Wow! Now that we have a better understanding of imprinting, seeing what it's doing to Rebecca (and possibly Amber) hits so much harder! I know we've seen this before from her, man, that internal struggle inside Rebecca as her "new programming" overrides who she naturally is left me so heartbroken for the back third of S2!

And seeing the gradual way that it ate away at Rebecca's resistance as Amber kept pushing was particularly sad. The moment where she noted in the narrative that she wanted to be owned, that Amber declaring ownership over her brought her joy, was especially sad, whereas before I would have just questions if that was her giving into some secret desire or something darker was at work. Now we know that it's more of a biological function, a scar leftover from Rebecca's side of the abuse they put each other through in their early days together.

Or did the imprinting "complete" after they ended up together? Is it even completed? Was it Amber and Rebecca giving into their passion for one another that put Rebecca in situations to become fully imprinted (if she is, in fact, fully imprinted yet)? We still don't know enough about the process to be able to tell for sure. But we do know enough to be able to say that Amber is now hurting Rebecca in a way she can't even understand, which may well be the most tragic part of all this. 

However, I think it says a lot about Rebecca that's been able to resist Amber as much as she has all this time. Despite Rebecca's inability to resist once Amber really turns up the authoritative heat, the fact that she's been able to argue with Amber and tell her to back off, even in this very chapter, says a lot about her strength of will. Some of that might also have been Rebecca's feelings for Scarlet, which definitely haven't been influenced by imprinting, shining through, as she was her fiercest against Amber when defending Scarlet. That's an interesting potential development to keep an eye on as well.

But another reason Rebecca might be able to sometimes tell an angry Amber off (or at least she was able to up until this point; we'll see if Amber follows through on cracking down on Rebecca in the chapters ahead) might have a lot to do with Amber herself. We know that the personal feelings between giant and tiny can play a serious role in imprinting because of Vivara's explanation to Donnica regarding why Trevor hasn't been subject to the full effects of imprinting (this might also have something to do with Juliette and Clara's unique dynamic as well). So it could be that Amber's love and admiration for Rebecca has given the tiny a bit more free will in the process than the average imprinted tiny.

Or the answer could be much simpler. Amber complained in the narrative about allowing Rebecca to have small victories (and stated her intention to put an end to that). It could be as simple as Amber backing down a lot of the time out of respect for Rebecca. Or guilt. She's done a lot of bad shit to Rebecca, and that shit usually weighs pretty heavily on her later. I feel like how she treated Rebecca in this scene will end up being one of those times at some point in the future (or maybe even right now, on some level), for example.

And Amber's behavior here is no less interesting than Rebecca's. Or rather, what's behind the giant blonde's behavior. All of the factor's leading into Amber "snapping' were laid out a couple times in the segment: sexual frustration from honoring Rebecca's decline for morning sex, annoyance at the drill not going well/Rebecca pushing them so hard, Rebecca's near-death experience, seeing Rebecca held by a nude Scarlett, and months of noticing the signs of Scarlett's feelings for Rebecca. That all makes sense, and all of them surely played a major role in Amber's attitude here, but there are two potential factors that aren't mentioned: the scars of Amber's abused past and the imprinting process itself.

I mean, Amber certainly wouldn't be the first victim of abuse to end up engaging in abuse herself. That shit can be an endless cycle of pain and suffering, something Rebecca understands all too well, given how she's spoken to Amber at times (even after they officially started dating). It makes total sense to me that Amber would engage in similar behavior when she feels pushed to the brink, especially with Rebecca being so defenseless and unable to walk away, even if she wanted to. And Amber, like other abuse victims who have been shoved down this path, is likely completely unaware of how that trauma, those feelings still buried deep and engrained into her very being now, are causing her to hurt the one she loves!

Well, mostly unaware, perhaps:

Amber moaned, fingers curling harder, then her other hand descended again, this time not gentle, not slow. She gripped Rebecca roughly and pushed her deeper, thrusting her against the slick, pulsating heat of her inner folds. Her rhythm was jagged. Wild. She didn’t care if it hurt. Rebecca would yield. Rebecca would give her everything.

In the heat of the moment, she knows she's hurting Rebecca, to some extent at least. But that sort of thing can also be easy to dismiss, with Amber telling herself that Rebecca was fine afterward, so it's okay. Rebecca didn't even complain, so it's no big deal, right?

Of course, Amber's hypocrisy isn't something she can see herself, not even thinking back to just minutes before, when she told Scarlett in a rage that she loved Rebecca and would never hurt her. So yeah, that line above, to me at least, seems to imply that Amber's tragic past is still haunting her in ways she doesn't even realize. I mean, Rebecca did note back when she first realized Amber was being abused that the girl needed therapy, and Amber never went to see a therapist, so of course she's unable to manage the violent reverberations of her own abuse.

The other factor here could be the effect that imprinting is having on Amber herself. Granted, some of the things I've noticed and believe might be attributed to this could also fit into that cycle of abuse I mentioned above, but I'm still suspicious imprinting doesn't just affect tinies.

There were a couple points in this segment in which Amber knew she was in the wrong, a voice in the back of her head telling her to be reasonable and showing her that her anger was unwarranted, that she was making a big deal out of small misunderstandings and taking things way too far. But there was an urge, a need, almost, that caused her to ignore that voice and give in to that anger, to that need to punish.

We've seen in past chapters how both Rebecca and Amber have given in to "something ancient and primal" during sex/fights. Amber also brought herself to tears during their fight over helping Naomi, wondering to herself why she keeps doing these things to Rebecca.

And here, in this segment, we saw Amber relish in being dominant, forcing her will on Rebecca. It didn't come off to me that she was just enjoying it; it seemed to feel right to her, instinctual in nature. That sounds a lot like Amber's previous aggressive behavior toward Rebecca. Yet, as noted above, Amber always ends up regretting that after the fact.

So is this primal desire something biological and beyond her control? Because Amber trying to talk herself out of punishing Rebecca, telling herself that she was overreacting, is what makes this whole thing so tragic to me. Amber is a good person. We've seen several examples of this, as both Rebecca and now Trevor can attest. She's innocent and has a big heart. But she's being pulled away from all that by these all-consuming emotions that lead her to do terrible things, things that leave her feeling guilty and ashamed of herself once she's thinking rationally again.

Is that just a biproduct of her abuse, a "gift" left behind by her mother's former lovers? Or is there something deeper at work here. something driven by the very bond she cherishes more than any other?

Oh, and it probably doesn't help that her "role model" for most of her life, Donnica, isn't exactly what I would call emotionally healthy herself! I imagine that probably has something to do with the way Amber processes stress too!

And, of course, the irony of Rebecca being on the receiving end of so much ire from Amber after being the actual victim of both incidents isn't lost on me, either. She was almost crushed and was nearly suffocated by Scarlett's clothes, and now Amber is "punishing" her. It's hard not to be frustrated for poor Rebecca, who, like a good little domestic violence victim and/or cult member, accepts the blame for her own suffering (and being held in the hand of a naked giant, something she had no actual control over).To be fair, Rebecca did brush off both incidents, so it was likely easy for a frustrated Amber to not think about that and focus more on herself, but, while understandable and even relatable, that doesn't really make it any better,.

I have a question! As I've mentioned before, I'm not well-versed in soccer, so while I could clearly visualize what Amber and Scarlett were doing in that scene on the practice field, there's a lot about the significance of what they're doing that I don' understand. As a sports fan in general, however, the language "resigned to the failed play" stood out to me. Scarlett took the blame for the soccer ball incident and clearly felt guilty about it, but was it really her fault?

Even if a play (or whatever the equivalent is for a given sport) isn't going according to plan, I don't think giving up on it is the right way to handle it. Even in drills, you should go hard the whole time, even during mistakes. We also saw Scarlett being eager to try to learn what Rebecca was teaching them while Amber wasn't thrilled with being forced to run the drill again.

So Amber being unprepared for Scarlett trying to salvage the rep would really fall on Amber, right? That was kind of my takeaway from the incident. But I don't know enough about the sport to be sure. Maybe Scarlett was being irresponsible and putting Amber in an impossible position without thinking about Rebecca? I kind of doubt that, but I'm hoping you might offer your "football" (insert arrogant American tone here) expertise and clarify this for me, if you'd be so kind.

I love how both Scarlett and Amber have clocked each other regarding Rebecca in this segment. Amber is piecing together that Scarlett has a thing for Rebecca and might be a "threat" to take Rebecca from her, and Scarlett has recognized clear signs that Amber is abusive to Rebecca at times. While it wasn't stated explicitly, the way Scarlett asked Rebecca if she was okay and talked to Amber after the backpack incident seemed to indicate that Scarlett has noticed Amber's "less-than-kind" treatment of Rebecca for a while now.

Speaking of which, I loved how Scarlett acted around Amber at that point: talking slowly, trying to keep her calm, and keeping her eye on Amber. That behavior makes it pretty clear that Scarlett believes that Amber is capable of actually hurting Rebecca. It also makes me wonder if she has some experience with situations like this. I don't think Scarlett was abused, but maybe she knows somebody who has been and has tried to help them through it (maybe an old tiny girlfriend?). Or maybe she wants to get into a career that involves helping abuse victims. In any case, I got the impression that Scarlett is more familiar with this sort of thing than the average teenager.

And Amber refusing to see what's obvious, too worked up and afraid of Scarlett coming after Rebecca to register that Scarlett has good reason to be so concerned. If their roles were reversed, I imagine that scene would have ended with Amber punching Scarlett in the face in an effort to save Rebecca (which might not have ended so well). But Amber just can't see it, which, again, just makes the whole thing so much sadder.

I was also interested to see a couple girls on the team still have such an issue with Scarlett. I know things have been looking better for her socially, between her (now strained) friendship with Amber and her getting into that practice group of elite players, so I was wondering if that had spread to the whole team. It obviously hasn't.

And both with the two bullies and Scarlett herself, you did a fantastic job of selling their size, as usual. The footsteps are always a nice touch, and the consistency with which you describe them still gives them a greater impact to read, even after all this time. Same with the voices, and even the way Rebecca was jostled about when the bullies picked up Scarlett's bag.

And the way you guided us through Rebecca dealing with the situation, the smell, the lack of fresh air, and even the way Scarlett's sweat and dirty clothes made it so easy to feel everything. I'm not a smells guy by any means, but I can still appreciate the artistry of conveying Rebecca's struggle to survive (and not get turned on) so vividly. Well done!

Man, I can't wait to see where things go with these three from here. I have no idea if Scarlett and Amber will be able to salvage their friendship after this, if for no other reason than Rebecca herself. I think they can get past being upset with each other in the moment, but can Scarlett move past the apparently nagging concern that Amber is abusing Rebecca? And how can Amber possibly allow Scarlett to see Rebeca again now that she's certain that Scarlett wants the tiny for herself? Not to mention that I'm sure there's a sense of betrayal lingering somewhere in Amber's mind, even if she realizes that Scarlett didn't actually make a move.

But crazier shit has happened, so who knows?

Anyway, awesome segment! Again, the blend of smut and drama hit the sweet spot, keeping me engaged with both the narrative and the more fetish-y end of things (that shower scene, though!).

The fight that followed tore through the house like a thunderstorm. Screaming. Accusations. Slamming doors. Her father calling her mother a controlling bitch. Her mother firing back that he was soft, that he was raising a weakling. Naomi had curled up in her bed that night and cried herself raw, the registration forms still folded neatly on her desk.

There's a lot to get to after reading S1, but this really jumped out at me. Aside from the satisfaction I felt at reading about Naomi's dad calling Victoria a controlling bitch, the bolded part struck me as absolutely brilliant!

We had just spent several paragraphs being told about how incredibly disorganized, how careless Naomi's bag had been, just the latest in a several passages since her return to the story to indicate that she is like that in practically all things. Then during this trip through memory lane, one brief sentence tells us that she was once very much the opposite. She used to be organized, driven, and hopeful. She used to have dreams, and she was even willing to fight for them, as she kept trying to explain to her mother that art school was a worthwhile endeavor.

And then Victoria took all that away from her.

The fight was bad enough, but for Victoria to march into Naomi's room unannounced and blame her for it? I really didn't think I could hate this woman more than I already did. It's one thing to know that Victoria's abuse is the reason Naomi is the way she is, but it hits so much deeper to see the particulars, the little details of it like this.

And that brief mention of the registration forms, the thing she wanted so badly, being folded neatly on her desk drove the point home more than paragraph after paragraph of simply explaining Naomi's transition ever could. Show, don't tell at its absolute best!

I also absolutely loved the gaping contrast between Annabel's structured world and Naomi's clusterfuck of a life as illustrated throughout the first half of the segment. Even at the beginning, when Annabel is alone, she's so organized that she took the stairs to her apartment to make up for not being able to fit her workout into her busy schedule. Her suffering screamed efficiency every literal step of the way!

But then to see Annabel struggle to contain herself with each new example of Naomi's messy, uncaring way of approaching life was so interesting to me. It amazed me that Annie held it together as well as she did, a sign as clear as any other of how much she cares about Naomi. She even found that brief silver lining when she indulged in the "defective" slaves' devotion after sending Naomi to clean the cages.

I also thought it was so funny that Annie freaked out about Naomi's backpack being left on the dinning table, only for the bag and all of the mess within to end up on that same table just minutes later.

Given who Annie is, I can't blame her for finally hitting her breaking point with the contents of the bag and falling into the same kind of rant Naomi always shut herself off from. But she realized what she had done after the fact, and it really hurt her to be like all those other authority figures who just endlessly criticized Naomi but never once made an effort to help her. It was gratifying to see Annabel recognize this, as I feel as though all the others had already dismissed Naomi by the time they were done ranting and lecturing. That self-awareness was so great to see in her.

Thinking about the larger story, I honestly don't think the Annie we saw in the earlier chapters would have been capable of anything close to the level of understanding she displayed up to that point, let alone after it. I believe she has Trevor to thank for this, that lesson on empathy teaching her that people doing things to upset her have their own problems, troubling issues driving their behavior that Annie had never considered before. Sure, Naomi wasn't a bully like the ones she thought of when everything clicked for Annie, but the same logic applies here.

There was a time where Annie would give zero thought to, let only actually care about, why Naomi was so lazy, careless and useless. Hell, we saw a little bit of that the first time these two appeared on the page together. Annie was brutal to her without consideration for what Naomi might have been going through. But once she saw it in Naomi, she knew what it was and her heart was filled with that empathy. We saw some payoff of that here.

But the highlight of this whole segment was Annie discovering Naomi's artistic talents. There was so much wrapped into that moment, but it was seeing the reality of who Naomi is, why she acts so aloof and disconnected from the world around her, that hit me the hardest. Because even though Annie cared about Naomi before that moment, as shown through her restraint, Annie still thought less of her in a way. She still thought of Naomi as lazy, kind of dumb, and needlessly defiant, but seeing what Naomi could do with a pencil, seeing her full talent hidden within the chaos of her bookbag, completely changed Annie's perception of her. Annie recognized that a lot of Naomi's issue was that Naomi had so much talent, so much latent ability, that she didn't know what to do with it. That Naomi was bored with the world around her, so intensely focused on her art, even if no one was supposed to see it, even if it was only for her.

And maybe if that talent had been fostered, embraced, things could have turned out differently for Naomi.

Fuck Victoria!

The warmth that followed for the rest of that half-segment was so touching, so rewarding! Getting to see Naomi finally crawl out of her shell and just be happy, comfortable with herself was one of the more heartwarming moments of the story so far. And the way they both laughed when she said "I dunno" after Annie had been so frustrated and even scolded her over that earlier in the workshop was one of those absolutely perfect full-circle moments that give moments like this so much impact, even if the circle itself all took place within the same segment (actually, that left me even more impressed with it).

It was also awesome to see Annie open up about her own interests in gothic things. I figured that would come up eventually, given what we knew about her and how that might help her relate to Naomi, but that line, "You're a little goth girl, aren't you?" was so powerful. It shows the importance of tone and context, because those very words could easily be taken as insulting and mocking depending on the situation. But the warmth and joy with which Annie says them really opened Naomi up and brought the two of them closer together.

It also makes sense to me that Annie's parents didn't approve of that lifestyle and seemingly tried to pull her out of that "phase" with structure and rules. It was still sad to read, though. It's nowhere near what Naomi is going through (at least as far as we know so far), but it does make me wonder how differently Annie might have turned out if her parents hadn't discouraged her from expressing herself, from being herself.

I also can't say enough how much I loved seeing Naomi relate to Annie's feelings just as much as Annie was relating to hers. Annabel showed some vulnerability here too, talking about how she felt like she couldn't be herself because she was mocked at school for wearing that cloak. Naomi has been through so much worse than that, but she didn't judge Annie through that lens; she understood the pain of ridicule in a broader sense and empathized.

And seeing Naomi, who hasn't cared about anything other than crushing tinies for most of her screen time so far, be so encouraging to Annie made me smile, too! When she sized up Annie and pictured how Annie would look in gothic clothing, it felt special. And the longing in her words when she asked why Annie had never dressed that way, properly expressed herself, was so incredibly sweet! Again, getting to finally meet the real Naomi was such a satisfying thing!

Also, of course Annie has a fuckton of goth stuff she just never wears! That's so very her, purchasing things that make her happy, even knowing she could never wear them, giving them their proper place in her closet. She never half-asses anything!

And Naomi's excitement at being show this altar is palpable. She expressed just what goth meant to her right before that, but to see it here made it clear just how deep that passion runs within her. Annie telling her that it was time to get dressed right after that was such a happy moment, so much more meaningful than if Annie had merely offered for her to try things on. The dressing of each other was also such a cool bit, and I love how you emphasized that this was a platonic thing. Because the symbolism of that moment ran so much deeper than that, with each of them encouraging, embracing each other's shared passion without having to say a word to one another.

And then there was the GRSP stuff.

Having this continue to play out in the story's background as you keep moving things forward with the plot and characters in the foreground has been executed so masterfully so far. Those little mentions in passing since Helena first brought the case up in trash town have been sprinkled in just enough to make sure we don't forget that it's happening in real time.

But when Annie mentioned those blindspots in the "sheltered" tiny communities, I was almost as excited as Naomi was when talking about goth! Having this come up in discovery during the lawsuit was a nice touch that made the revelation feel natural, too, as did the budgetary issues that kept the cameras from working properly. But yeah, that trash town scene was awesome, and seeing giants walking through the Kingdom is amazing, but the prospect of seeing a giant Annie and/or Naomi rampaging through a tiny concrete jungle just hit different! Seeing a "proper" rampage scene in this setting, with your descriptions detailing the whole thing, left me eager to see it play out!

And you didn't disappoint! Naomi's casual stroll through tiny government housing was phenomenal. Setting the tone with Craig was the perfect way to start it, too. We even got some ... worldbuilding in there, learning that giants routinely get too close to the tiny housing and fuck up their world without knowing or caring. The deliveries had to be particularly devastating, but hearing that a surveyor would get so close just for convenience sake was hot to read, and it didn't even actually happen in this scene!

But man, Craig's story really backed up what the non-working towers had already implied: that GRSP living was already hell. The boarded up windows and "penny-colored water" (ew!) are clear signs that the program is severely underfunded. And even though the story about his girlfriend taking everything after the "breakup" fits what we heard before, that didn't make it any less devastating to read. I mean, I suppose you can't blame the girlfriend for not wanting to date him anymore, but to see how the system so thoroughly skewed in her favor just because she was a giant was painful!

Craig deserved better, but at least he doesn't have to suffer anymore!

Because, fuck, the way Naomi did him in was nothing short of incredible. The tremors, the way Craig gradually went from being annoyed to becoming terrified, his desperation to get out of the building, to live despite how horrible his existence had become: All of it was perfect! And the way he described Naomi and her trek to his apartment was so fucking hot! The boot just standing where his apartment building had once been, not moving because it didn't have to ... Holy fuck, man! Naomi felt fucking massive! I loved every second of this!

Then there was the casual way Naomi went about destroying the block and everyone in it. The constant reminder of the lack of effort she needed to put into the destruction was very much appreciated! God, this scene was fucking incredible!

Have I mentioned that I liked it yet?

Annie sitting back, arms behind her back, and merely taking out the few escapees to evade Naomi's surprising efficient decimation of the tiny world below her ankles (great fucking line, by the way!), was oddly cute, too. Annie admiring how thorough Naomi was fits her personality perfectly, too. And the way Naomi looked over to Annie for permission, for encouragement, built off that last scene so well! Not to mention how all of that bonding and lightheartedness fed into such delicious evilness in a tone clash that beautifully enhanced the latter scene rather than distracted from it.

The ending of the segment felt just right, too. Annie really wants to help Naomi, to take that pain away from her. She can't understand how someone like Victoria could force Naomi, the real Naomi, to hide beneath that empty shell she so often hides behind, to not appreciate Naomi for who she actually is.

But Annie doesn't know how to help her. She's offered refuge, now love and a kindred spirit in which Naomi can confide her love of all things goth, and even a mentor to guide Naomi in the ways of training and destroying tinies. But Annie can't help her deal with the mental trauma that has so deeply scarred Naomi, let alone stop the still ongoing source of that trauma. The powerlessness of Annie in the final few sentences of this segment made my heart ache!

Awesome segment! The balance between emotional depth and smut was seriously impressive!

I have to say it's truly heartwarming to see such a tender bonding moment end with the bonding parties gleeful desire to go murder an entire horde of defenseless people. Hallmark really doesn't offer that kind of resolution.

At first I really was almost lowkey wanting to see Anna switch her allegiance to following Naomi, the raw unbridle teen foot funk breaking down tinies the way few if any had before her. The way she molded the two wild soon to be stains into a dedicated hardworking team really shows that while her methods are not polished she has more than enough skill to set the breaking world on fire.

I'm glad we got to not only see them bond but Anna to help Naomi come out of her shell and blossom into the lovely goth death machine we all knew she could be. The school work should come easier with Anna's guiding hand but unlocking her true self is something she would never learn in the classroom.

Her drawing skills also seem like a way to harness her abilities and creativity, if she can so eloquently draw beautiful Victorian Gothic seascapes and houses than I only imagine what kind of horrors her pencil could dream up for a workshop tiny or just one unfortunate enough to cross her path.

We're really getting a whole new Naomi here, Becca would be proud if not for the impending mass murder they were about to unless.

...

Poor Craig really almost had it all didn't he but alas it was not meant to be.

All these heartfelt moments between Anna and Naomi punctuated by the mass murder of thousands, at first I figured Domica trying to dismantle the org was for her own selfish reasons and whilst still true they really are fairly inept at their jobs.

I can only imagine the lawsuits that might come out of this one unless they all signed away the right to sue. Building them outside with minimal protection seems rather careless instead of housing them somewhere in a secure location that people like Naomi or Anna can't get to let alone the stray animal etc.

The more Anna brings out of Naomi however does lead me to believe that if her and Amber could eventually come to terms that they'd have one more ally against Helena when/if the time came for Domica to make a move on The Kingdom.

---- 

Well fuck I guess dominant Becca didn't really make one full chapter.

Shame she was whipping those young ladies into well formed athletes worthy of Team USA before that near death experience. But Amber Giveth and it seems now Amber has Taketh Away.

I understand her being possessive over Amber and you letting the cat out of the bag about her noticing Scarlett's love for her but seeing Amber back in pre-GF mode with Becca certainly is a sight but then again she is Domica's daughter.

Scarlett's alone time with Becca was quite wonderful and maybe in a world where she'd found her first instead of the all encompassing force that is Amber things might have worked out for them.

Though I get Amber's newfound rage over things given the pressure she is always under and her brattiness always seems to bubble to the top. It's just finding its way towards people she cares about versus the usual unfortunate tiny who comes across her any given day.

I feel sorry for the girls who messed with Scarlett however given that if Amber remembers them and runs into them again it could be very bad for them. They messed with HER property and tiny lover thus certainly have marked themselves on her shitlist for life.

Being stuffed in her ass notwithstanding I -still- foresee the three of them somehow ending up together in some sort of poly relationship, Amber as the hot headed force of nature and Scarlett as the level headed loving soul who both fiercely protect and look after Becca.

---

I must say the entire Kelly arc was wonderful especially Donnica's response to finally recognizing her, just wonderful dismissive cruelty by a woman of her stature.

The Lovers Delight was also a stroke of cruelty I am shocked nobody has ever consider creating before in all the years I've been reading giantess related content.

I picked up on the line about -unlearning- things during the end of the dinner which leads me to believe the Sisterhood does -not- want Trevor around for long now that Donnica has joined them. It definitely seems like a dangerous game they are playing if they attempt to get rid of him on their own or worse yet force her hand...or foot.

I honestly have a weird feeling somebody at that table tonight will end up shrunken in the final wave if/when it comes. It would not surprise me honestly if Donnica was the only one left standing after the dust settled. She's a force unlike any other and having her merely be a -part- of The Sisterhood feels a little beneath her in the grand scheme of things.

And I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention loving Donnica torturing Kelly at her new job, truly wonderful.

I just hope The Sisterhood is ready for what they've gotten themselves into, The Kingdom too by proxy.

---

1. As for Anna and Naomi I am happy for them both given how much crap both ended up taking during the earlier chapters. Granted their murdering people but at least their finally finding happiness in their lives whilst doing so...half the battle and all that jazz.

2. Who doesn't love Goth Girls?

3. Craig's section was just fine as it really set forth the truly bleak and dejected world the tinies have to live in. The fact they are actively hunted for food or squished for fun just adding to that misery.

4. The GRSP REALLY needs an overhaul especially if the final wave is coming as is predicted by The Sisterhood.

5. I still fully believe Scarlett is welcomed into the relationship before the story is over, there just feels too much there for those three to not end up together somehow.

6. I think Amber eventually calms down before Becca is fully lost to her slave role and losses her autonomy as a mother/big sister type guiding light to both the girls.

7. As I said Kelly's arc was incredible.

8. Yes, The Sisterhood was clearly mapped out and laid mostly bare for the reader to understand but maybe not -everything- for Donnica to -just- yet.

9. I really wanted...but knew it couldn't happen but to see Donnica kick her shoes off and prop those dogs right up on the table. I appreciate The Sisterhood and the new ladies played their parts perfectly but I still have the gut feeling Donnica will be the last one standing if/when the final wave hits.

A true rude awakening for the -new goddesses-.

This was fire and the smut content was amazing especially the vore with Donnica which was extremely hot

cant wait to see more with Trevor and others 

Looks like Donnica and the Sisterhood will have issues. I wonder how many people will shrink in the Final wave. 

Given how many Tinies we seen killed in the story and poor conditions they live in, it won’t surprise me if most or all are gone in a few years…

What an incredible chapter, and this final segment is the perfect culmination! It’s time for the dinner between Celine and Helena, teased in the second segment, and it delivers in every way.

It starts with a Cinderella-like setup, but instead of a fairy godmother, we have five tiny women supervised by Lorelei, tasked with making Celine absolutely flawless for the dinner. She has to be pristine from head to toe, and they ensure no detail is overlooked, Lorelei won’t let anything slip. When Lorelei is satisfied with the result, Celine is placed inside the globe.

This part is so much fun; I love the military vibe, with Lorelei’s cold, calm demeanor, a mix of an army general and a surgeon. Another small detail I enjoy is Celine recognizing Lorelei’s origin just by her accent, showcasing her vast knowledge. This preparation scene reminds me of Rebecca’s for the princess pageant, with Lorelei acting like Scarlett but without our favorite redhead’s warmth.

The attention to detail is phenomenal, you think of everything, helping us visualize it all, from the poor Celine being treated like a living doll to the five tiny women working under Lorelei’s watchful eye, to the dress and jewelry. It’s absolutely perfect. But a dinner needs two people, and now it’s time for Helena. While we don’t see her preparation, her arrival is breathtaking, you nailed the royal vibe.

Before the guest of honor appears, we get an intriguing and chilling description of the dinner bowl. Though we don’t yet know its contents, we can guess it’s tiny people, offered as sacrifice for the perfect body of Helena. And then she arrives. Everything around Helena feels so staged, so artificial she’s playing the role she was born to embody: a queen.

Even at dinner, she isn’t hungry; she eats the tiny people because protocol demands it, not out of desire. The dinner scene is fascinating because every Vore moment in this story is unique. If Victoria’s was about revenge and Annie’s was to prove something to Trevor, this one is cold and detached, it’s just food to Helena, a meal she doesn’t even consider. I love how you kept it minimal, giving just enough detail for us to savor it. But this dinner isn’t about the “food”; it’s about Helena’s guest, the perfect Celine.

No matter how hard Helena tries, she can control Celine’s body but not her soul, Celine is far from broken, and Helena can’t accept that. She tries to dominate her by demanding a dance performance, but Celine’s perfection backfires on her. Celine’s flawless dance stirs Helena’s insecurities, reminding her that Celine has always been better. Helena, meant to be a goddess, is reduced to a mere spectator. I loved the moment where Helena eats the tiny people with her wine, lacking any class, it’s a rare glimpse of her natural self, unpolished by the act she puts on for everyone.

This crack in Helena’s armor doesn’t go unnoticed by Celine. Though she planned to play the good girl tonight, she can’t resist exploiting the opportunity to strike at Helena. I absolutely loved this part, Celine targets Helena’s vulnerabilities with precision, and Helena struggles to maintain her facade but fails.

You can feel the shift in their dynamic: Helena, introduced as an unstoppable goddess, becomes the insecure little girl again, while Celine emerges as the stronger one. It reminds me of the early chapters’ dynamic between Amber and Rebecca, where Rebecca’s experience as an adult gave her an edge despite the size difference. Here, though, both are grown women, and Helena is outwardly successful, but deep down, she’s still a lonely, scared little girl Who don’t know what love is (maybe she should spend time with Annie listening to Foreigner!).

 Celine knows this and expertly targets Helena’s imposter syndrome. Despite her outward success, Helena feels inadequate, and Celine exposes that. At this moment, Celine wins. Helena isn’t the goddess, she pretends to be, she’s the sad, lonely girl, who need to be shielded by Celine’s strength like before. Finally, Helena drops the act, revealing her true self, and I loved that so much. I really like Helena and hope she’ll find happiness in the future, stop pretending, and discover real love.

Her confession, “That’s because I’m all alone…” the trembling colossus whimpered, almost inaudibly, broke my heart.

Celine’s reaction reminds me of Rebecca’s refusal to deliver the final blow to Amber. Instead of destroying Helena, Celine sees the young, vulnerable friend she once knew and shows kindness. But Helena, true to form, puts her mask back on, too late, though, because Celine has already won. In true Helena fashion, she resorts to what she can control: the weak, the tiny people meant to be eaten. I loved how the poor lady becomes collateral damage in the tension between these two women,it’s perfect, and that moment is hot, lol.

The dinner ends with Helena ordering one of her girls to take Celine to her bedroom for punishment, showing her desperation to use her only leverage, her size, since she can’t win with words she have to rely on her size. With a broken glass of wine, this amazing chapter concludes.

What a phenomenal chapter, and this final segment completes it perfectly. I love the parallels with Amber and Rebecca, and as I said in my review of the second segment, Amber and Helena are so similar. I hope Amber chooses Rebecca over Donnica and doesn’t end up like Helena, forced to live a lie her whole life. Celine remains an incredible character, I’d love for her to meet Rebecca, though I’m not sure if it’d end in a bloodbath or a fast friendship. Finally, I adore Helena in this chapter. Seeing her true face behind the mask and armor she always wears is amazing.

Oh fuck.

Even before I read those last few lines of S3, from the moment Annabel made it back to her desk, I was worried about Rebecca. With that line about "an outside force," any doubt I had that Annie and Rebecca's paths were destined to cross melted away.

I now have zero doubt that Annie is going to find out about Rebecca and very little doubt that Annie is going to take Rebecca. Annabel is just too thorough, too competent not to figure this out, and once she does, so many interesting possibilities open up.

With so many new characters entering the fold, including several tinies, is a shock death coming? Or might Annabel find a reason to take Rebecca back to her workshop? And maybe most importantly, how would Naomi feel about all this if she saw Rebecca in one of those cages (because I have no doubt that she'd recognize Rebecca right away)?

I won't dig too deep into speculation about how this arc merger might go down (although I do have my theories and suspicions), but the possibility of the Amber/Rebecca and Annie/Naomi arcs merging is as exciting as it is nerve-wracking .

I'm not surprised that Annabel has taken it upon herself to solve Donnica's "Amber problem," though. I've always felt that Annie wasn't just some devoted stooge but rather someone willing to do whatever it takes to make her master (or Trevor, for that matter) happy, even if they didn't ask her to do it. Even if they didn't want her to do it. Even if they told her not to do it. If she thinks it's in the best interest of the two most important people in her life (although I'm guessing that Naomi is worming her way up that list as well, especially if she's willing to let Naomi get away with killing expendables like that), she's going to do it. She's going to become whatever it is that they need her to be.

And we saw that in the middle of the segment. Annabel started off professional, something Donnica took as her demanding forgiveness, when really I think she was just respecting what Donnica wanted from her. Then, after being invited to the family dinner (which should be fun!), she slipped into her routine of worshipping her goddess-mother. She allowed herself to ask Donnica what was wrong, something I'm sure she noticed as soon as she set foot into Donnica's office.

And then, when Donnica needed her to, Annabel took charge of the conversation.

Annie calling her Donnica instead of goddss-mother or Ms. Cernovich was her talking to Donnica as an equal, as her true self just wanting to help someone she cares about. I thought that was such a cool moment. We hadn't seen that out of Annie before, and it fit my theory that Annabel would do whatever is required of her to make Donnica (and, again, I believe this applies to Trevor as well) happy. Their happiness is her happiness. 

Now, unfortunately, she gave Donnica some really, really bad advice. She just can't accept the possibility that Donnica might actually be at fault here, so she assumes that the problem lies with Amber (as we saw at the end of the segment). This is particularly frustrating for two reasons:

1. Donnica was actually starting to figure it out on her own. She at least knew that she fucked up when she argued with Amber about her major and future as a whole in front of the dean and company. That was her getting on the right track for once.

2. Annie knows this is Donnica's fault (knowing and accepting are two separate things, so I don't think I contradicted myself here). She stated in the narrative outright that she knew that Donnica was keeping Amber at arms length (I'm not 100 percent sure that Donnica ever realized this), yet she's still looking to "fix" Amber rather than help Donnica face some hard truths about herself. She truly wants to help her master, but she's too devoted to do what actually needs to be done.

Back to Donnica being on the right track for a moment. She was really having a profound thought; she finally noticed that Amber felt about her the way Donnica felt about her own parents. The cold look, the distance, the rebellious spirit and wanting to take time before (maybe) going to college (I was surprised to hear that Donnica went through the same thing, but it makes sense, given how she was raised).

Donnica tried so hard to escape her parents' legacy, but she couldn't do it. She was too beholden to the lessons they taught her. She understood why Amber wanted to take time after high school, but she felt her dismissing that idea was her passing on a lesson she "learned" (I don't think she actually took that time herself) to save her daughter from making a mistake. The logic makes sense, but the execution makes her exactly like her parents. It actually felt as though Donnica was on the cusp of fully realizing this and maybe salvaging her relationship with Amber.

Then Annie showed up and assured Donnica that everything she was doing with Amber was just fine, that the college tours trip  (that Amber doesn't want to go on) was a good idea. That Donnica was a good mother when, in many ways, she hasn't been.

I love Annie, but this was tough to see her do! I'm now left wondering how far Donnica would have gotten on her own without that misguided reassurance.

Oh, and since we've circled back to Annie, I absolutely loved that she thought of Amber as Donnica's biological daughter. Because, as I think I've said before, the irony of this situation is that, if Donnica just treated Amber the way she treats Annabel, everything would be good between them. Donnica puts too much pressure on herself to guide Amber in the right direction, to protect her, even from herself. With Annabel, she just sees someone who loves her. Someone who has some issues with which Donnica can relate and wants to help her with. Someone that she can trust and confide in, show her true self to, like she does with Trevor (as we saw here, although I still say the way she does it for Annie is different than the way she does it for Trevor).

But yeah, it was really heartwarming to see Donnica open up to Annie like that. When she called Annie "sweetheart" my heart melted a little bit!

Going back to the beginning of the segment, it was interesting to see how Donnica's trip to the Kingdom has affected her. I was delighted to see John Turner again, and it was so lovely meeting his wife! I'm curious if we'll see the end result of Donnica's little imprinting experiment, as well as what she plans to do with the "data" she gathers from it once it (surely) succeeds.

And again, we see the difference between Helena and Donnica here. In S2, Helena reveled in making her former rivals and enemies suffer. But even though it's made clear that Donnica bares a grudge against the Turners, she seemed much more clinical about what she was doing. She wasn't reveling in making them suffer now. That was only a means to an end. She wanted those two to worship her with reverence rather than fear, and while the way they treated her before made the thought of that sweeter, it didn't really seem to draw out the same sense of sadism that it did for Helena.

Of course, there's also the fact that Donnica wants her hated tinies be imprinted, while Helena wants them to remain uninitiated and fully able to suffer her wrath under the guise of ritual.

Then there were her thoughts on the Kingdom and Helena. I love how suspicious she is of Helena, knowing that Helena didn't show Donnica that stuff for her benefit but for Helena's own. Donnica is quite clever (when her emotions haven't gotten the best of her), and it's awesome to see her actively trying to figure out what Helena isn't telling her. This could also be a cool test of the Sisterhood's reach; will they be tipped off that Donnica is calling in favors trying to find out about them (even if she doesn't know that's what she's doing)? Or will Donnica get the inside scoop without them knowing?

Finally, it was great to see Donnica's thought process about Annabel before calling her in. Deep down, she knew Trevor's situation wasn't Annie's fault, and she even assigned a little blame to herself for the argument they had possibly distracting Annie. But mostly, Donnica blamed Penelope, which I think she's right about. There's plenty of blame that could be spread, but ultimately, the actual perpetrator is a great person to blame for their own actions!

But I thought it was really cool that she was hoping that Annie would forgive her rather than telling Annie that she's forgiven. Donnica got to the point where she didn't even want to pretend that any of this was Annie's fault, and she wouldn't have minded if Annie hadn't forgiven her right away. She was holding herself accountable in a way Annie never even considered. I thought that was a really sweet moment from Donnica, and I continue to love when she bubbles to the surface in times like these!

Another great segment here, and it felt so short compared to the first two! Yet it was no less impactful, possibly leading us toward a major plot development and arc merger down the line (or really soon, possibly; the "down the line" is really more me just trying to protect my precious Rebecca!).

She let the moment stretch, like taffy, until time itself bent beneath it.

This was an awesome line, maybe my favorite of S2! Not for anything it ties to or an action it's describing, but just the sheer poetry of it. I was just reading, and this line jumped off the screen! I just had to comment on how creative and unique it was, as well as such a beautiful combination of words could be used to describe the agony of two tinies suffering at Helena's bare feet. This just made the scene feel even bigger than it was!

But my first though as I was reading this segment was one I'd had before: that this perfectly illustrates the difference between Donnica and Helena. Thinking back to the previous segment, Donnica's reaction to seeing tinies running from the smell of her feet was anger that there were special accommodations for tinies on campus at all. It was rage that drove her. They didn't deserve that, in her mind. Things like this only kept them further from their true purpose: worshiping and serving at the feet of the giants. Even when they ran from her, Donnica telling them to smell her feet was more vindictive than it was joyful. As I've said before, Donnica isn't obsessed with the idea of tormenting tinies; she's upset that they don't understand their place in society (in her mind).

We saw something very different with Helena in S2. She worked out, jogged, just to get her feet extra smelly, reveling in the dankness when she'd normally want to just clean up (or at least most people would). Torturing tinies is a highlight for Helena, something to look forward to. Something to prepare for, to make as devastating to the tinies as possible. Where Donnica's cruelty toward tinies is based in rage, Helena's is based in joy, a happiness that she can only find in bullying those smaller than herself.

To be fair, this chapter didn't offer an apples to apples comparison between the two. Donnica gave tinies she'd never met a hard time, while Helena has a whole room filled with tiny enemies, people who used to think they were better than her (or at least good enough to stand against her). In a vacuum, it could be argued that this is what makes the difference, that vengeance rather than philosophy is what gives Helena her joy here.

But we're not in a vacuum. We've seen time and time again that Donnica never truly enjoys tormenting or killing tinies, not in the way that Helena does. At most (like at the restaurant for tinies that she crushed), it's a minor passing amusement for Donnica, one that doesn't last and often leaves her bored. And in the earlier chapters of the story, including that restaurant scene, there were plenty of instances of Donnica handling former rivals and people she felt had wronged her, and she never once acted the way Helena does here. Helena herself, on the other hand, I'd say that we've seen this in smaller doses before, like with the tiny butt slave she plucked from trash town (RIP) or the way she indulged in being worshiped on her throne in the Kingdom before speaking with Kassandra.

So yeah, once again, we have two women that, on the surface level, appear to be the same in their evil views about tinies but really couldn't be too much more different once you start digging into what makes them tick. I keep bringing this up when I see it because I love this level of nuance in characters that act similarly at first glance.

And while we're talking about Helena, I found that glimpse into her past through Marc and Nina to be pretty interesting. When we first met Helena, she was presented as the best of the best, an untouchable figure in the anit-tiny rights movement, someone on the level of Donnica herself. But when we first met Celine, before we even knew her name, we were told something different, that Helena had always come in second to this tiny rival, that it drove her crazy and made her feel like she wasn't good enough.

Now, with Marc and Nina, we see two people (although Nina more gets singled out) who thought themselves so far above Nina that they could put her down and even drive her out of the firm where they all worked at the time. Nina even felt comfortable telling Helena to kiss her feet in order for Helena to save her job. This is a much more vulnerable Helena than we've seen in the present, even in those moments where a defiant Celine has somehow beaten her at an inch tall, moral though those victories may have been.

It feels like, ever so gradually, Helena's origin story is unfolding, and we're getting to see how she came to be the monster that she is now. This has been a fun journey, and the way you're rolling it out, foot-by-foot and not even in each chapter, is such a clever pace. I really appreciate how you're taking your time with this!

The introduction of Lorelei was intriguing for a couple reasons.

The first thing that stuck out to me was where she was from: Germany. Penelope is from the UK, and her mother who still lives there now has been slightly hinted to be a powerful figure in the Sisterhood, one Helena feels indebted to or maybe even fears a little bit. I think it's interesting that these goddesses-in-waiting are being sent to Helena from Europe. It makes me speculate that the organization is maybe based across the Atlantic or at least has more pull there.

Given that it's been presented as unique how the United States has privatized registration for tinies, this potential development makes me quite curious how all of that works in Europe. Is there a policy shared among all EU members? If so, does the UK follow that policy too? Or does each country have their own rules regarding registration? And if they're stricter about it over there (which I feel like was kind of implied when Penelope was so excited to come to America), how does the Sisterhood operate so strongly over there?

And Helena herself was trained in the ways of being a "goddess" in Europe, in the UK (which, again, seems likely to be the connection between Helena and Penelope's mother, who I'm assuming trained Helena herself at this point). 

But then there's Lorelei herself. She's calm, composed, and fully respectful of the Sisterhood's rituals and ready to serve. She's the complete opposite of Penelope, who we were told is also a goddess-in-waiting. It really makes you wonder how two people trying to achieve the same rank can be so radically different, not only in their approach but in their very demeanor. Again, this, to me, hints at Penelope's mother being a key figure in the Sisterhood. I get the distinct impression that a brat like her would never even come close to consideration for such a rank if not for her bloodline.

Speaking of Penelope, her name did get dropped in this segment, so the posh princess is still around the estate apparently. That was pretty exciting to read! This dinner that she's supposed to be preparing for Helena grabbed my attention as well! Does that mean what I think it means?

And Celine's going to be there? Count me in!

Back to Lorelei, the fact that Helena compared Lorelei to her younger self again seems to feed into the idea that Helena was once very different from how she is now. Because, despite Lorelei's fanaticism toward the ways of the Sisterhood, her complete devotion to them, she doesn't strike as arrogant in the least. Certainly not in the way Helena does now. I'm really starting to think that Helena's current persona was more built or ingrained than it was naturally developed, which would be pretty intriguing if true.

And the way that Helena takes such an interest and such pride in Lorelei's "development" shows just how much reverence Helena has for the tradition, the ritual, the true purpose of the Sisterhood. Helena is happy to see that she "chose well" with Lorelei and even punished Marc and Nina despite them doing a good job to make sure Lorelei learned the supposed proper lesson from it all. Helena strikes me less as a superior or simple mentor here and almost more like a parental figure, getting excited at the thought of Lorelei's bright future as a "goddess."

"It is the process. Duality isn’t a feature. It is the nature. A goddess cannot rise through affection alone. She must be capable of wrath. Of cold, absolute judgment. Without it, there is no fear. Without fear, there is no reverence. And without reverence, there is no rule."

Well damn, now I feel like fucking Palpatine is going to end up being behind the Sisterhood with talk like that. It really is almost Sith-like.

But this stuff about duality is interesting! The Sisterhood teaches that its goddesses must be both kind and cruel. This sort of makes sense, since they seem to view themselves as rulers over the tinies. They want the love of their subject, but respect is more important. That "wrath" is the key to becoming a "goddess" from the sound of it. Like they can't be revered, properly honored, without showing a certain level of coldness to their people at times (or at least some of them, given that Helena has separated these tinies out from her subjects).

If you're nothing but nice, you run the risk of being taken advantage of, even by inch-high people. To act divine, you have to be capable of both mercy and absolute judgment. There's a certain logic to that. A certain balance. If I'm understanding Helena right here, she's more or less saying that certain tinies need to be punished, if for nothing else than to keep a goddess share in her divine judgment, to keep her from going soft. But only those that deserve it, that have earned their suffering through arrogance (which, for Helena, I take to mean tinies who expect/fight for equal rights in most cases!).

And then Helena says this:

She looked back at Lorelei, eyes narrowed just slightly. "You will understand this when your time here ends. When you rule a domain of your own. You must know who deserves adoration and who deserves only submission. Any woman who doesn't know the difference is bound to shrink eventually, understood?"

Now this was a significant passage. I could have easily led the review with it, honestly. Because it tells me one of two things:

1. The Sisterhood knows much more about the shrinking virus than the rest of the world and may even have had a hand in its creation. Shit, if this is true, the story might even dip its toes into the mystical world as well as the sci-fi one of the Kingdom. I mean, they are a very ritualistic organization.

2. They're a cult that thinks it knows the truth behind the virus and have developed a religion of sorts around it. If this is true, they really know nothing but speak as though they know everything, building rituals and a ruling class for a world that will never truly become what they expect.

For the sake of people like Scarlett, I really hope it's the second one. Because if the Sisterhood is right, then anyone that feels as though tinies are equal to giants, that they're still people and not slaves and subjects, is going to shrink eventually.

Of course, if the first one is true, it opens up a lot of questions and potentially gives this story a truly epic endgame scenario (not that it needs to be true for this to be the case, but seeing our "heroes" rush to stop or control such an event could be pretty fucking spectacular).

Oh, and then there was this:

Helena smiled. Not kindly. But knowingly. "When you hook a whale, you reel it in. We don’t know when the next viral wave will come... or if it will be the final one. The Inner Circle will rule what’s left. We need a seat. We need a Matriarch. We need Donnica."

This seems to heavily imply that the Sisterhood do, in fact, have inside knowledge of what is going on with the virus. Not perfect knowledge, as they seem unsure if the next one will be the "final one" (interesting that they seem to know that there will be a final wave and that it hasn't happened yet), but that's still a level of understanding that the world at large doesn't seem to have (again, unless they're cultist nuts who are wrong, which, while I'm not leaning toward, can't be ruled out yet).

Not only that, but now we know there's an Inner Circle within the Sisterhood, and that they are marked to be the true rulers (presumably of the world). It makes me wonder if those in the Sisterhood who aren't in the Inner Circle are destined to shrink as well or if they'll just be treated as "lesser goddesses," glorified full-sized servants to the true rulers.

But yeah, we got a huge lore dump during that Helena and Juliette conversation. The Table seems to be the ruling body within Helena's covenant, and Juliette and Vivara seem to be just beneath Helena herself, with the power to veto or approve new members Helena wants to bring in.

We now also have a semi-solid answer for why Helena wants Donnica involved in her plans so badly; she's a matriarch, which, at the very least, means she can imprint way faster than most, a skill I think the organization would value as it tries to gain more "subjects." But Donnica is Helena's political play, her ticket into the elite body that is supposed to control the world when all is said and done. I still think Helena has a personal affection for Donnica as well, romantic or otherwise, but Helena is hoping to use Donnica for personal gain (although it sounds like Donnica would gain something out of this as well; not that I expect Donnica would be satisfied sharing power with anyone!).

And now Helena has become a major threat to Trevor. Not directly, but it seems like Helena is going to push hard for Donnica to downgrade Trevor sooner rather than later. I don't think this will work, but I assume there will be a moment of doubt that'll make me second guess that before the "real" Donnica, the one buried beneath that armor I mentioned in my last review, wins out in the end. That'll be something Helena never understands, I think, which is why she'll lose.

To me, it's only a question of whether things end up back to the status quo for Donnica at the end of this or she has usurped Helena's covenant, if not the entire Sisterhood.

It was also cool to dig a little deeper into Juliette and Helena's relationship. Helena trained her and initiated her into being a "goddess," and Juliette's appreciation for that clearly runs deep. That Juliette views Helena as a maternal figure was something I didn't expect (I theorized that she was sent by the larger organization to keep an eye on Helena; fuck was I wrong!).

Helena seems to hold Juliette in high regard, too. I don't recall Helena calling Vivara sister (although she may have just avoided that in front of Donnica). But Juliette seems to get more slack in arguing her points against Helena's. Helena holds back her annoyance and explains herself to Juliette, something I would never expect Helena to do for a subordinate. I think she knows that Juliette is just looking out for her, and she actually appreciates it.

I came away from that interaction with an even higher opinion of Juliette, even if she is on the "wrong" side of things. Her loyalty is admirable, and the fact that it isn't an overly devotional loyalty, one that would lead to her blindly agreeing with Donnica about everything, says a lot about her strength of character and personality. I find myself really hoping she ends up flipping on Helena and working more with the main cast as the story progresses.

We even got the names of two "high-goddesses," higher-ups in the Sisterhood: Marion and Yuriko. I've got Marion clocked as potentially being Penelope's mother already. No evidence, just a gut feeling.

It also sounds like we'll meet these two fairly soon. That should tell us a lot more about this organization.

She was moving now toward the rear of the chamber, where a different kind of altar awaited... one designed not for feet, but for her other, perhaps greater, throne. Her ass.

The ass worshipping chair.

I'm stunned that you inserted an ass worshipping chair into this chapter. Stunned, I say!

Awesome segment! You worked in a ton of smuttiness, yet a ton of lore and background information as well! This was masterfully done, weaving the action and the details you want us to know so seamlessly with each other. Very well done!

Trevor caught the sparkle in her eyes and pounced on it gently, "So how are things going with you guys anyway?"

The joy faltered, a flicker of hesitation disrupting her features. She shifted in her seat, her skirt rustling softly against her thighs, the air around her suddenly tighter. "Things are... going good," she said, and there was a subtle tension to the way her shoulders rolled forward.

Trevor didn’t miss it. His brow arched as he studied her, tilting his head like a curious cat, gentle and direct. "You sure about that? Everything okay?"

Amber cast a slow glance down at him, guilt and confusion swirling in her gaze, like storm clouds pulling in from the horizon. Her lips parted and closed again before she finally sighed and said, "I don’t like talking about Rebecca with you sometimes..."

The admission was thick and difficult, each word a stone pulled from deep water. "You saw me do all that awful stuff to her."

She turned away.

But Trevor didn’t waver. He remained where he stood on the tiny platform, his voice as steady as it was soft. "Amber..." he called, just once. When she didn’t turn, he said it again, slower, fuller.

And then she looked back. Her eyes were wet.

"I’ve forgiven you for that stuff. Okay?" His smile was kind, but not indulgent.

This is one of the more poignant, profound moments in the whole story. It's so easy to forget the way Amber treated Trevor during the early chapters, especially since we've seen steady progress between the two of them scattered throughout. So for Amber to admit her guilt over that so indirectly, only mentioning what Trevor had "seen" her do (to Rebecca), too ashamed to mention that she had done the same shit to him as well during that time, this hit me deep.

And then Trevor saw right through it. He recognized that "guilt and confusion swirling in her gaze" (incredibly worded, by the way) for what it really was. And then he accepted an apology she didn't even realize she was giving. Of course, right after this, he ties it back to Rebecca, but it's obvious that it's not his place to forgive Amber for the things she did to Rebecca. He can only do that for the things she did to him.

This story has had it's share of heartwarming moments, but, for me at least, this was easily the best one!

Just a little further down, Amber actually acknowledges that Trevor is different from the other boyfriends her mother has had. She doesn't even mention the abuse, just that the other ones only pretended to care while Trevor actually does, something that was highlighted beautifully earlier in the segment when he kept glancing back at her, checking on her while everyone else was too wrapped up in themselves to really make Amber a part of her own college tour.

And then she noted that he's the closest thing to a father figure she's ever had, and I couldn't stop smiling!

I've been waiting for this moment for so long! Now that it's happened, I can honestly say that it didn't disappoint in the least. Shit, it exceeded expectations! The moment just felt so meaningful to me, not only because of the long-term buildup but because of Amber's own anguish at being cast aside by her mother in matters regarding her own future. To Amber, Donnica only views her as an accessary, an extension of herself. That pain and anger she felt set the perfect stage for Trevor to show how much he cared and for Amber to see it plainly.

And the concern she shows for him as she thinks back on this Status-C stuff was so, so touching. From scooping him up in her hand, showing her personal and real her feelings about it were and that she wasn't just making conversation to the fact that she had done her own research even before this scene, worrying about him even before realizing that he was someone she could lean on: That whole scene was so great! It helped set up that "info swap" paragraph where they had light conversation about their arcs up to this point, with him detailing the Status-C problem (minus the rape) and her cluing Trevor in on Scarlett.

Oh, and I loved how Trevor went out of his way to include Amber in his statements about handling the situation. He wants to help her, not decide for her, and he made that perfectly clear. Him saying that he would take care of her mom, only to stop and say that they both would, giving Amber a wink, just showed how well Trevor understands the problem, understands Amber, really. Again, I never imagined these two getting to this point back in chapter one (let alone chapter three!), and it's so satisfying now that we've gotten here!

This whole exchange was just so ... so good!

It was also the perfect contrast with Donnica throughout the segment. I was really bummed when she hushed Trevor as he was trying to help her understand her daughter. At this point, I feel like he's her only shot at saving her relationship with Amber, even if she doesn't realize that relationship is in danger of dissolving altogether.

But that's the thing, isn't it? That was my biggest takeaway in the whole chapter. I've been calling out aspects of it throughout the story and attributing them to very particular things, but the whole picture came together for me here:

Donnica is self-destructive.

She has convinced herself that she's happy with where she is in life, but she's really mostly miserable and doesn't even know it! She's always so annoyed, so frustrated, so upset over the smallest things .. literally! Like in the courtyard, she allowed herself to get worked up, indignant almost, over the simple fact that tinies accessibility at her alma mater. This didn't actually affect her at all, but because of her beliefs and her insecurities (more on that in a second), she let it upset her.

Donnica has created pretty much all of her own problems and misery throughout the story. This is because she's had a hard life, clawing and scratching for everything she's ever had. Unlike pretty much every other giant in this story (at least the mean ones), Donnica isn't pathetic at all; she's earned everything she has: the power, the wealth, the prestige, and the ability to choose.

But because she's come from nothing, she's desperate to defend it all. To never again feel the way she did growing up. To let her daughter to feel the way she once did. So she's taken all of her vulnerability, all her insecurities, who she really is, and buried them under an almost impenetrable armor of cold, dominant hotness.

The problem is that this armor doesn't just protect her from anything that would threaten the fruits of her labor; it also "protects" her from the things that she truly wants in life, isolating her from them. As we've talked about before, that's what makes Trevor so special: He's the only one (except for Annie, but she does so in a completely different way) to break through and let her inner self, the thing she's protecting, poke its head out and truly enjoy an aspect of her life.

Why am I bringing all this up now? Because the first portion of S1, in my mind at least, pretty well confirmed all of this by showing us more of Donnica's past and her motivation to guide Amber's future.

It starts with how easily, naturally even, Donnica is able to put herself back together after her fun with Trevor during the previous chapter. Everything has to be just right with her, and she's well-versed in the art of making sure that happens every time. That's impressive, but it's also a subtle sign of insecurity. Right down to adjusting her blazer sleeve after getting out of the car. Anything to feel in control.

But then we get a glimpse into why control is so important for Donnica. We had already heard about how cold and distance her parents seemed to her. Now we find out that law school "was never a question" for her. Her parents had saved up the money and just sent her there, which is ironically sad given how she's approaching Amber's college choice.

Not only that, though, but while Amber has a degree of freedom as a teen, it sounds like Donnica's parents kept her nose to the grindstone constantly. From what we see here, I really think her parents' hearts were in the right place, but ceasing control of Donnica's life and making all these decisions for her has fucked her up in ways they could have never foreseen.

And I honestly have to wonder if it would've made a difference. Would they see Donnica's success and simply decide that they did right by her, dismissing her insecurity and brash behavior as nothing serious, despite the fact that they're costing her in so many ways? How would Donnica feel if she realized that she was trying to do the same thing to Amber?

Because that's what it boils down to: Donnica, despite being desperate to be different from her parents with Amber, is being exactly like them. She just can't see that she's poisoning the well the same way they did with her. She's too afraid that Amber will end up with nothing because she's afraid she'll go back to having nothing. She's worked too hard to let her daughter suffer like that.

That's the tragedy of all this. Everything Donnica is doing is honestly and purely for Amber. Amber is convinced that Donnica is too wrapped up in herself to care about her, but Donnica is only wrapped up in most things because she's trying to secure Amber's future. She's just so insecure, so desperate to get things squared away for her daughter that she can't even take a second to really listen to Amber and what she actually wants.

And Amber has no way of knowing that. Not that this would make what Donnica's doing okay. It would just let Amber know that her mom actually cares about and loves her, which is all Amber really wants!

But instead, Donnica almost always has her guard up, instinctively so, and Amber feels like Donnica doesn't actually care about her at all. Donnica is making her feel this way, and she can't see it! Her need to meddle and make sure Amber is "protected" is the very thing driving Amber away from her!

We did see them enjoy a sincere moment, which was really sweet (for those of not in the courtyard or without clothespins!). In that moment, when they were walking barefoot through the grass (you always amaze me with your ability to get these women barefoot in pretty much every situation!). Donnica just stopped trying to be in control and let her hair down for a second. Amber got to see the girl that went to school at that campus, not the perfect goddess Donnica projects to the world and has convinced even herself that she is. And the results? Amber felt close to her, and she was actually way more receptive to what Donnica was telling her.

It couldn't last, though, and Donnica lost any good will she brought up when she tried to "nudge" Amber into declaring that she was going into law right then and there. Donnica stopped short of deciding for Amber, and I really think this was sincere rather than wanting to avoid embarrassment (I don't think Donnica much cares about that; her doing "embarrassing things are really everybody else's problem, and she's not going to change who she is for them). She pushed for Amber to become a law student because Donnica was convinced that was the best path (as her parents did with her), but when Amber stood her ground, she shifted to trying to make sure Amber had some path already set. Because uncertainty feels insecure, and insecurity is Donnica's biggest fear, the thing that can cost you everything, in her mind.

Of course, we've seen Donnica self-sabotage before. I mean, fuck, look at everything she'd done to Trevor: threaten to squish him for being tiny during Amber's legal scare, veto that job he was so desperate to get, ignoring him until Naomi almost killed him, fucking with his registration constantly, setting up that "therapist" to try to brainwash him into her way of thinking, and, of course, volunteering him for breaking with Annie. Most of these were actually done because she was afraid of losing him, yet each one on its own would have driven almost anyone else away. She's damned lucky Trevor understands her in a way no one else does, because he's put up with a lot of her shit and loves her all the same.

Unlike Trevor, however, Amber doesn't understand. At all. It was a cool moment when Amber agreed to thank Donnica for setting up the visit not for Donnica but for him. Because she still didn't believe him when he said Donnica loved her. She just trusted him.

And Donnica was blindsided by being rejected by her daughter through those "dinner plans" she had in mind back at the beginning of the segment, mainly because she's just so oblivious to all this. It's so fucking sad! I really hope Trevor can get Donnica on the right track, but that's going to be a huge uphill battle.

Okay, enough of that rant. I hope at least some of it made sense and wasn't completely redundant!

I was not a fan of Dean Nolan. He seemed nice on the surface and I think he really does like Donnica, but there was just this aura of fakeness surrounding him. His jokes, his anecdotes, his willingness to cast aside campus rules for Donnica's sake: It all struck me more as him seeing Donnica as a checkbook rather than a beloved former student. Between that and Sabrina's "professionalism," the whole tour had a disingenuous vibe to it, which really matched what Amber was feeling most of the time.

Speaking of which, it was really cool to see her find legitimate things to like about the school, the students in particular. Once she didn't have to live in her mom's shadow and got to talk to people around her own age, she really seemed to like things. That might be more college stuff in general than Crownridge in particular, but seeing her engaged for a minute was awesome!

I feel like Quinn is likely to be a character we see again. Maybe Nolan and Sabrina (or maybe not; I could see them being one-offs), but Quinn seemed like she as being set up for something. Maybe she'll end up interning for Donnica's firm? Her being familiar with Donnica's work and wanting to shake her hand is a pretty big clue as to where she stands on the "tiny issue" too, as Trevor seemed to notice as well.

We also saw Amber think back to Rebecca a lot throughout the segment. She found strength in Rebecca's words and fantasized about what life on campus might be like for the two of them if she didn't have to hide her little girlfriend. All of this played off the end of the previous chapter brilliantly! Because while I love seeing this side of Amber, now I know what's brewing at the park between Scarlett and Rebecca! It's getting hard to see this not leading to heartbreak for Amber (I hope I'm as wrong about this as I was about Trevor's "breaking"). And I'm left wondering how Amber will respond if she's suddenly without the person that's helped her grow so much.

One last thing I noticed was that when Donnica gave Trevor to Amber (which I was super excited to read as it was happening!), she said that Nolan and her were going have a "big person conversation," which Amber took as a slight against her. But, to me, it sounded more like Donnica was unwittingly putting down Trevor, which surprised me a bit. She normally values his opinions and considers him above other giants (even her friends). But here she seems to imply that Trevor is simply too tiny to be a part of this conversation. I have to wonder if this was a reaction to him trying to get Donnica to listen to Amber before he was hushed. Maybe that insecurity led her to loose some trust in the man she loves, if only is a small way. If so, that kind of plays into a lot of that shit I said above!

But yeah, awesome opening segment to this chapter! I'm so glad we got to see this visit, and I feel so bad for Amber and Donnica right now! I'm curious if we see any aftermath from this later in the chapter.

What an incredible first segment, one of, if not my favorite, in the entire story. Everything is perfect.First, I really enjoy how you describe Donnica’s transformation from a pure mess after her time with Trevor to an elegant and beautiful woman again. But I kind of feel bad for the company’s drivers who have to clean the cars and get new ones to satisfy Donnica.

Let’s dive into the core of the chapter: the college visit. What a great surprise, it’s Donnica’s old school! I’m thrilled to get some insight into her past, first with Trevor in chapter 32 and now Donnica in chapter 33. I also really enjoyed how you showed Donnica’s evolution through this school, it’s brilliantly done. When she was a student, she saw the school as something incredible, but now she notices all its flaws, even questioning if it’s good enough for Amber.

An interesting character is Sabrina. I enjoy how she handles Donnica, telling her Amber arrived early when, in fact, Donnica is the one who’s late. I love that everyone is so careful when addressing Donnica, except Trevor, it’s a detail that always puts a smile on my face.

But now, it’s time for the visit, and soon a new character appears: Dean Nolan. At this moment, Amber is cast aside during her own visit, which is supposed to be about her. It’s really sad, and it gets worse as the visit becomes a tour of Donnica’s past, at least the glorified version. Even in the way Amber is introduced, everything revolves around Donnica. It’s almost as if Amber is just there to make Donnica look even better than she is or was in her past.

“And this is my little legacy” she said with glowing pride, casting a glance down at her daughter.Dean Nolan gave a big, bright smile. “I can already tell she’s as sharp as her mother!”

She’s her legacy, not her daughter, it’s as if Donnica owns Amber. This is even more evident in how Trevor is introduced:
“My other little bundle of joy,” she said, the smile never leaving her lips. “My tiny partner. Trevor.

It’s as if Amber isn’t supposed to be herself but a copy of her mom. Everything centers on Donnica, not Amber. Amber’s voice doesn’t even matter, her questions are ignored, her discomfort neglected.This alone shows how difficult Amber’s life has been but today is different because she has someone who cares about her: Trevor, quietly watching over her. It’s a beautiful image, especially since, sadly, Amber has never had a good father figure in her life. Someone watches over her, oppose Donnica when she does wrong, or give her a compassionate look when she needs it the most like today.

But it’s not all bad for Amber during this visit, at least for a moment outside. She can rest her feet and, even better, remove her shoes. Sabrina doesn’t approve, as the tiny people around would suffer, but Donnica doesn’t care, and neither does the hypocritical Dean Nolan who only want to flatter Donnica so she can give money to the school. So Amber removes her shoes, letting her feet breathe, to the despair of the tiny people and even some normal-sized people. The description of the odor of her feet and the reactions of those around it is amazing, it’s almost like we can smell it through the description alone. But the best part is that Amber gets to spend time with her mother, and for once, Donnica acts like a mother, not just the powerful woman who can destroy you with a single sentence.

They walk barefoot in the grass, allowing Donnica to recall a moment when Amber was a child, and they walked together in a similar park. The best part is when they talk about Donnica’s past, the real one, not the idealized version Dean Nolan presented. This allows Amber to realize her mom was once like her, spending time on the grass, relaxing with a smoothie, enjoying her teenage life.

I have to say, I loved this part. It’s the first time we see Donnica acting like a mom toward Amber, and it’s perfect. We can feel Amber lowering her guard a little, letting Donnica in, though it’s too little and perhaps too late.
After this heartwarming moment outside, the visit takes on a new vibe. Even though it’s still largely about Donnica, Amber feels better after her time with her mother. She even starts to enjoy the visit more when she sees other students, talking to them and being herself, not just Donnica’s daughter. For once, she can be Amber, the teenager with dreams. She even sees students with tinies, allowing her to imagine herself with Rebecca at this school, thinking about her future.

But sadly, another student joins the visit, Quinn, a younger version of Donnica who seems like her biggest fan. She asks the question Amber dreads: what will she choose for college? With that question, Donnica is back in control. There’s no more room for discussions, she has a plan for Amber, and Amber must follow it, even if she doesn’t want to. This reminds me of what Rebecca told Amber on Azurea Island:

Rebecca chuckled again. “Oh, Amber,” she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm, “let me tell you how your life is going to go. First, you’ll go to some pretentious college, where you won’t make any real friends because you’re too stuck up. Then, you’ll end up marrying some guy you don’t really love, probably the son of one of your mom’s friends, because you’ll be scared of ending up alone in your twenties. Then you’ll settle into the same boring life, have a kid because ‘that’s what you’re supposed to do,’ and end up coming on these stupid trips with your husband’s friends’ wives, getting drunk to numb the feeling that this is all your life will ever be. And that’s it,” she finished, a smirk on her face. “That’s your future, Amber.”

It’s exactly like that in Donnica’s mind. But thanks to Rebecca’s influence, Amber speaks up, saying she wants time to think about her future. This is a great evolution of Amber’s character. Even though it angers Donnica, we see Amber is ready to fight for what she wants, not just accept her mother’s plans.But it’s hard to face Donnica when she’s set on something, even Trevor can’t say anything to her. Just like that, she shuts down the conversation and returns to her usual self, casually talking with Dean Nolan as if it were a minor issue to deal with later.

Worse still, Donnica leaves with Dean Nolan and Sabrina, once again excluding Amber from discussions about her own future. Amber is left with Trevor, waiting for her mother. Trevor, however, recalls earlier in the day when he helped Clara. It’s interesting. I wonder if that experience opened Trevor’s eyes, much like Donnica’s first taste of power with Trevor and the second one when she walk in the Kingdom.Now comes my favorite part of the chapter, and I have to say it’s absolutely perfect in every detail. I love how Trevor acts like a good father figure, one who knows when to listen and when to offer advice. The fact that Amber listens to him and doesn’t reject him, as she did at the start of the story is amazing. This conversation alone showcases Amber’s growth.
The talk itself is incredible. Trevor knows exactly what to say and how to act to connect with Amber, explaining both sides to help her understand Donnica better. I also loved how Amber opens up to Trevor, sharing her feelings about her future and even her guilt toward Rebecca. Trevor, once again, reassures her that he forgives her, it’s a powerful moment.

I also really enjoy how Amber worries about Trevor and his status C. It’s such a touching detail, and as you know, slice-of-life moments are my favorite parts of the story, and this one is perfect. At the end, Trevor asks Amber to thank Donnica for this moment to make her happy and help mend their relationship, and Amber agrees.
Finally, the visit ends, and it’s time for Amber to reach out to her mother. But Donnica, acting like the lawyer rather than a mom, brings all the bad moments of the visit flooding back into Amber’s mind. Her armor goes back up, and the door closes again.

In conclusion, this chapter is perfect. The structure is flawless, mirroring Amber’s feelings toward Donnica: it starts bad, gets better, dips again, and ultimately falls apart, perhaps leaving things worse than before. The moments between Amber and Donnica, and Amber and Trevor, are perfectly written, hitting exactly where they should. You truly connect with Amber, and throughout nearly the entire segment, I wanted to tell Donnica, “For once in your life, please stop being Donnica. Just listen. Let go of your need to control everything and hear your daughter, it’s all she wants.”

My favorite moments, of course, are the Trevor and Amber scenes. They highlight the evolution of their relationship, which was complicated at first, to say the least. Now, you can feel a connection, maybe even a father-daughter bond, which I really hope for. Amber deserves a good man in her life, even if he’s a tiny one who, when he speaks, often feels like the giant while others seem small.

To end this review, I want to say how incredible the work on Trevor and Amber is. I also feel like Trevor’s ability to help people, discovered in the Kingdom, may be useful in the future with the messed-up giantesses in his life (hello, Helena) and even the tinies in the Kingdom now.