Well gosh I hope she doesn't wake up the morning after to find a minor with broken bones and angrily hold him at fault for disturbing her and getting himself hurt. Does this story hint at the telepathic powers minors have that the old Major supremacist Howard Waid talked about in the Major/minor story of Alejandro and Shannon? Why the Majors once tried to actually exterminate the minors?

Interesting twist with Rose's personality. This does explain though why she puts so much trust and responsibility on Riley. With how confident and outgoing Riley is, acting as a genuine friend giving Elliot all the independence and freedom he needs, I would've figured someone as seemly domineering as Rose would simply hire a special assistant to chaperone Elliot everywhere and keep anyone Rose hasn't meet and approved of at arms length from him while making Elliot walk whatever path Rose would pick for him. It's unfortunate that Rose has already highlighted what the problems are preventing what connect her with Elliot but has yet to address them. She's terrified of her own strength and how fragile he is to the point she wouldn't even pick him up and comfort him when he fell off a swing as a young toddler. So Elliot probably grew up with few and far between hugs and comforting interactions with his mom and now whenever she does interact with him it feels stiff and frigid. And worst of all, she's never tried to turn off her biggest of the big Cyclopean personality and demeanor. It seems like she only ever acts in two moods, intentionally intimidating or un-intentionally intimidating. Just about every other sentence she said to Elliot left him flinching and her internally grimacing because it came across as disappointed, threatening, or demanding. It's a shame that by her own admission "she was beyond caring too much if she intimidated other MAJORS by this point in her life" because it's all Elliot ever sees in her and only helps build up his fear and hesitation around her. Her intruding on his mind without asking and saying he couldn't keep secrets from her is probably the biggest offense for me, even though in her mind she thought she was being a responsible parent but at least she noticed her intrusion left him trembling and felt some guilt.

I'm waiting to see who in Hilda's family is going to be the one to screw up and piss off the secretly over-protective Cyclopean. Basil's a strong contender since with his temper he might lash out and severely hurt Elliot even if Rose is there by attacking before she notices the danger. 2nd contender for a bully hurting Elliot is probably Richie Jr. I have a feeling the halfsie is a bit bitter about being one and will be more then happy to taunt and pick on a minor, managing to goad Elliot into hitting him only for him to hit back harder. Finally Richie, Lionel, Lionel's wife, the twins, or most importantly Moonie are likely to run their mouths and say something Elliot and Hilda wanted to keep a secret from Rose because they know it'll send her into a rage. Like how Hilda technically raped him on their first meeting. Hilda might catch Rose's ire before even someone like Basil in that case. I was actually wondering if a minor side character shows up in the story because of how convinced Hilda is about Basil eventually showing up unannounced to get violent about her seeing Elliot. I figured eventually a Cyclopean who works as the security director for her company/plantations would be brought in. Now with how big Rose is, maybe the security director brings in a younger guy or girl in their family whose part of this younger generation of even bigger Cyclopeans. Someone as big or within that last foot of height to Rose. Because if Rose snatches him away and refuses to let him see Hilda, she's going to need someone at the door who can turn Rose away if Elliot runs back to Hilda. If the hint about a property is Elliot's parents buying a house near Elliot's college so that he can live under Rose's roof again, they'll probably be in the same neighborhood as the Maldera's since Rose needs to buy the biggest of renovated mansions to accommodate her.

I'm also really curious to see what happens with the bonding developments. I'm a bit shaky about the nature of bonding. I remember in Izzy's story some Major's belong to a tier that allows them to completely overwhelm a minor's mind even if they are trying to guard it. But now apparently some minors like Moonie are learning how to be the one's overwhelming MAJORs. I think there was something about how in the distant past minors had much stronger bonding power. That old MAJOR from Alejandro's story made a comment about how MAJORs had to nearly wipe out minors because of something to do with their bond powers. Moonie brought it up in her little pool ceremony and had fawning MAJORs around her desperate for her to bond them to hint about it. And behind the scenes she just did something to upstage her bullying niece. Then there's Minnie whose not a halfsie but still a rather short MAJOR and seems to be on the cusp of awakening the ability to be the first MAJORs who can bond with MAJORs in the series. I'm curious what the nature of Rose's bonding with Elliot was like when he was a kid. I'm wondering if she somehow managed to mess even that up by injecting her own fears and trepidation over him. Because if it was the only time she could calm his nerves and let him feel her love and concern for him, I'd imagine they would keep doing it over the years and she'd bond with him now to calm him down. I'm wondering if Moonie would ever be arrogant enough to try a forceful control bonding on Rose because a very threatening response as she plucked the little girl up if it failed and Moonie's terrified face would be hilarious to see.

Is Elliot not only Rose's only son, but her only child? From her initial cold and authoritative introduction and the line that Elliot is Rose's only son in CH 7, I started wondering why a gigantic and wealthy Cyclopean wouldn't have more kids. I started thinking what if the reason Elliot's an only child is because of how embarrassed Rose was for her first child to be a minor. Also possibly what if after she learned her first child was a minor and angrily went to a doctor for how she could possibly have such an insignificant child, she would learn an unfortunate truth like she had a rare genetic mutation where every child she had would always be a minor? If she ended up being a demanding perfectionist Cyclopean, it would explain why she'd be cold and distant from Elliot. He'd be a disappointment she'd have to live with and she'd never have a proper MAJOR/Cyclopean child that could live up to her standards. Now that it's revealed she is actually loving and concerned for Elliot, just unable to express it, I'm wondering if why she hasn't had more children might still be similar in a way. Terrified not because she's worried of the shame of having a 2nd minor child, but from the terror of having another fragile and vulnerable. For poor Elliot, she only knows how to try and buy his affection rather then interact with him to earn it. When she hesitantly asks her husband if she's failing as a parent, probably the only self-doubt she ever openly expresses as a Cyclopean, I'm wondering if it's an indicator she fears having another minor child and failing all over again.

Hmm, how open is Allie with her therapist? Open about her abusive relationship sure. Open about being an ex-chavalier, mmm maybe? If she brings up Brian is she explicitly talking about Brian Bentley the one-inch escaped condemned, or is she talking about Bill, her boyfriend that she's had to step back from intimately since they both have issues that need to be worked out?The trio has made it to first base, I hope Allie isn't about to foolishly compromise it by being too honest about Brian. She may have already started connecting dots for her therapist if she knows she's an ex-chavalier from the Silver strip, she mentions Brian Bentley a lot, and she conveniently also had a boyfriend named Brian.

So his sexual assaults during his prison years did become a mental trauma for him. I think given his size and circumstances, Allison really should stop with all the "ittsy-bitsy man" taunting, "I like making you feel trapped" and vulnerble statements, and just general sense of dominance she likes to exude on Brian when they try being intimate. Lady he had a bad reaction to just from you taunting him about his size and pushing your lips up against him and whispering "your so cute" just the other day. It should've been a little more clear that he's got bad history with forced sexual acts, and not being in control is a red flag for his psyche. He has the interest to be intimate with her, but she needs to let him be the initiator. Let him approach her body and decide the acts. We'll have to see how much of a wall of solitude Brian raises after this. If he's willing to be intimate with her again before a possible restoration, or if he can't be comfortable enough to approach her again like that without being her size equal.

Professor Elizabeth's hand is shown:

https://giphy.com/gifs/6agGMtS4rEVSo

I'm wondering now if she was once indifferent or encouraging of the Shrink Penalty or is part of a grander social experiment. She has to have some link to the creation or operation of the program if she's able to manipulate recruitment and, if she reveals next chapter, which prisoners go to which Chevaliers. It also seems too weak of a plan if her goal of undermining the program after "turning against it" was subjecting a student she cared for to it by nominating her and sending the most corrupt criminal case prisoner to her. Allison clearing doesn't fit the psychological profile of a Chevalier, so Elizabeth was only going to do her more harm then good sending her there as a way of getting over an abusive ex. And Allison being convinced to spare Brian, her golden ticket to challenging the system, was entirely up to chance.

If she really is an outsider to the program, then maybe she is simply a friend or aquaintence of a high up executive that wants to gain clout overthrowing the system or is simply disgusted with it. "I was not the only one on your side". It would explain how she can manipulate the Shrink Penalty system but not gain access to Brian's court documents. I think she's going to upset Brian in the next chapter by explaining how she saw an opportunity with his case to attack the system, planted the idea of Brian's corrupt case with Allison, guided her into becoming a Chevalier during her struggles, manipulated the prison to send Brian to her, and then left his life entirely up to chance. Brian actually took a huge risk calling her out since she could threaten him for potentially ruining her and her partner's plans by refusing to cooperate. I also think Cathy's life is legitimately in danger since Elizabeth is "investigating her" and can send a request to her allies to silence her or kill her in order to not endanger the plan.

Wow, I'm surprised you started on the sequel so soon. I can't help but feel like Elizabeth almost revealed to Brian and us that shrinking isn't permanent anymore or never was and that Brian can be restored if his name is cleared with a certain well placed quip:““Nonsense, honey,” Elizabeth responded dismissively. “You’re still you, even if you’re small. And besides, it’s not like the shrinking is-” “Here we go,” Allison interrupted." 

I still can't shake the feeling that Professor Dawson knows more about the world and is moving pieces behind the scenes. If it's true that shrinking can be reversed how would she know? In her mental musings Allison believes shrinking to be irreversable and it seems odd if an ex-Chevalier wouldn't hear about it in work rumors or gossip. I could just be over-reading into the good professor's attempts at smoothing out Brian's fear and resentment. I think there's a very good chance Brian will be forced into staying alone with Elizabeth if they catch wind of authorities investigating Alison on a tip from Cathy or general government monitoring. A chance to see if there's more to her nature then pure Samaritan goodness when left alone with Brian.

Interesting, will we learn a bit of history about the world? Is shrinking caused by a past virus that pharma companies were able to study and turn into an injection to shrink people that became immune to the original wave? Or perhaps the shrinking compound was developed by governments to address growing poverty levels or population control by "lottery". Regardless it seems this world has developed a few generations of "born smalls" if Eren comes from a community with families. Tae is perhaps a rich socialite since Eren remarks how large and expensive her apartment looks so maybe she can pay to get shrink injections for her personal use while authorities look the other way. Curious to see if Tae has dark desires to abuse and dominate specks but has a conflicting nuturing desire, affection, or attraction for "born smalls". Does she balance her needs by targeting normal people abusing specks, a predator that enjoys hunting predators perhaps? Or did she have someone close who was a born small or suddenly shrunk and was killed in an awful way and she still feels guilty and obliged to help specks in need? Most people don't seem to care about speck abuse or neglect in this world so I hope we see a backstory or a confession explaining why Tae chooses to act. We'll have to see if Eren can get her to open up about her past and reveal to Eren about her activities, and if he has any impact on her continuing to be a cruel and violent hunter / protective guardian.

Ah see this is why I don't believe in Amrita's altruism, or at least the altruistic grand design of the family Grace teases at. She really likes inflicting pain on thers and reveling in their misery and indignant rage. Thomas first words learning what Alice has done to specks "you've tried to kill someone?" should normally already be an exoneration in and of itself. Grace was more mad Clair called cute little Eren an "it" then her investigating her cousin afterall. He also immediately accepted his speck sister instead of abandoning her. Grace can't say she's just mad he tried to punch her for thinking he's his sister's attacker and kidnapper, afterall she's involved in one of them and related to the other. He seems the complete opposite of who inner family considers against their ideals. He sees specks as people and is willing to accept and protect his sister as one in-spite of knowing she's done terrible things because he gave his word to protect her. 

And yet as she beat him uncounscious, she believed people like Thomas were a threat to the world her family wants. His only sin apparently being his strong independence to their idea of everything in control. If upstanding, loyal, and protective characters like Thomas are a threat to your family's vision of world peace, what exactly does that peace entail? Everyone else diminished outside the family and loyal servants allowed to be elavated? Elimination of choice and freedoms? Obey the family's will or be crushed, literally? I have a feeling the family elders have a grand dystopia they're covering up and bedazzling as a utopia while the finer elements of how they'll control the population in the name of peace are being muddled to anyone outside the circle. I'm thinking back to how Jisoo spits on her birth mother's name for ruining her grandmother's original plan and betraying the family.

Grace slips out knowing what a speak Jisoo's face looks like gazing up at a normal in anger and frustration. I don't think that was a picture or video of Jisoo. I'm thinking Grace was literally standing over her speck cousin prior to her ascension, taking the opportunity to taunt and humiliate the little girl over her plight before revealing the truth and offering her to be reborn. I'm back to wondering who exactly retrieved Jisoo from her adoptive family and revealed to her the truth of her origins, how exactly she was conditioned to join the Amrita family, and what event drove her out. If everything about how terrible her mother is was 2nd hand accounts by Grace and her extended family or experienced by Jisoo in an ill-fated reunion. Because if Grace is this sadistic and twisted while believing she's doing the familiy's will, what's the rest of the family's inner circle like and just how evil could Jisoo's mother have been?

 Also I wonder if Maddie's revelation of the plight and suffering of specks makes her do a 180 on what Eureka's robotic aids are built for. If she musters the courage to apologize to Eren and tell him about her commune experience and new understanding of speck's suffering, say she has a new vision for Eureka and offer him the chance to come back; I'm curious how Jisoo reacts and if Eren just flat refuses or considers it. I wouldn't be too surprised if Jisoo pulls strings for an Amrita subsidiary to suddenly back Maddie as a new investor; either entirely out of the blue or after Jisoo calls her back privately with the investor offer if she promises to never reach out to Eren again.

Just what the heck happened during the diminishing event 100 years ago? I could understand if specks were carriers for the still active virus that would occassionally effect a normal human to shrink or pass onto a pregnancy and cause normal parents to recieve a speck baby. But one of the victims even said after she was shrunk that it just doesn't happen to people anymore. Some characters like Claire say propoganda like "Its God's punishment" but I can't see society as a whole believing that. There's the propoganda that specks are both habitual thieves stealing a fortune from regular people while also draining billions from governments. But this shouldn't be universal. The holes should be everywhere, with local politicians or economists noticing missing momey in the budgets or regular folks noticing anything of significance being stolen by a speck. Literally the only thing I can see them stealing is jewelry or random food scraps as even smartphones would be too large to make off with.

Maddie's outburst is rather strange. I understand if it's a plot device to help facilitate Jisoo to convince Eren to leave the state's with her with no community or job ties to hold him. But all of these business and tech people are literally fighting against their own interest. If it works, just keep quiet about a speck being involved as long as you can and it won't be an issue when people do find out. They'd rather reject Eren's work, which they may not even be able to replace if Eren's the only engineer who could handle the task, when the company simply won't survive if they don't release the robot now to their investors. Does Maddie really have such a contrasting personality where she wants to help the elderly and disabled while clinging to some prejudice against specks? She seems to smart to fall for the propoganda, so what's her personal issue with specks?

Technically robotic research and implementation is further ahead in Asia then in the US. If Eren's acceptance into Amrita goes well, will we see him allowed to join or develop a branch in robotics? It would be an amusing twist if Eureka recovers from throwing him out, only for Amrita or a company owned by them to invade the market with a better robot with Eren as a public face of the company as a speck. Maddie can't boo-hoo us with how hard she's worked and how much she just wants to help people while being a hateful supremacist. I'd like to see her fail now, especially if it happens while she sees Eren suceed. She did try to strike him and Jisoo's killed for less so I worry Jisoo or an aid might act before we have a chance to see Maddie lose her company normally

Hmm, I actually want to speculate and play the devil's advocate that there might be enough grey area stuff on Jisoo's mom revealed so far that maybe Jisoo has her pinged all wrong and what she went through as a baby was done to protect her. We learned that China and Singapore have full rights for shrinkies and Korea seems to have something similar or at least far above the American system, which I suspect is somewhat related to being power bases of the Chen Family/Amarita Company. I'm still suspicous that the family Matriarch Baochia Fang is still alive and kicking and her guilt over possibly having a hand in the Dimunition virus over 100 years ago is driving the Amarita Company to flex some of their political pawn power to give the surviving generations of specks some human dignity back.

Anyway what if Jisoo's mom shrunk Jisoo with the serum shortly after having her and leaving her with her trusted friend or actual father of the child, Byung-ho, in Korea where specks had some decent rights because she feared some kind of power struggle between her and her siblings, cousins, and nieces/nephews was coming up? Byong-ho literally chose to keep Jisoo instead of flushing the speck down the toilet like his wife demanded under threat of leaving him and it ruined his life and reputation in the process so he had to have known about Jisoo's shrinking and a desperate plea to protect an infant from her mother would likely carry more wight under so much pressure then a vague threat. Until we get some of the missing crucial details I'm willing to doubt. Shrinking her daughter and abandoning her just seems to be way too random and likely to fail to be part of an organized scheme or plot. It carries the taste of being a sudden desparate move to hide her daughter from someone.

Such as 1. Who was it that approached little speck Jisoo to tell her who she really was? 2. Why does her adoptive father and sister hate her and see her as a monster? 2.5. Are they still alive? 3. Did she see her mother commit atrocious acts or get coerced into participating, or is it all relayed stories from Grace and her othe family members?

The quickest way to prove her mother is an evil bitch is to make her the one who shows up one day to tell the truth to little speck Jisoo and offer the chance to rejoin normals, at a price. the price being to prove herself, her loyalty to a mother she's onyl just met. The best way? Kill another speck. Maybe kill a random one before being given an immortality peach or special syringe. Or be restored and held at gunpoint under threat of being shrunken again and personally crushed by her mother if she doesn't crush a speck. Maybe to really hammer it in her mother shrinks Byung-ho and Tae and orders her to kill one or both of them.

I'm debating this extreme reunion being possible since Jisoo kind of gives statements about Tae in the past tense that give me a red flag about ehr already being dead. She talks about how much she respects and admires Tae, but in the past tense and if you respect someone so much you take their name when immigrating to America why would you act like respecting them is something "in the past".

Finally what if Jisoo never actually met her mother? What if Aunt Min or a famly member tracked her down somehow after her mother died at their hands and were either altruistic enough to restore her and take her under their wing or ordered by an elder like Baochia Fang to do so? Maybe it's because I've got some misgivings about the family since I still think Fang was around in the past to have a hand in the Dimunition virus and Grace show how casually the family corrupts governments and whimsically murders anyone and everyone whose a mild hinderance, but I think the family's got some much shadier and malignant things going on. They weaponized the shrink virus into a newly active serum dammit! What if she was given the family account of how the black sheep daughter tried to ruin or setback poor Great Grandma's super humane world takeover scheme?

Somebody conditioned security executive Jisoo to be an assest for the company, particulary her sexual pleasure she gets when torturing a shrinky. Given that Grace also enjoys tormenting shrinkies, I'm not ruling out tht Jisoo got some conditioning to see the bad in her mother and ignore it in her other famiyl member. Until we get more storytime alongside Eren or some more past reflection inner monologues straight from Jisoo about things her mother did and why her adoptive sister called her a monster and doesn't speak to or see her anymore, I'm willing to suspend ruling in that her mother is the monster that made her.

P.S. I'm having a bit of confusion understanding whose who in the family tree given it seems to be very multinational and with some possibly perpetually young=ish members because there's one line that describes Jisoo's mom as "the daughter of the woman who changed the world" and another as "witch that tried to destroy everything my grandmother and Grace's great grandmother did to fix it". Is Baochia Fang Jisoo's grandma and Grace's great-grandma or were you describing two different women. Because of the immortality peaches I can see some age shenanigans going on like Jisoo's mom being able to wait an extra 20-30 years to have her daughter since Grace is supposedly the 4th generation to Jisoo's 3rd but they are around the same age.