Reviews For Small Justice
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Reviewer: Kell Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: September 27 2024 9:49 PM Title: Chapter 4: Getting along

I think that the footrub scene wasn't too long. Pretty much the perfect length in my opinion!



Author's Response:

Thankies! I'm glad you liked it.

Reviewer: Tiny_Significance Signed [Report This]
Date: September 27 2024 6:25 PM Title: Chapter 4: Getting along

Oh wow! This chapter was AMAZING!! Exactly what I was hoping for. Seriously, this may be the best story I've read on here in a while, and that's saying something!

The ways that you describe Claire's teasing (all the nudges with her toes and her words about this being Brianna's "true calling") and Brianna's embarrassment and conflicted acceptance ("maybe it's not so bad... but I still hate it!" mindset) are absolutely perfect.

I think you may have misunderstood my last review, my friend. (Although I also think I made what I was saying sound a little too intense, like when I described Brianna "begging" to stay as Claire's pet, which isn't really what I meant.)
I didn't mean that Claire would be able to force Brianna into becoming her slave, as I agree that would be dystopian. When you said "There's something different about holding so much power over an equal to just breaking down a slave" I couldn't agree more!
I think that sort of dynamic is something we don't see very often, but that I would love to see more of!

Rather than "breaking" Brianna in the sense of turning her into a mindless, defeated or sad slave (which we already have plenty of), I instead meant "break" more in the sense of breaking down Brianna's resistance so that she becomes willing to serve her giant friend and (at least temporary) owner.

I think that the dynamic between these two characters, and how they interact with each other, is already perfect. The perfect mix of teasing without being too cruel, but still enough of a real power imbalance to be humiliating. Brianna still has to do what Claire says even if she doesn't like it, but Claire isn't cruel and Brianna isn't totally against it. Claire still sees Brianna as a person and even hopefully as a friend, but still enjoys her power over Brianna and takes advantage of it, seeing her as an adorable toy at the same time but in a way that doesn't make her less than a human equal. (Which you expressed very well in your chapter end notes when you said "As for Claire herself, she never had any animosity towards the tiny girl, seeing her as somewhat of a cute angry pet, hence her affectionate gestures only make sense.")

All I was suggesting in terms of where the relationship goes was that Brianna would eventually start to think that maybe she's better off living with Claire, and chooses to return to her (maybe normal-sized "independent" life feels empty to her). In this scenario, Brianna would start to genuinely appreciate Claire's warmth and affection as a friend, reluctantly enjoying being cuddled and cherished like a toy and pet (even if she stays feisty and pretends to hate it, playfully resisting and getting embarrassed when Claire suggests that she likes it). She would even learn to appreciate the power dynamic and Claire's commands, seeing it as a source of discipline, stability, and order in her life. Maybe these (warmth and discipline) are things that Bri's never had before, and so she feels that a simple, predictable life as Claire's little foot-friend is better than trying to make it on her own and prove some point about her independence.
This wouldn't get in the way of them still being genuine friends: hanging out, watching movies/shows, playing games, having real conversations, going out to the mall, etc. (Especially if, after Brianna's sentence is over, Claire can restore Brianna's size whenever she likes. But tiny roommate and foot servant would simply be Brianna's default that they both accept, Claire happily and Brianna reservedly.)
Even if she still thinks it's embarrassing and a little gross to be tiny and under Claire's feet, she would simultaneously feel comfort in Claire's feet, almost like they feel like home. Maybe these conflicted feelings would never go away, but Brianna would find a way to make peace with them, and Claire would help her navigate those feelings, enjoying every minute of it.
In this way, even if it's not always an easy life and Brianna can't always do what she wants and instead only what Claire lets her do or commands her to do, Brianna would find contentment in the tension of having an overbearing authority figure who is also her best friend at the same time. 
This is what I meant by "puppy love" in my previous review. I didn't necessarily mean that Brianna would be infatuated with Claire, but only that she would develop an appreciation and affection for Claire as her provider and caretaker, the one who gives her a predictable and stable life, including the things that she doesn't necessarily want or always like doing for Claire but still does anyways to be a good friend and also to be a "good girl" at the same time. (She feels both of these different desires at the same time. To make what I mean by "puppy love" and the desire to be a "good girl" even more clear, I think you expressed it really well in this line: "She stayed silent, refusing to acknowledge Claire’s praise, though the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her lingering embarrassment.") 

Other than that, I stand by what I said (and I think you'll agree) in that I really want their relationship to be a totally platonic friendship.


Given what you've said in your notes, I think that this story is already heading in a similar direction in terms of their relationship by the end of Brianna's sentence, but I just want to see them stay as best friends forever, both in the normal sense and in the owner and pet sense at the same time (without the legal sentence forcing it)!
As I said before, I think that the unique nuance of that tension is something that we need more of! (Or at least I do lol) It has the potential to still be cute and fun as a power dynamic, but also heartfelt and sweet in a deeper way. 


Sorry if this review is too long, but this story is too good for me to not engage with it fully! (I also have some other suggestions that I really want to share with you, but I think I'll save them for later. Let me know if you're curious.)

Thank you for the amazing writing and for responding to me!! Keep it up :) 

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