[Report This]Date: October 25 2023 10:43 PM Title: Balm in Gilead
An awesome mash-up of a popular movie/game genre and size smut, beautifully realized, and gushing with love and homages to zombie fiction of all types. Excellent work here!
As usual, your characters were really charming, especially Barb, the geeky shut-in turned badass zombie-slayer determined to protect her tiny lover. The bleak, apocalyptic setting contrasted nicely with all the heartwarming (and sexy) moments throughout the story. Cassie and Pete were great additions too, offering a slightly different flavor of the size dynamic seen with Barb and John. And Celia made for a fantastic villain, perfectly bratty and despicable while remaining tantalizing in an almost cruel giantess sort of way.
I found it interesting that the tinies are normal sized people with bigs being actual giants considering the entire story took place in an area where everything is scaled to the giant's size, so it's almost like they aren't giant at all. Nothing wrong with that, it just stood out to me as an interesting design choice.
The story was absolutely entertaining throughout, and I really liked the happy ending with Barb finally finding her place in the world and the friends she gathered along the way, and all that other gushy goodness.
Author's Response:
October is certainly the best time of year to read this story, isn't it? Anyways I guess that the giants and tinies are both using the respective labels relative to one another, without the tinies the giants wouldn't call themselves that and vice versa.
The overall tone of this story is very much in line with the Romero movies, it's bleak and hopeless, yet it's pretty silly and upbeat at the same time. I'm obviously a fan of lighter endings than he was though. Thanks for reading!
[Report This]Date: June 02 2023 6:09 PM Title: Balm in Gilead
You can't win "It Was Me"! I will be the longest Greenanon reviewer by the end of this day. I'll even make Longman Mauler himself tremble at my impressive length/ So much so, that he'll go back to Rakata prime to feast upon his green milk in shame that he's been outlonged!
Oh right, this is supposed to be a review, not a declaration of war. I have to say, I'm probably a good test for the objective enjoyment of this story, as every single zombie movie reference went over my head. It's never been a genre that has summoned my behind to a theater seat.
Barbra possesses that same enthusiastic nerdy spunk that Kacey has in We Help Each Other Get By. The NEET nerd girl is a very fun character trope, and one that you've mastered. Her goal to become a cringe, katana-wielding zombie slayer was certainly one that kept me invested.
Sorry to say, however, that I didn't find John as interesting as Jake. While his devotion to Barb is admirable, and he possesses technical know-how to resolve the final conflict, I did find him to be a bit bland. I never really could impart defining characteristics he possessed on his own, while I can with Jake. Exacerbating this is that Peter, the initial captive of our villain, then later, Cassie's man, is almost identical in characterization. The fact that both end up as Celia's personal slaves at one point, does not help. To say the least, I had trouble differentiating them.
Speaking of Celia, she's the driver of most of the interest in this story, in that you are interested in seeing how she'll get her just desserts. Underlying a pragmatic need for hierarchy and order, is a neurotic need for dominance and control. I believe Barb's presence brought out her worst (despite her sacrificing the coach before, so it was always there), but a predator like her required a chew toy. This, of course, pushed Barb's development nicely, and allowed her victory over Celia to be all the sweeter.
The second hook for intrigue was the nebulous Rhames, and his need to be on the winning side. Showing no fear, and knowing when to fold, unlike Ceila, he's a nice, morally ambiguous contrast to the sadistic Celia, the soft Cassie, and the heroically ambitious Barb.
Have to admit, I rather liked the smut scenes with Cassie for the ... let's just call it color commentary. Aright, I'll see myself out.
Unfortunately, I neither possess the length, nor the stamina to match "It Was Me", so I'll end the review here. Another entertaining classic of yours. I do think it would have benefitted with a more distinct characterization for John and Peter. The villains are what drive this story and maintain interest, and I think ending on their defeat wraps this up perfectly. Of course, in that hotel, who knows how long they'll last?
Author's Response:
Thanks for the review! This one is definitely an out there genre mashup with the zombie angle, so it's definitely got a lot of elements that would only appeal to fans of the genre lol. Anyways glad it was able to pull interest anyways. As far as Peter/John goes I imagined Peter as a more bookish type with John as a more hands on blue collar type, though admittedly you're right they could both use more variation in the characterization.
Anyways yeah the nerdy NEET girl is a fun character archetype I've revisited several times now lol. Not sure she counts as a NEET since at the end of the world everyone's kind of jobless, but she did find a niche and a community at the end I guess.
I like to think that they do all right in the hotel, and probably find a way to live there sustainably until they link up with other survivors, though it might get rough at times. A lot of zombie movies end on a really bleak note, I wanted this one to be a little upbeat, especially after all the characters went through.
[Report This]Date: June 02 2023 7:10 AM Title: Balm in Gilead
I made an account here, despite my aversion to leaving an online footprint on porn sites, just to say that I came in for a quick wank and ended up staying for the story and characters. I did not expect to feel so involved honestly, it's kinda crazy. I even giggled out of excitement at certain plot points. And the way you write is really good too, it all just flows so well, I am legit impressed. I mean you literally put character arcs and rising stakes in a gosh darn fetish story. It is without a doubt the best fanfic I ever read. Thank you for your continued work, and may all the characters keep on living in your mind.
Author's Response:
Thanks a bunch! I always try to put some character development and plot in my longer stories, so if you're into that you should check some of them out. Anyways I'm glad you got sucked into this one, I really enjoyed writing it and while I wasn't sure about it at first I think it came out pretty good. Until next time!
[Report This]Date: June 02 2023 4:35 AM Title: Balm in Gilead
Balm in Gilead, huh? That's a good follow-up to your rising out of hell metaphor at the end of the last chapter. It sounds like the group found exactly what they needed.
I have to admit, I'm a bit sad to see this one end. Then again, I'd rather it end now than outstay its welcome by 7 or 8 seasons, maybe relocate to Virginia for a change of pace.
I love that Rhames had his weapon with him, even when he was lounging around in the tiny side of the resort. That's a very him thing to do. Also, it's great to see that he's lightening up a bit and starting to embrace the group mentality. His arc wasn't the focus of the story, obviously, but that's a nice little satisfying end to it nonetheless.
The contrast between Cassie's leadership style and Celia's is demonstrated pretty well in just a few paragraphs here and there. I didn't think that Cassie would keep the whole cheer captain title going, but it's a good sign that she didn't give herself a title at all, "undisciplined" though it may be to do so. It sends out a very "we're all in this together, but one of us has to be the final decisionmaker" vibe to counter Celia's "Do what I say or I'll murder you in a parking garage" style of management. This will probably do well to tear down the wall separating the cheerleaders and mall workers and even the one separating the tinies from the giants in general, too.
Also, Cassie took the time to actually assess the skills and former professions of all the "new recruits," which is an improvement in leadership as well. Seriously, a surgeon working at Cinnabon?! It looks like Celia choked on her lack of leadership skills.
Backing up a bit, I do like the fact that a month wasn't enough time for the cheerleaders, survivors, and tinies to start singing kumbaya together. While it's likely that the worst offenders died with Celia, some of the surviving cheerleaders probably weren't too kind to the mall workers and tinies before everything went to hell. And even if they weren't mean to the other two groups, the actions of Celia and the other cheerleaders are still going to be projected onto them, including Cassie, who we know really doesn't deserve it. But that's the way things go.
But yeah, I like where things are left at the end of the story, still a bit tense between the sub-groups but slowly coming together with hope that one day they can stop thinking of themselves in those terms.
I can't blame Barb for being all over John the second time in this chapter, what with his unintentional Leon cosplay and all. Also, regarding the quicktime event thing, has John even played a Resident Evil game? At times, I got the vibe that he hadn't, but there was the debate about Leon going in alone to save the president's daughter in Resident Evil 4 earlier in the story, so I wasn't sure if John was ever much of a gamer.
It was also a nice touch at the end, having Barb and Cassie bond over anime. It was made clear early in the story that both liked anime, and they had that Rurouni Kenshin moment in the parking garage, but it was good to see them geek out a bit over a common interest that was set up early on.
As far as the story as a whole goes, I, for one, am glad you fought that doubt at writing this, as it turned out really well! I would also encourage you to jump on any other "weird" ideas that you come up with in the future. I've got nothing against the countless stories here that rehash the same themes and scenarios over and over again (in fact, some of those stories are my among my favorites. It really is all in the execution of an idea), but seeing a story with a unique premise and new ideas was a welcome change of pace!
And the optimistic tone of this story is much appreciated. I can certainly appreciate things with a darker tone and even an unhappy ending (the ending to the original Night of the Living Dead is heartbreaking but perfect), but I generally want good things for the heroes of any story I find myself deeply invested in. This story did a good job of delivering
I guess you using the Day of the Dead soundtrack as inspiration when writing this would explain why I visualized so many scenes from this story in that old 70s/early 80s zombie movie style. I mentioned that one scene with Celia sniping a zombie early on, but most of the action scenes in this story gave me that same vibe.
Overall, this story was pretty great! Yeah, you may never have thought your zombie story was going to be a giantess one as well when you were younger, but you blended the two "genres" (not sure giantess is a genre, but fuck it) together perfectly. And you wrapped the whole thing around a NEET to boot. Excellent work!
Author's Response:
Thanks for the kind words and the support throughout this story! I'm always sad to see a longer story end too, but at the same time I like the bottle of wine metaphor, you can pour some water in to stretch a good bottle of wine, but with every bit you add you're diluting out what you like, we wouldn't want to Walking Dead ourselves lol, that's a bathtub full of water at this point. Yeah our main groups have a lot more "team building" they'll need before they're a fully cohesive group of survivors, but the implication at the end is that Cassie will be able to pull it off.
So John I imagine probably has some cursory familiarity with Resident Evil and might have played the more popular entries, 4 in particular, but wouldn't have a lot of in depth knowledge of the series. Barb on the other hand is a NEET obsessed with them so she's probably played all of them, the remakes, the remasters, the terrible spin offs lol, you might say that's how she knew what to do when the apocalypse hit, even if her plan was mostly to sit tight in her apartment and eat chips.
Overall this is a story of optimism even with all the grim horror, I figured that everyone deserved a bit of happiness after the nightmare they went through. Rhames, for all that he was an asshole who collaborated with Celia, was ultimately driven by his desire not to die in a mall, which if you think about it was one of the more sane motivations in the story. Barb, Cassie, John, and Peter all suffered in their own ways, at the same time they all passed their various "tests" and hence the arrival at the Gilead, a seven story hotel, the metaphor is thick on that one. As they say in Day of the Dead, and to John last chapter, "we're counting on you to fly us to the promised land!"
Anyways thanks again for all the long detailed reviews, if you like plot heavy giantess stories most of my longer ones have something going on lol, I'd love to hear your thoughts on Amazon Country or Abduction if you ever find yourself wanting to read them. Take care, we'll all meet again in Fiddler's Green!
[Report This]Date: May 27 2023 10:32 PM Title: The Road to Fiddler's Green
What a fitting end for Celia, right down to taking after her dear Uncle Henry!
But yeah, this chapter delivered all the comeuppance I could handle, and it was glorious! In particular, the poetic justice of Monica being doomed by a tiny zombie after getting away from the horde of giant ones was pretty fitting. And even after the little zed condemned her to either death or undeath, she still couldn't acknowledge that tinies matter, based on her answer when Cassie asked where John was.
And Celia ending Monica, especially right when she was finally remembering to use the right title for her, was amazing. I love the callback to chapter one with the "answer to the infection." I was hoping somebody made some reference to that (and the "answer" being exactly what Celia said it was) since it was broadcast over the radio. Also, the fact that Cassie, Monica's actual enemy at this point, allowed her to live just for Celia, who Moncia trusted this whole time, to end her so cold-heartedly really shows just how far Celia has gone. It also shows just how little she cared for Monica, as she didn't even hesitate like she did with Cassie (yeah, Cassie wasn't bitten like Monica, but she was dead to Celia like Monica was, and Celia wanted to spare her from being turned, at least at first).
I like that Celia felt the need to pack the now-useless gold and diamonds she had gathered over time when she was trying to escape. A very Romero-ish choice on her part. Also, the fact that she still tried to "save" John even after he chose believed-dead Barb over her shows what I still think is a unique blend of a need for companionship of some kind and materialism, given her stance on tinies in general. And, of course, as soon as she realizes John's not there, she immediately turns bitter and spiteful, no longer caring if he gets eaten.
The final showdown between Barb and Celia was brief but still everything I thought it would be. I figured Mrs. Smythe would figure in some way ala Bub, and she didn't disappoint. That's why you pay rent, even with someone else's money!
And John got to save the day with Rhames's weapon, which was also fitting. He didn't kill Celia, but he sealed her fate and saved the woman he loves. His reunion with Barb was almost as touching as Barb's reunion with Mountain Dew just a few minutes later.
I also like that, despite everything, Barb was still likely going to at least put Celia out of her misery if the zombie horde hadn't gotten in the way. That says a lot about her, as I think someone like Celia would have probably pulled up a chair and watched if their roles were reversed.
The other chapter 1 callback during John and Barb's time at the front of the train was also much appreciated, and, at least for me, that scene with them together was more impactful due to how long it's been since we've seen the two of them smutting it up together. The next time I hear someone call for a bite check (which will also be the first time I hear it), I'll have an entirely different idea of what they mean in mind.
Also, and I didn't really pay as much attention to it before this chapter, John and Barb's dynamic during sex contrasts with Cassie and Peter's quite well. While Cassie does still take charge, like using Peter as a loofa or rubbing him against her womanhood with her finger, they have more of a flirty, dirty-talk type of relationship in the metaphorical bedroom. Barb, on the other hand, loves playfully belittling John almost as much as he loves being belittled, and she's much more dominant with John than Cassie is with Peter. Likewise, while Peter likes to take charge when he sees the opportunity (like when he went anal), John really seems to enjoy the helpless struggle against Barb's size, whether it be against her tits or her foot.
I don't know if that was intentional, but I found this comparison interesting when it hit me near the end of this chapter.
Finally, I like that Tammy was still unintentionally clinging to the last few notions of Celia's system, questioning whether the "mall workers" should be allowed to have weapons. It will take a while for the haze of that nightmare to fully clear, and I like that this was made clear here.
I look forward to seeing where Cassie's leadership takes the group in the final chapter.
Author's Response:
Yeah this was, like most zombie movie climaxes, a pretty brutal one. Celia's true colors came through at the end obviously, going back for her (useless) gold instead of staying to save her people, and yeah while she's obviously a very lonely person she's also responsible for a lot of her own misery right up to the end.
As far as Peter/Cass and John/Barb yeah John and Barb definitely have a more dom/sub thing going on lol, John loves when Barb gets a little mean with him and vice versa, Peter and Cass on the other hand are a bit more equal in their bedroom play. At the end of the day they both love and respect their partners a lot, in spite of the size difference.
Barb would have been willing to put Celia out of her misery if she could, while she definitely hates Celia down to her core her spite doesn't drive her in the way it does for her rival, her mission is ultimate one of love rather than hate you might say, even with all the violence.
Obviously everyone involved in this needs a whole lot of therapy, but with the apocalypse being what it is they'll all just have to take it day by day. I was going for a somber tone for the train ride out of town, there are some deliberate references to rising out of hell throughout the chapter because that's what everyone here has managed. Like Peter explained Fiddler's Green is where a sailor goes when he doesn't go to hell, I always felt like Romero could have capitalized on the theme more with Land of the Dead but then again that was hardly his strongest movie.
Our last chapter is going to be relatively subdued (and smutty) relative to the last couple, we'll see where Cass and Barb take the group.
[Report This]Date: May 24 2023 6:15 AM Title: Mall Rats
Yeah, your smut in this story has been pretty impressive both in quality and quantity up until this point, so I think you can be forgiven for taking one chapter to focus on plot/action. Besides, a little delayed gratification every now and then can be a good thing, and it has been a while since we've seen Barb and John have some fun together, so I'm willing to bet the payoff for that is going to be pretty rewarding.
I know Barb coming out of her shell and kind of follow a Shaun of the Dead-type theme has been mentioned several times by now, but God damn! Seeing how far she's come since the first chapter (or even just a few chapters ago) is so satisfying. In particular, her excitement and fun-loving approach in this chapter is a beautiful contrast to the timid, frightened demeanor of almost every other character not named John.
Seriously, seeing Celia panic and abandon her crew, the escaping cheerleaders crying that they just want to go home, Rhames starting to lose his cool that John is dragging his feet, and even Cassie and Peter (who are with Barb, of course) being timid to the whole plan makes Barb hooting and yelling excitedly as she blows up part of the mall and tries to gun down her arch nemesis that much more fun to read.
Aside from that enthusiasm, however, it's even more satisfying that Barb has and is executing a rescue plan at all. The last time we saw John and her together, she was lamenting that she wasn't the person who comes up with plans or knows what to do, and now she seems like the only one with a plan in all the chaos. It's amazing what her time with John (and the prospect of losing him) has done for her.
Oh, and the plan itself, badass! I think anyone not named Hank Hill would appreciate that use of propane.
As for John, I haven't really focused on his development as much, as it's been a bit more subtle, I think (I mean, Barb is the NEET from the story name, so we instantly know more about her background than about Johns, so it's easier to track her development). But the past two chapters have really shown how John has grown throughout the story. Seeing John hold not only Rhames but a group of giants over a barrel to rescue the other tinies and wait for Barb shows some guts that I'm not sure he had in chapter 1. Also, I was actually taken by surprise when he knocked Rhames out, as I didn't think he had it in him (and he was even smart enough to deter Rhames from experimenting with the wiring once he wakes up).
The story kind of focused a bit more on Cassie and Peter for the past few chapters (which wasn't a bad thing) but it was great to see our two main characters step up and take back the spotlight.
Once again, I absolutely love how Celia goes from rageful bitch to perky cheerleader at the drop of a hat. It hasn't lost its eeriness at all, and it hasn't been overdone in the story either. And to see our cheer captain lose her cool and run away once she lost control of the situation is perfect. It's the first time we've seen her in a situation that she can't authority her way out of, and shutting down and panicking shows that while she had some traits that allowed her to lead for a time, she was never a true leader.
It was nice to see Peter be able to defend Cassie there at the end. I didn't mention it last chapter, but the way he was directing Cassie and Barb during the escape from the mall parking lot was great, too. It's good to see him be able to contribute after having to lay low and deal with Celia's shit for so long. It highlights him as part of the team, as opposed to being a glorified mascot.
I also liked seeing the escaping cheerleaders showing some humanity but still struggling to overcome Celia's programing. Tammy, who we saw be kind of nice during her introduction to the story, stopping her fellow cheerleader from using her gun to exert authority over the mall worker was a nice touch. Of course, much like when she told Monica to leave the tinies alone, she had an excuse, but I get the feeling that deep down, she actually does have a decent sense of right and wrong (otherwise she wouldn't step in so often with said excuses). Also, it didn't take much to convince her to go get the tinies they had forgotten. But maybe I'm reading too much into a minor character here.
And I don't think I ever expected to see Kevin Smith and Gilgamesh references in the same chapter of a story (or the same story at all, for that matter) but both were appreciated!
Author's Response:
Yeah the world has kind of gone upside down in this chapter, our normally cool and collected characters are panicking as the situation deteriorates and Barb is the one driving things and tearing down the metaphorical, and literal, walls. Barb's plan obviously isn't the most sophisticated one in the world, but it gets the job done. I know you said you didn't care for the Dawn of the Dead remake, but the scene in that one with the propane explosion and the rippling wave of zombies was definitely an inspiration here.
John and Barb are both going all in on each other at the end here, obviously this means both are a lot braver than they'd normally be. Barb has grown into a badass apocalypse survivor, obviously John can't just rest on his laurels and let her do all the work!
Celia is obviously following the trajectory of many zombie movie villains in her descent into madness. She had the brutality, the organization, and the lust for power to pull her people through the apocalypse, but like you said she was never a real leader, she was using everyone around her and was ready to throw them all away to buy herself a little more time.
Peter has come a ways too, he's not exactly storm the trenches brave, but he's resilient and it was him that "saved" Cassie from Celia's influence. Personally in these stories I like it when the tiny guys have bigger roles in the plot, hence John and Peter being relatively involved despite being pocket sized.
Tammy is, like Cassie, one of the people who was questioning things, she'd probably have been the next to take a trip to the parking garage with Celia had the mall group remained for much longer. At this point the shock to the system has got them all, even the ones who sided with Celia, starting to realize just how insane their whole situation has become. The added pressure of a massive zombie horde and the potential for a gunfight probably helps drive the point home. As for the tinies Tammy probably really did just forget about them in the chaos and would have probably hated herself for it if they'd gotten away without them.
[Report This]Date: May 20 2023 6:27 PM Title: All the Shopping Malls are Closed
I really enjoyed the references to things like MGS and RE4 in this chapter. I'm getting some pretty hard Daybreak vibes here too. Now that everyone has finally met up at the mall. I'm looking forward to seeing how they all interact with each other. As always,
nice work.
Author's Response:
This is a reference heavy story, zombie movie aficionados will see familiar faces everywhere lol.
[Report This]Date: May 20 2023 4:04 PM Title: They're Coming to Get You Barbara!
Heya Green,
I really like your characters and world-building here. The smut is very vivid too. I've always been a sucker for the more villainous Gts's. So I'm interested in seeing how the power-hungry cheer captain (which is a great touch of absurdity by the way) is going to enforce her rule on her subjects. Either way, it looks like your cooking up quite the conflict.
Nice work.
Author's Response:
Thanks! Yep the Cheer Captain is reminiscent of plenty of zombie movie villains, she's the real monster lol.
Date: May 18 2023 12:31 PM Title: They're Coming to Get You Barbara!
A giantess zombie story? I don't think anyone has done something like this before. Props for doing something original.
“Now you listen up!” Celia snapped, rage coming over her features as she slapped the desk angrily, “I’m running this monkey farm now! It was me who saw the potential in fortifying the mall! It was me who got rid of those bikers who were in here when we arrived, and it’s me calling the shots, got it!”
Nice Day of the Dead reference.
Author's Response:
Lots of day of the dead references in this one lol, glad you're enjoying it. I almost didn't write this one because the concept is so out there, but then I figured hey, why not?
[Report This]Date: May 18 2023 5:01 AM Title: Return of the Living NEET
This chapter drew a couple of interesting (and maybe weird) parallels in my head.
First, that carrot and stick bit from Celia had some damn near biblical vibes, like some Jesus in the desert shit (an odd comparison to make regarding a fetish story, I know). I don't know, maybe it was how hollow what she was offering John truly was, maybe it was her desperation that comes through in that moment, or maybe it was something about that last line, "All these things I can give to you," but that's where my mind went as I read that part. In any case, Celia makes for a fantastic devil.
The other odd comparison I thought of was when John admitted he loved Barb and rejected Celia, as that "moment of calm clarity" reminded me a bit of the "rebirth" scene from V for Vendetta (both the book and the movie, as that was one of the few scenes that I thought they nailed in the movie adaptation). John yelling "YES!" when he knew what Celia would do to him was very much a "Thank you, but I'd rather die behind the chemical sheds" moment. He realized what was truly important to him, and he refused to let Celia take that last inch from him. It was a powerful moment.
Backtracking just a bit, I also really liked Celia's method for trying to break John's resistance. "Just ask me nicely, just ask me not to drop you ..." On the surface, it seems like it wouldn't be a big deal. But making him accept her help, even if she was the one threatening him at the same time, that's some hardcore psychological shit. It almost would have been better for John if she had made him call her goddess or something. Instead, he had to acknowledge that he needed her, even if it's just to protect him from herself. That's a fucking power play! It also set up the "sweeter" part of the pitch to John as well.
Oh, and throwing in that nickname, Johnny, in the middle of it just gave the whole thing a more personal, intimate feel.
Also, that whole thing made it pretty clear how much Celia needs someone to accept her and/or how little she thinks of most of the rest of the people in the mall. I mean, Cassie kind of did before Celia tried to kill her, and Peter pretending to do so seemed to placate the cheer captain, but it's almost like the blind obedience of everyone else doesn't matter to her. Maybe it's John's resistance against her or maybe it's her just trying to take what Barb had (Bullying 101), but she was really trying HARD to win John over.
Rhames showing off both his brawn and his brain was a nice touch, too. He kicked the shit out of John and killed a giant zombie, but it was his logic that broke John down. It was over as soon as John said everyone deserved to die, which he obviously didn't mean/ hadn't thought through. Rhames' reasoning for following someone like Celia was solid, too, and it also gave us a bit of insight into the darker side of how this world worked before the apocalypse.
And I wondered earlier in the story which side he would take when the shit hit the fan. I should have known from that start that Rhames plays for Rhames' side only.
I was wondering how Barb and Cassie were going to try to win over the cheer squad, and the radio bit was fun. Yeah, they lost the element of surprise by doing that, but I think the numbers game would have caught up with them pretty quickly otherwise. And Barb letting all of them know that she was willing to kill for John was intense, and, as I was talking about parallels above, that lined up with John being willing to die to stay loyal to her quite well.
I'm both excited and a little bummed that we're approaching the climax. Of course, if I get lost along the way, I can always ask Cassie for directions. She's been getting there for most of the story.
Author's Response:
The biblical allegory is very much intentional, the last temptation of John as it were lol. Celia, like the Devil with Jesus, is ultimately offering something very hollow, the kingdoms of the earth in all their glory, which I think ties into what George Romero himself was trying to say with the characters and the mall back in Dawn of the Dead. "What have we done to ourselves?" Fran asks. Similarly their makeshift family is ultimately destroyed fighting over material possessions neither they nor the bikers can use. "All these things I can give to you," and none of them are worth anything to a person who sees them for what they are, as John does, as any person who makes it that far in the zombie apocalypse does. I feel like thees themes of materialism and consumerism are inherent to any apocalypse story, zombies or not, and from the beginning I had an odd temptation of Christ scene in mind. Is this going too deep for a silly fetish story? Probably, but even with all the deep thoughts we're all having fun and that's what really counts here, right?
Celia's final sexual temptation was, as you said, meant to be a final rejection of sorts, it actually takes Celia's temptation to push John into the realization that he loves Barb.
Also like you said Celia needs someone to accept her as an absolute goddess, even with all the power and wealth she has in the apocalypse, even being queen of the world, it isn't enough. John is a very present and poignant reminder of something she can't just HAVE, and it drives her to near insanity.
Rhames is a different sort of foe, like you said he's the very soul of brutal pragmatism. In a different time, a different place, he'd be the hero of this story.
Barb's announcement on the radio, that she's willing to kill, is 100% meant to be a parallel to John's own journey, that he's willing to die for her.
Yes the ending is coming, but I think you'll enjoy it.
[Report This]Date: May 17 2023 10:00 PM Title: Hell's Full
Good 2nd part.
Just a suggestion; you have an international audience; be careful about using acronyms and terms that are unique to your Country (e.g., OSHA guy).
Author's Response:
Hope to hear comments on all/any chapters! Anyways I always struggle with the international audience, a lot of my idioms and metaphors are super local lol. For anyone from abroad OSHA is the US government Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and they generally manage job safety stuff to varying degrees of success by industry.
[Report This]Date: May 17 2023 9:30 PM Title: They're Coming to Get You Barbara!
Thank you, thank you, Greenanon.
This is a well-written, great story!
Author's Response:
Thanks! I almost didn't write this one because of the crazy premise, but I decided to just push through.
[Report This]Date: May 13 2023 6:35 AM Title: Getting a Pint Until the Whole Thing Blows Over
Man, I know you've expressed your appreciation for Shaun of the Dead a few times now, but you really came hard with the references in this chapter! I respect it, though, especially that Winchester hanging above the bar, given that the bar's name was a more ... meta reference.
I'm also really digging the whole self-fulfilling prophecy arc this story has taken. Celia had to try to kill Cassie so that she wouldn't turn her cheer squad against her, so now Cassie is going to turn Celia's cheer squad against her. How very Greek.
I also also love Celia's villain logic when Cassie pulled the trigger to the unloaded rifle: You were going to shoot me after I was about to shoot you for no reason, so now I'm totally justified to shoot you for real! Also, the fact that even after Cassie pulled the trigger, Celia still felt she owed her former friend a clean shot to the head was something I found interesting. I said early on that I thought Celia was setting up to be an intriguing villain, and she certainly hasn't disappointed! She's complicated but still pure evil, a combination you don't see a lot of these days.
The escape from the parking garage was also a joy to read. I feel like the action descriptions in this story has been pretty good the start. They're not overly complicated or description heavy, yet really easy to picture. Also, "seeing" Barb kick ass with a samurai sword was pretty badass, and I figured Cassie and she would bond over anime at some point, and that scene was close enough for me to claim that I was right.
Also, it's kind of a small thing, but I was happy that Barb made the realization that she wasn't "even that fat." Words from bullies can do a lot to shape your self-image, and that quick thought shows that her growth as a person during all of this has helped her overcome that.
I'm curious to see how John handles being in Peter's old spot. He's shown a lot more resistance than Peter showed at the start of the story, but how much of that is fueled by grief and anger about Barb's supposed passing and how much of it is just pure stubbornness? It didn't take much for Peter to cave when Celia started tormenting him, but I think that was more smart than pathetic. That strategy contrasts nicely with John's fuck you attitude, although it looks like he may not have to put up with Celia's shit for as long as Peter did.
It'll also be interesting to see what Rhames' response to John's refusal to work on the tram (and Celia's approach to get him to change his mind) will be. He's got much more of a sense of urgency about getting the subway going than Celia does, so he might not be so keen on waiting until John's "broken in."
I mentioned this a bit in my review of the previous chapter, but the Cassie/Peter interactions are really stealing the show! It's not just the smut, but the psychology behind it that really helps these scenes stand out. In particular, it's intriguing to consider how much intention and personal feelings can shift how things are taken by another person. I mean, the idea of being under Cassie's toes, in her cleavage, or in her underwear seemed great to Peter last chapter, despite Celia having done all of those things to him to torment him earlier in the story. But because Cassie cares about and respect him, those terrible things now don't seem so terrible anymore.
And that difference was really driven home in this chapter. Between Cassie dangling Peter in her fingers (Celia really seemed to enjoy dangling and swaying him) and him having to suggest Celia's method of lubing him up to enter the back door (he even didn't mind her spit!), the comparison between how the two cheerleaders handle him and the different way he reacts to each really stands out to me.
And all of that adds something special to their time together. The subtle way in which this is done is really well done, too!
I'm super happy Mrs. Smythe finally got her rent money. If only Barb could have robbed more bars before the end of the world!
Lastly, I absolutely love that Barb's response to being told she has "major good guy energy" is a (slightly modified) Bruce Campbell quote.
Author's Response:
As always a lot of bases to cover!
Celia has her own twisted and self serving morality, while she has some affection for Cassie and Peter and is obviously ready to kill them she wanted to make it relatively painless. The Old Yeller comparison she makes is deliberate, in her way this isn't executing her enemies it's putting down a rabid pet, something she loved at one point but is now ready to part with.
Peter played along with Celia's torture but obviously, even as terrified of her as he is, he never really broke. Like you said it's not exactly brave, but Peter took a pragmatic approach that ultimately paid off for him. John's stricken with grief and is more angry and sad than he is afraid, for now anyway. He also probably won't be Celia's pet tiny for nearly as long as Peter had to, also he has an advantage over Peter in that he has something Celia wants, namely the ability to fix that tram.
Glad you're enjoying Peter and Cassie's relationship. You might say that consent makes a big difference in how much a tiny guy enjoys certain acts.
Some other other odds and ends, we'll see more of Rhames next chapter, he definitely wants out of the city more than Celia does.
Barb has definitely gotten a confidence boost, she's ready to become the hero the apocalypse needs.
Date: May 12 2023 12:02 PM Title: They're Coming to Get You Barbara!
I feel you trying to balance out Zombie apocalypse genre with your "gentle stories" vibe. Must be hard. That survival was pure plot armor if I ever seen one.
Author's Response:
Admittedly it is a little hard because I don't want to get too gory or go full tilt into despair or anything, but both of those are kind of hallmarks of the zombie genre. Barb certainly has some protagonist power going on lol.
[Report This]Date: May 05 2023 2:38 AM Title: They're Coming to Get You Barbara!
I wouldn't sweat taking longer to get this last chapter out, especially if you were still putting stuff out there at all. I don't know that I've seen a lot of writers here put out multiple story chapters and/or one shots in a week, and as a world-class procrastinator, I find that to be pretty impressive. Also, it may have been a longer wait in terms of when the chapters in this story have been released, but it didn't really feel like a ridiculously long wait, either.
I've gotta say, Celia made a really good point when she talked about Romero's pizza. The next time I get delivery, I'm getting pepperoni and extra social commentary.
I'm also finding myself really worried about John at this point. Yeah, he's got a great thing going with Barb (and their interaction in this chapter was heart-meltingly sweet) but between the Walking Dead and Dawn of the Dead direct references, it's becoming pretty clear that this story takes place in some kind of zombie genre nexus. That means it's only a matter of time until Leon shows up, and when he does, John is done. Even if it's a tiny Leon (maybe especially if it's a tiny Leon), Barb has made it clear where her heart really lies.
But man, what a cliffhanger ending to this chapter! Going into the chapter, I didn't expect Celia to turn on Cassie OR try to get rid of Barb quite so soon, but given how this chapter played out, it made sense (at least from her perspective) to do so.
I've been raving about how good a villain Celia has been from the start, and she showed why here. I almost feel like she was trying to convince herself as much as Cassie when she said that the squad needed a "bleeding heart" like Cassie, but as soon as she found out that Cassie really had feelings for Peter, there was no going back. Even still, letting Cassie have her moment with Peter was about as kind of a thing as you could expect from someone like the good cheer captain, a "going away" present of sorts to show that she really does think of her as a friend, despite what she's about to do.
I think Celia made a mistake, though, trying to take out Cassie and Barb (and Peter, or course) at the same time. She probably assumes Barb can't do much because of their high school days. This could come back to bite her (or someone might actually get bit).
And it was nice to see how far Barb has come. She's gone from getting nervous when someone asks her what she's planning to do to trying to look for openings to escape and trying to figure out where the guns are. It seems like the old her would have probably just resigned herself to being a "fucking pizza girl" for the rest of her life (or until the power went out), hating it the whole time. Now she's telling bullies to go to hell!
After everything that Peter has been though and with the way that the relationship between Cassie and him has been set up in the previous two chapters, that smut scene they have together is particularly satisfying. Peter's hesitancy is understandable, given everything Celia has done to him, and the way that he let go of all that once he knew that he wasn't being forced into anything provided a nice bit of nuance to the scene.
Of course, the smut itself was pretty good as well, but the backstory going into it made it so much better.
Rhames continues to be an intriguing character. I didn't watch the Dawn of the Dead remake (I swore off remakes of Romero's work after watching the shitty '90s remake of Night of the Living Dead), so I really have no idea what to expect from him. Obviously he's out to take care of himself and he doesn't care for being labeled a house tiny, but I'm still not really sure exactly how his character is going to shake out.
Again, I love a good cliffhanger, and I'm looking forward to seeing how this all plays out next chapter.
Author's Response:
Your reviews are always a gem to read. Glad someone got the Fulci's vs Romero's pizza joke.
Anyways yeah Barb definitely has a crush on Leon from the RE games, luckily for John they're nowhere near rural Spain lol. As far as Barb herself goes yes she's come along way, I really liked the overall message and character arc of Shaun of the Dead and so we're repeating it here a little with Barb. She's fought real monsters, she's got someone to care about, a lot of the passiveness and lack of direction is gone, yeah she still doesn't have the head for the bigger picture stuff, but she's not ready to lay down and die.
Peter kind of was a sticking point for Cassie, along with Celia's attempt to let Barb die, that kind of broke the spell that everything they were doing was okay. Celia is at a point that a lot of zombie movie antagonists get to, where her brutality and leadership skills let her survive and even thrive in the early apocalypse, the long term picture is starting to look uncertain. The dust up with a close friend and losing her tiny crush's affections (no matter how forced they were) is a blow to an ego that's been pretty heavily inflated by all of this, still I think it took her a bit of time to come to her decision to get rid of them.
So for Rhames he's based in appearance and mannerisms on Ving Rhames Dawn of the Dead 2004 character, though it's worth nothing that Ving in that movie was pretty heroic the whole way through so there's a deviation. As far as the Dawn remake goes it's a good movie on its own but it's a pretty poor remake of Dawn of the Dead, I recommend it and it's one of my favorite zombie movies but it's also very much an action flick, so don't go in expecting the same gravitas as Romero's, it's a very different movie overall once you get over the zombies in a mall concept.
[Report This]Date: April 26 2023 10:10 PM Title: They're Coming to Get You Barbara!
Barb did a double take, the corpse of Mrs. Smythe, her old landlady, was dead in front of her
I'm not really much of a pun person, but this one … this one got me. Well done!
Also, Night of the Living Dead, Zombieland, AND Metal Gear Solid references all in the same chapter? What?! That Zombieland one was brutal, too.
And right off the bat, this chapter shows that Peter's concerns about Celia's leadership from chapter two (the ones about food, power, and water) are legitimate. Even though those particular issues don't come up, the way she handles the new arrivals has me convinced that the mall group won't last more than a couple weeks with her in charge. She made absolutely no effort to evaluate the skillsets of anyone she brought in to see what they can contribute. Of course, almost all of the tinies are all relegated to nail work, while her fellow giants are forced to show team spirit or face the unbearable punishment of mall employment.
That's not a complaint, mind you. It makes sense that she's not practical, and her introduction to the new arrivals showed off her bubbly demeanor and delusion while giving the new West State University Cheerleading recruits a peak at her dark side. I'm still really loving her as a villain.
I'm also interested to see how things shake out with Rhames. I don't think we have enough information to see which side he ends up taking (once there are sides to take). There seems to be a sense of respect between Celia and him, and if he thinks she's his best chance of survival, I could see him going her way (based on what little we know about him so far).
The banter between Barb and John continues to be charming and fun. Also, in Barb's defense about Leon, if you look at the history of Resident Evil, groups typically don't do very well. You usually only end up with one or two people left anyway. The president was probably just trying to save some time!
But it's still really endearing to see how tight the two main characters have become in such a short amount of time. Chapter one Barb certainly wouldn't have been confident enough to be so assertive (and she also likely would have been worried that John might misread her playfulness for actual coercion), and I think John would have found that assertiveness less sexy and more terrifying early on.
That little heart-to-heart they had was nice as well. It's kind of sad that Barb sees herself as a loser, but that just makes her building herself up through John that much more satisfying at the same time. And it's nice to see that she's having the same effect on him as well.
But most impressive is that their progression just feels natural. Compliment each other, indeed. If your other stuff has character development this good, I really need to check them out!
The forklift plan worked a lot better than I thought it would. It continued to show why Barb is such a fun protagonist, too. And while Mrs. Smythe may not exactly be a Bub analog, she comes pretty close in her brief time in this chapter. I wonder how her Aunt Alicia is doing?
I have to admit, I was a little surprised at how fast Celia came to rescue there at the end of the chapter. When Cassie went out to save Barb, I thought she was either going to find herself locked out and forced to find another place to escape to or be made to sweat it out until the last possible second. At first, I thought maybe Celia did it because it would be a bad look to let one of their own die in front of the rest of the cheerleaders. Then I thought maybe it was some weird parallel between Celia and the zombies, as in much like how Mrs. Smythe still craves rent, the cheer captain warlord still maintains the same loyalty she had for squadmates in the old world.
And then, once they were inside, Celia darkly reminded Cassie to call her by her title instead of her name, and something clicked for me. I think I had previously underestimated how much Celia actually likes Cassie.
I hadn't realized until that point that Celia had let Cassie get away with calling her by her name while on duty during their conversation on the roof (I know Cassie called her Celia in the last chapter as well, but I figured that Cassie was off duty since she was getting her nails done). It also seemed as though Celia was almost trying to make an effort to suppress her anger when Cassie called her out about Peter, and it was like Celia was trying to convince her to see things her way, which is vastly different from the treatment nameless cheerleader received for suggesting they try to contact other people in chapter one.
I'm starting to think that Celia sees Cassie as an actual friend (or as close to a friend as someone like Celia can actually have) rather than just a subordinate. She even shortened her name to Cass once, which gave that conversation a more personal feel than any other we've seen from Celia so far.
If Celia does feel that way, this probably doesn't bode well for Peter. Between Cassie standing up for him and those glances they shared (which I'm sure Celia could plainly see), he may make the unpleasant transition in Celia's eyes from crush and source of entertainment to bad influence pretty quickly.
Or I could be reading way too much into all this. Either way, it'll be interesting to see how the relationship between the two girls plays out going forward.
And finally, the long awaited (three whole chapters) confrontation between Barb and her former bully. It was nice to see John sticking up for Barb, but hopefully they've seen enough to realize that they may not want to let Celia know how close they've gotten. Otherwise, the mall might be offering a two-for-one bullying special, as abusing John would surely get to Barb as well.
Then again, this could be a good chance to find out if Barb's newfound confidence has staying power or if she reverts back to her self-defeating attitude as she has to endure who knows what from her old enemy.
I wonder if will Barb get to go through tryouts or if she'll be immediately relegated to mall worker (or something worse).
Author's Response:
Your reviews are always a treat to read. Yeah Celia certainly has strengths as a leader, she's got a loyal and well disciplined group and she's also ruthless and quick thinking, the problem is she's also going off the deep end and thinks the cheer squad is a great model for a new society.
Barb and John haven't had much time together, but life and death situations and the bluntness of the zombie apocalypse speed along those relationships you might say. Personally I like giant and tiny characters that compliment each other in some way, I'm not sure what, if any, of my other stories you've read but I do try to show character and relationship arcs over the story. A lot of people think my story One Year Lease is pretty good on this, and if you review any of my other stories I'd love to hear thoughts about them!
Rhames is a reference to Ving Rhames' Dawn of the Dead character. He's obviously not loyal enough to his fellow tinies to try to help them out too much, he and Celia have a weird respect thing because they recognize that they both have to be somewhat harsh to get respect in this world, Celia might be "big" relative to the tiny characters, but she's still a pretty cheerleader, like Rhames said she'd have to understand certain things to be able to be in charge in this world.
On Celia and Cassie yes Celia and Cassie are close, or were before the end of the world, and it reflects in how Cassie is able to talk with her more informally than the other cheerleaders get to. Cassie's breaking point in this chapter was actually a High School of the Dead homage of sorts, Celia's rescue is both because she can't be seen to abandon one of her own and like you said Cassie is a friend, although how long that will last is now very much up in the air.
Obviously nothing good awaits our heroes in the mall under Celia's rule, Barb's grown up a bit, but Celia's also not the same preppy bully she was either.
Date: April 25 2023 9:42 PM Title: All the Shopping Malls are Closed
Once again you grace us with another great story. I’m enjoying this so much. Love the mall and zombie love.
Author's Response:
Thanks! I love zombie movies myself and I'm really having fun with this one
[Report This]Date: April 22 2023 3:39 AM Title: Hell's Full
Greenanon is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors with fun and incredibly hot sex coupled with character driven stories that always have a diverse cast of iconic characters in a way that always seems to feel fresh and new.
I did not expect to get a completely new visual for what it would be like to get swallowed up by breasts that is definitely the hottest yet but here we are.
The fortnight / lollipop chainsaw vibe fits PERFECTLY for keeping a story with very real stakes and tension and marrying it effortlessly with the fun and energetic characters and sex.
Absolutely looking forward to more.
Author's Response:
Thanks! One of the things I pride myself is in making stories "fun" in addition to the usual stuff you come to giantessworld for. The general vibe I'm going for for this one is the zombie movies of the 70s and 80s, so energetic but also with stakes like you said. Thanks for reading!
[Report This]Date: April 21 2023 8:39 PM Title: Hell's Full
Man, I'm really into this!
That action sequence at the start of the chapter was really good! It really felt like a scene out of an actual zombie movie, yet Barb's enthusiastic attitude and the humor mixed in with the well placed tension gave it a bit of a unique feel at the same time. Plus, this is probably the first zombie movie that has it's main heroine hopscotching tiny zombies, or hopscotching at all, for that matter.
I think that Barb grabbing John too tight during and immediately after that close call with the zombie horde was a nice touch. It both conveys the stress and tension of the situation and provides a casual display of the size difference between them quite well.
I'm also really liking how quickly the bond between Barb and John is forming. Not only are the life-and-death situation and reliance they have on one another contributing to that, but it's endearing to see how John's words are reshaping how Barb views herself. He gave her that shot of confidence she needed to buy just a little more time when he was trying to get the door open, and now she's starting to see herself as the sexy badass that she never realized she was (and John's benefitting from that realization).
Also, am I the only one that found it funny that Barb motivated herself for that "knife fight" by referencing the one Resident Evil game that DOESN'T have zombies in it?
Now, I'm going to take it easy on Barb, because I'm, like, 85 percent sure this is her first zombie apocalypse, but she should really do a quick look-around when entering a new place before taking off clothes and revealing more bitable flesh. You never know where those pesky zeds are hiding, after all.
That being said, the tit-fucking bit that followed was tremendously well done! It really hit home just how easily Barb's slightest movements can absolutely dominate John. Her teasing is pretty cute, too.
Back at the mall, Celia continues to be set up as an intriguing, dark villain. Her perspective on why the zombies exist really gives insight into how she can treat other people the way she does. That shot she took was expertly described as well. I could see that scene play out in my mind in late '70s film style.
I was wondering if there would be a cheerleader not totally onboard with their cheer captain's way of doing things, and I really like the way that Cassie is being set up. On some level, she knows this whole thing is wrong, but she's convinced herself otherwise because she believes things need to be this way to survive and that Celia is still her friend. Her interaction with Peter was pretty heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, and it was nice to see that he could speak honestly with her, if a bit harsh, and still be treated with respect.
Of course, while having an ally is nice, I don't think there's much Cassie can do for Peter right now anyway. If she tries to stick up for him, she might end up next to her old cheer coach, although I don't think she realizes that just yet.
It was also interesting to see that the zombies seem to be retaining some of their old habits (memories doesn't quite seem to fit here), what with them not crushing the tiny zombies and all. Between that and the knife-wielding zombie outside of the warehouse, the next thing you know, they'll be listening to Ode to Joy and shooting guns.
The tryouts also seem like they'll be pretty interesting. How exactly does one show that they're "cheerleader material" in this new world? Also, Celia is way too excited to be adding people to their group. Maybe she thinks she's playing by Walking Dead rules instead of Romero's?
I apologize for how long this is, by the way. There was just a lot that stuck out to me this chapter.
Author's Response:
First off I'll say I love long reviews and I often find myself coming back and reading them over and over, they always bring a smile to my face, so thanks.
Anyways in Barb's defense on the knife count I don't think I ever used the knife in RE2, but in RE4 it was like half of what I used lol. Also yes Barb probably shouldn't have immediately taken off her combat gear once she reached "safety," it seems like there's always at least one zombie locked in a closet or something. Luckily for Barb she's not just in a zombie movie she's also in a fetish smut piece, so she's got rule of sexy on her side against rule of zombie movies.
I'm glad you're enjoying the development of the character's relationship, not sure how many of my other stories (if any) you've read but I always like the idea that a giant and a tiny compliment each other, and while zombie stories are generally pretty bleak these two can bring a little joy to one another's lives even in the face of all of this horror. Barb has obviously spent a lot of her life with pretty low self esteem, there's a bit of a Shaun of the Dead element here where it takes the end of the world for her to break out of her rut, and John is a big part of that.
Also I'm glad you liked the Celia scenes, she's a fun villain to write and when I was writing that scene with her shot I was also picturing it in 1970s style cinematography haha. I tried to write a scene that could have come right out of the original Dawn of the Dead, complete with the cryptic theory on how it's all happening. Cassie obviously doesn't realize just how far gone Cheer Captain Rhodes is, most of the cheerleaders probably don't. I'm guessing if you reference Ode to Joy and shooting guns for your zombies you recognize her namesake lol.
As far as our zombies go I'm trying to channel the Romero zombies mostly, there's a weird mix of instinct, memory, and something else unique to them. The tiny zombies and the giant zombies clearly know they're on the same team, do their living counterparts? That remains to be seen. Not sure this story will have a Bub analog, but generally speaking I like the way Romero's zombies are sometimes almost human, it makes them creepier imo, a physical and a mental uncanny valley effect coming together.