It's so adorable how careful Morgan is with Ben now that she knows it's him! The way she cupped her hand over him as she lowered him to the ground was really sweet but also a huge contrast from how she lifted him out of the water. Not that she was rough then, but now her every movement with Ben just feels so deliberate, precise, and careful, like tiny Ben is the most precious thing in the world (which, for her, might actually be the case!).

Between that and the way her fingers kept working over his body, gently stroking his arm and tussling his hair, the affection and comfort was obvious! And she even apologized when she realized she put him between her feet, suddenly a lot more conscious about things like that than she was before Ben revealed himself. That careful step right over him was great, too!

But the continuing heart-to-heart was the highlight of the chapter. That they were both afraid that the pure honesty they were showing each other might go away once they left that "bubble" was a bit of a bittersweet sentiment. It made the moment feel even more special, but it also reminds the reader of how rare such moments are. Even with everything out in the open, both Ben and Morgan aren't sure if they'll even acknowledge what happened here, let alone be more consistent with that level of honesty. Life is kind of weird like that.

Morgan's right that Ben is brave to want to wait until his next session with Angie to tell her the truth. I love how much Morgan seems to admire that! She's worried about how it might go, but she respects and understands why he wants to do it that way.  It makes sense, too. I mean, if him being so vulnerable made Angie feel comfortable being vulnerable herself before, then it only stands to reason that him being vulnerable when telling her something that will make her feel the same way, should help ease those upset feelings a bit.

Speaking of vulnerability, Morgan telling Ben to be careful with both Angie's and her own heart shows just how fragile Morgan's emotional state is at the moment. She's putting on a strong front, but she really has leaned on three-inch-tall Ben over the last two chapters. Given what we know about Ben and how he responded to that here, I actually feel pretty confident that he will, in fact, be careful and try to minimize the pain that whichever one he doesn't end up choosing feels.

Gatsby was a great choice to introduce as the English assignment. And you even highlighted all the reasons why right here in the chapter! What stuck out to me most, though, was Morgan bringing up how everyone in Gatsby is pretending to be something they're not. That sounds an awful lot like what Angie said during her session with Ben, when she asked him if he ever felt like he was just playing a role rather than actually doing what he wanted to do. This was a nice way to bring that theme back to the forefront.

Great chapter once again! And once again, I'm thrilled you went with the decision to have Ben tell Morgan the truth! These last two chapters have been so satisfying to read!

I wouldn't worry about being too predictable. Sometimes you have to take the layup, and Morgan being the next client just made the most sense. The whole secret identity/anonymous tiny concept wouldn't be maximized if the client was a stranger; who would care about protecting their identity from someone who doesn't know them, after all. So, with Ben's family not being wealthy enough to pay for a treatment session (and no tag indicating giant male content), that left only Savannah and Morgan. Granted Savannah would have been a cool surprise, especially if she came out of nowhere to help Ben navigate some of this stuff, but Morgan was always the more gratifying choice.

Combine that with you hinting in your responses to reviews that we'd see a lot more of Morgan, and it only made sense that she would be visiting Tiny Treatments sooner or later. And with the client name being kept from us at the end of the last chapter, it seemed like the perfect setup for the giant best friend/possible love interest to pamper herself at Ben's expense.

So it was less that you're writing is predictable and more that you chose the best option. As much as you may want to keep your readers guessing, it's way more important to get things like this right! So you absolutely made the right call here!

And if it makes you feel any better, I can't say that I'm certain which way Ben is going to go after the end of this chapter. My guess is that he'll hit that panic button and get himself whisked away before he says another word and blows his cover, but I could easily be wrong about that. Even if it does play out that way, the days of Morgan not knowing his secret are definitely numbered. She'll put together that the mannerisms and voice she recognized were Ben's soon enough, and probably figure out that the reason he had himself removed when things had seemed to calm down and was safe is because his real voice would have been easily recognizable. Combine that with the "weird" new job her best friend Ben never talks about and has him acting all weird, and it should be pretty obvious to her. The way their conversation went down during the treatment wouldn't do him any favors either. I could even see Ben slipping up and mentioning the English presentation that she didn't tell full-sized him about and giving himself away at school the next day.

So it only makes sense to me that, even if Ben doesn't tell Morgan the truth, she's going to know it anyway within the next few chapters.

I still think he won't tell her, though, even though I echo Mr. In a Suit and also want him to. I think any chance of that happening went out the door when she unwittingly told him that she liked him. If he does tell her, I have a hard time seeing her do anything other than gently set him down somewhere and run out of the room as fast as possible, ducking his calls and texts for at least the rest of the day. I'd love to be wrong on that, though. It'd be cool to see him reveal himself and have them either talk it out or have an angry/embarrassed Morgan take advantage of the situation for some lighthearted vengeance!

But yeah, I think the fact that her confession is floating out there now makes it hard to have him do that. That just seems to me like a hard place to write from, honestly, and it puts both of them in a really weird place with each other.

Of course, and this is highly unlikely, it would be hillarious if Morgan revealed that she had already figured out it was him (maybe overhearing Angie talk about it and seeing Ben's reaction gave him away, and she requested the same tech that Angie had to prove it to herself) and that she knew it was true as soon as she saw him and made up that crush stuff just to fuck with him! 

But again, I don't think that is the case (although it's still technically on the table). I was starting to wonder if Morgan had a thing for Ben and if that was why she was so weird about Angie and him getting along so well all of a sudden. So I wasn't surprised by the revelation that she's into him. I am, however, really intrigued to see how this love triangle plays out! I think this is a great direction for the story to take!

But focusing less on theories and more on the chapter itself, Ben's approach to talking with Morgan was slightly different here, but he still definitely put himself in a spot where he could be in trouble when Morgan finds out it's him under that tiny mask. Multiple times she said that she didn't want to bother him with her problems, but he kept insisting, saying it would be therapeutic for her. And he may have meant that wholeheartedly and not been trying to snoop, but it's going to look like he was snooping after the fact. From what we've seen, I think Ben's bond with Morgan is strong enough to survive this, but it's most assuredly going to leave their friendship in an awkward place for a while.

Again, great job selling Morgan's size, and I love Ben trying to reconcile the goddess before him with the girl he's been best friends with since kindergarten. We haven't gotten much actual interaction between them yet (and we might not, depending on what Ben does next), but what we got from the footbath was pretty great in its own right!

I really like how Morgan was so concerned with Ben's behavior and feeling like he's changed while Ben is wondering why she's not telling him everything (mainly about the English presentation, but that represents more potentially, at least in his mind). So Morgan is apparently changing too (or maybe she never told Ben as much as he thought she did). I just thought it was pretty neat that they mirrored each other in this regard!

Morgan revealing that she has feelings for Ben was really well done. It didn't come off as an earth-shattering event. She was getting it off her chest, but she did so in a casual way, which felt really realistic and made the most sense since she's telling this to a "stranger." Ben's reaction was pretty good, too, with him not having enough time to really process this information yet and mostly being in shock about it. This causing him to fall into the water had me rolling!

And once again he's asking a client to get handsy with him. You know, I'm starting to think Ben is doing this on purpose! Ha! But seriously, I've mentioned before how much I love handheld stuff, and seeing Morgan pick up Ben like he weighs nothing as he's rocketed to her eye level was awesome! I know I made a lot out of whether or not Ben would tell her, but now that he's up there, I wouldn't be stunned if she just flat out clocked him right away now that he's so close to her line of sight!

I've also mentioned before that I was of the belief that Ben was going to an upend school filled with a lot of the kids of the wealthy elite, probably there on a full scholarship or something (the fact that Maggie, his twin, acts like the only reason she knows of any of these people is because he talks about them is a subtle indication that they go to different schools despite being the same age). Morgan being able to afford the treatment, which, again, has been described as being pretty pricey and for high-end clients if I'm remembering right, seems to back that up. She seems down to earth, but that doesn't mean she doesn't come from a really well-off family like Angie's.

The reason I bring this up and why I think it's kind of important is that I think both potential love interests for Ben (Angie and Morgan, of course) are probably not in a position to immediately understand what Ben is going through with his family. We saw some of that with Angie when she complained about her parents trying to send her off to Harvard and Yale while he's struggling to pay application fees to try to get into schools. So I'm really curious to see how they might react when they find out why he's working at Tiny Treatments. Both of them seem like pretty empathetic, awesome people, and I think the emotion of that/those moment(s) could be pretty powerful.

But yeah, that's enough tangents from me for a at least a chapter! Again, this was great, and the fact that we were right that Morgan was the client takes nothing away from how great a development it was or how much fun seeing her in the treatment chair has been so far (and hopefully continues to be, even if Ben has to out himself/gets outed).

peak

Oh no, no, no, no! Now I need to see, I demand to see Maggie getting emotional! I am a simple man… who loves when a character’s world is on the brink and they lose all control or reason to be in control (insert standard evil laugh here). Jokes aside, true gentleness can be revealed in the harshest of times and ways – and, as I said in my last review (ch. 17), I think the harshest is coming for Ben. Also stated in my last review, is the theory that Morgan will not recognize Ben at Tiny Treatments while Angie will and Ben's dream on this chapter foreshadows exactly that and more:

1. That Ben will be tiny outside Tiny Treatments (how tiny?);

2. That no one will know where he is, but Angie.

Now, another user (‘It Was Me’) pointed out how everyone’s behavior seemed counterproductive in the face of the main characters getting along, but most importantly, he pointed to Morgan’s behavior. Why? Because she is the one whose reaction standed out the most – the need to talk about immediately, the constant looks… you know how we say we want something but when that thing happens we end up not liking it? I think it’s exactly what is happening with Morgan.

Morgan doesn’t like the fact Ben is changing… and most might view that as egotistical but… it’s someone she always knew, someone she likes maybe even more than she realized. So why the sudden change? It’s contradictory and, like I said before, nothing is clear-cut when love is into play. Especially the first one.

The doubts/contradictions are generating stress, which could be a reason for Morgan to go to Tiny Treatments. Not that she will share this with a tiny stranger. In fact, I think would be more interesting if her interactions with a tiny she is paying for were the opposite from Angie: more assertive and agressive, like wanting Ben to massage her entire feet, including the soles, proceeding to steeps and drags him across the flor (and for Ben’s surprise, he finds himself liking it!).

Sorry if my theories end up upsetting you. I just have so much fun trying to imagine possible scenarios, choices and outcomes… and your characters are so likeable but complex at the same time! Please, feel free to use any of my ideas if you find then useful. Also, my top favorite characters:

1. Morgan, Angie, Maggie, Savannah, Ben;

2. Dustin (Insert standard evil laugh here).

Another great chapter! As always, thanks for writing and sharing! 

You simply opened up a possibility that never ever occurred to me but was there since the beginning: Angie is no fool, being more than capable of connecting the dots and figuring out that it was Benjamin all along attending her at Tiny Treatments. Genius! And she will try get him to confess, provoke him. After all, not only old habbits die hard, she also wants him to open up to her after what happened.

Like, on a next debate meeting she can take advantage of Dustin absence due to gaming to be bold and propose body image as a theme to ask Ben what he would say if asked about what he thinks about girls feet – and it’s only fun and hijinks from there… for the girls, especially for Angie at the start, but not for Ben who ends up getting aroused in front of everyone by… Morgan’s foot. Yes, not Angie but Morgan. What does that mean? Why hers? It should be mine who… Ben, feeling exposed and humiliated, remembers his sister words from last chapter, fleeing the scene thinking his best friend thinks he is a weirdo now. It’s only regreet from there for Angie and Ben - which creates oportunity for 1. she visiting Ben’s house and learning more about his family and condition first hand; 2. a love triangle and friction between Angie and Morgan (who will not take well what Angie did, especially because Angie realized it was Ben there and she didn’t).

Wait, there? Where? At Tiny Treatments of course! Because something is telling me his next client is none other than Morgan.

Oh yes, how could Ben predict that shrinking would bring about so many changes and learning about others but even more about himself? Let’s go! Thank God I had some time to read and comment on this chapter!

I can’t wait to see how Ben’s story will end. I know I always say, but I will say it again: thank you, thank you! For creating this world and it’s characters and sharing with us! Stay safe!

PS.: Instead of a visit from Angie, this incident I sugested with the debate team could also happen before Angie’s next session and Ben, in need of the money but utterly exhausted, had forgotten it was her day… he wants none of it but Angie grabs him. Ben starts screaming… pressing for Benjamin to listen, Angie inadvertely squeezes the tiny unconscious and, in panic, hides and brings him to her home. Yup, Ben would have to open up to gigantic Angie, more vulnerable than ever before.

.

I love how amazed Ben is by Angie's legitimate laugh. It's the sweetest fucking thing!

I also enjoy his little slip-ups. The Morgan one wasn't too bad, as Angie had already mentioned her, but that "debate team will do that to you" probably should have gotten him caught. Thankfully Angie isn't even entertaining the possibility of it being him behind that mask.

I'm loving their banter, though. The flow of their conversation has been great throughout this session. Ben getting to know Angie has been so fulfilling to read, even if I'm still worried about what happens when she finds out it's him she's been spilling her guts to. She's so comfortable with tiny, unidentifiable him, and it's awesome to see her so unrestricted, especially given what her life is generally like. And yeah, the anonymity plays a role in that, but I think Ben being so eager to learn more, not judging her in the least, is what's motivating her to be so open with him. Despite their rivalry, he's enjoying getting to know her, and he wants to be on better terms with her overall.

I'm curios to see how all his "coaching" in that regard turns out, assuming she actually tries to follow through on it.

The watercolor painting and the cottage was especially touching. That's something she's never told anyone this before. Ben is the only one that knows this part of her. It was pretty cool how supportive he was about it, too, making sure to fix it when she thought he was judging her. Of course, if full-sized Ben slips up and says something about it, he's pretty fucked at that point. That would be a dead giveaway! Hmm, I wonder ...

That part where he got stuck between her toes was great! It really sold Angie's size and the power she had over him well, yet it also conveyed her innocence despite having that power. She laughed at how silly it was, but she was concerned about him, too. She even apologized for laughing, wanting to make sure she didn't hurt his feelings. What a sweetheart!

Speaking of selling Angie's size here, holy shit did you nail that in the second segment. Between her leaning in like a titan of Greek mythology just to tell him he did a great job to how mesmerized he was by her standing up to noting how he could somehow still  see her smile from so far away, Angie just felt impossibly big there. The vibrations of her steps as she left were a nice touch, too.

But it was the casualness of it that made those moments special. Like I said, she was trying to let him know that she thought he was great when she leaned in. She was just getting up to leave when he was blown away by how much bigger she seemed to get in a split second. And walking out, shaking his world from across the room, she just turns around and gives him a normal "see you next week." That's effortlessly powerful. Effortlessly big. Effortlessly perspective shifting.

And Ben knows that last one is true, too. He's already stressing about how he's going to act around her when they're the same size again. He wants her to try to befriend him, but he's also scared he's going to freak out and look at her like a literal goddess or something at the same time. Yeah, that next day at school should be pretty fun to read!

Ben's back and forth over whether he should tell Angie that she could book him again was interesting. He's afraid of being discovered and maybe even feels a little guilty that she's telling him so much personal stuff, but he knows that it'll raise suspicion and possibly give him away if he tries to talk her out of it. So he has no choice but to have another session with her. Man, he probably just should have sucked so she wouldn't have wanted him again (I said jokingly)!

I can understand Angie's reluctance at wanting to fix things between herself and Ben. It's not that she doesn't want to, but she just feels like things have been this way for so long that there's really no going back at this point. I feel like this sort of ties into her comment about playing a role all the time. She's Angie, the ice queen of the debate team and Ben's mortal enemy, coming soon to Harvard and Yale. She doesn't want any of that, though. She just feels like she has no agency over any of it, so she's afraid to even try. I'm glad Ben kept pushing her to try anyway, and I hope she actually does.

So with the first session finished, I can now officially say that it did not disappoint after all the buildup. This was awesome! Not just for the giantess stuff, but seeing Ben learn so much about Angie and seeing his view of her change right before our eyes. Not to mention that we got to see how great Angie actually is. I saw small signs that I might like her early on, but damn! I love this girl! I really want her to break out of this cycle and pursue what she really wants out of life. And I'm hoping maybe Ben can help her out wit that ... eventually. I have a feeling that's a long road to go down before we get to that point!

Yeah, that last question is a fair one. Whether it be from anger or embarrassment, the last thing Angie is going to want to do when she finds out the truth is see Ben again, let alone talk to him!

Ben once again kind of skirts that moral line, steering the conversation toward himself (didn't Kimberly warn him not to do that?). But again, I don't think he had malicious intent or even realized what he was doing. I think he was just into the conversation and was trying to comprehend this new side of Angie that he had never seen before. Oh, and he was probably trying to find the best way to bury the hatchet between them, now that he realizes that she doesn't actually hate him and isn't the cold-hearted monster she thought she was.

But yeah, none of that is going to make Angie feel any less violated when she finds out that it was Ben she's been saying all this to. That's going to be tough for her to deal with, and I'm really curious how Ben navigates that on his end when the time comes.

Angle's backstory is a sad one. Not tragic or dramatic, but sad, and realistic to boot! Based on what she said before, I figured her parents were ... less than supportive of her. But to see them plan out her whole life, without consideration for what she wants and not even noticing her real passion, is frustrating! I'm sure her parents really just want what they think is best for her, but it sounds like being an attorney is something she has no interest in. Havard and Yale sound great, but not if you want to be a middle school teacher instead of a politician, judge, or lawyer. Hopefully she can find some way to get her parents to understand this. I'd hate to see three-inch Benjamin have to take them out, after all.

Hearing Angie be so sure that it's too late to fix things between Ben and her made me feel bad for her. She's clearly been trying to put an effort into being nicer, but she's so set in how things are that it's not coming out quite right. So to know that she's trying to fight what she thinks is a losing battle also makes me admire her even more. And now that Ben wants to repair things and is even giving her advice encouraging her to do the same, I hope we get to see these two start to get along outside of massage treatments. Hell, I can almost see Angie's shocked face when Ben is actually nice to her!

Ben was brief when asked why he's working at Tiny Treatments, but he told the truth. And it's awesome that Angie asked. Despite knowing nothing about this guy, she legitimately cares about him and feels a real bond. Like she said, that may be because he actually listens to her, but personally, I think Ben and Angie just have a great natural rapport. They just couldn't stop arguing for long enough to realize it. Maybe someone like Morgan has, though.

Speaking of which, it was a small thing, but I love that Morgan told Angie Ben's secret about practicing his rebuttals! I suspected that Morgan was just as close to Angie as she was to Ben, and this more or less confirms that. Ben thought Morgan was in his corner this whole time, when really she's just been trying to humanize them in each other's eyes. I wonder if Ben will notice this the next time he sees Morgan.

Back to Angie, you did a really great job conveying all of her insecurities and concerns here! Unlike that harsh shell she wore in front of Ben, she's so easy to get behind here. And it's great how supportive Ben has been for each layer of herself Angie has revealed so far. Never once, even when she told him something she found truly embarrassing, has he judged her internally. The truth is, he needed to hear these things from her. It's the only way he could ever get past the rut they've been stuck in all this time. Despite how poorly he's handled this conversation so far and how much it's going to bite him in the ass at some point, his heart is truly in the right place.

You also did a hell of a job describing the massage itself! I love those little twitches of Angie's fingers, as well as the fact that she made sure that none of them bothered Ben in the least. And the way you noted that Ben was finding knots that no normal-sized person could find, ones Angie didn't even know existed? Perfect! This sells the whole concept of Tiny Treatments in this world better than anything else could. It was awesome, and it totally made sense.

Angie not realizing that feet were part of the package and being self-conscious about it was really fucking cute! And I love how Ben is seeing the metaphorical side of it all, with him literally being at his rival's feet. But Angie is actually pretty awesome, so I don't think he has anything to worry about. You know, provided that mask doesn't slip off anytime soon!

First, I'd like to respectfully disagree with sundown here. I get where he's coming from, but I personally love the pacing of this story. The letters for the word "anticipate" are starting to wear down from how many times I've typed it reviewing this story so far, and that's a good thing. I'm enjoying this Ben and Angie stuff so much because of the slower pacing and buildup. I've been waiting for it, and now I feel rewarded for my patience. Instant gratification isn't always best.

Also, you've been putting out chapters daily and they aren't super long. If you were on chapter 13 with each chapter being 10K words or longer (who writes chatpers that long anyw ... oh, right), then yeah, I'd say taking that long to get to this scene would be an issue. But you're not even to 15K words for the story yet, so I don't think this is an issue.

Now, if the story ends in the next three to five chapters, then I might change my mind on that. But I have no doubt that, now that we're here, we're going to have plenty of fun interaction between Ben and Angie.

Okay, with that out of the way, holy shit! This chapter was fantastic!

Ben's eyes are opening up right in front of us, and it's beautiful. He started seeing a softer side to her last chapter, but he's finally starting to understand that he's misjudged her all this time. That's already pretty satisfying in its own right, even if the desire to see Angie find out the truth will taunt me until it finally happens (which is what makes this particular trope so delicious!). 

I'm falling for Angie already! She's so sweet and kind, but she's been hiding that behind a confidence that's never been real, and that's so relatable. Her façade had Ben completely fooled, and that has made things so much harder for the both of them. It's a defense mechanism on her part, but now she's always on the defensive.

I get it, though. Just from her saying that her parents think debate, the thing she loves more than anything, is a waste of time implies that her family isn't the most supportive. I could see her fighting for recognition and approval constantly at home, and of course that's going to carry over to her school life. That also makes me think back to when Ben made that comment about taking responsibility that hurt Angie back in chapter one. He didn't realize it, but that comment probably tapped into some old wounds left behind by disapproving parents.

I was wondering why these two were like this to each other, and that neither one can remember exactly what it was they disagreed about shows just how silly these rivalries and grudges can be. More importantly, Angie's defensiveness came out of her thinking she had offended Ben, when really he was just impressed with her. Such a small misunderstanding has kept both of them from enjoying a friendship (and possibly something more) that would have enriched both their lives.

I loved hearing Angie say that Morgan always has her back. I felt that way about Morgan and Ben, so it's nice to know that Morgan is an impartial friend to both of them. It makes her comments about Angie in the last chapter feel more legitimate, and this impartiality from her might be needed at some point to help bring Ben and Angie together.

This whole interaction between Angie and Ben, from start to finish is as sweet as it is awesome! Their banter is so fun, and seeing their nerves gradually melt away as they fell into a routine and got into the session was great!

Then we get into the ethically dubious part of the conversation.

I get that this is a tough spot for Ben to be in, but him steering the conversation toward Angie's teammates and giving her advice on how to approach him is a bit iffy, to say the least. At this point, the anonymity isn't just protecting him but giving him a grossly unfair advantage as he guides Angie. To be clear, I don't think he has any ill intent, and I don't think he even realizes that he's taking advantage of the situation, but yeah, if I were her, I'd be pretty pissed thinking back to this conversation once I learned the truth. I'd feel a little violated, like I opened myself up to a stranger, only to find out that it was the very person I was struggling with. I'd feel like a fool.

Yep, Ben's going to have a tough time once the truth comes out.

And that's not a complaint. This makes things so much more interesting. Now I want to see how Angie applies his advice, how Ben handles seeing her once they're the same size again for the first time, and how Angie handles finding out Ben's secret now that there's some new emotional drama attached to it.

Oh, and I liked the part where Ben kind of lost himself massaging Angie's skin. I feel like this was another one of those moments where the size difference overwhelmed him a bit, and he started thinking of Angie as more than she actually it. That's a pretty cool effect, and, unlike the staff at Tiny Treatments, I'd be thrilled to see more of that!

Wonderful job with this chapter! It's living up to all the anticipation and buildup from the previous chapters for sure! I'm loving this!

I'm already loving this so much!

Ben is already seeing Angie so differently in more ways than one. That moment when she's studying him so intensely from so high above (while on a knee even!) and he felt that tightening in his chest that this goddess had deemed him worthy of her concern was such a cool moment! It was well set up by him selling her size so well as soon as she stepped into the room (and almost on him!). But it was also great to see him overcome that feeling and remind himself that this is what being tiny can do to you. He reminded himself that this was just Angie and that it was normal for a person to be worried about someone they almost hurt, allowing him to pull out of that trance.

At least for now. I have a feeling that may not be the only time he ends up feeling this way around her during this session (or maybe beyond; oh shit! Could you imagine if he started seeing her that way at school, when they're both the same size?).

It should also be noted that this new perception could be going both ways, too. While it's normal to be concerned about someone you almost step on, the intensity and curiosity she shows here could be part of that protective, affectionate mentality clients can develop for their tiny technicians. The way she smiled at him holding onto her thumb for balance could part of that, too. Or maybe she just thought it was cute! Either way, that little joke Ben cracked seemed to bring her back to reality a bit as well.

But more importantly, Ben is getting to see the softer side of Angie. It was touching to see his reaction to her laugh after that joke, realizing that he's never heard such a sincere giggle from her before. That's kind of sad as well, actually. These two are so lost in their rivalry and fear of rejection that it literally takes him being shrunk to three inches tall and hiding behind a mask for them to see each other for who they really are. I'm really hopeful (and optimistic) that we'll see more of this as the session goes on.

And I don't know why exactly, but Angie calling Ben "tiny person" really struck a chord with me. It just seemed so sweet, so endearingly innocent. Yeah, I'm really starting to like Angie!

As for the "misstep" itself, that was a nice little mistake (that nearly had major consequences) for Ben to make. It was fairly reasonable for him to think he had more time to wander around and there was a ladder there for him to get down, so him being on the floor when Angie walked in didn't feel like a boneheaded, plot-serving error on his part. It was a completely reasonable, honest mistake. He thought he had 15 more minutes. Although, with what little we do know about Angie, it also makes perfect sense that she'd show up early, so that felt pretty natural too.

And Ben's time on the floor is well described, too. From the wind generated by the door opening almost knocking him over to her voice booming overhead as she called out for someone to those gigantic flipflops making seismic quakes as they came down too close for comfort, everything just felt ... big in that moment!

I like Kimberly as a character, and her advice and tiny transporting skills were great! Describing her palm as a "vast expanse of skin lines and life paths" was pretty awesome, too!

That being said, I do have a small critique here. Is there a reason this couldn't have been Denise? The reason I ask is that you've thrown a lot of characters at us so far, some of which you've admitted aren't going to play a serious role in the story. I understand why a lot of them are there, like with having the orientation tinies be different from the training tinies, as you wanted Ben to stand out as being uniquely ready to start work after his first day. That makes perfect sense.

But, unless something is going to happen later in the story, I don't understand why we're seeing a new character here. There's nothing wrong with Kimberly being introduced here, but throwing another character into the mix, even if they don't play a major role in the chapters ahead, risks confusing the reader. My best guess is that Kimberly exists because it's more realistic to have more than one person working the front desk depending on their schedules. If so, it's cool you put that much thought into this, but at the same time, I don't think anyone else would have even considered that, so keeping Denise in that role would have just made more sense anyway.

Then again, maybe there's a plot-related reason for this and I'm assuming too much. If so, please disregard that critique.

But hey, this was an excellent chapter overall! I know I kept using the word "anticipation" and you maybe seemed a little worried that this first session wouldn't deliver, but it already has with this beginning part alone! And all that buildup has made their interactions so far so much sweeter, and we haven't even gotten to the "good stuff" yet!