Best posts made by littlest-lily

@Olo I hesitate to even participate in the discussion since this feels like a sub-genre thats I’m not interested in. But I’m hoping to add my voice in some sort of support/reassurance to those who are into it, maybe?

I fall into the category of preferring death to be a threat at most. Yes, the skewed power dynamics in a sizey situation is part of the appeal for me - the fear and the domination aspect can be very exciting. But I do get very uncomfortable once things become very violent or if there’s death (I don’t necessarily mind it from a narrative perspective, just not from an erotic one). And in the past this has been a point of contention for me in the size community. Part of that I think was because I was exposed to it way too young. It was difficult during early internet to find sizey material without running into very sexual and very violent content, despite me not looking for it (from what I’ve gathered this still happens all the time even today, that’s just how the Internet is I suppose). And then a bit later on, during my RP days, I had a couple of experiences where my RP partner suddenly included death and violence without checking that I was okay with it first, and I was left very disturbed. (I’ve had several bad RP experiences though with folks who don’t listen to boundaries, I’m very aware that it’s a case of the few ruining it for the many).

I do think I’ve come a long way since then though, and it’s in large part thanks to this sort of discourse. I have found it very helpful to interact with those who are into the violent content, to continually remind me that it’s all a fantasy, and that the vast VAST majority are perfectly kind and progressive and would never actually want the horrors in fiction to become a reality. I liked the section in the blog post about having empathy for the victim in the situation, and that for many that’s the very crux of it. That makes total sense and I find it very enlightening actually. Sometimes things feel like they should be obvious, but they’re somehow not, possibly simply from not giving the subject enough thought.

It’s also helpful for me to encounter the vast variety of what people are into. Despite any internal discomfort with certain content, I’ve always tried to not kink shame. Because yes, I do like wholesome fluff in my fantasies, but I also like some of the darker elements, the domination, the dubcon and noncon, getting treated at least somewhat roughly, and even scenarios that could be considered rape. And then I have my personal boundaries. And everyone has different boundaries. Some folks might not mind some amount of injury to heighten the excitement, but draw a line at death. Some are into soft vore, others want the blood and guts. Seeing the complex and varied spectrum is helpful in and of itself to reduce judgment.

Anyway! I know I’m not alone, as someone who is not into the violence, in thinking that there’s nothing wrong with you if you ARE into the violence. For whatever that’s worth!

@foreverlurk I second Nyx!!

I definitely love the idea of doing something with this. Depending on how badly the tiny needs it, she might need a much more gradual approach.

Here’s my 14 day program:

1. Chat with the giant via video chat, just go get to know them
2. Chat with the giant in person, from the other side of a safety barrier
3. Chat with the giant without barrier but with a respectable distance
4. Chat with the giant while he has his hand on the table, but without touching
5. Practice touching his hand (he doesn’t move)
6. Practice sitting in his hand (he doesn’t move)
7. Practice giant doing light touching (aka handshake, high five, etc)
8. Practice climbing into his hand and him lifting it up
9. Practice sitting in his hand while he loosely wraps his other hand around her for safety
10. Practice him standing up while holding her
11. Practice him walking around while holding her
12. Practice him wrapping his fingers around her with the purpose of lifting her up (very slightly)
13. Practice him picking her up with purpose of transferring her to his palm to carry her around as usual
14. Practice him picking her up and walking around without her needing to be sitting in his palm

Congrats! You’ve finished the basics of giant exposure therapy. Have fun with your new large friend. Next time we’ll be practicing sitting in unconventional places, such as in his pocket, his lap, and his shoulder.

Chapter 42
Evie

Of course it was password protected.

I splash water on my face, even though I think I’ve gotten almost all of the dirt off at this point. The ash was a little more difficult to scrub away, but after working at it for twenty minutes in the bath, slowly turning the water a soapy gray, I think I’m as clean as I’m going to get. I rinse myself off with the water bucket I’d set aside and grab a towel to dry off.

As I start getting dressed again, I look upwards to the vented ceiling, trying to make out what I can of Aiden through the criss-crossing plastic strips. He had brought his laptop over for us to investigate the flash drive, and once we discovered the impasse and futilely made a few attempts at breaching it, I figured I’d clean myself up while he kept trying. I took a little longer than I meant to, partly from the scrubbing but also just from the sheer exhaustion after I’d exerted myself so much at the lab. Compared to my aching muscles, I barely even notice the soreness in my ribs now.

Once I’m clothed, I come back out, noticing my friend has also taken the opportunity to clean the dirt off his face. I clear my throat and ask with very little hope in my voice, “Any luck?”

With one defeated shake of his house-sized head, he sighs, “Sorry. I’ve been trying to Google ways around it, but nothing’s working. I’m no hacker…” Finally giving up, he slips the flash drive out of the USB port and holds it up. “Maybe someone else could do it, though, if we reported this.”

“Oh, right, let’s go tell the cops we stole evidence from a crime scene,” I say sarcastically.

“I can easily tell them it was in the bag I grabbed on the way out,” Aiden insists, “I’m just saying.”

With a small, sad smile I lower my gaze. What he doesn’t realize is that I’ve already accepted my reality. This was my last ditch attempt. One final, desperate push to get myself out of this situation, just so that I can know I did everything I could without resorting to the impossible. It may not have amounted to anything. But it’s the closure that I needed.

“Thank you for trying, Aiden. Let’s… let’s talk logistics,” I say, and I start feeling an increasing fear as I try to face this dreaded topic head on. “H-how much longer are you willing to let me stay?”

He frowns at the intensity in my voice and pivots his chair to face me, giving me his full attention. “There’s no time limit,” he says evenly, “I’m just concerned for you. I’m not sure what will happen if we wait for so long.”

I shake my head. “Don’t worry about that for a minute. Remind me, how much school do you have left?”

He raises his eyebrows, finally realizing just how long term I’m insinuating here. “Uh, if all goes well… another three semesters. About a year and a half.”

“And you’d truly be okay with me staying that entire time?”

Aiden hesitates this time, and I wait with bated breath. I don’t blame him for faltering, but finally he answers plainly and confidently. “Yes.”

I mentally try to do some math to figure out how long I’ve been living here so far. It started in early February, we’re mostly through May… We’re coming up on four months. Maybe another few months of me avoiding everything wouldn’t be too much to ask?

“Give me until the end of the year?” I say tentatively, “And then we can have this conversation again?”

The giant’s intensity matches mine as he stares me down. “You’re absolutely sure? You’re okay staying small for that long?”

“Y-yes. As long as it’s okay with you. I just… still don’t feel ready for the world to find out about me. Especially with no guarantees that this can even be fixed.”

He doesn’t understand that I don’t have much of a choice in this. It’s not that I want to stay little. It’s that some things are worse. But I can’t go too far in that direction, so I choose a different one, one that I hope might lighten the mood.

“Besides,” I say with a teasing smile, “You like me better this way anyway, right?”

Aiden doesn’t laugh. His intensity doesn’t diminish. He just keeps staring at me with a creased brow and his staggering hazel gaze. I wonder if he even registered what I said.

“I mean… right?” I repeat, a bit more meekly this time, trying to maintain my smile to show him I’m just poking fun.

He breaks eye contact and turns his head to stare out the window. There are clearly a thousand thoughts passing through his brain and my anxiety builds at the sight. He clenches his jaw and his voice comes out a little tight. “If we’re talking that long, then I… I don’t know if I can keep…”

My fear goes into a crescendo at those words. Is he about to take back what he said about letting me stay? Is he actually thinking things through now? Did I just shoot myself in the foot by bringing it up?

His voice is still strained as he finally says something else. “Listen… I’m only saying this because of the potentially non-zero chance that the feeling’s mutual, but…” Aiden turns towards me again and I’m taken by surprise at the way his expression has changed. He’s not quite frowning anymore, if anything he looks… scared? “Evie, in case it wasn’t incredibly obvious by now, I’m… I’m interested… in you. I care about you… a lot.”

Oh.

A different kind of nervousness settles in instead. The kind that feels like butterflies.

He continues talking as I stand there in stunned silence. “I kept wondering if I should say something, I’ve had so many ideas on how I could make a move, but I decided to hold back and hide this because I didn’t want to make it weird or put you in a shitty position. But whether I wanted it or not, a lot has changed recently, and then yesterday happened, and I don’t think I can try to hide it anymore…” He pauses and swallows as if combatting dry mouth. “If the answer’s no, that’s completely fine and I won’t bring it up again. I’m totally happy just being friends and you still living here, unless you want somewhere else. No pressure, really, I–”

“Aiden?” My small voice is enough to stop him in his tracks. Fully aware of how much I’m blushing right now, I stutter, “Th-the feeling’s mutual. The interest is… mutual.”

After a moment of processing, his expression shifts again. Like clouds clearing out to let the sun shine, he inhales into a wide, uninhibited smile. I can see the explosion of relief and joy bursting behind his eyes. “Are you sure?” he asks, trying to rein himself in, “You’re not feeling pressured or anything?”

“N-no.”

This part’s a lie. But it’s just a white lie, since the rest of it is so, so honest. I don’t care what happened 24 hours ago. I don’t care what happened six years ago. All I care about right now is this man towering before me. I care about him so incredibly much.

“I’m sure,” I add with a nod, “Well, I’m not really sure exactly how I feel, I don’t want to rush into anything but… um… how about…”

I trail off, biting my lip as I stare at the ground for a second. Then I sheepishly look up at him again, keeping my head level as my eyes aim up.

“W-what ideas did you have in mind, exactly? On making a… a move?”

There’s a moment of silence as Aiden regards me in a new light. His smile is gentle and his pupils are expanding as he lets himself show whatever tender emotions he had been too afraid of revealing in the past. The look in his eyes is making me melt.

Slowly, he begins lowering his head in front of me, pushing his chair back and bending down so that he can get closer. I feel my insides squirm at the sight of something so massive coming my way, but I make sure not to take a step back, staying rooted to the spot.

His face is twenty feet away now, which in reality is only a few inches. I’m just below his eye level, struggling to take all of him in. The giant’s hand approaches me from the side, makes contact, ring finger pushing a strand of hair behind my shoulder.

“Can I try something?” he murmurs as he looks me in the eye, “You can stop me at any point.”

I keep my mouth firmly shut, though my breath is shallow through my nose and my pulse quickens. Feeling flush, all I can do is nod.

Aiden moves even closer. His hand tilts to rest just behind me, the side of it leaning on the table, and he puts one finger against my shoulder blades. “Hold still,” he whispers.

I don’t think I can quite do that - there’s a subtle, uncontrollable trembling in my body. But I do stay as motionless as possible, and as he comes ever closer he raises his face and now it’s his mouth that’s approaching and I squeeze my eyes shut.

I feel it on my cheek first, the soft skin of his lower lip. Then the pressure takes up more and more space, pressing up against the side of my head, my neck, the top of my shoulder. Aiden’s too close to see what he’s doing, and that must be why he has his hand on me, to help himself aim as he gives the side of my tiny face a gentle kiss. I’m so small that to him it must be like kissing the tip of a finger. He’s holding his breath and manages not to knock me over, keeping it brief and tender and warm.

I had no idea I could still feel anything so wonderful at this size.

He pulls away again and my eyes blink back open, immediately looking for his in the aftermath. He’s blushing, clearly reeling as well from the intimacy, sporting a nervous smile. I almost giggle, then almost tear up, then I just look down and try to take a deep breath.

Feeling like I’m the one who needs to say something, I manage a weak, “Okay, w-well, um…” I suddenly reach up to my face and push a few strands of hair back behind my other shoulder, exposing the untouched side of my neck. “You have to even it out now, right?” I say shyly.

Aiden beams and his breath of laughter is close enough that it tickles my skin. His hand shifts against my back to the other side now so that he can lean in once more.

I keep my eyes open this time. I see the flash of white of his teeth from his smile before the lips close and come to meet me. I can make sense of it now, the way the lower lip presses against my neck and shoulder and the upper lip brushes against the top and side of my head. I make out the way he uses his hand to touch both me and his own face to get a better sense of where I’m standing. I take in the soft pink of the skin that’s up against my cheek.

There’s still so much of his mouth that doesn’t make contact with me, and I just want to run a hand down the length of his lips, or along the tiny bumps of stubble on his chin, or against the tip of his nose just above me. I want to press myself against him in return. Maybe even turn my face towards his mouth and try to make this an actual kiss. But I’m too taken aback to do anything but soak in this amazing new sensation of a warm embrace with a person many, many times my size.

Even though I’ve just been standing in one spot on the desk, I feel out of breath when he pulls back a second time. I swear my entire body is blushing from the intensity of what just happened. And this time I’m the one beaming up at him.

"Th-thank you,” I say awkwardly with a laugh.

Aiden laughs too, and he slides his whole arm onto the table now, surrounding me with it until I’m corralled near the crook of his elbow.

"You’re so adorable,” he mumbles, and he still stays incredibly close to me, leaning further down to rest forehead against forearm, dimming the lights as he creates a half cave all around me. He lets his eyes shut, so close that the breath coming out of his nose warms my feet and his eyelashes brush against my stomach. “And so, so welcome,” he whispers.

Struggling against my overwhelm, I finally do a little something of my own. I put a hand up to his forehead, and then I lean in to kiss the space between his eyebrows. I try to channel all of my gratitude and joy and affection for him as I press my lips to his skin. It’s not much. But I’ve been wanting to do it for a long time.

It’s happening. We’re doing this. I didn’t know how on earth we’d ever be able to figure it out, how we might physically be together, but he’s gently guiding me through the possibilities in a way that leaves me desperate for more. It might be a lot for me to handle, especially after what happened just yesterday. There’s just so much of him. But right now… that doesn’t seem like such a bad thing.

I guess his enjoyment of my size is a double edged sword. It’s made my predicament less of an obstacle and more of a bonus, at least for him. I mean, I’m sure my stature is not all there is to this. I’ve been able to develop feelings for him without any kind of size-related kink. Our friendship’s been real. I’m sure it has been.

At least… I hope it has been.

As I stand there, now pressing my forehead against the giant that I’ve undoubtedly fallen for, the worries start flooding back in.

What if this doesn’t work out? What if he realizes how hard it is to be with someone like me? Realizes that the fantasy works out much better in his mind than it does in reality? What if he loses interest and I’m ultimately left heartbroken and homeless?

Or what if it goes the other way… What if leaning into this makes it so that he really does only end up seeing me as an object of his lust? What if the only reason I have a place to stay is because he likes having a tiny girl as a pet? What if me being with him is no longer a choice I’m making because I’m interested in him… but a choice I’m making to survive?

Stop it, I think to myself. Please, brain. For once in my goddamn life… just let me enjoy this. Let me be happy.

Soon enough Aiden and I pull apart, all smiles and giggles, and from there we swiftly decide we should relax for the evening and start watching our next show. He offers to make the popcorn, I ask if I can join him in the kitchen, and he lays his hand flat beside me with the biggest, happiest smile I’ve ever seen him wear.

As I step onto the palm of the most important person in the world to me, I don’t look back. I gather all of my worries, and I shove them deep, deep underground.

~ End of Part 2: Down to Earth~

@SmolChlo Eeee best of luck telling him, from the sound of things I think he’ll find it cute! The security system story filled me with so much joy you have no idea (and also is giving me ideas…)

S+P 51 - When You Are Down…

@protect-tinies Gosh, I never know how to answer these kinds of hypotheticals. Because at the end of the day, if it were for real… no. I wouldn’t shrink. It would destroy my life I wouldn’t even do it once unless I was extremely confident that it was safe, reversible, etc. But if we’re talking in the world of fantasy, then yes, absolutely, I’ll take what I can get lol.

---

Evening arrived swiftly a few hours later, and Blue found herself deep in thought as she perched on the armrest of the living room couch. Her legs dangled over the edge, feet kicking rhythmically as she gazed down at the distant carpet. Meanwhile Rob was on the other side of the room, busy looking through his DVD collection. Once he picked something out for the evening, he came to join his little pet at the couch and noticed the glazed-over look on her face.

“Why so blue, Blue?” he asked, chuckling at his own terrible pun as he sat down beside her.

The tiny woman seemed to snap out of it and quickly got to her feet. She attempted to smile but it was feeble, and then in a moment of tenderness she padded her way down the armrest to reach her master’s upper arm. She hugged herself around him, as far around as she could reach, closing her eyes as she held the embrace. She so deeply appreciated the connection that they shared, and she never wanted to take it for granted again. Rob had just picked up the remote so he could pull up the movie, but now he could sense something was truly amiss with Blue’s demeanor. He quietly set the remote back down and instead put his hand against her back, carefully hugging her in return.

“I can’t stop thinking about that playdate,” she finally admitted, “I loved meeting the other girls, I’d really like to do that again. But I’m really, really bothered by the way Dave was treating Lucky.”

Rob started stroking her back and nodded consolingly. “Yeah, actually Jim and I started texting about it almost immediately afterwards. That guy was a total asshole in every way. Even with us he was just being an arrogant prick the entire time, but the way he treated his pet was next level. I really felt for the poor thing.”

Blue opened her eyes again, keeping her cheek pressed against her owner. “I wish we could do something,” she lamented.

“I don’t think there’s anything we can do, sweetie. She’s his property. Since this is all underground, there’s no, like, animal services I can call to report it.”

“Well, if the law’s not involved, then… we could always kidnap her.”

Rob laughed at this. “Always the little troublemaker,” he said, playfully flicking at her hair. “Not sure how exactly I’d accomplish that. I don’t want a second pet anyway, Blue, I’m more than happy with just us.”

“But she doesn’t belong with him, Rob!”

In a rather uncharacteristic gesture, she jerked away from him and took a step back so she could look up into the much larger man’s eyes. There was a fire in her amber gaze, fierce and determined. One that was new. Since she had started her new life, Blue had never needed to think of anything outside of herself and her master. But now here she was, seeking justice for a fellow shrunken companion who was in far greater need than she was. The passion came to her as naturally as first discovering how to breathe.

Rob looked her up and down, a bit taken aback. He found his voice again, “Trust me, Blue, I agree with you. I don’t think any woman belongs with him, big or small. Actually…” He turned, frowning towards the ground for a few moments, gears revolving in his mind. Suddenly he reached to the coffee table to pick up his phone. “You just gave me an idea.”

Blue tilted her head curiously at her giant as he tapped at the screen. She was even more confused and intrigued when he lifted the phone to his ear and it became clear he was making a call. After a couple of rings, there was a muffled “Hello?” from the speaker.

“Hey Dave, it’s Rob. I just wanted to let you know, I think my girl accidentally stole one of Lucky’s accessories. She has a bracelet or anklet or something that’s not ours.”

With a gasp, Blue began panicking, gesticulating her hands wildly in an effort to stop whatever was happening. There was no way Lucky wouldn’t get punished over something like that. Rob held up a finger to try and reassure his little pet that she just needed to wait a moment, and she barely managed obedience in keeping quiet. He was otherwise focused on the conversation with Dave, who was clearly grumbling loudly on the other end.

“Listen, man, just hearing you say that,” Rob said evenly, “I’m starting to wonder if you were right today. Maybe she’s more trouble than she’s worth.”

Pause. Horrified, Blue held her breath.

“I dunno, maybe you two just don’t belong together. Nothing wrong with that.”

Another pause, coupled with a disgusted frown as he repressed a sigh.

“No, not in the woods. I’m sure someone else wouldn’t mind taking her in. You could probably even get your money back.”

Blue was swiftly calming down now, eyes widening as she realized where this was going. She broke into an adoring smile and formed a tiny heart symbol with her hands as she gazed at her master gratefully. Rob smiled right back as he continued.

“Okay well, in the meantime… Work’s about to get busy for me,” he lied, “Blue could use some extra company if you’d be open to a bit of a… fostering situation?”

---

The house was quiet. The bedroom had new furnishings. Extra water bowls were scattered throughout the downstairs. Things were strangely reminiscent of three months ago, when Rob had first brought his spirited new pet home. And yet the circumstances now were very different.

Blue stood on the floor, wringing her hands in anticipation as she watched a pet carrier, which to her was the size of a house, being gently set down in the entryway. She couldn’t see inside the plastic case - this one didn’t even have any one-way windows. She could only imagine what it might be like inside.

Rob kneeled down in front of the carrier, fiddling with the lock for a moment before slowly drawing the door open. He smiled at the interior and spoke softly. “Come on out, sweetheart, it’s alright.”

The figure who appeared made every semblance of formality. She had just finished smoothing out her scarlet hair and meager clothing. She tried to keep her head lifted as she took hesitant steps. But she couldn’t fully mask the trembling in her limbs and the darting of her eyes. Lucky was looking nothing short of terrified of the new environment.

Rob let her take a quick look around the kitchen and get her bearings before he addressed her again. “With any luck, you’ll only be here for a couple of days. Jim’s already looking for a better fit for you in his contacts. In the meantime, just a few ground rules, okay?”

The miniature woman nodded and, now that she had cleared the carrier entrance, she descended onto her knees and linked her arms behind her as she faced Rob, keeping her head lowered. He frowned and almost told her he’d rather she not bow, but he stopped himself and thought better of it. Giving the poor girl extra orders was not what she needed right now. He figured the most he could do for the little thing was use a warm and quiet tone.

“Stay away from closed doors and from the stairs - that’s to make sure you don’t get hurt. Try not to make a mess, but if you do, let me know. And always come if I call for you. Think you can do all that?”

“Of course, Master Robert," Lucky said, barely suppressing the waver in her voice.

Now realizing that what she probably needed most of all was some space, Rob carefully got to his feet again. “I’ll let Blue talk you through the rest. I’ll be in the living room if either of you need something."

“Thank you, Master Robert."

And with that the towering man took his leave. In normal daily life Blue hardly ever paid attention to the vibration of his magnified footsteps, aside from her getting excited at his approach. But she noticed Lucky flinching slightly with every thundering step. There was a lot of work to be done.

“Hi,” she said meekly, making her way to the taller woman. “It’s good to see you again!”

Lucky didn’t budge until her temporary owner was well out of sight, and even then she seemed too afraid to speak or look up. She also didn’t seem to know how to handle the situation - Blue might as well be her keeper too, a second in command.

“You as well, um… Miss– er…”

“None of that. Just Blue.”

Lucky finally glanced up at the dark haired beauty, her eyes brimming with tears but not quite overflowing. Blue’s heart clenched at the sight, and all she wanted to do was throw her arms around her and comfort her for the entire evening. But she kept herself in check, instead just smiling and reaching one hand out - not to touch but just to beckon.

“Can you come with me?” she offered gently.

The two diminutive women started slowly making their way through the downstairs as Blue tried to lighten things up by giving a quick tour of the place. Pausing in doorways, they wandered from the kitchen to the main hall, past the office and finally reaching the bedroom.

“Here, I’ll show you where we sleep," Blue said as she skittered towards the towering bed, at the foot of which sat her mansion-sized glass tank. “We’ve already got all your stuff set up. It’ll be fun, like a sleepover!"

Lucky followed obediently, able to take slower, more hesitant steps while still keeping pace. Some of her trembling had abated, and she was even able to summon a wisp of a smile when Blue looked at her with enthusiasm. She continued to remain silent, though.

They reached the edge of the tank, and Blue reflexively reached for Lucky’s hand without thinking in her excitement. She caught herself before making contact, but the tiny giantess had already recoiled, taking a step back before a look of embarrassment coupled onto her fear. She immediately dropped to her knees and bowed her head apologetically.

Blue took a deep breath and bit her lip. "Are you scared of me too?” she asked softly.

Lucky’s bright green eyes shone as she lifted her head up. “No, I… I’m sorry.” She took a deep breath before her gaze dropped again. “It’s just that being touched is usually not a… pleasant thing for me.”

Hearing it said so plainly wrenched at Blue’s heart. “Don’t be sorry, it’s not your fault!” she started with a hair too much passion before she paused. Then with a more subdued smile and tone of voice she reached her hand out again, leaving a generous gap between her and the taller woman. “How about you touch me instead?”

It took Lucky a good half minute to summon her resolve as she looked between Blue’s eyes and hand. But then, with what looked like a herculean effort, she slowly extended her arm until her fingers finally reached their destination, wrapping around as if she was gently taking a child’s hand.

Blue sighed with relief, keeping her eyes on Lucky even as she enjoyed the warmth they were sharing. Ever since the shrinking process, any time that she touched someone else, she would feel a much deeper connection than she had at her previous size, and it manifested as an internal heat. When she first met Rob, he felt like the summer sun, both overwhelming and wonderful, and over time that evolved until now his touch felt like a pleasant spring day or a cozy campfire. When she touched Peanut it had felt like a sparkler, bright and bold and crackling with energy. But this flame, in contrast, was so small. It was like a candle, delicate and soft, but it still felt so warm… so precious.

Lucky seemed very unaccustomed to this kind of connection. She reacted with a shaky gasp of surprise as she grappled with this integral part of herself that she had never really gotten to experience before. The moment wasn’t enough to thaw the frozen layer of armor around her heart. But it was something.

Blue gave her fingers the smallest squeeze. "Not so bad, right?” she said, “You’re safe here, I’m going to look out for you. And Rob’s never going to hit you or anything, okay? No matter how much you misbehave.”

Lucky nodded and her smile returned, a tad more genuine this time. Blue took this as an encouraging sign and started to tug on her friend’s arm to coax her to stand again. "Follow me. I want to show you something.”

Once again, the littlest of them walked ahead, leading them both all the way back through the house to the living room. Rob was sitting on the couch playing a video game, briefly glancing over as the two tiny women entered his line of sight but otherwise leaving them be. His loyal companion scampered up to where one of his socked feet lay on the carpet.

"You need to learn to touch someone bigger than you too,” Blue told Lucky, “Come here, it’s safe!”

Rob smiled without looking away from the screen. As much as the men had openly discussed their pets during the playdate, with the tables turned Blue was just as capable of talking as if he couldn’t hear her. He found it both amusing and adorable.

Lucky appeared to be struggling all over again. Reaching out and touching a woman who appeared about three feet tall to her was one thing. Willingly putting her hands on this monolith of a man was something else. She looked up at him helplessly, and although she seemed mildly relieved by the fact that he wasn’t staring back, she didn’t budge.

Blue insisted, leaning against the massive nearby ankle as she beckoned with an intent look in her eye. “It’s alright,” she said. “He’s literally never kicked me.”

Rob’s smile faded as he heard this. He was starting to catch on to just how far the abuse in Dave’s house had gotten. He made sure to hold especially still in the hopes it would aid with whatever was going on down at his feet.

It took another five full minutes of gentle reassurances until Lucky finally moved close enough to touch her fingertips to the giant’s leg. Her inhales grew tremulous as she took in the feel of both his skin and the warmth that bloomed inside of her as a result, her eyes growing larger with a dawning understanding.

“Yes, there you go!” Blue celebrated, coaxing a wider smile out of Lucky. “You should feel proud of yourself, that’s huge! Let’s go up, you’ve got this.”

In order to help his little friend get around, Rob had gone to a pet store and bought wooden suspension bridges made of twigs and meant for hamsters, hanging them from key spots like the kitchen table and his nightstand as makeshift ladders. There was one that dangled from the bottom of the couch cushions, and Blue hurried up the rungs with ease. Lucky meekly followed, having a bit more trouble getting good handholds on the thin rungs, but eventually managing to heave herself up onto the couch.

Now overflowing with enthusiasm, Blue had already scurried down the length of the couch and was currently climbing up onto Rob’s lap. She waved Lucky over and called out, "Come on! Getting pet is the best!”

Her master finally said something, unable to keep himself from chuckling. "Don’t throw too much at her all at once, Blue,” he said, pausing his game and stroking her affectionately with one thumb to the back of her head.

"You don’t understand, Rob. We’re made to be touched. There’s no greater joy.” Blue tried again, turning to Lucky, the fire in her eyes burning bright. Despite being the smallest person in the room, she spoke with the most authority. “I want you to know what it can feel like.”

Lucky was looking very unsteady on her feet. She still didn’t dare look Rob in the eye, and in fact her gaze was falling down to the floor. "Is… Is that alright?” she asked shakily, “I don’t want to intrude on…”

"I’m just sharing him for a little bit, okay?” Blue quipped, putting her hands on her hips, “Until you can have your own master.”

Taking the cue from his tiny partner, Rob turned his head towards Lucky and then slowly reached a hand out in her direction, keeping his eyes on her to gauge her mental state. His fingers came into her downcast view, just hovering there for a moment. Each digit was as long as her arm, and she was unable to keep herself from flinching at the sight. But she didn’t back away and she didn’t protest. She looked oddly determined in the wake of Blue’s words, fear slowly giving way to something else - maybe not hope, but at least a small fragment of curiosity.

The looming man approached her as he might a frightened kitten, letting her get accustomed to his presence before gradually moving closer. Lucky kept her wide eyes on his arm as his hand slowly moved behind her, fingertips floating just behind her head. That’s where he tentatively made contact, ring finger softly brushing against her hair. When she still didn’t panic, Rob let another couple of fingers lightly rest against her head and neck, prolonging the touch.

When Lucky felt the warmth this time, her entire demeanor changed. For a moment she looked overwhelmed and shivered from the intensity of it. But then, the longer she stood there with nothing bad happening, the more she processed the sensation instead. And as if it were happening despite herself, each of her muscles started slowly unclenching in turn. The large fingers shifted slightly against her shoulders and she found herself moving along with them, leaning into their slight pressure, until she closed her eyes with a palpable relief. Her shoulders dropped and she sighed with pleasure.

Rob smiled at his success in petting the frightened woman. This was a far more innocent touch than he might use with Blue, but there was a caring nature to it all the same. He looked down at his companion still sitting on his leg, and she was beaming back up at him, overjoyed with the progress being made.

Lucky began arching her spine as Rob’s hand reached her back, and she was shivering and sighing once more. After a few moments her tiny green eyes opened. She lifted her head. And though she still didn’t speak, for the first time she was able to give one of these towering giants an authentically grateful smile.

The foster family spent the rest of the evening on the couch. Lucky had eventually been coaxed over to Rob’s lap until she was sitting on his thigh and leaning against his abdomen, cheek resting on the curve of his stomach. Her eyes were closed and her body was limp, more relaxed than she’d ever been, like cuddling up by a warm fire that was slowly thawing her frozen heart.

Meanwhile Blue had scaled up her owner’s shirt to his shoulder so that she could reach his face. At the end of the day, Rob enjoyed the feeling of his tiniest friend and her big personality more than anything, and though they were frequently chatting about whatever was happening on the screen, he kept having to pause his game due to the occasional snuggle assault on his cheek.

“You’re a good girl, you know that?” he mumbled, returning his pet’s kisses affectionately.

“Damn straight,” Blue giggled with a cheeky grin.

@frollo Ohh you bring that up and it made me think too - I do rather like the idea of being dominated by multiple giants Adding in some multisize would be all the better~

Chapter 4

I fall to all fours, gasping, my hoodie bunching up around me as it barely seems to want to hold on to my frame. I’m swaying in the afterglow, sighing with a wonderful relief, even though I know intrinsically that whatever ordeal I’m going through is far from over. I’m no longer shrinking but I’m still so… so short. Not to mention the numbing effects of the induced calm - and even a persisting twinge of arousal - are still dominating my mind.

I look up at Ryder from my position down on my knees. My head doesn’t even quite come up to his own knee. He looks better suited to be a basketball player than a swimmer.

And I love it.

“Looks like someone needs a little breather," he chuckles, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his legs as he smiles down at me. “You look so adorable like that… Any guesses to how short you’ve gotten?”

I smile as if I’ve had a bit too much to drink and shake my head.

“You’re just under three feet tall. Isn’t that something? Mark my words, you won’t ever need to feel too tall around me." He tilts his head, beaming. "Are you enjoying this, Isabelle?”

I answer without pause. “Absolutely.”

“Me too. I look forward to spending more time together. Though I’ll let you catch your breath first."

I sigh and shudder, struggling against my clothing as I push myself up so that I can sit on my heels. I gaze at Ryder’s legs just ahead, parked on either side of me, my eyes trailing up the length of his toned, magnificent body. I notice a subtle bulge between his legs, the way his biceps flex, his tongue hungrily brushing past his upper lip, all in quick succession. He’s intimidatingly tall, but I still want him so much…

As my breathing slowly levels out, he looks down his nose at me, like an emperor observing a subject from his throne. “I do love the way you’re looking at me right now…” he muses. “I know what I said earlier, about people vying for my attention. It’s true that I’ve been getting bored about the desperation with which people have been throwing themselves at me. But… I wouldn’t have gotten to this point if I didn’t want it. I like being admired. I want people to look up to me. Way, way up. Even if I’ve gotten pretty picky about who I send down there…”

My breath hitches. I should be scared of him, I know I should feel scared. But instead I feel… special. Like I was chosen for this, whatever this is. Like I should feel honored.

Ryder’s eyes light up with anticipation and suddenly he reaches forward. His hand is as big as a dinner plate, and he settles it right on top of my head.

“Break’s over, sweetheart.”

He pushes down… and down I go. The heat transports me towards the floor as I start shrinking once again under the pressure of his hand. Shorter and shorter, until the furniture looks more like townhouses and my clothes feel more like a tent. Shorter than any person should be as the world gradually doubles in size, and then keeps growing. Ryder’s palm completely dwarfs my head now as I melt under his forceful touch. I glance up, past the looming edge of the bed, up to his increasingly towering figure, and for the first time the word “giant” comes to mind.

“Down, down, down,” he murmurs, “Down where you don’t need to worry about anything anymore…”

The panic that’s deep under the surface is fighting reeeeal hard to come out now. But whatever domination this man has over my mind is stronger. I do little more than squirm as I’m shoved into the darkness of my own sweatshirt, and I can no longer say I’m wearing clothes, I’m just caught up in a tangle of thick fabric.

From outside my prison his muffled voice continues, and it’s also growing in size. “You can just relax now… Just be. Doesn’t sound too bad, right? There’s a price for that though, Isabelle. You just have to give in. Surrender control to me. That’s all it takes for aaall of your worries to melt away…”

The shrinking stops and I’m left stunned as I struggle to hold my own against the heavy cloth. It’s very stuffy and I’m having trouble breathing in here. I try crawling forward, hoping to reach some kind of exit in the darkness. My hands pass over what I realize is my bra strap, as thick as my pant leg would’ve been not so long ago, and I slink over it, feeling around blindly.

There’s light laughter coming from the world outside. “Wrong way, sweetie.”

I yelp as everything shakes. The tent is shifting quickly and before I know it I’m sliding, then rolling, then tumbling as light blinds me and cool air hits me hard.

For a moment, I’m on my back with my dizzied head lolled to the side. I notice the blurry sight of tall, green grass obscuring my view. But as my vision clears, I realize it in an instant. I’m not laying in grass, but on a shaggy rug. Those are carpet strands.

I push myself to sitting as my neck pulls back and my jaw drops at the sight of the room. It’s become as big as a warehouse. I feel like I’ve just been transported to an amusement park of some kind, full of structures both familiar and alien - I can tell that that’s a bed, that’s a chair, that’s a table, but all of them are simply humongous. Under different circumstances I would have loved to run around and explore it all, marvel at the magnified details and what it would have taken to manufacture all of these structures. And that’s the only thing that makes sense at first - that everything around me has been built to be oversized.

But within seconds I know that’s not the truth. Because also in the room is the fifty foot human being just ahead of me. At first he looks like he should be made of stone, until he moves subtly and I process the fact that he’s very much alive. It’s completely mind blowing.

The massive living statue has something familiar in his hands. The colors are familiar at least, but the size of my clothing is not. Ryder sets the pile of fabric to the side, making me jump from the sheer scale of his movements, before he leans back over to look down at me, eyes alight with interest. “There you are. Still as cute as a squirrel. Heh. Is this short enough for you, Isabelle?”

“Holy…” I stutter out, eyes wide as I keep looking around myself, then back at him, in a double, then triple, then quadruple take. “H-how tall did you make me?” I wonder breathlessly.

He seems to hear me just fine despite how high up his head is. “Eight inches. You know what, I don’t even think ‘short’ is the right word anymore. You’re beyond the point of human height, you’re just so… small.”

It’s such a simple word. And yet it’s taken on an entire new meaning for me, becoming an integral part of my identity in an instant. By some magical force, I’ve truly become the size of a doll. I slowly get to my feet, and for what feels like minutes on end I can only stare and stare at my surroundings.

“That’s right,” Ryder says, smile widening, “Take it all in.”

I flinch as vertigo hits - I’m still easily thrown off by every mind manipulation that’s thrown at me. I get double vision for a second, and then I realize I’m seeing another vivid image in my mind’s eye.

I see myself again. Completely naked, hair disheveled, a look of fascination and overwhelm on my face. And I’m way down on the floor, sitting on the familiar grass-colored rug. On the edge of my vision are some everyday objects that have found their way to the ground - a pen, a single sock, an empty water bottle. They all look so enormous compared to me. Not to mention the pair of feet planted on either side of me and making me look like a plastic toy in comparison. Watching myself like this puts things in a whole new perspective.

“Am I seeing what you’re seeing?” I ask faintly as I try to take everything in from both that projected vision as well as through my own eyes.

“Exactly. I just wanted to show you how little you’ve gotten,” the giant says with a nod, making the vision bob with his head movement, and then the picture disappears completely from my mind. “It’s almost funny to see you like this… Careful what you wish for and all that.”

I’m blinking and rubbing at my eyes, still seeing spots. When I drop my arms again I realize they’re shaking. In fact, my whole body is starting to shiver now that I’m nude.

Ryder notices. “Aww, are you cold? Let me help.”

I look up at him, though I’m not sure what I’m expecting. For him to hand me something to cover myself with? To use his crazy abilities to magically make me warm?

Instead, he doesn’t bother moving from his laid-back sitting position on the bed. There’s a small tremor through the floor, and I jump as one of the towering legs ahead of me lifts up into the air. I take a couple of confused steps back but otherwise have no time to react - his foot swings my way and knocks right into me, barreling me over so that I’m crumbling back to the ground. He settles it onto my front, toes resting right onto my chest, easily pinning me to the floor.

This is perhaps a little too much. The sudden weight isn’t quite painful, but I’m very aware that it could be if he wanted to hurt me. It feels like I could get crushed at any second from a twitch of his ankle. I writhe as I look up and up the length of his body, my distant fear growing more intense. I manage to wriggle an arm out from underneath him and start shoving at his toes while kicking at his heel.

“Shhhh,” Ryder soothes, and I can already feel an extra dose of sedative tranquility flowing into me, “Stay calm… Just relax… There you go. Better?”

My muscles melt under his mass, until I start seeing his gigantic foot as more of a weighted blanket. It’s not that bad. And to be fair, despite this position being pretty undignified, his skin does feel nice and warm against mine, and it’s surprisingly soft. If only he wasn’t putting quite so much pressure on my lungs.

Before I run out of air, I choke out the most urgent of my questions in my tranquilized state. “How are you doing this?” I gasp.

He chuckles. “Easy. Lifted my leg up. Set it back down. I’m not even putting any weight on you, not really. Still feels like you’re having trouble breathing though, that little chest is barely budging…”

I had, in fact, run out of breath, but Ryder seems to sense this and eases up on me, so that I’m able to clarify, “No, I mean, how is this all… possible?”

The giant smiles as he doubles over and lowers his head, looming over me. Jesus, his face is as big as a king-sized mattress getting pushed out of a third story window.

“I know what you meant,” he says, “I guess I’ve always been different. The details aren’t important right now. Influencing people’s thoughts and emotions is easy for me. As for the shrinking part, well…”

He curls his toes and I wince as they fondle my breasts in the process. Without my better judgment to guide me, I sigh longingly.

“…that’s special. You and I have a unique bond now, Isabelle. I can influence not only your mind but your body. All it took was a little kiss…”

He puts his fingertip to his lips, and then reaches all the way down to the floor to touch it to my mouth. The pad of his finger takes up over half of my face, and he holds it there for a moment, making it even harder for me to get any air. Weakly I kiss his finger back, and he smiles approvingly. His hand lifts up, hovering a short distance above my head. And he bends his fingers to playfully wave me goodbye.

I’m starting to feel a bit too warm against his skin. But a split second later I know why… The weight of his foot grows even heavier. His toes inch further up my chest. He’s got that signature smile on as he does his magic, previously infuriating but currently entrancing. I don’t want to lose sight of it.

But his giant body has other plans. I’m becoming small enough to get completely eclipsed underneath his foot. I manage one last strained breath as if about to be plunged underwater, and then his increasingly massive toes are sliding over my head. I should be thankful that he’s clean, nothing but the faint scent of chlorine persistently clinging to his skin from all the time at the pool. Still, I feel disgusted, humiliated, anxious and afraid.

And yet I’m not particularly bothered by any of these emotions. Not when it feels so right to be immobilized out of sight like this. To somehow be so lovingly embraced and carelessly dominated, all at once.

I briefly think about the little experience I do have with men. There were some jerks in the mix, but overall I’ve been lucky and was treated with respect and consideration the couple of times things got physical. As much as I appreciate that, though, in the back of my mind I’ve always fantasized about something else. Those fantasies only strengthened when I met Ryder, who always seemed to be the kind of guy to pin you to the wall and throw you on the bed. And now here I am, literally pinned underneath his foot in the darkness. Maybe this is what I wanted all along.

I have no idea how small I am when the shrinking stops. I’ve turned my face to the side to get whatever air I’m able, and I struggle to see in the dimmed light. The fleshy ceiling feels unbearably heavy, and I try to find comfort in the pressure best I can. I wonder how long I’ll have to deal with this. I can hear the giant’s tendons creaking with every minute movement, making me flinch and wince.

I gasp at a magnified voice that vibrates all the way down through the sole of the titanic foot. “Just hang tight down there. I’m almost ready for you, little one.”

I would lay here forever if he asked me to. Not that I have many options at my disposal. I mean, the fact that I’m content here isn’t even a feeling of my choosing… but it’s alright. I don’t mind not having a choice. At least, I don’t think I do.

With one last little push that compresses me into the fibers of the rug, I finally suck in clean air again as the foot lifts up and away. Holy shit, I can actually get a sense of its size now, it’s over fifteen feet long from toe to heel. I gaze at it rising up and up, like a truck-sized UFO that decided not to abduct me after all. Then it moves to land off to the side, and I suddenly take the rest of him in.

I can feel tears gathering up in my eyes for a moment, whether from awe or whatever deeply buried terror is still inside me. Ryder is standing now, shirtless and grinning, absolutely towering overhead. From my perspective on the floor he’s as tall as a ten story building. I feel like I’m looking up at a god, as if Apollo himself is standing over me, toned muscle and tan skin and a stature that takes my breath away.

“I’m sure it’s hard to keep track, so I’ll just tell you,” he booms, “You’re down to four inches now.”

The volume of his voice carries enough authority that I immediately scramble up to attention, clumsily hurrying to my feet. I take a couple of steps back just to try and get a better sense of what I’m looking at. I guess while I was out of sight he had started taking off his clothes, and him lifting his foot up just now is what allowed him to finish slipping off his shorts. He’s left in nothing but his boxers, well on his way to joining me in becoming nude.

There’s a prominent outcrop jutting from within his underwear - his hard-on is big enough to cast a shadow over me all on its own. Ryder takes amusement in this, and he redistributes his weight casually between each leg, causing subtle quaking in the ground as he briefly blocks me from his sight with his own member.

“I imagine that must be quite the view from down there. Is it sinking in how tiny you’re getting?” he asks. Maybe the question was rhetorical, but I’m finding myself nodding feebly, and he nods back. “Good. Then let’s get you off the floor.”

@i-am-insane But see, while M/fff seems to be the standard, I have no interest in giantess, so what I’m talking about is MMM/f 🤭

Chapter 5

I don’t feel ready for the sight of this colossus’ mighty body collapsing in on itself like an avalanche as he crouches down. His hand is reaching out towards me, as big as the falling ceiling of a room, and I’m taking timid steps back, eyes wide, until I brace myself by covering my face with my arms.

When the expected heavy impact doesn’t happen, I finally peek out from behind my tangled limbs. I spend a moment taking in the titan’s new crouched stance. His knees are jutting out well over my head. His bulging erection within his boxers is way closer now, making me shyly look elsewhere. His bare chest and his head are still so high up. And he’s set his hand down onto the floor beside me, waiting patiently for me to notice it. When I look up high enough for us to lock eyes, he smiles and the nearby index finger ticks upward a couple of times, beckoning me.

“I’ll take it easy on you,” he rumbles, “Plenty of grabbing to come later, I’m sure. Hop on.”

I still hesitate, but not for much longer. I can’t resist him. Obediently I walk over, and then I trip over a carpet strand that’s wound its way around my ankle as I reach him. I tumble right into Ryder’s hand, kicking away the offending green rope as I push myself up to all fours. Honestly, I’ll be glad to get out of this grassy expanse. Especially since being in this gigantic hand, it’s… Wow. It’s so much better. Warm and pliant under the weight of my frame, even though I must feel so light to him. I want to examine every inch of it, but I don’t have time to take much in as the giant immediately stands back up.

I gasp dramatically and curl in on myself as I hurtle upwards. Through a small gap between the fingers that make up part of my floor, I stare at the ground growing distant incredibly fast, and I tremble as I try to keep my balance on hands and knees. The fleshy platform elevators all the way up along the mammoth body, not giving me enough time to appreciate it, until it stops right in front of Ryder’s face. His eyes are so large, the irises like windows to the sky and the pupils as big as baseballs.

“This never gets old,” he murmurs. Even speaking quietly, his voice makes the air quiver like a speaker system.

I take in the details of his face, magnified to a staggering degree. I can make out every individual hair in his eyebrows and eyelashes, I notice the tiniest red speck of a blemish near his temple, and even though he’s clearly recently shaved, I can see the pinpricks of color heralding future stubble on his skin. Without thinking, I shift forward and reach an arm out to touch the tip of his nose.

“Ryder, this is… incredible,” I stammer, and I keep touching his face in awe. Robbed of my inhibitions, my habit of inspecting my surroundings takes over. I use his nose as leverage to stand up, then run my hands across his cheek and upper lip. The giant seems to enjoy this and eventually lifts me a little bit higher, so that I can access his forehead and brow. He closes his eyes for a moment to let out a content sigh, and I waste no time in brushing my fingers against his closed eyelid, marveling at the way it twitches gently at my touch. Then he pulls his hand further away, interrupting my exploration, so that he can better see me. I hold my arms out to catch my balance, managing to stay on my feet in his palm.

His fascination with me has only seemed to grow more. He speaks softly but intently, “I have to know… Have you ever fantasized about being this small, Isabelle?”

“Yes.” I surprise myself with this confession, but then backtrack and try to clarify, “Well, it was never quite like this in my mind. It was more during those horrible moments of getting called out for something and me wanting to vanish. Sometimes I’d imagine myself becoming invisible and sneaking away. But sometimes I would feel so embarrassed and down on myself that I would imagine myself shrinking, so small that no one would pay attention to me any more.”

Ryder’s breath hitches. For the first time since I’ve met him, he seems to lose his composure for a second. He shuts his eyes to regain himself, exhaling deeply and blowing my hair back with his warm, powerful breath.

“I’m sorry,” he says, opening his eyes again. “That’s very sad, but… also really hot.”

I keep my gaze trailed on his. Seeing that moment of his poise slipping is making me curious about him in turn. “What about you?” I ask, “You’ve fantasized about this before?”

“I’ve done this before. Many times,” he says. “It’s been a while, though. Something feels different this time.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Many times? Why? Just for fun?”

“Various reasons. But I mean, come on.”

I cry out as the ground underneath me suddenly shakes, the giant hand quickly moving from side to side to knock me onto my butt. Ryder claws his fingers up and around me, and since I’m sitting down now they’re easily taller than I am.

“Who wouldn’t want this kind of power?” he purrs.

My breath grows shallow as I see the hunger in his eyes. It’s humbling. And it’s exciting.

“Actually… I guess you wouldn’t,” he laughs, lowering me down to chest level so that he can intentionally loom over me. “That’s why you’re down there. And I’m up here.”

My eyes dart over to the edge of the palm I’m sitting in as I notice movement. The index finger of his other hand is sliding over the edge and glides over to me. It makes contact with my foot and slowly starts slithering up my leg. I shudder and take a tremulous breath in.

“Just relax while I get a good look at you. Gotta take in all these little details…”

His middle finger joins, catching up with the first and brushing over my other leg. The fingertips gradually float up the length of my frame, leaving goosebumps in their wake. I moan and struggle to keep it together as I soak in the feeling of getting lightly touched by digits that are as thick as my torso. The muscles in my crotch tighten and I press my legs together reflexively. The fingers reach my shoulders and begin pushing them down, until I have no choice but to let myself lay back in his hand.

Ryder indulges himself by spending a good while exploring my breasts. He circles each one with a fingertip, then his thumb joins in to gently pinch. I groan with pleasure, waiting longingly for the moments when his skin passes over my nipples, stimulating me without him really trying. My eyes dart between his fingers and his face, the concentrated look in his eyes driving me nuts.

“Why am I so turned on by this?” I finally gasp, putting a hand on his thumb but making no effort to push him away. “Are you doing that to my brain too?”

His eyes flick up to mine, hardly bothered by the interruption. “Not quite… It’s like I said before. It’s all right there inside of you. I’m just helping you feel what you want to feel.”

I close my eyes and wince at another prod. “I dunno…” I slur, only half present, "I don’t think sober me would… mmmnhh… would ever want this… It’sss… It’s dangerous. You’re so much biggerrr… You could hurt me by… by accident.”

I’m too enraptured to properly make out which of his fingers is where exactly, but while still being touched all over my torso, I also feel what might be a pinkie start nudging at my crotch. I open my legs in invitation, and even though there’s no part of him that can fit inside me anymore, the pressure of his finger is enough. The wonderful texture of his skin slides against my dripping sex, the ridges of his fingerprint driving me to insanity.

“There’s nothing to worry about,” he soothes, finding a gentle rhythm with his fingertip. “I’ve gotten good at this - you’re safe. And aren’t things so much better without that pesky fear? Although… I will mention that I’ve never had anyone just go to town and start touching me all over like you did. I didn’t make you do that, Isabelle. That’s all you.”

My back arches from a wave of pleasure. I tilt my head back and moan helplessly. I’m hardly listening to what he’s saying but I’m loving the rumbling feeling of his voice.

“Just enjoy this, you horny little thing… Fuck, it’s so easy to get you to this state…”

As if sensing that I’m on the edge, the rubbing speeds up, and after a few moments a blissful bubble overtakes me, ballooning and bursting, and I cry out from another intense orgasm. My entire body tenses as I ride the sensation for several seconds before going limp in the giant’s hand, still moaning, still gasping, my skin on fire. God, I already know I could go again. I never want to stop.

I’m so out of it that I didn’t notice Ryder’s face approaching until it’s right on top of me. He gives the side of my body a tender kiss, and I still feel so sensitive that it’s enough to make me groan again. His lips are so huge. From my perspective he should look monstrous, as if he should be some mythical beast or a massive piece of machinery, and yet I’ve never felt more physically attracted to anyone before.

“There’s more where that came from,” he mutters against my stomach, “Better recover quickly, little one.”

I push myself up to sitting so that I can press myself against his cheek. I’m trying to calm back down, and in an effort to ground myself I start absently touching him again. First I trail my fingers against his chin, taking deep breaths. Then, with a bit more intention, I take a closer look at the hand I’m still sitting in. I hadn’t really gotten the chance to get a good look at it yet. I examine the folds of his palm, pushing against the springy flesh and tracing each line with interest.

Ryder pulls back to watch my investigation, biting his lip in amusement. “See, that’s what I’m talking about,” he says, “I’ve never been with anyone who’s quite so… inquisitive?”

I look up into his eyes. Simply existing under his gaze is humbling. There’s something about being small that feels incredibly vulnerable. Not just in the obvious physical way, but in the way where I feel like I can tell him anything. I blink up at him, hesitant, until finally I squeak out a confession.

“I… I-I… I really like dinosaurs, okay?”

There’s a short pause as the giant’s eyebrows shoot up. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Um… When I was a kid,” I explain, “I wanted to be a paleontologist. I knew everything about prehistoric life and would collect all kinds of fossils. My favorite thing was to bury stuff in the yard and pretend they were dinosaur bones, and later I’d dig them up and wash them off and study every detail. I was just so curious - I loved exploring and discovering and examining things. I was so heartbroken when I found out that a career in paleontology is a bit more complicated than that, but even to this day I’ll go into thrift stores to look around at all the weird stuff and just kinda pretend I’m an archeologist."

Whew. Definitely have never told a guy that before. Like I said… vulnerable.

Ryder’s smile has grown wider and wider during my little monologue. “There it is. I knew you had to have some kind of hobby.”

I wrap my arms around my chest and hang my head. “I know. It’s embarrassing.”

He scoffs, “What are you talking about? Who doesn’t like dinosaurs? You want to talk embarrassing, I like reading poetry.”

I’m about to tell him that I think his hobby is wonderful, but instead I gasp loudly as just then, without so much as a warning, he pinches his fingers around my torso from behind and lifts me into the air. My legs kick reflexively and I cling to his hand, trying not to look down as he dangles me in front of his face. He keeps talking as casually as if we were at a coffee shop.

“I love you wanting to be a little explorer, actually. That’s so freaking cute. In fact…”

I hang on tight as the giant begins to move. He glances around himself and then sits down, reclining back so that he can lay on his bed, and bringing me along for the bumpy ride. I drop even further as he lowers his hand down to his bare abdomen, depositing me right at his center of gravity. Even though he’s not particularly careful about whipping me around, the way Ryder sets me down is much more delicate, easing me into a kneeling position before his fingers release me.

“There you go,” he says, and I can feel more goosebumps forming on my legs from the tickling vibration of his voice running up through them. “Look around to your tiny heart’s content.”

I’ll be honest… I’m still really aroused right now. A part of me is frustrated that I’m no longer being fondled, and that part’s fighting against the side of me that’s inclined to examine and discover. But when I get to my feet and stare out at the expanse of Ryder’s chest, I start to think a happy medium can be found. His skin is shaved smooth and is taught against his muscles. His pecs are like two shallow hills. His abs are as vast as a luxurious hotel room. His head is propped up on a couple of pillows so that he can still watch me, meaning I can enjoy the beauty of his face in the background. This absolute specimen of a man is at my disposal, just as much as I’m at his mercy.

I start taking unsteady steps forward, though I quickly realize that walking is going to be a problem. The simple act of the giant’s breathing makes me lose my balance within seconds, and as he sees me flail my arms when I almost fall over, I now have to contend with his soft laughter jostling me too. I collapse to my knees when I reach his ribs, and I start crawling.

It hasn’t left my attention that I’m completely naked right now. I’m only sort of well endowed, and at this point my breasts are no bigger than blueberries, but my posture seems to be pleasing my massive keeper all the same. In the distance I notice the tip of his tongue protruding from the edge of his smile as he observes me scrambling over his chest.

I pause every so often to pass my fingers over his skin, feeling the slight fuzz of micro hairs that are practically invisible to the human eye. My little limbs occasionally make him sigh or twitch, and every time I trip over myself from one of his movements, Ryder seems to get a kick out of how helpless I am. I’m on one side of his chest when I curiously prod at the darker circle of his nipple, and between his reverberating groan and the fact that his hand briefly raises up into view, I think he’s on the brink of snatching me right back up. I’m not the only one practically drooling over the situation.

Several minutes of my exploration have passed, and I’m up near his collarbone when he finally moans, “Alright. I can’t take this anymore.”

I look up and sit at attention in response to the authority in his booming voice. I wait for an instruction or for a hand to come my way or something, but nothing of the sort happens. I crawl to a more reasonable distance from his face so that I can make eye contact, and he’s just staring at me. After a few moments of staring back in confusion, I take notice of the fact that I’m pretty warm. Thankfully his body heat has been enough to keep me going thus far, but… This is something else. This is a bit more like a sunburn. My head jerks up as I look back at the giant in abrupt realization.

“Yes,” Ryder says softly with a devilish smirk, "I’m shrinking you again. Veeery slowly this time. Until you get to your destination.”

The open-ended nature of this one leaves me nervous. “Wh-wheres that?” I ask.

He chuckles and rolls his eyes. “Take a guess. Where do you think I want you right now?”

I notice the level of lust in those massive sky-blue eyes and from how shallow his breath feels underneath me. It doesn’t take some kind of mind manipulation for me to know exactly where his own mind’s at. Instead of answering verbally, I turn my head to look down the length of his body, to the faraway gray patch of his underwear that I’d avoided up until now.
I can hear the smile in Ryder’s voice as he rumbles, “Better hurry.”

@foreverlurk Oh for sure, I’d imagine it would be more of a fantasy for us SW than for the giants lol. Similar to how I’m not really into the tiny lady harem thing - or how I would imagine that the ones interested in FF/m are mostly men. I know I wouldn’t want to share the attention either

And I swear, I could probably read an entire story that consists of only dialogue haha. (Someone make a M/f radio play!)

Part 3: Something in the Air

Chapter 43
Evie

There’s a breeze coming in through the open window. It’s gentle, rolling across the surface of the desk like incoming tide. It ruffles the fur of my plush lion nearby and makes a notepad flutter. The warmth it carries presses against my skin like a blanket, a pleasant pressure on the side of my body. Except I’m in just enough of a precarious balance that it almost knocks me over. I overcompensate, not wanting to slip to the side and tumble eight feet down to a hard surface, and so I fall forward instead and immediately crash against the bridge of my friend’s nose. A nose that’s over half as big as I am.

“You good?”

The soft, deep voice rumbles through me, and the vibration feels intimate enough to make me blush. I push back against skin and try to regain balance on the massive arm that serves as my perch at the moment. “I’m good,” I confirm, putting a hand up to gratefully pat the space between the giant’s eyebrows.

I smile at him, even though he can’t see me right now, as his eyes are firmly shut. Aiden’s currently sitting at his desk chair and is leaned forward so that his chin is resting on top of the table, arms folded in front of his face. I’ve climbed up onto his forearm and am now sitting mere millimeters away from eyes. Any awkwardness around me getting all up in his face like this has largely disappeared - we’ve gotten pretty used to it now.

I have what serves as a large painter’s palette next to me, with a single dark brown color filling the container. One of the many miniatures that came home with me and has sat around uselessly for months is a makeup applicator, and I’m wielding it in my hand right now. As I rub the sponge-like applicator into the makeup, I notice that the huge eye that I’m sitting next to isn’t just gently closed anymore. It’s forcefully squeezing shut.

“Relax,” I say with a laugh, giving the giant another pat, “This’ll be fine.”

Aiden lets out a long, deep sigh that’s muffled by his arms. “How did we even get here?” he laments.

Well, I guess we originally got here almost four months ago, when I first got tricked by a literal mad scientist into becoming three inches tall, and was then rescued by the man who would become my closest friend… and perhaps something more. But as for the makeup, that’s just because Moira gave me some eyeshadow to use. The other day I mentioned to her in passing that I hadn’t put on any makeup since I became tiny, and she immediately found the smallest palette she had for me to play with at home. It was fun, finger painting my eyelids, pretending to be back in a world where that kind of thing mattered to me. But as soon as Aiden came over to see my progress, I was struck by a most devilish idea.

“Okay, hold still,” I say, getting onto my knees as I lean closer to one of the giant’s eyelids, sponge in hand. He goes very stiff and his brow is furrowed with concern. “Seriously, relax!” I laugh and I finally touch the makeup to his skin.

“Nnngh…” I almost fall over again as my friend tries and fails to keep from writhing. “I haaaate it.”

I pull my hand back and ask, “Does it hurt?” The tool I’m using is intended for foundation and isn’t exactly meant for eyelids.

“No…” Aiden grumbles, “It just feels so weird!”

I giggle and return back to my work, sliding the applicator and spreading the brown color just over the lashes. “Aww, poor baby,” I coo sarcastically, “Such torture that I’m putting you through…"

“I may never recover,” he responds dramatically.

I chuckle again, although I’m also trying to get this done quickly so that I can leave him alone. He’s making it very difficult. “You’re so twitchy!”

“What do you–” he scoffs, “You’re literally poking my eye!” But I can hear the amusement in his voice now as he tries to keep from laughing and shaking me again.

I finish thickening the line, opting to just make it look more like eyeliner than anything else, and pull away. “I’m almost done,” I assure him, “Just gotta do the other side.”

He’s quieter this time, sensing the end approaching, and I finish my masterpiece. I climb off of his arms and start taking some steps back to admire my handiwork with a big grin on my face. Sensing that I’m off of him now, Aiden blinks open his large hazel eyes and lifts his head off the desk, looking down at me skeptically.

“You look like a rockstar!” I chirp excitedly.

We had set up one of my old hand mirrors onto the desk so that I could see myself, and the giant bends down now so that he can assess the damage. “Oh okay… that’s not so bad,” he mutters.

“I didn’t put on much,” I say, walking over to look at him through the mirror as well. “And I didn’t touch your waterline. No way you’d be able to handle that if this was already too much for you.”

“I have no idea what a waterline is. But thank you for sparing me.”

I look back up at him and can feel all of the butterflies waking up inside me. They sure like to come out these days and flutter around my chest. “Yeah, you look great. It really helps bring out the green of your eyes.”

I notice the slightest bit of color blooming into his cheeks, and as he sits up to his full height he gives me the warmest smile. “Thanks, Eve. Yours looks really good too!”

"Thank you! I never owned much makeup so I’m no expert. We should get Moira to do a better job on you next time.”

“Uhhh yeah we’ll see about that,” he chuckles, “Okay, can I go wash this off now?”

“What, you don’t want to go out on the town like that?” I laugh. “Wait, before you go, can we take a picture of it? Please? You have no idea how good you look.”

He shakes his head in defeat, but he’s beaming nevertheless. “Only if you’re in the picture too.”

“Deal!”

I run closer to him excitedly as he fetches his phone from his pocket and turns on the front facing camera. He leans his head forward, all the way down so that I can stand just beside it. Well, a little bit in front of it too. I could use all the extra size I can get, even if it’s just from perspective.

“Is this our first selfie?” Aiden wonders after snapping a couple of shots.

“I think so!”

“Could we take some more later, without the makeup? Don’t get me wrong, I love what you did on yourself, but you look so pretty without it too.”

Whatever picture he took just then would be featuring me with widened eyes and a redder face. Lovely. Not embarrassing at all. Even though it’s been a week since we both admitted that we were interested in each other, not all that much has actually changed in most of our interactions. I’m still not quite used to this type of compliment.

“S-sure!” I try to say casually, and then in an effort to change the subject I add between snapshots, “Uhh, are these stored on the cloud or anything?”

“No, I never got around to setting that up… Oh, but I guess that’s a good thing, isn’t it? Don’t worry, I’ll be really careful about keeping pictures of you private.”

I thank him and go back to smiling for the camera. We’ve probably taken almost a dozen photos by now, just to make sure there’s a nice one in the batch. I shift my gaze to look at the display instead of the camera lens, and seeing myself on the phone screen… I can’t help feeling a little sad. I look so ridiculous next to him. Like a tiny action figure. Or just a smudge on his cheek.

After another moment I start stepping forward, wondering if getting even closer to the lens would help. Sure enough, the closer I get to the phone, the less puny I look. In fact… maybe I could…

I see Aiden frown from behind me, his expression reflected on the screen, as he tries to figure out what I’m doing. I’m walking right up to the device, until I stop juuuust in the right position. There we go. My head’s about the same size as his now.

The sight is striking, somehow. Or it would be, if the camera wasn’t currently struggling to figure out what to focus on. I’m so close that it can’t get a clear picture of the both of us - either I’m a blurry shape in the foreground, or then I move and become clear while he fades into obscurity. Even on a screen it’s like we don’t quite belong side by side.

“There.” His booming voice makes me flinch as his thumb suddenly presses the digital shutter button. He pulls up the picture he just took, right as the camera was refocusing, so that we both look equally blurry. He chuckles, “Perfect!”

I laugh too - it’s a little hollow, but not forced. I appreciate him so much.

I get a warning in the form of Aiden’s reflection suddenly growing larger on the phone screen, along with the sense of his sheer mass approaching me from behind, as quiet as a hot air balloon drifting in for a landing. He gently kisses my upper back, a gesture that happens from time to time now - it’s the one significant thing that has changed between us. Since I’m on my feet he hardly puts any pressure at all to avoid knocking me over, relying on me to push back against his lips instead. And I do, leaning into him with a more genuine giggle. He’s definitely succeeding in making me feel better.

We’ve been easing into this connection the two of us share. Not rushing it, letting the relationship bud at its own pace, especially since in retrospect it was a bit of weird timing to admit our feelings the day after he accidentally assaulted me. We haven’t really talked about that night since. For now we just enjoy the occasional lingering touch or extended eye contact, an affectionate comment here and there, and sometimes his lips find my back or the side of my head. I wouldn’t say that we’ve “properly” kissed yet as I’m still not sure exactly how to do that, and I don’t quite see ourselves as a “couple.” But whatever we are, I wouldn’t change a thing right now.

“Thanks for being a good sport,” I say as Aiden sits up again. “You can go clean it up. You might want to use makeup remover, I still have some in my bag.”

I briefly give him instructions on how to take off the eyeliner and he nods before responding, “Roger that. While I’m at it I should probably go put away some laundry, I’ve been putting that off… Need anything from me?”

“I’m good! I think I might study for a little bit, actually.” I motion to the Construction Technology spiral textbook that’s already sitting nearby on the desk. I’ve been getting a lot of interesting information from it, surprisingly, and I’m determined to finish reading it.

“You have fun with that,” Aiden says as he makes a face. Classes and studying are clearly the last thing he wants to think about now that he’s on summer break. And with that I’m left to my own devices for a little bit.

I’m glad this is the one textbook I have where I can easily turn the pages on my own, the laminated sheets both stiff and light enough for me to lift and push against. Before getting started, I pause to gaze at the cover for a moment. There in the corner, written in marker, is the name “Evie Ondine” - a relic from a time when I had much larger hands. It trips me out every single time I look at it.

I’m currently working my way through a chapter about prefabrication, and some of the examples are giving me ideas for how to independently package the minis I’m painting for my future business. I now have over twenty of the figurines ready to go and have some more blank ones on the docket - all that’s left is taking product photos and setting up a little packing station and I’ll be ready to launch in hopefully the next couple of weeks.

It wasn’t during such a calm afternoon that I expected disaster to strike.

It happens as I decide to go take a quick note about something I read - I’m keeping some paper nearby for just that purpose. I walk along the binding of the book, and as I step off of the laminated page, I slip on the slick plastic surface. My feet slide forward and the rest of me falls back, and I discover something I’d never noticed before. The wire that coils into a spiral and forms the binding of the textbook curls in on itself at the end. But the little loop extends slightly further than it should into a near imperceptible defect, even to me. And the tip of the metal spiral is very, very sharp.

I feel a sudden hot pain in my left calf. Disoriented, I look around myself, realizing I’m flat on my back now. My leg has passed right over the small knife-like point that was apparently protruding, leaving a long gash in my skin, from just above my ankle to just below my knee. Blood immediately begins pouring out, and I stop breathing at the sight of red quickly spreading onto the desk.

“Shit,” I curse under my breath. For a second the pain disappears as the adrenaline hits. What do I do?

The first aid kit. It’s on the opposite side of the desk from where my living space is, about a foot away from me now, though to me that means over twenty feet. I have to reach it. The pain is quickly returning but I flip onto my stomach anyway, fighting against the growing agony as I crawl forward. I glance over to the side as I drag myself, and I briefly notice the visual timer is actually a much closer target. A spin of that dial is apparently enough to make the thing beep loudly. I’ve still never used it… No, it’s fine, I just need to get to the bandages. All I need to do is stop the blood, I’ve got this. And I keep lurching forward, not thinking straight, just desperately pulling myself across the table.

I’m halfway there when Aiden walks by, a looming figure in the distance, casually strolling from his bedroom to the kitchen. I honestly hardly take notice of him, so incredibly intent on getting to the medical supplies first and foremost. For a split second he shoots me a passing smile, just a quick glance in my direction in the midst of his chores. But then he does a double take, looking back towards me again and freezing in place. For a second he’s very still, eyes widening as he processes my small figure that’s leaving behind a trail of red. And before I know it he’s rushing over to the desk without a word, flying into action.

Not a moment too soon. I’m in so much pain now that I’m struggling to breathe. I have to stop moving, and I crumble to my side as I reflexively clutch at my leg, which is completely covered in blood. There’s a flurry of movement above and around me - Aiden’s reached the first aid kit and he’s extracting a disinfecting wipe from its pouch as quickly as possible.

“Let me help, okay?” he says softly, tightly, and without waiting for an answer I feel his fingers pinch my ankle. I give in to his sudden authority over the situation, and I shield my face with my hands as the injured limb is lifted up. This is apparently the wrong move, though. The metallic smell of the blood that’s now all over my hands almost makes me vomit in my dizzied state. For a second I’m blasted back to a distant memory. The last day I spent in my house as a family of two. I remember the birthday cake on the floor, red ceramic and a red dress and red liquid spilling over my hands…

I’m snapped back to the present as I’m rolled onto my stomach so that Aiden can reach the back of my leg. And then I feel something cold and I can’t help it - I scream. The stinging of the disinfectant is excruciating. I curl in on myself, pressing my face into the ground, trying to muffle my own cries.

“Sorry, sorry…” Aiden whispers, and just a moment later the wet wipe is replaced by a dry gauze, “Are you able to hold this here? Tightly?”

I roll back onto my side and do as I’m told, clutching the tiny scrap of gauze that had thankfully been cut ahead of time for just this kind of emergency. I realize that putting pressure against the wound is important. Meanwhile my giant friend is moving quickly, smearing antibiotic ointment onto a fresh piece of gauze and prepping the already thinly sliced bandage.

“I’ve got it,” he says, taking over again and lifting my leg up high. I’m flipped back onto my stomach, and I bury my face in my arms as I try not to hyperventilate. He’s able to put on much more pressure than I am, though he’s careful not to crush the limb, and then he slowly begins wrapping the calf up. It’s surely a delicate process for him, my leg not much thicker than a matchstick.

The seconds drag by until finally the twelve minutes of terror are over. Aiden’s finished wrapping the wound and just lets my leg rest on top of his finger that’s sitting on the desk, keeping my foot elevated. I hear him exhale tremulously, and if anything the shaking in his hands is actually getting worse. Whatever forced calm he’d been able to summon in the thick of the crisis is crumbling away now. I’m breathing hard, still lying face down, gritting my teeth. The pain isn’t quite as bad as it was a few minutes ago, but god does this still hurt.

Finally there’s a slight tremor - one large elbow coming to rest on the desk as the giant leans back in. “You still with me?” he asks weakly.

I flash him one tiny thumbs up just to show him I haven’t in fact passed out. And then I slowly flip myself over, ankle rotating against the enormous finger as I keep it propped up. I lay on my back and raise my chin to gaze at him. He looks as pale and breathless as I feel.

“Yes,” I finally answer.

Aiden’s jaw clenches as his eyes pass over the length of me before meeting mine again. “We should get you to a hospital, Evie,” he says quietly.

“What?!” I gasp, my emotions heightened by the pain. “No, no, it’s fine! It’s not as bad as it looks… See? I can still move my leg fine. It hurts like a bitch, but it didn’t hit muscle or an artery or anything like that.”

“But what if you still need stitches or something?”

“I don’t. I got really scraped up from how I fell but it wasn’t that deep a cut. Look, the bandage isn’t overflowing. Maybe the bleeding’s already stopped.”

Aiden still looks doubtful. But I’m not just speaking out of fear - although that’s certainly part of it - I really do think this isn’t as serious as it might have appeared. Time will tell. If the bleeding doesn’t stop then we’ll reevaluate.

“I got my tetanus shot right before starting school,” I insist, “Let’s just… let’s just give it a minute before we rush into anything. Okay?”

I think I’ve convinced him, at least for the moment. He takes a deep breath in through his nose and now his gaze starts wandering over the surface of the desk. “What happened?” he asks.

With an unsteady hand I point vaguely towards the textbook. Yikes, there’s so much blood on the way. No wonder I feel so dizzy. “I fell on the tip of the… the spiral…” I say.

Aiden looks to where I’m motioning and reaches for the bottom of the book’s spine, thumbing the metallic end in question. Without a word he closes the pages and slides the entire thing off the desk, dropping it to the floor below. He takes in just how long the streak of red is that stretches across the desk.

Then he speaks again, and there’s a new edge to his voice now. “Why didn’t you call for me? I was just over there, you were right next to the timer. Why go all the way across the desk instead?”

I look away in shame. I hadn’t realized how ingrained my habits were. “I don’t know…”

There’s a long pause. A heavy sigh. “You have got to learn to ask for help, Eve.”

His frustration is all too clear. I haven’t stopped trembling since I cut myself, but the anxiety gets worse at his harsh tone. I grasp at words, trying to come up with an explanation. “I thought I had it, I… I just… I didn’t want to bothe–” I stop myself, knowing how stupid I was about to sound.

He fills in the blank anyway and raises his voice sharply, “Alright well it bothers me that you lost so much blood just now!”

“I’m sorry,” I whimper. My leg slips off of his finger and I fearfully curl into the fetal position, facing away from him. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

Aiden sighs, this time not out of frustration but out of guilt. His hand comes closer, not quite touching me but cupping to align with the curve of my spine. His ring finger softly makes contact with the top of my head.

“No, I’m sorry,” he says with a much more gentle tone, “I know this isn’t helping. Now’s not the time.”

He leans all the way down, resting his forehead on his hand so that he can be right above me, his face becoming my ceiling. His eyes are closed next to my head and I feel his exhale pass over my feet.

“That just really scared me,” he whispers.

I’m completely silent, still shaking, covered in a thin sheen of sweat, my new makeup smudged and mixing with the blood I’ve smeared on my face. My leg is throbbing. My mind is heavy with the reminder of how fragile my entire existence is. One wrong move is all it takes. We’re always just one small step away from all of this falling apart.

Another breeze rolls in through the window, mussing our hair, and this time it’s anything but pleasant. Right now it just feels cold.

@blehb Seconded! A beautiful elf man would be very much up my alley

In any case would prefer anything that’s not orc/goblin/etc. I feel like so often (mostly talking mainstream stuff here) giants are portrayed as big ugly ogres, which does nothing for me personally.