bill's eyes scanned the shelves, taking in all of the different types of dolls - porcelain, plastic, balljoint, rag dolls, even some figures.

"wow, you've got all kinds here! i was imagining it'd just be the plastic ones. maybe even just one brand. a lot of collectors are like that."

"i just get whatever catches my attention," adrianus responded. "and i like seeing the different styles and personalities, as well. i think it looks better when they're all unique."

"i didn't expect anime figures and nendoroids to go here, either, but when i see it all together, it does kinda make sense."

"it's still a miniature person, after all."

"you don't even have stuff in the boxes."

"many of these have different outfits and accessories. it feels like a waste not to use them. changing their clothes, brushing their hair, and posing them are all an important part of it for me... i prefer for it to be something i can interact with."

"i definitely get that. when i'm collecting books and movies and stuff, it's nice because it's like i'm collecting experiences. i can take them out, and look at them, and use them." he crouched down to look at the lower shelves. "i mean, people can collect however they want, but i'm not into the super sterile displays, you know?"

"it's nice that we have such a similar attitude toward collecting. i do like for my collection to feel alive."

"yeah, exactly!" he paused for a second, staring at an especially uncanny doll. "well, that's kind of a funny way to say it when you collect things that look like people."

"is it?"

he turned toward them, where they were leaning down, looming over him. he didn't realize they were so close.

"i mean, it's funny to me, but i guess it makes sense. it was just something about your tone, i think."

"i do mean it, though."

there were more dolls he wanted to look at, but his eyes lingered on adrianus for a little longer before he turned back to the shelves.

"do you have any favorites?" bill asked.

"it's difficult to choose, and it changes, sometimes," they replied, "but i put the particularly special ones in the dollhouses i have somewhere else."

"oh, i'd like to see that, then," he said, straightening up. "i didn't know you had dollhouses, too."

"where else would they live?"

"i mean, these ones just live on the shelves, right?"

"i suppose so. but that won't do for some of them... well, why don't i show you?"

they guided him to another room. it seemed odd not to have the entire collection together. then again, dollhouses could be pretty big - maybe there wasn't enough space, or it just didn't look right.

he was surprised to find that the room they walked into was a bedroom. adrianus' house was pretty big and fancy, and they sure seemed like the kind of person who would have an entire room just dedicated to doll stuff, but here they had all of these shelves of dollhouses and miniatures in the same room they slept in. he also noted some softer dolls next to their bed. did they actually cuddle with them? it was kind of a cute mental image, actually.

"here are the ones you could call my favorites... for now, at least."

just like with the dolls, there were a variety of different houses and dioramas, in different styles and sizes. each one had a doll or two inside it, which all matched their individual aesthetics, all proportioned properly with the miniature furniture around them. they didn't seem like they came in sets or anything. it must have been difficult matching up dolls and dollhouses that weren't made for each other.

there was one that caught his attention when he saw it, too, one that looked sort of office-y, with a little miniature computer, a chunky retro-styled one.

"is this the only one that doesn't have a doll in it?"

"you noticed. yes, it is. it's difficult to find one that fits... i can imagine the sort of person who would go in there, but i'm very particular about the appearance and style."

"yeah, i mean, it feels like it should be someone like me!"

he said it casually, without really thinking, but by the time the words left his mouth, he felt strange about it. it really did feel like it should be someone like him. if he had to live in any of these, that's the one he would pick.

he turned to look at adrianus again, and once again, they were a little closer than he expected them to be, and they were looking at him, not the diorama.

"that is true," they said. "that's exactly what i've been looking for."

he stared, not really knowing how to respond, or how to interpret what they were saying.

"well," he finally said, "i guess you've found it!"

their smile widened.

there was something about their face, about their expressions. they always looked calm and comfortable, even looking directly at him like this. well, it wasn't like they were the only person in the world who didn't mind eye contact, but it stood out to him, because they also came across as very polite. but being this close and staring this much was supposed to be rude, right?

and it wasn't like he minded. he just found himself looking right back at them, trying to figure out what exactly this feeling was.

"am i more interesting than my collection?"

"oh, it's not that! the dolls are really cool, it's just..." how was he going to explain it? "your eyes are intense!"

they softly chuckled. "well, your wide-eyed stare is quite intense, as well."

"i hope i'm not being rude or anything."

"no, it's alright. it's cute."

his face felt warm, suddenly. he didn't usually respond much to compliments or flirting, beyond just appreciating them or reciprocating, but this was different. was a wide-eyed stare supposed to be cute?

and they weren't really using the word cute to mean he was attractive, either. it made him feel... small. that's what that feeling was.

he blinked. "wow. you're really..." he was trailing off again. he turned back to the display, looking at the miniature office again, even if it felt a little weird to turn away from them while they were still looking so closely. it was like he could feel their eyes on his back. "you're really, like... i don't know... you're going to give me chills."

"is that so?" they leaned closer, next to his ear. he felt a hand on his shoulder.

his back trembled, shivers running through his spine.

"oh, you weren't exaggerating," they said softly, their breath on his ear making him shudder. they gently rubbed his shoulder with their thumb.

his whole body was warm now. he was no stranger to physical intimacy, either, even with someone he didn't know very well, but this wasn't like that, either.

"you have goosebumps," they whispered.

"i-i guess i do."

still, just as quickly as they had approached him, they withdrew, easing some of the tension, even if bill's breath was still heavy and his heartrate was still elevated.

"well, it seems you've seen enough of my collection for now. do you want some tea?" they asked. "there are cookies, as well, if you're feeling hungry."

"right, yeah, that sounds good." the shift in mood might have been sudden, but he could definitely eat, and it might be good for him to relax a bit.

the tea was chamomile, which was good, but felt like a weird choice. bill wasn't a huge tea drinker, but he'd only ever associated it with sleep, the kind of thing you drink alone before bed, not the kind of thing you give to a guest in the afternoon. it's not like it mattered, though. normally, he probably wouldn't have even thought about it.

it was just that person on the other side of the table, looking at him, that made him pause. he wouldn't call them suspicious, exactly, it just felt like there was a meaning to everything they were doing. maybe he was just imagining it. but even if he was, it was kind of fun.

"you know," they said, breaking the silence, "i've talked about myself, and my collection, but i'd like to hear more about you. you collect media, like books and movies, don't you?"

"i do!"

"is there any particular rhyme or reason to it?"

"well, i collect stuff with certain tropes i like."

"and what are some of those tropes, if you don't mind me asking?"

he took a sip of his tea, giving himself a second to decide what would be appropriate to say. adrianus didn't seem to have a problem saying and doing things that could come off as weird or creepy, and their collection itself was something a lot of people would find scary. it didn't really have the same connotations as his interests, but it was probably close enough for them to get it, right?

"well, it's stuff like transformation, you know? a lot of the weird cartoon episode type of stuff. you could call them fetishes."

"ohh, i see." they leaned forward slightly. "how about mind control, or hypnosis? or shrinking?"

"yeah, all of that! shrinking is a little bit like a transformation, too. well, and there's obviously overlap, like if someone gets turned into a mouse, or something else that's small. even the hypnosis can kind of be connected! i mean, the mind and body go hand in hand, right? sometimes there's stuff where it's like, the more they think or act like whatever they're becoming, the more they transform. that's a little bit like that."

he was happy to see that they had been listening intently. "that is very interesting," they said. "i like that, as well. the idea that the smaller you feel, the smaller you become."

he immediately remembered that feeling of smallness from earlier. he thought of that completely on his own, he had that feeling completely on his own, and now they were saying something about that?

he tried not to get lost in his own thoughts when they were having a conversation, especially an interesting conversation like this. "yeah, it's... oh, you know, it makes sense that you'd like that, doesn't it? your collection is just tiny people!"

"that's exactly right."

they even said that thing about wanting their collection to feel alive. and there were those other things they said, too...

and there was that little office.

he tilted his head. this was such a silly situation, wasn't it? it almost seemed like...

"i'm curious, bill," they said, "when it comes to those sorts of situations, do you see yourself as just an observer, or do you insert yourself into the story?"

"well, i do a bit of both, it depends on the situation and the characters."

"and what sort of role do you typically find yourself playing?"

the way they asked it, it sounded like they already knew. it felt like being caught. "i mean, i imagine both, but... well, you know, usually i'd be the one it's happening to."

"the one shrinking."

"yeah."

he did almost feel smaller.

"and around what size would you end up?"

"i don't know if i have any kind of exact measurement, i mean, of course it varies. maybe, like... 4 or 5 inches tall?"

"that's quite small."

"well, it feels like... that's about how big people usually are when they shrink, right?"

"you know, i do often have to think about scale, particularly when matching up my dolls to the dollhouses. dolls can be all sorts of heights, ranging anywhere from around that size, to a foot, or two feet tall, even. well, they can be smaller or larger, but those are the common sizes. and that's another reason it can take time to find a good match."

he thought back to that office, turning it over in his head, looking at his own hands, trying to estimate the size of everything, trying to figure out the proportions...

"and you know," they continued, gesturing with their hand to indicate the height, "i was thinking that empty office would be just about perfect for a doll that is about 4 inches tall."

from what he remembered, that sounded accurate.

he stared at them, looking for any sign that would either confirm or deny what he was thinking. it was crazy, right? it wasn't even possible.

"that's pretty funny," he said, sort of blankly. "i even joked about that earlier, that you found the doll you were looking for."

"it was a joke?" they were still smiling calmly.

it felt like that response took half an inch off his height.

"you mentioned hypnosis specifically, didn't you? is there... i mean, it's amazing, because i don't feel like you've really done anything that hypnotic, but i kind of feel..."

"as if you're really becoming smaller?"

he could feel it, when he stared at them. he could see the way everything shifted up.

he blinked. "i've, i've been hypnotized before, a couple times, but i've never had... well, and this doesn't really feel like hypnosis, i mean, you've implied some stuff, and mentioned some stuff, but..."

"you're right," they said quietly. "i haven't really hypnotized you yet."

his mind went blank. not in a hypnotic way, but just because he couldn't find a response. everything was still moving up, just that tiny bit. it felt strange, just seeing it.

even then, he wasn't sure he believed it. "so you're... you're... you want to shrink me down into a doll, and hypnotize me? and keep me in a little dollhouse?"

"yes, and that is what i'm doing," they answered, standing up. "the shrinking will happen much more quickly when you're hypnotized." they stepped next to his seat, turning his chair to face them.

they were already taller than him, and when he was sitting down like this, they towered over him.

the reality of the situation was sinking in, but somehow, the part that got him most was the idea of being hypnotized to shrink faster. or just the idea of being hypnotized right now, in this situation, where he couldn't help freezing up, and his heart was pounding. could they really put him in a trance like this? could they force him to relax and accept it?

they petted his head. "do you want me to brush your hair?" they asked gently.

he couldn't stop squirming in his seat. how was he even supposed to answer that? it sounded amazing, actually, but even if he could appreciate that it seemed like a fitting way to get hypnotized into becoming a doll, and a fantastic visual, and he liked having his hair brushed, it was hard to say or do anything when his whole body was pulsing like this. he reflexively leaned away from them, as if he was trying to escape.

"ah, but it might become too difficult to brush as you get smaller. perhaps i'll wait, and use a doll brush once you're done." they continued moving closer, looming over him, putting their hands on the sides of the chair. they stared directly into his eyes. he could see the way their eyes were moving slightly to follow him as he shrank.

it was kind of cool, actually...

"i know i don't need to tell you to look into my eyes," they said, their voice slow and hypnotic, "because you're already looking, like a deer in the headlights. i didn't expect much resistance from you. on the contrary... i thought you might enjoy this. and you do, don't you, bill?"

somehow, even as the rest of him was moving away, like a magnet being repelled, his head was nodding.

"of course you do. it's like all of those movies and books you collect, isn't it? most people would be too concerned about their safety, their freedom... and perhaps a part of you is, as well. but, don't worry... you can focus on how nice it feels... you can just enjoy it... and i'll take care of that tension for you."

it sounded a lot more reasonable to him than it should have. he already knew it was probably too late to get away, so he'd really like it if his body could just relax already. a lot of his tension might have just been from excitement, anyway.

"you'll make such a good doll. that's right... take deep breaths... relax for me... dolls should be still."

chills shot through his body, and every wave was pulling him down. it was pulling him down in a literal sense, too. when he stopped moving, he could feel his back sliding down the chair. it was getting faster. the thought made him squirm again.

"just let it happen," they murmured. "just relax and hold still. keep looking into my eyes... focus on how small it makes you feel. so small already..."

this time, his body almost went limp, even as the tingling sensation became stronger. he only twitched and tensed his limbs a little bit. he barely noticed that his clothes had been shrinking with him, and even though he wanted to think about that, even though he was curious about how and why it was happening, the sensations he was experiencing made it hard to think.

"very good..." they held up one of his hands, pressing theirs against it. "you don't have to keep looking into my eyes anymore... in fact, look at this..."

his hand seemed tiny next to theirs. or, no... it was tiny, and the comparison just made that obvious. it wasn't changing as quickly as his height, but it was slowly shifting, to stay proportional.

they caressed it with both of their hands, running a thumb along the palm. his whole hand practically disappeared in their fingers, and the sensual touches sent ripples through his body, which made him sink faster, which made his hand just that bit smaller. but it almost made it look like the touch itself was directly shrinking his hand, like they were personally molding it.

the excitement had made him tense up again.

"relax for me... it will feel even better if you relax."

he slowly let go of some of his tension.

they set his hand back down, looking back at him - this time, not at his eyes, but up and down his whole body.

now that he thought about it, his legs were pretty far away from the ground, now. he'd lost a significant amount of his height already.

"oh, it must be difficult to hold still in that position..." they grabbed his legs, pulling them up onto the chair. "eventually, they won't be able to bend over the side anymore. you should keep them up here."

being moved by them like that... he realized he would already be easy to carry or hold down. at his original height, he might have had a chance if he really tried to get away. he wasn't sure he had any chance at all now.

they grabbed his waist, adjusting his position a bit more. "you can just relax... you've been doing very good, but i'd like you to hold still... to go completely limp... your body can feel warm and numb..."

he reacted involuntarily, the relaxation starting to take over, the numbness spreading through him.

the way they were looking at him, it was like he wasn't even a person. "very nice..." they delicately caressed his face with their long fingers. "i knew i needed to have you."

he didn't move, aside from the shrinking.

"you have such a cute face. such soft hair... you look even better, the smaller you get."

everything around him was getting bigger. the chair was huge. even though he was changing so quickly, it didn't really feel dizzying, or overwhelming, it just felt like he was sinking, like he was getting more comfortable. their touches were getting more gentle.

finally, they picked him up, supporting his entire body with their hands, looking down at him, examining him. he was still shrinking. it really showed him just how small four inches actually was. he was still probably around a foot tall... that was more than twice the size he was going to end up.

they switched to holding him with one hand, for a moment, as they reached down to grab something. he couldn't turn to see what it was, but when they lifted it up, he saw it was a doll brush.

it was mesmerizing, the gentle way they handled it, the way they pinched it between their thumb and their index finger, the way they could be so delicate and precise, with such huge hands. they ran it through his hair with laser focus, with care and attention in every movement.

their fingers were wrapped around his body. he could fit in the palm of their hands. he was done shrinking.

he was their doll.

"that's right... that's perfect." their words were quiet, distant, like they were talking to themself. "you'll be perfect..."

they set down the brush, and carried him off to their room.