Madison strolled into her room sitting down on her bed as she grabbed her phone off the nightstand as the phone chirped in her hand. Opening the notification she saw it was her best friend Krysi asking where she was. Madison immediately realized she had forgotten to tell her that she wasn’t going to school so that she could take care of the situation with her parents. A few seconds later her phone was ringing.
“Krysi I just messaged you,” Madison said “McKenzie? Hey sorry I thought you were Krysi. How come you’re calling aren’t you supposed to be deep in it at that tennis camp.”
“You Messaged me at 11:30 at night with the message just wanted you to know the rents caught Smallara with no other details or information. What do you mean why I am calling?” Mckenzie said
“What else do you need to know? I don’t know much yet. They’re just chilling downstairs in the sink, and I’m still getting dressed. Mind if I put you on speaker? It’s kinda tricky to chat while I’m getting my outfit together,” Madison said, flipping the phone onto her bed before switching it to speaker mode.
“Yeah sure. Wait, why are they in the sink?” McKenzie asked confused as the series of events that could lead to that situation.
“Ugh, just eating breakfast and then dealing with my bowl like they do every single morning. Like, I don’t exactly volunteer to do the dishes around here. Definitely not by choice,” Madison replied, eyeing a couple of sweaters before ultimately rejecting them both.
“Maddy!” Mckenzie interjected.
“What? It’s not like I’m asking them to do something out of the ordinary. And isn’t that what you’re supposed to do anyway? Treat them like normal human beings and not make a fuss about it. I mean, I’m not expecting them to do my laundry still. They’re too freakin’ tiny for that.” Madison added as she finally decided on what to wear.
“I mean I guess but it seems a bit mean how are they supposed to clean it? Did you buy them tiny mops or something,” McKenzie asked
“Well…I mean…were you calling about something specific Kenz?” Madison said as she brushed her hair. “I’m about to take them to the clinic and stuff. They need those underbred shots and stuff.” Madison said trying to change subject. not wanting her sister to know about her oversight.
“Yeah,I was letting you know I am coming home early but it will probably still be this afternoon before I make it back. I am just going through all the forms you sent over but it’s a pain to read through everything and digitally sign it on my phone.” McKenzie said.
“Well hopefully you are back in time for the meeting with the little worker they assigned to our case. They are going to be going over our options as well as mom and dads.” Madison said.
“I will try my best I’m at the mercy of the airlines. I need to finish packing and stuff so I will see you tonight.” McKenzie said as the call ended.
Madison finished with her hair and makeup before getting dressed and heading back downstairs. It was strange walking around the house like this. It hadn’t fully sunk in yet that her parents had caught Smallara. She halfway expected her mom to be coming out of the bathroom or her dad trying his best to annoy her. Instead, it was just silence. As the floorboard creaked beneath her weight it was deafening as she made her way down the stairs. Each creak or squeak seemed amplified now that she was the only person using the majority of the house.
Madison looked towards the kitchen knowing her parents were just several feet away trapped in the sink. She wondered what they were doing. What they were thinking. The two people who had control over her for the entirety of her life now could stand in the palm of her hand. She found it somehow fitting that she found them. As she always felt Cindy, her mother favored McKenzie more than her. It bothered her how she was always compared to McKenzie. While her dad on the other hand. He had always been like putty in her hand.
“This sucks. I didn’t ask for any of this. I wanted a underbred but not my parents as underbreds. But they are my littles now. So I guess I have to step up and be a good Little Master.” Madison said to herself.
“Madison,” She heard her parents call out to her as she stepped fully into the kitchen. A slight smirk formed across her face seeing they were still stuck in the sink. Trapped until she took them out. Forced to acquiesce to her demands, to her will. As after all she was their guardian now.
To be honest, I was about to drop this series if nothing hopeful appeared here. I am still debating it.
Thankfully Mckenzie has appeared and seems to have a good head and heart. Even better it seems Madsion gave her the forms to have a joint-guardianship and will be home today.
I am still wary about things. I don’t expect the doctor visit will go well for the parents and if Mckenzie doesn’t arrive in time, leaving Madison alone with the little worker scares me. I am worried it will be another painful week of updates where the parents are cruelly ignored by others and pushed around by Madision.
Mckenzie is the only hope here. There are no other options for a good end here. Law, Doctors, Little Worker ultimately they only help the Guardian and not the victims. Saddie and Christine was shown there is no hope.
Madison had a whole night to reflect on her actions yesterday. She is still went straight to tormenting her parents without any regrets.
Not a spoiler but McKenzie arrives before the little worker. You will probably like her if you make it far enough to see her.
Madison did show some sadness toward the end. So I wouldn’t say she had no regrets.
We haven’t actually seen a little worker depicted so I would say you are jumping some conclusions. It was also stated that Sadie was doing things specifically to look good for the little worker. So there was some tomfoolery going on.
If Mckenzie is as nice as you say then I will try to tolerate Madison a little longer.
Though I don’t know why Madison is being so vindictive to her parents. You confirmed she getting revenge for being compared to her sister. She shown to take pleasure in throwing her parents own words against them. I like seeing her tiny regret but why hide it. ? She just as easily dismissed her feelings and justified her actions as being right as she is suprieror and her parents must follow them. No discussions.
If a little worker can be tricked so easily. Then they are terrible judge of characters.
You never mentioned the little worker was tricked. Just they only care the home is safe and the tiny is physically unharmed, washed and fed. They don’t care about the emotional health of the tiny. Bullying is legal. Saddle openly did it in broad daylight in a busy school caferia where she worked, with co-workers and students that knew her. If that is allowed then what hope do any tiny have.
I meant tricked as in she has nice things and a nice home. But Sadie is still a twat to her mom.
However, being a twat isn’t illegal and just like in real life. Emotion health is irrelevant regardless of if you are tiny or big. Its why in reality you don’t get insurance for emotional health issues. It’s out of pocket. This world is very much the same in that regard.
I wouldn’t say vindictive as there are things they’ve done that she hasn’t liked but I feel like you are looking at it in a very black and white way. The thing shes doesn’t like and does like overall create impact the tapestry of her life but its not a one on one correlation.
Just like in reality if you punish your child. They are going to be upset but its not as if they would watch you joke and die because you took there Nintendo switch from them unless they are truly mentally unstable. Which would be a whole other issue.
yes she doesn’t like being compared to her sister. Yes that created animosity but I feel like you are taking elements which support a opinion you already have of the character and story and then using that to reinforce a belief.
Like her being compared to her sister is and not liking it is something most siblings deal with. It’s a relatively normal thing that the person on the comparison side doesn’t like. Its an issue that yes causes some strife but I wouldn’t say its intent was to be so black and white. As this is a cause of why she is the way she is.
It’s more like she has found herself in a unique situation she never imagined. So shes pushing to see how far she can go. she’s taking some liberties and maybe power-tripping a little.
I think some of the issues you are having is something you actually mentioned before. you didn;t like Sara at first because of how she treated Jordan. However, those first 300episodes are important as they craft who she is, what she is, why she doe what she does, the motivations and belief structures that define who she is and only after understanding that how she is defined as a person and like all of us do slightly evolve to fit a new situation could you grow to like her. However, that all of that takes a large degree of time.
This story is meant to be shorter so some liberties are taken which you are then using to fit in specific pegs to support a belief which while you are entitled to have I don’t think is how I would define Madison as a character. But you’ve stated the slow start in which Sara’s character is created was partly a turn off for you and I’m sure was for others So this abridged version was created as a test bed.
Another fact which I don’t believe is factored into your reasoning is that Littles in this world are viewed as a lesser species. Thats a social norm of this world. There are people who disagree with it but there are groups of people who disagree with anything. THere are people who disagree with the most of the world and think communism is great where most don’t. Or they think democracy is some great evil in this world.Where while it has its flaws it has its benefits as well.
So Madison is more acting within the confines of the world and then being a bit of brat to her parents.on top of that norm because she can. But she justified them as littles because they are littles and people and littles by most aren’t equal.
In this world Littles are purchased as a commodity. We saw Mia was gifted Bryce in the birthday surprise. We have seen snippets of that forming in the mainline smallara with the facility and pet smart section of the story. We have seen chloe hint at things. Sara mention ideas like little mart. The government wanting to build a database. Lisa mentioning all the littles were being photographed and measured, weighted and details being added into a database.
A person who is little is thought of as different. We saw even Madison’s parents thought of Littles a lesser. Madison even mentioned that. How her mom made comment about a unregisterd and uncollared little is basically a illegal immigrant. The government and society has collar and leash laws.
So Madison who witnesses her parents now as little. Already had a definition of what a little is. So some of her actions aren’t really as vindictive as you may think they are. As shes looking at it through the lens that I’ma person and they are littles.
One mistake I made while crafting this which If I could go back and retcon. I would have probably created a section where she wrestles a bit with the ideology more her parents becoming a little and what that means. But that’s something I can take and improve for next time.
Just like many of your criticisms and critiques i can take and think on and work to make better. Like I should just take the time for all the stories to define the characters belief structure more even if it does slow things down and extend the story a bit. I may need to workshop on some ways to better achieve that in a daily upload environment.
Anyway this has gone on way longer then i thought. Sorry for the long post and thanks for insights and feedback. IT is always welcome.
Wow. Wasn’t expecting a long post. Thanks.
“Emotion health is irrelevant” I find that troubling as I believe tines’ emotional health is super important. Tinies are very vulnerable to solitary confinement. And Solitary confinement makes even the most sane people go crazy. I don’t think the government nor the guardians would love to care for insane or suicidal tines. I don’t think they would sell well.
I wished we could see Madison before her parents shrinking. We the readers have an incomplete picture being her current cruel actions.
Some I can contribute to ‘power makes you evil’ but it is troubling how quickly and increasingly cruel she has developed in less that a day.
Same with the parents. They seem like okay parents. Not abusive, the mother being a little stern, the father a bit jovial. But we are left to assume they are innocents which makes this treatment all the more horrible.
I have issues with this world. I disagree with some of the logic but I suppose a messed up world breeds messed up children.
Thanks for accepting feedback. I apologize if any of my criticism comes off as being harsh.
I usually hate size dystopias. They are usually dependent on sexual elements or an excuse to justify killing tiny humans in horrible different ways.
Now I am sure the above do happen offscreen. It was mentioned how terrible other countries are treating their inflected.
However, I love your premise as the prime focus here has always been the tines’ relationship with their guardians. The emotional abuse rather than the physical abuse. How hard for the guardians to understand their tinies yet how easy they can damage their emotional wellbeing. It is paradoxical how having a tiny “pet” that looks like you (minus size) and you can communicate with should help you be Intune with them and their needs. Yet it seems Guardians struggle even harder to understand tinies. Even tinies who were once friends and family become aliens to them.
There are glimmers of hope. Some people have the capacity to learn and understand their tinies. Sara is FINALLY is growing to understand. I feel bad as 3 days in story would normally make Sara’s development rather quick but storywise it took 300 parts to get. It took months to reach this milestone.
I would love to see Madison slowly learn to be empathic like Sara but willing to invest so much time to reach that milestone…..
Plus I seen how other stories tackle something similar only to disappoint me where the tines dies a horrid death, fated to a abused pet/slave or becomes insane in loving the cruel treatments. That is my worry with the parents. Should I care enough to continue just to be disappointed at the ending? I don’t think happy endings are your style.
Yet you haven’t killed anyone off. I want to believe this is a setup is similar to that famous movie “12 years a slave”.
You put the tinies in such terrible situations, so to make it all the more sweeter and satisfying that they can eventually overcome this fate and be free. At least I hope that is what happens?
So yes, I want to believe Mckenzie saves the day or the “Evil” Madison gets defeated even if the idea is unlikely.
Im not saying that there emotional health isn’t important. I’m just saying its value parallels our world as far as it stands.
Seeing Madison or doing extended content before the incident is kind of a double edged sword. As its great to be able to set the stage and introduce the characters slowly and such. But, its also difficult to do it in a way that people will read from day to day. As the amount of people who would read lets say 10 episodes or basically two weeks exposition beforehand is small. So sometimes considerations are made with the audience in mind which makes some aspects less then ideal.
The only way I really have to demonstrate that at this point would be flashbacks.
I agree with your assessment of the parents. Although there views on things which have been mentioned in the story in some cases are questionable in how they viewed tines not knowing they were infect the lesser species.
I think the issue guardians have with viewing the tines as equal is somewhat discussed in this story and thats the fact they are biologically different. they aren’t just a person reduced. They are different in how there body processes and utilizes oxygen is the example specifically given but there are couple others. ALong with the mentioned athletic differences and the physical build differences which the male and female of the little species are quite different then typical humans.
3 days is a quick development i agree with you in Sara’s change. However, I believe the fact that it took 300 parts adds a degree of realism and understanding and when it happens its an actual reward to the reader. As its an earned change they have gone on this journey with. they understand why she is the way she is and the have seen the changes which led to her view growing and opinion evolving. Which If that just happened in 5 episodes wouldn’t be as powerful or impactful.
Happy Endings, Whether an ending is happy is such a situational thing. As the point of smallara is that its a universe. As while the mainline story will end some day since its a universe it’s not meant to be an ending point. Smallara will end but Sara and Jordan will keep on living and existing in the world. You could see the pop up elsewhere. Like Madison’s World you see Dr. Wilson which is Sara’s doctor appear as she is also the Wessen’s family doctor. As Madison and Sara both live in the new york area.
Even Madison’s World while there is a stopping point of this story. It’s not an ending in that and they all lived happily ever after. As the story of their lives conitnues on and there could be follow up a episodes or series for instance. As one of the goals of Smallara is to create a world in which people follow these characters lives and see the world unfold and grow around them. Which is why you see Mia’s Journey, and Madison’s Journey and Sara’s Journey and they are all different. Which different beliefs, different situations. It’s not a true dystopian world where its post apocalyptic or cybperpunk. It’s dystopian in that a world changing event occured and some places handled it better hten others but this story specificaly focuses in how America and some of its allies handle it. you hear snippets of how other places handle it. Like England they gave the littles jobs working as houseboy’s and house girls. adn you learned about that trough Mallory’s sidestory.
I haven’t done any death scenes as it really hasn’t been appropriate and thats not really the kind of story i’m telling. Yes people die in the world but I’m not focusing in on those aspects.
I wouldn’t say Madison is defeated but you’ve only seen a snippet of how things work. I would recommend waiting until McKenzie appears. As once Madison get’s back home you will get a better idea of the true family dynamic and a better depiction of how things will progress.
1) finally someone calls her “Maddy”.
2) Kenz’s first interaction within the story. I’m a bit surprised she was told, I was half expecting Maddy to wait until she got home before letting her know.
3) Finally someone questions Maddy for her actions, and she mentally acknowledges that she messed up.
4) interesting that she’s been taught “Treat them like normal human beings and not make a fuss about it.” That’s kinda the opposite of what Sara got taught, or at least what she learned.
5) Did Kenzie not want to talk to her parents at all?
6) it seems like Maddy is a but saddened by her parent’s shrinking, just not to their faces.
1) Were you waiting for the name to be dropped?
2)McKenzie and Madison are on good terms. So she had no reason not to say something.
3)lol yeah. Mckenzie isn’t afraid to call Madison on her shit.
4) Well home life, values and upbringing would make difference. Plus Madison could have been using the situation.
5) Well they weren’t with Madison at the moment and do you really like madison was going to walk all the way downstairs and hold the phone over the sink for her parents to attempt to talk to McKenzie. Plus Madison did say she was getting ready to leave and McKenzie was trying to get ready for a flight and was just trying to check in and get the lay of the land.
6)That’s accurate. She’s a brat but shes not heartless. She wasn’t wishing bad things to happen to her family or anything. She’s just a normal bratty teenager
1) actually yeah, it’s weird for someone from my culture to go this long without hearing the shortened version of someones name. I had typed “Maddie” multiple times only to fix it with “Madison”. She was only ever called her full name so I was questioning if she shortened it at all.
2) I figured she’d have some “I didn’t want to worry you while you were away” excuse.
3) I’m hoping she does so often.
4) that makes sense. Madison’s clearly got different values to Sara, but that line sounded like she was quoting her trainer, which struck me as odd since she’d gotten the same training as Sara had.
5) She may have, I don’t know how she is with her sister, it’d also ve an entirely reasonable request for Kenzie to make. Though both girls hurrying makes sense.
6) not heartless, but definitely not pure hearted either. Bratty seems like the correct term, so dies abusive.
1) canonically only a couple people ever shorten Madison’s name. As her parents raised her that her name is Madison. So you have to be pretty close for her any other version to be accepted and its why her parents normally don’t use any other form. As to them her name is Madison, her sisters name is McKenzie. Only people who you’ll hear in the story use other variations are McKenzie and sometimes Krysi.
America is very big on shortening names as well.So its a interesting quirk i wanted to working to be a bit different.
2)McKenzie is the older sister. So Madison telling her fits the dynamic they have.
3) I’m curious what you think of the dynamic they have.
4) She was quoting her parents, who taught her that disabled people should be treated normally. She was using it as a justification even though she knew it wouldn’t really fly. As her parents also taught her littles aren’t disabled. They are a separate species with different needs and different expectations put upon them. Which is kind of backfiring on them now as they were in fact littles themselves.
5)That is true. I forget that I know what they are like but as the reader you have not met madison outside of this little bit on the phone.
6) I would agree shes not pure hearted but I also think very few people in this fictional world or the real world are pure hearted. Everyone has doubts, everyone has demons, everyone has beliefs that go against some norms, etc. Which chip away at the pureness. Some people more, some less.
Madison is a bit bratty by nature. Its part of who she is. In which she doesn’t always mean anything by it. It’s just how she is. Like even to those she loves and cares about shes a bit bratty. It’s just a character trait of hers.
I mentioned in my post to yoshi above but I should have spent more time explaining Madison’s character even if it did bog down the story. As some beliefs I feel about her aren’t the exact representation of her that I intended.
1) I see, so it’s only her favourite people allowed to shrlorten it to Maddie.
2) McKenzie is older? LOL when you called her the “second daughter” I assumed that meant she was younger.
3) I’m certainly looking forward to it.
4) I think Greg and Cindy might be the only littles (so far) who partially deserve their fate, given how the thought about littles prior to shrinking, and taught to their daughter’s.
5) no I’ve met Madison before the phone call, but McKenzie I hadn’t. Lol
6) you’re absolutely right, I was using “pure hearted” as the antonym of “Heartless” but that also implied to far in the opposite directions.
Madison is certainly bratty, it’s part of what makes her entertaining as I’ve met girls like her so seeing one with this kind of power is wild.
1) Correct, people closest to her can. But most cannot.
2)McKenzie is older. No i more meant second daughter as in you;’ve met one and there is a second daughter. When you asked that about htat before I hadn’t 100% locked in ages but i have since then.
3) YAY, not to long to wait. Next weekish i feel like.
4) Thats fair. I mean they do/did view littles as a lesser species. So now that they are littles that is a interesting point they have to wrestle with. As Madison ahs said a few things where she pushed back on them using things the parents ahve said which work against them in their little state.
6) Yeah i’ve met girls like Madison before too. Thats part of the fun in her character is that its modeled after behavior and attitudes i’ve seen kind of molded into one person and they unleashed on this world.
As Madison walks back to the sink, she sees her parents still covered in Milk. It seems they failed to freshen up unlike her.
“What have you been doing? I was generous enough to give you enough time to clean up. Your ineptitude is truly amazing. Oh well. We are running late. I guess you both will just have to go with those milk drench clothes.”
Madison delighted in seeing her angry parents’ expression. Her parents so utterly powerless to do anything to her. So intoxicated by this feeling of power. that she didn’t noticed her mom pick up something and fling it at her.
Suddenly Madison felt something hit her. Looking down she watched a soggy piece of cereal cling to her blouse. It quickly fell down to the ground but not without leaving a noticeable milk stain where it touched her top.
Silent and confused. Madison turned back to her mother and seeing her smug face, realized what she had dared done.
“Too bad we are running late. Guess you too will have to go with those milk drench clothes.” Her mother fired back at her.
Madison’s right eye twinge.
What happened next wasn’t pretty. In fact Madison would later lose her Guardianship license for what she did to her mother and is facing serious jail time for her actions.
————————————-
(Just liked the thought of the Mother throwing Milk at Madison. Karma for placing her parents in her cereal bowl).