[Report This]Date: June 10 2023 6:59 AM Title: First Impressions
I really like the duality between Brooke and Jazmin on display in this chapter. We see that, in a way, they've got a whole two sides of the same coin thing going on.
I started to take more interest in Jazmin as a character in the last chapter, as her threat against Claire at the end of it made me look at her behavior throughout the story in a new light and realize that the only difference Jazmin sees between the residents and regular-sized people are the methods she can use to dominate them. It seemed to me that Jazmin doesn't see Claire or Alia as equal to her anymore than she does Justin (more useful, maybe, but really they're the same to her in terms of their worth as people). That attitude was on full display in her conversation with Claire at the start of this chapter.
Jazmin doesn't care if Claire enjoys herself when they hit the bar scene and chase guys. She just wants someone there with her, and Claire just happens to be the person she's used to having with her. That's made clear when Jazmin doesn't skip a beat when Claire asks if Jazmin just expects her to hang out after being threatened with shrinking. She does, and if Claire doesn't do it, she's no longer useful and will find herself shrunk, too. Honestly, if Claire caves and hangs out with her unwillingly, it would probably make it a little more fun for Jazmin, I think.
Digging a little deeper, Jazmin's obsession with domination seems to have made her awfully lonely. Throughout the story, she's dressed sluttily, talked about the dicks of people she's slept with, and mentioned times she's kidnapped residents of Micro Cities Inc. for her own amusement (she even has her own collection at home, apparently). But she's got no real friends and certainly no lover to show for it. Going out to the bar and waking up hung over or bragging about temporary conquests covers up a sad existence, with her evil, domineering ways trying vainly to fill a void created by her false sense of superiority over everyone else.
Brooke, on the other hand, has gone from concerned about the size difference between Justin and her to optimistic to curiously lustful to fully embracing it. She confesses that she loves dominating Justin; she admits that it excites her in a way that she's never felt before. Teasing and playfully threatening him really does it for her.
At the same time, however, we see that Justin really cares for Justin and definitely views him as a person. She cares about his comfort during the drive to her place, worries that those playful threats might make Justin think that she really would do something as crazy as eating him, is saddened when she hears that Justin is terrified while in this giant world with her, and makes clear that she would never forgive herself if something happened to him under her care.
Brooke seems to get as much pleasure out of dominating Justin and Jazmin gets out of dominating everyone. However, because Brooke sees Justin as a relative equal despite his tiny size, that pleasure is much more filling for her than Jazmin's. In the case of Brooke and Justin, while she's in control, they're doing things together. When Jazmin dominates everyone else, she's doing it at their expense. That proves to be the difference between real happiness and fleeting pleasure.
Apologies for the book report there, but I just found the contrast between heroine and villain here to be really interesting.
Oh, and I also love that Brooke, who was almost embarrassed at the thought of trying to give Justin scraps off her plate at their first date back when she first found out he was tiny, ended up doing exactly that and loving it in this chapter. And in the next chapter, it seems we'll get the answer to her question of just how Justin can perform in the bedroom at that size as well.
Claire continues to be one of my favorite characters in this story. I love how defiant she was against Jazmin even after the threat in the last chapter. Then, with Brooke around, she even made a joke at Jazmin's expense. Really, the fact that she could seem so casual during that conversation with Brooke after Jazmin reaffirmed her threat just beforehand is pretty impressive. I also like how Claire takes up for the residents, both one confronting Jazmin and when encouraging Brooke to go into the city barefoot so as not to intimidate them.
Now, if only there was someone with a recently invented communications device that could answer her question about the new instant-shrinking method. Hmmm.
And seeing Justin discover that he enjoys the Brooke's actual power over him as much as he does her teasing about it during their nightly talks was a lot of fun as well. The combination of trust, fear, and lust can be a powerful thing.
I look forward to the next chapter, as this one built up the coming smut quite well. Also, I love body exploration, so seeing that mentioned was great as well. But I also suspect that we'll see some plot movement as well, as some elements seem to be coming together.
Also, I wonder who's stocking Micropolis during the night that Justin is staying at Brooke's.
Author's Response:
Thank you! I really appreciate these thorough write-ups. It's a good feeling to have someone care about the story this much!
I actually hadn't considered why Jazmin acts the way she does, but I think you're right. In my notes I wrote that she was an only child and 'always got what she wanted'. I agree, she's definitely lonely.
I'm amazed at your attention to detail!
Thanks again for this amazing, well-written feedback!