#the word is murder review

[mfjenks]

I really love this mutual respect and warmth between Oliver and Maxine. He really values and cares about her opinion that he even invites her to sitzprobe, which "is never done", scares Donna and Cliff and actually is done at Oliver's own peril. Maxine is critical, vitriolic, true to her own opinion, but still attentive to Oliver's feelings, she sees and sincerely appreciates his passion, she wants to see soul put into the production which is really there in the musical version and which is actually an essential part of Oliver's personality. According to what we have seen and heard, Maxine is really what critic should be: picky, discerning, but compassionate and giving a value to this "singing", a soul And this interaction just proves Oliver to be competent as a director, unsecured, caring about critics, lovable and ultimately passionate, which makes people who really know him to actually value him and follow him (as Charles said, "The world needs Oliver Putnams")

[felixravinstills]

the ravinstill family is actually normal, well adjusted, and loving (i’m genuinely curious what they would look like without all that….ravinstillness)

ask game

Lily, I'm gonna be so real. I think I chose the most not fulfilling your request way to fulfill your request.

I think to try and keep them the same people while also trying to get them anywhere near normal, well-adjusted, and loving (outwardly. inwardly, I think they all genuinely care for each other. they're just bad at it), I introduced Time Traveling! Max... A character who is actively talking to his brother (wow!)

Unfortunately, we have only moved from no communication basically to... uh selective communication. And also today, we can momentarily glance over at Max's brother who I do think about a lot. He's weird too. Like in my mind... all the Ravinstills are weird.

Anyway, thanks for the ask!

Snippet below:

Felix was a loud and fussy baby.

“He’s not like that when he’s older,” Max had told him when Albanus had remarked upon it.

Albanus had nodded. He was the one who is only half-listening now as he rocked his newest grandson in his arms.

That other time— that other world, it hardly matters to him. Half the time, he’s not convinced it’s anything more than his brother’s imagination.

Besides, time proves Max wrong. Sure, Felix doesn’t cry as much, but he’s chattering away like Albanus did when he'd been that age. At the age of five, He’s all smiles and his favorite thing to do is have his parents swing him up into the air as they walk down the Corso.

Leaning his arms on the railing beside the stairway of the Presidential Palace, Albanus asks if his brother if prefers this version of Felix to the quiet one he remembers in his head. He stand in the ensuing silence, watching Max's jaw work and brow furrow.

After a moment, he shrugs.

“I should care, I think, that he’s different,” Maximinius says after another beat. He opens his mouth to speak again, and then closes it.

Albanus smiles. Both are his grandson, so to Max, it doesn't really matter if he's changed.

"Some of him is the same," Max offers, and Albanus doesn't ask him to elaborate.

He doesn’t ask why Maximinius only really talks about Marius, Gnaeus, and Felix from that other world. He only likes listening to the topic, because he knows that Max hasn't shared his supposed memories with Volumnia. It's nice having one over on her.

He watches Max watch the rest of their family— Albanus' brood of children and grandchildren. The two youngest of Albanus' grandchildren get along today which is a relief. Kassandra loves to be a little instigator, and Felix gets uncomfortable when she speaks ill of their great-uncle.

Today, she's braided his hair, and now, she's painting his nails. She's got a shade of blue for each finger, or so she says. Felix is quite excited about it.

“He’s happy now, because of what you’ve done here," Albanus tells his brother, because he needs to know that he forgives him for all the things that didn't happen.

Max looks at him. It’s a familiar expression. It’s the one he wears looking at , observing the changes.

Albanus raises a finger before he can open his mouth again.

"I don't want to know."

Maybe Albanus has changed from that imagined time in Maximinius' mind. he can’t say for sure if he has. It might be for the best that he never knows for sure.

He remembers when they were children, and his words went in one of Max's ears and out the other. His brother had always seen him as an idiot, and you don't confide in an idiot unless you're crazy enough to believe you've got some second chance at life after fucking it up the first time.

Albanus thinks he should care about that, but Max was his brother and that old world wasn't this one.

His eyes return to the scene below him.

Perhaps, that is their family's problem. They can't bring themselves to care for much of anything except each other.

The children have not yet noticed the president and their grandfather peering down at them.

Albanus shakes his head as he watches three bottles of open nail polish tip over onto the beautiful red rug.

Four teenagers and one young adult scramble to minimize the damage while Felix and Kass start pointing fingers— badly painted ones at one another. It's neither of their faults, they say.

Beside him, Max clears his throat, and all heads turn towards them.

It's not good for the children to know the extent of what they can get away with, so Albanus prepares to care about the rug.

[drannastudieslanguages]

I got recommended if we were villains a few times before and I finally get through it. It was the worst book I’ve read this year! it could’ve had so much potential and could’ve been an amazing story:(

The amount of Shakespeare plays/quotes used in it unnecessarily is mind blowing. At this point he should be stated as the co writer ..

[theres-whump-in-that-nebula]

When British writers come up with an American character’s dialogue and give them the most painfully British things to say with their American accent and inflection and it makes the actor come off as stiff. :P

[wordsthatmattered]

6.7.2023

Just finished the coziest of cozy mysteries, Shady Hollow by Juneau Black.

A small town of animals who act like humans, a murder to be solved, and a fun read.

Lenore, the bookstore owning raven will probably be any avid reader's favorite character.

If you like fast paced books, but are tired of people, pick this up.

[bookishpixiereads]

“The Last Word” by Gerri Lewis

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

“The Last Word” is the first in the “Deadly Deadlines Mysteries” series. Winter Snow is an obituary writer for hire in the comfortable, charming, real-life town of Ridgefield, Connecticut about an hour and half outside of New York City. She gets a peculiar request from Lottie Arlington, the wealthy philanthropist in town. She asks for Winter to write an obituary for her that HAS to be finished in three days. Of course Winter finds this a bit odd as Lottie is still very much alive and appears to be in good health.

A day after a hurricane passes, Winter goes to Lottie’s house to check on her and finds her unconscious at the bottom of the stairs. And that’s where the mystery begins. Winter thinks Lottie was pushed, wondering if she was feeling threatened and that’s why she wanted the obituary. The police originally think it’s an accident until they don’t and Winter becomes the prime suspect.

And then of course Winter sets out to find the guilty party.

In general, I thought this was okay. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but I don’t think it was very memorable. I think the overall mystery was good in the sense of the who and the why. I also like that the initiating incident wasn’t a murder as it so often is. The slow burn romance with one of the cops is cute, but also seems ill-advised. Like he doesn’t know that she didn’t do it.

But also in the same vein, it felt very convoluted. There are a lot of characters to keep track of. There is a whole character that is waste of space and I really hope comes more into play in the future. It also drifts toward the over-descriptive. I don’t need to know every right and left turn that Winter takes to get wherever she is going almost every time she goes anywhere. I don’t need to know that the marinara sauce is vegetarian. Like why are you telling me this (more than once) when marinara is in and of itself vegetarian? It feels like the author is trying to hit a word count.

[my-52-weeks-with-christie]

Mystery Review: 2 for 1

Robert Thorogood – The Marlow Murder Club A couple of months ago, during a visit to my local bookstore, I’d (for once) remembered to bring my reading glasses with me. So, whilst waiting for my husband to finish his perusing, I idly picked up The Marlow Murder Club. Ignoring the back cover blurb, which sometimes can be misleading, I cracked the cover and read the opening paragraph….Then, the…

[newbookcats]

Book Review: Truly, Devious by Maureen Johnson | How to Solve a Century-Old Murder as a Teenage Prodigy

Review also available to read at https://newbookcatsreads.blogspot.com/2018/01/book-review-truly-devious-by-maureen.html

Stevie is experiencing a My Lottery Dream Home moment; however, instead of a multi-million dollar prize leading to a new house and bonding time with the show's host David Bromstad, Stevie is enrolling in Ellingham Academy, a school known for teaching the brightest teenagers as well as the site of the near-century-old murder of previous student Dottie Epstein and the kidnappings of the school founder Albert Ellingham's wife and daughter. Both the murders and kidnappings are known to be done by the anonymous Truly Devious -- evidenced by a ransom poem crafted and sent nights before the terrible night in April 1936. 

Inclined to solving the school's cold-case with her passion for forensics, Stevie becomes engrossed in a group video project staring the school's Hollywood star Hayes Major. Their focus is to recreate the series of unfortunate events after Albert became aware of his wife and daughter's kidnappings; unfortunately, Hayes is murdered after a night of filming the group project. 

Amidst her awkward attempts at romancing an upperclassman and balancing her school work, Stevie investigates if Truly Devious has made a possible return to the school. However, with stolen badges, the school's underground tunnel network, and teenage drama, Stevie begins to wonder if she can really trust her classmates, especially the ones in her own dorm, in this young adult mystery. Discussion:⭐⭐

A girl from Pittsburgh came to Ellingham Academy and she wanted to see a dead body. She got her wish.

A story involving two murders, separated by nearly a century, at a famous entrepreneur's school for prodigy children should be exciting. A story of the young woman solving these crimes should be inspiring, if not jaw-droppingly impressive. Truly, Devious should be a novel of twists and turns, consistently leaving readers in awe as the main character Stevie navigates the mysteries of Ellingham Academy. Rather, this novel leads with the above interesting premise, struggles with a slow middle section to attempt a concerning romance, and attempts to redeems itself with 50 pages of absolute adrenaline. 

The writing itself is not an issue -- I absolutely adored Johnson's wit and humor she instilled in her characters and their dialogue. For example, within the first paragraph, the reader meets Dottie, one of the brightest students in Ellingham's 1936 class. Dottie is meeting with her school counselor and is berated for "acting smarter than everyone else," to which Dottie blatantly replies with:

"But I am." Not out of arrogance, but because it was true. 

Dottie's personality is reminiscent of Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory/Young Sheldon, and I am here for the sassiness. Even Stevie's friend Nate quickly becomes my favorite character with his Dottie-esque straightforward replies and limited social skills, though he initially presents as stoic and nearly as infuriating as an angry hormonal teenager.

Instead, my main issue with the novel is the lack of depth and development in the characters, particularly with the main character. Johnson's original image of a quirky, rebellious, and "super" intelligent female lead are consistently undermined by Stevie's inability to handle simple situations, such as crossing the boundaries of her boyfriend's past or withholding crucial information from police. Although her passion for solving crimes and her ability to use her experiences with anxiety and panic attacks as strengths are redeeming qualities, Stevie's isolation tactics and poor decisions lead to the demise of her friendships and ultimately leave a bad taste in my mouth. Overall, Stevie as a relatable main character has yet to capture my love for wearing black hoodies and listening to My Chemical Romance songs on-repeat when I need to mourn a heart-wrenching book. And, I promise this is not just a phase, mom!

 As for the rest of the novel's innards, it appears that Johnson is attempting to throw diverse cultures and relationships into the story without much regard. In the beginning of the novel and when Stevie first enrolls at Ellingham, a female student wearing a hijab is mentioned; however, this student never reappears within the novel. Maybe, Johnson is attempting to show the wide range of students accepted into the prestigious school; however, 'hijab-wearing student' doesn't even get a name or an interaction with Stevie. Then, Johnson introduces Stevie's best friend Janelle as lesbian and eventually writes a romantic relationship between Janelle and a classmate. At the discretion of the publishing author, including a diverse array of relationships and characters is essential to represent our community and its values; however, the relationship is not given the quality or the depth of even being a side romance. Not even Stevie and David's back-and-forth flirting and eventual kissing sessions are given time to develop or mature into a realistic relationship. In a romance, I am looking for a slow burn; unfortunately, this novel was unable to accomplish what Johnson may have sought to do although she had enough pages to build the storyline and develop the characters and their relationships with each other. Moreover, Janelle's relationship launches Stevie into fits of jealousy in fear of losing her relationship with Janelle. Consequently, I wish Stevie had shown half the support that Janelle responded with to her passions and overall respect for their friendship; unfortunately, Stevie remains self-absorbed in her own drama throughout the story's entirety.

Lastly, despite the flaws of Truly, Devious, I appreciate the attention Johnson brought to Stevie's passion for forensics. As someone who meticulously researched cold cases in high school and now hopes to enter a career in medicine, it has been essential for me to remember that there is face to every situation or problem encountered. Bettering or fixing a problem can lead to intense focus for solely the solution; however, the spreadsheets of data and creativity needed to address an issue all stem from the individuals directly affected by the case. 

"This is about real people, not figures from fiction. [C]rime itself is popular. But crime has a human face. If you're going to study crime, you have to remember the people involved."The above quote sums up the previous paragraph and includes an important lesson. Stevie, as she typically does with adult advice, shrugs it off in the moment but does use it to her advantage when working through Hayes crime, which did surprise me in the end. 

Overall, I will stick to the Sherlock Holmes, the Agatha Christie novels, and many other of my beloved mystery stories rather than trial the subsequent books in this trilogy. I'll never say never; however, from my reading experience with Truly, Devious, I expect for the other books of this trilogy to be drawn-out versions of the main murder mystery that ominously attracted me first. Additionally, I do not have the patience for Stevie's irrational antics or the troubling romance between her and David. 

What are your thoughts of Johnson's Truly, Devious or the complete trilogy? What are some of your favorite mystery books, young adult or not? What steps would you take to solve the murders of your new friend and a previous student from 1936? Hopefully no steamy make-out sessions, but it's your case! Chat with me in the comments below or via any of my social media.

Love, 

newbookcats

[livingfictionsystem]

[waywordsstudio]

3 Word Review: “Murder in the Cathedral” by T. S. Eliot -

Eliot's play is somber and tightly written, the temptations of Thomas Becket prior to his historical murder in Canterbury, in the style of a Greek play and echoing the holy temptations.

[happilylostinwords]

Cleaning the slate, i.e. 2023 in review

I set a humble goal (via the ever trusty and gentle-pressuring Goodreads) of reading 48 books in 2023. As of today, December 29, 2023, Goodreads tells me I have read 59 books. And I’ve got 10% left in the one I’m reading now so I will hit 60 books this year. Yay me! And before I get too confident, I’m setting the goal for 2024 at 48 books too. Four books a month is entirely doable without…

[lqfiles]

PAY THE PRICE — smau

after getting evicted out of your old place, you're left with no other choice but to look for a cheaper alternative. which is how you end up becoming neighbours with lee haechan, who has a passion for music and disturbing whatever peace and quiet there is.

or in which you found yourself a very nice apartment, the only issue? your neighbour is your friend's somewhat ex-situationship who won't stop playing his guitar at 2 am in the night.

neighbour!haechan x fem!reader

genre ; enemies to lovers, angst, fluff, probably slow burn, humour, neighbours au.

extras ; haechan is kinda an asshole | boy next door + likes everyone but you trope-ish | profanity and death jokes because they’re silly! | probably romantic tension | some mark x reader here and there | renjun and jaemin having their own e2bffs moment | probably inaccurate depiction of how someone would get evicted pls don’t shoot me 😅

notes ; i love haechan i love haechan i love haechan i love haechan i love haechan i love haechan i love haechan i love haechan <333 idk i got nothing better to do now so i’ll just start this because i know i won’t be posting any of the other long fic wips any time soon 😭

PLAYLIST ; She , Tyler The Creator — For The Night , Chloe Bailey — IDK WHAT TO TELL YOU , Bktherula — Surprise , Chloe Bailey — I Wanna Be down , Brandy — Suite Life , FLO — Is It A Crime? , No Guidnce — Round&Round , NCT U .

STATUS ; ongoing and hopefully regular updates.

profiles (1) profiles (2)

intro

1 ) jaehyun’s trophy wife

2 ) free cookies (not really)

3 ) midnight disturbance

4 ) attempted murder?

5 ) THIS IS FAMILY

6 ) haechan’s second identity

7 ) kiss buddies and useless complaints

8 ) critically acclaimed idgaf veteran

9 ) founders keepers..?

10 ) yangyang’s new interest (y/n)

11 ) a late welcome party

12 ) invest in a cage jaemin

13 ) cat fight (REAL)

14 ) the cure to a lack of sleep = cup pong

15 ) who said quiet guys can’t be freaky?

16 ) you got a girlfriend?

17 ) i DO have a girlfriend

18 ) this is life, i love life..

19 ) nah. they fucking.

20 ) let’s play apex?

21 ) whole house mad

22 ) drunken regrets

23 ) he’s got to be fucking with me..

24 ) a sincere apology letter (kinda)

25 ) are we cool or not?

26 ) we’re good (for real)

27 ) a personal guitar lesson

28 ) LIVE TWEETING YNHAE MOMENTS

29 ) a moment of vulnerability

30 ) friendly q&a between friends

31 ) that’s strange.. that’s weird..

32 ) solution to job loss = family guy (???)

33 ) what has jaehyun done for society?

34 ) ynhae bonding activity hours

35 ) an unwanted double date with yangyang

36 ) an overwhelming realisation

37 ) the universe can kill itself

38 ) a “what are we” conversation

39 ) i got that hair too, kinda

40 ) reviewing haechan’s tweet and new issues

41 ) diagnosed with the crush disease

42 ) putting your satisfaction first

43 ) some girl talk with mark.. this diva..

44 ) girls day gone WRONG

45 ) homies before hoemies

46 ) #BringBackGenderNorms2024

47 ) no one but us

48 ) the words of the DEVIL

49 ) remove the fake from life

50 ) y/n and jaemin would’ve loved this

51 ) you’re a queen and he’s just.. there

52 ) we are sooooo fixing this

53 ) spiritual connection attempts

TBA . . .

BONUS:

TBA . . .

TAGLIST is closed

[bwat5-blog]

"Clearly, Caitlyn Kiramman Should’ve Known Better at 23: A Masterclass in Ignoring Trauma and Believing War Criminals"

**Spoilers for all of Arcane**

Recently I made the mistake of delving into the comments of an otherwise excellent post regarding Caitlyn Kiramman and the aftermath of her time as "dictator", specifically in terms of were there enough consequences? did she do enough to make it right? should more have been done to her? that sort of thing. In the festering cesspool of those comments, I saw a variation of the following statement:

"if we were doing things based on what was fair and just, Caitlyn should have been executed on behalf of the two cities for peace"

It was more crude but you get the point. This person alleged that Caitlyn deserved death for what happened during those few months. Before we move forward lets review what we know about all of this. I have quite recently covered a lot of Caitlyn's arc so I'm not doing a deep dive here. Just enough to address this particular bit of idiocy.

How It Starts:

Like I said we aren't doing a deep dive here, so just for a quick reminder as to where twenty-three year old Caitlyn is mentally at this point(regardless of fault or nuance, just the facts):

Has been almost killed by Jinx three times

Almost killed by Sheriff of Piltover

Abducted naked from her childhood home, forced to dress in Enforcer uniform, bound, gagged, and forced to attend Jinx's tea party where Jinx tries to get Vi to murder Caitlyn

Violently knocked out

Shows Jinx mercy at Vi's request

Jinx kills her mother

Trying to become head of house Kiramman

Undercity attacks the memorial

Survives strike team operations

Brutal fight with Sevika

Vi stops her from shooting again

Very emotional split from Vi after hitting her and leaving her alone

So, with all of that under consideration, a Noxian warlord in her fifties who has commanded troops on various continents across Runeterra, calls her up and says trust me, i have your back, we will get justice for your mother. And Caitlyn folds... Le Gasp?!

Guys I know this is a little more snarky than my usual approach, but this really is just not that complicated. This is not even subtle. We literally see the flash back of Ambessa orchestrating the memorial attack to get us to this point. Caitlyn is an open wound mentally and emotionally, she never stood a chance. Lets take a moment to review some important points here by the way:

Ambessa came to Piltover for Hex-Tech. She doesn't hide this from Mel and is quite clear in her goals.

"If there is a chance hextech can be weaponized, we must have it". Mel responds "Piltover isn't your testing ground... I can't believe you'd start a war just to cover your ass" And Ambessa responds "i would set the world ablaze to protect our family". And the conversation ends with Ambessa ordering her daughter to "let the war unfold".

2. She executes her plan to make Caitlyn her scape-goat in front of:

Councilor Salo

Councilor Shoola

Large group of enforcers

Group of twenty plus people who make up as Ambessa states "every house and family with a modicum of influence"

Not a single, solitary person says a word when Ambessa brings a twenty-three year old grieving young woman with, if we're being generous two months of combat experience though probably less, and says She is in charge now! They let Caitlyn be walked right into the jaws of the wolf herself.

The Great And Terrible Rule Of Caitlyn The Creepy! WHAHAHAHA!:

What she gives her okay on:

Occupation of Zaun

Lawful (under martial law not normal law) arrests of those who cause problems

Yep... there it is folks. There is the great list of terrible crimes against humanity committed by the she-devil of Piltover herself. Checkpoints and arrests. Which by the way I am not justifying. People being arrested subjects them to Ambessa's brutality once they are inside. And as we clearly see Rictus uses the right to arrest to brutalize a Jinxer, and to break up the rally. And Caitlyn absolutely shares some portion of the blame for that. But um.. the way people reacted I was really expecting more public hangings and and labor camps.

**Not really a good place to put this but just fyi, despotic mad-women don't usually have to get up early to please a craftsman guild over supply complaints... just saying..."

"But OP! Sexy Zangief was beating people up and breaking up peaceful rallies!"

Well fortunately we talk about that!

"Was it for my encouragement that your man Rictus was instigating violence?"

How does Ambessa respond? Not with anger, or rage. First with guilt "You don't trust me", then with approval when Caitlyn responds the blade cuts both ways "fearless child, you never shy",

Ambessa is a master manipulator. Caitlyn is and was grieving her mother, and her whirlwind extremely intense romantic relationship with Vi. She had a gargantuan hole in her heart and a woman with decades leading and commanding soldiers and learning strategy slid right in. Recall that in bed with Maddie Caitlyn almost is defending Ambessa, talking about learning so much from her and the lives Ambessa saved with her assistance getting control of Zaun, so they could hunt for Jinx. Caitlyn has legitimately come to care for Ambessa at least on some level. I even believe that on some level Ambessa has come to care for Caitlyn.

2. "Arrests require cause"

When Ambessa is suggesting someone in Zaun knows where Jinx is, this is how Caitlyn responds. Not with orders to start dragging people out into the street. Not executing children in the street or burning down buildings. And when Ambessa tries to justify it "What greater cause is there than returning peace to the city?" Caitlyn responds:

3. "Why is peace always the justification for violence".. (Note Ambessa laying comforting hand on Caitlyn's shoulder during conversation)

Ambessa gives her this speech: "we've lost so many.. the anger, the sorrow.. it's tiring. Gods, I know it's tiring.. But you will never rest knowing that she's out there. Or maybe I underestimated you. Maybe you have the strength I do not.. to forgive.. and trust in tomorrow.. the decision is yours commander.."

"I know you are so tired, I know you are exhausted. I know you want this to be over. But you can't feel safe with her out there. I know you can't. Unless of course you can do what even I can't. Forgive your mothers FUCKING MURDERER. But ya know, up to you"-

If you truly cannot see the insidiousness of how Caitlyn is being twisted and manipulated, I envy you the charmed life you have lead. But be weary my friend, "you're off the edge of the map, here there be monsters." (POC 1)

"But OP! Ambessa was experimenting with Hex-Tech and committing brutal interrogations!"

I will admit the show does not explicitly state that Caitlyn did not know about this. Explicitly. However, given our context clues I feel quite confidant suggesting she did not:

See literally everything she said above

Every time we see them doing this she is not present

It seems like they are in some deep and away part of the prison when they are doing this

In private after the failed hex-tech experiment, Ambessa laments that they didn't secure the scientists before seizing control of Piltover. She is openly discussing that they are the actual ruling power. I seriously doubt she would be doing that anywhere Caitlyn may come knocking.

She Could Have Stopped At Any Time! Maddie Even Say So:

You mean that Maddie? The Noxian spy who keeps an eye on Caitlyn from her fucking bed, taking advantage of Caitlyn's grief and guilt over how things ended with Vi? Caitlyn is reminded she has a choice twice. The first time by the spy in her bed, and the second time by Ambessa herself. Her loyalty is being tested. Not her conscious. Ambessa literally put eyes and ears in her bed, and some of yall wanna argue Caitlyn wasn't being controlled. Ambessa assumed the role of Caitlyn's mother, and had her spy take on the role of Vi. And I will say this. Sure. Caitlyn could have gone to Ambessa and called it all off. No more war, no more martial law, the council is in charge again so no more imprisonment and hex-tech experiments. And maybe.. just maybe Ambessa would have row-row-row your boated her homicidal ass home. I rather doubt it. I suspect that conversation would have ended with Caitlyn getting this treatment:

We have been over this already but for a reminder:

Ambessa came here for hex-tech to fight the blackrose. She instigated the memorial attack for her cause.

"I would set the world ablaze to protect our family"

As we will come to see later, her last living child begs her to stop the bloodshed, even offering to go back with her, and all Ambessa can see is weakness.

Other indicators of how she is doing with everything:

"I never expected this to go on so long.. I thought.. I don't know what I thought.."

"Up again?" Maddie tells us Caitlyn hasn't been sleeping

Forbids the use of the cells Vi was kept in

REWIND BACK TO HELLFIRE:

I recently just did an in-depth doc on the strike team, the use of the grey, and what all of this means in story. So I will keep this brief here. but I do want to discuss it as "SHE WAS GASSING KIDS!" is still being vomited up by every double-digit iq booger eater with a keyboard.

Ambessa orchestrated the memorial attack to force Piltover retaliation

The strike team is an alternative to a full-scale invasion by Piltover.

They are hunting dangerous drug lords, destroying shimmer, and hunting Jinx. All three seem fairly reasonable. The issue is not if they are doing something wrong, it's the reason Caitlyn has them doing it. All you have to do is refer to the handy dandy song lyrics they use as Arcane always does to understand this:

"Can I do the right thing for the wrong reason? Is it bad that I'm making friends with my demons, and Living by a couple deadly sins Just to make sure I finish what you began And I ain't afraid to lose a life or ten If it means that I get to win in the end (woo) So I'ma do this on my own, step into the danger zone Pull the pin and watch it blow" (Hellfire Fever 333)

4. Using a crowd dispersal agent that incapacitates bad guys with no documented fatal effects (see multiple characters exposed who are all alive and seemingly well, those images of the people with health issues were from the unfiltered, unaltered smog the Undercity used to live with)to hunt a target who likes to blow shit up seems fair. Also the fact that it knocks people out means they don't have to kill them.

Caitlyn's Remorse And Attempts To Make Things Right:

Literally starts a war with Ambessa to save Vander

Saves a hurt Vi with Jinx's back exposed to her when she is armed

Takes care of injured Vi in her own bed and postpones any judgement of Jinx until Vi wakes

"I Know!"

"We can't erase our mistakes.. none of us"- Equates herself with Jinx

"No amount of good deed can undo our crimes"- Equates herself with Jinx

"Hating you.. I've hated myself.. I just don't have the energy for it any longer.."

Tender moment showing IMMENSE regret during she and Vi's big scene.

The Cost:

One statement I saw opined that there is a difference between remorse and punishment, and that Caitlyn should have been punished. That giving up her seat and losing an eye hardly qualified. Well! Boy oh boy do I have good news for you. Let's take a gander at the physical "not punishment" she acquires willingly leading from the front lines against Ambessa:

Cracked in the head with rifle stock, twice: Skull fractures anyone? how about a lovely concussion?

Stabbed in the stomach: Internal bleeding, bile leaks, intestinal obstruction due to scar tissue adhesions, bowel perforation, the list goes on.

Kicked in the midsection while still stabbed: potential to drive knife deeper lacerating organs and such, just massive pain, potential catastrophic bleeding if a blood vessel was hit, potential rupturing of stomach, kidneys or liver releasing harmful fluids into abdominal cavity, potential for long term chronic pain or permanent organ damage

Leg sweep by Ambessa driving Caitlyn's head into the ground: potential tbi, brain hemorrhage, or further skull fracture, potential vertebral fractures, potential long term cognitive impairment or loss of motor control if spine is damaged

Kicked again: We covered this. Knife is still there.

Ankle pinned/Leg kick/backhand: All sorts of fun things happening to ligaments and tendons. Potential permanent disability. Potential concussion and bruising as well as a whole host of lacerations.

Headbutt with War mask on: Concussion, skull fracture, brain bleed

KICKED OFF OF HER FEET

Pulls knife out of her own body: Potential fatal bleeding, massive pain, possible peritonitis and respiratory distress depending on what all was damaged during the fight with the knife still in her body.

Sacrifices her own eye

Now lets take a quick look at some reasonable assertions for the mental "not punishment" she will likely suffer from after all of this:

Massive potential for PTSD just from the wounds alone

Losing an eye impacts her shooting which is a huge part of who she is and a link to her mother

A woman she shared a bed with levelled a rifle at her neck and pulled the trigger. Caitlyn thought she was going to die.. that doesn't just go away..

look at her face...

She is twenty four people....

4. Guilt over death toll of war

5. Guilt over Vi's possible death from downward spiral

6. Guilt over Vi's possible death from explosion in commune all born from Noxian;s arriving there

7. Guilt over everything done to the Undercity

8. Guilt over perversion of her families ventilation system

9. The fact that from season 1 Act 2 til now, she only ages a year and probably not even a whole one. Refer to my list in the beginning. She has not a single fucking second to breathe or heal from any of that shit

RESTITUTION:

So aside from willingly leading the battle that most of the undercity walked away from until Jinx shows up and almost dying for it, how does Caitlyn start to make things right you may ask? (because it is a start, for those who don't get that. This is the beginning of a story not an end). For the first time in what we understand to be the history of the twin cities, Zaun has a seat at the table. People are REALLLLYYYYY underselling this. I guess because they wanted a whole political treaty signed and to watch Caitlyn get shame-nunned through the street or something. IDK. But what I do know, is that Caitlyn gave away the ancestral seat of house Kiramman, and all the power and authority that came with it, and it now belongs to someone from the undercity. An equal voice. And it's just the beginning. It's not perfect. It's not all wrapped up in a big shiny bow, it feels real. Change isn't instant. It never has been and it never will be, and if you need that to feel fulfilled I understand, but this show was never going to be that for you.

Caitlyn Should Be Executed?:

So back to the original statement. Caitlyn should be executed in the name of peace between the cities. Well, I'll say this. if you see a 24 year old woman who inside of a year had her entire reality imploded, fell prey to the manipulations of a violent war monger close to 30 years her senior if not more, yet found her way back to herself and shed her own blood as a war hero TO SAVE HUMANITY, and your answer is she should be executed. Sure! So long as you admit you have the humanity of a toaster oven you fucking idiot.

To those of you who have continued to read, and share your thoughts, and been open to kind debate and discourse in good faith. You all mean the world to me. As I have said many times, opening myself up to this community has really happed my "real" life in a lot of ways and I love getting on here to appreciate and celebrate this story with all of you. That being said, this particular issue is so god damn irritating to me I am done being nice about it. Have a wonderful day!

[ithebookhoarder]

Never Let You Go (Aaron Hotchner x F!Reader)

Description: Being married to Aaron (A.K.A. your boss and the love of your life) has both it advantages and disadvantages - and being reprimanded by him for risking your neck in the field is definitely one of the latter... 💔

A/N: Hi everyone. I'm alive! Sorry that this is so short but it sort of just wrote itself and was a nice way to help try and ease me back into writing again as it's been a hot minute here 😅

Warnings: Angsty Hotch, arguing, mentions of threat, mentions of weapons, implied murder, references to abduction, sexual references, implied cases / unsubs. (Let me know if I missed any)

Masterlist

You knew when Aaron was angry. You knew the signs very well this far into your relationship, not only as a fellow member of the BAU but also as his wife. He didn’t even need to voice it for you to notice it, rolling off of him in waves… and unfortunately for you, you knew exactly what had caused it. 

You hadn’t meant to throw yourself into the proverbial frying pan, but when the Unsub you had been tracking had grabbed an innocent girl as a hostage you had simply acted without thinking. You had offered yourself instead, knowing your value meant he would not dispose of you as quickly as the others he had taken - and that your team would have to let him leave the parking lot you had chased him to. He knew it too, which was why he had quickly accepted, resulting in you being hauled into a van with a gun pressed against your head. 

Of course, the team had done exactly what you’d expected and located you within an hour. They had mounted a rescue and you had been safely back, unharmed, within mere minutes of the team arriving outside of the cabin. 

All in all, it was a win in your book… but not in your husband / boss’s.  

He had been the first through the door, intent on getting to you whilst Morgan tackled the Unsub into handcuffs. He had quickly cut you free, checked you weren’t seriously hurt, and escorted you back outside, tucked securely under his arm. However, the second you had made it back to the cars, Aaron had pulled away and hidden behind a mask of white hot fury. 

His silent temper had only got worse since you’d all got off the plane, with a thick and suffocating silence filling the car on the drive back. Everyone looked at one another anxiously, knowing better than to risk being the one to say anything and accidentally cause him to erupt in their direction. In fact, a minor miracle had occurred with Spencer not saying a single word until the whole team had spilled out of the elevator, even if it looked like it had caused him physical pain to do so. 

Hell, even Penelope had taken one look at everyone’s faces and done an immediate u-turn back to her lair, muttering she would ‘come back later’.

Unfortunately, you didn’t really have that option when Aaron was your husband and you both shared a car and a house… which was why you had watched as the others grabbed their belongings and finished debriefing, leaving their case files on Hotch’s desk for him to review on Monday. You’d followed along, the last to enter his office and leave your own on the top of the pile. 

However, your fingers had barely let go of the manilla envelope when you heard Hotch clear his throat, turning his attention squarely to the last two agents stood next to you. 

“Good work, everyone. Morgan, Prentiss, you can go. Have a good weekend - Y/N, stay where you are. We need to talk.” 

Shit. 

Your husband’s tone was calm but icy, telling you that this wasn’t up for debate; it was an order and god help anyone who went against him. It was why Emily and Derek made for the door without another word, although Emily shot you a final look over her shoulder, as if checking you were alright. 

You nodded subtly, trying to reassure her as she and Derek made their way out the door, closing it behind them. You knew without asking that the rest of the team would be watching from down in the bullpen, trying and failing to work out what was being said as Hotch ripped you a new one.  

Taking a deep breath, you crossed your arms over your chest and turned to face him. 

You hated seeing his beautiful face so hard and devoid of feeling. It was like a whole different man to the one who slept beside you every night, and greeted you first thing every morning. 

You gulped.

A cold sweat had formed on the back of your neck as he stepped closer slowly, deliberately dragging out the tension. You had to fight the urge to break off the staring contest between you, refusing to surrender to him just yet. It was probably why you opened your mouth first, desperate to beat him to the punch in case you lost your nerve. 

“Before you say anything, I know what you’re going to say, and I know what I did was dangerous and went against your orders,” you rambled, “I’m also well aware of the consequences and I won’t apologise for what I did, not when the option was risking that young girl and the rest of the team-“ 

“I am your superior here, Y/N. What I say goes. That is not up for debate, ever. You do not give me orders,” Aaron seethed, making you fall silent without even raising his voice - which somehow made it worse. It was as if your guilt was swallowing you whole. “What happened today will not happen again, am I understood? You do not ignore my orders whenever you feel like it, nor do you get to lecture me about why you did what you did. And above all? You never tell me to let you go, unarmed and alone, ever again. Is that clear?” 

Your eyes were glued to the floor, wishing silently for it to swallow you up.

“You know I was doing what anyone else on this team would’ve done. He had an innocent girl, Aaron, and he was cornered,” you countered. “He would have killed her the second he left the parking lot, or opened fire then and there. It was the only way to get him out of there, without risking the team and everyone in that area-“

“As the head of this team, I did what I would’ve done if anyone else had been in that position - which is tell you not to risk yourself - but as your husband,” he choked, “I cannot even begin to describe what I felt when he had that gun pointed at your head and that van door closed.” 

You gulped. You felt his pain drawing you in like a gravitational pull, making you desperate to reach out and soothe it from his brow.

“Aaron… You know I didn’t do this to hurt you,” you cooed. To your relief, he nodded, wrapping an arm around your waist and curling you into his chest as if needing to feel you were actually stood there in front of him.  

“It might surprise you to realise that I do know that. Unfortunately, it doesn’t make any of this easier.” You could feel the tension physically radiating off of him as he pressed a kiss to the top of your head. “I… I thought I’d lost you. I... I can't lose you... I won't lose you or someone I love. Not again.”

“I know. I’m so sorry… I’m right here, my love. I’m right here… Always.”

[dearieshima]

"THE HORROR... YES!"

✦ SUMMARY

╰┈➤ Step right up for a spine-tingling, old HORROR story TROPES extravaganza! Filled with the clumsy girl! Stupid plotlines! Unnecessary sex scenes! And plot holes! #KINKTOBER2024

✦ C.W

╰┈➤ CLUMSY!reader, DITZY!reader, AFAB!reader, DUBCON bordering on NONCON, murder, character DEATH

hunted doll!sukuna x reader — here!

Your boyfriend, as clumsy as he is, foolishly wins you a doll at the county fair that will forever change your life.

feat. dubcon/noncon, murder, character death(?), groping, trueform!sukuna, double penetration, plushie humping, mental illness, face riding, aphrodisiac, brief cum eating, slight voyeurism, degradation, praise, missionary, 7k+ words, yuuji is aged up to 20+years, slight yuuji x reader, hair yanking, is this cheating?, rough sex, unprotected sex

masked killer!toji x reader — soon!

your mother introduced you to your step father and you both have quickly gained a lot of chemistry.

feat. dubcon, death, step-cest, stalking, age-gap (reader is 23, toji is 48), scummy toji, bratty!reader, drugs, rough sex, vaginal penetration

werewolf!choso x reader — soon!

your job was to collect film for a documentary about a popular wolf that caught the internet's attention.

feat. heats, knots, stalking, dubcon/noncon, vaginal penetration, breeding

priest!geto x succubus!reader — soon!

after you returned back from bible study one summer afternoon, you changed. your parents sent a minister to help their daughter.

feat. religion talks, victorian era, cowgirl, vaginal penetration, overstimulation

teslabot!toji x reader — soon!

telsa has come out with a new robot to help assist with your every day needs. And to encourage sales, they've programmed and dressed their bots to your favorite anime characters. you just hope it can satisfy your wants too.

feat. rough sex, groping, dildo riding, overstimulation, vaginal penetration

currently I want to add more so don't be afraid to send a ask and present your idea of a story! (review rules before doing so please!)

[pucksandpower]

April Fools?

Lando Norris x Hamilton!Reader

Summary: maybe telling your father the big news on April Fools’ Day was not the best idea

Lewis is lounging in his driver’s room, reviewing data from the last practice session, when there’s a tentative knock at the door.

“Come in,” he calls out, not looking up from his computer screen.

The door creaks open slowly and Lewis glances over to see you and your boyfriend shuffling awkwardly into the room, neither of you making eye contact with him.

“What’s this then?” Lewis says with an amused chuckle at your strange behavior. “You two look like you’re about to face a firing squad.”

You and Lando exchange a nervous glance but remain silent, shifting your weight uneasily.

Lewis sets down his laptop and leans back in his chair. “Well, out with it. Whatever it is, I’m sure it can’t be that bad.”

You open your mouth but no words come out. You look pleadingly at Lando who seems equally incapable of speech, his lips moving soundlessly.

“I haven’t got all day here,” Lewis raises an eyebrow. “One of you needs to start talking.”

You take a steadying breath and then the words come tumbling out in a rush.

“I’m pregnant!”

There’s a beat of silence as Lewis processes what you’ve said. Then he lets out a loud laugh, slapping his knee in amusement.

“Nice one! You two really had me going for a minute there. Very funny prank!”

Lando finally finds his voice, though it comes out as more of a terrified squeak. “She’s … she’s not joking. Y/N is pregnant. With my … with my baby.”

Lewis just keeps laughing so hard that tears threaten to spill down his cheeks. “Oh come off it, you can drop the act now. I’m not falling for silly April Fools’ pranks!”

“Is … is it April Fools’ Day?” You ask hesitantly, a crease forming between your brows. “I didn’t even realize what day it was ...”

Lewis’ laughter slowly trails off as the serious expressions on your and Lando’s faces register. His eyes narrow as he looks between the two of you.

“You’re … you’re actually pregnant?” He asks slowly, needing confirmation one last time. “With Lando’s …”

Lando gulps audibly and gives the smallest of nods. “Y-yes sir.”

A rushing sound fills Lewis’ ears as the reality slams into him. His little girl, his baby, is having a baby of her own. With a driver no less — one of his competitors!

The room starts spinning dangerously.

“You …” Lewis growls, rounding on Lando with a look that could incinerate him on the spot. “You got my daughter pregnant?”

“I … I …” Lando squeaks, taking an unconscious step back.

“Start running,” Lewis rumbles in a tone of deadly calm. “You’ve got three seconds.”

Lando’s eyes widen in terror and he immediately turns to bolt out the door.

“One …” Lewis counts, rising to his feet with jerky movements.

“I’m too young to die!” Lando wails, throwing the door open and fleeing at a sprint down the hallway.

“Two …” Lewis continues menacingly, stalking after him with murder in his eyes.

“Dad, wait!” You cry out in a panic, but it’s too late.

“Three!” Lewis roars, now fully giving chase after a petrified Lando.

He tears down the corridor and out into the paddock area, drawing confused stares from crew members and team personnel.

“I’m too young to be a grandpa!” Lewis bellows at the top of his lungs, rapidly closing the gap on the fleeing Lando.

You hurry after them, catching up just as Lando races past a very confused group of mechanics, Lewis in hot pursuit.

“Don’t let him hurt me!” Lando screams as he dodges around equipment boxes.

The commotion has drawn the attention of the entire paddock by now. Cameras are out and clicking furiously as the most famous driver on the grid chases his terrified competitor in circles.

Finally, Lando trips over a stray tire and goes sprawling to the ground. Lewis is on him in an instant, grabbing him by the shirt front and hauling him up until they are nose to nose.

“Please … please don’t kill me,” Lando whimpers pathetically.

Lewis glares at the younger man for a long moment before his expression softens just a fraction. “I’ll let you live. On one condition.”

Lando nods frantically in agreement before Lewis has even named the condition.

“The baby gets my name. You two are naming it after me. No arguments.”

For a brief second, relief flashes across Lando’s face. Then his eyes go wide again in fear. “Ah well … you see … the thing is ...”

“Spit it out!” Lewis growls.

“Y/N … she wants to name the baby Nico. After Nico Rosberg.”

A muscle twitches dangerously in Lewis’ jaw and he drops Lando back to the ground in a heap.

“Oh, for fu-”

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Lando’s desperate shrieks once again fill the air, echoing across the paddock. “Lewis, please, have mercy!”