Fifty Shades of Fail: Chapter Twelve
Jul. 29th, 2012 09:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
astra_auroraHi, everyone! It's time for Chapter Twelve! *bounces* Warning: there's sex and some seriously dub-con stuff in here. Be warned.
Ana goes out for a run. She doesn't do this, ever, so she knows it won't be for long. Fair enough. Some people just don't do exercise- or just do it in ways other than running. She spends time thinking about the contract. She knows it's unenforceable (which he should have told her) and wonders whether she can live in the kind of relationship it's describing. She also wonders why Christian is the way he is. She finally decides that before anything gets decided, they'll be talking about what is and isn't OK. Fair enough.
Back at their place, Kate models the new clothes she bought for her vacation in front of Ana, who feels inadequate looking at her (mainly because Kate has a great figure and Ana doesn't do much exercise). I can sympathise. Involuntarily comparing yourself to others sucks.
Ana sends Grey an email: Okay, I've seen enough. It was nice knowing you. Ana. According to her narration, this is supposed to be a joke, but I've got no idea why the hell this is funny. I miss a lot of jokes, but even so, this doesn't seem humorous in any way, shape or form. As rejection letters go... ouch, dude.
Anyway, Ana expects a reply, but doesn't get one. She goes back to packing... and then all of a sudden, Grey is there. How the fuck did he get into her room without Kate warning her or anything? Ana instantly starts looking for an escape route... fucking hell.
THIS IS NOT ROMANTIC!
Anyway, they banter a little, and Ana actually makes a decent joke:
"And you decided that it was nice knowing me? Do you mean knowing me in the biblical sense?"
"I didn't think you were familiar with the Bible."
"I went to Sunday school, Anastasia. It taught me a great deal."
"I don't remember reading about nipple clamps in the Bible. Perhaps you were taught from a modern translation."
*snerk*
Anyway, Grey showed up to remind her how 'nice' it was knowing him. By which he means... sex. Of course.
As utterly distasteful as this scene is, he does at least say 'What do you say to that, Miss Steele?', so I'm slightly reassured by that. And given what we've seen of Grey, I don't think he'd... OK...
I just had a rather bad thought: I'm honestly not sure what Grey would do if Ana had been hesitant or hostile toward him. She responds to this by launching herself at him, so we know she's up for it, but there's that rather huge underlying problem:
THIS IS NOT HOW YOU DEAL WITH REJECTION.
Let's strip it all back to the bare bones: Grey and Ana have had a tentative almost-relationship, consisting of sex and not much else. They haven't known each other for long and don't have plans for a romantic relationship. Grey gives Ana a contract and tells her to read it and do some research so they can discuss the potential for a sub/dom relationship. Ana does some research and then sends him an email that, for all intents and purposes, tells him that their almost-relationship is over and she doesn't want to talk to him again. Grey's response is to show up in her room wanting sex. Ana hasn't told him it was a joke (even though she totally should have).
THIS. IS. NOT. HOW. YOU. DEAL. WITH. REJECTION.
What the fuck is wrong with him? Why does he think randomly showing up to fuck her would be an acceptable and wanted response? SHE TOLD HIM SHE DIDN'T WANT TO SEE HIM AGAIN. She may not have meant it, but that's the message he got. Who the fuck thinks showing up and demanding sex is appropriate? Demanding an explanation? Sure? Sending back an angry, bitter hate note? OK. Demanding sex? Christ no!
I've pretty much lost all my sympathy for Ana now. Not only was that a colossally stupid move, it didn't even make sense. Fucking idiot.
Oh, it gets worse. It can always get worse in this book.
See, he ties her to the bed (without asking) and then goes for her feet. Ana says no, mainly because she hasn't taken a shower and she's all sweaty, and Grey's response... gah.
"If you struggle, I'll tie your feet, too. If you make a noise, Anastasia, I will gag you."
That one line has removed all my doubts. Grey is a rapist. Ana wasn't saying no to sex, but she did say no, and he completely ignored it in favour of telling her that she had no choice but to lie there and take it.
Ladies, gentlemen and all those to whom the traditional gender roles don't apply... our hero. Can I get a round of applause, please?
Thanks.
Ana, being Ana, doesn't care. I hate her.
Anyway, there's sex. It's pretty unmemorable and I really don't want to read it, but two bits stuck out:
(No, the end of that last sentence was not a tit joke, so stop glaring at me like that.)
Two things:
1: Ana talks about how he 'plunges inside me' and 'continues to slam deliciously into me'. Leaving aside how someone can slam deliciously (hint: you can't), this just makes me cringe, because I've been given some rather detailed depictions of sex by a source I won't name. My source informed me, among other things, that Ana has a healthy dose of Sue-luck, because sex can be really goddamn painful if you do it wrong- or even if you do it right, because size matters. Even if everything's going perfectly, it can all go horribly wrong if the sizes don't match. So while this is basic romance sex-scene bullshit, it should be something other than perfect.
Goddamn this book.
2: Grey keeps saying variations of 'Is this nice?' It's creepy as hell. Makes me think of a rape scene or something.
Anyway, the sex ends, they banter, and then... this happens.
"See, I knew you had a sense of humour somewhere in there," I smile.
"Only certain things are funny, Anastasia. I thought you were saying no, no discussion at all."
THEN WHY THE FUCK DID YOU DO THIS? WHY? WHYYYYYYYYY?
Ana tells him that she hasn't made her mind up and asks if he'll collar her. He's never collared anyone, but he was collared by Mrs Robinson. Ana calls her that, and Grey loves it, saying he'll tell her. He still talks to her regularly, BTW.
Yeah, I was face-palming too.
Ana gets angry about it, saying that it's not right that Grey has someone he can talk to about BDSM, but she doesn't. Grey never thought of it like that- Mrs Robinson's just a friend. He offers to introduce her to one of his former subs. I can see where he's coming from, but that's not a good idea. If said former sub was on good terms with him... maybe, but God knows I'd feel a bit weird if I met my hypothetical boyfriend's ex-girlfriend. Ana gets mad at him for suggesting it and then kicks him out.
They agree to the Wednesday thing, and then he leaves. Ana wishes he was a normal guy (by which she means, 'I wish he wasn't into BDSM'). First, Ana, fuck you. Second, BDSM is normal... when done right, to be fair. This is not right in any way.
Ana has a slight crisis where her subconscious scolds her for feeling bad after she wanted sex; and then admits to wanting more in a relationship than what Grey is prepared to give her, especially when she knows what she will get involves pain.
ANA. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DO IT, THEN DON'T. You don't have to. You really don't.
This book is... weird. It acts like people in love have to be together under any circumstances. They don't. They really don't.
Kate turns up and demands an explanation. Ana says that the sex was consensual. Kate asks why he was there, and Ana tells her about the email. Kate initially thinks it was reverse psychology, but when Ana says it was a joke, she's just as confused as I am.
God, what the fuck is with that joke? It makes no sense!
They talk a bit more, and then Kate says that Elliot will help them pack. They're in lurve.
Kate also says that Ana's mother and stepfather can't go to graduation- her stepdad's injured. Her dad will be there, though. This sounds like James just didn't want to include Ana's mother and stepdad any more than she had to.
Ana fires up her email and finds a message from Grey. She sends him back her list of stuff to talk about, they banter a little, and then she finally goes to sleep.
Without showering.
Gah.
That was Chapter Twelve. I guess almost anything would be better than Chapter Ten, but it's not going to get better.
Ana goes out for a run. She doesn't do this, ever, so she knows it won't be for long. Fair enough. Some people just don't do exercise- or just do it in ways other than running. She spends time thinking about the contract. She knows it's unenforceable (which he should have told her) and wonders whether she can live in the kind of relationship it's describing. She also wonders why Christian is the way he is. She finally decides that before anything gets decided, they'll be talking about what is and isn't OK. Fair enough.
Back at their place, Kate models the new clothes she bought for her vacation in front of Ana, who feels inadequate looking at her (mainly because Kate has a great figure and Ana doesn't do much exercise). I can sympathise. Involuntarily comparing yourself to others sucks.
Ana sends Grey an email: Okay, I've seen enough. It was nice knowing you. Ana. According to her narration, this is supposed to be a joke, but I've got no idea why the hell this is funny. I miss a lot of jokes, but even so, this doesn't seem humorous in any way, shape or form. As rejection letters go... ouch, dude.
Anyway, Ana expects a reply, but doesn't get one. She goes back to packing... and then all of a sudden, Grey is there. How the fuck did he get into her room without Kate warning her or anything? Ana instantly starts looking for an escape route... fucking hell.
THIS IS NOT ROMANTIC!
Anyway, they banter a little, and Ana actually makes a decent joke:
"And you decided that it was nice knowing me? Do you mean knowing me in the biblical sense?"
"I didn't think you were familiar with the Bible."
"I went to Sunday school, Anastasia. It taught me a great deal."
"I don't remember reading about nipple clamps in the Bible. Perhaps you were taught from a modern translation."
*snerk*
Anyway, Grey showed up to remind her how 'nice' it was knowing him. By which he means... sex. Of course.
As utterly distasteful as this scene is, he does at least say 'What do you say to that, Miss Steele?', so I'm slightly reassured by that. And given what we've seen of Grey, I don't think he'd... OK...
I just had a rather bad thought: I'm honestly not sure what Grey would do if Ana had been hesitant or hostile toward him. She responds to this by launching herself at him, so we know she's up for it, but there's that rather huge underlying problem:
THIS IS NOT HOW YOU DEAL WITH REJECTION.
Let's strip it all back to the bare bones: Grey and Ana have had a tentative almost-relationship, consisting of sex and not much else. They haven't known each other for long and don't have plans for a romantic relationship. Grey gives Ana a contract and tells her to read it and do some research so they can discuss the potential for a sub/dom relationship. Ana does some research and then sends him an email that, for all intents and purposes, tells him that their almost-relationship is over and she doesn't want to talk to him again. Grey's response is to show up in her room wanting sex. Ana hasn't told him it was a joke (even though she totally should have).
THIS. IS. NOT. HOW. YOU. DEAL. WITH. REJECTION.
What the fuck is wrong with him? Why does he think randomly showing up to fuck her would be an acceptable and wanted response? SHE TOLD HIM SHE DIDN'T WANT TO SEE HIM AGAIN. She may not have meant it, but that's the message he got. Who the fuck thinks showing up and demanding sex is appropriate? Demanding an explanation? Sure? Sending back an angry, bitter hate note? OK. Demanding sex? Christ no!
I've pretty much lost all my sympathy for Ana now. Not only was that a colossally stupid move, it didn't even make sense. Fucking idiot.
Oh, it gets worse. It can always get worse in this book.
See, he ties her to the bed (without asking) and then goes for her feet. Ana says no, mainly because she hasn't taken a shower and she's all sweaty, and Grey's response... gah.
"If you struggle, I'll tie your feet, too. If you make a noise, Anastasia, I will gag you."
That one line has removed all my doubts. Grey is a rapist. Ana wasn't saying no to sex, but she did say no, and he completely ignored it in favour of telling her that she had no choice but to lie there and take it.
Ladies, gentlemen and all those to whom the traditional gender roles don't apply... our hero. Can I get a round of applause, please?
Thanks.
Ana, being Ana, doesn't care. I hate her.
Anyway, there's sex. It's pretty unmemorable and I really don't want to read it, but two bits stuck out:
(No, the end of that last sentence was not a tit joke, so stop glaring at me like that.)
Two things:
1: Ana talks about how he 'plunges inside me' and 'continues to slam deliciously into me'. Leaving aside how someone can slam deliciously (hint: you can't), this just makes me cringe, because I've been given some rather detailed depictions of sex by a source I won't name. My source informed me, among other things, that Ana has a healthy dose of Sue-luck, because sex can be really goddamn painful if you do it wrong- or even if you do it right, because size matters. Even if everything's going perfectly, it can all go horribly wrong if the sizes don't match. So while this is basic romance sex-scene bullshit, it should be something other than perfect.
Goddamn this book.
2: Grey keeps saying variations of 'Is this nice?' It's creepy as hell. Makes me think of a rape scene or something.
Anyway, the sex ends, they banter, and then... this happens.
"See, I knew you had a sense of humour somewhere in there," I smile.
"Only certain things are funny, Anastasia. I thought you were saying no, no discussion at all."
THEN WHY THE FUCK DID YOU DO THIS? WHY? WHYYYYYYYYY?
Ana tells him that she hasn't made her mind up and asks if he'll collar her. He's never collared anyone, but he was collared by Mrs Robinson. Ana calls her that, and Grey loves it, saying he'll tell her. He still talks to her regularly, BTW.
Yeah, I was face-palming too.
Ana gets angry about it, saying that it's not right that Grey has someone he can talk to about BDSM, but she doesn't. Grey never thought of it like that- Mrs Robinson's just a friend. He offers to introduce her to one of his former subs. I can see where he's coming from, but that's not a good idea. If said former sub was on good terms with him... maybe, but God knows I'd feel a bit weird if I met my hypothetical boyfriend's ex-girlfriend. Ana gets mad at him for suggesting it and then kicks him out.
They agree to the Wednesday thing, and then he leaves. Ana wishes he was a normal guy (by which she means, 'I wish he wasn't into BDSM'). First, Ana, fuck you. Second, BDSM is normal... when done right, to be fair. This is not right in any way.
Ana has a slight crisis where her subconscious scolds her for feeling bad after she wanted sex; and then admits to wanting more in a relationship than what Grey is prepared to give her, especially when she knows what she will get involves pain.
ANA. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DO IT, THEN DON'T. You don't have to. You really don't.
This book is... weird. It acts like people in love have to be together under any circumstances. They don't. They really don't.
Kate turns up and demands an explanation. Ana says that the sex was consensual. Kate asks why he was there, and Ana tells her about the email. Kate initially thinks it was reverse psychology, but when Ana says it was a joke, she's just as confused as I am.
God, what the fuck is with that joke? It makes no sense!
They talk a bit more, and then Kate says that Elliot will help them pack. They're in lurve.
Kate also says that Ana's mother and stepfather can't go to graduation- her stepdad's injured. Her dad will be there, though. This sounds like James just didn't want to include Ana's mother and stepdad any more than she had to.
Ana fires up her email and finds a message from Grey. She sends him back her list of stuff to talk about, they banter a little, and then she finally goes to sleep.
Without showering.
Gah.
That was Chapter Twelve. I guess almost anything would be better than Chapter Ten, but it's not going to get better.
