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Personally, I like a mess of a man. I think it's more real than someone who pretends things are okay all the time.

Raw emotion and manliness win for me, especially Richard's height. I'm a sucker for a tall guy. Mmm, what a body on that Richard.

I've always liked Jean-Claude more than Richard. Its a lot of fun when I around my dad when I say "I hate Richard" cause my dad is also named Richard. But that is OT.

Anyway, JC is sexier, and I feel, in the end, JC would be more likely to commit to Anita than Richard ever could. Sure, Richard is alive, but to me, he has always seemed a little out of it and insecure. He couldn't even tell his MOM (who is a wonderful woman in the books, so why did she have to have a kid like that???), that he was a werewolf. He was an insecure handsome p***k who stirred Anita's heart cause he was ALIVE!!! JC is dead and even with the arduer, Richard would more likely be the one to cheat.

I just don't like Richard. He's a complete insecure p***k.

Then again, Richard never CHOSE to be an alpha; he was born/made into one. LKH goes into that idea with the swanmanes, and how the king is born a king, not chosen. So it was most likely the same with the werewolves.

It's not that Richard lacked leadership skills, it's that he lacked LOGICAL leadership skills. He was getting the pack to accept democracy and all of that fluffy-bunny-hugging stuff, but that's not what they needed. So yeah, in the sense of him lacking the right empathy for his people, he is a bad leader. In my opinion he would make a better henchmen/advisor. Heh. Just got a mental image of Richard on his knees saying "Yes, milord." xd


Oh yeah, and another thing I wanted to respond to.



Now, I realize that in the grand scheme of things, JC has been there for Anita more than Richard has been. Fine. But LKH has also made it a point to tell the readers that JC is a manipulating guy that attempts to turn every situation into an opportunity to get him more power. Even if that power is ultimately going to be used to protect "his" people, it doesn't change the fact that he uses Anita and that they both know it. Does she love him? Yes. Does he love her? Probably. They both acknowledge that they never know if his emotions are "pure" love.

To put this into perspective, let's think of this:
-Think of the vampire marks that JC forced on Anita, and how uncomfortable that made her but how happy that made him. And he didn't care.

-Think of how, as the triumverate got more tightly knit, how JC rejoiced at being able to wake up earlier. And how uncomfortable that made Anita. And how he did NOTHING to put her at ease.

I could go on and on, but hopefully you get my point. Am I full of it? Or am I making some sense here?

Mm, if I'm not misinformed, I do believe that alpha's have to work up to their status. Which was why Anita was always so concerned about him being killed - she was afraid that a were would work up to him and kill him for his position of power. Alpha wolves are indeed born with strength that could potentially get them that power, but not an immediate thing. LKH follows the actual lines of animal instincts - hence the werelions being concerned with Haven because they didn't want him taking over their pard. Richard got up there after Raina and.. Gabrielle? Sorry, it's been a while since I read the early books. D= Anyways, he got to alpha when they were killed, didn't he? Anita mentioned repeatedly that Raina was the former lupa, etc etc.

Yeah, I agree. His logic was incredibly flawed, mainly beause he held humanoid ideals that were unsuitable for a primitive society like a werewolf pack.

I think Jean-Claude definitely values his powerbase, and it's constant increase, but you can surely say that he doesn't care. He strikes me as a man that hides his emotions to prevent anyone from seeing his true colours, but there are moments when you just know he gives a damn. It goes deeper than just having power - you can tell he values Anita. For instance, at the point where Anita is making Asher feel loved, and she looks over at Jean-Claude and they both hold that feeling of worry that things wouldn't always be so pleasant. The worry for their relationships wouldn't exist if it was just power. He wouldn't visibly hurt when Asher cried if he didn't have a heart hidden under those layers of ice, or restrain from smexing Asher if it would scare Anita from his side. He obviously values her opinion.

Don't forget that he's a centuries-old vampire. Don't you think a man that lives that old, with roots from a torturous Sire, would learn to keep his emotions hidden, and his heart quieted? Wouldn't he learn to manipulate, and learn to value a position of power to make a difference and avoid going back to a pretty man in some crazy nympho's collection? Even in true life he was someone's dog to kick - he was a peasant for a French seigneur, was he not? A whipping boy, hence the scars on his back? You gotta look at the man's roots, and you can see why he may be a little more apathetic in comparison to the emotional messes of Anita and Richard. >__>

personally, in the end, Niether, or any of anitas Candidates are real winners, each come with baggage and needs, and selfish streak, yes even nathaniel and micah. In a lot of ways they are good, and obviously , Richard and Jean-Claude are of the pick of the litter, with the others drizzling behind in the running. I kinda think of it as the Way Lewis Black stated options once*for the election, not to bring real politics into this^^*
"you ahve the choice between two piles of *i say doodie for manners sake* the only differentce is the smell. "

Anita is surrounded by men that are not what she would pick if she wasn't in that life style, she has no choice, she needs some that can handle and uinderstand*and survive* what her job,a dn pretty much, her entire life, revolve arround. her man would ahve to find a spot in that world, in her life. He can't be som e normal, loving everyday sweetheart, anita probably couldn't take it, and he would probably be killed. Look at Phillip, the only normal guy in the whole series that was a romance for her, and he dies.well not really, he was kinda screwed up too, but he was human, and didn't even get as deep in the world as she did...Gack am I making sense to anyone?

If the Anita Blake characters were to become real, Jean-Claude would win over my affections, hands down.
In all honesty, Richard's a disaster waiting to happen, for he practically exudes drama.

Richard and Jean-Claude are both hott as all hell. But the true question is this: Which of these guys has
the least amount, of emotional baggage? I don't like to put it so bluntly, but it's still true.

Wow, you hit the nail on the head! Richard was good for the first...ah...two sentences. Then he made me want to find a nice little board with a nail in it to beat him with...does that make me evil?