[Report This]Date: March 16 2025 10:46 PM Title: Callie vs. the Esoteric Executive
Fuck it. This may have been a rare opportunity for free time, but my friends can spread managed democracy without me. I needed to know what happens next with Callie and Duncan and Monica! And especially Callie.
The opening to this chapter goves me a very different view of Monica than we've seen previously, and I find it refreshingly unexpected. Then again, her approach to dealing with Callie reinforces Duncan's initial description of Monica, so it's nice to know he wasn't just badmouthing his at least somewhat-caring boss.
It's kinda heartwarming to see Duncan and Callie solidifying their Roomie connection, with Duncan literally giving Callie control over his financials. That's more trust than some mardied couples have in their partner, the practical aspect of Callie shopping for Duncan ve damned.
It was nice to see that as rough and cutthroat as the culture is at Shale Holdings, at least Monica and Alyssia seem to care about Duncan. I laughed at the nicknames thing (poor Shortstack - I mean, Alyssia) and I'm looking forward to finding out what she came up with. I'm not sure whether I'm hoping for a typical tiny pet name or something more creative.
(Also, side note, I love the character names in this story. Even Stillwell has an interesting name, may it be written on a thousand sheets of paper and each of them be used to draw his blood.)
I'm enjoying the power dynamics between Monica, who ostensibly has all the power, and yet is somewhat yielding to Callie for Duncan's care (I admit I'm surprised she didn't just demand to care for him personally). Then there's Callie and Duncan, where Callie has physical veto power on everything, even as they're trying to help each other out. And then we have Callie's almost Hero Worship of Monica, with her tiny charge somewhere above her in the eyes of her Hero. It's tenuous, and potentially in flux, and I'm looking forward to seeing how those relationships develop.
And once again, we get a delightful contrast. As Monica brings the car to a screeching halt, Duncan and Callie's relationship takes one step closer. I hope we get to see Callie testing the effects of her moans on little Duncan before too long!
Before I touch on Monica again, I want to talk about Callie's parents. Their characterisation frustrates the hell out of me. Well done. The parental lecturing that they know better than Callie, the backwards logic they were raised on that they will not and at this age maybe even cannot question but keep using as a metric to shape and limit Callie - it's all too familiar, not necessarily for myself, certainly not in all aspects, but I've seen it again and again through the years. You have perfectly captured the loving parents feom whom the child needs to distance herself.
Okay, that's said, back to Monica.
WOW, I feel like her personality is worn commando style - lose any of her outer share, and she bares it all. I expected some light teasing, maybe a bit of shock at her unfiltered personality, then some heavier teasing, but she wasted no time. It went from a brief icebreaker about work, to 'I know your dark secret and I'm going straight for the fucking jugular!" And her reaction to his first touch? I can only imagine that from this day forward, any time Duncan sees her Ice Queen demeanor he'll see every crack in that passionless façade.
I will say this transition was probably the most jarring of the story thus far. That should in no way inply it was bad; rather, I admit I was left reeling by these events. And then Callie's return? I'll give Duncan this: he stuck his landing like a champ, even if he landed face first in his boss' toes. I mean, A+ for effort, even if his excuse earned an F, both for Foot and Failure. And then Monica doubles down on the awkward excuse! And then Callie buys it?! I'm holding out hope that the next chapter starts woth Callie holding in her surprise, laughter, and/or confusion, and that she went along with this because her Hero was involved.
Regardless, another great chapter, I'm really looking forward to an opportunity to read the next one!
Date: February 12 2025 3:29 AM Title: Callie vs. the Esoteric Executive
Callie's awe of Monica is adorable. Monica seems to take real pleasure in cutting her down, which I'm not sure is such an admirable quality.
Callie and Duncan's bickering when she takes him out of the bag is hilarious! And Callie being so quick to grab her idol to protect Duncan speaks volumes to her character.
Alyssia is really fun! I like that she treats Duncan like a regular person. Too often do gentle stories act like the tiny is made of glass, physically and emotionally. On the other hand, Monica's foot scene was a little concerning vis-á-vis consent, with her being his boss, towering over him, and shoving her foot in his face.
Also, it's not fully clear why Monica wants to play with him like this. Is she acting on the same impulse that told her to make Callie cry? I don't think so - she would probably be quite upset if she made Duncan cry. Is it a different expression of power related to Duncan specifically, or to tiny people in general? (spoilers...)
At this point in the story, I'm starting to think Duncan is just kind of a boring character. Like yes, he's been through hell, but he came out a generically snarky guy. There's not much to differentiate him from the protagonist of, say, the typical Greenanon story. I think the story still works because of the strength of the set pieces around him.
Author's Response:
Ah! I see where part of our differing opinions on Duncan is coming from. You see, you called him a boring character, then compared him to a "typical" Greenanon protagonists. These two statements are contradictory to me! I think he writes interesting, fun main characters, and you saying that about Duncan is about as high a compliment as I could receive, even if you didn't mean it that way. So part of this might be that we just view male leads in these particular type of story in very different ways.
Although, again, the fact that you refer to him as a "generically" snarky guy tells me that I needed to do a better job of conveying those aspects of his personality that I thought shined through in his actions and words. There's a lot going on with his character already, but I maybe could have been less cryptic about it and just stated some things outright.
Yeah, Callie's fandom over Monica is super cute! This is a big moment for her, which is why her stopping Monica from grabbing Duncan and getting defensive of him was meant to show just how important Duncan is to her even at this early point of them knowing each other. You pointing this out and mentioning specifically that it was her idol's hand she was grabbing makes me feel pretty good about that point getting across here.
There are reasons Monica is so domineering and enjoys (at least here) tearing down people she finds are deserving (with the bar for that being pretty low). I think the fact that she runs a company filled with cutthroat business types makes being like this a natural development over time (and, as we see later, there are other, more personal reasons for her to be like this as well). But with Callie in particular, Monica wanted to blow off some steam after it seemed as though Duncan, someone she really cares about and has been worried about for the last six months, has just blown her off and probably taken a job somewhere else without even talking to her first. So she's looking to take her frustration out on somebody, and Callie, as the messenger, looks like a pretty good target to her.
Of course, later on in the chapter she comes to regret thinking of Callie like this and ripping into her at all, as she gets to know the college girl and sees how great a person she really is.
The fight between Callie and Duncan to start this off was one of the first scenes I thought of when putting this chapter together in my head. I'm thrilled that you also found this to be really funny!
I can't say enough how much I love your first impression of Alyssia! I know at least one reader hates her because of this first scene between her and Duncan inside the purse (which is also good, I'll take any strong reactions I can get when it comes to my characters), but this is the vibe I was going for with her! She's treating him the same way she always has, using her size advantage in a small way to get her point across. I agree 100 percent on tinies being made of glass too often in these stories, particularly in the emotional sense but obviously in the physical one as well.
I get the issue of Monica being his boss here, and you're not the first one to bring this up, but I think in the context of the moment, that's not how Duncan is taking her actions here. He doesn't feel like he needs to rub Monica's feet to keep his job or to try and get promoted. This is a personal thing, one that steps out of the professional sphere and shows their bond growing on a personal level. She knows he's into feet, and she's right; he is. If Duncan had acted disgusted, frightened, or angry, Monica would have stopped immediately and apologized profusely. But she recognized his fetish (one she has as well) and decided that this was both something she could help him come to terms with and something they could share together (Monica isn't exactly the type to make her fetishes or other personal stuff known).
So she's doing this to help Duncan, as he's trying to deny or shut out a part of himself (his fetish). She also feels like they can both get something out of it, especially since neither of them are in a relationship at the time. Having her feet attended to and being able to dominate a tiny person (spoilers indeed!) is an opportunity she just can't pass up, provided the tiny is willing, which Duncan is. Since Monica is into women and the respect she has for Duncan, there's only so far this can go, but it's still something they both immensely enjoy together, even if their overall relationship remains platonic.
[Report This]Date: August 20 2024 8:50 PM Title: Callie vs. the Esoteric Executive
Finally getting a chance to update my progress, and I really like the story so far! Your warnings were very clear and easy to understand, so I'm not sure why anyone would get upset with so many clear warnings mentioning ungentle content. It's okay if it's for the plot, and the main thing that helped me navigate through it was the idea that Duncan does indeed survive his harrowing journey somehow. Even if a bit difficult to read through, it wouldn't be fair to Duncan to ignore his past. Even if he's a 'fictional character.'
One thing I like is your ability to give us insights into each characters' personal worldview. The way each of them act makes sense when you handhold us through it the way you have. For instance, the sexism Callie gets from her Dad and her "Professor," and the inner turmoil she's been put through just make me end up rooting for her happy ending.
Whether it's from Callie's perspective, Duncan's, or Monica's, everyone has histories that define how they act. And the empathy between them to treat each other like friends is heartwarming. Kind of like "Hey, you've been fucked with, and so have I. I like you, and I want to support you. Here's some fucking help." They build each other up and learn that people are more than what they appear as on the outside. All the while, we still get moments of little sexy giantess domination moments. It just hits well with me.
Consent and kindness seem to be at the forefront for the engine of your storytelling, which is what I think makes Gentle tick. Even during the dark, tense moments.
Maybe I'm just a broken record here, but thank you again for having such a diverse understanding of how different people go through different challenges. It could be easy for some random guy on the street to see Callie and think she's lived life on easy mode because of her above-average appearance and invisible privileges, same with Duncan being relatively well-off and all the bullshit he's been through. Even someone like Monica who climbed her way up the corporate ladder, always in a perpetual icy standoff with people around her finally letting loose and allowing herself to go finally have friends. You've woven a story about people from different walks of life, who know what it's like to be burned or in a state of survival, learning to coexist and strive for a better future together.
Sorry if none of this makes much sense. I had a lot I wanted to touch on, but this is just my first impression so far. And I'm probably forgetting something important. I'll just summarize it.
I like your writing style and your consideration for how different people have different fears and different enemies, different strengths. And most importantly, the proper way to wield power over others, constantly aware of consent and comfort. Even a 'nobody' like Callie is given a chance to completely dominate Duncan like his ex and has so far done nothing except treat him like an equal, while benefitting in a way that builds their characters' growth together. I dunno. Thank you for writing this story. And please be well.
Author's Response:
Everything you said makes perfect sense to me! In fact, you hit on some of the stuff I was trying to very subtly convey with this story, which was actually pretty exciting for me to see!
In particular, you talking about a displaying a diverse understanding of how different people go through different challenges was really rewarding for me to read. You specifically mentioned Callie and how people at first glance might think she's had things easy. In a lot of ways, I tried to give her a "classic beauty" look (although I did add some personal preference in there, like her height!), like the type of girl everyone looks at and assumes everything is perfect for them because of their looks, for this very reason. I specifically wanted to show how people like her can have very real problems, even ones that you wouldn't expect from someone like them (Callie has some serious confidence-related issues, in keeping with her as an example). I tried to do this with Duncan and Monica as well, but I feel like this is most obvious in Callie.
So thank you for pointing this out! Again, it feels really good to see this recognized!
Also, you comments about giving you insight into each character and how they all have histories behind their actions was also much appreciated. I try to put a lot of emphasis on character development, and it makes me happy when any aspect of it lands with a reader. And any time someone says that a character's actions "make sense" it puts a huge smile on my face! That's really important to me, and when someone feels like one of my characters did something that doesn't make sense, I get a little annoyed with myself for not thinking things through better.
Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm glad that first segment of chapter two was hard for you to read at times. I'm certainly not trying to offend or upset anyone, but that wasn't designed to be an easy read. And yeah, I know there are stories on this site that get darker than that, but my hope was that it would be a more impactful scene due to context. You saying that it wouldn't be fair to Duncan (I love, love, love this comment from you, by the way!), despite his fictional status, to ignore his past by skipping it makes feel like it hit the mark.
And yeah, realizing that this is a past event and that he comes out of it in one piece was meant to provide some small comfort, at least.
Finally, thank you for all your comments regarding me writing gentle. As someone who really enjoys your own work for a lot of the same reasons, I really appreciate your generous words on the subject!
Thanks for the review, and please be well yourself!
[Report This]Date: August 16 2024 9:20 PM Title: Callie vs. the Esoteric Executive
OMG, you were right; I like Monica! Haha, I loved the ending to this chapter. Loved it, loved it. As evidenced in my story, when tinies are subjugated to a giantess against their will, like Duncan's attraction to both Callie's and Monica's feet. It came off really well. I just loved how Monica made that observation and just dove right into it. The entire scene just came off powerful to me.
I'm really excited about where the story is heading now. I thought Monica was going to be another terrible giantess, but there were subtle hints that you dropped that alluded to Monica's admiration of Duncan. Like maintaining his position, ensuring Callie was "good enough" for him. That kinda stuff. I'm excited to see more Monica, to be honest.
Also, that last line, "I never joke about Tokyo." Gave me fucking chills. Good shit man.
I know what you said in the last comment I made, about the mystery of Duncan's shrinking not going away ... It's still a question I'm asking over and over. Because if he's the only shrinkee—then that means his shrinking was targeted. If not a victim of targeted shrinking, then are there other tinies roaming the world?
Anyway, good stuff! I'm taking my time reading your story. I'm stoked I have a couple more chapters to read. It's like enjoying fine wine. I don't want to run through it too quickly.
Author's Response:
I was pretty confident you'd be into Monica! And I'm incredibly happy that you mentioned the word subtle in regard to how I built toward that last scene. I wanted the reader to not be completely sure what to think of her early on and gradually get a feel for her as we progressed through the chapter, and you specifically cited a couple of the things I put in there with the hope of doing that.
And, if nothing else, I was sure that foot scene would get you! Being a big fan of your work, it means a lot to me to read that you, of all people, described that scene as powerful!
And yeah, Monica just said fuck it and went for it once she knew he had the same fetish as her, which I hope came off as her finally opening herself up a bit, too.
As for seeing more of Monica, yeah, she's most certainly going to be around!
I love you mentioning that last line! I was trying to think of a good note to end the chapter on when that just came to me. It just fit Monica so well! You saying it gave you chills helps me think that it hit the vibe I was looking for!
I'm so glad that the fact that the story hasn't really touched on Duncan's shrinking yet hasn't seemed to dull people's curiosity about it. I'll admit to being a bit concerned about the pacing of the plot when I started writing this, but between all the positive reviews and the fact that people have kept an interest in the mystery behind his shrinking, I feel a lot better about how I've structured the story now.
And, again, I'll assure you that said mystery isn't going away. I have a bit of a pet peeve about stories that have random shrinking with no explanation whatsoever (not that I haven't enjoyed some of those, but it's always nagging me in the back of my mind as I'm reading).
I really enjoyed reading my work being compared to fine wine! I hope you continue to enjoy the story!
[Report This]Date: August 14 2024 2:29 AM Title: Callie vs. the Esoteric Executive
Loved this chapter. Monica seems to have a very odd relationship with her employee, she does genuinely seem to want to help him, which is a nice change, and she seems to have some protective feelings that predate his shrinking, which is always nice when one finds themselves at a few inches tall.
It seems that our characters impressed her enough that they'll have access to some of her resources, while they might not be the exact thing they need, I'm sure they're better than nothing. At the very least, better to be tiny with a rich friend than tiny without one.
The only downside is that while Monica is the more ruthless and task oriented help they could probably use, she's got other responsibilities, so she's off to Japan for a while... Here's hoping she's back before the story climax!
Author's Response:
Monica rose to the top of the business world at a pretty young age (she's a 28-year-old CEO of a Fortune 50 company), and Duncan, who's a little younger than her, is in a pretty high position for his age as well, so she's felt the need to look out for him in that hostile environment for a while. I'm kind of going for a big sister type vibe with Duncan and her (hence the interrogation of Callie in the car scene and Monica mentally giving her approval). But she has that veil of cold professionalism that worked maybe a little too well in the case of Duncan, and that's part of the reason why she's starting to open up now that she's realized he had no idea how she really viewed him.
Tiny with access to money is definitely better than tiny and broke! And Duncan can actually earn his keep now! I'm working my way through We Help Each Other Get By now, and Duncan was wondering if he could maybe borrow Jake's tiny computer. Maybe at least on those days when he's too small to use it?
The next chapter actually jumps ahead by a few weeks, so Monica was already back. Her actually going to Japan was more for me to put a little exclamation point on that bit about her getting her feet treated by a bunch of Japanese businessmen. She'll be around, to say the least.
And I'm glad to hear you loved chapter three. From reading a good chunk of your work, I have a feeling you'll love chapter four even more! My only regret looking back is that I didn't work in the word "Goodbye" (if this doesn't make sense now, I think it will if/when you read the chapter).
Thanks for the generous review!
[Report This]Date: July 22 2024 7:55 PM Title: Callie vs. the Esoteric Executive
This was absolutely worth the wait! I think I like this chapter slightly better than the previous one, although they have all been great so far. I assume we can expect more of Alyssia in the next chapter. She seems nice, but what this chapter really makes clear to me is that Callie is the only one who treats shrunken people with the necessary caution and care. Sorry to all the new Monica fans, but when you've just found out your employee has shrunk, you should probably not immediately jump to making jokes, or teasing him about his foot fetish! Ah well, it ended up working out for now. And it was still hot, don't get me wrong.
Author's Response:
Thanks! I appreciate both the kind words and that you felt like this was worth the wait, especially after going several months before getting this chapter out!
We'll see more of Alyssia soon enough, but it actually won't be next chapter. I know she was mentioned at the end there, but we're going to jump a few weeks ahead in chapter four rather than continue on that same day. Don't worry, though. She'll get to have her fun before the end of the story.
I do like that she stuck out enough for you to mention, though!
I can't blame you for feeling that way about how Monica and Alyssia versus Callie, and you may have a bit of a point. In their defense, I do want to point a few things out, though.
First, I think Duncan handled his introduction to Monica quite composed, acting mostly like his old self even when she knew he was scared of her. I really think they would have handled things vey differently if he had acted in the timid, openly terrified ways a lot of tinies do in these stories. So he kind of set the tone for them to be a bit more playful and relaxed around him, whether that was his intention or not.
Second, unlike with Callie, he's known both Monica and Alyssia for quite some time, so, to me, it kind of makes sense that they would fall into their old routines with him (or, in Monica's case, change that routine and open up a bit more) even now. Again, if he's going to try and act normal, I think it's only natural that they would do the same, simply incorporating his size into how they would treat him anyway rather than drastically changing their behavior.
Lastly, specifically in Alyssia's case, she didn't actually see him in this chapter. She heard his story (and was touched by it, if those puffy red eyes are any indication) and knows he's in Callie's purse, but I think it's fair to at least wonder if she might have dialed back her teasing just a bit if she was staring at his tiny body. Also, she's probably a little upset that it looked as though they were going to keep her out of the loop despite the fact that she was worried about him, too, so her teasing may have come off just a tad more hostile than she meant to in that scene.
But despite all that, I'm actually quite glad you feel that Callie's treatment of Duncan stood out more after seeing others interact with him. That someone is comparing and contrasting how the three giantess's are treating Duncan means I was at least able to make each of them noticeably different from one another rather than having three characters who are basically interchangeable with each other. So thanks for bring it up!
[Report This]Date: July 20 2024 10:44 PM Title: Callie vs. the Esoteric Executive
I was pleasantly surprised by Monica's demeanor towards Duncan. What I remember from the end of last chapter, she gave me (or at least Duncan's view of her gave me) the impression that she'd be the type to try and take advantage of the tiny, to try to exploit his current condition in some way to her benefit. From what I saw this chapter, that couldn't be further from the truth. Her concern seemed just as genuine as Callie's, if perhaps a bit more... mischievous? Scheming? Like, she absolutely means well, but she's willing to have some fun with it at the expense of Duncan's pride. After what he's been through, it's nice that Duncan finally has some caring women in his life to look after him (I mean, I guess Monica was already looking after him, but he's in much more dire need of that protection now that everyone can pose an actual threat to him).
Speaking of threat, the brief interaction the group had with Alyssia really drove home to me how scary being tiny is (when you look past all the super hot parts). I don't know why, but Alyssia's threat, as harmless as it was, unsettled me. Like, it reminded me anyone can do anything to Duncan as he is now, and it's only by the grace of his friends that he's safe at the moment and that the worst thing they want to do to him is give him a humiliating nickname and in Monica's case, make him oust his newly found fetish and rub her feet (that part was really hot btw, and Callie's reaction to the whole thing was hilarious).
Each chapter of this story is always worth the wait because it means more Callie. She's seriously becoming one of my favorite characters on this site; just cute and loveable to an incredible degree, and seeing how her thoughts and interactions with Duncan continue to develop is a balm for the heart. I loved the whole scene in the car, and the mutual gratification they got when she held him against her vibrating vocal chords. Always fun to see unorthodox size interactions like that.
And yeah, Callie's parents suck, her dad especially. She just can't catch a break with authority figures. At least her hero turned out to be cool. Gotta update the idiom: "Never meet your heroes, unless they're boss of the shrunken guy you found in your apartment."
Author's Response:
Ha! I'll get in touch with the idiom people and get that update through right away!
It looks like people had some reservations about Monica going into this chapter, which is good, as that's what I wanted. I was concerned that the second of real concern she showed over the phone when she thought he was calling her would have been a bit too much of a giveaway, but I'm glad it wasn't! But yeah, Duncan's trust issues kept him from realizing that she really cares about him. Ironically enough, when Kristie threatened to send him to Monica in chapter two, that would have been the best outcome for him, but he just couldn't see it (that and I doubt Kristie would have actually taken him to her if he had went with that option). Of course, Monica's not entirely blameless here, as her "professional" demeanor can make her seem a little cold at times, and letting people in and showing vulnerability are two things she generally doesn't do.
Which is why that foot scene at the end was so important for her. Not only was she getting him to realize his fetish, but she was opening up as well (if it wasn't clear, she also has a foot fetish).His vulnerability and her regret over Duncan initially fearing her helped push her to show some vulnerability herself (in an admittedly dominating fashion, but still!).
Hey! Somebody mentioned Alyssia! She wasn't around much this chapter, but I was hoping she would stick out. And I'm really intrigued by your reaction to her threat. I did want to mix an ominous sense with her playful nature, but I have to admit that I didn't expect your interpretation of it. It makes sense, though, and I like that it made you feel that way, honestly. Duncan was given a lot of agency this chapter, what with getting his job back, being able to roam the apartment freely, and they're even building a gym! But you're right, at the end of the day, he's still a vulnerable tiny living free at the grace of his friends (I really like the way you worded that, by the way).
Callie's parents certainly did come off poorly here. I think they do want what's best for her, but they (especially her dad) are very traditional people who are a bit too blunt from time to time. I was hoping to show with them a bit of Callie's background and why she thought certain things about why professor Stillwell approached her in the first place.
But most of all, I love how much you love Callie! You've been a pretty vocal supporter of her from the start, and it makes me feel good to know that one of my characters has made that much of an impression on you. And thanks for mentioning the vocal cord scene. I wasn't sure if that was going to work out coming from her perspective, but I liked how it turned out and it's good to hear that someone else feels the same!
[Report This]Date: July 16 2024 11:07 PM Title: Callie vs. the Esoteric Executive
Wow! Amazing story so far! The slow build is great while also exploring his background. I was REALLY worried Monica would end up being cruel and taking him or something. Can't wait for the next chapter!
Author's Response:
I'm thrilled you're enjoying things so far, especially that slow build, as I mentioned with the reviewer right below you!
I'm also happy to see that you weren't sure what to expect from Monica going in, as I wasn't sure if I hinted too strongly about what she really thinks of Duncan at the end of chapter two. I was hoping this would create a bit of tension with the reader going in, and it sounds like that worked in your case!
And yeah, I'll see what I can do about getting these chapters out faster. I know me, though, so still no promises!