Well shit it seems Helena is slowly bringing Domica down a few pegs lowkey or more to her side with these little tasks. Not that watching her use her divine feet to break those tinies souls was not truly wonderful to behold, just seems Helena is getting something out of this arrangement after all.

Domica showing an interest in all this does peak ones interest in the fact that if she were to come along with the whole Kingdom thing those two definitely would be unstoppable. There very well could be a power struggle later on given the personalities but a true power duo if they managed to get along long enough to harness it.

The Implanting vs Breaking thing does seem to be an interesting clash of values down the road, especially if Anna and her new protege Naomi come knocking one day down the road.

---

We finally get to see a break in the tough veneer of Juliette and all over a tiny at that, Clara must have really gotten through her tough exterior to warrant such a mass call to action from everyone including an outsider no less.

Little by little Trevor seems to be endearing himself to the Kingdom through his kindness and willingness to help even if the scenario is a little whacky compared to his belief system. Not sure if him and Domica are warming up to Helena and her ways yet but it does kind of seem they are a little.

Kass is very important to the way things go in the Kingdom even if it is a delusion of grandeur she still is the person on the ground dealing with issues when the Goddesses are away. Her importance even if she won't say it is likely MORE so though that of her deities given how closely she works with everyone.

---

Kass and Trevor really seem to be hitting it off more ways than one which likely will set Domica off in the future especially if Trevor keeps antagonizing her like he seems set on doing.

The more she see of the Kingdom, the more Domica seems to be getting hooked on its charms and whimsy, I am not sure if Helena had this planned or not but it looks like she has made a powerful ally after all as long as she plays her cards right the next for weeks.

I do now wonder what Becca would think of Kass hanging around Trevor given her pension for worshiping the likes of Helena and even possibly Domica soon enough and Becca's stance of standing up for tiny rights even if their living in a perennial paradise.

---

There is the Domica I know and fear!

I'm shocked it took -this- long for her to try and make a run at the Kingdom. Helena lead her right into it without a second thought and now the virus has been uploaded and it may cost her the very thing she built so lovingly.

The woman in Domica's ass might not be the only one meeting their end end if she has her way of The Kingdom one day soon. Something tells me her style of civilization for the wee folk is a bit differently from Helena's.

Though seeing Kass try to speak of whimsical peace and understanding and unity etc whilst elbow deep digging the crud from between Amber's monster toes would be quite the counter culture shock for her...not to mention poot Carla who freaked out over something bad happening which may be right on her tiny doorstep.

---

When the five girls first walked in I truly expected the worst for Scarlett and especially Becca but it seems for now all is well. Honestly when they approached them at the park I still expected them to be bullying a tiny or two or something similar.

Becca has been wonderful or Scarlett but the love triangle brewing leaves me wondering how all this plays out especially if Amber ever catches on. I'm still expecting a love triangle when it all comes to pass though.

---

Having read "To Break In A Pet" and "MAJOR/minor" before the imprinting aspect has been on the table for many years. I could easily seeing somebody like Domica/Helena or a number of others taking great advantage of it to benefit their whims or even amusement.

Helena knows what Domica is capable of and now having been exposed to The Kingdom it seems Domica does now too thus the shoes are off as they say.

Clara seems like tiny gal one would come across on Discord or the old days of Sizechange/MIRC whathaveyou, playfully bratty with a hinge of drama mixed in to keep the bigger folks on their toes.

Gentle floats a lot of boats just like everything else does in this community, there are a lot of different cooks and spices to be had so if it didn't hit for one it definitely did for another.

1. Trevor having the Domica plot armor does allow him to get away with more backtalk than typical tiny could. He should be a little more careful just in case Domica takes a liking to a Kingdom member and their unquestioned/unrelenting style of worship.

2. Fair, she saw him coming out of a tiny cabin with another woman thus he receptors had to be a little pointy after that.

3. Kass is wonderful, she is like if Becca wasn't broken down by The Amber Assault to get where she is now. She didn't need the teen toejam to get her to where she was just humble devotion, acceptance and a good spirit to accept her lot and roll with it.

As for Domica in the Kingdom it was long overdue, Helena unleashed a lioness she may never be able to put back in the cage when she comes for her neck. It actually makes me wonder how others like Amber/Scarlett, Naomi, Penelope etc would react to encountering such a place.

The Rejection Therapy worked fine for what it needed to be, Becca is a tiny therapist helping mighty soccer goddesses overcome their inner demons and grow as humans thus it fit her character to try and help her anyway she could.

As I stated above The Love Triangle aspect for the Soccer Sisters still seems like the most logical and oddly expected choice. They've all been wonderful for each other so you hope it works out for them all.

Wow this chapter was amazing and the introduction to imprinting is hella cool and damn rip to little girl dying in ass ….. she went out on a high note at least

i love that Trevor still has some fight left in him to stand up for himself 

can’t wait for more

Great chapter.

Also did Donnica kill the girl she was imprinting? If so would this affect her role with Helena?

Also I think Vivara is my favorite character 

The last segment of this amazing chapter focuses not on Trevor but on someone much larger: Helena. As the true Queen she is, she requires a fitting place, and nothing is better than her own throne inside the kingdom. As a goddess, she demands worship, with many tinies adoring her perfect feet. All I can say is how much I love this image. 

However, it reveals even more clearly that the kingdom is nothing more than a sect, led by a beautiful guru but a sect nonetheless. Kassandra shares Helena’s view: giantesses are goddesses, and tinies are mere worshippers. This notion is perfectly understood by all those living in the Kingdom. I can’t help but wonder how it’s achieved.

Helena harbors another secret: a tiny from the cupboard town, captured with Donnica, now hidden inside her ass, tortured simply for not looking at Helena properly. This act alone reveals the world Helena desires a world where tinies are conditioned to see themselves as worshippers of the goddess. This is why Celine, and likely Trevor too, are such a pain in the ass for Helena. They are tinies who refuse to bow down, who are brave enough to challenge her, and, in Trevor’s case, even threaten her. These are tinies who never submit, no matter how giantesses intimidate them. Yet, even in Helena’s worldview, some tinies are more valuable than others. The most precious to her is Kassandra her beloved Kassandra one of the few tinies who can speak to her and, even more remarkably, be heard.

But this time, even her precious Kassandra may have fallen under Trevor’s charm. The conversation between Helena and Kassandra is captivating. I loved how Helena treats Kassandra almost like a mother with her daughter. She’s so proud of her it’s almost funny. It reminds me of earlier chapters when she interacts with Vikki and Ricci. It’s refreshing to see Helena being kind to some tinies, moving beyond the cold persona she was first introduced as.

However, for once, Kassandra isn’t entirely aligned with Helena on one topic: Trevor. Helena clearly isn’t a fan of Trevor; she’d likely prefer to have nothing to do with him. Yet, circumstances make him her legal property and a key part of her plan with Donnica, for whom Trevor is one of the most precious things in the world. To reconnect with Donnica, Helena must handle Trevor carefully, even if it means sharing secrets like the existence of the Kingdom or leveraging his intellect for her own purposes. But to Kassandra, Trevor isn’t just a brilliant mind—he’s also a handsome man, and it seems she enjoys his company. A humorous moment is when Helena asks how Trevor behaved toward Kassandra. It almost feels like Helena views him as a jerk but also as a useless tiny. Kassandra, however, sees him differently. She wants him back whether for the seed code or other reasons, only time will tell.

Another detail I love about this segment, and the chapter in general, is the lexical field surrounding divinity. It infuses the kingdom with a religious undertone, amplifying the duality of the kingdom as either a paradise for tinies or a sect designed to create obedient subjects whose sole purpose is to love and worship the giantesses.

There's so much to get into here with these last two segments!

I think I'll start with Kassandra's very convincing yet extremely flawed (and most definitely sizeist) view on giant-tiny relations. If you just listen to her words and not really think about them, they sound like right, inarguable, definitive. But if accept this worldview of hers, you have to also accept some pretty fucked up things as well, once you really dive into what she's saying.

Let's take her whole natural selection argument, for example. Tinies were meant to serve giants; that's what nature determined. Really? So is everyone born with a birth defect born to serve those without them? Every person who is handicapped is determined by fate to serve the able-bodied? Hell, does every young child have an obligation toward the servitude of the adults who provide the structure and resources to allow them to survive?

The notion that some degree of dependence demands servitude toward those being depended upon is really messed up when you stop and think about it. The thought that dependence makes you lesser falls apart when you realize that everyone is dependent on something or someone, whether that dependence be emotional, financial, or societal. Not to get too deep into political theory here, but the whole reason government exists, regardless of form, is more or less centered around human dependency.

Size is such an extreme illustration of this, especially given the scale of size in this story (which I fucking love, by the way), but it holds true all the same. I'd argue that Trevor and Donnica's relationship is a prime example of this, as, ironically enough, Donnica has come to lean on Trevor much more than the other way around, I'd say.

But then, this whole conversation between Kassandra and Trevor just feeds into what I called one of the major themes of this arc in my last review: the inability of the world to understand the nature of Trevor and Donnica's relationship. In this case, that misunderstanding is especially prevalent, as Kassandra's own messed up beliefs restored hope for a relationship with Trevor even after he told her he was taken (by two women, no less; I love how he unashamedly includes Annabel when talking about his relationship).

Kassandra is convinced that Trevor has misunderstood the nature of his relationship with Donnica, and, in my view, wants Trevor to come back to help him understand the "truth" and court him. She can't comprehend that Trevor is romantically involved with one "goddess," let alone two, so she doesn't view him as taken at all. He just needs to understand that the "goddesses" don't feel that way about tinies, then Kassandra will be able to win him over. That's what's happening in S5, I think. Kassandra didn't laugh at Helena's disparaging remark about Trevor because she cares about him, and she cut off the goddess and pretty much lied to said goddess in order to have a chance with Trevor. I'd even go so far as to say that Kassandra letting Trevor see her smoke is a sign of her immediate affection for him.

But back to Kassandra's fucked up belief system (I went on a little tangent there), it's so interesting to me that the most level-headed, down-to-earth person in the Kingdom, the one who seems so competent and not cult-influenced, is the one we hear this nonsense from. It really makes you wonder how she fell into this mindset. I think there's probably something to her talking about the harshness and the sometimes futile struggle for tinies in the outside world. Maybe she was humbled in a way she had never been before. And I feel like this was the part of her argument that got Trevor starting to really consider her argument (despite the fact that he disproves it in so many ways).At the same time, though, I have a really hard time seeing someone like Kassandra just throwing in the towel and giving up like that.

No, I think there's something more to it than that.

Which brings me to Wuthering Heights. You throwing an actual book reference in here (rather than making up books like before), threw me for a loop. Was this a clue as to what's going on in the background for Helena and the Kingdom? Is Trevor the Mr. Lockwood of this scenario? Was this just a cool, creative way to introduce Conner into the story? Are you just obsessed with gothic literature?

I actually thought through several ways in which what we know about this arc so far might relate to this arc. I found Connor's take on the story really interesting, and it makes sense, given how pretty much every character in that story other than Hareton and Cathy. The concept of two pawns in a greater, super petty scheme finding true happiness and "correcting" the mistakes of those who came before you (or were doing the scheming possibly in this case) could apply the tinies of the Kingdom (or maybe even the Kingdom itself) in a lot of ways, I think.

Hopefully nobody marries their cousin in this story, though!

But I was much more interesting in the fact that Hareton was brought up at all. Because, the more I think about it, the more I feel like Kassandra is something of a Hareton stand-in, with Helena playing the role of Heathcliff and Celine that of Catherine. Now that's clearly not an apples to apples comparison, but I feel like it fits (or I've convinced myself of it, anyway!) I'm starting to think the Kingdom is a tale of fractured love, revenge, and real estate.

As such, I feel like Helena has manipulated Kassandra much like Heathcliff manipulated Hareton and for exactly the same reason. Granted, the way Helena gushed over Kassandra and even gave into her in S5 had me second-guessing this a bit. But then again, wasn't Heathcliff's affection for Hareton sincere by the time he died?

I don't know, I might be grasping at straws here, but I feel like there's something there at the very least. And I feel very confident that there was a deeper meaning to this Wuthering Heights reference; I've learned by reading this story that you have a reason for pretty much everything.

And while we're on this literary comparison, it also gave me an epiphany that I now feel should have been obvious before: Celine created the Kingdom. I'm not 100 percent certain about this, but the pieces seem to be there. I said I thought it should have been obvious to me sooner, and that's because of MINAR and the Seed Code. We know Celine built MINAR, a system designed for "autonomous residency," something Helena kind of mocked a little bit in S5 when she mentioned letting the subject "play at agency." And we know that Celine either created or sabotaged (or both) the Seed Code, something that no one else seems to understand and the BFFs weren't even remotely concerned that Trevor could accidentally screw up, implying Celine has an intimate understanding of it (unless the "sabotage" was really accidental, which hasn't been ruled out but I kind of doubt).

You see, at first I assumed that this Kingdom was something bestowed to Helena by this organization that we still don't know for sure exists but definitely does (or OTWSDKFSEBDD for short!). I thought this modern miracle was given to every sovereign, assuming that this was the position that Helena herself held, and that there was some test that needed to be taken to earn the right to have one.

But now I don't think that's the case. I think the titles like "goddess," "subject," and "sovereign" are an OTWSDKFSEBDD (yes, I actually used it!) thing, as are the principles instilled in Helena's Kingdom and the fostering of tiny communities like Helena owns. But the miracle of Helena's Kingdom? the artificial sun, the real tiny plant life, and the other wonders inside it? I think Celine did that and probably before she shrank.

Maybe Celine's urge to defend her fellow tinies started before she was a fellow tiny. I mean, Helena's place used to Celine's family mansion, right? It would make sense that it was Celine that had the new development on the estate and the infrastructure housing what is now called the Kingdom installed. In fact, if the OTWSDKFSEBDD (yep, sticking with it!) distributes the tech that left Trevor stunned, why couldn't Helena simply ask them how to alter the Seed Code? I suppose maybe she's planning something that goes against their rules, but I find that unlikely given how upset she was when Penelope broke the possible group's rules with Trevor.

No, I think no one else can figure out the Seed Code because Celine is the only one who can, and she's not telling anyone.

And why won't she? Because Helena is trying to ruin Celine's vision. Like Heathcliff and the two estates in his literary world, I think Helena's interest in "the Kingdom" is as much about revenge as anything. Maybe she really does want to expand the Kingdom (hence the real estate angle; see how far I'm willing to stretch things?), but this expansion will be the Wuthering Heights to the Kingdom's Thushcross Grange. Or maybe Helena wants to make ... other changes to the Kingdom once she gets access to the Seed Code, ruining the miracle altogether just to shove it in Celine's tiny face.

Or at least that's my new working theory. They change quite a bit, so maybe I'll have a whole new one by the end of the next chapter!

I was wondering if we'd ever see that girl from trash town again, and we, uh, almost did! Too bad she couldn't come out and say hello, but hey, at least Helena was comfortable the whole time! Seriously, though, I'm actually not a butt guy (gasp!), but I was hanging on every wiggle or slight adjustment from Helena in S5. It was really hot!

More importantly, we found out that, at least in extreme cases, imprinting goes beyond physical tolerance. Helena has apparently done this to "create" new subjects (or slaves, it wasn't entirely clear what Helena's long-term plan for the defiant tiny is), so it seems as though this can rewire a tiny's whole brain.

This mad me wonder more about Amber and Rebecca. We know some (accidental) imprinting has taken place with Rebecca (hence her sudden love of Amber's feet). And, of course, Amber had that, let's call it a phase, when her dominance of Rebecca seeped into everything about their relationship. So while I do think the feelings between them are at least mostly sincere, I'm now asking the question: How much of Rebecca's love for Amber is because of who Amber is and how much of it comes from this imprinting thing.

We also still don't know everything about how imprinting works, too. Trevor didn't imprint with Amber during the early chapters of the story. Did he just need more time, or is there an emotional component to it. Is Helena sticking the defiant tiny up her ass about more than just physical surroundings? Maybe the feeling of inferiority and being dominated plays a role. I mean, I'm not even asking these questions about Trevor and his relationship with Donnica and Annabel, and he's been exposed to them for way longer than either of these other examples. 

So I'm not trying to lessen what Amber and Rebecca have, but that little bit did get me wondering just a little bit on Rebecca's end of things.

I should probably comment on the open sexuality of the Kingdom's cult-like environment. I didn't get around to mentioning Vikki and Ricci doing a little striptease and wanting to show Trevor their bodies, but between that and Gavin and Lena's scene in S4, there's clearly a trend here. The two bureaucrats weren't the least bit embarrassed or shamed when Trevor walked in on them. They were annoyed that they were interrupted, feeling obligated to help him before continuing. They even got right back to it before Trevor even left the room!

So yeah, there's clearly a culture of sexual openness established in the Kingdom. I wonder if that was something bestowed upon them by the goddesses or if that just comes natural given the sexual nature of at least Goddess Vivara (I'm sure the others probably share that in their own ways) and their inability to have privacy in such a tiny world.

Lastly, I just wanted to say, holy shit! You painted such a vivid picture of the Assembly House and even the landscaping surrounding it. It was so easy to picture and came off as nothing short of grand in my mind. And the fact that the throne so easily towered over it, reminding Trevor of to whom this realm really belonged, was just perfect!

Hey, look at me! I finished the chapter! Fantastic work on this one. I know the fetish content wasn't overly abundant, but the lore more than made up for it and really got my mind going thinking of all the possibilities about what's really going on with this arc. And hey, the smut we did get was great! Vivara was so much fun and came off as larger than life, and Helena putting that tiny rebel in her place (which happens to be inside Helena's ass) was hot in a way I wouldn't have expected going in to this. And that vision of Juliette descending on the tiny world and being worshipped? Just awesome!

I'm really looking forward to seeing where you take this next (and having all my theories blown out of the water!).

Something clicked for me during that last part of S3.

Seeing the way those tinies worshipped Vivara and the way she cherished them in return, I realized how these "goddesses" view things, why even someone like Helena can look at Vikki and Ricci with love and admiration. If a tiny fully devotes themselves to the goddesses, loves them, worships them, admires them, then the goddesses will cherish them in return. Like any other divine being, morals knowing their place and showing reverence is rewarded. That's why Juliette, someone who was introduced to us as an arrogant, tiny-hating aristocrat, holds the Kingdom as sacred: because she believes in this system as much as the rest of them.

This made me think back to Celine's warning the last time she was with Trevor. She told him that Trevor was only safe until Helena convinced Donnica to "think like them," then he'd end up in a cage right next to her. I didn't know exactly what Celine meant by this then, and I mostly just assumed she was saying that Helena would convince Donnica to hate Trevor like she does every other tiny. But now I realize what Helena's plan to get rid of Trevor is.

She thinks that once Donnica experiences the type of "love" the goddesses receive from subjects of the Kingdom, her relationship with Trevor will pale in comparison. She thinks that what she has is so much greater than what Donnica has with Trevor that once Donnica has the chance to have a Kingdom of her own (assuming my prediction about that "sovereign" stuff is right), she can finally make Trevor pay (or watch Donnica make him pay) for being a thorn in her side.

Now, maybe I'm blinded by my thoughts on Donnica and the Kingdom (I've been saying for two reviews now that she'd despise this setup, so maybe I just have that on the brain), but, if this is actually Helena's plan, she's in for a rude awakening. Because, like I said back in the trash town, while their actions may be similar, their motivations are entirely different.

I don't think Donnica wants to be adored by tinies. I don't think a bunch of little people loving and trusting her completely would move her in the least. I think she'd be disgusted, actually. This leads into what I'm starting to see as a major theme of this arc: Nobody understands Donnica and Trevor's relationship (except Annabel, for obvious reasons, although that whole thing would just confuse everyone even more!).

Ricci and Vikki have obviously been trying to hook Trevor up with Kassandra, and that was basically confirmed in this segment. I have to believe that the BFFs know about Trevor's relationship with Donnica. But I don't think they're even capable of understanding what it really is. We haven't seen anything to confirm it yet, but based on what they're trying to do, I can only imagine they assume that Trevor's relationship with Donnica is like their relationship with Helena, which obviously isn't remotely true. But, in their minds, that's as close to a giant as a tiny can get; it's beyond their understanding that a tiny could actually date a giant.

Tying this into what I think Helena is trying to do with Donnica, I don't think Helena can comprehend that Donnica truly holds Trevor as an equal, that she holds him up as above even her fellow giants, something she's done at least since that vacation to the island (where it was stated outright). Helena actually believes that Donnica wants to be worshipped, to be loved by a tiny cult who view her as literal divinity.

Helena can't understand that it's that stubbornness, that very thing that Helena hates about Trevor, that makes him special to Donnica. As much as she hates the weakness and helplessness of most tinies, it's Trevor's strength that draws her to him. Trevor is everything these "subjects" are not, and I don't see Donnica ever choosing having them over Trevor. it wouldn't even be a decision, really. She'd probably stomp the potential subjects flat for daring to challenge for Trevor's place in her heart before Helena could even fully explain what's going on.

So yeah, unless I'm just way off (and wasted all those words!), I'm pretty sure Helena is doomed to fail when it comes to Donnica.

Also, I'll be interested to see how Vivara treats tinies outside of the Kingdom if/when we see her in the real world. She sounded like a real sweetheart here, but so did Helena when talking to Vikki and Ricci a couple chapters ago. I could see her doing a total 180 if we see her interacting with non-subjects. Again, I feel like this organization's code is all about returning the love and devotion of their subjects with showering them with divine (and possibly patronizing) love.

You know, I know the Seed Code was probably the most significant thing mentioned in the segment, but it was the logic farm that most grabbed my attention. Aside from the incredibly sad story of Ricci and Vikki's families selling them (what the fuck?! Also, yet another glance on the diverse views on tinies by the wider world of giants), how they came into Helena's possession really got me thinking.

So there are places where highly skilled tinies are sold and forced to do cognitive labor. And that's where "the goddesses" bought Vikki and Ricci and "saved" them. It kind of makes you wonder what these goddesses were doing at that logic farm in the first place, doesn't it? And not only did they go to one, but they made purchases as well. Maybe it's just me, but I don't feel like brilliant, incredibly skilled tinies are an impulse buy. It seems to me as though the goddesses were there looking for a particular type of tiny to buy. So it also doesn't seem like a coincidence that they bought two genius tinies with mindboggling programming skills (and possibly others as well).

That brings me back to what I've been asking in my other reviews in this chapter so far. Just what makes these "subjects" so special that they get to live in paradise while the rest have to suffer at the mercy of a world much to large for them? Well, for Vikki and Ricci, that now seems pretty obvious. They weren't found or just so happened to know the right person to get there; they were purchased. I mentioned before that I thought each subject might be highly skilled in some way and that's why they were "chosen," and this made me feel a little more confident about that prediction.

... until Vivara told Trevor he'd make a good subject, that is! Her making this appraisal after just looking at him implies that skill isn't a requirement at all, and that the goddesses are either looking for something else or can just pick subjects on a whim. Granted, between Trevor telling Vivara that he was spoken for by two giants and her finding out that he was an outsider given entry by Helena to do something "important," maybe Vivara could make certain assumptions about Trevor's abilities and only be curious about his looks. But yeah, this knocked down that growing confidence in my theory by a peg.

Back to the Seed Code, though. I wonder if it actually does what the girls were told it does. I'm a bit skeptical but not outright dismissive of it. I don't think we have enough information to know much of anything about it for sure yet, but I found the claim that Donnica wants to expand the Kingdom to be quite intriguing, though. If that's true, it makes you wonder why Celine would be so unwilling to help. We never got a direct answer on whether or not she created the code, but I think we can confidently assume that she did something to it at the very least. If I remember right, didn't Helena tell Celine that Trevor was going to go in and look at the mess the tiny genius made? If Celine didn't make the code, she almost certainly sabotaged it. Or, at the very least, locked everyone else out.

Which leads me to ask why? If Donnica wants to expand tiny paradise, why wouldn't Celine want to help with that? Despite her disdain for Helena, she does seem to really care about tinykind in general (hence her occasional hostility toward Trevor; because I think that she, too, doesn't understand that Trevor's relationship with Donnica is purely romantic). So wouldn't she want to do something to help more tinies end up in a place scaled entirely to them, to give them their lives back? The fact that she doesn't makes me think there are some seriously dark intentions hidden somewhere in concept of the Kingdom. Or maybe Helena doesn't want to expand. Maybe the Seed Code does something different entirely.

Or perhaps it has something to do with Helena's plan with the firm. If Helena really is trying to make more space in her Kingdom, then I have a really hard time believing that it's a coincidence that she's also trying to remove hundreds of thousands of tinies from the state's insurance program. I mean, she wants to expand at the same time that that she's trying to throw so many tinies on the street? It would have to be related. And Donnica was surprised that they were making that move so fast, which seemed to be a throwaway line at the time. But now it seems like a clue that Helena is in a hurry for some reason. Maybe she needs to expand the Kingdom before she can move forward with the deregistration plan, and that's why Celine did what she did and won't fix it now.

Or maybe Celine just hates the subjects! She didn't seem too fond of Vikki and Ricci when we saw them all together, yet Vikki and Ricci seemed deeply saddened every time Celine came up, even when Trevor called her The Outcast like he was "supposed to." It seems that Celine feels hurt, maybe even betrayed, by something they did, while the Glitter Twins are just bummed that they can't properly hang out with her anymore.

On a less plot-heavy note, I thought it was cute how Trevor reacted when he realized what Ricci and Vikki were actually trying to do. Actually that whole scene at the terminal was amazing! The logic farm stuff was heartbreaking, but seeing Trevor have a human moment with the BFFs put a smile on my face. Trevor smiling as he realized that the girls were trying to pair him off with Kassandra was sweet, as was the girls' not quite subtle approach to it! And the stuff with the code itself, balancing out Trevor's skill by noting that there were things he recognized in there with the overall unknowable-ness of the code was really well done. I still feel like Trevor really knows his shit, despite the fact that he failed to figure anything out. And I have no doubt that those notes he took are going to come back in a big way somewhere down the line.

Also, the comparison between the dark, dreary, and technologically advanced inner workings of the Kingdom with its dream-like perfection "outside" was a nice contrast too. It's interesting to see how different the parts that allow the subjects to live their blissful lives actually operate. Also also, I'm really digging Trevor's new outlook on the Kingdom, that it's a "fever dream" or that he's suddenly "part of a story." To me, this shows that while he's amazed at what he's seeing and obviously likes it, he doesn't see it as real or a place he'd like to call home. If given the choice, I feel like he'd still choose to suffer feeling tiny in a larger world with Donnica and Annabel over feeling normal in this blissful cult haven, despite it's near perfection.

His feelings for Kassandra might be a different story, though. I'm ... a little worried that Trevor might be about to fuck up. Although, at the same time, part of me does have faith in him. He was willing to give himself to Donnica and Annabel in the most literal way possible, after all. That's as dedicated as he can get! So, at this point in his life, I do feel like he'll stay loyal to his "goddesses." Then again, we've seen Trevor "go with the flow" in situations like this in the past, too. Although, to be fair, those were always with giants.

So yeah, I mostly feel like Trevor isn't going to give in to temptation, but the concern is still there, if that makes sense.

Another awesome segment! I loved the worldbuilding and plot stuff (obviously, as this review shows), and you even worked in some great smut at the end of it!

The cult-like behavior intensifies! S2 starts to give us clearer picture of at least some of what Helena and friends might be getting out of the Kingdom.

It makes a lot of sense that the Kingdom's subjects have come to so highly revere the "goddesses." Kassandra made that pretty clear when she explained the harsh reaction to Trevor plainly speaking Helena's name:

"They’ve given us so much," she said gently, her voice threading through the tension like balm. "We try to honor that every day through dedication and worship."

You can't really blame them for feeling this way. Of course, that's clearly exactly how Helena and company want the to feel. Between that massive thrown sitting at the edge of their tiny world and the anger that Elric dude showed when Trevor didn't bow to Juliette, it seems pretty clear to me that at least part of what the "goddesses" gain from this is the enjoyment of pretending that they really are goddesses, roaming the tiny landscape and being worshipped and adored by tinies who don't know any better.

I highly doubt that's all that's going on here, but it seems to me that's a piece of the puzzle.

Also, I could see people maybe being a bit tempted to start thinking that maybe Helena isn't so bad after all. I mean, look at what she's doing for these tinies; so she's maybe not as big of a tiny hater as we thought?

But to me (and that wonderful strawman I just set up!), this actually makes her worse! Helena is both figuratively and literally destroying tiny lives on the outside, despite having the technology handy to give them their own perfect little world. This tech, if put in the right hands and distributed correctly, could make the lives of so many tinies so much better. And with the self-sufficiency of the farms to grow their own food and the walls apparently needed to generate this ecosystem, the cost of feeding and insuring tinies would pretty much just go away for anyone choosing to live in paradise. Yeah, I'm sure there are some serious costs to keep that place running (although we technically don't know that yet), but I feel like this might actually be a cheaper way to house tinies. And, again, they'd be so much happier!

Oh, and back to the food thing, I didn't even think about how processed and altered tiny food on the outside had to be in order for them to be able to digest it. Seeing Trevor truly enjoy that apple made me realize how fucked up it is that Helena (and the people of this mystery organization that might only exist in my head!) are hoarding this. They could easily use that tech and employ tinies to grow real food for tinies. But they don't, just letting the average tiny suffer either the processed shit or, in the case of the garbage town people, whatever they can find on the street.

So even if wanting to be properly worshipped and feeling like goddesses were Helena and friends' only motivation, that's still incredibly evil. No matter how you look at it, there are so many ways this tech could be used to help tinies, and not only is Helena not doing that (although, in her very slight defense, there may be rules against her sharing it), but she's actively trying to get hundreds of thousands of tinies thrown onto the street so they can live in the hellish inverse of the Kingdom: the trash towns. As much as people want to criticize Donnica for her stance on tinies (and justifiably so), even she's not holding the de facto cure for tininess only watch those most in need of it suffer and enjoy being worshipped by the chosen few.

That actually makes me wonder again what Donnica would do with this tech. I'm still of the opinion that she would hate this. Honestly, she'd probably destroy it because it would go against what she views as the natural order of things. That'd still be fucked up, of course, but at least it'd be principled on Donnica's part. Helena just wants to use tinies in various ways to reaffirm her sense of superiority, I think. Donnica would keep outside tinies from the promised land because she'd keep all tinies from it. She would fundamentally think its existence is wrong.

Now watch a chapter or two from now (or maybe even later in this one) Donnica show up and be all for this, just to prove me wrong!

Back to Juliette being worshipped, I couldn't help but notice how ... into Juliette's foot smell everyone not named Trevor was in that scene. So much so that at least some of them were trying to soak in what was left of it after Juliette took Kassandra. This sounded a lot like how Rebecca feels about Amber's feet to me. It's almost like the tinies have been conditioned to be into the smell of Juliette's (and presumably every other "goddess's") feet. That sort of feeds into the cult vibe quite a bit, which, again, would explain why Elric could barely stand the fact that Trevor wasn't bowing.

And I can only imagine how surreal it must be for Trevor to see his co-workers and rivals looked upon as literal divine beings. It has to feel a little silly, but I wonder if it makes him feel special at all. Like he's stared down Helena multiple times, bartered with her, taunted her. She's a god to those people, and she's just an office annoyance to him. It's so interesting to see these two perspectives clash in this environment.

As for Kassandra herself, I was almost as enchanted with her as Trevor was! God, he's going to get himself into some trouble with Donnica if he's not careful! Of course, that would depend on whether Kassandra was into him as well. But I can see why he's so enamored. The gentle, measured way with which she always seems to carry herself, that serene aura surrounding her, the way she doesn't even have to raise her voice for even the most unruly of people to respect her words: All of it is so alluring and admirable. And then there's how she deflects every question Trevor has that she can't answer, but she does so in a way that doesn't leave him the least bit frustrated, just happy to be talking with her. Hell, even Juliette seems to have a special place in her heart for Kassandra (although, combined with how she feels about the Kingdom in general, that might be how she feels about all these special tinies).

Gavin and Lena were way more fun than bureaucrats have any business being. I loved their constant back and forth, as well as their differing views on Trevor. Gavin seemed insulted that Trevor was there at all, let alone that the outsider had the audacity to try to help them with their problem. Lena seemed much more intrigued with Trevor, which fits her more laidback, don't worry so much about the rules persona. They also helped to show just how self-sufficient the tinies there really are.

And Trevor's reaction to realizing that everything around him was real instead of artificial was handled perfectly. His shock at this perfectly conveyed how big a deal this was, both personally and scientifically. Because you went hard at the worldbuilding here, making it very clear how impossible this would seem to anyone not from the Kingdom and highlighting just how terrible the real world alternatives were to what the subjects enjoy. So not only was this an emotional journey that Trevor took us on, but it also gave us a better understanding of the larger world. I love that kind of multitasking!

Finally, I'm now wondering even more just how these people are that get to live in the Kingdom. Why are the goddesses seemingly so soft and almost loving to these tinies but so brutal and terrible to the ones on the outside? What would it take for an outside tiny to become a subject? Is that even a thing? Or were these people all selected for a particular purpose? Pretty much all of the subjects we've met by name so far seem to be specialists in something, even Gavin and Lena. Maybe competency in certain areas is a requirement for consideration?

Oh, and before we start anointing this place as a paradise for tinies, I'm still wondering if we're going to see any slaves here. Because Celine wasn't just the Outcast, she was also called a slave. Maybe slaves are just for the goddesses, but given the disdain the residents seem to show slaves (at least with Vikki, Ricci, and Celine, anyway), there certainly doesn't seem to be any sympathy for the slaves. I wonder if the subjects would even question it if slave tinies were put to work in the Kingdom itself. Or maybe that's how some of this got made in the first place. Who knows? Don't answer that.

This segment really got me thinking, and you even slipped in the first size content of the chapter at the end there. You sold Juliette's size in this tiny world masterfully, by the way! Now maybe we'll find out exactly why Trevor is in the Kingdom in S3, unless Ricci and Vikki decide to be naughty again (it looks like they're trying to hook Trevor up with Kassandra?).

Well shit I was not expecting all that when you first started mentioning The Kingdom in past chapters. Very much a utopia compared to the shanty towns Domica and Helena had ravaged in chapters past, I am now curious what lead Helena to be well...human towards these people versus her usual disdain for tiny folks she comes across. I do wonder also if they know what her tootsies get up to with outside tinies or from what I gather they're likely shielded from her more dark tendencies.

Not sure whom the woman of the water was but I initially thought it was Celine free of her cage and allowed to be human for awhile. I could be wrong but I still do kind of think it might be her even if he would've instinctively recognized her if it was.

Not sure what the secret project is but knowing Helena it is likely something nefarious to keep him busy whilst he is there and out of trouble. Well yes out of trouble and away from Celine until he goes back to Domica and out of their lives likely forever.

----

Trevor mentioning Helena's name so casually reminded me of the scene in Gravity Falls where Dipper mentioned reality in the bubble Bill built for Mabel and everything turned insanely dark and gnarly.

The pure joy of Vikki and Rikki is always appreciated, a wonderful dose of rainbows in an otherwise bleak world.

Even in a woman made utopia you can't escape bureaucratic nonsense.

I'm not sure if Helena somehow has developed tech to actually -shrink- organic things or at least rebuild their compounds at a smaller rate but if she has this level of tech her trying to suck up to Domica makes less sense if she can make a killing just by selling this stuff to wealthy buyers and even smaller home owned tiny keepers.

The scene with Juliette as always was some of the most incredible foot-centric writing I've ever seen of this site. The humble, blind, unwavering devotion to the mere scent of her unshod dogs was just a beautiful thing to witness. I would have guessed given whom Trevor belongs to and lives with he'd have appreciated such a showing.

I now also wonder how newbies Elric has had to break in for the Goddesses.

---

Expanding the Kingdom surely seems like something Trevor in principal would be opposed to as it being Helena and her heavy handed approach to tinies usually isn't the best. Buuuuut given how amazing things are I'd venture to guess he'd be happier with a scant few ending up here than under her reeking dogs.

The Rainbow Connection really seems to both love Celine deep down but understandably are afraid to show it given the above mentioned heavy handedness but also want Trevor and Kass to become a thing. Which given how overbearing Domica and others have been and can be with him I can understand if he found that potential pairing appealing. Though I wouldn't question his dedication to Domica and Anna given how he turned down the free water slide just now.

Speaking of which Vivara is a true work of art ruling over the tinies with loving care in her grotto or bay of figs with the loving care of a mother of sorts. Her being so wholesome with Ricci/Nikki warms my heart immensely since it's nice to see them have a bit of love given how their pasts went and who they ultimately answer to. I would also be lying if I said the fact that Vivara is a goddess to these folks but Helena could wipe her out with her big toe to be incredibly, incredibly hot.

I almost forgot to give praise to the wholesome moment between Trevor and The Rainbow Connection. It was lovely to see him embrace them when they needed it.

---

I firmly believed Connor was writing a paper about Helena's greatness or one of the other goddesses. The relaxed work schedule and what Kass said later on really makes me think beneath the absolute monster that is Helena she isn't -all- bad...absolutely horrible but not to everyone.

Kass really makes an incredible point given how Domica sometimes treats him, sure she is not as overbearingly power hungry as Helena seems to be with her utopia and quest for absolute rule but she still asserts her power a metric fuckton over him whenever she can. Strangely the one really strong giant/tiny relationship that seems brewing is between the sassy kidnapped woman subjected to the agony of de-feet for weeks and the girl who while still bratty seems to grow as a person due to her kidnapee each time we see her.

It is a long shot BUT I could somehow see a future where Trevor and even Becca eventually join the Kingdom or at least visit it frequently. But not as subjects but as guests in a somewhat liberated utopia where the rule is softened a bit and -outsiders- no longer are considered a terrible thing but merely a welcome stop over.

---

Another incredible scene of worship you've crafted here, few big ladies or folks I've seen can match Helena's level of self appointed grandeur. I fully understand why she feels the way she does towards tinies given they can't fight back against her love or view of herself a higher being but she's really taken to this goddess thing like she was waiting for it to happen...who knows perhaps she somehow created the virus or greatly funded it.

Kass taking a shine to Trevor seems fair given how much they seem to have hit if off as he with them, he seems to do incredibly well around other tinies thus I can see Helena's worry. She doesn't want discourse or rebel rousers sullying the reverence she's crafted through fear and absolute rule. Trevor represents everything she hates about the wee folk and their quest to be seen as equals. Which really makes her headbutting Domica even weirder since outside of Trevor they really are the same person deep down, loving to a few or those close but smushing the tiny rights movement and the tinies themselves into toejam.

As for the Firebird, I suspect she might have more Celine in her despite her current arrangements. Who knows if she'll eventually break but if three days in the cave haven't yet I have a sliver of faith in her chances to not end up like the rest in the Kingdom.

---

The Kingdom greatly reminds me of the Horizon franchise when they needed to bring all of Gaia's subordinate functions back under her control to fully rebuild the world that had been utterly ravaged. This world wasn't ravaged by giant machines but painstakingly built by one woman and her likely large bank account and workforce.

The fact that Juliette and possibly other giants can fit inside and NOT destroy the ground proves her skill set and reach clearly could give Domica a run for her money if she were to make an attempt at the HBIC.

Kass was a wonderful addition, even with the reverence for Helena she reminds me a little of Becca early on but instead of being headstrong against the larger folks she accepted her fate and chooses to try her best to help change things for the better for her people as much as she is capable of.

Ricci/Vikki are always wonderful and Vivara(whom I much like The Rainbow Connection might have misjudged her size range) seems a harmless lovely distraction for the people who really know nothing over than seemingly being wholesome, caring folks whose only real flaw is their worship and love was manufactured to center around an objectively petulant woman with a goddess complex and ego the size of Texas.

As for what comes next I still see Trevor/Becca/Domica and even Helena somehow coming to an understanding forged by a lot of hard work. It won't be as loving as Scarlet/Becca/Amber but it'll be a -big- step forward for somebody like Helena and honestly maybe even Domica.

I'd be lying though in saying that the thought of Amber finding and -introducing- herself to the Kingdom folks kind of hot though...with all due respect to those fine folks of course.

Perfect as always, and i love this chapter, especially the talk between Kassandra and Trevor it's interesting on a philosophical aspect. 

Author's Response:

Perfect review, as always ;)

I love that you called out Kassandra and Trevor’s chat near the end, that scene was such a blast to write. Their meeting started so smoothly, then veered into tension once the real issues came up. Watching them lock horns while still respecting each other? That’s the good stuff. And honestly, I think they both made fair points.

Which side you land on probably says a lot about what kind of tiny you are :D

Holy moly that was a lot to take in and very interesting POV of beliefs and values of this world 

can’t wait for more information on this kingdom and seed 

nice work on world building