got him, then he couldn’t tell Victoria I was here all alone. If he didn’t return, maybe she’d think the Cullens were still protecting me. If only the wolves could win such a fight.… We're 41% through the book. In case you're wondering, no, the plot with Victoria doesn't actually matter at all until the next book! quote:Laurent’s words repeated in my head. If you knew what she had planned for you.…
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Sep 5, 2019 17:01
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Chapter 11: Cultquote:Each time that I opened my eyes to the morning light and realized I’d lived through another night was a surprise to me. After the surprise wore off, my heart would start to race and my palms would sweat; I couldn’t really breathe again until I’d gotten up and ascertained that Charlie had survived as well. So Bella's brilliant plan to avoid Laurent is...pretend nothing is wrong and sleep in her own room every night hoping that he doesn't kill her. quote:The terror that was always foremost in my thoughts usually distracted me from the fact that another week had passed, and Jacob still hadn’t called me. But when I was able to concentrate on my normal life—if my life was really ever normal—this upset me. I would! quote:On Wednesday I called every half hour until after eleven at night, desperate to hear the warmth of Jacob’s voice. Except last year, where you fled back to Phoenix and thought you got her kidnapped. quote:The worry was eating a hole in my stomach. Soon I would have matching punctures. Oh man, she figured it out! quote:It was Sam Uley. Even my nightmares had been trying to tell me that. Sam had gotten to Jacob. Whatever was happening to the other boys on the reservation had reached out and stolen my friend. He’d been sucked into Sam’s cult. Never mind! quote:He hadn’t given up on me at all, I realized with a rush of feeling. There's a lot of potential for humor coming here. quote:I decided I’d better call Charlie first. Maybe whatever was going on down in La Push was something the police should be involved in. I dashed inside, in a hurry to be on my way. Unexpected? She was calling every half hour! quote:“I think… I think something weird is going on down at the reservation. Jacob told me about some strange stuff happening with the other boys his age. Now he’s acting the same way and I’m scared.” A lot of real gangs do have connections to youth and the community! quote:“Dad, it’s not like that. Jacob was scared of him.” That's a first. quote:“I don’t think you need to worry about this. Let Billy take care of Jacob.” Starting? quote:“Bells, I got a lot on my plate right now. Two tourists have gone missing off a trail outside crescent lake.” There was an anxious edge to his voice. “This wolf problem is getting out of hand.” I would be a lot more concerned about hikers disappearing and leaving behind pools of blood than figuring out the mystery of whether a vampire outran werewolves! quote:“Look, I really have to go. Don’t worry about Jake, Bella. I’m sure it’s nothing.” Billy has the patience of a goddamn saint. quote:I drove to La Push determined to wait. I’d sit out front of his house all night if I had to. I’d miss school. The boy was going to have to come home sometime, and when he did, he was going to have to talk to me. Actually there's a massive problem with Native American obesity! It's due to a combination of chronic alcohol abuse from poverty and transgenerational trauma and a diet high in fat, especially among the Navajo who were forced to subsist on frybread and fatty mutton stew due to their cheap rations when pushed onto reservations. quote:I crossed over to the wrong side of the road to stop next to him. He looked up when the roar of my truck approached. Along with alcoholism, Native American youth have a higher rate of substance abuse in general than the US population. We kinda hosed them up. quote:“I can’t see Jacob or Embry getting into anything like that… but what do I know? What else could it be? And why aren’t the old people worried?” He shook his head, and the fear showed in his eyes now. “Jacob didn’t want to be a part of this… cult. I don’t understand what could change him.” He stared at me, his face frightened. “I don’t want to be next.” I had no idea this book was so meandering and slow compared to the movies. We're only at 43% on Kindle and so little has happened! I was surprised to find that this book is less than 100 pages longer than Twilight but it already feels like I've been at it forever. quote:A movement flashed in my peripheral vision—I turned and spotted Billy looking at me through the front window with a confused expression. I waved once and smiled a tight smile, but stayed where I was. I think at this point you could legally hold Bella at gunpoint. quote:I was prepared to stay as long as it took, but I wished I had something to do. I dug up a pen out of the bottom of my backpack, and an old test. I started to doodle on the back of the scrap. Disappointed she wasn't drawing that stylized S everyone put in their notebooks. quote:I jumped, looking up, expecting Billy. I feel like Meyer realized that Edward's brooding and mood swings would look really bad next to a person who was happy and normal, so she needed both members of the love triangle to be brooding jerks. quote:“Jacob?” I whispered. In case you were wondering if there was anything healthy behind Bella's obsession with becoming a vampire, absolutely not. quote:The violent desire caught me off guard and knocked the wind out of me. It was the most forbidden of all wishes—even when I only wished it for a malicious reason like this, to gain an advantage over an enemy—because it was the most painful. That future was lost to me forever, had never really been within my grasp. I scrambled to gain control of myself while the hole in my chest ached hollowly. Edward had the right idea not trying to change her. Bella's already had plenty of fantasies about hurting people or breaking things. Giving her the superhuman tools to do it would be horrific. quote:“What do you want?” Jacob demanded, his expression growing more resentful as he watched the play of emotion across my face. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLIFtC9EekY&t=197s The Quileute language is nearly extinct, with no native speakers left as of 1999. There have been efforts to keep the remaining Quileute educated in it, including issuing free information and recordings of the language, but it's a long shot even with the tribe's added prominence thanks to this franchise. quote:“Okay.” Jacob seemed a bit less furious when the others were gone. His face was a little calmer, but also more hopeless. His mouth seemed permanently pulled down at the corners. Nobody ever knows how to do OPSEC in these books. They act super suspicious all the time, then just never tell anyone and hope that they decide not to pry any further. quote:My jaw tightened, and I spoke through my teeth. “I thought we were friends.” I am not looking up slash fics but this is hella gay right now. quote:“Stop blaming Sam.” The words came out fast, like a reflex. His hands reached up to twist around the hair that was no longer there, and then fell limply at his sides. OPSEC, Bella! OPSEC! quote:My mouth still hung wide. I hate to disappoint you, but this series never has vampire hunters or anything of the sort. I'm not even sure if they get mentioned. quote:It took me too long to come up with the correct response. “Don’t tell me you’re listening to Billy’s superstitious nonsense now,” I said with a feeble attempt at mockery. It's probably a bad sign when the voice in your head is the sensible one. quote:Ever since Edward’s name had broken through the careful walls I’d buried it behind, I’d been unable to lock it up again. It didn’t hurt now—not during the precious seconds when I could hear his voice. From what I know of Forever Dawn, the sudden brooding and rage-filled Jacob is also new to the series. His character remained far more shallow in the prototype. quote:“I have to get back.” He whirled and stalked away so swiftly that I had to jog to keep up. That may have been the lamest word choice to use here. quote:The silly, inconsequential hurt was incredibly potent. The tears welled up again. “Are you… breaking up with me?” The words were all wrong, but they were the best way I could think to phrase what I was asking. After all, what Jake and I had was more than any schoolyard romance. Stronger. Even in a time like this, she's still manipulating him and playing with his feelings! quote:His face went from anger to agony in a second. One shaking hand reached out toward me. Don't tell me we have two "I'm a monster don't look at me!" guys in this love triangle! quote:“You’re my friend, that’s what you are! Jake—don’t!” I think there could have been a better way to progress with this plot point. We just established that Jacob knows the Cullens really are vampires and has told Bella as much, and it's implied that he knows she knows. But it never goes anywhere and Jacob just rages against himself and runs away to stretch another chapter out. I don't think it would have been hard to let the werewolf reveal happen here instead, since they should both be catching on that the other is involved in the supernatural now. quote:Not as bad! Not as bad! my mind tried to comfort me. It was true. This wasn’t as bad. This wasn’t the end of the world, not again. This was just the end of what little peace there was left behind. That was all. Actually Swiss cheese isn't crumbly. You're more like a ricotta! quote:Charlie was waiting on the porch. As I rolled to a stop, he walked out to meet me. Why would he? It's raining. He should comment on you being unusually dry. quote:“Then what did happen?” he asked when we were inside. He pulled the afghan off the back of the sofa as he spoke and wrapped it around my shoulders. I realized I was shivering still. He's just amazed that Bella seems to be telling the truth about her problems for once. quote:I decided to take a shower because I was so cold, but the hot water didn’t seem to affect the temperature of my skin. I was still freezing when I gave up and shut the water off. In the sudden quiet, I could hear Charlie talking to someone downstairs. I wrapped a towel around me, and cracked the bathroom door. I think Billy was just telling Charlie about his daughter stalking their family. quote:“Fine. Yeah. Goodbye.” The phone slammed into the cradle. I would love a book about the events of the series from the perspective of all the characters completely outside the supernatural realm so we can see Bella from their perspective. She must come across like an absolute lunatic most of the time. quote:It was strange, for I’d feared that myself, but after the last thing Jacob had said this afternoon, I didn’t believe it anymore. There was much more to this than an unrequited crush, and it surprised me that Billy would stoop to claiming that. It made me think that whatever secret they were keeping was bigger than I’d been imagining. At least Charlie was on my side now.
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Sep 6, 2019 17:10
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So the reason more of the la push kids are "joining Sam's Gang" is that Victoria is building her army of newborn vampires in Seattle, I assume, since the only reason they change to werewolves is vampires amassing nearby and the only vampire in Forks right now is Laurent. And Jake's broody and angry nature is the fault of the change to Wolf. It takes a lot more for the wolf boys to find inner peace like Sam has. Until then they are very quick to anger and violence which is why they are trying to keep away from people especially their friends. Sam literally crippled his girlfriend before he got it under control. Probably why Jake thinks he's no longer good.
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Sep 7, 2019 13:29
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chitoryu12 posted:I hate to disappoint you, but this series never has vampire hunters or anything of the sort. I'm not even sure if they get mentioned. Carlisle's dad and his ragtag Pastor gang I guess. I don't know exactly how they fight them though, as Twilight vamps have pretty much no weaknesses for a human to use.
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Sep 7, 2019 17:26
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MorgaineDax posted:Carlisle's dad and his ragtag Pastor gang I guess. I don't know exactly how they fight them though, as Twilight vamps have pretty much no weaknesses for a human to use. Their only vulnerabilities are fire and being torn apart. Werewolves and other vampires are the only creatures with the natural power to dismember them, so humans would need direct hits from explosives. Considering how fast and aware vampires are, setting one on fire before dismembering it would likely be impossible without something like locking it in a giant steel cremation chamber or hoping that it can't get out of the way of a surprise cruise missile in time. In short, Carlisle's dad would have been utterly loving useless.
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Sep 7, 2019 19:14
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Chapter 12: Intruderquote:My eyes flew wide open with fright, though I was so exhausted and muddled that I was not yet positive whether I was awake or asleep. All right, we get the plot back! Something interesting about to happen! quote:And then a familiar, husky voice called from the dark shape. Ah. Never mind. quote:I blinked my wet blurry eyes, suddenly sure that I was dreaming. “When did you ever promise to kill yourself falling out of Charlie’s tree?” You couldn't wait to call? quote:Another scream built in my throat as I waited for him to fall to his death—or at least maim himself against the wooden siding. To my shock, he swung agilely into my room, landing on the balls of his feet with a low thud. Bella's supernatural power is picking really bad dates. quote:All of this, coupled with the fact that I was dog-tired, did not put me in a friendly mood. Never sneak into Bella's room if she thinks it's a dream. She'll literally try to kill you. quote:He wasn’t wearing a shirt, though the air blowing in the window was cold enough to make me shiver, and it made me uncomfortable to have my hands on his bare chest. His skin was burning hot, like his head had been the last time I’d touched him. Like he was still sick with the fever. Really hard to write a strong feminist protagonist when she goes weak and faints at anything. quote:“Hey, are you okay?” Jacob asked, worry creasing his forehead. I hope you're ready for another scene where it takes pages and pages to progress a single conversation because neither person can communicate. quote:I let my head fall into my hands. My question came out muffled by my arm. “Why?”  quote:“Something you felt like you had to keep from Charlie, from your mom…?” he pressed. “Something you won’t even talk about with me? Not even now?” Hahahaha she actually did it! quote:“Can you understand that I might have the same kind of… situation?” He was struggling again, seeming to fight for the right words. “Sometimes, loyalty gets in the way of what you want to do. Sometimes, it’s not your secret to tell.” It really is! quote:We looked at each other for a long moment in the dark room, both our faces hopeless. Remember how literally the first interaction Bella and Jacob had was her manipulating him for her benefit? quote:He was nodding, anxious for more. This is like a bad party game. quote:My head churned. Only one story really mattered. I knew he’d begun with others, but I couldn’t remember the inconsequential prelude, especially not while my brain was so clouded with exhaustion. I started to shake my head. My favorite conversations to read are the ones where neither person can tell the other what they need to get the plot rolling and have to try and indirectly say it and pry information out of each other like pulling teeth. How about you? quote:“See what I mean about loyalty?” he murmured, even huskier now. “It’s the same for me, only worse. You can’t imagine how tight I’m bound.…” No that's the EL James books. You're fine. quote:I didn’t like that—didn’t like the way his eyes closed as if he were in pain when he spoke of being bound. More than dislike—I realized I hated it, hated anything that caused him pain. Hated it fiercely. Because you definitely tried that with your problem. quote:“It’s not something I can run away from, Bella,” he whispered. “I would run with you, though, if I could.” His shoulders were shaking now, too. He took a deep breath. “Look, I’ve got to leave.” I bet you guys are gonna love how Bella figures it out by herself. quote:“You don’t have to tell them anything,” I hissed. Hoo boy. quote:Did he know that, too? Nobody knew that besides me. But he was right—it was the middle of the night, the perfect time for hunting. Jacob shouldn’t be here in my room. If someone came for me, I had to be alone. How does that even work? quote:“It would really help if you could figure this out on your own, Bella. Put some honest effort into it.” He's actually a weresam! quote:“At least call me—if you don’t want to see me again. Let me know if it’s like that.” The boy just did a gymnast swing into your window. I think he'll be fine. quote:“I won’t get hurt,” he muttered, but he turned for the door. He hesitated as he passed me, staring at me with an expression like something was stabbing him. He held one hand out, pleading. Edward stops her heart by kissing her, Jacob just crushes her to death with a hug. quote:He dropped me at once, keeping one hand at my waist so I didn’t fall over. He pushed me, more gently this time, back down on the bed. Bella's dreams seem to work really differently from normal person dreams! quote:Detached from the dream now, I waited for it to play out. A light was coming toward me from the beach. In just a moment, Edward would walk through the trees, his skin faintly glowing and his eyes black and dangerous. He would beckon to me, and smile. He would be beautiful as an angel, and his teeth would be pointed and sharp.… Like the plot of this series! quote:This was not the same wolf that I’d dreamed of in another life. This was the great russet wolf I’d stood half a foot from in the meadow, just a week ago. This wolf was gigantic, monstrous, bigger than a bear. I feel so bad for Charlie. She's been waking up screaming so much that he doesn't even react now. quote:I remembered it all now—every word that Jacob had said to me that day on the beach, even the part before he got to the vampires, the “cold ones.” Especially that first part. Do you like recaps of stuff we've already seen? Here you go! quote:“Do you know any of our old stories, about where we came from—the Quileutes, I mean?” he asked. I went back and checked. This is actually almost identical to the original passage from Twilight. A few descriptive words have been changed, but it looks like Meyer just did a copy and paste of even Bella's internal narration. quote:There was something stuck in my throat, choking me. I tried to swallow it down, but it was lodged there, unmoving. I tried to spit it out. Yeah, you actually accepted it so easily that it made me somewhat worried for your mental health! quote:Exactly, I wanted to scream back at the voice. Wasn’t one myth enough for anyone, enough for a lifetime? "You guys are just loving awful at being subtle." quote:But Jacob? Jacob, who was just Jacob, and nothing more than that? Jacob, my friend? Jacob, the only human I’d ever been able to relate to.… You're a monsterfucker? quote:I knew the answer to that one. It said that there was something deeply wrong with me. Why else would my life be filled with characters from horror movies? Why else would I care so much about them that it would tear big chunks right out of my chest when they went off along their mythical ways? Not in the way you think you did! quote:I pulled on the first clean clothes I could find, not bothering to be sure they matched, and took the stairs two at a time. I almost ran into Charlie as I skidded into the hallway, headed for the door. "You're basically the least trustworthy and most concerning daughter I could have asked for." quote:“I don’t know,” he admitted. “It’s just… well, there’s been another attack—the wolves again. It was real close to the resort by the hot springs—there’s a witness this time. The victim was only a dozen yards from the road when he disappeared. His wife saw a huge gray wolf just a few minutes later, while she was searching for him, and ran for help.” Three octaves? Did she sound like she sucked helium? quote:“What else can we do? What’s wrong?” he asked, his tense eyes studying my face. I felt faint; I must be whiter than usual. “You aren’t turning into a tree-hugger on me, are you?” No Charlie! Don't turn into a Republican! quote:I couldn’t answer. If he hadn’t been watching me, I would have put my head between my knees. I’d forgotten about the missing hikers, the bloody paw prints.… I hadn’t connected those facts to my first realization. It's like every time she actually tries to display strength toward someone it's just a brief interlude in hysterics and depression. quote:“I’ve got to do my job, kid. Don’t be such a pessimist—I’ll be fine.” He turned for the door, and held it open. “You leaving?” Just running up to a pack of werewolves and telling them they need to stop being werewolves because someone might get scared and shoot them. They've definitely never thought of that before! quote:They had to stop! Charlie was out there in the woods. Would they care about that? I wondered.… Up until now, only strangers had disappeared. Did that mean anything, or was it just chance? You might say her mind was running through the possibilities. quote:I didn’t know anything about werewolves, clearly. I would have expected something closer to the movies—big hairy half-men creatures or something—if I’d expected anything at all. So I didn’t know what made them hunt, whether hunger or thirst or just a desire to kill. It was hard to judge, not knowing that.
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Sep 9, 2019 15:37
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She'll choose... poorly.
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Sep 10, 2019 02:16
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Somebody Awful posted:She'll choose... poorly. I was hoping someone had made a crossover image of the Twilight and Indiana Jones fandoms. Instead, enjoy Swan and Jones, a fanfic where Bella Swan is mysteriously transported back to 1931 to fall in love with a conveniently de-aged Indiana Jones at the Pankot Palace! Because the Internet has loving everything!
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Sep 10, 2019 04:14
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chitoryu12 posted:Because the Internet has loving everything! And everything loving everything else.
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Sep 10, 2019 04:29
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Chapter 13: Killerquote:If it was anyone but Jacob,I thought to myself, shaking my head as I drove down the forest-lined highway to La Push. For someone who's supposed to be characterized as having an innate understanding of people and even being able to predict their exact motivations and emotions off of really spurious clues, Bella sure loves jumping to conclusions. quote:The house was dark, no lights in the windows, but I didn’t care if I woke them. My fist thudded against the front door with angry energy; the sound reverberated through the walls. This might be the first time Bella has pulled anything you could call a "power move." I wish Meyer would stick to this for the rest of the series so it didn't get dragged out so long. quote:Billy pursed his thick lips for a long moment. “I’d bet he’s still asleep,” he finally said, nodding toward the tiny hallway off the front room. “He’s out late a lot these days. Kid needs his rest—probably you shouldn’t wake him.” You were so gung-ho about bursting in and angrily confronting the Blacks about them being serial killing werewolves, but as soon as you see Jacob asleep you can't bear to wake him? quote:Billy nodded, and then we gazed at each other for a minute. I was dying to ask him about his part in this. What did he think of what his son had become? But I knew how he’d supported Sam from the very beginning, and so I supposed the murders must not bother him. How he justified that to himself I couldn’t imagine. Bella is either perfectly perceptive or a giant idiot. Never in between. quote:I could see many questions for me in his dark eyes, but he didn’t voice them either. You're going to wait down by the beach. For the murderous werewolf to wake up. So you can confront him about being a killer. quote:I drove down to First Beach and parked in the empty dirt lot. It was still dark—the gloomy predawn of a cloudy day—and when I cut the headlights it was hard to see. I had to let my eyes adjust before I could find the path that led through the tall hedge of weeds. It was colder here, with the wind whipping off the black water, and I shoved my hands deep into the pockets of my winter jacket. At least the rain had stopped. What annoys me the most about this whole chapter is that so many pages are dedicated to a red herring. It puts a bunch of work into characterization and emotion, all for a false premise. We're about to have a lengthy amount of dialogue entirely about this misunderstanding. It's so much work put into a waste of space. quote:When I pictured him sleeping so peacefully, I felt an overpowering urge to protect him. Completely illogical. Especially since you're motivated by the belief that he's a murderer! It would have been way safer to just call! quote:Jacob started pacing along the rocks. If I listened very hard, I could just hear the gentle brush of his feet on the rocks behind the sound of the waves. The rocks had clattered like castanets for me. "The danger fetish, you see." quote:He snorted. “Oh, much better.” I hate conversations where both people just keep conveniently saying the exact lines that lead to a dramatic misunderstanding, always just vague enough to let them be misinterpreted in the way that makes the plot work. The only reason this isn't enraging is because it's about to get resolved instead of leading to a tragic murder or something. quote:“Could you… well, try to not be a… werewolf?” I suggested in a whisper. I can't believe this girl. quote:He threw his hands up in the air. “Like I have a choice about it!” he shouted. “And how would that help anything, if you’re worried about people disappearing?” This is definitely a Mormon book. quote:I flinched away from his hostile expression. He seemed to be waiting for an answer, so I shook my head. He has a point. quote:I jumped to my feet and glared back. “No, you’re not!” I shouted. “It’s not what you are, stupid, it’s what you do!” It was foreshadowed before when Jacob was talking about his encounters with Sam's "gang", but extreme rage can cause a transformation in the Quileute shapeshifters and they have a lot of anger problems. It adds another retrospectively disturbing layer to people finding signs of abusive relationships in these books. quote:I listened to him, though. I would do anything for that voice. Even he can't believe how dumb she is. quote:“No, Jake, no. It’s not that you’re a… wolf. That’s fine,” I promised him, and I knew as I said the words that I meant them. I really didn’t care if he turned into a big wolf—he was still Jacob. “If you could just find a way not to hurt people… that’s all that upsets me. These are innocent people, Jake, people like Charlie, and I can’t just look the other way while you—” A common question in relationships. quote:“No,” I gasped. “Can’t—breathe—Jake!” Imagine telling this story to your friends after you start dating. quote:I thought of something then, and pulled away from him so that I could see his face. My eyebrows furrowed in anxiety. “What about Sam? And the others?” We really just went through all of these pages of hysterical misunderstanding and Bella nearly getting her rear end kicked by a werewolf because she forgot all the exposition from the first book. quote:I stared at him blankly for one second before I understood. Then the blood drained from my face and a thin, wordless cry of horror broke through my lips. Make Forks Great Again! quote:I could only mouth the words. “You… killed… Laurent?” He's so humble! quote:“Laurent is dead?” I whispered. "I can finally end my plan of not doing anything and hoping nothing bad happens!" quote:“You’re not mad? He wasn’t one of your friends or anything, was he?” So now we have both members of the love triangle having to maintain control of themselves and their family to keep Bella from getting literally murdered in a rage. I'm starting to think she has a type. quote:I thought about that carefully. “When you were mad before… when I was yelling at you… and you were shaking…?” The way Meyer has defended Jacob's actions in this book and written a summary of the events from his point of view suggests that she legitimately didn't notice the abusive relationship subtext she had put in. quote:“What would happen… if you got too mad?” I whispered. I mean, you'd be a pretty lovely protector of Quileute lands if you could only do it one day out of the month. quote:Something very, very obvious, something I should have grasped at once—but I’d been so distracted by the idea of Jacob and his friends fighting with Laurent, that I’d completely missed it at the time—occurred to me only then, when Jacob used the present tense again. Bella keeps getting surprised by things we already learned! Laurent told her that Victoria was looking for her! She even thought it was Victoria at first when Jacob was outside her window! quote:His voice faded until it sounded like it was coming through a long tunnel; I couldn’t make out the individual words anymore. My forehead dewed with sweat and my stomach rolled like I had the stomach flu again. Exactly like I had the flu. Yeah, we know. We all learned that together a few days ago. Keep up with your own plot, Bella. quote:My head spun sickeningly. This is like the world's worst Victorian novel, complete with the heroine dramatically fainting at every revelation. quote:“Do you need some water? A doctor? Tell me what to do,” he demanded, frantic.  quote:I trembled again, and whimpered, “Yes.” "Pissed off" is a really weak way of describing the feeling someone has when their spouse is murdered. quote:Jacob was distracted by that, his face torn between several different expressions. “Is that what happened? Why the Cullens left?” Counting all of the lies Bella tells in a day is like being a New York Times reporter. quote:He traded his hold on my waist for one of my hands. “Let’s go.” He pulled me back toward the truck. You leave Michael J. Fox out of this! quote:I exhaled sharply. No matter what Jacob said, the thought of him coming anywhere close to Victoria was horrifying. I didn’t care what he could turn into when he got mad. I could see her in my head, her face wild, her hair like flames, deadly, indestructible.… Why are we wasting time questioning this? It's a known fact that they're protectors and the mortal enemy of the vampires. Jacob said they killed Laurent. Just take someone at their word! quote:He said they were keeping a special eye on Charlie—that I should trust the werewolves to keep my father safe. How could I trust that? None of us were safe! Jacob the very least of all, if he was trying to put himself between Victoria and Charlie… between Victoria and me. What was the last chapter that didn't have Bella hyperventilating, screaming, and panicking? quote:A sharp rap on the truck’s window made me yelp in terror—but it was just Jacob, back already. I unlocked the door with trembling, grateful fingers. "I made out with a vampire on the reg." quote:Jacob grinned back easily. “Guess you’d have to be. Okay. See, when we’re wolves, we can… hear each other.” It'll be a fun game to try and find places where Meyer forgets that the wolves can constantly read each other's minds. quote:“You’re also very good with weird. I thought that would bother you.” That's a fair point. After dating a vampire and befriending a Native American werewolf in the same town I would just start preemptively assuming everything supernatural is true just in case it comes up. quote:I started the truck and headed back up the road. “So did you just turn into a wolf now, to talk to Sam?” I asked, curious. I can't even tell if she's lying any more! Sometimes she'll march right up to a seemingly murderous werewolf and bop it on the nose, sometimes she'll keel over and start vomiting in terror. It's always a mystery! quote:“Well, it would have stopped me,” Jacob said, morose now. “Remember how I couldn’t finish my sentences last night? How I couldn’t just tell you the whole story?” Did they ever sell "It's a wolf thing" shirts for merchandise? They should have. quote:“Huh” was the best response I could think of. Even Jacob seems unsure about why they're involving her in the plot at this point. "Well she already knows everything by accident, so..." quote:I frowned to myself. Was that what Jacob would want from me? Insider information to help them destroy their enemies? I wasn’t a spy, though. I hadn’t been collecting that kind of information. Already, his words made me feel like a traitor. Victoria actually does have a canon "power" and it's really loving lame. quote:“He? Oh, you mean Edward—oops, sorry. I forgot. You don’t like to say his name. Or hear it.” In case you forgot Jacob is still 16. quote:“Okay.” He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I said anything.” Do you think they make wolf puns and wolf jokes all the time to annoy Sam? quote:“Ha ha,” I said. But I got out of the truck, hurrying around the front end to stand close beside Jacob. I remembered only too clearly the giant monsters in the meadow. My hands were trembling like Jacob’s had been before, but with fear rather than rage.
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Sep 10, 2019 18:11
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Chapter 14: Familyquote:I cowered into Jacob's side, my eyes scanning the forest for the other werewolves. When they appeared, striding out from between the trees, they weren’t what I was expecting. I’d gotten the image of the wolves stuck in my head. These were just four really big half-naked boys. And the start of something you shouldn't play on a work computer! quote:Again, they reminded me of brothers, quadruplets. Something about the way they moved almost in synchronization to stand across the road from us, the way they all had the same long, round muscles under the same red-brown skin, the same cropped black hair, and the way their expressions altered at exactly the same moment. He also doesn't count as a boy because he's like 19. And unlike your ex, he won't stay an immature teenager forever! quote:“What have you done, Jacob?” he demanded. What does it say about you when you nearly wolf out in anger so much that nobody can even be more than annoyed by it now? quote:Paul twisted his head toward Jared, his lips curling back in irritation. Then he shifted his glare in my direction. Jacob took a step to put himself in front of me. So this makes twice in 5 or 6 months that someone related to Bella's supernatural love interest has attempted murder because of her being around. quote:The wolf’s muzzle wrinkled back over his teeth, and another growl rolled through his colossal chest. His dark, enraged eyes focused on me. The Wolf Pack gets made fun of for never wearing shirts, but it's actually practical. Their extremely high natural body temperature means they're always warm and it would suck to destroy a good outfit because you threw a temper tantrum and accidentally turned into a wolf. This does mean that any time we see a prepared transformation instead of an impulsive one, we can also safely assume that the wolves snuck away from the scene to strip completely naked first! Including when Jacob ran away from Bella to communicate with the pack in the last chapter! quote:“Jacob!” I screamed again, staggering forward. I'm trying to picture someone doing a full body shake while running and I can't find any way to make it cool. quote:The growling and snapping was fading into the distance. Suddenly, the sound cut off and it was very quiet on the road. That sounds incredibly dangerous, guys! Paul probably shouldn't be let outside! quote:Jared stopped to pick something white up off the ground. He held it up toward Embry; it dangled in limp strips from his hand. Also, Jacob is poor as poo poo! Edward making fun of him in the movie for not wearing a shirt was real loving rude! quote:Jared started collecting various pieces of fabric from the dirt. “Get Sam’s shoes, will you? All the rest of this is headed for the trash.” Now everyone is catching on to how weak Bella is. quote:“You don’t look so good. Maybe you should sit down.” Hey, I was right! They do make wolf puns all the time! quote:I raised my head to glare at the two boys who seemed to be taking this all so lightly. “Aren’t you worried about them at all?” I demanded. Maybe you should rethink hanging out with werewolves that seem to get into massive, brutal fights because of their anger issues on such a regular basis that they joke about it. quote:"Let's go see Emily. You know she'll have food waiting." How many times in two books has Bella needed to let someone else drive because she was emotionally compromised? quote:Embry opened the passenger-side door. “In you go,” he said cheerfully, hauling me up from the ground with one hand and stuffing me into my seat. He appraised the available space. “You’ll have to ride in the back,” he told Jared. And there goes Stephenie Meyer again, making all the side characters way more interesting and likable! quote:
This is confirmation of what you've probably already suspected: the orders of the pack alpha are supernaturally enforced. quote:“Where are we going?” I asked. I hope you guys like more stuff coded to seem like an abusive relationship allegory! quote:He changed the subject quickly. “Hey, are you okay about the whole thing with the black-haired bloodsucker in the meadow? It didn’t look like he was a friend of yours, but…” Embry shrugged. Remember this because it actually becomes an important plot point! quote:“Oh. Um, thanks. I’m glad you didn’t wait.”  I actually have no clue where they filmed Emily's house! I can't find anything online, even on extensive lists of New Moon shooting locations. quote:Embry opened the truck door and inhaled. “Mmm, Emily’s cooking.”  Emily was played by another oddly named actress: Tinsel Corey. Much like Booboo, she chose this name as a replacement for her birth name of Harash Patel (I believe she's the only Quileute in the movies not played by a Native American). She wanted to move from Toronto to Hollywood at 22, but was unable to get a visa and settled for acting in Vancouver instead. She's continued to appear in minor film and TV roles, including Longmire and The Young and the Restless. quote:Thankful for Embry’s warning, I quickly turned my eyes to the muffins in her hands. They smelled wonderful—like fresh blueberries. This is about to become a Monty Python routine. quote:“Bella Swan,” Jared told her, shrugging. Apparently, I’d been a topic of conversation before. “Who else?” Everyone immediately starts naming themselves based on the last thing they hosed. Jacob is just the Hand Man. quote:She laughed, as did Embry and Jared. The left half of her face warmed. “I guess I am.” She turned to Jared. “Where’s Sam?” Imagine having to live with a guy like Paul. quote:“Don’t worry,” Embry told her. “If they’re late, we won’t let anything go to waste.” I wish the Cullens could eat because you know this poo poo would be happening all the time. quote:“Pig,” Jared commented. How the gently caress did Meyer not notice what she's implying with these relationships? quote:The front door opened, and Sam stepped through. Found the incel. quote:This was worse than any romantic movie; this was so real that it sang out loud with joy and life and true love. I put my muffin down and folded my arms across my empty chest. I stared at the flowers, trying to ignore the utter peace of their moment, and the wretched throbbing of my wounds. One time my friend punched me while joking around and let me hit her back. She was really drunk and I'm twice her size so you can guess how that went. quote:Jacob scanned the room, his eyes stopping when he found me leaning, awkward and out of place, against the counter in the far corner of the kitchen. I guess if you and your friends had a healing factor the first thing you'd do is start beating each other up for fun. quote:“You okay?” I asked him under my breath. I do think it would have been funny if Paul just went right back into rage mode as soon as he sees Bella. For the rest of the book. quote:“I know what the redhead wants.” Jacob directed his words toward Jared and Embry. “That’s what I was trying to tell you before.” He kicked the leg of the chair Paul had settled into. Even the characters are pointing out the problems with the plot now! quote:They continued to stare at me, mouths still hanging open, for a long moment. I ducked my head. Jesus, guys! quote:“Bella is not bait.” "Bella, you hide in the corner crying." quote:I noticed that Emily didn’t particularly like that Sam would be in the smaller grouping. Her worry had me glancing up at Jacob, worrying, too. "We also need to make it look like you have agency in this plot and Meyer isn't just forcing the plot into La Push to develop all the werewolves." quote:“I won’t hurt her,” Jacob mumbled, looking down. These books are the story of a handful of adults shaking their heads at everyone else being idiots. quote:“Food’s ready,” she announced then, and the strategic conversation was history. The guys hurried to surround the table—which looked tiny and in danger of being crushed by them—and devoured the buffet-sized pan of eggs Emily placed in their midst in record time. Emily ate leaning against the counter like me—avoiding the bedlam at the table—and watched them with affectionate eyes. Her expression clearly stated that this was her family. Don't be a bigot, Bella. quote:I spent the day in La Push, the majority of it in Billy’s house. He left a message on Charlie’s phone and at the station, and Charlie showed up around dinnertime with two pizzas. It was good he brought two larges; Jacob ate one all by himself. I'm not actually sure if Victoria appears at all in this book or if she just stays offscreen until Eclipse. quote:Jacob walked me to my truck after dinner and lingered by the window, waiting for Charlie to drive away first. I think you're projecting. quote:He chuckled. “Get some rest, Bella, honey. You look exhausted.” Poor Charlie is getting jerked around so much. What would you say if your daughter flipped out about Jacob possibly joining a gang on the reservation and then waved it off as a "misunderstanding" while acting as shifty as possible every day you see her? quote:His face changed. “I hadn’t heard that he and Emily had made it official. That’s nice. Poor girl.” We need our lord and savior Emmett Cullen! quote:“That’s horrible,” I echoed. More than a year ago. I’d bet that meant it had happened when there was just one werewolf in La Push. I shuddered at the thought of how Sam must have felt every time he looked at Emily’s face. Probably not as horrible as she feels! quote:That night, I lay awake for a long time trying to sort through the day. I worked my way backward through dinner with Billy, Jacob, and Charlie, to the long afternoon in the Blacks’ house, waiting anxiously to hear something from Jacob, to Emily’s kitchen, to the horror of the werewolf fight, to talking with Jacob on the beach. Yeah you, uh, keep up with that line of thought about the multiple murders. quote:I rolled over and tried to think of something else—and I thought of Jacob and his brothers, out running in the darkness. I fell asleep imagining the wolves, invisible in the night, guarding me from danger. When I dreamed, I stood in the forest again, but I didn’t wander. I was holding Emily’s scarred hand as we faced into the shadows and waited anxiously for our werewolves to come home.
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Sep 11, 2019 16:16
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The wolves seem like more fun than the vampires so far.
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Sep 11, 2019 19:39
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Midjack posted:The wolves seem like more fun than the vampires so far. I like the fandom interpretation of the Cullens as just a bunch of dumbass permanent kids who have one communal brain cell to share and are constantly getting into wacky hijinks.
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Sep 11, 2019 19:57
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Yeah the Cullen House I'm pretty sure is just Emmett and Alice goofing off all day when something else isn't happening(Like hours/days-long gently caress sessions between Emmett and Rosalie or Alice and Jasper), probably with Jasper joining in when no humans are in smell range, while Rosalie sits in a corner and obsesses about not being able to have a baby and Edward is all phantom of the opera up in his room except when he's with Bella when he rejoins society, with Carlisle and Esme standing at the top of the stairs laughing and shaking their heads at the goofy kids. You kinda get a sense of all this in the second half of Breaking Dawn.
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Sep 12, 2019 04:24
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