Lesser Known Inconveniences of Being Giant/Tiny

miss-lillipants

@Olo said:

I don’t think I’ve ever read a Size story that dealt with menstruating tinies.

I don’t think I’ve read one either. Not many stories in general tend to unless it’s young adult stuff, but tbf I am not an avid book reader. I do remember Tamora Pierce characters having to manage their periods when training for knighthood.

I’d be interested in people’s takes on how menstruation is experienced and managed for tiny/shrinking scenarios. Would make for some good lore/world building. Some broad thoughts to stay on topic:

Business as usual: bleeding as normal (or to the usual flow of the tiny) and is something to just deal with. Rags and other absorbent materials are probably pretty accessible and, depending, can be disposed of or washed. PMS symptoms are experienced the same way. They have to be careful of where they are at a particular point in time, at the risk of attracting unwanted beasties (piggybacking on the bear myth here a bit, but there are plenty of other things to worry about when you’re the size of a doll). This could be a problem for a tiny who’s periods are particularly painful or debilitating.
Shrinking is physiologically disruptive: Happens but the shrinking process changes the flow for whatever reason put forth, for better or worse, e.g. the tiny used to be able to keep track of their flow, now they can’t; they experience spotting for the first few months until their body equalises with their new size; they experience PMS symptoms to a different extent - less or more pain, lighter or heavier bleeding, different symptoms entirely, etc.
Nothing at all: menstruation is uncommon or ceases entirely. This might be brought on by different pressures, including the tiny exerting greater physical activity due to their small size, or a lack of accessible nutrition. For non-humans, maybe they just don’t have it at all, or very limited (like a couple times a year).

littlest-lily

It sounds like you already know this, but I absolutely think about all of this stuff!! I really enjoy thinking about all of the logistics. Haven’t given it nearly as much thought for growing scenarios since I’m not quite as interested about that side of things, but it’s a rabbit hole that I love on the shrinking side.

I don’t remember addressing sight issues with any of my characters, but I actually did acknowledge menstruation once. In that story she lived in a crazy fancy dollhouse that had a bunch of miniature supplies, including tiny tampons, and her giant was pressing his hand against her lower back like a makeshift heating pad and did stuff to help her out - drawing her a bath, getting her tea and chocolate. But I think otherwise it could go like you said, either the biology of the SW is disrupted from shrinking and the periods slow/stop, or she DIYs some supplies like rags to use instead.

It’s fun to me that you even mentioned this concern, because it’s absolutely something that I’ve thought about but would hesitate actually writing about, because I didn’t think anyone would want to read about it (definitely grew up with most men around me going “eeewwwww” any time menstruation was brought up in any capacity). But I eventually had a moment where I thought “you know what, this is our lived reality and would absolutely be a challenge if I was small, I’m going to address it, hopefully the dudes who read my stuff are cool with it” lol. I tried to take it as an opportunity to represent periods in a way that I haven’t really seen in media. I didn’t make her moody and pissy and unreasonable, she was just really tired and in physical pain. And he didn’t get all grossed out about it, he took it in stride and just wanted to know how he could help make her more comfortable. It was a surprisingly healing chapter for me to write haha.

As for other inconveniences - so while writing my latest thing, I knew the main character would be stuck tiny for super long term, so one of the ways that I planned out the story was by thinking “okay, what are the major things that a person needs - not just to survive, but to feel fulfilled.” These are the sort of things that came up that I then planned around:
-the basics (shelter and basic furniture, access to food and water, clothing, cleaning supplies, etc)
-accessibility (beyond the pure basics - like if she lives with a normal sized roommate it’s the ability to easily get around their living space and coexist together, or it’s ways his clothing could be altered to better accommodate her, or ways for her to feel more independent, etc)
-medical expert(s), for regular checkups but especially in case she gets sick or hurt
-mental health resources
-tools to help communicate despite her size (which might depend on how small she is)
-a social life
-a romantic partner (if that’s what she wants)
-a potential career/vocation
-hobbies!! (I love thinking about this one, I feel like it’s often overlooked) and just general entertainment

I’m sure there’s more that I’m forgetting right now. This is fun

Olo

@i-am-insane The biggest “inconvenience” that I hand-wave away is tiny voices being too faint and squeaky and giant voices being too loud and rumbly. I need my characters to be able to converse. Frequently and easily.

foreverlurk

Just a quick observation from looking outside my window : snow! When there’s a foot or two of snow outside, navigating the outside world could prove REALLY troublesome, unless she has some serious ice climbing skills (and the makeshift gear, somehow?)

Although, now that I think about it, at such a light weight she could at probably walk on snow without sinking. I just don’t know how would she get her hands on shrunken winter clothing? Yeah, tinies are much safer inside the house, regardless of weather.

Olo

@foreverlurk Yeah, surface-volume ratio means tinies lose body heat very quickly, so snow is a no-go.

SmolChlo

I stress about the glasses and contacts part often. I’d be so screwed if I shrunk

I’d go from smolchlo to a smolmole You’d see me stumbling around with my tiny arms and hands out as I bump into random objects or until I find some broken glass to create a pair of makeshift glasses with… though I’m sure I’d look like a tiny dweeb with my magnified eyeballs. A Giant finds me and all he sees is blinking up at him

Olo

@SmolChlo I’m sure we can arrange a closer look.

SmolChlo

@Olo I always appreciate the accommodations! This blind tiny will be needing 24/7 assistance… it might be best if you just keep me latched, tied, smooshed or stuck somewhere on you

as a keychain perhaps

Olo

@SmolChlo “No, he’s not a monster, he’s my seeing-eye giant.”

i am insane

So, how is the bathroom handled? After a certain point you can probably do hamster cage thing, maybe put an area aside, but when they’re bigger? Or if you’re not doing the hamster cage?

Best I’ve ever figured is the defacto built-into-the-seat ~~child’s~~ tiny’s toilet seat I used once, where between the lid and the usual seat is one with a much smaller hole so the little lady doesn’t fall in. That, and ladders. So many ladders.

Olo

@i-am-insane Forget full-size toilet bowls and ladders. Chamber pots usually; fancy setups have tubes and septic tanks. Small water basin that she can handle for washing and rinsing the sewer “pipe.”

littlest-lily

@i-am-insane Toilets are pretty simple devices in the grand scheme of things, I don’t think it would be that difficult to make a miniature one if you were determined (and hook it up through the regular toilet). You could probably 3D print one hehe

giantmaneddie

I feel it is the difference to treated like a doll vs. a pet.

i am insane

I think the problem is the plumbing, hooking it up and all that.

Olo

@littlest-lily said:

Toilets are pretty simple devices in the grand scheme of things

Says Tiny MacGyver. I’d probably have to hire one of those hardcore dollhouse furniture guys.