I'm rereading these series. They're amazing. Rose is such a dynamic character. She's not afraid to say what she wants to say, which, believe me, is a great skill to have. Dimitri, I have found, does indeed say a lot of "Zen crap". He's very into knowing how to handle a situation and holding back and staying in control. All of that kind of stuff. Though there are some cheesy parts (i.e. the time that he says marks are not the only thing that bring honor and shows her Tasha's face and she's all "I really understand now".), but overall I actually like the Zen crap. Also Rose is totally justified in hating Tasha, because she does end up being totally crazy in the end.