Reality had set in for Greg and Cindy. Madison had walked across her bedroom and sat at her desk before turning on her computer. Neither Greg nor Cindy could do anything to contact her. They both glanced up at the lid of the habitat that rested firmly atop their home. Blotting out any hope of sound escaping through the dense acrylic walls. More frustrating was hearing the clacking of Madison’s mechanical keyboard yet her not being able to hear them.
Several minutes had gone by before Madison looked back at her parents. She walked back across her room bending down as she looked into the cage. She tapped the glass with her finger as she peered inside.
The simple tap of her finger against the cage sounded monstrous to Greg and Cindy. It sounded like bombs going off around them. They could hear her doing something but neither could find an angle to see what she was doing. They already hated this. They hoped Madison was just teasing them and this wasn’t going to be the resting place of this habitat.
Madison leaned over the cage with a smirk, her tone deceptively sweet. “You guys are probably hungry, huh? You haven’t eaten anything since that cereal I left you this morning,” she said, lifting the lid of the cage off with a casual flick of her wrist.
Greg and Cindy looked up at her, their stomachs suddenly reminding them of the hunger they had been too overwhelmed to notice before. They had been so caught up in everything that the basic need to eat had completely slipped their minds. Now, as they gazed up at Madison, the reality of their situation and their own vulnerability settled in even deeper.
“Here you go, eat up.” Madison said as both Greg and Cindy watched a few Little Pellets fall into the cage.
“Madison, get us some real food. We are hungry and don’t want to mess around with your games.” Greg said looking down at the pellets not impressed by Madison’s games of feeding them this Little Kibble. “We aren’t tiny savages. We are your parents.” Greg admonished as he looked up at his daughter.
“You heard what Danielle said. People food doesn’t provide the nutrients you need to survive. It’s just empty calories as mom always says when I want some chips. This is for your own good Dad. If you behave maybe, I’ll drop in some of my leftovers as a treat for being obedient littles.” Madison said standing back up to her full height before looking down at her parents.
“She’s just trying to sell Pellets Honey. You can’t take the words of some fish oil salesman like that.” Greg argued back as Cindy nodded along supporting her husband.
“I think I will take the word of the professional over my littles. When you’re hungry that’s what you will be eating. I’ve made my decision Dad.”
“Madison Grace Wessen.” Greg shouted before kicking one of the pellets.
Madison smirked as she placed the lid back on the habitat. “Sorry, Dad, but from now on, you need to show me a little respect,” she said with a condescending tone. “If that’s how you guys are going to act, then this is what’s going to happen from now on.”
She paused for effect, letting her words sink in before continuing, “I was trying to be nice, but clearly, that’s not working. So now, I want to see two weeks straight of you eating those little pellets. After that, I might consider letting you have some of my leftover food—as a treat. That is, assuming your little bodies don’t start rejecting real food by then,” Madison taunted, her voice dripping with mockery and satisfaction.
“Take this lid off right now and while you’re at it you can get McKenzie. We may be stuck as littles, but we aren’t staying in your room like this. You are still our daughter.” Greg shouted angrier than he had ever been at Madison. As soon as the words left his mouth Greg felt the pink-collar Madison had wrapped around his neck star to constrict. “Noooo” He desperately cried out as the air left his lungs.
A few moments of silence later the collar released its hold on him as Cindy helped him back up. He had never been so powerless before in his life. The idea that he was going to live in this cage on display in Madison’s room was terrifying to Greg.
“She just has to get this rebelliousness out of her system. It’s like you said Greg. She’s just pushing against the system to see how far she can get. She’s going to find out real quick the reality of this. They’re going to need money and it’s not so easy to get littles jobs as they think.
“I know,” Greg said walking over the bottle Madison had attached to the side of the cage. “Just look at this we’re supposed to drink out of this like were animals.” Greg said angrily before bending over and placing his lips on the nozzle allowing water to start gushing out. A couple of seconds later he pulled away after drinking more than enough water.
“I know, it’s warm and from the sink. It’s kind of gross. It’s definitely not the bottled water we are used too.” Cindy said walking over and getting a good drink of the water herself.
Greg should have paid more attention in training. It’s pretty much confirmed that, while possible to a degree, what danielle said is what the training says.
Also they really underestimate kenzie. Granted I feel really bad for her as she has to be an adult at 16, I’m pretty sure she’s got it more covered than they realize. Madisons probably gonna be sheltered from that part of reality for a while
Danielle wasn’t lying to them that is true. Neither of them are in the mood to face reality. They are in a bit of denial.
Yes, I agree. There is some underestimating as far as what McKenzie can do and her plans. I’m sure giving up control would be difficult. Basically on a dime they were all the sudden being raised by there daughters.
I’m curious about where this might go. Even while they are definitely suffering from their own misguided actions I doubt people would be able to take it for so long. Long periods of solitary under a cruel warden is more than capable of breaking somebody even if brief moments of respite via their better daughter is apparent. It’s only a matter of time before something happens. I wouldn’t be surprised if their hurt themselves out of despair. Typically self harm is a psychological reaction due to lack of control and their basically living in a pseudo supermax prison. After all they have collars which restrict their ability to speak outm that’s pretty cruel. They will break mentally if this keeps up.
I think it’s a good possibility, though I have a lot of faith in kenzie making sure that doesn’t happen or at the very least she makes sure that they’re not stuck in there all day.
Madison is a pretty cool character too, when it’s all said and done. She won’t show it outwardly but she does care for her parents, and she is only treating them how her mom said they were to be treated. I think with kenzie as her parental figure that’ll change a bit over times as I never really saw any evidence that kenzie shared the same views as her mom on littles
Yes, between McKenzie and Madison they wont be in there all day. They are mainly just going to be in there when Madison and McKenzie are at school, or activities, or work,, etc. Situations where they no one is around to watch them.
Plus the habitat is heated to little bodily temperatures so its actually comfortable for them. More so then being out of the habitat. As its more hot and humid inside the habitat.
Madison does care behind her bratty exterior. She does hide it. As you said she is also acting based on how she was taught and raised which is a theme in this second season. As she was brought and raised one way by her mother, and reinforced by the schools and media that this is correct.
While she understands McKenzie views it a bit differently. she was taught and raised that McKenzie’s beliefs are abnormal. So to her she is treating her parents how littles should be treated. As they are littles. She is in fact being nicer as they are her parents. As she probably wouldn’t allow a littles who weren’t her parents to be so outspoken towards her.
Time will tell if how things unfold
Well they aren’t really solitary and its not like they are in some north Korean or Russian prison. They have carpeting, they have couch, they have a bed all of which is soft and comfortable. They have a heated habitat. They have access to water and food.
They can talk with each other, they can talk with there kids. While Madison is a brat. it’s not like she starting being a brat overnight out of nowhere. She has been going through a bratty teenage phase for awhile.
They are still around there kids/family. Self harm seems like an extreme reaction. Plus its doubtful they would do that to their own kids.
Madison did put them in training collars but in theory she could upgrade them to standard collars at some point. She put them in training collars because she wanted to be a brat and also teach them a bit of a lesson for all the time they disciplined her.
The way the collar works is that they can speak as much as they want. Madison has it set to activate if they start yelling at her basically.
The thought process is that it teaches your little to speak at an even level without yelling and such.
I can understand the bratty teenage phase but I’m probably thinking from an advanced perspective. Imagine everything you’ve worked for stripped away, your freedom stolen and now your trapped in a cage for long period of time at the mercy of an unqualified individual. The idea of a training collar on its own is pretty horrendous. Maybe as people come to the reality that littles and tallies are the same in the personality department there will be a change in perspective. They maybe small but their experiences and feelings are still valid.
Training collars on people does sound horrible. However, they do have shock collars for other animals that curtail unwanted actions or behaviors. Which are considered humane.
I think mentally it would be more challenging on people like Greg and Cindy then a smallborn. As Greg and Cindy experienced the other side and not just for short amount of time.
But smallborns who make up the majority of littles when you look at things on a more macro level.
would be different as they are being brought into a system where this is normal. Where you go through a little training and obedience school as just basic education. They are taught baseline skills they need to be a little. Then based on aptitude and ability are segmented into groups either being sold as a little to a guardian, or put into some kind of specialized training based on abilities as we saw in Dayton’s story. Where Thomas was trained to be a training little.
So if you are a smallborn brought up a nd this is just normal are you really going to have as much of a problem with it as Greg and Cindy? Each smallborn generation is further removed from ever being in a situation where they would be viewed equally.
Then if you look at a further reaching view what happens when there are so few if any littles who even have knowledge of ever being a person. That the sheer thought of being the same size as Madison is something of a fairytail.
In that situation, what’s being done can be extrapolated differently.
Seems like on the grand scheme of things being a little is akin to being born in the worst case possible. Mentally able to be on the same level but not ever having said ability. It’s like being barely in reach but held back by greater forces. Ultimately very sad. They may be born that way but I doubt they’d ever be truly fulfilled as their destinies will be set by someone else. despite being born that way I doubt they’d lack ambitions or greater things but suffer with reality that it’s impossible. Like a permanent feeling that something is missing but they don’t know what. Honestly it becomes harder to read as the bleakness is made evident. There’s no happy ending just a less bad ending. Also shock collars may be seen as humane by some people but not all.
Very fair, collars used as a restraint device has always been very debatable.
As far as the bleakness I guess. Iwouldn’t say there aren’t happy endings. Like Kayla and Kelli are in a pretty good place. You could even argue Jordan is in a fairly good situation all things considered.
I think the way you are looking at it is from a gods eye view though. Where thats not often how life is looked at. If you were looking down on earth and your viewing peoples lives and the trajectory of them it would be more depressing then not. But thats not normally how things are viewed.
A smallborn is just born into the societal structure they are used to. Like I had a friend who taught in Japan for a few years. There school system is vastly different then the american school system. In Japan they had to test into schools, and differnt schools had different levels of academic expectation.
That kind of structure doesn’t exist in teh american school system which will pass everyone until they graduate. However, I bring it up because while Japanese system is vastly different and the competitiveness of it can cause health and depression releated issues. It’s not the environment they are brought up into. No one is looking to inherently fix it as its just the system they know and its normal.
In this world this is just the system. People of the world are generally not saddned or upset by it as justs how there world works. Its how its structured its how its guided. The laws and rules of that world is just normal. There version of things is the best system they know. Just like Democracy is lauded as the best system we know. Not that its perfect, not that its beyond repproach of something being better.
Its just the best we know currently.
However, I do understand that this type of story isn’t for everyone. If you read much cyberpunk fiction they have a very specific type of storytelling in which its more gritty, and real. Where the conclusions are not often wrapped up in neat bows like disney stories. Which can be off putting to some.
While the outlooks i have in store i wouldn’t say are grim. While some are happy, others fall into more of a grey area.
1) I like how everyone acknowledges that even though pellets are technically healthier, real food is always the preference.
2) Cindy calling Danielle a “fish oil saleswoman” was pretty funny (though, where I’m from the term would be “snake oil saleswoman”
3) those choking collars wasted no time pissing me off again.
4) Greg and Cindy complaining about Madison’s treatment of them is understandable, but also the consequence of their own actions.
5) of course they’re bottled water type people.
6) don’t tap on the glass, Maddie, everyoneknows it’s annoying for who or whatever is on the other side, it’s a universal rule from aquariums to terrariums, zoos to prisons to petshops, everyone fucking knows that.
1) It mirrors real life in that way too which I never really thought about. The healthier option which is better for you isn’t the preference.
2) I’ve heard it both ways. It seemed appropriate coming from the point of view of the parents. Shes coming in and spreading what feels like lies to them.
3) lol
4) Yes, that is very true. They created the environment of their suffering. It like hangover. It’s fun drinking and hanging out but the next day when the consequences come you find out quickly how high the price was for your fun.
5) I didn’t know you were anti-bottled water but it just felt like something they would normally drink that Madison would know and purposefully use to stick it to them.
6) Yes, although that’s probably why she did it. As she knew it would get under their skin.
1) That’s very true, though in this case I can’t imagine many littles wanting to extend their life with the benefits of eating pallets.
There’d also be the psychological matter of being a person and not wanting to eat pet food.
2) well, some cultures and languages to refer to snakes as “land fish”
4) I agree with that, but think Hangover is the wrong similarly as Hangovers are recovered from quite quickly, I’d say it’s closer to crippling oneself and then being angry at the disadvantages that they’re handing themselves.
5) bottled water is one of the biggest scams I’ve ever seen, unless they live in a place where the tap water is subpar (which I doubt given they can afford two littles with no working parents) there’s no point
6) that sounds right.
Chapter 15: The Black Sheep:
The older man at the end of the table and the teenager at the other end locked eyes the moment Leonard entered the room. The scowls they exchanged mirrored each other, a silent testament to their shared bloodline. Leonard Calhoun, a towering figure with greying brown hair, carried the same sharp green eyes as his son, Joey. Though Leonard had put on weight during his years as head of Calhoun Shipping Enterprises, it was clear he had once been as strong as his son—muscles honed from the same labor Joey had just started a year ago.
The tension between them crackled like a live wire, neither willing to break the silence. Finally, Leonard’s lip curled into a sneer. “Well, it looks like this animal has a pretty strong will. Let’s hope its owner knows how to put it in its place,” he said, his tone dripping with condescension.
Joey’s eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. “Yeah? Well, my father always told me the first one to break the silence in a negotiation is the one with the weakest will,” he shot back, his voice a low snarl.
Leonard’s face darkened, and his voice dropped to a menacing growl. “You watch your tone, boy. I can make sure the facility you go to castrates you to lower that aggression level.”
Joey’s breath hitched, but he held his ground, anger flaring in his chest. “I’ll be sure to scream out the Calhoun credo as it happens, Dad,” he spat, his words laced with venom. “Strength in Family, Honor in Tradition, Excellence in All—just like you always drilled into me and Johnny!”
Leonard’s temper flared, and he took a menacing step forward. “You little shit! Maybe your mother and I should keep you, teach you how to stay in line!”
Joey matched his father’s step, his fists clenched at his sides. “Maybe if you actually put family first, you wouldn’t feel the need to send me away at all! But no—I’m an underbred, and God forbid I bring even the slightest negative publicity to the Calhoun name!”
Leonard’s eyes blazed with fury. “This name was all you had! And now, you have nothing! My obligations are done. You’re a filthy animal with not a damn thing to your name now. And don’t think I’m not putting my family first. I’m doing what’s best for the family by sending you into obscurity. This is what’s best for the family, and frankly, you aren’t it. You never were!”
Roni watched the exchange in horror, her breath hitching as the verbal blows landed. She couldn’t even fathom some of the things Leonard was saying. “Joey…has it always been like this?” she thought, her stomach churning as she glanced at Mrs. Calhoun, who wore a small, amused smirk as though watching a soap opera. Roni’s hands clenched into fists, itching to wipe that smug expression off her face, but Mr. Hale’s firm grip on her hand kept her grounded.
Mr. Hale remained stoic, his expression betraying nothing as the shouting match escalated. He had seen this kind of tension before, in Kat’s home when her brother and parents would get into it. While it pained him to see Joey caught in such a situation, he knew this was likely the last time Joey would ever face his parents on equal footing. This was Joey’s last chance to speak his truth, to stand up for himself before everything changed. When Roni tensed beside him, he gave her a knowing look.
“Dad…I can’t let this keep going…he’s treating Joey like…like…like he was never anything,” Roni hissed, loud enough for only Mr. Hale to hear, though her voice was drowned out by the shouting match.
“I know, Roni. Trust me, I know exactly how you feel, but…” Mr. Hale’s gaze flicked back to Joey, who had just called his father a coward. “You need to realize that if all of this goes the way you want it…Joey won’t ever be able to speak for himself again, or stick up for himself. It’ll be you fighting his battles for the rest of his life, so…this is his last chance at…well…being human…being a man.”
Roni’s heart ached at her father’s words, but she knew he was right. Despite her fierce desire to protect Joey, she understood that this was his moment. It was likely the last time he could stand on his own, face his father, and fight for his dignity. She pictured him, small and fragile, a being in the palm of her hand. The thought twisted her insides, but she forced it away, focusing on the present. Joey was still here, still standing tall, and she needed to let him fight his battle.
The room fell silent as Leonard’s fury cooled into something more dangerous—cold, hollow disdain. “You shouldn’t have come back here, Joe. You’ve disappointed me, your mother, and the Calhoun name enough,” he said, his voice icy.
Joey, though shaken, didn’t back down. “No, Dad, I’m not the disappointment here. I’m not the one abandoning their child in favor of their own reputation. You and Mom are self-centered, horrible people. The fact that I’m not even the same species as you makes me prouder than anything else I have.”
The words barely left his mouth before Leonard’s hand flew out, striking Joey across the face with a sharp, echoing thwack. Joey staggered, his cheek burning red, but he didn’t retaliate. He stood there, chest heaving, eyes wide with shock as the room held its breath.
“You never learn, do you? Your fucking mouth gets you in trouble, and if there’s one thing I’m going to make sure you understand before you leave this house, it’s when to shut it in front of your superiors!” Leonard raised his hand for another blow, but before he could deliver it, a delicate hand caught his wrist mid-air.
“Leonard! Enough!” Margaret Calhoun’s voice cut through the tension like a knife as she stepped between her husband and son. Her lips curled into a sly smile as she turned to their guests, her eyes glinting with a predatory curiosity. “It’s just an animal, darling. You know they don’t know any better…besides,” she added, her tone dripping with false sweetness, “we have guests.”
This was a really good update. Joey’s parents seem like a piece of work. He may be getting the best deal by moving on with Roni.
I will be curious how they work this
Thanks. I’m pulling a lot of their opinions from Tywin from Game of Thrones (show not books). Leonard especially feels this, but what they consider for the good of the family is really what’s good for the family name vs the immediate family, so having any kind of weakness that could damage the calhouns reputation really upsets them.
I’m still kinda toying around with how Joey’s parents plan on spinning their decision to give him up in general since that in itself could be taken pretty badly once word gets out, cause eventually it will cause they’re just that well known in this part of the state, so they’ll need some kind of excuse to tell the public and Johnny when he eventually finds out.