McKenzie!” Cindy gasped in a desperate plea as the familiar, sharp constriction of her collar cut her off. The device hummed around her neck, tightening just enough to make her wince. It wasn’t just the physical pain that stung—it was the bitter realization that McKenzie, her own daughter, didn’t believe her. Didn’t believe she was sorry. By the time the collar finally released, McKenzie had already snapped the lid of the habitat into place, sealing Cindy inside.
“Don’t worry, Mom,” McKenzie’s voice was cool, almost dismissive as she stood, turning toward the door. “I’m not cruel. I won’t leave you alone for long. I’ll just call your favorite daughter up to deal with you.”
Cindy’s heart sank as she watched McKenzie casually poke her head out into the hallway. “MAAADDDSSS!” McKenzie called, her voice echoing up the stairs. Cindy’s stomach twisted in knots. The quick, impatient thud of footsteps signaled Madison’s approach, and McKenzie’s eyes flicked back to the habitat. “Here she comes,” she said, almost as if she were delivering a punchline.
“Yeah, Kenz? What’s up?” Madison’s voice rang out with its usual nonchalance as she entered the room, her tone so casual it felt like she was discussing a chore, not her mother.
McKenzie turned toward her sister, her expression unreadable. “Do something with Mom. She’s been whining, and you can’t just leave her in there all day.”
Madison groaned, rolling her eyes with a slight whine. “Fiiine,” she muttered, dragging the word out. “Let me get her out.”
McKenzie shot her a look as she started to head out. “You wanted Littles, remember?” she quipped, the faintest trace of amusement in her voice.
“We were training her all day,” Madison complained, her annoyance bubbling to the surface. “But I guess she hasn’t been out of the habitat yet. Maybe I’ll teach her to paint my nails. I’ve got some cheap polish she can practice with. It’ll probably take a few weeks before she can get it right. You know how she is.”
McKenzie paused by the door, her tone sharpening slightly. “Don’t forget to feed her while she’s out. I don’t like you feeding them in the habitat—pellets in the carpet are a nightmare.”
As McKenzie left the room, Madison turned back to the habitat, her gaze locking on Cindy. The shift in her demeanor was instant, her voice dripping with condescension. “You heard Kenzie, Mom. Pick up those pellets. They should’ve been eaten already. I told you about this.”
Cindy’s face flushed red as she hurried to obey, her hands trembling slightly as she gathered the scattered pellets. Madison’s eyes remained fixed on her, watching her mother’s every move with cold authority.
“Now I have to stand here and supervise because of you,” Madison huffed, folding her arms. “If this happens again, you’re getting a corrective action. You’d never let a Little get away with this, would you? I’m only giving you a chance to fix this because you’re my mom.” Her voice was thick with disappointment. “You should be grateful for this level of leniency I’m showing. You’d never give a Little this kind of slack.” Madison said answering her own question
Cindy’s hands moved quicker, the humiliation of being corrected by her youngest daughter twisting like a knife. Madison’s tone left no room for misinterpretation—she expected submission, obedience. And Cindy, once so strong, was forced to comply under her own rules.
As Madison leaned against the side of the habitat, watching Cindy gather the last of the pellets, McKenzie’s voice floated back from the hallway.
“I’m taking Dad, Mads. He’s staying with me tonight,” McKenzie called, her tone noticeably warmer as she affectionately petted Greg, who was perched in her hand. “Love you, Daddy. It’s okay, you’re with me now.”
Greg, looking back at Cindy as he was carried away, mouthed the words, I’m sorry.
Cindy, still on her knees, nodded faintly, trying to mask the flood of emotions welling inside her. She didn’t blame him. How could she? This wasn’t Greg’s fault, it was hers. And now she was living the consequences of the very system she’d once fought so hard to defend.
Cindy crawled across the plush pink carpet, her fingers trembling as she carefully picked up each discarded pellet, one by one. The softness of the carpet beneath her knees contrasted painfully with the weight of Madison’s gaze, a relentless, watchful presence, like a warden overseeing a prisoner’s punishment. Cindy could feel Madison’s eyes on her, scrutinizing her every movement, ensuring strict compliance with the menial task she’d been given.
Just days ago, Cindy would have praised Madison for this kind of discipline. She would’ve smiled, proud, maybe even ruffled her daughter’s hair and said something like, “You’re showing great leadership. You’re guiding your Little with toughness, but you’re kind too.” Cindy would have applauded the way Madison balanced discipline with affection, how she took pride in ensuring Littles knew their place but also felt loved.
But now, it was different. It wasn’t just some random Little she was guiding, it was Cindy herself. Her prized daughter, the one she had trained to lead Littles, was now leading her. Cindy’s stomach churned as she realized the bitter irony of her situation. She had become the one in need of correction, the one deserving of praise only when she earned it. Madison wasn’t just showing some detached sense of authority. She was showing Cindy everything she’d learned, from her. Every correction, every sharp word, every judgment, it was Cindy’s lessons, thrown back in her face. The humiliation was suffocating.
“This is why you do what you’re told, Little,” Madison’s voice cut through the silence, sharp as a blade. She reached down and slid the lid of the habitat back, the sound of it scraping sending a shiver down Cindy’s spine.
Cindy froze, the last pellet still clutched in her hand as Madison continued, her tone icy. “I got a notification on my phone. Your collar activated twice, ‘Name violation’ popped up. You didn’t know about that feature, did you, Mom?” Madison’s eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a smirk. “Technology was never your strongest suit. Every time a Little in the community violates a rule, Evan, Brooklyn, Krysi, and I get a push notification. So I knew exactly when you messed up.”
Madison crossed her arms over her chest, her stance rigid, the condescension in her voice unmistakable. “I told you not to embarrass me. These are your rules, Mom.”
Cindy’s breath hitched in her throat. The knot in her stomach twisted tighter as she stared down at the pellet in her hand, her fingers gripping it as though it were the only anchor in this storm of shame. Madison’s words cut deeper than any collar ever could. These were her rules, her beliefs, twisted now into her own personal torment.
“I didn’t say you could stop, Little,” Madison snapped, her voice laced with disappointment. “There are still pellets. I thought you wanted out.”
The old warmth in Madison’s tone, the affection she’d once heard in her daughter’s voice earlier, was gone, replaced by a cold, impersonal authority. Cindy shuddered as she realized that this was the Madison she had raised. The teenage girl who had spent the last few years learning, absorbing every lesson Cindy had taught her about discipline and control over Littles.
And now, she was using it against her. Weidling disappointment like a sword against her.
Cindy’s heart raced as she hurried to finish, her fingers working faster, gathering the last of the pellets. The carpet beneath her was so soft, so luxurious, yet it felt like sandpaper against her skin as Madison stood over her, watching, waiting, the unspoken expectation hanging in the air like a guillotine. Cindy swallowed hard, knowing that Madison wouldn’t hesitate to enforce the very punishments she had once endorsed.
She had taught Madison to be this way, to show no leniency when it came to Littles, and now Cindy was living in the cruel world she had helped create.
“McKenzie said to take you out, but you barely deserve that now.” Madison’s voice dripped with disdain, her eyes narrowing as she glanced at her phone. “Two notifications. Two, from one of my Littles.” She shook her head, scoffing in disbelief. “I’m sure I’m gonna get roasted in the group chat over this.”
Cindy swallowed hard, forcing herself to respond. This was her daughter. Her youngest daughter. The words stuck in her throat, tangled in the humiliation of it all. “I’m sorry, Ms. Wessen,” she whispered, her voice barely above a murmur as she gathered the last of the pellets, feeling Madison’s gaze bore into her like an unrelenting spotlight. As a Little, her daughter’s judgment now felt utterly terrifying.
Madison paused, her expression softening, though the intensity of her presence never fully faded. “I suppose you are still newborn Littles,” she mused, a slight warmth creeping into her tone. “I need to remember that. You’re my mom, too.”
For a brief moment, Cindy felt a flicker of relief, Madison’s tone had shifted, the sharp edge dulled by something almost tender. “Maybe you didn’t deserve all of that,” Madison continued, her voice laced with a hint of affection. “I’m sorry, Mom. I just want you to be the best Little you can be. I can see how perfect and proper you’ll be. How good you’ll be. You’re going to be such a helpful Little in the future, I know it.”
Cindy’s breath hitched as Madison’s hand came down in a gentle pet across her back. The touch was soft, comforting, almost like it used to be before all this. It reminded her of the moments when Madison had been her sweet, affectionate daughter, the one who’d come to her for comfort. Now, the roles were reversed. The touch, once filled with love from child to parent, was now layered with an eerie sense of authority.
“You understand, don’t you?” Madison asked, her voice soft but insistent. “I’m hard on you because you have so much potential, Mom. You always said I was the best you taught. Now you get to be my personal Little. In Little terms, that’s probably the highest honor you could have.” There was a strange pride in her voice, as if this was some great achievement Cindy should be grateful for.
Cindy nodded, biting back the sting of tears as Madison’s fingers trailed down her back. The affection was there, yes, but it was tangled in the power Madison wielded. Cindy could feel it, she was no longer the mother she once was. Now, she was the student, the subject of Madison’s training.
“Now eat a few of those pellets before I take you out,” Madison ordered, her eyes never leaving Cindy. “And make sure you drink some water.”
Cindy felt Madison’s unwavering gaze on her, the weight of her expectations pressing down. The gentle pet, the warmth of her touch, it was a strange mix of love and control, like a leash that tightened just when she thought she had room to breathe. Slowly, reluctantly, Cindy forced a pellet into her mouth, chewing mechanically as Madison nodded in approval.
“Good job, Mom,” Madison said softly, her voice carrying an unexpected tenderness now that Cindy had obeyed. Cindy couldn’t help but notice the shift, Madison had called her Mom again. The cold, impersonal “Little” was gone, replaced by something that felt more like the daughter she once knew. Cindy realized then what Madison was doing. When she disobeyed, she was stripped of her identity, reduced to just “Little.” But when she complied, when she met Madison’s expectations, she was rewarded with Mom.
It was a cruel game, and yet, hearing Madison call her Mom felt like a lifeline. The word “Little” had made her feel like nothing—just an object, stripped of her name, her dignity. When Madison called her Little, she was no longer Cindy Wessen, no longer a mother, no longer anyone at all. But now, in this moment of submission, she was Mom again.
And that was Madison’s lesson, subtle, insidious, but devastatingly effective. Cindy could feel it working, chipping away at her resistance, pulling her deeper into the role Madison had set for her. Madison wielded her mother’s identity like a blade, cutting away everything she had been until only the obedient Little remained.
Cindy walked slowly to the water bottle that had been sitting in the corner for what felt like an eternity. Its dull, scratched surface and half-empty state mirrored the slow erosion of her dignity. She hesitated before bending down to drink. The cool, crisp water she once took for granted, bottled, filtered, from natural springs felt like a distant dream, something untouchable now. In its place was the tepid tap water Madison provided, an unremarkable liquid that filled her belly but left her parched in a deeper way.
She pressed her lips against the cold metal spigot, the act alone a reminder of her fall from grace. As she drank, the water tasted flat, lifeless, far removed from the refreshing purity she once enjoyed. The thought of a glass of crisp, chilled water now felt like a fantasy, something reserved for those still above her. For Madison and McKenzie.
They still drank the bottled water they had always known, the water she had once sipped with the same nonchalance. But now, Cindy was firmly relegated to the world of Littles, a world she had helped define, her own rules trapping her in this humiliating reality. The division between them had never been clearer. Madison and McKenzie were guardians, free to indulge in the luxuries of their lives, while Cindy, her status irrevocably altered, was reduced to drinking tap water like a common Little.
The irony was as bitter as the water itself. This was her doing. Her rule. Her belief system that now condemned her. She was the one who had once declared that bottled water was beyond a Little’s worth. She was the one who had insisted that Littles should be grateful to drink anything at all, even if it was murky puddle water scraped from the ground. She had preached that it was a privilege for Littles to drink clean tap water, and they should lap it up gratefully from a bowl, like pets. A glass? A bottle? Unthinkable. Preposterous.
And now, here she was—her lips on the spigot, filling her stomach with the same water she had once deemed good enough for those she considered beneath her. The humiliation burned, searing deep into her as she swallowed each mouthful. She wasn’t the proud Cindy Wessen anymore. She wasn’t even Madison’s mother in this moment. She was a Little, no better than the others she had trained and controlled for so many years.
Her hands shook slightly as she pulled away from the spigot, wiping her lips with the back of her hand. The metal was cold against her skin, a reminder of the cage she now lived in—one she had built herself, brick by brick, rule by rule. Cindy could feel the weight of her own ideals crushing her, each sip of tap water a silent confirmation that she was no longer the one giving the orders.
She was just another Little.
You did this to yourself Cindy, should’ve been nicer to not only Littles but Kenzie as well then maybe your situation wouldn’t be so bad.
no lies detected here. Sometimes you reap what you sow
Yeah brighter days do not seem to be coming soon at this point but damn Cindy why you got to be so bad before you become a little like dear god.
I think some people may have brighter days ahead.
Even Though I know Cindy deserves to know what it’s like, how she treated littles. My heart still aces for her! She knows she was wrong and is learning from her mistake! Sure look! We all make mistakes in life but it’s how we learn and move forward!
sorry lethal!! God damit lol😂
1) Im pretty sure this happens somewhere in the story. Atleast the sharing memories part.
2)I would agree that madison has a good heart but was lead down the wrong path by her mother.
3) This happens eventually just not this season. I toyed with the idea this season but it felt to rushed.
4) They have time to figure it out. I’m sure future days will be better in time.
1) “her own daughter, didn’t believe her. Didn’t believe she was sorry.” And who burnt that bridge?.
2) using Madison as a punishment is both cruel and insulting
3) “We were training her all day,” no you weren’t, you delegated her training.
4) “I’ve got some cheap polish she can practice with” I hope it’s little safe, the chemicals in nail polish aren’t great for someone, usually they get around this with how tiny nail polish is, and how far away people’s faces are from the nails, but Cindy doesn’t have that.
5) “pellets in the carpet are a nightmare.” that’s what i said.
6) ““If this happens again, you’re getting a corrective action.” Bitch this was your fault, you could have fed them a number of ways but choose to be messy about it.
7) ““I’m taking Dad, Mads. He’s staying with me tonight,”. .. so if you see him left on McKenzie’s bed leave him where he is! Lol
8.1) “Just days ago, Cindy would have praised Madison for this kind of discipline.” That sounds fucking right
8.2) “she took pride in ensuring Littles knew their place but also felt loved” would another little in Cindy’s place feel loved? I think the main reason Cindy and Greg do is because of the love shared prior to infection.
9) “I got a notification on my phone. Your collar activated twice, ‘Name violation’ popped up. You didn’t know about that feature, did you, Mom?” how Gould she have, you didn’t tell her and these collars Don’t seem that advanced, good to know Genritech supports Cindy’s teachings enough to make collars with that function.
10) “I told you not to embarrass me. These are your rules, Mom.” well maybe you shouldn’t embarrass her if you want to avoid the other way around.
11) “Tiis was the Madison she had raised” Yep, Cindy’s student and daughter.
12) “Weidling disappointment like a sword against her.” That only works if you let it Cindy.
13) “Two notifications. Two, from one of my Littles, I’m sure I’m gonna get roasted in the group chat over this.” well, that’s kind of consequences for Madison, I guess.
14.1) “You always said I was the best you taught” Well, that would have been before she realised how well, Brooklyn was doing.
14.2) “you get to be my personal Little. In Little terms, that’s probably the highest honor you could have.” oh wow, that’s something I could imagine Sara saying as she’s the US rank 1 guardian.
15) “When she disobeyed, she was stripped of her identity, reduced to just “Little.” But when she complied, when she met Madison’s expectations, she was rewarded with Mom.” Madison’s conditional kindness, just like most guardians, bit easily one of the stricter versions
16) “Madison wielded her mother’s identity like a blade” some people study the blade, but Madison, Madison studies the disappointment and identity.
17.1) “an unremarkable liquid that filled her belly but left her parched in a deeper way.” For fuck sake bottled water isn’t special woman
17.2) “The thought of a glass of crisp, chilled water now felt like a fantasy, something reserved for those still above her” chilled water would be to cold for you anyway.
18.1) “while Cindy, her status irrevocably altered, was reduced to drinking tap water like a common Little” and who taught them this divide Cindy?
18.2) “The irony was as bitter as the water itself. This was her doing. Her rule. Her belief system that now condemned her” nevermind she figured it out.
19) “She was the one who had insisted that Littles should be grateful to drink anything at all, even if it was murky puddle… they should lap it up gratefully from a bowl, like pets” is there any water Trina could slap her again, please.
20) “the cage she now lived in—one she had built herself, brick by brick, rule by rule. Cindy could feel the weight of her own ideals crushing her” Fuck you Cindy.
21) I love how Kenzie works at 8-Twelve, I was half expecting it to be some Genriconvenience store.
9) so i know Madison said the collars they have are generitech approved, but I’m wondering if she actually got them from Generitech. I couldn’t find anything in the earlier chapters saying what store she went to. These could be from petsmart or a preematech store considering how expensive that stuff can be and how at that point in time Madison didn’t have access to her parents money.
though if it’s confirmed she went to a generitech store, that makes me wonder what the original purpose was for these as I feel like Madison and her friends bastardized it. Like I could see it as a dumb way to notify a guardian of an issue but trying to stop a little from shouting nonstop when no one is around to hear them.
9)In Madison’s World, season 1 episode 22 Dr Wilson said “Ah, yes, they are completely safe, so there’s nothing to fear… We sell these very models downstairs.” So even if it never explicitly states Madison got them from Littlemart we do know Genricare sells them, a store I’m certain doesn’t carry any little products not made by Genritech.
They’re to train Littles voice control, though restriction of free speech is definitely an endorsed usage for them since it was a simple task to set it up.
I thought Dr. Wilson worked at a doctors office\private practice. Is her business a Generitech one? If that’s the case I could see it being solely Generitech stuff.
I’d need to see more about the collars I guess and why they were made or asked for. Could be a government mandate or something like that. idk why they would just have that feature on a lower end of the collars and not just make it available on all of them, unless they are and it’s just something that’s disabled by default or something.
idk. I don’t think Generitech supports it. The way I read it is it’s just them saying it’s safe. my suspicion is they’re meeting a government requirement, as they don’t have any public share holders to answer to and can just make whatever they want that best suits what the gracewoods deem important to littles having good lives
Dr. Wilson is Genritech, Steph’s mum works for Chloe’s parents.
Greg and Cindy are wearing temporary training collars, that’s why not all features are replicated in the high end fancy ones.
Genritech motives could be anything. I do think it may be a safe version of a Preena Tech collar.
Dr Wilosn works at a generitech hospital.
Its a bit twofold. They have to build collars to meet certain regulations.
However they also build products people want. They are a business and they would rather build it and have people buy it from them then buy it from Preematech.
If you go into buy one they will probably try to sell you into a different collar but at the end of the day they would rather you buy a training collar from generitech then Preematech
Selling a product and supporting a product are two different things. Sometimes they will sell something just because consumers demand it and the money they earn goes back largely into the companies and to there employees and back into little cities.
that makes sense to me. I really think that if the governemt wasn’t so involved in this world or if they cared more, littles would be in a much a relatively bad spot dependent on Generitech. The only thing I really see as exploitive from Generitech are their use of Littles as research, but even then, I imagine they have a separate living system for them and don’t really treat them as lab rats. I think a lot of the issues between littles and humans are built because of how the governemtn presents information.
The government presentation of littles is the main issue canonically as the president doesn’t like littles so has an anti-little agenda. So he is pushing his beliefs and ideaologies.
fuck that asshole lmao
but for real, that makes me feel validated in my views about generitech and chloe’s family. hell, it’d be hella impactful if Chloe was the only child that wasn’t a little wanting to do what’s right for her siblings, but i’m sure we’d have heard of hints about that by now
Respectfully disagree, I think it’s more to her merit if she wants to help littles despite not having any vulnerable or infected family members.
I agree if Carter or Avery were vulnerable I’m sure it would have come up, actually I’m sure Chloe would be officially trained as a guardian so she could potentially take that sibling in.
I doubt Anna would have been so casual is Chloe about Chloe getting a little (322) if she had a vulnerable sibling.
1) Cindy really only has herself to blame. Ironically Madison was trying to help her when towards the end of season 1 early season 2 when she was telling her mom she just needed to let McKenzie be for a bit. It was taken as Madison being controlling and mean. But the actual intent was to give McKenize space to cool off. As Cindy keeps trying to fix it and it keeps making it worse when she just really needs to let McKenzie process things for a few day to a week .
2) When I wrote it Madison wasn’t intended to be a punishment. McKenize didn’t want her mom genuinely cooped up. Her intent was to have Madison do something with her like she was going to spend time with her father.
3) She said WE like every good manager. Someone has to make sure the right employees are put into the right position to succeed.
4) I actually didn’t consider that. They are in an open space where it happens so i guess just pretend it dissipates.
5) Yes, it made me chuckle when you said as I knew I wrote that somewhere but i couldn’t remember what episode.
6) I do think some blame is on Greg and Cindy as if they had eaten the pellets they wouldn’t be in carpet any longer. Madison should have put them in a dish or something. So both sides have some blame here.
7) lol, she laid it out there for her.
8.1) That is factual.
8.2) It’s not quite an apples to apples as Madison may not treat other littles the same way she does Cindy.
9) Madison’s thought process was Cindy is already aware of how the collars worked because she was a pro-collar activist. Dogs, cats, and littles all need collars in Cindy’s eyes.
THe way madison is using the collar isn’t how it was specifically intended. The collar allows for triggers and notifications but the system is a software feature where you setup the trigger and then you setup the notifications.
As the collar has an event log the notification system is for the eventlog. Madison and her friends then kind of rigged the collar system to send them alerts to their phone with the trigger being specific events in the eventlog.
So when the collar activates for a name violation it creates a record in the even tlog which then Madison and her friends have created triggers for which then sends a SMS message to there phone with the violation.
So its not a designed feature that generitech added in. Its something Madison and her friends developed for their community using existing technology andhow it worked.
10) I have a feeling cindy’s teachings don’t take that into account. They are probably more one way.
11)lol.
12) That is fair although Cindy probably isn’t in the mindset to fight back though.
13) See just what you wanted. Probably not the harshness you intended but still consequences
14) yup, nepotism can only go so far.
14.2) at least being ranked #1 allows you to have some kind of factual basis to make that claim. Madison isn’t even highest ranked guardian in her home.
15)I would agree with that. The familial bond make its seem harsher.
16) you are savage against madison today. Your favorite guardian. Followed closely by Sara and then Dayton.
17) I like how personally you take her disgust of tap water.
17.2) that is true.
18) I feel like cindy would say something like “Lets not look to point fingers at who’s atfault. Lets just focus on the solution to this horrible situation”
18.2) I picture you commenting like a proud parent.
19) It would have been funny is Brooklyn had gotten Trina little bottles of water and she was drinking them in front of Cindy.
20) really nothing else you can say about that.
21) nope she works at a regular non generitech affiliated convenience store.
1) Madison was trying to help, but after the other unhelpful shit she’d pulled I don’t blame them for not trusting her.
2) So, she does still care, at least a little bit
3) I hate when my manager does that, especially since she often doesn’t know how we did something yet acts like it was her plan.
4) That makes sense.
5) I’m fucking psychic
6) Well, maybe they would have eaten them if they were handed to them instead of dumped on their floor.
7) Madison is a simple creature, sometimes she’ll need things simplified for her.
8.2) True, but from everything we’ve seen I’m more inclined to believe she’s holding back on Cindy and Greg, being nicer and gentler than she would be with a stranger
9) Well, there’s a lot of different models with different features, and those features mix and match, I can’t think it’s reasonable for her to know exactly what any given collar can do without being told.
Sounds like she’s using the features in a ay Genritech at least accommodates, it’s not like she’s hacked in to add her own system or anything.
Rigged how? Just told it to notify them when it happens and record what it did? It sounds like their using the machine as designed just not as intended. Like Maybe it was to clean up swearing or to help with manners, not stop them using their guardianss names
13) Baby steps I guess
14.2) That is a valid brag, but also something Jordan wouldn’t care about thus nullifying the validity, Ironically Cindy did care about Madison being her best student, so her not being happy now is actually a change
15) yeah, I can’t imagine doing that to my family.
16) *Gasps offendedly*
17) It’s just really stupid and only existed as a way for her to bully littles further
18.1) of course she would, she already knows who to blame.
18.2) I picture you commenting like a proud parent.
19) It would have been funny is Brooklyn had gotten Trina little bottles of water and she was drinking them in front of Cindy.
20) I mean I could get more creative, but I think the message is conveyed enough
19) that was meant to be “is there any way Trina could slap her again, please” but the water bottle idea is a fun metaphorical slap.