The Twelve Zenati Pt. 17

Honestly, I don’t understand the anonymous comments about a different writer or the misogyny of the character of Noah. I see him struggling to deal with someone who has survived severe trauma and as someone who works with people like that I feel this character is well realized and realistically drawn out. To call someone misogynistic because they love BDSM or that’s a part of who they are is odd to me, but at any rate, we know that that is the category the story is (BDSM) so why are you reading something if you don’t like the BDSM lifestyle? Read something else. Once again, the writer has captivated my imagination, and I can almost picture what happens next. Keep up the great work! I feel again that this is very realistic and true to what a strong woman who is willing to give over control to a partner in real life. You are an amazing world builder and I love everything you write. This series is just more proof that the 12 tables is a great world and I hope that you don’t allow anonymous comments make you feel badly about your phenomenal writing.

That after all is said and done that the families of the 12 Tables are so stereotyped that they are the BDSM equivalent of ‘Stepford Wives’, 99% are male dominant and whilst the majority females May appear as strong women they are without fail submissive sexually.

The following is one of Noah’s thoughts...

“He only had to deal with it for a week, possibly two, and then he could correct her thinking instead, he thought smugly.“

It’s a reference to her being in control of the operation to uncover the kink dungeon. The only thing he’s focused on is flipping the D/s roles. She isn’t worried about it because she isn’t planning on sticking around after she’s done what she needs to. I sincerely hope this doesn’t devolve into *and she realised her true role in life* it’s trite and demeaning. Is Noah going to be (rightly) horrified that she was forcibly trained as a *Kept* or is he going to rejoice that it won’t be such hard work to get what he wants? The concept of training women to be submissives is one that gets glossed over, we know exactly what they do but who do they do it for? Is it for any man in the families, just the single men??

Whilst I’ve enjoyed the underlying plots the concept of absolute male dominance is very off putting. What people want to do sexually is there own affairs, BDSM TPE with the M/f respectively is not a reasonable or sensible business model.

Tess (UK)

Great, second time reading the series and loving it all. Well rounded characters, good storyline and hot sex. :)

this is written by someone who doesn’t know the first thing about emotions en real life.

Why would any woman wants a man who doesn’t care about who you are and only sees you as a conquest and a way to scratch an itch. The new writer is a man or a young woman who lived a shallow, sheltered life. Such a shame that the fantastic character that Marcella was ends like this, an insecure woman who needs a strong man who takes over her life.

She would never let him spank her, because she is not trusting him. And why would she, he is constantly telling her lies.

I would be so happy when she found somebody who really cared about her. And when respect and trust is formed, than she might accept a spanking. This is the first time that you would compromise you're characters for a sexscene.

I don’t think anyone here but me takes Noah’s choice to act out violently against Marcella with a spanking was an absolutely inappropriate response to her silly teasing. He had a million other options as a “well trained man of the tables”. Instead he chose to reinforce the beliefs Marcella holds about the violent/abusive tendencies that supposedly all the leading men of the tables hold. Even if, as some have noted, she has been trained to love the pain/act of the spanking...how does the fact that Noah, who KNOWS she violently hates those who do this, do this? Especially while trying to gain her trust, respect, and hopefully love? man who can’t handle this type of teasing from a grown woman. And what if she marries this man, will he abuse the daughter(s) she bears for him? Her father and uncle did! That is the reality that she knows. That is the reality that she tried to save her sisters from. That is the reality Noah is reinforcing with her when he is supposed to be doing the exact opposite and winning her trust.

To me (one reader’s possibly misguided opinion), the point of the spanking is EllieB expressing yet another symptom of Noah’s “selfish disease”. His selfishness will not kill him but it can kill his chance for the life, happiness, and love all the others have found if he doesn’t cure it. So I believe it’s intentional that Noah screwed up...yet again. Noah was told by many family, friends, and advisors (including those that put voices into his head) EXACTLY what he was supposed to do. And the moment it doesn’t lead to Noah’s perfect scenario. He violent abandons it all and forcefully re-establishes himself as the be all and end all. The contract, the fun fake personas, the playful teasing, a moment of being a loving make believe couple in make believe land, the joy of being someone else FOR someone else, for two damn weeks simply because that special someone else NEEDS YOU to be someone else FOR THEM...BOOM...SHATTERED! Add his breach of contract. His misuse of consent. His continued practice of intentionally “ignoring” others trying to help him. And it becomes evident that something is wrong with Noah.

EllieN35 has very eloquently addressed the issue of consent and the manner in which Noah eliminated consent from their roles. ‘Nuff said here...

No one, including myself want EllieB to change how she writes or for her to change a single word of what she writes. She is an amazing author and it is beyond generous for her to share all these tangled characters, in this amazing society, perfectly balanced against the real world, with all of us...for free.

(And we get to comment on it...damn!)

But we also know that she doesn’t create an event like this without purpose. This was not some silly dream sequence that will fade away when everyone wakes up. His violent reaction is but a symptom of a disease he needs to cure...and seemingly on his own since he constantly rejects all other (personal, legal, medical) advice. My out on a limb thought...maybe he’s just afraid to be topped....maybe two Switches can get along...we’ll see...I hope... Anyways, no matter what, all that stuff before me going out on a limb, was intentionally written in to the story for a reason that EllieB will share with us soon.

And that is something that we can all agree we look forward too.

I'm surprised by those criticizing the BDSM elements of this story. It is a BDSM story and that is clearly stated at the beginning of every chapter. It also says pretty clearly that it is about a traditional, male-dominated family.

To those complaining about the spanking scene: the character Marcella has been fully trained as a kept. She knows that to stop anything from happening to her in a scene all she has to do is say RED and the scene will end. She says in this chapter that she is, "caught up in the scene they were creating and aroused enough to wish that he would" treat her like a naughty tease. (pg. 4, paragraph ~54) She wanted Noah to spank her! Once she threw down the gauntlet he had to spank her or she would have lost all respect for him. Her own thoughts reveal that about her in earlier chapters.

For those saying he broke the contract with her--we don't even know what the contract says exactly. This is her time to be in control and she decides to test Noah here. She pushes him with her flirting and never once asks him to stop or tries to get away from him. Her arousal at being spanked showed a side of her that surprised Noah. He expected her to stop him and put an end to the game, but she didn't do that. She was in control the entire time!

I thoroughly loved this chapter and the way it showed the first steps of Marcella coming to terms with her submissive feelings and her need for a strong Dominant that she can truly trust. Watching these two learn to balance their needs within their relationship is going to be delightful, I'm sure! Well done, ellie!

Okay, I was late to the party, but now I GET Marcella. You are such a skillful writer that I had a visceral reaction to your portrayal of her feminist, ball-busting hellion side. Now that you peeled away the layers of her protective facade, I can see her as the lovable, resilient woman that she is at heart.

For those who are critical of Noah spanking her, I don't get it. By now, it should be common knowledge that BDSM is, well, the dominant lifestyle among those brought up in the Tables society. Also, based on Apollo's erotic memory of his last time with Chella, she is into pleasurable pain. And, her handling of Vinnie shows that she is VERY seasoned when it comes to kink. Not to mention her reaction to Noah's domination: she is ON fire. Something tells me that the next two weeks are going to be VERY interesting with these two. I. LOVE. IT.

As always I am loving this series! Ty for taking your time to write fictional stories we can become engrossed in and read for free any time. Don't change what you do or how you write <3 . If people don't like it they can always read something else ;-)

I agree with those who are disappointed in Noah and Marcella for the spanking scene. They both got into the contract not in good faith, but ultimately the biggest problem is the fact that she has been greatly abused by her family and by the Bataglia, and the guy who is supposed to be her one is just like them, choosing to spank her when he doesn't like what she did. This fundamentally abusive culture of the Tables with its mysogyny and its conditioning of children to become BDSMers from young age is so sad, I keep waiting for redemption but haven't seen it yet...