Chapter 10: Durga's Temple
Hello, and welcome back to our irregularly scheduled nonsense!
Last time, uh, Kelsey learned how to dive. Wes clearly isn't a very good teacher, because Kelsey bonked herself in the head with a coral reef/big honking rock and knocked herself out. It's like she has a power switch on her noggin.
This time, Houck remembers, oh yeah, she already gave us the prophecy, so it's about time they try to fulfill that!
Chapter Ten: Durga's Temple
Mmm, that's some good Plot. It's like drinking some instant coffee at a motel after driving for twelve straight hours--it's not good coffee, but it's still coffee.
Kelsey regains consciousness lying on the deck of the yacht and coughs up a bunch of seawater. She looks up and sees Kishan leaning over her, concerned. She asks what happened, and Kishan says not to worry. Ren's standing against the far wall as far away as possible.
Wes looks Kelsey over for injuries and seems satisfied that she's not in serious danger, despite the whole concussion thing. Kelsey thanks Wes for hauling her out of the water, and Wes tells her that Ren did it, which is why he's so far away now. So Kelsey thanks Ren, and he says that Kishan was the one who did CPR on her, and leaves.
Kishan helps Kelsey walk back to her room, and Kelsey says that her head doesn't hurt too bad anymore.
Nothing some Tylenol wouldn't fix.
SOMETHING OTHER THAN ASPIRIN! I guess that means it's not as serious as the aspirin concussion.
Which is not how concussions work.
Also, it was bad enough to require CPR! That means her heart fucking stopped! Actual CPR isn't like what you see in the movies--proper technique commonly ends up with broken ribs. A couple Tylenol won't help with that.
Everyone else on the boat comes up with excuses not to dive the next day so she can rest, which Kelsey assures us is completely unfair. Even though she was the one that managed to knock herself out underwater like an idiot.
Ren is mysteriously absent through all of this. In fact, he's missing through the whole next day, too. And everyone's acting really weird about it, in such a hamfisted way that even Kelsey notices that something's up.
I became angry with Kishan and used every persuasive method at my disposal to get him to tell me why Ren was hiding, but Kishan wouldn't budge.
This isn't terribly surprising when all of the "persuasive methods" we've seen Kelsey use in the past involved wearing colorful lipstick and making her man a sandwich. So this probably just consisted of Kelsey sitting next to him and poking him while asking the same question over and over again.
Mr. Kadam and Nilima similarly refuse to help her find Ren, which annoys Kelsey.
Houck remembers that, oh yeah, Kelsey has access to a tracker that can pinpoint exactly where he is! But she apparently promised not to use it, so even though she's losing her mind with questions about what's wrong, she doesn't use it. Even though that could lead to a scene of actually interesting conflict. No, gotta respect Ren's feelings when he constantly trounces over hers. Ick.
Three days later, still with no sight of Ren, Kelsey decides to walk around the deck around midnight to clear her head. Conveniently, Ren and Kishan are also having a midnight stroll on the deck. Also conveniently, the sound of the waves masks Kelsey's footsteps. Also also conveniently, she just happens to be standing downwind, so they can't smell her there. But they're still conveniently talking loudly enough for her to hear what they're saying.
Convenient!
Kishan is in the middle of telling Ren that Kelsey won't do what he expects her to do.
"She's already halfway there. Out of sight, out of mind," Ren replied.
Ren's kind of an asshole.
Kishan says that Kelsey's feelings are stronger than he thinks, and Ren says that it doesn't matter either way, since he's already decided. They go back and forth for a little bit, and Ren assures Kishan that Kishan will be there to help.
"You have to tell her. If you're going to break up with Kelsey, she deserves to hear it from you."
Break up?
So yeah, Ren's breaking up with Kelsey. Which makes his "out of sight, of mind" comment really awful. Ren seems to be incapable of seeing other people as having their own thoughts and agency--he literally assumes that because he's ignored her for a couple of days, Kelsey will just...not love him anymore? Or something? It's like he thinks he can just pick people up and put them back down without considering how his actions would affect other people. Which is...not a gentlemanly thing to do.
And yes, I know Houck intends for this to be, like, he just loves her So Much that he's letting her go, but it doesn't read that way! Especially considering his later actions, where he seems to be acting specifically in a way to hurt Kelsey's feelings. But that's a later chapter.
Kelsey flips out and yells at them for having this conversation, like it's their fault she decided to eavesdrop on a private conversation. Kishan has the good sense to look guilty, but Ren "harden[s] his expression as if ready for a fight," because he's a bit of a pyschopath.
Kishan gets himself into my good graces with a rare bit of good dialogue:
Kishan grimaced. "I'm sorry, Kells. You and Ren need to talk. I'll find you again later and let you yell at me more then."
Yeah, I like this line. Shoot me. It's one of the only times Houck wrote something intentionally funny that made me laugh.
Kishan leaves, and Ren stands there looking annoying. Kelsey threatens violence to get him to talk to her and explain why he's been avoiding her. Ren says that she already heard it, and that he wants to break up with her.
I couldn't think of anything to say except, "Why?"
"I can't . . . it won't . . . we shouldn't . . . look, I have my reasons, okay?"
"No. Just saying you have reasons isn't good enough."
Something flickered in his eyes. Pain. But it disappeared quickly and was replaced by gritty fortitude. "I don't love you anymore."
Kelsey says that that's not a good excuse, because she read his wishes during the Star Festival. Ren says that it doesn't matter and that she should just be with Kishan instead.
"You already love him."
"I love you, you big idiot."
"Then stop."
"I can't just turn my feelings on and off like a water spigot."
No one talks like this. Also, Ren is, again, showing a complete lack of understanding that other people don't always do what he wants them to. This could be an interesting character flaw, but nope! It's supposed to be endearing because he's doing What's Best For Kelsey.
Kelsey says that it's not like him to push her towards Kishan, and he finally says that it's because he couldn't save her when she almost drowned. It turns out that Ren tried to do CPR on her but got too sick to save her. When Kishan tried to jump in to save her, he pushed him away, almost letting Kelsey die because he couldn't touch her.
Huh. That's actually...kind of reasonable. Not the whole "pathological inability to let another male breathe in Kelsey's direction," but realizing that this behavior is unacceptable and dangerous.
Oh, wait, no, in the next paragraph Ren clarifies that it's not because it's endangering Kelsey, but solely because he can't do the things the big strong Man is supposed to do for his Woman:
"No. Kelsey. No! I can't be with you! I can't touch you! And I can't save you." He gripped the railing so hard his knuckles turned white. "You need a man who can do those things. That man isn't me. It's been months, Kelsey. I haven't found the trigger. I probably never will, and you'll waste your entire life waiting for me! Kishan needs you. Kishan wants you. Be with him."
So, yeah. This isn't a defining character moment where Ren realizes his own faults and tries to fix them. It's because he can't have sex with Kelsey. Nice.
Kelsey argues with him for a bit, saying that he's what she's choosing, and Ren keeps saying that he knows what's best for her. Kelsey says that he can't force her feelings to change.
Ren's shoulders fell and he said resignedly, "It won't be force. Your feelings for him will come naturally, and at the same time, your feelings for me will diminish."
"Not bloody likely!"
Why is Kelsey British all of a sudden?
This sends Kelsey into a panic attack, and she starts hyperventilating and crying. Ren tells her to get over it (but, uh, slightly nicer) and says, "We need to face the fact that our relationship is dysfunctional." Well, it is, but not for the reason he's talking about.
Kelsey argues some more (it's getting very old), and Ren reiterates that he doesn't want to date her anymore.
"Apparently I'm not making myself clear. I . . . don't . . . want . . . you. Not anymore. I'm not even sure I want a girlfriend right now. Maybe I'll just play the field for a while, break a few hearts. I think I'll try a redhead or a blonde next time.:
See, on the one hand, this is transparently just a way to hurt Kelsey so she'll finally agree to break up with him. On the other hand, he's being completely serious. This is a thing that actually happens in a later chapter. The pettiness knows no bounds.
Kelsey says she doesn't believe him, and he says he'll prove it.
"Oh . . . no . . . you . . . won't! If I see you with another woman, I will personally strangle you, Tarzan!"
Why...why does she call him Tarzan here...? Tarzan isn't exactly known for trying to prove Jane wrong about being in love with him by going and finding someone else. It's just...confusing.
Kelsey calls him a coward for deciding to hide from her, and Ren says that he'll find someone new. Someone better! And prettier! And less mouthy!
That's not me exaggerating:
"I'll find someone else. Someone," he worked his jaw, "prettier. And a little less mouthy would be good too."
What a dick!
Kelsey starts crying again and literally describes Ren as "mov[ing] in for the kill," because he's a bit of a psychopath. He says he'll probably move on within the week and leaves. He then insults her by basically calling her a slut, since she already has two backup guys waiting for her. He turns and leaves, and Kelsey warns him that if he breaks it off here, there won't be another chance. Ren says that he won't go after her again and leaves. Kelsey shouts after him that she won't leave Kishan for him if he changes his mind because it wouldn't be fair to Kishan. Ha.
Scene break! She doesn't see Ren again for a whole week. Everyone else goes back to normal. ONe morning Wes finds Kelsey alone on the deck and his accent decides to have a conversation with her.
"A good feller's as scarce as teeth on a chicken. [. . .]"
I hate Wes.
Kelsey asks if he's ever broken up with anyone, and he said that he would have married his high school sweetheart if he'd stayed in the States, but broke up with her before leaving for India because he got itchy feet. The way it's worded, it looks like he literally just stopped talking to her until she gave up trying to contact him which is...not great.
Kelsey says that he should call her, but she's already married with kids now. Gee, that sure was fast! Wes is supposed to still be in college, yeah?
Anyway, he says that he might eventually write her a letter, and Kelsey says that he should. Because if I was abandoned by my almost-fiance and then later pulled myself together to be happily married with children, I'd love to hear from the guy who abandoned me. Idiots.
Anyway! They're inMandalor Mangalore, which is where Durga's Temple is! Kelsey meets up with Mr. Kadam, who exposits about the temple. They'll be going around midnight to make the offerings and receive her blessing. He also says that they'll be shopping for items to use as an offering, because doing any amount of prep before leaving on the dangerous quest is too much to expect, I guess.
They go shopping, which is mostly skimmed over in favor of an angry internal monologue about how could Ren do this to her? When they get back, Kelsey tracks Ren's location for like a whole afternoon, and she even admits that this makes her seem like a crazy ex-girlfriend. Yup.
Kelsey gets all of the miscellaneous materials they've gathered for an offering--sunglasses, flip-flips, various beachy items. Guess Durga doesn't care if the offering is personal or not, since it's a lot of chintzy stuff they seem to have picked up along the beach. Nilima comes in and gives Kelsey another offering for Durga--a piece of silk cloth.
Nilima explains that young women fast every Tuesday in the summer and offer silk to Durga at the temple they're going to. Kelsey asks what for, and Nilima says it's so that Durga can find them a man to marry. Nilima's been fasting...but not for herself. Yes, of course she's fasting so that Kelsey can find happiness. She hasn't eaten solid food for two weeks, which...seems dangerous to me.
Why does every character have to fall over themselves to help Kelsey?
Nilima is such a weird character. Literally every single thing she does is in service of Kelsey. Kelsey appreciates what Nilima does for her, but she also never actually reciprocates? She treats Nilima like a servant for most of the series--Nilima drives her around in Oregon, Nilima serves her food on the private jet, Nilima cuts her hair (which happens in a later chapter), Nilima fasts so that Kelsey can find love. Kelsey doesn't lift a finger to help Nilima with anything. I don't think she even asks Nilima any questions about herself. It's entirely unearned when Kelsey calls her her "sister," because Kelsey never really has a single conversation with her that isn't about Kelsey!
Kelsey meets up with Kishan and Mr. Kadam at the Jeep. Ren also jumps in the car, and they share an awkward ride into town.
They get to the temple and it's very pretty, although Houck does a really bad job of setting the scene--the buildings around it are described as looking like fast-food windows, and the interior of the temple is described as "spacious" with no other information. There's a golden statue of Durga at the end of the room, and she actually gets described. She's all tricked out in jewels and flowers.
Mr. Kadam actually gets to stay with them this time, which is kind of nice, and also doesn't explain why he wasn't allowed to the last couple of times. Kelsey lays the offerings around the statue, including Nilima's silk cloth, and warns them that it might get a little crazy when they summon Durga. Kelsey takes Kishan's hand, and offers a hand to Ren, who ducks out of the way and takes Mr. Kadam's hand instead, which is a funny image.
They all call for Durga's help, and Ren and Kishan change into tigers, but nothing happens. They try again with Ren and Kishan holding Kelsey's hands, and this time it works. That sure was pointless. Wind surges through the temple and the statute of Durga starts pouring water, flooding the temple. They hold onto each other while the temple drains, leaving everything all gross and muddy. There's a handprint on the throne, though, and Kelsey activates her powers on it.
My hand turned blue and then translucent, and Phet's marks surfaced once again.
Um, Kelsey's hand normally turns red when she uses her powers. This is such a blatant inconsistency I'm losing my mind.
The statue melts away, leaving Durga standing behind. She's literally glowing (and has "alabaster" colored skin, which is uncomfortably white), and of course she's beautiful.
When I opened [my eyes] I thought the swirling patterns on her skin reminded me of a pearlescent nail polish, or maybe it was more like the scales of a fish.
I don't know, you're the author! You tell me!
Durga's wearing a lei, which is a very Hawaiian thing for her to be wearing.
Her feet were bare.
AGAIN WITH THE WEIRD EMPHASIS ON FEET IN THIS SERIES
Durga says that she accepts Kelsey's offerings, and summons a rainbow to dry them all off. Wat. She also takes Nilima's cloth and says they'll talk about that in a bit. She says she'd like to meet Mr. Kadam, so Kelsey introduces him. Durga says that he's sacrificed a lot to be there, and he'll sacrifice more in the future. Mr. Kadam says he'd sacrifice anything for his children, which is actually kind of a nice moment. Mr. Kadam is a cool character when he isn't vomiting exposition.
She calls Kishan forward, and gives him a special smile. She gives him a thin necklace with a nautilus shell on the end.
Except the point of the special water in The Last Airbender was that Katara only got enough magic water for a single use. So she had to choose when the best time to use it was. Which is dramatic.
Durga calls Ren forward and gives him a golden trident, which can separate into two sai knives and also shoot spears at things. Neat.
Then Durga asks to speak to Kelsey alone, so the others leave. Durga asks why Kelsey's so sad since Durga kept her promise to protect Ren. Which means that Houck didn't forget the stuff from the second book--she's just been deliberately writing Kelsey as a huge idiot to preserve drama. Durga says that Ren chose to forget her because he loves her. She looks at Nilima's cloth, and says that lots of people have sacrificed things on Kelsey's behalf. Which is true, but Kelsey's done nothing to demonstrate why everyone would want to sacrifice things for her, and does nothing to indicate that she'd do the same for them! Awesome.
Durga asks what Kelsey wants, and Kelsey says that she hasn't thought about marriage, but she wants to be with someone she loves.
"Success is measured by your arrival on the other side, not on how muddy your shoes are. Regrets are felt by those who do not understand life's purpose. They become so disillusioned that they stand still in the river and do not take the next leap."
So, uh, there you go, folks. If you have any regrets or second thoughts on any of your life decisions, you're unsuccessful and don't understand the purpose of life. That's...not great advice. Especially for your protagonist! Protagonists are supposed to make mistakes, learn from them, and grow as a character! You don't learn anything if you never make decisions you later regret!
There's a thing I really liked about Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, where in one of the early episodes Ed and Al aren't able to save a young girl. They regret this for the rest of their lives, and a lot of their driving motivation to save people is because they couldn't save her. It's a really great piece of character motivation.
Durga says that this will happen eventually. Kelsey asks which one she'll be with.
She smiled and ignored my question.
HA. The way this is phrased is really funny to me.
Durga promises to consider Nilima too, as Nilima also deserves love.
Spoilers: Nilima doesn't end up with even a love interest that I can remember, so I guess Houck forgot about this. Oops.
Durga gives Kelsey her lotus lei, and says that they'll never fade and will be useful in the future. It's very Symbolic, because the lotus flower grows out of muddy water. Durga also says to go to the Shore Temple at the City of Seven Pagodas, since there is a woman there who will help them. Then she turns back into a statue, still holding Nilima's cloth, which is admittedly a nice image.
Kishan meets her outside, and they have a very Symbolic conversation (that I...again, kind of like).
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. You didn't have to wait for me, Kishan."
He kissed my forehead. "Sure, I did. Come on. The others are in the car. Let's get back to the boat."
It's a nice subtle piece of dialogue that actually has--gasp--subtext. Because he was waiting for her outside the temple, and he's been waiting for Kelsey to fall in love with him! And Houck doesn't call unnecessary attention to it! Which, admittedly, is making me think it was accidental, because usually when Houck wants something to have more than one meaning I can picture her standing behind the book wiggling her eyebrows at me saying, "Do you get it? Do you get it?"
That would have been a nice place to end the chapter, but Houck ruins a good ending by adding another sentence about Ren running off again once they get back to the boat. That's the end.
Closing Thoughts
Huh, there are things that I...like in this chapter. I mean, most of it was stupid, but there are a couple little sections that actually...work. It's a weird feeling.
Well, don't expect these flashes of quality to last. Next time, Chapter Eleven: Beach Party! Ren decides to be a huge dick, and Houck tries to write a character who is intentionally annoying. Woo.
Last time, uh, Kelsey learned how to dive. Wes clearly isn't a very good teacher, because Kelsey bonked herself in the head with a coral reef/big honking rock and knocked herself out. It's like she has a power switch on her noggin.
This time, Houck remembers, oh yeah, she already gave us the prophecy, so it's about time they try to fulfill that!
Chapter Ten: Durga's Temple
Mmm, that's some good Plot. It's like drinking some instant coffee at a motel after driving for twelve straight hours--it's not good coffee, but it's still coffee.
Kelsey regains consciousness lying on the deck of the yacht and coughs up a bunch of seawater. She looks up and sees Kishan leaning over her, concerned. She asks what happened, and Kishan says not to worry. Ren's standing against the far wall as far away as possible.
Wes looks Kelsey over for injuries and seems satisfied that she's not in serious danger, despite the whole concussion thing. Kelsey thanks Wes for hauling her out of the water, and Wes tells her that Ren did it, which is why he's so far away now. So Kelsey thanks Ren, and he says that Kishan was the one who did CPR on her, and leaves.
Kishan helps Kelsey walk back to her room, and Kelsey says that her head doesn't hurt too bad anymore.
Nothing some Tylenol wouldn't fix.
SOMETHING OTHER THAN ASPIRIN! I guess that means it's not as serious as the aspirin concussion.
Which is not how concussions work.
Also, it was bad enough to require CPR! That means her heart fucking stopped! Actual CPR isn't like what you see in the movies--proper technique commonly ends up with broken ribs. A couple Tylenol won't help with that.
Everyone else on the boat comes up with excuses not to dive the next day so she can rest, which Kelsey assures us is completely unfair. Even though she was the one that managed to knock herself out underwater like an idiot.
Ren is mysteriously absent through all of this. In fact, he's missing through the whole next day, too. And everyone's acting really weird about it, in such a hamfisted way that even Kelsey notices that something's up.
I became angry with Kishan and used every persuasive method at my disposal to get him to tell me why Ren was hiding, but Kishan wouldn't budge.
This isn't terribly surprising when all of the "persuasive methods" we've seen Kelsey use in the past involved wearing colorful lipstick and making her man a sandwich. So this probably just consisted of Kelsey sitting next to him and poking him while asking the same question over and over again.
Mr. Kadam and Nilima similarly refuse to help her find Ren, which annoys Kelsey.
Houck remembers that, oh yeah, Kelsey has access to a tracker that can pinpoint exactly where he is! But she apparently promised not to use it, so even though she's losing her mind with questions about what's wrong, she doesn't use it. Even though that could lead to a scene of actually interesting conflict. No, gotta respect Ren's feelings when he constantly trounces over hers. Ick.
Three days later, still with no sight of Ren, Kelsey decides to walk around the deck around midnight to clear her head. Conveniently, Ren and Kishan are also having a midnight stroll on the deck. Also conveniently, the sound of the waves masks Kelsey's footsteps. Also also conveniently, she just happens to be standing downwind, so they can't smell her there. But they're still conveniently talking loudly enough for her to hear what they're saying.
Convenient!
Kishan is in the middle of telling Ren that Kelsey won't do what he expects her to do.
"She's already halfway there. Out of sight, out of mind," Ren replied.
Ren's kind of an asshole.
Kishan says that Kelsey's feelings are stronger than he thinks, and Ren says that it doesn't matter either way, since he's already decided. They go back and forth for a little bit, and Ren assures Kishan that Kishan will be there to help.
"You have to tell her. If you're going to break up with Kelsey, she deserves to hear it from you."
Break up?
So yeah, Ren's breaking up with Kelsey. Which makes his "out of sight, of mind" comment really awful. Ren seems to be incapable of seeing other people as having their own thoughts and agency--he literally assumes that because he's ignored her for a couple of days, Kelsey will just...not love him anymore? Or something? It's like he thinks he can just pick people up and put them back down without considering how his actions would affect other people. Which is...not a gentlemanly thing to do.
And yes, I know Houck intends for this to be, like, he just loves her So Much that he's letting her go, but it doesn't read that way! Especially considering his later actions, where he seems to be acting specifically in a way to hurt Kelsey's feelings. But that's a later chapter.
Kelsey flips out and yells at them for having this conversation, like it's their fault she decided to eavesdrop on a private conversation. Kishan has the good sense to look guilty, but Ren "harden[s] his expression as if ready for a fight," because he's a bit of a pyschopath.
Kishan gets himself into my good graces with a rare bit of good dialogue:
Kishan grimaced. "I'm sorry, Kells. You and Ren need to talk. I'll find you again later and let you yell at me more then."
Yeah, I like this line. Shoot me. It's one of the only times Houck wrote something intentionally funny that made me laugh.
Kishan leaves, and Ren stands there looking annoying. Kelsey threatens violence to get him to talk to her and explain why he's been avoiding her. Ren says that she already heard it, and that he wants to break up with her.
I couldn't think of anything to say except, "Why?"
"I can't . . . it won't . . . we shouldn't . . . look, I have my reasons, okay?"
"No. Just saying you have reasons isn't good enough."
Something flickered in his eyes. Pain. But it disappeared quickly and was replaced by gritty fortitude. "I don't love you anymore."
Kelsey says that that's not a good excuse, because she read his wishes during the Star Festival. Ren says that it doesn't matter and that she should just be with Kishan instead.
"You already love him."
"I love you, you big idiot."
"Then stop."
"I can't just turn my feelings on and off like a water spigot."
No one talks like this. Also, Ren is, again, showing a complete lack of understanding that other people don't always do what he wants them to. This could be an interesting character flaw, but nope! It's supposed to be endearing because he's doing What's Best For Kelsey.
Kelsey says that it's not like him to push her towards Kishan, and he finally says that it's because he couldn't save her when she almost drowned. It turns out that Ren tried to do CPR on her but got too sick to save her. When Kishan tried to jump in to save her, he pushed him away, almost letting Kelsey die because he couldn't touch her.
Huh. That's actually...kind of reasonable. Not the whole "pathological inability to let another male breathe in Kelsey's direction," but realizing that this behavior is unacceptable and dangerous.
Oh, wait, no, in the next paragraph Ren clarifies that it's not because it's endangering Kelsey, but solely because he can't do the things the big strong Man is supposed to do for his Woman:
"No. Kelsey. No! I can't be with you! I can't touch you! And I can't save you." He gripped the railing so hard his knuckles turned white. "You need a man who can do those things. That man isn't me. It's been months, Kelsey. I haven't found the trigger. I probably never will, and you'll waste your entire life waiting for me! Kishan needs you. Kishan wants you. Be with him."
So, yeah. This isn't a defining character moment where Ren realizes his own faults and tries to fix them. It's because he can't have sex with Kelsey. Nice.
Kelsey argues with him for a bit, saying that he's what she's choosing, and Ren keeps saying that he knows what's best for her. Kelsey says that he can't force her feelings to change.
Ren's shoulders fell and he said resignedly, "It won't be force. Your feelings for him will come naturally, and at the same time, your feelings for me will diminish."
"Not bloody likely!"
Why is Kelsey British all of a sudden?
This sends Kelsey into a panic attack, and she starts hyperventilating and crying. Ren tells her to get over it (but, uh, slightly nicer) and says, "We need to face the fact that our relationship is dysfunctional." Well, it is, but not for the reason he's talking about.
Kelsey argues some more (it's getting very old), and Ren reiterates that he doesn't want to date her anymore.
"Apparently I'm not making myself clear. I . . . don't . . . want . . . you. Not anymore. I'm not even sure I want a girlfriend right now. Maybe I'll just play the field for a while, break a few hearts. I think I'll try a redhead or a blonde next time.:
See, on the one hand, this is transparently just a way to hurt Kelsey so she'll finally agree to break up with him. On the other hand, he's being completely serious. This is a thing that actually happens in a later chapter. The pettiness knows no bounds.
Kelsey says she doesn't believe him, and he says he'll prove it.
"Oh . . . no . . . you . . . won't! If I see you with another woman, I will personally strangle you, Tarzan!"
Why...why does she call him Tarzan here...? Tarzan isn't exactly known for trying to prove Jane wrong about being in love with him by going and finding someone else. It's just...confusing.
Kelsey calls him a coward for deciding to hide from her, and Ren says that he'll find someone new. Someone better! And prettier! And less mouthy!
That's not me exaggerating:
"I'll find someone else. Someone," he worked his jaw, "prettier. And a little less mouthy would be good too."
What a dick!
Kelsey starts crying again and literally describes Ren as "mov[ing] in for the kill," because he's a bit of a psychopath. He says he'll probably move on within the week and leaves. He then insults her by basically calling her a slut, since she already has two backup guys waiting for her. He turns and leaves, and Kelsey warns him that if he breaks it off here, there won't be another chance. Ren says that he won't go after her again and leaves. Kelsey shouts after him that she won't leave Kishan for him if he changes his mind because it wouldn't be fair to Kishan. Ha.
Scene break! She doesn't see Ren again for a whole week. Everyone else goes back to normal. ONe morning Wes finds Kelsey alone on the deck and his accent decides to have a conversation with her.
"A good feller's as scarce as teeth on a chicken. [. . .]"
I hate Wes.
Kelsey asks if he's ever broken up with anyone, and he said that he would have married his high school sweetheart if he'd stayed in the States, but broke up with her before leaving for India because he got itchy feet. The way it's worded, it looks like he literally just stopped talking to her until she gave up trying to contact him which is...not great.
Kelsey says that he should call her, but she's already married with kids now. Gee, that sure was fast! Wes is supposed to still be in college, yeah?
Anyway, he says that he might eventually write her a letter, and Kelsey says that he should. Because if I was abandoned by my almost-fiance and then later pulled myself together to be happily married with children, I'd love to hear from the guy who abandoned me. Idiots.
Anyway! They're in
They go shopping, which is mostly skimmed over in favor of an angry internal monologue about how could Ren do this to her? When they get back, Kelsey tracks Ren's location for like a whole afternoon, and she even admits that this makes her seem like a crazy ex-girlfriend. Yup.
Kelsey gets all of the miscellaneous materials they've gathered for an offering--sunglasses, flip-flips, various beachy items. Guess Durga doesn't care if the offering is personal or not, since it's a lot of chintzy stuff they seem to have picked up along the beach. Nilima comes in and gives Kelsey another offering for Durga--a piece of silk cloth.
Nilima explains that young women fast every Tuesday in the summer and offer silk to Durga at the temple they're going to. Kelsey asks what for, and Nilima says it's so that Durga can find them a man to marry. Nilima's been fasting...but not for herself. Yes, of course she's fasting so that Kelsey can find happiness. She hasn't eaten solid food for two weeks, which...seems dangerous to me.
Why does every character have to fall over themselves to help Kelsey?
Nilima is such a weird character. Literally every single thing she does is in service of Kelsey. Kelsey appreciates what Nilima does for her, but she also never actually reciprocates? She treats Nilima like a servant for most of the series--Nilima drives her around in Oregon, Nilima serves her food on the private jet, Nilima cuts her hair (which happens in a later chapter), Nilima fasts so that Kelsey can find love. Kelsey doesn't lift a finger to help Nilima with anything. I don't think she even asks Nilima any questions about herself. It's entirely unearned when Kelsey calls her her "sister," because Kelsey never really has a single conversation with her that isn't about Kelsey!
Kelsey meets up with Kishan and Mr. Kadam at the Jeep. Ren also jumps in the car, and they share an awkward ride into town.
They get to the temple and it's very pretty, although Houck does a really bad job of setting the scene--the buildings around it are described as looking like fast-food windows, and the interior of the temple is described as "spacious" with no other information. There's a golden statue of Durga at the end of the room, and she actually gets described. She's all tricked out in jewels and flowers.
Mr. Kadam actually gets to stay with them this time, which is kind of nice, and also doesn't explain why he wasn't allowed to the last couple of times. Kelsey lays the offerings around the statue, including Nilima's silk cloth, and warns them that it might get a little crazy when they summon Durga. Kelsey takes Kishan's hand, and offers a hand to Ren, who ducks out of the way and takes Mr. Kadam's hand instead, which is a funny image.
They all call for Durga's help, and Ren and Kishan change into tigers, but nothing happens. They try again with Ren and Kishan holding Kelsey's hands, and this time it works. That sure was pointless. Wind surges through the temple and the statute of Durga starts pouring water, flooding the temple. They hold onto each other while the temple drains, leaving everything all gross and muddy. There's a handprint on the throne, though, and Kelsey activates her powers on it.
My hand turned blue and then translucent, and Phet's marks surfaced once again.
Um, Kelsey's hand normally turns red when she uses her powers. This is such a blatant inconsistency I'm losing my mind.
The statue melts away, leaving Durga standing behind. She's literally glowing (and has "alabaster" colored skin, which is uncomfortably white), and of course she's beautiful.
When I opened [my eyes] I thought the swirling patterns on her skin reminded me of a pearlescent nail polish, or maybe it was more like the scales of a fish.
I don't know, you're the author! You tell me!
Durga's wearing a lei, which is a very Hawaiian thing for her to be wearing.
Her feet were bare.
AGAIN WITH THE WEIRD EMPHASIS ON FEET IN THIS SERIES
Durga says that she accepts Kelsey's offerings, and summons a rainbow to dry them all off. Wat. She also takes Nilima's cloth and says they'll talk about that in a bit. She says she'd like to meet Mr. Kadam, so Kelsey introduces him. Durga says that he's sacrificed a lot to be there, and he'll sacrifice more in the future. Mr. Kadam says he'd sacrifice anything for his children, which is actually kind of a nice moment. Mr. Kadam is a cool character when he isn't vomiting exposition.
She calls Kishan forward, and gives him a special smile. She gives him a thin necklace with a nautilus shell on the end.
Given how huge nautilus shells are, this thing must look ridiculous.
She says that it's called a kamandal and that once dipped in the Ocean of Milk it will never empty.
Hey, you know what this reminds me of?
Katara's spirit water!
Durga calls Ren forward and gives him a golden trident, which can separate into two sai knives and also shoot spears at things. Neat.
Then Durga asks to speak to Kelsey alone, so the others leave. Durga asks why Kelsey's so sad since Durga kept her promise to protect Ren. Which means that Houck didn't forget the stuff from the second book--she's just been deliberately writing Kelsey as a huge idiot to preserve drama. Durga says that Ren chose to forget her because he loves her. She looks at Nilima's cloth, and says that lots of people have sacrificed things on Kelsey's behalf. Which is true, but Kelsey's done nothing to demonstrate why everyone would want to sacrifice things for her, and does nothing to indicate that she'd do the same for them! Awesome.
Durga asks what Kelsey wants, and Kelsey says that she hasn't thought about marriage, but she wants to be with someone she loves.
"Success is measured by your arrival on the other side, not on how muddy your shoes are. Regrets are felt by those who do not understand life's purpose. They become so disillusioned that they stand still in the river and do not take the next leap."
So, uh, there you go, folks. If you have any regrets or second thoughts on any of your life decisions, you're unsuccessful and don't understand the purpose of life. That's...not great advice. Especially for your protagonist! Protagonists are supposed to make mistakes, learn from them, and grow as a character! You don't learn anything if you never make decisions you later regret!
There's a thing I really liked about Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, where in one of the early episodes Ed and Al aren't able to save a young girl. They regret this for the rest of their lives, and a lot of their driving motivation to save people is because they couldn't save her. It's a really great piece of character motivation.
Durga says that this will happen eventually. Kelsey asks which one she'll be with.
She smiled and ignored my question.
HA. The way this is phrased is really funny to me.
Durga promises to consider Nilima too, as Nilima also deserves love.
Spoilers: Nilima doesn't end up with even a love interest that I can remember, so I guess Houck forgot about this. Oops.
Durga gives Kelsey her lotus lei, and says that they'll never fade and will be useful in the future. It's very Symbolic, because the lotus flower grows out of muddy water. Durga also says to go to the Shore Temple at the City of Seven Pagodas, since there is a woman there who will help them. Then she turns back into a statue, still holding Nilima's cloth, which is admittedly a nice image.
Kishan meets her outside, and they have a very Symbolic conversation (that I...again, kind of like).
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. You didn't have to wait for me, Kishan."
He kissed my forehead. "Sure, I did. Come on. The others are in the car. Let's get back to the boat."
It's a nice subtle piece of dialogue that actually has--gasp--subtext. Because he was waiting for her outside the temple, and he's been waiting for Kelsey to fall in love with him! And Houck doesn't call unnecessary attention to it! Which, admittedly, is making me think it was accidental, because usually when Houck wants something to have more than one meaning I can picture her standing behind the book wiggling her eyebrows at me saying, "Do you get it? Do you get it?"
That would have been a nice place to end the chapter, but Houck ruins a good ending by adding another sentence about Ren running off again once they get back to the boat. That's the end.
Closing Thoughts
Huh, there are things that I...like in this chapter. I mean, most of it was stupid, but there are a couple little sections that actually...work. It's a weird feeling.
Well, don't expect these flashes of quality to last. Next time, Chapter Eleven: Beach Party! Ren decides to be a huge dick, and Houck tries to write a character who is intentionally annoying. Woo.
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