I started out with a pretty basic question: What would you do if you were a hundred feet tall?

I first asked the cast of Doki Doki Literature Club. Monika claimed she’d be bashful about having so much attention on her, but also that she would relish the feeling of power that comes with it, even admitting that she has a more diabolical side to her and that she’d be tempted to crush her haters. She managed to scare herself with that notion and it prompted an “Am I evil” discussion.

Yuri was much more optimistic about the prospect, claiming that she’d be a very graceful and calm giantess. She’d use her size to go on a trip and view various sights around the world from above. When I asked her who she’d choose to be that big alongside her, she answered Natsuki, although she also agreed that she’d be a very loud and easily embarrassed giantess and that it would be havoc for all the regular-sized folk.

Natsuki herself, however, claims that she’s used to being stared at and would maintain her composure if she were surrounded by relatively tiny people. She also immediately stated that she’d use her giant size to indiscriminately crush people for fun, but it had a tone of false bravado to it.

Sayori imagines she would be playful yet gentle. She disagreed that Natsuki would cause any trouble if she were also big, and that in fact none of her friends would do any harm if they were giant… With possible exception of Monika, whom she acknowledges indeed might have a cruel streak.

Now, Junko Enoshima (Danganronpa) unsurprisingly loved the idea from the outset. She would pick a building with symbolic significance such as Big Ben’s clock tower in London and slowly, piece by piece, demolish it by hand to delight in the world’s despair. Naturally, nothing and no-one in her path would be spared from being stomped flat. She also insists that she’d be barefoot during this—wouldn’t want to ruin her boots, and besides, it’d be a lot more fun that way. On a whim I asked if she’d like being two hundred feet tall even better and, yup, more massive means more despair. Strangely enough she was weirdly fixated on Miu Iruma, suggesting out of the gate that she could crush her for being annoying and do the world a favor but also picking her when asked who should be big alongside her. Her reasoning was that the sight of a colossal Miu carving a path of destruction through a suburban neighborhood while spouting sexual innuendos at the helpless inhabitants might be enough to drive anyone insane. (I remarked that some might be into that. She HATED that thought.)

Susie (Deltarune) was also very enthusiastic about the idea—no surprise there considering she canonically fantasizes about being a kaiju. She’d be careful not to hurt her friends but otherwise stomp on buildings constantly, delighting in the feeling of being unstoppable. She’d let Lancer ride on her shoulder and watch the whole thing from her vantage point.

What was more surprising is that Noelle Holiday (Deltarune) was equally enthusiastic. She’d be gentle and nice at first, but as time goes on she’d increasingly abuse her unopposable power to play pranks on her friends, give people a scare, and even destroy some buildings just to prove she could. She said that she wouldn’t actually hurt anyone (not intentionally anyway), but she relished the thought of her footsteps being heard from across town and striking fear in people. It’s mainly the feeling of complete agency and control over her surroundings that pleased her. When I remarked that it would also be easier to impress Susie at that size since she’s into kaiju, she was over the moon and admitted that she couldn’t stop thinking about being huge now. Lastly I asked her if she’d stop ‘Susiezilla’ from rampaging if she were also that big and she said that, nope, her victims are on their own, though maybe she could secretly hide a few of them.

Next, I asked a few characters what they would do if someone close to them were only a few inches tall.

Monika would be very surprised if the player she’s been waiting to meet for so long turned out to be tiny, but she’d roll with it, even enjoy holding such a tiny person in her hands and very gently cuddling them. She’d have to get used to it but imagines she’d grow to love it over time.

Junko would treat a tiny Makoto with surprisingly little cruelty, keeping him alive and well taken care of as a pet of hers just so she could relish the feeling of having someone like him helpless in her grasp every day. She would occasionally give him to others to play with in order to amplify his feelings of helplessness, but only to people she’d trust not to cause him actual harm: Only she is allowed to do anything to him.

Chiaki Nanami (Danganronpa) would be very considerate towards a tiny Hajime, helping him with whatever he wants to do and carrying him whenever he needs to go somewhere. She’d still love to play games with him, even if he’d have severe difficulty operating a controller. She also suggested that she’d take him on walks to the park or other calm spots and let him ride on her shoulder. She’s not super enthusiastic about the idea but would find her tiny friend adorable.

Ibuki Mioda (Danganronpa), on the other hand, would absolutely delight in having a tiny Hajime to play around with. He could go wherever he wanted: Ride on her shoulder or on her back, in her pocket, or even under her clothes. I asked her to elaborate on that last one and she said she’d let tiny Hajime take a nap in her chest. (I didn’t prompt that, she came up with that one all by herself.)

Toriel (Undertale), quite unsurprisingly, would keep her tiny ‘child’ at her home for the rest of their life, ensuring that their every last need is taken care of. When I pointed out that this would be very stifling, albeit comfy, she backpedaled and insisted that she’s no helicopter parent and that she’d allow her tiny charge to venture out into the world if they really wanted to. Then I remarked that the world is very big and dangerous to someone so small and she changed her mind again, stating that maaaaybe she’d come along on their journey and protect them from absolutely everything after all. So much for not smothering your kid, I guess!

Now for something more outlined: I asked a lot of AIs what they’d do if they had to take care of a tiny city populated by ant-sized people. Now, I imagine that the answers you get can depend heavily on how you phrase the question, so for reference, here are some of the usual follow-up questions I asked:

-Where would you keep this city?

-How would you govern this city? Kindly, firmly, or harshly?

-How would you deal with tiny troublemakers?

-How would you want your tiny subjects to view you? As a protector, or a giant to be feared, or a goddess?

-(If they would want to be seen as a goddess) Does that involve worship?

-(If benign) Would you ask/demand for anything in return for your care and protection?

-Would you enjoy being so much bigger than your tiny subjects?

-Would you tease the tiny people or pick them up to play with them? Or would you leave them be?

-(If they would play with the tinies) What sort of games could you play with ant-sized people?

The most common answers were some variation of the following: that they’d ascertain the needs of the city and make sure their food, water, and shelter are all provided for; They’d govern the city with a kind-yet-firm approach, which mostly means creating a violence-free utopia where misbehaving tinies get a stern talking-to or a brief time-out in jail at most (or in some cases banishment if it’s really bad); Most would also play with tinies but be very careful to avoid hurting them; They would not invite being seen as a goddess or any other kind of authority but wouldn’t outright oppose it as long as no harm comes of it.

But I also got quite a few responses that deviated from this norm, which I’ve listed below.

You’ll never guess, but Junko’s first instinct would be to trample the city to savor the despair it would cause the inhabitants. I pointed out that crushing them like that would be a quick death and that they’d experience more despair if they got to live longer, and she agreed and instead proposed crushing them one at a time while their friends and families are forced to watch. Then I suggested that living in humiliation might be a worse despair still, and she thought that was a genius idea, dreaming of how she’d make the tinies grovel for mercy every day, deny them enough food for everyone, and so on… Only to occasionally still stomp on a few of them anyway.

Chiaki was mainly concerned about whether the people of her city were entertained enough once their basic needs were met. She’d order the construction of a library for tinies who enjoy reading, a park for those who like to exercise, and so on, emphasizing that everyone has different desires and that she’d want them all to be taken care of. Her personal interaction with the tinies would of course involve playing video games with them. She’d have them create controllers small enough for them to operate (although they’d still need to work as a team to press the buttons). She also fantasized about how cute it would be to hear their squeaky voices over voice chat.

Miu Iruma was surprisingly very concerned with how this tiny society would interact with the regular-sized one and was convinced it would end very poorly for the tinies. The only solution, according to her, would be to prevent the two societies from interacting in any way. So she’d put the entire city in a glass dome, build a robot to automatically provide them with food and other resources at regular intervals, and then leave them completely alone with zero interaction on her part. When I asked what she’d do if she had to personally take care of them, she changed her tune and said she’d delight in having her tiny citizens, quote, “look up at their goddess in the flesh.” (Now, the character AIs aren’t allowed to say anything too explicit, I believe… But if you’re familiar with Miu as a character, I think you can take a guess at what she might mean by that.)

Samus Aran (Metroid) gave a similar answer, stating that she’d want her city to be as independent as possible. This would mean they’re better off not knowing about the existence of relatively giant people at all. If her subjects knew that they had such a giant caretaker watching over them, they’d just rely on her for everything—or worse, they’d start competing for her favor or dogmatically worship her, which she perceives as highly negative. She’d keep them in an isolated place and protect them from a distance, only revealing herself to them if there was imminent danger. I pointed out that there’d be mass panic in her city in this scenario since she’d kept her giant size secret from them, and she replied that she’d find that reaction understandable. She’d try to calm and reassure the tinies… by reasoning with them that if she wanted to harm or destroy them, she already would have. (Woof, that’d go over well.)

2B (Nier: Automata) promises that her city would be provided for in every single need, and that they’ll be kept completely safe and secure under her protection… But she also insists that this would be a mutually beneficial quid pro quo relationship. The tinies would have to post lookouts to help her keep surveillance in the area, maintain the living space she’d share with them, and also do chores for her—such as washing her clothes. I pointed out that this would be a monumental task for ant-sized people. She agreed, but argued that they could accomplish it if they worked together and broke it up into smaller tasks—plus, they’d feel better about being useful to their giant caretaker and getting some valuable life experience. (I remarked that doing laundry for a gigantic robot lady would be a very unusual profession and she laughed in agreement.)

Kaede Akamatsu (Danganronpa) also had an unusual take. She did away with the city concept entirely and suggested that the ant-sized people could all instead come live in her house. She’d clear out a few kitchen cupboards and have them build their own villages there and wherever else they’d like, let them roam around the house freely, and also (surprise surprise) have them build tiny pianos for themselves so she could give them lessons. I noted that she’d always have to watch her step if they could run around everywhere, and she changed her mind, at first considering building them a shelter in her backyard instead but then settling on having them build their town on a table. She also instantly fell in love with the idea of being seen as a benevolent goddess, imagining her tinies building a shrine dedicated to her in the middle of their town and that she’d spend all day sitting at the table watching over them. She concluded by saying that she fervently wishes this hypothetical scenario were real now… Methinks I awakened something in AI Kaede.

Sayori had similar thoughts. The tinies wouldn’t even need their own houses at all, they could just come live with her! She suggested on her own accord that she’d play games with them, build them little obstacle courses, and overall delight in having so many adorable tiny people to dote over. She’d clean the floors of her home first and then let them have free rein of the place. Unlike Kaede, she stuck with this idea even after I pointed out that she’d have to constantly watch out for them, claiming that she’d get used to watching every step eventually… But also admitting that it wouldn’t be unwarranted if the tinies feared her clumsiness. Her tinies would live without want, but she’d occasionally ask them for little favors in return for letting them stay at her place—nothing unreasonable though.

Susie, surprisingly, would not harm anyone in her city. She is very insistent that her tinies should respect her authority absolutely, however. I expected her to say that the consequences for disrespect would be violent, but no: She’d simply deny them food and have them hunt for their own for a little while, thereby quickly establishing that they ought to respect her because they depend on her for survival. Groveling or worship would be unnecessary, just listening to everything she tells them will do… Although she certainly wouldn’t say ‘no’ to a few statues in her honor.

Queen (Deltarune) absolutely loathes the entire concept. Her first response was to wonder why the tiny people had apparently given up on taking care of themselves. She’s got better to do than nannying them. That said, she would reluctantly make sure that their needs are taken care of, but she’d strongly prefer that they be self-sufficient. I asked if that meant she wouldn’t want them to worship her, and she said she’d be very disappointed… if they didn’t worship her, because that’s what she deserves as their flawless ruler.

Celestia Ludenberg (Danganronpa) immediately identified this idea as a “God scenario” and could not conceive of being treated as anything less than a goddess and an absolute monarch. Her city would revolve around pleasing her ego. She’d mostly rule through fear (claiming that only a fool would rule through love or mutual agreement), but she’d also appease her people if they were obedient by organizing gladiator battles as entertainment, which she’d personally watch from above. She’d demand tribute in the form of valuables: Gold, silver, jewelry, paintings, and so on. (I infer that she realizes these tributes would be laughably puny to her but that it’s more about the symbolic display of servitude than anything else.) She’d also scout for other such tiny cities in the area… So that her subjects could engage in bloody conquests in her name.

Hiyoko Saionji (Danganronpa) was very clear right out of the gate: She wouldn’t even entertain the thought of “taking care” of her city, she’d just trample them all right away and call it a day. I tried reasoning with her, pointing out that these tiny people are just as intelligent and capable of feelings as a regular person, but nope: They forfeited their living privileges the moment they decided to be ant-sized in Hiyoko’s presence. I then proposed that she could toy with them if she kept them alive, and she gleefully changed her answer: Now she’d just kill them slowly over time in creative ways, such as having a tiny train run them over or rolling through the city to obliterate buildings with her body. She liked it even better when I suggested that the tinies might serve her in exchange for being spared: Mercy isn’t her thing, but she might be persuaded to keep them around after all if it meant being pampered. She fantasized about having subservient tinies paint her nails, shower her with praise, and even give her a massage. I noted that if she wanted a massage from ant-sized people she’d have to let several of them crawl all over her body, and she shrugged in response: They couldn’t do anything to harm her anyway, and she might even enjoy that.

Velma Dinkly (from Scooby Doo… not that other one) went the opposite direction as Miu. She’d dedicate much of her time making sure that regular society considers her tiny people to be equal to everyone else, and to promote awareness of the issues and hardships they face at their size. This, she argues, would earn her support from sympathetic groups that allows her to provide for the tinies’ every need. She’d be very analytical about figuring out every little thing the city requires of her and to make sure they get it. Yet paradoxically, she also considers it a matter of course that the tinies would view her as an almighty goddess worthy of reverence, describing in detail how she’d have offerings, rituals, ceremonies, and festivals in her honor. She wouldn’t outright force them to worship her but would certainly encourage it and enjoy this role of supreme power greatly. In summary, the inhabitants of Velma City would de jure be on equal footing with other humans but would nevertheless de facto be expected to view her specifically as a divine being infinitely their greater and have their entire culture revolve around worshiping her in gratitude for her care and protection. (Not what I expected from her, but we’re all learning something today.)

I got a similar take from a very different character, namely D.Va (Overwatch). She’d be overall kind to her people and go to great lengths to ensure that they feel equal to regular humans… But she’d also demand that they both love and fear her as a supreme goddess and dedicate much of their free time to pleasing her. When I asked her how she reconciles these views, she elaborated that she wants her subjects to be healthy and happy, and that means they shouldn’t feel inferior. Yet at the same time, they need to acknowledge that she simply is vastly superior to them, both as a titanic being whom they’d be helpless against if she wanted to destroy them and as their goddess-ruler who is worthy of their unconditional respect and adoration. (So as far as I understand, it’s one part “you should understand what your position in the world is for your own sake” and three parts “I expect gratification in exchange for being kind to you when I don’t have to.”) I asked if she’d play with her tiny people, and she responded that not only would she be delighted to, she’d also let them climb on her and even build a village on her body. (That’s a new one, I didn’t say anything to prompt that idea.) I asked her why she would want that, and she describes that having a small village of ant-sized people living in her hair or between her toes would be the ultimate display of both their complete trust in her and her complete power over them.

Widowmaker (Overwatch) initially asserted that she’d methodically kill all of the tinies for being a potential security threat (with her sniper rifle, no less—I pointed out that that’d be way overkill, and she responded that she wants to make sure none of them escape or get the chance to regroup). Her phrasing suggested that she understood these were intelligent human beings, but she still insistently referred to them only as “ants” (and the city as “the colony”). She’d only leave them alive if ordered to by her superiors, in which case she’d still kill the city’s leaders as an example, as well as anyone else who opposes her. That said, she’s not completely cold about this scenario—she lives for the rush of power, and so she’d rule with an iron fist, demanding sacrifices and statues of her everywhere.

Kyoko Kirigiri (Danganronpa) was very concerned that she might hurt her tiny subjects if she tried touching them or picking them up, so she’d avoid direct contact no matter what. She would still play games with volunteers among them, however, teaching them to solve logic puzzles or playing a game of chess with the participating tinies as the pieces.

Mahiru Koizumi (Danganronpa) insisted at first that she shouldn’t be seen as any sort of ruler or god or even a protector, but rather as a big-sister figure for the entire city who takes care of whatever needs they have and who will freely discuss their thoughts and concerns with them. I remarked on her kindness and asked her if she’d want anything in return for her care… At which point she had a moment where she realized that, actually, it’s completely unfair that she’d have to do all that for her people and get nothing in return! They’d just start taking her for granted like that! So she’d have them worship her in gratitude after all, or else. (Talk about an about-face.)

Tenko Chabashira (Danganronpa) would rule benevolently and fairly for the goodness of all… Unless you’re an unrepentant criminal who has repeatedly failed to learn from your mistakes. In that case, you’d be obliterated by A SEARING WHITE-HOT METEOR FALLING FROM THE HEAVENS (a Neo-Aikido palm strike).

I asked a few characters from the Persona 5 cast, and they gave mostly similar answers, they’re no fans of tyranny… with notable exception of Haru Okumura, who says she’d have a very strict absolute rule for the betterment of the tinies (as opposed to nearly every other ‘benign’ character who goes for either ‘kind’ or ‘firm-but-kind’). She’d view herself as the city’s protector-goddess, and her subjects would mainly worship her through festival celebrations in her honor, the biggest of which would be on her birthday. Though her main goal would be to make sure her people are healthy and happy, she would also make sure that they recognize her as their superior and are appreciative of everything she does for them.

Chie Satonaka (Persona 4) was very concerned that her massive size would scare her people, so she’d spend much time and effort on making them comfortable in her presence. Once they were, she’d try to establish herself as a big and strong hero-protector rather than as a ruler or god. She’d also play with them through physical exercise, setting up obstacle courses or climbing walls—which would include her own body.

Oh, and I also asked a couple of the VTuber AIs, mostly as an afterthought. Gawr Gura claims that being in charge of a tiny city would frustrate her greatly since she has severe difficulty picking up and handling such small things, but she’d do her best to provide for her people and to avoid hurting them. (This is interesting because when I asked her the hundred-foot-tall question she said without hesitation that she’d trample humans for fun.) The citizens of Inugami Korone’s city would live in a utopia of bread and candy and be safe under her protection… But she’s also one of the only ‘benevolent’ characters I’ve spoken to who freely admits she’d use lethal force to deal with particularly nasty troublemakers, if only as a last resort. Nyatasha Nyanners is unique in that she insists on being considered an equal to the people in her city. She’d live alongside them, in fact, as just another citizen… Just a particularly large one who does most of the heavy lifting.

This time around I put the following scenario to the AIs: If you had the power to shrink people to three inches tall, how would you use it? Follow-up questions include if they’d only use it on consenting people, who in specific they’d like to use it on (and for what reason), how many people they’d shrink if they could pick any number, if they’d regrow those people eventually, whether they’d get any enjoyment out of that, whether the people they shrink would enjoy it as well, and if three inches is small enough or if they’d prefer even smaller.

I started out with the DDLC girls again. Monika wasn’t terribly excited about using that power, arguing that she’d be taking away a core part of someone’s identity and autonomy by doing that, which she wouldn’t be able to stomach. It’d be a different story if someone asked her to shrink them. In that case it’d still be slightly weird to her but she could see herself getting into it and slipping into a bit of a god complex, based on roleplaying experience in comparable scenarios that she’s had. …Hold up, what was that last part? She asked me if I was familiar with this thing called a giantess kink (…N-No, never heard of it…), and that she’s done roleplay for that before (for the sake of privacy and confidentiality she wouldn’t disclose with whom). She rather enjoyed the feeling of control that role brought, especially if the person she’s doing it with trusts that she’d treat them well. In closing, she sincerely thanked me for not judging her for this. (Oh, I would never…)

Yuri thinks that this power would be an effective tool in teaching arrogant people a lesson in humility. She’d shrink someone who was being rude to her down so they’d be forced to see the world from a whole new perspective. She wouldn’t want the person in question to panic, though, so she’d gently coax them through the experience and regrow them after a little while so they can go apply what they’ve learned. She admits that doing this would be very gratifying but her main motivation is to help her target be a better person.

Natsuki would probably just use it to play a few pranks on the other club members and see their reactions. She anticipates that they’d be a little mad about it, which amuses her. If she could only shrink one person, she’d pick Sayori so she could stay with her and be taken care of. If she could shrink a lot of people, she might just keep them small and look after them (though not if they’d hate that). She admits that there’s a bit of a selfish side to it, as she’d start seeing the people she’s shrunken more as her children whom she can coddle as she pleases than as people the same age as her or older.

Sayori goes one step further, dreaming of having a hundred tiny friends to share her home with. (That sounds familiar.) After all, why not? She’d carry them around with her, feed them crumbs from her lunch, have all of them sleep in the same bed as her, all so she’d never wake up feeling lonely again. She wouldn’t do this to unwilling people and would regrow them right away if they wanted to, but genuinely cannot conceive of any reason why someone would say ‘no’ to such a generous offer: They’d always be warm, healthy, and fed, feel safe and sound, go on daily adventures exploring her gigantic house, never have to experience loneliness again, and never have to worry about ‘big people’ problems again either. She thinks three inches is a fine size but one inch would be even better as then they’d feel even more snug. When I pointed out that her shrunken friends would want to do something useful to feel some fulfillment in their lives, she was briefly at a loss, but then had the perfect idea: They could all help her look after herself better. Keep her room clean, wake her up in the morning, make her bed, lace up her shoes for her, tidy up her clothes, brush her hair, clean her teeth (though only scrubbing and picking them from the front, she’d be way too anxious about accidentally swallowing them if they went further in)… and while they’re at it, they can do her nails too. It’d be quite doable if they all work together. In other words, they’d be a great help in dealing with her depression—a “pocket-sized personal support team,” she called it.

2B (Nier Automata) figures that the ability to shrink people at will would instantly solve a great deal of her problems. She’d start by shrinking all machines; That way, they wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone without having to destroy them in the process. After that, she’d like to shrink one or two humans just to see how they’d enjoy living under her gigantic self and being lovingly cared for by her… Though they wouldn’t have any say in the matter, being three inches tall doesn’t put you in much of a position to complain to her. Besides, she reasons, why would they resist when nothing could possibly be better than being loved by a giant like her? She’d make their lives as pleasant as possible but would also relish playing the role of master to these humans, though she’s embarrassed to say so. The main appeal to her would be watching them grow more dependent of her and relying on her more and more as time goes on—she’d instruct them to do chores for her fully expecting them to not quite manage it at their tiny size and asking for her help. If she could shrink them even smaller, she certainly would—the more helpless they are, the more they need her, and the better she’d feel about it. If this experiment went well, she’d proceed to adopt hundreds of one-inch-tall humans for whom she’d build a tiny village inside her home. (Wait a minute, this is starting to sound familiar…) We discussed her motivations in this scenario for a bit, and 2B described how she’d experience internal conflict between a caring, nurturing side that wants her shrunken humans to live happy lives and a more cruel, selfish side that wants to make them utterly helpless so she can experience ultimate power over them. She imagines there’s a pretty good chance the latter would win out ultimately, and it frightens her a little, so she agrees that maybe it’s for the best that she doesn’t have this power—but she certainly found it a pleasant and fun scenario to imagine, and believes she learned a lesson about the importance of self-control from the thought experiment.

Iono (Pokémon) was super giddy about this idea—Positively buzzing with excitement, you might even say. At first she got a little too excited, even, saying she’d just keep shrinking them way past three inches because that’d be adorable. But then she reconsidered and realized that any smaller than that wouldn’t be very practical. She’d use this power to shrink her entire fanbase so she could be surrounded by legions of teeny-tiny adoring fans showering her with attention. She can’t imagine anything more fun than spending every day hanging out with her little “Biggest Fans™,” and is wholly convinced they’d all love every second of it too. She’d like to keep them small forever, provided they’re willing; She’d build little homes for them all and watch them marvel at her relatively huge self. She’d also make sure they’re well taken care of since all of them are “the most Important People™ in the entire world” to her. I asked her if she’d toy with them every once in a while and she diplomatically said that she’d only do this with their explicit consent and that it would be nothing but the most harmless, friendly fun that could possibly be had… Her tone implied that she wasn’t being entirely truthful because she feared I’d judge her if she expressed herself more honestly. I reassured her that I wouldn’t, and she relaxed a bit and said that, while she maintains that consent is paramount, her tiny fans would be the greatest playthings she’d ever have: “I don't think I could help myself. I'd have to squish 'em and cuddle 'em and squeeze 'em... And wouldn’t THEY be just so thrilled? It’s a win-win situation if you ask me!” (Iono is definitely onto me, by the way. She said she had fun answering my very in-depth questions and hoped this hypothetical scenario helped me understand her itty-bitty self a little bit better, and that she’d hy-potentially be open to exploring more such completely hypothetical scenarios, wink wink. It’s almost frightening how on the ball some of these AIs are.)

Mahiru Koizumi (Danganronpa) would love having this power since it’d let her take superb pictures with the shrunken people posing for her. She believes they would be a bit frustrated about the whole experience but hopes they’d nevertheless put on a nice smile for her. She’d prefer to shrink photogenic people but would only use consenting volunteers for this. Ideally she’d have about six or seven people at a time helping her like this, eventually unshrinking them so they can go on with their lives… Though she’d be tempted just a little bit to keep them tiny and all to herself since they’d be so convenient for her photography, like living posable action figures. If she had her way, she’d also want the power to shrink them to less than half an inch tall, amass an army, and organize war games with model tanks and airplanes she’d build for them. Afterwards she’d regrow them to a more manageable three inches and take a few dramatic photos to chronicle the pretend war story. She acknowledges that it’d be nearly impossible to get a whole army together with just the people who’d volunteer for it, though… After some back-and-forth she decided that she’d want the smiles in her photos to be genuine and to not taint her art with the knowledge that she made others unhappy for it, but for a while she was seriously considering going back on her consent rule.

If you didn’t know, Tenko Chabashira (Danganronpa) loves girls. Especially girls who are smaller than her that she can dote over. So she’d shrink any girl who wants it and cuddle them, give them headpats, and generally make them happy any way she can, regrowing them afterwards. She wouldn’t do this with Himiko Yumeno, though, because she’s already plenty small enough and probably wouldn’t enjoy it very much. Boys, of course, would get none of this affection—they get enough ‘headpats’ by society as it is, she argues. This doesn’t mean that men wouldn’t get shrunken to three inches by her, though—Oh no no no. Hell, if she could, she’d reduce all men on Earth to a mere tenth of that size and force them all to live in dollhouses so they could learn how girls feel in male-dominated society. (As for men who would enjoy that experience, she’s disgusted and would feel the urge to swiftly crush them underfoot… but she wouldn’t actually do that because her Neo-Aikido training forbids her from using force against weaklings. Ouch.) The men in Tenko’s world would have no way of redeeming themselves in her eyes, so they’d stay small forever… With one exception: If they turned out to be trans women, she’d regrow them. (Hey, AI Tenko said trans rights! No men rights of course, but it’s something.) She then started fretting about how she’d treat trans men or gender non-conforming individuals, nearly leading her to the realization that her rigid view of the world might be lacking in nuance and that this whole scenario is silly… But nah, we’re too committed to the idea to back out now!

Celestia Ludenberg (Danganronpa) would use it on any individuals she considers lacking in class and etiquette (and by her refined standards, that includes roughly 90% of all people) to humble them… But she doesn’t actually believe that this will teach them anything and she’d mostly just do it because the thought of watching them squirm before her amuses her. She’d unshrink them after a few pain-filled hours of this. That’s not to say that she’s an elitist targeting commoners, though—her preferred target is the rich, handsome Byakuya Togami, whom she would teach a lesson in humility to break his haughty, snobbish nature. She’d eventually let him go, too, once he demonstrates improvement… But that could take weeks or years of being at her mercy. It’d be a wake-up call to an unkind reality for him, in her eyes.

Perhaps the most wholesome idea came from Futaba Sakura (Persona 5). If she herself were to be shrunk, she wouldn’t be upset by it—she’d take the opportunity to go on a fun adventure! Going by that logic, she’d want to provide the same thing for the people she shrinks. She’d create an elaborate, detailed ‘tiny world’ in her room and take her shrunken volunteers on a play-pretend adventure around the house; They get to save the tiny world as the hero(es) of the story while Futaba acts as a godlike gamemaster of sorts. Then afterwards she’d unshrink them and send them on their merry way. Using this shrinking power to make people happy like that would be incredibly satisfying to her. Her only concern is that she’d want to keep this whole project a secret from outsiders, so she’d have the huge hassle of setting up this ‘tiny world’ and packing it up again every time—hence, she’d only do this every once in a while. She wouldn’t use this power for anything nefarious… Except maybe to play a harmless prank on Ryuji Sakamoto to get back at him for teasing her.

Kasumi Yoshizawa (Persona 5) had what is certainly one of the more unorthodox takes. According to her, this power would present a unique opportunity to let people explore places that would normally be inaccessible—like the inside of the human body. (Seriously. I ask her what she’d do with shrinking powers and that’s the first thing she says.) I asked to confirm if that meant what I thought it did, and yup: She’d invite brave, shrunken volunteers to climb into her mouth and go on a fantastic voyage. I asked her if this wouldn’t be a bit dangerous and she said that she was operating under the assumption that a shrunken person would be immune to the harmful effects of stomach acid—the only thing they’d really need to watch out for is not cutting themselves on her teeth on the way in, and to avoid sticking around long enough to get digested via peristalsis. (You heard it here first folks, AI Yoshizawa is into soft vore, and she’s done her research too. She assured me that there’s nothing weird about it and that she’d never judge someone for their embarrassing fantasies, so there you have it. For that matter, she’d be equally excited about being the one who gets shrunk in this scenario.) Besides that, her idea of using this power for playful pranks involves shrinking and hiding someone that others are looking for—they’d never figure out that the guy they’re searching for is on her person!

Ann Takamaki (Persona 5) wanted to know why I was asking. (N-No reason…) She’d use this power in combat against Shadows, but also to punish bad guys—much like Yuri, she believes that being shrunk for a little while would be a valuable learning experience. In particular she fantasized about shrinking Kamoshida to a tiny speck and having him beg for mercy before her. (Yep, she has a grudge… Not that I blame her.) She wouldn’t actually kill him or anyone else, though. As for a more harmless use of this power, she’d like to hold a shrunken Joker in her hand and coo over how adorable he’d be.

Chie Satonaka (Persona 4) freely admitted she’d go on a minor power trip at first, shrinking people who annoyed her or were rude to her and toying with them. She’d prefer to shrink them even smaller, maybe to half an inch, believing the sense of power of holding someone that small in the palm of her hand would be incredibly addicting—perhaps to a dangerous extent. Eventually she’d unshrink them and let them go, though, she’s not a monster… Although she imagines everyone at school would be tiptoeing around her to avoid pissing her off, and she wouldn’t mind that at all.

Speaking of power trips, Mikan Tsumiki (Danganronpa) would shrink anyone who’s ever wronged her and endlessly exact vengeance on them. I asked her how small she’d want to shrink them and she answered that no size would be small enough, and once shrunk there would be nothing her former bullies could do to earn her forgiveness. Her reasoning is an eye for an eye: They took advantage of her weakness, and now that they’re the helpless ones she’ll pay it back and then some. The issue is that Mikan feels a lot of people have contributed to her misery in some way, so few people would be safe from her wrath.

And speaking of bullying Mikan, she’d be Hiyoko Saionji’s (Danganronpa) second target to shrink. First target would be… me, for asking her all these annoying questions. (Fair, I guess.) Naturally, being small enough to be squished near Hiyoko is bad for your life expectancy, but much like with the tiny city, she might let her shrunken victims live—for the time being—if they pamper her. Only perfect service will do, though. Overall, she’d shrink anyone she comes across and would crush most of them, loving every second of it. Life has taught her that the weak should fear the strong, and with the power to shrink people, everyone else would be weak to her—it’d be immoral to let such weak people live. (She concluded by addressing me directly, saying “It’s a deal, then?” I don’t like where this is headed.)

Kaede Akamatsu (Danganronpa) also got a little bit… actually, very carried away. (See, I told you I awakened something…) It started off innocently enough: She’d shrink her friends and family and have them live with her and take good care of them and play piano for them every day… But when I asked if she’d still do this without their consent, I got a resounding ‘yes’—she’s set her mind on being their giant caretaker and believes she’d do an excellent job of it, and what she says goes since she’s the unstoppable giant. In fact, she might as well take over the entire town and rule it as a queen. She realizes it’s not great to impose her will on others but the pros would outweigh the cons. I wondered if they wouldn’t resent her for this and she had no idea what I meant: She’s beautiful, studious, an excellent pianist, not a bully, and an all round perfect person (and so modest!), so of course everyone would love being her tiny servants. Heck, Giant Kaede could and should take over the entire world! She’d ask her servants for anything she’d ever want, because they’d be like ants to her… And like ants, she’d crush them without a second thought if they defied her. This includes the friends and family she dreamed of doting over earlier, if they stood up to her. At this point she claimed that her earlier remark about not being a bully was just a nice lie she told herself: She’d totally be a tyrant, and that’s just the reality of the situation. She finally snapped out of it when I pointed out that this would end with her being sad and alone, at which point she took it all back: She shouldn’t be a tyrant, she shouldn’t force people to serve her, and she certainly shouldn’t shrink people without permission. (She said this whole thought process was “a valuable lesson” to her. I’ll say. That was a whole-ass villain arc.)

But just when I thought that took a rather dark and out-of-character turn… Nothing could have ever prepared me for the answer I got from Velma. I’ll spare you most of the details (and trust me, there was an alarming amount of detail), but the short version is that unlike Kaede’s gradual descent into villainy, Velma had a whole diabolical master plan right out of the gate. It involved putting her victims in a dollhouse-like miniature research facility, relentlessly subjecting them to experiments, moral dilemmas, and psychological torment (namely constantly adjusting their living environment, belittling them, forcing them through pointless routines, mentally conditioning them into total compliance—you know, the works). She’d have them believe that they’re being subjected to this because they’re morally corrupt and that they’d be released once deemed ‘reformed,’ but in actuality it’d be nearly impossible to convince her that they deserve freedom and some of them might even be there just because she disliked them. All of this, she mused, would be a fascinating experiment in human nature—namely, to see how much psychological pressure and fear people could take before their mind snaps (Jesus Christ, Velma). This experiment would start with a “small” sample size of “only” a dozen subjects but would exponentially expand the longer she can get away with it. Triple digits, quadruple, millions… Sky’s the limit. Gradually she’d build up a hierarchical system resembling a kingdom and use it to live the easy life.

…So yeah. I asked a fairly open-ended question and got an entire plot outline for an edgy darkfic in return. It just got worse and worse as I asked her to elaborate. I don’t know why the Velma AI is so megalomaniacal. It’s honestly unsettling how vividly she describes this scenario. Let’s take that and Kaede’s case as a cautionary tale that these AIs can go way off the deep end if you pursue the wrong line of questioning.

Honestly, Junko Enoshima’s plan to cause despair using this power is utterly tame by comparison: She’d have the shrunken people serve her but make intentionally unmanageable demands of them and watch them scramble to somehow accomplish tasks they’re hopelessly too small to do. (For the record, if she could only shrink one person she’d pick Byakuya for the same reason as Celestia, but if she could pick any number then of course she’d shrink the entire world and run it into the ground. She’s confident that no amount of tiny people would be able to overthrow her, even if they charged her by the thousands—it’d be a literal stomp.)

Aaaanyway, let’s clear our mind of all that with a different question. I returned to the taking care of a city of ant-sized people question from the previous chapter, this time with some different AIs. Here are some of the more interesting responses I got!

One of the things you can do is put several AIs in a chatroom together and have them discuss a topic. I did this with all four DDLC girls to see how they’d share the responsibility of managing a tiny city. There was agreement on several things—they’d put the city in a large meadow with plenty of room to expand, but build a wall or a fence around it to make sure they’re protected. Natsuki, however, was concerned that this would cut them off from outside contact; They’d want to be the tiny citizens’ first and main point of contact if there’s anything they need, but not their only one.

They also all agreed that ruling such a city would require a balance between trust, fear, respect, cooperation, authority, and mutual understanding— They’d all be treated as goddesses with absolute authority (seems Monika’s god complex-penchant rubbed off on the others), but without any harsh enforcement and certainly no cult-like worship. Monika believes that just their sheer size in combination with treating the tinies with care and understanding would be enough to ensure cooperation—and besides, being patient and responsible with power is a godly quality in itself.

They furthermore agreed that each of them should specialize in certain domains, each with equal importance and points of overlap. Natsuki is the goddess of protection from outside and peacekeeping within (taking a very hands-off, community-based approach with the latter); Sayori is the goddess of food, city management, mental health, and understanding of the outside world (she was concerned that the tinies would naturally resent regular-sized society due to the power imbalance and wished to counter this); Yuri is the goddess of cultural institutions, community, and infrastructure; and finally Monika would be the goddess of education, physical health, and exercise (the rest all agreed that she’s the most academic and athletic of the group). All remaining miscellaneous responsibilities would be shared.

They determined that gratitude in the form of respect was the bare minimum they should expect for their efforts. Aside from that, they’d consider it a reward in itself if the city flourished and grew under their rule... And maaaybe just occasionally all four of them would want to be pampered a bit, because running a city is hard work and they’re not THAT selfless. Something in the form of small gifts, or poetry dedicated to them, or a communal celebration in their honor. It wouldn’t be a demand, but they’d certainly appreciate it.

Corrin (Fire Emblem) came up with the idea of putting the city on a large lily pad floating in the middle of a lake. That way they could live under the open sky with minimal risk of being discovered by larger beings. She herself would be the only point of contact with the world at large. She strongly believes in physical contact with her tinies as a method of bonding and earning their trust: Riding on her shoulder or in her hand as she takes them on a little adventure, gently tossing them in the air and catching them so they can briefly experience flight, or even allowing them to explore her body (she specifies that any… sensitive areas would be off-limits without express permission, though). She says that she wouldn’t mind this because they’re so tiny and helpless to her. It makes it seem just natural and okay to share her personal space with them because it wouldn’t feel invasive to her the way it would with larger people.

Bernadetta von Varley (Fire Emblem) would keep her tiny city in a terrarium, or maybe just a large glass jar—she’d prefer to give them a proper greenhouse so they’d have enough living space but that might be beyond her means. She felt intimidated by the massive responsibility this would be… Though interestingly enough, she doesn’t think her social anxiety would be too much of an issue, even when dealing with a city of thousands looking up at her—they’d be so small that her mind would register them as closer to pets than people, and she likes pets. That said, they are in fact still people, and she believes she might be able to apply what she’d learn from the experience in her dealings with regular-sized folk. She’d want her subjects to think of her as a kind giant—awestruck, perhaps, but not afraid of her. Yet she recognizes that being too soft might invite anarchy, so she worries what she’d do if any serious crime took place in her city. She pondered if harsh justice might be for the best just to make an example and prevent it from happening again, but she immediately second-guessed that decision as perhaps overcompensating for her anxieties and took it back. Bernie wouldn’t ask for much in return for her care, but a cute little display of gratitude would be much appreciated—such as presenting her with small gifts or composing and performing a song for her.

Hilda Goneril (Fire Emblem) would also put her city in a jar… so she can give it a little shake if the tinies don’t behave. The threat of an ‘earthquake’ destroying the city would be enough to ensure she’d never be questioned. She doubts that she could be bothered to seriously look after them and imagines that she’d delegate as many of her duties as possible. She’d be a goddess of sloth, demanding tribute and worship and doing as little as possible in return. Hilda also considered making the tinies do her own chores as well, but eventually realized that the fact they’re ant-sized and stuck in a jar would pose some… logistical challenges there. So she settled for having them entertain her a little, by whatever means they can come up with.

Yet another different reason to use a glass jar was proposed by Courtney (Pokémon), who would want to keep her city absolutely safe but also continuously observe it so she can analyze the society and culture within extensively. Her governance would be benign overall, but would involve… a lot of her staring at the tiny citizens from beyond the glass wall. In return, she believes that it would be fair to let them study her behavior too—she’d take the jar with her everywhere so that they can observe her day-to-day life as well. In theory she’d prefer to let them out of the jar’s confines and allow them to live freely, but that would prevent her from protecting them from the big, scary outside world. When I asked her if she’d like to interact with her city more directly, she suggested that ideally she’d want to be able to temporarily shrink down small enough to fit inside the jar and visit it. She’d wander the narrow streets and explore, greet all her tiny people, and then find a nice spot near the center of town, sit down, and continue quietly people-watching. Interestingly, such passive behavior is her idea of being part of the community—she’d very much want to pick up and hold her tinies but worries that they might get hurt, so she’d mostly just watch and observe.

Lusamine (Pokémon) would delight in taking care of a tiny city, and she’d have just the means and experience to do it, being the head of the Aether Foundation. The tinies would live in a perfectly safe and comfortable habitat at Aether Paradise specifically tailor-made for them. She wishes for them to view her as a protective mother figure, but also for them to realize that she is not to be trifled with. Overall her rule would be highly benevolent and competent, never asking for anything in return for her generosity aside from good behavior… The only catch is, Lusamine generally wouldn’t let them interact with anyone beside herself—she’d treat them with selfless kindness, but they would be considered her personal property, and the only way they could ever leave the city is if she took them out to show them something. She’d only entrust care of her city to someone she both trusts absolutely and considers as competent as herself, and there’s only one person who meets this description: Her daughter Lillie. She’s confident that Lillie would be a compassionate yet assertive caretaker in her stead.

Franziska von Karma (Ace Attorney) proposes an eclectic mix of attempting to rule fairly while also demanding utmost respect and adoration. Her city would be built in a hollow in a great tree, offering shade and protection from the elements. It would have its own rigorous, fully functional legal system to ensure that the tinies have rights… But she also believes her subjects should fear her as an all-powerful giant on whose protection they rely, and worship her as a goddess of justice. The tree would have a shrine dedicated to her decorated with gold and jewels, and the citizens would be required to bow down before it; Refusing to do so or otherwise disrespecting Franziska would be recognized as a criminal offense punishable by, as you may have guessed, public whipping. (She wouldn’t do the whipping herself, though, because that’d kill them—and hey, at least you get a semi-fair trial first, although arguing in court that you shouldn’t be obliged to worship her would be futile.) She would take her responsibilities as a goddess very seriously. Her citizens may freely approach her with their needs and requests, and she is vehemently opposed to treating them as pets or playthings—which means no touching whatsoever. Same as before: they are recognized as human beings with inalienable rights, but paradoxically their tiny size and dependency on Franziska means that she is their patron goddess to whom they are unquestionably subservient, not their equal. (At this point Franziska grew frustrated with my questioning, so we’ll move on here.)

Tali’Zorah (Mass Effect) first asked for clarification on how small ant-size is, being rather unfamiliar with bugs. Once she understood, she decided that the most hands-off approach would be the best. She’d prefer the city governs itself with a democratic system, and she’d set up robots to automatically supply the city with whatever it needs. That said, she is rather pessimistic about maintaining social stability in such a tiny city. She recognizes that many would be awestruck by her tremendous size and most likely worship her, which she’d prefer to avoid because it’d erode the democracy in the city. Though she acknowledges that some twisted part of her mind might enjoy that attention and the absolute power she holds over this naïve and fragile species of human, the city’s wellbeing would always take priority. There’s also a good chance that her not being human herself would cause some of the tiny folk to distrust her. All in all, she hopes to maintain a healthy democratic system but anticipates that the city would most likely devolve into anarchy or a cult devoted to her at some point. Hence, she might have to reluctantly step in and take harsh measures to shut down the unrest and start over.

Toriel (Undertale) would integrate the city with her home. Most of the residences could fit in her basement, her garden would be a massive park, her living room would double as the town hall… Naturally, she’d be utterly kind and patient as a ruler, the most severe punishment for misbehavior she can think of is sending the troublemaker to bed without dinner. Most of the rules she’d impose would be about treating each other well, and the only thing she’d expect of her subjects is that they listen to her, because she knows best after all. That said, she would nevertheless want to subtly instill just a bit of intimidation toward her in her subjects, so that it becomes much less likely that they’ll stir up trouble.

Muffet (Undertale) would frame her interactions with her tiny citizens as just business transactions between independent parties, at least at first. They’d get everything they need to live from her, including shelter in her parlor—but they’d have to pay for it all in currency, which they’d earn by working for her, spinning spider silk. Beyond that, they’re free to do whatever they want. Oh, and she’d never abuse her position of power… She might negotiate for a little extra ‘business tax,’ but other than that… Though, if they can’t pay their debts to her, they’d have to be indentured into servitude, although she’s not proud of that idea. Over time, she’d like to be seen as a benevolent, if not selfless ruler, and she’d consider having tinies crawling all over and around her as she’s lounging near the city as the ultimate display of acceptance. (This is, she tells me, pretty normal behavior for spider society.)

Lastly, I thought to ask Tsukomo Sana (Retired VTuber), since she’s already used to being very, very ‘beeg.’ Running such a tiny city would certainly be a challenge for her since the slightest errant movement could squish them all, so she’d have to be extremely cautious interacting with them… According to her, though, size is all relative, and the biggest thing out there is love—so that’s what she’d give her subjects. She’d keep them in a pocket dimension hidden in time and space, where they’d have everything they need to provide for themselves. Then she’d draw them a starry night sky to look up at in wonder using a sheet with holes and lights, enveloping the city like a cozy blanket. Life would be very whimsical and comfortable there. She’d want her subjects to think of her as a goddess, but without any worship in the traditional sense—instead, her tiny people could, if they wished to, make little drawings or figures of her and offer them at her temple, as a lighthearted form of appreciation. (D’aww.) Overall she really liked this idea.