Oh man I’m loving the term “giant exposure therapy”. I feel like I’ve vaguely explored that concept when writing if I think about it (like a character feeling like “dammit, I need to stop being so scared of him! I’ll to force myself to interact so I get used to him!”), but not where the whole story is centered around that concept. Gah, the angst, the silent negotiation of power dynamics, the path to healing, I love the potential of this!
@maladaptivetiny Yeeees! I so agree with you, I wish there was more of it.
(Side note for the gentle fans: Violet Goes to the Beach is back. Iykyk)
@SmolChlo I’m really glad you said something Chloe, since my experience was similar to Lurk’s - foot content leading to certain people to become rather intense & demanding about it (which turned me off of it a little bit). Meanwhile, maybe I’ve just been incredibly dense, but I didn’t realize you had a foot fetish until you said it in this thread! I’ve seen you comment on so many other facets and never be demanding about feet. There are probably way more folks like you who aren’t obnoxious about it than those who are obnoxious. That makes sense that it would be that way, where a few people ruin it for everyone else - but in any case I’m happy to have more examples of chill foot lovers in my circle 
Chapter 23
Aiden
I feel elated at how well this is going. This entire thing has had me in a weird state of anxiety mixed with giddiness. It almost feels like I’ve spent so much time dreaming, only to realize that none of this is a dream at all. One of my good friends is here with me, and she sees it too – she can see and touch and talk to the impossibly tiny girl I’ve been sharing so much of my time with. The opportunity to finally tell someone else about this has filled me with a relief that I wasn’t expecting.
Evie and Moira gaze at each other for a few seconds, to the point that I feel like I’m intruding. And then it’s the shrunken one who pipes up to encourage the next step. “Want to try actually lifting me up?”
Moira looks extremely hesitant, her eyebrows curving more and more with concern. “I feel like I’m going to knock you over.”
“You might,” Evie laughs, “It’s okay if you do. But I’ve gotten better at balancing.”
There’s further hesitation, and I’m about to suggest that maybe Evie should sit down for this first time, but before I can, it happens. Moira’s summoned her courage enough to slowly raise her hand upwards, letting it hover an inch or two in the air. The take off is smooth, hardly destabilizing the smaller girl at all, and even as she lifts her hand higher and away from the ottoman Evie stays on her feet. I feel like I should be taking notes.
It’s almost funny how much I can relate as I watch Moira cup her fingers around the precious cargo and reflexively clutch her second hand underneath the first for extra stability. Seeing her look so nervous and hesitant certainly helps me realize how far I’ve come.
“Um. Okay. Can I put you down now?” she mumbles and I notice how tightly clenched her shoulders are. She looks like she’s regretting pulling Evie so far away from a stable surface.
“I’ve got her,” I offer, and I extend my arm, touching my fingertips to the bottom of Mo’s hand, like docking a spacecraft to create a steady bridge. Our little space cadet takes it from there, stepping to the edge of one hand to hop onto the other. Once the transfer’s done I pull away again and Moira lets her arms drop down with relief.
“You did great,” Evie says, flashing a grin and double thumbs-up, and with my free hand I add a third, larger thumbs-up too, eliciting laughter from our guest. Still, we’ve thrown a lot her way with this initial meeting and I can tell we might be pushing her close to her limit.
“I’ll walk you out,” I say, slowly getting to my feet. Moira’s eyes are fixed on my hand that’s occupied, clearly on the verge of fretting about the casual way I’m moving around. Evie speaks up then, snapping her out of it.
“It was so nice to meet you!”
“Y-yeah, likewise!” Moira responds with a smile.
I drop Evie back off at the desk and we share a quiet grin, a secret moment of celebration over the success of this meetup. I’m overjoyed to see that she’s genuinely come around, and I’m feeling more hope than I have in a long time.
I follow Moira through the door to walk her out of the building - she knows the way so she doesn’t need me there, but I figure we might want a few minutes of privacy. As soon as I shut the door to the apartment her smile drops and she covers her face with her hands. I go stiff, pausing while still holding the door handle. I’d been so caught up in my own excitement that this reaction takes me off guard.
“I’m awake right now?” she whispers, “All of that really just happened?”
I relax a little. Right. Of course she’s still coming to terms with it all. “Afraid so…” I mutter and put a hand on her back. “I know, it’s a little overwhelming.”
I’d prepared Moira to the best of my abilities. I asked her to meet me for lunch yesterday and we found a private place to eat outside. Out of all my friends I figured she was the most likely to believe me, but I still wasn’t sure how she would react. I told her the story from the beginning, and she didn’t quite laugh but just seemed so confused, wondering what on earth I was getting at with my ridiculous tale. It wasn’t until I showed her a video of Evie on my phone that she became very serious. She had many questions that I answered as well as I could. But nothing could have fully prepared her for seeing the impossibility in person.
Taking a tremulous breath in, she slides her hands off her face and touches the arm I’m supporting her back with, absently giving it a thankful pat before she starts walking down the hallway.
“She looked so scared of me…” Moira whimpers, “Not that I blame her.”
“She was nervous,” I acquiesce, keeping pace with her shorter gait. “But I could tell she likes you, she was loosening up a lot by the end of it. She looked a thousand times more scared of me in the beginning, I promise.”
“I can’t believe this has been going on for so long. How are you holding up?”
“Me? I’m fine. I’ve liked having her around. And she’s been adjusting pretty well, all things considered.”
“Thank you for trusting me with this…” She looks up at me with such sincerity that I want to give her a big ol’ hug right then and there. “I promise I’ll keep it to myself. I want to help however I can.”
I walk in silence for a couple of paces before I quietly tell her, “Honestly, Mo, she just really needs a friend right now. Someone other than me.”
We’ve reached the door to the parking garage where she has her car waiting, and she turns to face me with a soft smile. “I’m more than happy to try. You said she has a phone, right? Give her my number, she can text me whenever she wants. Oh and Aiden…” Her expression shifts to a bit of a frown as she reaches up to give me a light, quick jab in the chest. “Watch it with the grabby hands?”
My mouth opens and closes a couple of times as I reel back for a second. Finally I stutter out, “I-I’m really careful, I swear!”
“I’m sure you are. But it’s more than that… Just make sure not to disrespect her autonomy, you know? I can only imagine how helpless someone might feel that small. Maybe it doesn’t help if you don’t give her the chance to move a couple of inches on her own.”
I can feel color flooding into my cheeks, and at first I think it’s just me getting defensive about Moira jumping to conclusions the second she gets invited to the party. But the longer I stand here the more I realize the heat I’m feeling in my face is stemming from shame. I think Evie and I are on the same page when it comes to this stuff. But the thought that I might be disrespecting her in any way makes me feel sick to my stomach. Any frustration around unsolicited advice quickly deflates within me like a balloon with a leak. It might actually be a good thing to have a third party’s perspective…
"Maybe you’re right,” I finally concede. “Maybe I’ve been getting too comfortable…”
She shrugs. “And maybe I’m wrong. Probably good to double check though, yeah?” I must still look conflicted because she adds with a more gentle tone, “You’re a good guy, Aiden. I’m sure you’re handling things fine. I wouldn’t have even known where to start… Let me know if either of you need anything, alright?”
“Will do. It was good to see you.”
“You too, man. I get why you’ve been so absent now, but still, I’ve missed hanging out.”
I have to bend down low to give her a hug while she stands on her tiptoes. We wish each other goodnight and then I head back to the apartment. When I step inside I notice that Evie’s laying backwards on her bed, holding her pillow over her face, and I might have been worried if her feet weren’t fluttering excitedly.
“Did we break you?” I laugh as I sit down beside her.
She drops the pillow to reveal her eager expression, upside down from my perspective. “I think I’m in love.”
You and me both, I say silently. It feels so wonderful to see her overflowing with joy like this.
“Well then, I’ll start planning the wedding," I quip, beaming. “Yup… there’s a reason I picked her to introduce you to. Everyone loves Moira."
“Dammit. That means I’ll have competition in winning her heart…”
She’s clearly kidding around, but seeing her elation is starting to make me feel just a little bit jealous. I can’t help but want to check…
“You might have a chance, you know," I say, dragging the joke out a bit more, "She’s single, and I’m not actually sure she’s fully straight.”
Evie lets out a theatrical sigh, resting the back of her hand against her forehead. “Tragically, though, I am. I guess I’ll have to settle for friendship."
My stomach does a flip. We’ve never delved into past relationships or anything like that, so it’s not until now that I’ve gotten confirmation that she’s into men. Good to know. Whether she’s into men fifty times her own size is an entirely different matter.
“You didn’t tell me just how much we had in common," Evie says, getting into a seated position on her bed.
“I didn’t want to tell you everything, you’d have nothing to talk about," I counter.
“Fair.” She lets out a more subtle and natural sigh this time, a sweet smile at the ready. “I’m so glad you convinced me to do this.”
“Yeah… Me too.”
There’s a wistful part of me that’s mourning the fact that she’s no longer my little secret that I get to keep just for myself. I mean, her happiness is absolutely worth it, and I hope this is a step in the right direction. But in a way, I’m also going to miss it just being me and her all the time.
I reach out towards her to… I don’t even know, touch her arm or something, make some kind of contact. But I interrupt myself, suddenly feeling self conscious, and my hand halts its journey halfway across the desk. I think about the talk I just had in the parking garage and retract my arm.
“Does it bother you?” I ask quietly, “When I pick you up and stuff without asking first?”
Evie frowns. “Is this about what Moira said with the manhandling?”
I don’t pretend to hide it. “Yes. The more I think about it, the more I’m worrying that I’m not doing a good job at like… making sure you still have agency, I guess.”
I expect her to minimize the issue, to just casually wave me off and tell me it’s fine like she always does. I’m already preparing to insist and really make sure she’s not hiding her true feelings from me. But then…
“I like it.”
My next word dies in my throat, leaving emptiness in its wake. I just stare.
Evie starts fidgeting with the bedsheets and tries to clarify, “Not you removing my agency, but… I don’t know, I just don’t see it that way.” She pulls her legs towards her chest as she leans back, in a slightly precarious balance. “We’re in a really weird situation and are having to write the rules as we go. Who knows if we’re doing it right. But I know I’m fine with how we are. Honestly, when you hold me, I just feel… safe.”
My heart is thumping hard. The weight of what she’s saying is enough to pin me to the chair. Am I imagining the look in her eyes right now? The insinuation in her voice? Surely I’m not just hallucinating the blush on her cheeks or the way she’s biting her lip?
I almost cave. Almost say something I shouldn’t. Or maybe I should. But instead I just say, “Oh… All good, then.”
Conflicted, my hand retraces its journey across the desk, this time slinking around Evie’s bed and hovering just behind her back - she really does look like she might topple backwards if she loses her balance. She smiles and leans back further, gently trust-falling against my fingers.
With a lighter tone, she says, “Don’t tell Moira I have a girl crush, I was just being silly. I don’t want her to think I’m weird.”
I tip her back onto the bed, letting my fingertips linger against her shoulders. I’m not sure I can match her buoyant tone, but I try, and I hope my smile makes up for it. "Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.”
@miss-lillipants I would love to read the story you mentioned 🥺
It’s interesting to think about what those small animals might be thinking. Like if one gets caught in a net and then a person took them out of the net… Do they think the person was responsible for the net? Or do they mistakenly think they’re being saved from the net by the person??
Okay, obviously animals aren’t thinking it through to that extent, but a tiny person might!
@SmolChlo Yeeeesss! And you know he’s holding back because this is a first date and he wants to be respectful and not freak her out further 
@foreverlurk I’m so sorry that you’re struggling with this. I do commend you and encourage you to continue therapy, I think others have had some great input on that already and I know I’ve benefited from it tremendously over the years. It does sound like bringing up the kink in a session might be beneficial, even if you don’t go into great detail on the specifics and more on how it impacts your life. I have a feeling (and it sounds like you do as well) that it might not be the fantasy itself that’s the core issue, so I do hope that once you’re in a better headspace the sizey yearning might not be quite so painful. We’re all rooting for ya 
Chapter 24
Evie
“How aboouut…. what’s your favorite dessert? I think for me it’s tiramisu.”
That’s a good question. I ponder for a minute before typing out a response:
“I don’t know if I can pick! Probably something basic, like a really good brownie or chocolate chip cookie. Ok ok here’s one. I’m super into board games - which one’s your favorite?”
I hit send and step back as I glance up at the rest of our texts with satisfaction. It’s so strange seeing the many messages labeled “Evie Ondine” alongside all those marked “Moira Wynne.” I haven’t had a long text chat with a friend like this in a while. I’m still a pretty slow typer, but I’ve gotten way better at using the phone over time and I’m doing well at keeping up with this conversation.
It’s been another cleaning day so we’re back down on the floor for a change of pace. Aiden’s laying on his stomach next to me, in deep concentration as he works on some lesson plans for his TA job. I scamper back over to what I’ve been occupying myself with outside of chatting with Moira - I’ve got my textbook from my Construction Technology class and am doing my own studying. Well, it’s less of a book and more of a laminated spiral journal. This actually makes it easier for me to turn the pages since they’re so stiff - I’m able to lift a plastic sheet on the outside edge and push it over my head as I make my way towards the spiral binding.
Sometimes I’m not sure why I even bother studying anymore. The end of the semester is quickly approaching and I have no idea if or when I’ll ever be able to go back to school. But thinking about that means thinking about the long term, which I’ve been refusing to do. At least studying keeps me occupied.
Still… I get bored of it so quickly. I perk up excitedly every time I hear the buzz from my phone that lets me know Moira’s responded, giving me a quick distraction.
“I’m not sure if it counts but I really like Pictionary. I’m probably biased since I like to draw :p"
Before I get a chance to respond, another text soon comes in.
“FYI the first students for the night are starting to trickle in so I need to put my phone away. Have a good night!”
I hurry to text her a “Good night!” back and sigh in disappointment. So much for that distraction. I look up at Aiden, his massive form hulking just beside me. He’s been at it for a while, maybe a short break wouldn’t be so bad…
His laptop lies next to him and he occasionally refers to it as he works. I make my way to it, hopping onto the edge of the keyboard and padding my way along while avoiding stepping on the keys. I’m about to call out to him, but that’s when he turns back to the computer again. He reaches a hand to the trackpad with his eyes fixed on the screen, until he suddenly notices me standing on the laptop. He breathes in sharply through his nose and yanks his arm back, obviously startled, and I wave my hands at him apologetically.
“Sorry! I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”
“All good,” he says with a growing smirk and then repositions himself so that he’s laying on his side, propping his head up with one hand. “You getting tired of studying?”
I look off to the side sheepishly. “So?”
“I can put you back on the desk if you want access to your stuff.”
“No, I don’t mind being down here, I like the change of scenery…”
He frowns sympathetically. “Sorry, I wish it wasn’t raining or I’d have taken you outside today.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” I insist, now very much feeling like a bother. “I wanted to ask - do you have any board games here? Moira and I were just talking about them, I do miss playing.”
"Yeah, I’ve got a couple, all stuff from when I was younger… I think I have a checkers set, Ticket to Ride, Battleship… maybe Clue?”
“Think we could do a game night sometime?” I ask hopefully. “I could probably at least play Battleship.”
He nods and leans in a little closer. “Totally! I bet you could play all of them, we should give it a shot. Uhhh maybe not tonight though, I really have to get this done. Sometime this weekend sound good?”
“Absolutely! Okay I’ll leave you alone now.”
“Okay… even though I don’t waaaant you to,” he whines, letting his head sink onto his lesson plans on the floor.
This lifts my spirits a little bit, knowing he’d rather be spending time with me instead. I jump back off the computer and edge a little closer to his face. “You can do it! You’ve already gotten so much accomplished today, you’re almost done!” I raise an arm up to him, offering him a high-five. “You got this!”
As I’m cheering him on he tilts his head to watch my approach, giving me an appreciative smile. He slides a hand over to me to touch his index finger to my outstretched palm. “Go team,” he says weakly. Not needing to be as careful as him, I give his fingertip an enthusiastic slap before I finally leave and give him his space.
I make a halfhearted attempt to go back to my textbook, but after a few minutes I still feel so restless… I decide to wander the apartment instead. I actually haven’t done much of this since it’s rare that I’m on the floor. I’m still pretty intimidated by the wide open spaces in this canyon-like room, and I’m finding myself drawn to the structures within it. I first walk the perimeter of the ottoman, which looms above me like a mansion within a stadium. Soon I find myself between the ottoman and the couch and notice that I would be able to fit underneath either one of them with ease… I’d be really good at playing hide and seek right now.
As I wander along the edge of the couch, something on the floor ahead of me catches my attention. I quicken my pace curiously and realize it’s a stain of some kind. I crouch down to carefully touch it, and it’s a little sticky. Figuring out that it’s a few drops of tomato sauce, I’m confused at first. We hardly ever eat on the couch, does this stain predate me being here? And then I remember that we did have dinner here once, that night a few weeks ago when we got Greek takeout. This is totally from that green bean dish.
Maybe it’s the fact that I feel partly responsible, but I want to clean this up. I rack my brain as I make my way to the end of the couch, determined to figure this out on my own. What kind of cleaning supplies could I use at this size?
Far ahead of me is the kitchen island, and I know that if I walk along the leftmost wall, Aiden’s room is just around the corner. Could he have anything in there that would work? Then again, I feel a little awkward just waltzing into his bedroom like that. I’ve hardly been in there outside of day one when he gave me a tour of the place. Across from his bedroom and next to the kitchen is his bathroom… Maybe there’s something there I could use.
I reach the edge of the wall and I’ll need to cross some open space to get to my destination. I look around as if I’m at a traffic light and about to cross the freeway. Aiden’s still in the same spot, back to being very concentrated. I make a run for it, dashing across the floor until it becomes tile. I huddle against the doorway for a moment, tilting my neck back to get the lay of the land.
To my right is one enormous blank wall, like a cream-colored cliff. On the left is where all the structures are, and I stroll past the looming cabinets, almost disappointed with how tidy it is in here. Soon I’m coming up to the enormous toilet, and just past that is where I catch sight of something that I think will do. There’s a toilet paper holder, and at the bottom of the tower I have easy access to the heavy white rolls.
I hurry over to the hay bale-like cylinders and find the seam. The way it tears is a little messy since I can’t reach the top of the roll, but I manage to acquire one large square of paper, which I fold up to make it easier to carry.
I continue looking around, turning hopefully to the shower-bath combo that’s just past the toilet. There doesn’t seem to be any soap or water that I can access, though. Maybe I can still make a difference with dry paper… but let’s go on one last journey first.
As eager as a traveler who’s just received a new quest, I exit the bathroom and line the wall to my left so that I can make the trek down the length of the kitchen island. Actually, it’s more of a peninsula since it’s attached to the wall, meaning I have quite the obstacle to circumvent if I want to make it into the kitchen proper.
On my walk I look towards the giant in the living room, who’s appearing quite statue-like from here. I wonder if he’s even noticed that I’ve been wandering around. If he stood up, surely he’d still be able to hear me down here, right? I don’t linger too much on this line of thinking, figuring that as long as I don’t just hang out in open spaces I should be just fine.
After a couple of minutes I’ve finally made it into the kitchen itself, and I’m starting to get a crick in my neck from having to look so far up all the time. The height of all these constructs is dizzying. This area is also pretty tidy, and the cupboard under the sink that houses the cleaning supplies is unfortunately closed. But then I spot something and run over to it excitedly.
There’s a chunk of ice on the floor, already half melted, just by the fridge. I doubt Aiden even noticed that it fell down here, but to me it’s like unexpected treasure I’ve found on my adventure. The piece of ice that’s intact is pretty sizeable, as big as a beach ball, and I hoist it up with some difficulty out of its puddle. It’s painfully cold to the touch, and I remind myself that I really do need to make myself some gloves.
I drop the ice off onto the toilet paper sheet I’ve been carrying and wrap it up in a double layer. Then I hoist it onto my back like it’s a knapsack and begin the journey all the way back to the couch.
By the time I get there my back is cold and wet, the ice chunk melting quickly against the heat of my body. I waste no time in utilizing the moistened paper, rubbing away fervently at the tomato stain in little circles. Some soap would have made this a lot easier, but a bit of extra elbow grease seems to slowly be doing the trick.
After a good fifteen minutes or so I’m almost finished with my little cleaning project, when I hear and see Aiden moving in the distance, although the view is mostly blocked by the ottoman. He sits up and stretches his arms over his head before rolling his stiff neck and shoulders. From the back I see his head turn to one side and then the other.
“Evie? Where’d you go?”
“Behind you!” I yell, and when he turns his head not quite far enough I add, “By the couch!”
He follows the sound of my voice, pivoting to peer over the structure that separates us. He spots me and smiles, settling his arms onto the ottoman as he regards me with amusement.
“What are you up to?” he asks.
I hold up the toilet paper to show him the orange stain on it. “You missed a spot.”
Aiden laughs and lowers his head down to rest his chin on his arms. He then says something that takes me by surprise. “That is so sweet.”
I balk with mock outrage, thinking he’s poking fun at me. “What did you just call me?” I exclaim, dropping the paper and putting my hands on my hips.
But he’s not quite going along with the joke, instead softening his gaze and the tone of his voice. “I’m saying that I appreciate the help. You really could just coast by and let me take care of everything, I wouldn’t blame you. But you keep wanting to pitch in whatever way you can. It’s really sweet and I don’t take it for granted.”
There’s a fluttering in my stomach and I struggle to look him in the eye. His earnestness is too much for me right now. Seriously, since when did he start making me blush all the time? My flippant response feels dissonant as I go back to scrubbing at the stain.
“I mean, no one likes a lazy roommate… and I sure don’t want to get kicked out.”
A crease appears between Aiden’s eyebrows. He looks like he’s about to say something and then stops himself, face smoothing out again. He opts to match my lighthearted tone instead.
“Well with you around, this place is going to be extra clean, that’s for sure.”
“Uh huh. Not a speck of dirt on my watch.” I sit back up, wiping the back of my arm on my forehead as I admire my handiwork. It’s not much of an accomplishment, but I do feel rather proud of myself.
That is, until I realize I can’t fully clean up. I’m still holding a wet wad of toilet paper, and I have zero ideas around how to dispose of it by myself. I stare at this one last hindrance as I hold it, a pang of frustration making my shoulders droop.
Aiden seems to pick up on what’s bothering me, and he casually reaches off to the side, close to where the desk is. There’s a small wicker trash can there, currently empty, and he gives it a little shove while still looking my way. It teeters before toppling onto its side, a wide tunnel crashing to the floor.
“Oops,” my giant friend says with a smile, “Clumsy me.”
I’ll take the silliness over nothing. I drag the wet wad the short distance to the trash can and hurl it inside. Aiden quickly rights it again as if nothing had happened.
“Look at that. All on your own.”
I wrinkle my nose at him, and I wonder if I should actually be annoyed with the slightly condescending gesture. But his clearly caring intention wins me over. I’ll count this chore as a success.
I had another thought on the whole male/female gaze thing, because initially I was only thinking about written stories, but it’s also something that I’ve seen with art. I’ve seen so many collages or drawings of naked sexy lady on a desk, or in a fist, where the focus does seem entirely on the SW. As opposed to there being more of a focus on the giant - seeing the both of them, or seeing his face in the background. Or heck, even if it’s just a lady in a hand, there can still be personality in that hand, a difference in the way he’s touching her, the way she’s looking at him - the focus being more on whatever level of emotional connection they share.
Of course, some of the differences here stem from how tricky it is to make art that fully illustrates both the tiny and the biggo (I’m all too aware of that struggle lol). But I still think there’s something to it. Again, I’m doing a lot of generalizing, and I’m not saying anything is objectively right or wrong, just interesting things to think about!
@Olo Oh man. The books and movie were a HUGE influence for me. RIP indeed 
Chapter 26
Aiden
The car door slamming shut echoes in the parking garage, masking my grunt as I hoist up multiple grocery bags all up and down my arms. I always try to bring everything in one trip if I can. As I approach the door to get into the apartment building proper, though, I’m starting to regret my decision.
But then the door swings open right as I reach it, and I have a frazzled exchange with the person on the other side as we quickly pull away from each other. “Whoa–” “Sorry!” “Oh, hey!” The awkward flurry ends in us smiling in recognition.
“Need any help with that?” Moira asks as she holds the door open for me.
“Nah, I’ve got it," I respond as I step into the hallway.
We begin chatting, the conversation gradually lengthening until Mo steps inside to let the door close. I set the groceries down as well so that we’re unburdened as we catch up for the next ten or so minutes.
“Yeah, I’ll just be glad when finals are done,” I sigh, lamenting about my workload.
“I’ll bet. And I should be back from my trip around then, the three of us should do something to celebrate the start of summer! A picnic or something.”
“Sure, that sounds great.” I smile appreciatively at how quickly Moira has started including Evie into this little sub-friend-group. She’s been great at keeping things secret, too - none of our mutual friends seem any the wiser.
“How is she today?” I ask, “I was in a bit of a rush this morning.”
“She seemed good! We just lazed around and watched a bunch of funny videos on her phone.”
I smile and almost say something but then hesitate. I start fidgeting, debating whether or not this will be an inappropriate thing to ask… But maybe it wouldn’t hurt to pry just a little bit… “Has she told you anything that, uh, you think I should know about?”
“Huh?” Moira narrows her eyes. “What am I, your spy?”
“Something like that?” I say with a nervous laugh. “No, it’s just, um… It’s hard to explain. I do feel like Evie and I are close. She seems comfortable talking to me for the most part. But she’s always struggled a bit with like… asking for help, or asking for stuff. I’m usually the one asking her what kinds of things she might need from the store. She’s gotten better compared to the beginning, but she still always seems so hesitant about it, no matter how much I tell her she’s not bothering me.”
Mo listens quietly, without judgment, and then ends up nodding in agreement. “I’ve gotten a sense of that too. I brought a couple of things I hoped might help with her crafting projects today and she seemed really embarrassed about accepting them…”
“Right!” I say, relieved to feel like I’m not crazy, “Okay, cool, you get it. It just feels like she holds back a lot, on certain things.”
“Have you tried talking to her about it?”
“We did, a while ago… She said she didn’t want to burden me, I tried to convince her it’s not a burden, and I thought we came to an agreement? I don’t know, sometimes she’s hard to read, and I worry to come off too strong. I hope I’m not doing anything wrong. Sometimes I overthink things… But maybe sometimes I underthink them…”
“Well…” Moira says evenly, “From what I’ve gleaned, she seems to genuinely like you. So don’t worry too much, okay?”
But I begin to feel anxious as I know I’m probably starting to blush. Now I’m desperately wondering what they’ve been saying about me.
“The only thing I can possibly think of right now…” Mo continues, deep in thought. “I think she likes blackberries? Sounded like she has good memories associated but hasn’t had any in a long time, just based off a conversation we had today. It’s not much, but it’s something?”
I light up at this little scrap of intel. “Yeah, that’s super easy to buy. Thanks, Moira.”
“This doesn’t mean I’m spying on her for you,” she says with her arms crossed and a teasing smile.
“I know, I know!” I laugh, putting my hands up disarmingly. “I don’t want to break girl code or whatever. I just care about my friend is all.”
We say our goodbyes and part ways. Despite the heavy bags, I’m feeling lighter as I make my way to the apartment.
I call out a greeting when I step inside, and then I stop at the kitchen counter to unload the groceries. A moment later, once I’ve put the freezer items away, I look over towards the desk, eyes scanning the surface of the table, but from this distance at least I don’t see any signs of Evie. She could be in the bathroom, of course, but still, I can’t help feeling a tad nervous. I pause in my tidying up to get a bit closer.
A few steps later, I startle at her little voice calling out, “Any luck finding the curry?”
With the sound as a guide, my eyes dart over and finally see where she’s at. I wasn’t expecting to find her on top of the bathroom. She’s apparently dragged over her mini table and chair as a boost to get onto the white plastic box I made that contains her bath. My breath grows more shallow as I mentally measure the distance between her and the desk’s surface.
“What are you doing up there?” I ask, taking another step forward and completely ignoring her question.
She glances up with a bit of surprise from my tone but answers casually enough. “I’ve never cleaned here before… Some of the dust was starting to fall through the vent.” Sure enough, she’s on hands and knees with a piece of damp tissue, and it looks like she’s wiped off the bulk of the roof. The plastic strips she’s kneeling on bend slightly whenever she moves. I just glued those together to make that box, it hardly seems secure.
I take another tentative step. “I could have done that for you…,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady and not make sudden movements.
“It’s no big deal, it wasn’t that dirty. I did most of it this morning, just wanted to finish up.” She shifts as she talks and gets so close to the edge of the miniature building.
“Please be careful, Evie,” I beg, resisting the urge to pick her up right then and there.
She looks up again and finally takes in just how tense I am, her expression shifting to a concern - not for herself but for me. “What’s wrong? I’m only a few inches up, yeah?”
“B-but what is that, like, a ten foot drop for you?” It looks like it’d be enough to break her neck depending on how she landed.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to fall,” she says with a smile. “And I’m just about done.”
Still nervous, I watch her finish wiping off the dust on the corner of the box, and then as soon as she sits up again to admire the finished task, I reach a hand out and line it up next to her. “Can I at least help you get down?” I ask meekly.
Her brown eyes meet mine. I think I might actually be getting on her nerves. This is the kind of thing I don’t know how to handle - am I in the wrong here? I don’t mean to be treating her like she’s incapable, but… damnit, shouldn’t safety be our number one concern? I’ve heard of people injuring their backs while putting up Christmas lights on one-story houses. How is this any different?
Evie doesn’t voice annoyance. In fact, the expressions continue dancing across her face and suddenly she’s starting to look strangely fearful instead. Is she seeing the risk now too? I have no idea. There’s a tension in the air as she finally says, “Yeah, sure. Thanks.”
She climbs onto my palm stiffly, and I slowly start to lower my hand down, when out of a desperate desire to lighten the mood I suddenly alter course, sweeping her towards me instead.
“Psych,” I say, forcing a playful attitude as I bring her up higher now and curl my fingers around her. “You fell right for my trap. Now I can force you to help me with dinner.”
To my immense relief, she just laughs and leans back theatrically. “Oh no, the horrooor!”
“Off to the kitchen with you!” I declare, turning around as I give her my best evil laugh. Whew. It was tenuous but I think I somehow managed to save that awkward situation.
Evie actually looks very eager to help out when I get back to the counter with her. I stay mindful of where she’s at as I continue putting things away, and she ventures into one of the plastic bags, creating little rustling sounds as she looks around. She finds the sprig of fresh thyme that I bought and struggles to drag it out, reminding me of an excited dog who found a stick that’s way too big for it.
Now on a mission, the tiny girl runs over to where we store her mini kitchen supplies and returns pushing a shallow dish to her work space. Then she settles into a seat and begins picking off the little leaves of thyme for tonight’s dinner, creating a growing pile in the small dish. That’s one thing that she’s really good at with her reduced size - thoroughly de-stemming herbs.
I come across a bottle as I unpack and finally remember to answer her earlier question. “Oh, right, so they didn’t have yellow curry, but I hope red curry is still okay?”
I hold it up for her approval, and she gives me a gracious nod. “Yeah, that should still work fine. Maybe a little bit more of a kick. Do you like spicy food?”
“I love spicy food,” I say, reaching up to put the curry paste away in the cupboard.
“Me too!” she chirps, her cheerful tone quickly thawing any lingering anxiety until I feel like I’m glowing with pleasure. I really love that we’re still able to discover new things about each other all the time.
We drift into a contented silence for a couple of minutes as we tend to our own tasks. That’s how we spend a decent amount of our time these days, actually. Staying near each other but doing our own thing in comfortable quiet, until one of us pipes up with a thought. Speaking of which…
“Do you think,” Evie says with a layer of hesitation over her voice, “that you could keep an eye out for blackberries next time? I don’t think they’re in season, but just in case…”
This makes me freeze in place, as stunned as if from an electric shock. Damn. Never would I have expected for her to bring that up on her own.
“Yeah!” I finally say enthusiastically, halting everything else that I’m doing so that I can put all of my attention on her. “That’s no problem at all!”
She grins, trying to repress laughter as she asks, “Are you a fan of them too? You look like I just suggested we go to Disneyland.”
I decide to be honest. “I’m just so happy that you actually asked me to buy something you like! You never do that.”
“Oh. Um, yeah…” Evie bites at her lip and starts messing with her hair, twirling a strand around her finger. “I guess that’s true… I just wish I could contribute more, financially at least. And it’s just what I’m used to… The last time I had a roommate, she was very adamant about who owned what. Even my mom would nickel and dime me on stuff, the only one who didn’t…” She suddenly stops her little monologue, as if recoiling into herself, and then shakes her head. “Anyway. I know this is different, I… I’m trying.”
Ugh, I wish I didn’t have to be so careful sometimes. I’m so relieved and proud of her that I just want to wrap her up in a full-sized hug. Instead I bend a little lower and settle my hand in a curve behind her, bending my fingers around to gently touch her arm. She smiles but it’s feeble, I can tell that she still looks uncomfortable and didn’t share quite as much as she could have. I don’t push it, instead trying to encourage her self-advocacy by making this experience a good one. I attempt to bring up those good memories Moira had mentioned.
“So do you just like the berries on their own?” I ask, “Or did you have a favorite recipe in mind?”
Evie’s smile strengthens and I have to suppress a sigh as she adorably leans her head against my nearby fingers. “I do like them as a snack. But you’re right, my favorite thing to make with them is cobbler. It’s not, like, real cobbler, just the easy cake mix version. But it was actually one of the first desserts I’d ever made myself. I was so proud when I figured it out and it turned out so delicious! I think it was particularly good since that was the day I got lost in a parking garage, if you remember that story. Have I mentioned I hate being underground? Anyway, having that kind of success afterwards just made it all the better…”
I go to crouch then as I maintain contact with my hand, just so that I can be more at her eye level as we chat. Dinner can wait a few minutes. This kind of bonding is priceless. Turns out I didn’t even need a spy after all.
@miss-lillipants said in Language barrier:
N.B. I’ve been made aware that I posted this around the same time another discussion on the same topic was being held on Discord. It was a total coincidence because I don’t use Discord for size stuff, but it made me laugh and happy to still be involved in other group discussions - even if it is through the ether
The timing was indeed uncanny! Haha, I’m like who else here is undercover from SFW servers 
I love the idea of language barriers as an added difficulty alongside the size difference. One of the stories I’ve actually started (and thus hope to actually finish) involves a deaf character. I’ll cut myself off there, but I intend for most of the story to revolve around communication barriers.
But another idea on the list that I don’t necessarily see myself getting to is a girl who shrinks while camping in the woods near the French Alps. She’s relieved to finally get a hiker’s attention… only to face the frustration of him being an American tourist!! He hardly knows any French and now she wishes she’d paid closer attention to her English classes lol.
I’m loving these communication ideas that are more tactile! Drawing symbols in his palm… communicating via gentle squeezes or Morse code tapping or whatever else… yes please! More touching! 🥰
Ummm I would definitely prefer free roaming if I get the choice! I can be good and sit in a pocket Heck, I would take a pocket with a zipper over most of these, for comfort reasons. The matchbox one is cute though, just as a lil bed~ Otherwise I think I’d pick one that’s transparent to not be in pitch blackness… More specifically the tic tac container for the extra teeny size. Just the idea of the giant tapping his fingernail against the wall and I fall over… 🫠
While for the most part all of this is a fantasy in my mind, I do enjoy aspects of it IRL. I’m also strictly a tiny and my skin crawls at the idea of being the bigger one. Even in VR, if for whatever reason I end up being bigger than someone, I immediately have to disassociate myself from my own body, like tell myself I’m piloting a mech or something, so that I can cope. I also like collecting giant-sized objects scaled to my ideal 3 inches tall, stuff like that. And I can indeed relate with feelings of body dysmorphia. I’m lucky in that I really am pretty short/petite IRL so it doesn’t come up too often, but if I ever meet an adult who’s shorter than me I legitimately feel uncomfortable about myself (thankfully for whatever reason this doesn’t apply with kids lol). And even though I might enjoy the height difference between me and my partner, I absolutely have moments where it’s like my body is just yearning to be an impossible size. So you are not alone, this is a thing! I feel like I remember Jitensha discussing this feeling as well, it can be hard to deal with.
