Little Sally wrote: ↑Tue Sep 05, 2023 5:57 pm
But the idea a couple would use a shrinking device to have a little leisure time fun with, has always intrigued me. And that implies that the shrinking is of a temporary nature (thanks to the clever device being able to restore the subject also), so when the fun is over the woman can resume her normal sized duties and day to day wifely routine.
I feel like when people write about permanent shrinking, they never really touch on the amount of problems that it would create.
EhnVee wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 10:41 am
1) Financial burden. One less source of income would put a lot of stress on the remaining residents.
This would depend on the characters role preshrunk. If a spouse, live-in partner or parent, yes. But if an adult child or stranger, no. In more than one of my fantastories, the tiny was prostitited out and money poured in.
EhnVee wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 10:41 am
2) Risk of stepping on them.
Big risk here, especially at my preferred size of 5 inches, or smaller. Most likely, only supervised floor time would be permitted.
EhnVee wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 10:41 am
3) How will she use the bathroom? By using a cup? How often is this cup going to be cleaned? After every use?
Dixie cup with a little cat litter. Replaced daily.
EhnVee wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 10:41 am
4) How will she stay clean? By bathing in the sink? How will she get up there, by being carried? Or will she have to climb a rope? What if there was a large bowl on the floor with soapy water? Who is responsible for providing that daily?
Giving my tiny a hand bath is one of my favorite pastimes. I must have a soap fetish.
EhnVee wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 10:41 am
5) How will her clothes be cleaned? If you throw tiny clothes into a washing machine, you would probably lose them somewhere inside. And have to pull it apart to retrieve them. So what if they were hand washed? How is she going to access the detergent? By leaving a pile of powder on the floor, and letting her shovel it into water? Where is the hot water coming from?
This would depend on her size. Is there a readily available source of new clothing or clothing at all? If I had the shrink ray and it shrank all types of matter, Goodwill purchases shrunk to fit her. Doll clothes if you could find something that would fit and if you had no source of clothing at all, she would have to go with a toga or other wrap.
EhnVee wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 10:41 am
6) Arguments/disagreements. How would that play out?
It wouldn't behoove an SW to argue. She would lose.
EhnVee wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 10:41 am
7) What would she do all day? Would she still be able to socialize with friends, or participate in hobbies?
This would depend on if her shrinking was a secret. If so, no socialization as the government would eventually find out. She would have to simply watch television or videos, exercise or other safe activities when I'm not available.
EhnVee wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 10:41 am
8) Pets would pose a great amount of danger. So if she already had a cat, what would happen to the cat?
Sorry, no pets, particularly cats. A dog, would be a possibility, but careful evaluation would be necessary.
EhnVee wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 10:41 am
9) Infants, or children would also be dangerous. She would literally be played with like a toy, and risk being crushed or dropped. Also, her children would effectively lose a mother as she can't provide the same level of parenting at her new size.
My current photostory has the tiny constantly being played with by a 6-year-old. It is a bit of a stretch, but this child is not your "normal" child and does what her mother tells her and is usually under supervision anyway. If the SW is the mother, it would depend on the child.
EhnVee wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 10:41 am
10) How will she safely go outside? By being carried by hand? Or by a shirt pocket? Or will she have to fend for herself alone?
She would never be permitted outside unattended, no matter the reason she is tiny. Not only the risk of escape, but capture by another "normal" or eaten by a dog, cat, bird, etc. If hand sized, she would have to ride in my palm and in a pocket or sling bag if she had to be concealed from the public. Another issue, I've personally experienced with the inevitable ensuant argument, is that women are often blind to the "Dark", or in their words, "Oh, it will be fine". The events in the movie "Taken" or at least the first half of it and a different darker ending, happens daily to young women in foreign (to them) countries. Not excluding men, of course, but since I only have experience with women being dependent on me in foreign lands, they do tend to allow themselves to get into compromising situations by not considering the risk-benefit ratio. So, yes, she would always be totally under my control if outside.
EhnVee wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 10:41 am
11) What about bugs, such as spiders? How would she stay safe? By putting her in a hamster ball?
I hate spiders. Outside, okay, but in my house, "DIE !!!!!" Pretty much the same as #10.
EhnVee wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 10:41 am
12) Where would she sleep? Is her bed easily accessible on the floor?
Sorry, little ladies, you would be sleeping in a cage, probably an aquarium with all the comforts of home. It's for your protection so live with it.
EhnVee wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 10:41 am
13) How will she reliably eat?
Same as the clothes concept. Can you shrink food to her size? If she was shrunk, her molecules would be smaller, and she would be unable to metabolize normal sized molecules.
EhnVee wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2023 10:41 am
I could go on, but at least we can agree permanent shrinking is not ideal under any circumstance.
Other issues would be medical care: Regular doctor or veterinarian? Growing older, the tiny and the normal. In my case, I'm much older than my tiny, so if permanent, I would have to make arrangements for her in the case of my death, just like for my dog. Then you have the psychological affect on the tiny. Would she be able to maintain her human dignity or would she slip into Stockholm Syndrome, then become feeble minded and more pet-like. And would actual "love" be able to occur or remain? The concept of "Absolute power corrupts absolutely" would probably take affect and the tiny, even if a spouse or girlfriend, would eventually become more of a pet or plaything, than a partner.
As I said up above, it's just a fantasy so these issues are not really that important unless the writer or fantasizer wishes to implement them in their story. I've read a few stories that include these issues, such as "Out of Their Element" by littlestlilly. I would strongly suggest reading it if you haven't.
I know some of my responses seem to be a bit "dark" but I spent the last 40 years walking around on the "darkside of man" so I am just a little jaded when it comes to my ability to trust or see the good side of people. Not the reason I got into SW, but possibly the reason I'm still in it.