Reviewer: It Was Me Signed [Report This]
Date: May 31 2024 8:25 AM Title: Chapter 22: The Rehearsal

Trish's friends mean well, but they aren't exactly the best influence on her, are they?

First, their goading led to Trish hatching Operation Patty Hotcakes at 10 feet tall, and now they're talking her into accidentally terrorizing the townfolk and destroying their roads.

To be fair, though, I get where they're coming from. Despite Trish's size becoming a major focus of their conversations now, they ultimately want her to feel just as much like a person as they do. And Valerie is technically right; the people's reaction to her simply trying to enjoy herself is, in fact, a "them" problem.

However, Trish is responsible enough a person to recognize that, even though it isn't fair to her, her size does give her more responsibility and force her to, at times, put the needs and fears of the many ahead of her own. That's not to say that this would be true of anyone in her position, but it certainly is for Trish, because she's a wonderful person who, even at her most megalomaniacal, still cares about people.

I think that's what that "last tear" for her last humanity was about, although that line could be interpreted in a few different ways, I think.

Ultimately, I think Trish was wrong earlier in the chapter when she thought that she wasn't the same person she used to be. Sure, her confidence is through the roof and it's getting harder (but more fun) to interact with the tiny world around her as it continues to get smaller, but, deep down, she's still the same sweet, kind person we met near the start of the story. Being granted so much power, in any form, is bound to affect one's personality to a point and even go to one's head a bit, but if she were really as different as he thinks she is from 60 feet ago, I don't think she would have turned back and left town when she realized why was enjoying being in town so much.

And yeah, she constantly reminded herself that the town wasn't a toy and that the damage she was causing would affect people's lives, but the larger point is that she didn't have to do that. She could have given in to those feelings of superiority and continued to enjoy showing off her power to the little people around her. Hell, her friends even seemed to be cool with her doing it, and Thomas didn't directly disapprove, so she basically had the greenlight from almost everyone she actually cares about. Yet she stopped herself and headed back to the ranch. She decided that her want to show off her superiority was outweighed by what was best for the people of the town.

So I think that's why she was crying for her lost humanity. She knows that, despite being above her fellow humans, she sometimes has to deprive herself of basic human wants if she doesn't want to become the monster everybody seems to think she is. It's sad but noble. Some might even say it's goddess-like of her.

Also, I like the callback to last chapter with Thomas's gentle morality check:

It's probably a good idea to ask yourself why you're doing this.

That's the perfect way to have phrased it for Trish. It doesn't come off as judgmental or demanding, instead challenging her to examine her actions herself rather than simply submit to the perspectives of others. And we see that this well-thought-out suggestion pays off here, as it caused Trish to really think about why she was enjoying herself in town and, in the end, make the right decision, even if it hurt.

I can also understand why having her size be how people define her would frustrate Trish. Even with her discovering this new part of herself that embraces what's happening to her, there's still so much more to her than that. For people who known her to act this way, like Darius, it's particularly bothersome because that's what really makes her feel like she's so different now. To see him so focused on her height and even be afraid of her when she called him out on it had to make her feel pretty awkward, if not a little monstrous, despite the fact that she hasn't (and wouldn't) do anything to deserve being treated that way. But for Darius' part, you can't really blame him, as his curiosity and fear are natural reactions to the situation. It's just unfortunate that this keeps Trish from feeling normal around her friends (although Kim, Valerie, and Monica do a pretty good job here of acting normal around her, at least after Trish told them about the problem).

It's super cute how Trish phrases wanting "to have babies" with Thomas. I don't know why, but, once again, I have to say that her wording sounds very "Trish-like." It just seems like, at least once in almost every chapter now, there's one moment or line of dialogue that stands out to me in a way that cements her personality and screams "Trish!" That really speaks to the depth with which you've established her character (I could say the same thing about Thomas at various points in the story as well, but Trish just sticks out to me more for whatever reason).

As for the issue of "having babies" and the future at large, it makes sense that Thomas, despite being a mostly rational person, is choosing to ignore the long-term problems Trish's condition will cause in their relationship. Love isn't rational, and he just want to enjoy the woman he loves as much as he can for as long as he can. It'll be interesting to see them try to procreate and find out if it's even possible (seeing as how it has been mentioned in the story now, I'm guessing that they're going to find out that it is).

I also have a feeling (admittedly based on your cryptic responses to some reviews both here and over at Giantess City that those leaning toward happier endings will "like where the story goes") that the whole grows-to-big-be with-her-husband problem is going to resolve itself by story's end. Personally, I'm still clinging to my literal goddess theory. And, as my initial rant in this review would indicate, I can almost see Trish evolving in that direction mentally as well. Of course, I could be wrong, and there hasn't been a lot of clues (or maybe I'm just missing them, which is wholly possible) as to what exactly is happening to her as of yet.

I really like that both Trish and Thomas had the same answer to the pants question. Even with the power imbalance, that they both feel as though they split calling the shots in the relationship is a big deal in my opinion. It makes it seem as though they're both in this together, rather than one obsessing over the other or them just being attracted to each other physically. Those matching answers, especially with them coming right before the wedding, really make their relationship feel like a partnership, which is extremely important.

Lastly, the jealousy that Trish feels that Thomas can still do those human things that I noted above that she feels like she has to give up is something that's surely going to continue being a thing down the road. I will say that Thomas has handled this well so far, understanding his fiancé's feelings and not discouraging her when she wanted to come into town, instead giving his blessing in a sweet yet indirect way. But I can't see him having this freedom, even if he rarely takes advantage of it, not becoming frustrating for her at some point in the future. I'm curious to see how that plays out if/when the time comes.