for What The Cat Dragged In6/26/2019 c28 
15Irbis
For someone who tells her she shouldn't blame herself about things out of her control, Creed sure knows how to throw blame at her. Even if his tone is less accusatory, these days. I'm starting to wonder if he'll ever realise that 'breaking her out of the habit of saying no to him' and other such niceties are not exactly something he should keep doing.
I really like how you keep going back for the little signs of trauma, showing she is recovering but she'ds still got a long way to go.
15IrbisFor someone who tells her she shouldn't blame herself about things out of her control, Creed sure knows how to throw blame at her. Even if his tone is less accusatory, these days. I'm starting to wonder if he'll ever realise that 'breaking her out of the habit of saying no to him' and other such niceties are not exactly something he should keep doing.
I really like how you keep going back for the little signs of trauma, showing she is recovering but she'ds still got a long way to go.
6/26/2019 c26 Irbis
She may have fallen head over heels for him, but he still made a masochist out of her, since he taught her to associate pain with pleasure.
Nice touch with the conversation, allowing to go over how she fell gor him in a short summary.
She may have fallen head over heels for him, but he still made a masochist out of her, since he taught her to associate pain with pleasure.
Nice touch with the conversation, allowing to go over how she fell gor him in a short summary.
6/26/2019 c24 Irbis
I like that you're making the trauma real and not glossing over it. Still, I hadn't expected anything else from what I've seen of your writing so far.
I like that you're making the trauma real and not glossing over it. Still, I hadn't expected anything else from what I've seen of your writing so far.
6/26/2019 c20 Irbis
I loves the tension in this chapter, though it might have helped to have some break sings in between scenes/POVs.
I loves the tension in this chapter, though it might have helped to have some break sings in between scenes/POVs.
6/26/2019 c14 Irbis
The grandpa didn't really want her to learn how to shoot, if he taught his son but couldn't even correct her posture. ;)
I'm still bothered by the way she accepts his violence. I'm particularly bothered by the way the 'torture' scene ended with her feeling it was justified as she really must have heard something, even if she can't remember it.
I guess what annoys me the most is that she made peace with living with bruises and light physical abuse (in relation to what she was used to) and not only thinks of it as normal, she is associating it all with safety and happiness (or as much happiness as she's known). In a way, it's an excellent study of why some women will love and defend their abusive partners, and perhaps that is what really bugs me.
On the other hand, you do show signs of Creed softening and, naturally, his not being abusive in his mind. He wants her to obey his every command, he ignores wishes he finds unimportant (as keeping the nightdress in one piece), and can't even keep off her when she complains of being sore. All he sees is how nice he is that he's keeping her healthy and he even bothers to find her grandparents to make her happy. He's even gentle in sex because she's sore. In his head, he is being anything than abusive. The only abuse he's done, in his head, was hurting her for info in this chapter.
You do have the two characters very well characterised and I admire your writing skill in that, but the relationship is terribly broken and, while he's starting to show gentler signs, the fact is Kelly is being slowly conditioned into accepting all the abuse and seeing it as desirable.
The grandpa didn't really want her to learn how to shoot, if he taught his son but couldn't even correct her posture. ;)
I'm still bothered by the way she accepts his violence. I'm particularly bothered by the way the 'torture' scene ended with her feeling it was justified as she really must have heard something, even if she can't remember it.
I guess what annoys me the most is that she made peace with living with bruises and light physical abuse (in relation to what she was used to) and not only thinks of it as normal, she is associating it all with safety and happiness (or as much happiness as she's known). In a way, it's an excellent study of why some women will love and defend their abusive partners, and perhaps that is what really bugs me.
On the other hand, you do show signs of Creed softening and, naturally, his not being abusive in his mind. He wants her to obey his every command, he ignores wishes he finds unimportant (as keeping the nightdress in one piece), and can't even keep off her when she complains of being sore. All he sees is how nice he is that he's keeping her healthy and he even bothers to find her grandparents to make her happy. He's even gentle in sex because she's sore. In his head, he is being anything than abusive. The only abuse he's done, in his head, was hurting her for info in this chapter.
You do have the two characters very well characterised and I admire your writing skill in that, but the relationship is terribly broken and, while he's starting to show gentler signs, the fact is Kelly is being slowly conditioned into accepting all the abuse and seeing it as desirable.
6/25/2019 c11 Irbis
I was expecting that he would start changing a bit. The way Kelly keeps adjusting herself to accept his anger and his occasional violence, the way he never as much as feels a little torn for causing her pain, even during sex... Is she going to keep on accomodating, negating her fears and wishes more and more?
On the one hand, I guess it makes sense. After all, she came from a place far more violent, physically and psychologically. But she just went from don't-care-if-you-die abuse to I'll-keep-you-healthy-regardlessly abuse. I supposed it doesn't even dawn on her that she is still suffering abuse.
I was expecting that he would start changing a bit. The way Kelly keeps adjusting herself to accept his anger and his occasional violence, the way he never as much as feels a little torn for causing her pain, even during sex... Is she going to keep on accomodating, negating her fears and wishes more and more?
On the one hand, I guess it makes sense. After all, she came from a place far more violent, physically and psychologically. But she just went from don't-care-if-you-die abuse to I'll-keep-you-healthy-regardlessly abuse. I supposed it doesn't even dawn on her that she is still suffering abuse.
6/13/2019 c9 Irbis
I know a lot still has to happen for this relationship to stop being abusive, but his reaction when she asked to go into town still disappointed me.
Interesting plot twist at the end, too. I wonder if Stan ever noticed it.
I know a lot still has to happen for this relationship to stop being abusive, but his reaction when she asked to go into town still disappointed me.
Interesting plot twist at the end, too. I wonder if Stan ever noticed it.
6/13/2019 c8 Irbis
I've been reading and forgetting to review. Sorry. I'm enjoying the reading immensely!
I've been reading and forgetting to review. Sorry. I'm enjoying the reading immensely!
6/2/2019 c4 Irbis
your warning made me expect something far worse. You did manage to keep his 'gentleness' in character: they were for his benefit above all.
your warning made me expect something far worse. You did manage to keep his 'gentleness' in character: they were for his benefit above all.