[Report This]Date: March 14 2015 10:48 PM Title: Chapter 17. Aftermath
I'm glad Lisa seems horrified at what her former friends have done, it really shows that she won't be killing humans anytime soon. As for Kelly, well even though she's not completely evil, she HAS went out of her way to squish survivors (even though she, herself thought it was unneeded) JUST to show face in front of Casey, so that doesn't speak well of her character.
I think that if she HAD to choose a side, she'd take Casey's, because even though she's a murdering sociopath she'll defend Kelly and her own right to stay as giantesses. I think Kelly has clearly shown that this GTS power has gone to her head and I doubt she'll be willing take Lisa's side, especially now that she has blood on her hands and faces prison or worse if she's returned to normal!
It'll be interesting to see where things go from here. Like you said Kelly IS in the gray area but I'd say she's leaning more towards the evil side...I wonder how this story would have played out if Kelly has kept from killing anyone but still woudn't relent being a GTS. In my mind this scenario could have played out something like this:
Kelly, instead of killing the soldiers who were attacking her, disarms them or runs away. But then Casey shows up, shorly after, a true villan and begins killing them mercylessly. And if Kelly had stepped in to defend the small soldiers who were attacking her before from the REAL monster and ended up looking like a hero in the end, could she have stayed a GTS diplomatically AND kept her hands clean? I don't know, food for thought. That part of the story really was the tipping point...
Author's Response:
Of course lisa is horrified. She is not only incapable of killing anyone but, no matter how pissed off she may have got with what the government has done to her and her family, she will always be horrified when someone does. The only thing Lisa wants to do is save the day, as she did back in Henford. And she genuinely wants to do that out of compassion, not because she likes becoming some soft of savior.
As for Kelly... it's true that she has crossed a line (and that the story had a tipping point there). And once she has crossed it, she will do things that she would not have done anyway. But let's keep in mind that she has just been hit with two anti-tank missiles and that they tried to hit her with more than that. And it's not as if she is invulnerable. She has been hurt, even if the consequences have not been that bad. So, she's basically very pissed off and even a little scared. This is what made her cross the line in the first place wehn fighting back with the soldiers. And then... Casey showed up. Far from making her happier, this has only made Kelly more nervous and uncertain about everything. And, after a morning gradually convincing herself that she was over everything and everyone, she suddenly finds herself in a situation with too many unknowns. She's trying to adapt to it and not to look weak. And this has made her do something she would have never expected.
So, Kelly is not gentle. But she is not evil either; at least not in the same way Casey is. And she will not necessarily need to choose Lisa's or Casey's side. Kelly has her own side and she is very convinced that it's the right one, as she told Daphne in the brief conversation they had just before she was attacked. And once she starts calming down and evaluating the situation, she will try to make sure that "her side" is the one prevailing. Power has obviously gone into her head, but even if it's hard to say so after the last couple of chapters, she still keeps some sort of moral compass. You'll see a little more abou this in the coming couple of chapters.
As for the alternative plot you are suggesting: it could have been interesting if the circumstances had been different. But there are two things of the story so far that made it impossible: first, Kelly was never going to surrender or flee from the army. She wants to stay a giantess and she wants to be in charge, so that is not an option. Second: she was attacked and hurt, without any room for negotiation. And, while the attitude of the army can easily be justified by what Kelly has done so far and, moreover, by what she may do in the future, it's not as if they are giving her too many more options than fighting back.
Anyway, I guess that, as always, the interpretation on what happened and what could have happened depends exclusively on the reader. Thanks for sharing yours and for taking the time to share your feedback. I really appreciate it. I hope that you will like what's coming. There are still some surprises left in the plot. Please, let me know what you think.
Cheers!