Reviewer: It Was Me Signed [Report This]
Date: December 16 2023 2:22 AM Title: Chapter 2 - Night on the town

I have a similar sentiment as the last reviewer, in that I normally like tinies to be at least a bit smaller than Ian is, but at the same time, I'm really into this.

The character work here is amazing! Again, I echo the previous reviewer, who noted that even the detail and effort put into a character like Chloe is stellar. Even though I doubt she'll be playing a major role in the story, I found myself getting behind that character and enjoying her. It would have been easy to have made her "nameless restaurant employee 2" and just used her as dressing for the tension between Gwen and Ian, so this effort was something I really appreciated.

But I really want to focus on Gwen. I love the complexity of this character!

Now, it would be easy to write her off as a hypocrite for her treatment of Ian, given that she tells us that she's in favor of full rights for someone like Ian and her only concern with minis is hurting or killing them accidentally (and in a way that it feels like she understands the weight of what taking a life means, rather than downplaying it because they're tiny). And yeah, she catches herself coming off as sizist both to herself and openly a couple of times, which seems to contradict that stance. It would be easy to writer her off as someone who preaches one thing but practices another when actually faced with tinies.

But I don't think that's what's happening here. Nor do I think her anger and odd behavior is centered entirely around Ian's lie (although she is mad about that, to be certain).

Honestly, I think Gwen's meanness comes from not knowing how to process the disappointment of seeing her perfect relationship ripped away from her. Ian had become an ideal of sorts, and she put a lot of stock into that ideal. So it wasn't just a letdown that her perfect man was shorter than she thought, it was that ideal, that sense of the perfect relationship, especially after years of isolation, dissolving in front of her eyes that brought out some nasty negativity that she seems legitimately surprised by, as we can see through the constant conflict she has within herself.

And so, I don't think Gwen is annoyed so much by the little accommodations that need to be made because of Ian's size, like holding the door open for him, slowing her stride, or lifting him into a highchair. It's that these things are a reminder of the disappointment she feels about the situation as a whole. And that disappointment comes out in the form of rudeness and annoyance.

I think this reflects how most people deal with disappointment. In particular, the fact that Gwen would be upset that Ian doesn't "stick to his own kind," only to chastise herself immediately after thinking it displays how such a radical change of expectations can make us think things we normally never would. Because I don't think Gwen would have been one of those girls laughing at and mocking someone like Ian chasing after his date. From what she's thought so far, I really think she would be supportive of such a relationship and might even be a bit angry at the girl doing such a think to her tiny date if she were to see it in public.

If Ian had just come out and told her the truth in the first place, it probably still would have hurt her a bit and caused her to briefly rethink the relationship. But I think she would have gotten over it and appreciated his honesty (after all, there have been signs that she still has feelings for Ian, even during all of this). At least, that's the vibe I've gotten from her character so far. It's the fact that she's had zero time to really process things that's causing the problem here.

As for Ian, I really wanted to hate him for doing this to Gwen, but I just can't do it. While it annoys her, I love how he keeps trying to go through life without his disability holding him back. How he takes the looks, laughter, and teasing in stride and still finds a way to be charming and seem like a really good guy.

Of course, I think this is also part of Gwen's frustration, as she sees that he's exactly the man she fell in love with, minus five feet or so.

But it's hard to gauge too much about Ian so far, as the narrative has been entirely from Gwen's perspective. This is a good thing, as it has really helped build to what hopefully opens chapter three: Gwen and Ian actually addressing the tiny elephant in the room. Because I really have no idea what Ian is going to say. Did he keep this from her out of a fear of rejection? Is this just a misguided part of his effort to not let shrinking hold him back? Did he just assume Gwen would be cool with it or that it wouldn't matter to her? Is there some reason she should have known but just didn't?

I really don't know, and Gwen's reaction to any of those could be very different.

Anyway, if you couldn't tell, I'm pretty interested in this story. Keep up the good work!