Another fantastic chapter! First, I want to say I really love how segment 1 can be transposed to our world, with rich people never visiting the areas of lower-class people, the fact that some live in palaces while others in the same city are homeless, and even the destruction of the cardboard place, which can be compared to moments when homeless people and animals are forced to leave during major events (for example, the Paris Olympics, when many homeless people were sent elsewhere to present a good image of the city). The laws also make life even harder for tiny people, reflecting real-world policies that worsen conditions for the middle and lower classes.
To speak more about the chapter, the start adds even more royalty to Helena’s character. The way you describe her in the city feels like a queen visiting a peasant village. Her approach to the situation with Donnica is incredibly smart, which adds depth to her character. For a long time, she was described as the “mean Donnica,” but in this arc, we see she’s far more complex. While she shares some similarities with Donnica, she’s distinctly different, thinking more strategically while Donnica is often driven by emotions, as we see again in this segment. Before the big conversation, the best moment comes when Helena shows Donnica the cupboard town. It’s great because it reveals more about how tiny society is structured in America, and with the information about their status, we see how messed up this system is. The highlight of this chapter is when our two goddesses remove their shoes, letting the tiny people experience the heat and smell of their powerful feet. It’s well-executed, creating a paradox where people are dying and suffering while the two giantesses engage in a heated conversation. The only thing that could’ve enhanced it is a perspective from the tinies to heighten the paradox, but as you mentioned in the review of “It Was Me,” it would’ve made the chapter too long. I also love how Helena uses Donnica’s emotional nature to her advantage, leading her exactly where she wants: helping her to suppress even more rights for the tiny people. What I like most about Helena in this chapter is when she makes Donnica realize she’s a hypocrite. Donnica turned the office into a hellish place for tinies yet got upset when something happened to Trevor. It’s refreshing to see someone other than Trevor confront her. I also enjoyed the subtle moment when they look at each other’s shoes, both thinking about switching them. It was sexy and felt like a moment of mutual acceptance, seeing each other as equals. The ending, when Helena tells Donnica she’ll need Trevor to stay out of trouble, really highlights his status-C reality—he’s now nothing more than an object.
Now, onto S2 with poor Annabel, who is rejected by Donnica, her name removed from Trevor’s status-C, and worst of all, forced to “babysit” Naomi, who isn’t the greatest assistant for Annie. For Naomi, it’s the worst time to be associated with Annabel. She’s so angry, sad, and disappointed that she projects all her struggles onto Naomi, making her life as difficult as possible first with boring administrative tasks Naomi fails at, then with pointless manual labor, like moving huge quantities of paper for the printer (which they don’t even use) or carrying water for the fountain despite the delivery man offering to do it. Worst of all, Annabel uses Victoria as a threat to force Naomi to obey every command. Inevitably, Naomi drops the water, it was far too heavy. When she goes to clean the mess, luck finally smiles on her. While grabbing a mop, she spots a tiny, unclaimed, perfect for her to play with. She has something she really wants to do: rub her sore feet. For Edward, however, it’s the opposite. He was just a regular man working when he contracted the virus and shrank in the worst place possible—Donnica Cernovich’s office. I love that everyone knows how awful this place is for tinies. The fact that the virus is still active is crucial information (please, let Victoria catch the virus and end up in the hands of the worst possible giantess, or maybe on Azurea Island, exposed to rich women). Adding context to Edward’s character deepens this dystopian world. Unlike many dystopian stories where only the poor suffer, in DAW, anyone can be affected, which is compelling. Back to Naomi and Edward, the emotions they experience are well-crafted. Edward moves from fear to hope to despair, while Naomi’s journey is the reverse—she starts in despair, finds happiness when she realizes she can torment Edward, then feels fear when Annabel catches her, and finally hope when Annabel doesn’t care and even encourages her to crush him. This segment is also really hot, with Naomi using Edward to soothe her feet. Another great moment is Annabel discovering Naomi barefoot, playing with a tiny man—the fear in Naomi, the brief hope in Edward, and then Annabel casually placing her high heel on him, showing how she views tinies. Finally, the crushing moment under Naomi’s huge feet is fatalistic. The little sentence at the end, hinting that Naomi and Annabel will grow closer, is a nice tease. 

The highlight of this chapter is undoubtedly the third segment: Trevor meeting Celine again. Before this, we’re introduced to new characters, like Alexandra, the “new” Annabel, who, sadly for Trevor, is far less kind to him. He tries his best to get Annabel back, but Donnica is too angry to allow it for now. I feel like this aspect of Donnica’s personality will backfire eventually, as Annabel, despite her mistake, is the best at keeping Trevor safe since she genuinely cares about him. Donnica even keeps Trevor in her ass for a few days to assert control over him. This segment also reintroduces Juliette, one of Helena’s assistants who supervises for her clan, and two new tiny women, Vikki and Ricci, sent from Helena’s estate to ensure Trevor and Celine don’t do anything to harm Helena. These two tiny women are special in a good way. I really enjoy the contrast between Helena and Donnica. Even though Helena isn’t fond of tinies, she recognizes their value as assets, unlike Donnica, who only uses them as office slaves, regardless of their potential, even after seeing how useful Chelsea was before meeting Annabel’s shoe. It doesn’t seem like Donnica wants to change. This segment truly begins when Celine appears, providing more context about the “kingdom” and her role as an outcast—an intriguing title that could mean many things. Perhaps she was the queen before shrinking, or something else entirely. There’s so much potential around Helena that could change the world of DAW forever. The fun starts when Celine calls Trevor a hypocrite, which is interesting since Helena said the same about Donnica in segment one. It’s true maybe that’s why Trevor and Donnica need each other. Personally, I think Trevor only cares about tinies with a strong will to fight and change their situation, like Rebecca or Celine. For the broken ones, he feels nothing or even anger, possibly reflecting his fear of becoming like them—a tiny submitting to giantesses to survive, something he’s fought since the beginning despite his attraction to powerful giantesses. Before they can dive deeper, they have a mission to complete, and it’s incredible. The discovery of Vikki and Ricci, who are both brilliant and hilariously dumb, is perfect. It’s refreshing to have tinies who are lighter and less traumatized, enjoying life, joking, and living in their own colorful world. Some lines are just perfect, like: “You’re handsome,” she said plainly, like she was noting the weather. Then, something shifted between the duo. That one statement landed like a revelation. The two of them locked eyes, gasped, then immediately began whispering and giggling like schoolgirls who’d just discovered a new celebrity crush. Trevor turned back to Celine, chuckling. “They don’t seem so bad.” Celine’s slight jealousy is also fun. The best moment of this segment is the competition between Celine and Trevor, with Vikki and Ricci commenting in the background. To everyone’s surprise, Trevor wins, but while he’s celebrating, Celine does the impossible in just a minute, completing the full Minar-Legal-Sync integration to prove she’s the best. The most significant part, though, is the revelation about Celine and Helena’s relationship: Celine has a status-C, and Helena is her owner. This raises so many questions, as status-C is hard to obtain and requires the tiny’s strong desire. How did Helena manage it? So many intriguing possibilities. This segment is one of, if not the best in the entire story, with new incredible characters, funny moments with Vikki and Ricci, and, of course, Celine. The next segment takes us to Helena’s palace during a review of the meeting between Trevor and the Outcast. I was surprised by how kind Helena is toward Vikki and Ricci, acting like a sister or mother, which was a pleasant twist. It’s also interesting that she calls Juliette “sister,” which feels like the kingdom operates like a sorority. I wonder how it works—ranks for tinies seem based on their value to the kingdom (e.g., Vikki and Ricci’s coding skills are incredible assets), but we later learn they’ve also “met” Helena’s body, so perhaps ranks are based on time spent in the kingdom for both giantesses and tinies. It would be fun to see low-ranking giantesses below high-ranking tinies to teach them humility. I also appreciate that Helena listens to Vikki and Ricci, not just Juliette, showing she’s smart enough to value all her assets, regardless of size—an amazing aspect of her character. The conversation between Helena and Juliette about Donnica is intriguing. I wonder why Helena wants her so badly Donnica seems like she could be a liability with her personality. It must be something significant, as even Juliette doesn’t understand. The line that stood out most was: “You seem to have an awful lot of faith in a woman who’s done nothing but spit in your face. You’re staking quite a bit on someone who hasn’t even been tested.” What does this “test” mean? The big part of this segment is the conversation between Vikki, Ricci, and goddess Helena. It was fun and heartwarming. I was worried Vikki and Ricci would be scared around Helena, but they remain their funny, slightly naive selves. Helena stays kind, calmly listening to her “cute” tinies, offering a different view of her typically dominant or mean persona. The highlight is when Helena learns Trevor outsmarted the other tinies, but the real climax is her confrontation with Celine. Despite Celine’s defiance, she can’t stand up to a giantess. When Helena cries out Celine’s name, which is forbidden in the Kingdom, it shows there’s more than just rivalry between them. Ultimately, Vikki and Ricci win—Trevor will enter the Kingdom. The final segment focuses on Naomi and Annabel, whose relationship has evolved significantly since segment 2. We find them in a familiar place: Annie’s workshop, where she reveals her secret—she’s a breaker. Naomi’s reaction is like a kid in a toy store, which is fitting despite the workshop being anything but. It’s heartwarming to see Naomi start to trust Annabel, despite her fear of adults due to her mother. When training begins and Annie uses the ruler on Naomi, she notices something’s wrong. The moment Annie realizes what happened is perfect she knows exactly what to do, likely thanks to Trevor’s earlier advice. Giving Naomi the key to her place and permission to visit shows another side of Annabel. I also liked how she regrets using Victoria as a threat against Naomi, paralleling Donnica’s regret for slapping her. These parallels between characters are always compelling. The chapter ends sweetly with Annabel teaching Naomi to be a breaker, though it’s less sweet for the tinies who’ll suffer. 
In conclusion, this chapter is amazing, adding context and raising countless questions. Vikki and Ricci are perfect additions, bringing much-needed humor to this dark story. The evolving Naomi-Annabel relationship has the potential to change a lot. However, I’m starting to worry for Donnica—her situation could become dire if Helena changes her mind and goes after her.


Author's Response:

"Another fantastic chapter! First, I want to say I really love how segment 1 can be transposed to our world, with rich people never visiting the areas of lower-class people, the fact that some live in palaces while others in the same city are homeless, and even the destruction of the cardboard place, which can be compared to moments when homeless people and animals are forced to leave during major events (for example, the Paris Olympics, when many homeless people were sent elsewhere to present a good image of the city). The laws also make life even harder for tiny people, reflecting real-world policies that worsen conditions for the middle and lower classes."

This is exactly why I treasure these reviews… you bring in real-world parallels I hadn’t consciously considered. But you’re absolutely right: maybe I am constructing a kind of real-world narrative beneath all the madness. The example of the Paris Olympics was such a sharp comparison too; it really struck me. Thank you for making me see the chapter through a new lens.

"What I like most about Helena in this chapter is when she makes Donnica realize she’s a hypocrite. Donnica turned the office into a hellish place for tinies yet got upset when something happened to Trevor. It’s refreshing to see someone other than Trevor confront her. I also enjoyed the subtle moment when they look at each other’s shoes, both thinking about switching them. It was sexy and felt like a moment of mutual acceptance, seeing each other as equals."

Yessssss, that shoe moment was such a charged scene… and you’re absolutely right, it wasn’t just them admiring footwear. It was this strange, intimate gesture of mutual recognition. For the first time in a long while, they were on equal footing again... ironically, by literally looking at each other’s feet. I’m so glad that landed for you.

"For Naomi, it’s the worst time to be associated with Annabel. She’s so angry, sad, and disappointed that she projects all her struggles onto Naomi, making her life as difficult as possible first with boring administrative tasks Naomi fails at, then with pointless manual labor, like moving huge quantities of paper for the printer (which they don’t even use) or carrying water for the fountain despite the delivery man offering to do it."

Yes! Great read here. I honestly don’t think Annabel would’ve been quite this ruthless to Naomi under normal circumstances, but something deeper was definitely going on. It reminded me of when she first met Trevor and spiraled over George ghosting her. For all her cruel confidence, Annabel can be surprisingly emotional, and that volatility is part of what makes her such a fascinating chaos engine. I just hope she and Donnica find their way back to each other someday...

"Before this, we’re introduced to new characters, like Alexandra, the “new” Annabel, who, sadly for Trevor, is far less kind to him. He tries his best to get Annabel back, but Donnica is too angry to allow it for now. I feel like this aspect of Donnica’s personality will backfire eventually, as Annabel, despite her mistake, is the best at keeping Trevor safe since she genuinely cares about him. Donnica even keeps Trevor in her ass for a few days to assert control over him. "

Absolutely. Donnica's letting her emotions steer the ship here, and her anger clouds what should be obvious, that Annabel is uniquely suited to protect Trevor. Still… after the wild ride Trevor just went through, maybe some time in Donnica's ass wasn’t the worst place to recover.  :D

"The fun starts when Celine calls Trevor a hypocrite, which is interesting since Helena said the same about Donnica in segment one. It’s true maybe that’s why Trevor and Donnica need each other."

I love that you caught this! It hadn’t even occurred to me until you pointed it out, but yes, two of our leads being called hypocrites in the same chapter, and by different people, no less. That parallel is chef’s kiss. Maybe that’s what binds Trevor and Donnica together in the end; they each reflect and reinforce the other’s flaws... and fantasies.

"The discovery of Vikki and Ricci, who are both brilliant and hilariously dumb, is perfect. It’s refreshing to have tinies who are lighter and less traumatized, enjoying life, joking, and living in their own colorful world."

I love this take! Ricci and Vikki are such a joy to write, even if I was nervous at first, those kinds of exaggerated, comedic characters are a bit outside my usual rhythm. But giantess fantasy is wild and over-the-top by nature, so it makes room for characters who are just as outsized in personality. They totally flowed once I let them go. And don’t worry… you’ll be seeing plenty more of them!

"The most significant part, though, is the revelation about Celine and Helena’s relationship: Celine has a status-C, and Helena is her owner. This raises so many questions, as status-C is hard to obtain and requires the tiny’s strong desire. How did Helena manage it? So many intriguing possibilities. "

I'm thrilled people are reacting to that reveal the way I hoped! I spent several chapters establishing just how wild and difficult Status-C is to achieve, it’s more than ownership, it’s a kind of legal love pact that has to be entered willingly. And at the same time, I built up how much Celine & Helena hate each other. So yeah... when that truth dropped, that Helena had Celine’s Status-C, I wanted readers to go, “Wait, what?” and immediately start theorizing. I’m so glad it landed that way!

"This segment is one of, if not the best in the entire story, with new incredible characters, funny moments with Vikki and Ricci, and, of course, Celine."

Thank you so, so much for that. Segment 3 of this chapter honestly went through the most rewrites I’ve done yet… it had to do so much: introduce major new characters, deepen others, carry its own internal arc, and deliver a twist that would ripple forward. It’s probably my favorite stretch I’ve written so far, so hearing you single it out means a lot.

"The line that stood out most was: 'You seem to have an awful lot of faith in a woman who’s done nothing but spit in your face. You’re staking quite a bit on someone who hasn’t even been tested.' What does this 'test' mean?"

Indeed, what does the test mean? You caught something very important here. That line is going to echo into Donnica’s future in a big way. Let’s just say... her exam is coming sooner than she thinks.

"I also liked how she regrets using Victoria as a threat against Naomi, paralleling Donnica’s regret for slapping her. These parallels between characters are always compelling."

I knew this moment would resonate with you! It was such a relief to write Annabel reflecting like that. As much as I love her, that moment where she threatened Naomi using Victoria, it hurt for me to write! But characters grow through missteps, and her apology was soothing. And yes… you’re spot on, Donnica’s own regret about the slap makes the parallel even sharper. That contrast with Victoria… that’s where the real divide lies from her and women like Annabel and Donnica.

"In conclusion, this chapter is amazing, adding context and raising countless questions. Vikki and Ricci are perfect additions, bringing much-needed humor to this dark story. The evolving Naomi-Annabel relationship has the potential to change a lot. However, I’m starting to worry for Donnica—her situation could become dire if Helena changes her mind and goes after her."

It really does feel like Donnica and Helena are headed toward something seismic, doesn’t it? The tension’s growing on both sides and you’re right, the stakes are escalating. What’s Helena really planning? How much danger is Trevor in… or Donnica for that matter? And is this mysterious “kingdom” even real?

I guess we’ll find out soon enough!

Ooh! Ooh! I'd like to solve the puzzle, Alex!

Okay, maybe I don't have all the answers yet. Shit, maybe I don't have any of them. But I feel like S4 gave us a lot of information and that I now have a better understanding of what's going on here.

I'll admit that Helena calling Juliette "sister" threw me for a loop at first. Of course, my first thought was that this was some revelation that the two of them were family, but that didn't feel quite right. Given the way it was used and the other information at our disposal, I pivoted to them sharing another kind of sisterhood, one that was more ... organizational than familial.

Because Juliette definitely didn't talk to Helena like a normal subordinate in this segment. At times, it almost felt like she was debriefing Helena rather than the opposite. And Helena, when questioned about Donnica, consciously avoided telling Juliette the whole truth (that we don't even know, as that conversation between Donnica and herself took place off screen) but gave her something. Juliette even objected to Trevor being brought on estate grounds, and the way she did this didn't sound like a personal complaint but rather like she was invoking some sort of code or law to which they were both bound. Combine that with the reserved demeanor with which Helena addressed Juliette and Helena's tolerance for her subordinate's questioning, and it becomes clear that something different is going on here.

Then, as Juliette's concerns about Donnica were dismissed, she called Helena a "goddess," but she hadn't acted as though she worshipped Helena throughout the whole conversation. It came off more as title than something devout. This made me think back to Penelope whining about being a "goddess in waiting." as well as all that talk about her "fellowship" for that matter. It's starting to become clear why Helena holds the young Brit's mother in such high regard.

Then there was this passage:

Because Donnica was unreadable, always just outside the sphere of full comprehension. Unyielding, yes. Obstinate, often. But it was precisely those qualities that hinted at the makings of a sovereign. All rulers had to be a little isolated, a little unreadable, a little immune to the consensus of lesser minds.

Sovereign sure seems to refer to something specific here, rather than a generic ruler of tinies. And there are multiple "rulers" by the sound of it, each meeting a certain standard that Helena is utterly convinced Donnica meets.

Then there was Juliette mentioning that Donnica hadn't even been "tested" yet. For a second, I thought this might refer to the virus and a need to ensure that Donnica was immune before moving forward with their plans. I quickly dismissed that notion, though, factoring in this new piece of information with everything else that this segment (and some of the ones before it) revealed. I now think that this test ties in with the sovereign and ruling stuff.

Not to mention how strict certain rules seem to be within Helena's inner circle. Arguments about who can and can't be on the property or see the kingdom. Even Helena being concerned at saying "the Outcast's" name (oh, don't worry; we'll get to that!) before realizing that Vikki and Ricci weren't going to call her out on it. Hell, Helena was concerned about the two BFFs being traumatized from hearing Trevor say Celine's name. Even the "subject" and "slave" designations seem rigid and fixed rather than loose terms Helena made up for her amusement.

Piecing all this together, I think I had things all wrong from the start. My assumption was that Helena was masterminding some grand plan, and maybe she is doing her own thing in this instance (I don't know for sure), but it seems to me that she's part of some greater organization, and I don't believe she's at the top of it. I think Penelope's mother is highly respected within this organization, though, which is the connection that led to Helena taking the British brat into her emply (and probably her link back into the story).

Furthermore, I think Goddess is a rank within this organization, one that comes with its own kingdom (so that would mean there are several of these kingdoms around somewhere). And Helena wants to bring Donnica into the fold, making her a "goddess" as well, given all her thoughts on Donnica as a sovereign. Helena hasn't told her this yet, though, maybe because she can't. But now that bit at the end of the first segment where Helena notes that she can only tell Donnica part of the truth by showing her the Kingdom makes a lot more sense now.

Of course, I still don't know what this organizations larger goals are (or if it's even actually a thing!) or if what Helena is doing is aligned with said goals or if she's trying to advance her own agenda or move up the rungs of the organization on her own terms. It's also still not clear why they need Donnica, maybe for those government connections Helena is so worried about? Or perhaps it's more personal than that, with Helena's admiration of Donnica clouding her judgment a bit. And what could they need Trevor for within the Kingdom? Something Vikki and Ricci, with their "terrifying competence" can't solve? Nor could Celine? Or did Celine sabotage the thing in the first place and that's why Trevor is needed? That private hotspot from the previous segment is starting to make a lot more sense, too.

Speaking of making sense, this theory would explain why Juliette is still around when so many other "Helena girls" have disappeared. She's a plant for the organization. Hell, maybe Helena approached Donnica about working at the firm because of the organization in the first place, although I do also believe Helena when she says that she respects that Donnica didn't beg Helena to work for her like all the other firms. Both things can be true, though.

There's still a lot to learn about this situation, but I feel like it's coming together. Or maybe I'm wrong, and you're doing an awesome job at throwing me off the scent! Wouldn't it be hilarious if virtually everything I just said, all those words, is completely wrong?

And while we're talking about revelations coming together, I think I missed something obvious about all this Outcast stuff before. Mainly the outcast part. That certainly implies that Celine was part of the Kingdom at some point, doesn't it? Maybe whatever she did to fuck shit up in the Kingdom is why she was exiled? And does this mean that she was a "subject" at one point? I can't imagine a slave having that kind of access to whatever system she fucked up. And it sounds like being the Outcast means being a slave, so that would seem to suggest that Celine wasn't a slave before. So did Celine volunteer to be part of the Kingdom, and if so, why?

This is all really intriguing, but I still don't think we have enough information to know if any of this is true for sure. It's a nice working theory, though, I think.

Aside from theories and guesses, I was very much surprised with how Helena treated and regarded Ricci and Vikki. I didn't expect her to show such warmth and care for tinies. It was actually really sweet. Of course, it helps that the two tinies were being absolutely adorable in her presence, but this made me wonder if Helena feels similarly about all her "subjects" or if these two are just the exception. Either way, I really enjoyed seeing that motherly demeanor from her when dealing with them!

Of course, at least on the surface, this looks like hypocrisy on her part, which would be kind of ... pathetic (hey look, I said the thing!).

Oh, and like I mentioned briefly above, I find it really interesting that both Helena and Vikki and Ricci all seem bound to the same set of rules, despite their differences in size and rank. I'm really curious about this possibly nonexistent organization!

Also, seeing Helena think about Trevor continues to catch my attention. At first glance, it seems like she simply hates Trevor, but like before, I get the vibe that there's more to it than that. When she thought that Trevor wasn't exceptional, I didn't pick up any disdain in it; I felt like it was almost denial (maybe it was just the ellipses?). I feel like she didn't want to admit that Trevor was smart enough to rival Vikki, Ricci, and Celine (at least in some ways) but that, deep down, she already knew it was true, and she was trying to convince herself that it wasn't. I mean, with how quickly she lied about Trevor not being able to enter the Kingdom, immediately admitting to herself that it was, in fact, very possible, it was like she was fighting against something. Maybe admiration, begrudging though it may be? Or has the Trevor charm struck again, and Helena is caught up in its wave, helpless as a tiny dropped into the pool (fuck Victoria!).

Then again, it seems Celine has Helena's heart, whether she wants it or not.

That smut scene was intense! Unlike Penelope's rape of Trevor, this was something much deeper to Helena, and that jumped off the page here. And I love Celine's constant defiance, even after she was taken out, but the fact that Helena wouldn't be denied (and that this seems to be the first time she even thought to do this) was hot as fuck! As always, your descriptions were awesome, and you captured both Celine's anguish and Helena's triumph perfectly.

But more than that, the transition from Helena's triumph, that moment where she finally made her rival into a mere plaything, to Helena feeling something deeper, more emotional regarding Celine was handled perfectly! Oddly enough, in that moment when Helena had well and truly won, Celine got the upper hand without even trying (not that trying would have helped). Helena screaming out the Outcast's real name like that, breaking something she held sacred in a moment of unbridled passion, was an incredible moment!

Celine is living rent-free in Helena's head, no matter how much Helena wants to limit her to just being a slave or a worthless tiny. Not being able to look at Celine as the tiny stared angrily, defiantly back at her told the whole story, as did Helena setting her back in the cage so gentle after grabbing her abruptly right before. Honestly, I don't even know how Helena would feel if she ever actually broke Celine.

And just what are Vikki and Ricci up to? Behind all that giggling and silliness, there's something else going on there. Are they just smitten with Trevor? Or do they have some plans of their own? I really have no clue what these two or thinking at this point.

I also wanted to highlight this line:

Helena reclined in her chair with languid precision, one leg crossed over the other as she leaned back in a smooth arch of posture that spoke of ancient confidence, the kind born from eons of being obeyed.

This may be the most original way of conveying that someone is from old money that I've ever read.

So yeah, this segment either unveiled or added a lot of mystery to what's going on with Helena and company, and it even humanized her a bit. Again, seeing her gush over Vikki and Ricci was so cute! Excellent segment overall and just one more to go!

Well fuck! I just got done saying that Donnica better not have been too hard on my precious Annabel after realizing that so much of this Status-C stuff was her own fault, and now we find out that Annie has been shut out entirely! Am I a bad person for being more pissed at this than I was Donnica carelessly stepping on the tiny city dwellers in the previous segment?

I think you did a great job of showing how much Donnica's wrath has affected Annabel. She wasn't traumatized are scared of her goddess-mother's blatant overreaction and thundering (I loved the use of this word in that part, by the way, separating it from yelling and making it its own thing). She was heartbroken that she had lost Donnica's trust and her chance to co-own Trevor, one of the only two people on the planet that she loves. I really enjoy how different this reaction is to virtually everybody else (other than Trevor) when dealing with an angry Donnica, even Amber.

And the way Annie accepted her punishment with a smile despite hating it so much was perfect! Even when cast out of paradise, she's still willing, desperate even, to serve. I've said before that there's nothing either Donnica or Trevor could do to lose Annabel's devotion at this point, and I felt a little validated when I read that part.

I also love how she beat herself up a bit about missing the portal status change. She had one job! That she felt humiliated at this makes a lot of sense, and I was wondering how she'd feel about her mistake. I was still left wondering if she felt any actual guilt about what happened to Trevor because of it, and I'll admit that I would have loved to have seen that pop up here, but maybe the fact that it didn't come up at all answers that question in and of itself?

But Trevor still did creep into her thoughts, and the loving way she remembered his "hope wrapped in kindness" was an endearing moment in this sea of self-pity and sorrow. I could feel her love from him jump off the page with those words. It also makes sense that she sees the problem as more of a permanent thing, not worried about recovering so much as lamenting that she'll now never be truly bound to the two objects of all of her affection. Of course, that may not end up being true, I think, as, even if Donnica doesn't change her mind before the transfer of ownership is complete, I'm sure that can always be adjusted later, after Trevor has finally convinced Donnica to forgive Annie (which I'm sure he'll be working on if/when he's back with Donnica).

Also, depending on how Helena and Donnica are handling the transfer of Trevor's ownership, the fact that Annabel's name was on the original paperwork could be a factor. Or are they just straight-up letting Helena "own" him and having her transfer that ownership to Donnica as a whole new transaction?

I'm curious if Naomi's incompetence in the office is a product of her abuse or if this is a bit of social commentary on modern teenage work ethic! That's a half-joke, but I could see Naomi's trauma playing a role in that for real. Maybe the immense pressure put on her by (Fuck) Victoria causes her to shut down and leaves her unable to think when she feels the slightest bit of pressure. Or maybe you just really hate teenagers (Amber and Scarlett notwithstanding)!

Annabel loving to threaten Naomi just by telling her mom that she's doing poorly is a very Annabel thing to do (you mentioned that emotional leverage, and I immediately went "Yep!"), but fuck does the context behind that feel like a swift punch in the gut. Annabel thinks Naomi is just some spoiled teen afraid of upsetting mommy. She has no idea of what will happen to Naomi if she tells Victoria anything negative about the girl's work habits. That bit about sensing Naomi's fear and using it like she would in her breaking duties particularly hit home for me. This was agonizing to read, and I mean that in the best way. This also has me curious about how Annabel would react if she ever found out the truth (and you doing this means you have to do that at some point; it's literary law, dude!).

Also, seeing Annabel enjoy the physical torment Naomi is suffering because of the job was really sad to me. The pointlessness of Naomi's tasks only made it worse.

I get that she's frustrated both with Naomi and her general situation and that this is her way of taking it out on someone, but all that empathy that Trevor had instilled in her (for anyone who isn't tiny) is completely absent here. I do think this makes sense, though, as Trevor's lesson was more about considering what the people who are terrible to you may be going through, not what people in Naomi's position as a struggling underling are dealing with. Ironically, Annie has become one of those bullies that picked on her to take out their frustrations on someone, and I don't think she'd like it very much if she saw herself in the mirror while being this way. Who knows, maybe Naomi will get that lesson in empathy somehow?

Also, it was a nice little detail that Trevor's new streamlined system is saving trees! It's always cool to see the little effects of his efforts hanging out in the background from time to time.

... staggering toward the cooler with a gait like a baby deer on ice.

Your prose is always so vivid, decadent, and clever, so I usually don't bring up a lot of specific examples, as I'd be here all day basically copying your chapters verbatim, but the creativity of this one really stuck out to me for whatever reason. What a very specific picture this simile paints. I know it's not a sexy or smutty part at all, but this one made me smile.

I was wondering how Annabel's breaking business was going now that she was (emphasis on was now, I suppose) part of Donnica and Trevor's relationship, so it was cool to get a little update on that. Sounds like things are thriving, and Annabel's frustration makes even more sense now that we know that watching Naomi has gotten in the way of that. It's not even the business aspect she thinks about when she's bothered by this; it's the loss of her "sanctuary." Because if there was ever a time that she needed something like that, it's right at this particular point and time, and here Naomi is unwittingly getting in the way of it.

Hmm, I wonder if her problem might become her solution at some point, given how this segment ended!

I thought the introduction of Edward led to some great ...worldbuilding (what's happening to you?!) here. First, we now know the shrinking virus is, in fact, still going around, which seems to imply that no one is safe and the hubris of the giants is greatly misplaced. Second, we got to see just how widespread the reputation of Donnica's firm has become. It's funny to think a firm once run by a tiny is now known as the most anti-tiny rights firm around. And that no one seems to be able or willing to do anything about it, for that matter. And third, we got a little detail into how Donnica has been able to get away with enslaving and murdering all those tinies on firm property. It wasn't much, but learning even a little bit of the legalese behind that counts, so congratulations on a three-pronged worldbuilding assault!

And holy fuck did you make me feel something for Edwards. Between his situation and what we learned about his family, that Naomi was probably his daughter's age, made him so relatable, even more than some of the other tinies we've seen meet similar fates. And the hope he felt at seeing "innocent" Naomi, only to have it fade away once he realized her true nature? Damn, that was powerful.

As for the scene itself, the whole thing was hot as fuck, but that simple act of Naomi crouching down to see Edward better, then slowly raising herself up to seemingly "pull the rest of the room up with her" was so fucking amazing! I use the word mesmerized when talking about your writing a lot (and justifiably so), but your description of this part fully captivated me. Shit, I think I was more into that than the footplay or Edward actually getting crushed (which were both really hot in their own right). Just a brilliant piece of writing there.

Okay, back to Naomi. With her natural feelings about tinies (particularly tiny adults), I found her approach here interesting. Before we saw her just crush people left and right, soaking up the feeling of literally crushing those who, in a general sense, look like the source of her own torment. But here, Naomi really took her time. Annabel had been riding her so hard, and she relished having someone at her mercy for a change. Naomi just didn't want to give that up too soon or waste this gift. So her rolling Edward around on her sole like that really matched her mental state at the time, I think. Nicely done!

Seeing Annabel's feelings on Naomi completely change once she realized that the teen loves playing with tinies as much as she does was a really sweet moment (for everyone other than Edward, anyway). Also, I love the way Annabel shut Edward up with a tap of her toes (with shoes on!) and a simple command. Her precision in getting obedience from the tiny ones is impressive! And while, as I mentioned before, I felt terrible about what happened to Edward, at the same time, I really enjoyed that bonding moment between Annabel and Naomi.

Because these two really have a lot in common. Like I said before, Annabel had kind of become just like her old bullies here, and I think part of that was because Naomi is kind of similar to how Annabel herself used to be. Both of them would be considered "weirdos" by the mainstream. Even Annabel's love of vampire romance novels isn't that far removed from goth, I think (if anyone reading this is a goth person, please don't hit me for saying this!).

But my larger point is that, like Annabel before her, Naomi has been judged for her interests, and that's fucked up. I'm so happy that Annabel, even if she hasn't noticed that yet, has started to take a liking to Naomi. Here's hoping that lasts!

Fantastic chapter as always, but even more questions after reading it lol. But damn, S2 is so hot with Naomi's stinky feet, and this third segment is probably the best of the whole story. Everything is perfect in every aspect; it's funny and dramatic. And Vikki and Ricci are so funny they make me laugh during all of S3 and 4 and this moment with Helena and Celine in S4 was so hot. And the last segment with Annabel and Naomi is really the perfect end. Can't wait to see more about this duo. But the most interesting is the queendom of Helena. With Vikki and Ricci, we can see there is a really complex system in place.