  In high energy collisions involving small nuclei (p+p or x+Au collisions
where x=p, d, or $^3$He) the fluctuating size, shape and internal gluonic
structure of the nucleon is shown to have a strong effect on the initial size
and shape of the fireball of new matter created in the collision. A systematic
study of the eccentricity coefficients describing this initial fireball state
for several semi-realistic models of nucleon substructure and for several
practically relevant collision systems involving small nuclei is presented. The
key importance of multiplicity fluctuations in such systems is pointed out. Our
results show large differences from expectations based on conventional Glauber
model simulations of the initial state created in such collisions.
