[Report This]Date: April 04 2024 3:14 AM Title: Ch 7. In the Pits
I think I realized something about Javi in this chapter. He's a people pleaser. At first I thought he was just laid back and going with the flow on certain things, but his actions here, when taken into account with everything else up to this point, seem to indicate that, a lot of the time, he's just doing or saying what he thinks those around him want him to do or say.
I came to this conclusion when Javi actively lied to Heather about smoking making her look sexy to him (when it, in fact, disgusted him). It would be one thing if he had just ignored it or said it was fine, but to tell her it was sexy, the exact opposite of his actual thought, he was more worried about Heather liking what he had to say than he was about expressing his real feelings.
This made me think back to other Javi moments in the story and kind of see them in a new light. Back in chapter one, when Michelle rudely stomped through the Tiny Student Union and spoke at an obnoxious volume, did it really not bother Javi or was he so desperate to keep Michelle happy that he ignored what clearly grated on every other little in the room (including Jackie)? When he was acting the part of terrified tiny for Shawna last chapter, was he burying his actual fear because part of him was into that or was he just acting the way that he knew the giant TA wanted him to? Hell, there's even that line this chapter in which Javi says that Heather is giving him too much credit for saying that they're just people enjoying each other's company and that's it. And then there's the fact that he was shocked that Heather let him take the lead during sexy time, as he had just accepted that the bigs would always call the shots.
All of that, and possibly some smaller instances not really worth mentioning, have me convinced that Javi needs people to like him. Well, giant women at least. He doesn't seem to act this way around Javi or Jackie (who, as we've already established, is really just an exceptionally tall tiny), and we see him taking a more active role in conversations with those two than with the other corners of the rhombus (although I feel like Heather was starting to break through a tiny bit, which is part of the reason I'm pulling for her).
So (assuming I'm right) the question now becomes why Javi is so eager for these huge ladies to like him that he's willing to ignore his own wants and needs to make that happen. I've got a theory there, as well, although I don't think we know enough to draw anything conclusive yet.
Shawna introduced herself as Javi's old babysitter which I didn't think much of at first (and could admittedly be nothing significant), but now it does have me wondering how available his parents were, especially since it sounds like this led to Shawna and Javi spending a lot of time together. Then there's the comment he made at the convention about having to have confidence in himself because who else will for him. And finally, there was the embarrassment he felt when he told Heather his kink (and the amount of alcohol it took for him to do so), as well as the legit surprise he felt at seeing her enjoy his worship. There's even the fact that he has been "bribing" girls to come to his games by promising to hit a three in their honor.
From all of that, I kind of think Javi didn't have the best support structure growing up. Maybe his parents were always busy or maybe they just weren't expressive with their feelings, but it seems like he may have felt a bit emotionally deprived as a kid. I also think he probably shared something personal about himself (maybe sexual, maybe not) with a girlfriend (or possibly someone else really close to him) and was rejected, maybe even rejected harshly.
Yeah, I might be grasping at straws a bit here, but one thing I'm pretty confident in is that Javi, despite being a well-documented ladies man, needs to feel loved but feels like he has to change who he is to get the kind of love he's looking for. He doesn't think anyone will love the real him, not the way he wants them to, at least.
That's my working theory, anyway. I could very easily be wrong about all of it, but speculation is fun, huh?
And hey, if I'm right, that Heather accepted him despite learning his embarrassing secret (and was even into it) has to be a good sign, right? Right?!
I love how impulsive Heather was to "kidnap" Javi just before the start of class. That was a bold move, but absolutely on point with her character. I also liked how easy it was for her to open up to Javi during a couple of points in the chapter. I feel like their conversations so far feel the most natural (admittedly part of that is circumstance, but still, it makes the potentially developing relationship feel realistic).
I also noticed that, while Shawna got flustered and dropped her confident façade a bit when Javi teased her about his ... transport options, Heather very confidently shot that shit down and had not problem getting down to business. Like I said last chapter, Shawna felt slightly desperate at times, so it was a nice contrast to see Heather be assertive (without being forceful or scaring the bejesus out him, like Crazy Shawna).
I thought it was interesting that Heather let Javi dictate what they were going to do, although I didn't think too much of it until a couple of paragraphs later, when she noted that she considered sex to be "a fight for dominance" and thought about how roughly past lovers had treated her. So, in my mind, Heather either has feelings for Javi strong enough that she was willing to let him win that fight or she's a sub who enjoys losing said fight. And given how much she enjoyed being worshipped, I think it's safe to say that she's definitely not a sub.
And I just wanted to say that I really liked the "move this somewhere more intimate" line. Very creative use of what's usually a pretty standard intimate moment phrase.
As for the the sudden turn things took once Heather broke out the smokes, I felt like there was some nice foreshadowing leading up to that pivotal moment. I'd say her keeping him in her hand without thinking about the smell or how sweaty he would get and the fact that she didn't consider that shotgunning a beer with a tiny in her mouth might get a bit rough with said tiny (while Javi did ask for a try, it was her idea that they do it together). And then there was earlier in the chapter, where Heather thinks back to her time at an all big school before taking Javi from class, casually reminding us of Heather's inexperience with tinies prior to college.
I think all of that, and maybe even the odd moment or two in the chapters leading up to this one, showed that it was inevitable that she was eventually going to make a noticeable mistake and realize the impact she can have on tinies without even trying. And when it happened, it shook her in a major way, as was made apparent by the fact that she was afraid to even touch him after the fact.
Although, if there was any doubt about how Heather felt about Javi, her immediate reaction to this put that to bed. The way she panicked and doted over him was super cute, despite the seriousness of the scene.
I do find it intriguing that things turned out this way. Obviously, I was rooting for Heather to have at least as much fun as Shawna did, but ending the chapter this way was certainly a lot more interesting. Could this be an obstacle the two need to overcome to end up together, or is this roadblock an opportunity for the other two rhombus dwellers to pull away?
I think a conflict like this, again, would make a relationship between the Heather and Javi seem more realistic, as well as earned. Then again, we don't even know too much about Michelle yet, other than that it's her bloody turn, damn it! So it's hard to speculate too much on where you intent to go with this until we get a deeper look into why Michelle wants him so badly, which I'm guessing is coming next chapter?
I also believe that this incident is going to have a wider affect on Heather. She might start thinking back and overanalyzing her previous interactions with tinies and start to become skittish not only around Javi but Lynn (and Pierce theoretically, although we haven't really seen these two interact much up to this point) as well. Like I said before, Heather's mild carelessness with tinies, unlike Michelle's, seems to be the product of a lack of experience around them. Now that she has noticed the result of that innocent ignorance, especially with the experience turning out as badly as it did, that's going to start weighing on her heavily now, I think, given that she's actually a kind and considerate person.
If this is how things end up playing out, I'm curious how Heather will get over this hump and who might provide her with the most help along the way.
Author's Response:
Ah, how the pieces fall in place. Yeah, Javi is absolutely a people pleaser. When Shawna wants to play predator, he knows to don the role of prey. When Heather ruins the mood by smoking, he knows to keep his true opinions in check. I think this actually goes in line with his go with the flow attitude, him adapting to whatever his partner desires as opposed to trying to steer things his way and risk souring the relationship. If the people around him are happy. then he's happy, and if they aren't, then what's he doing wrong to cause that? Your comment in that last review regarding Javi playing along to Shawna's wiles and how that possibly showed what he was into intrigued me because your analysis here is much closer to what I was going for. He doesn't care to fit the role of unwilling victim, but he can assume that guise if it's what his partner wants. And in his eyes, bigs attracted to tinies are seeking an unbalanced power dynamic in their relationships, that's what he's grown used to in his experiences with the people he's been with. Paying no mind to Michelle's obnoxious entrance is partly out of consideration for her feelings and partly because that's how he expects and is used to bigs acting (outside of special cases like Jackie).
Granted, I don't view his eagerness to please as contradictory to his own desires, at least not fully. He is submissive, as a people pleaser typically would be, and does derive his own pleasure from serving dominant personalities (in case his worship and armpit fetish wasn't a massive indicator of that lol). There's a slither of truth to his performance; a voracious Shawna is kinda hot, and there is a sexy aspect of maturity and dominance to a giant woman smoking toxic cloud producing cigarettes, and he'll keep his outward focus on the positives while ignoring the fact that neither of those are to his taste. (I hope that makes sense? Like, just because he's a sub doesn't mean he's going to enjoy every flavor of domination or not think it can go too extreme in certain places, but he's willing to play along with most places his partner wants to take him for the sake of their enjoyment even when that contradicts with what he actually finds appealing.) Not to say Javi's a total pushover. He's socially skilled enough to know when to tease and push back, like with Shawna's obvious fibbing to carry him in her cleavage, situations where he knows pushing back will enhance the mood rather than ruin it (this isn't directed at any specific point you rose, just me processing through my own introspections on this character).
This side of him isn't really seen with Pierce because they've been best friends their whole lives. He doesn't need to put on any façade for his bro and is willing to tell him what he needs to hear because he can be sure it won't damage their friendship. With Jackie and other tinies, I see it as him not viewing them as potential romantic partners and thus doesn't have to put as much thought into keeping them happy. The stakes are lower, and while he almost always avoid upsetting them, he isn't as concerned with pleasing their every whim. Future chapters will show him capitulating to characters outside of the rhombus, but specifically in Jackie's case, Javi's more concerned about making sure Pierce is affirming whatever she wants rather than what he himself is doing for her.
As for your theory crafting, I mainly just want to tell you how giddy it makes me that something I've written can even inspire one to theorize about it. Skimming back through previous pieces of prose looking for evidence to support your predictions, that's like a hallmark of actual literature and the fact my silly smut is decent enough to warrant that kind of critical thought is so elating. Whether the specifics of your speculation are correct or not, there is certainly truth in the core idea that Javi feels the need to adapt to meet his partner's criteria and that he needs to hide the undesirable aspects of his character (particularly his fetish). I believe that's relatable to a lot of people, especially in a kink community like this, where we want to hide the "weird" part of our identities out of fear of rejection or harassment, to avoid shame and judgment. It's a scary thing making yourself vulnerable to another by letting them get a glimpse of the full you.
But enough of that, let's talk Heather! I do like the rapport she's built with Javi and how that contrasts with Shawna's more forced insistences. The front Heather puts on comes off as less desperate and more confident which I think lends itself to an experienced socialite. And that experience also plays into her views on sex and giving Javi the chance to take the reins. I'm not sure yet how much I plan to delve into this aspect of her character, but the crowd Heather is used to getting cozy with are social elites and inheritors of wealth and status, a.k.a spoiled boys who are used to getting what they want and are taught to always be as assertive as possible to get ahead in life. I'd say Heather leans more on the dom side, but is willing to switch if that's what makes her partner happy (to a lesser degree of what Javi does, it being tied into his personality whereas for Heather it's moreso a tactic to gain favor, though I think she'd gain genuine pleasure from it if she was subbing for someone she truly cares for with the expectation that they'd be willing to do the same for her).
I'm glad you like the "somewhere more intimate" line. I needed a smoother way of saying "Why don't ya lick my nipple?" and thank the muses for coming to my aid lol.
As for your thoughts on Heather's big slip-up this chapter, that's going to be another instance of me refraining from commenting to avoid any accidental reveals on my part. I do very much enjoy reading your thoughts on it though.
Next chapter will give our final corner her time to shine, though it will also be more inclusive towards the rest of the cast. I have some future events I want to start setting up, some intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts to explore, and hoo boy it's been a minute since Lynn and Alena have gotten any screen time.