Golden streaks of late-afternoon sunlight filtered gently through the open blinds, casting Dayton’s bedroom in a soft, melancholic glow. The walls, adorned with photographs of smiling faces and cheerful memories, seemed to mock the quiet gloom that hung heavily in the air.
Nicole lay sprawled across Dayton’s bed, her head dangling upside-down off the edge, her hair cascading toward the floor like silken ribbons. She watched Dayton closely, her eyes cautious and filled with quiet sympathy, searching for the right words to comfort her friend.
Dayton sat at her desk in silence, rhythmically rocking back and forth in her swivel chair, her gaze fixed vacantly ahead. Arms crossed tightly across her chest, she had built a clear wall of defense around herself. Nicole’s gentle attempts at conversation had gradually faded, leaving only the rhythmic creak of Dayton’s chair to punctuate the uneasy quiet.
“So…” Nicole finally ventured, breaking the silence carefully, “you still haven’t told me, did you… did you pass the final exam?”
Dayton’s rocking came to an abrupt halt, her expression darkening further. She stared at her feet, her thoughts racing. Did passing even mean anything if she had nothing to show for it? If success only left her feeling empty and incomplete?
“Does it even matter?” she murmured bitterly, her voice heavy with frustration.
Nicole quickly sat up, her head spinning slightly from hanging upside down for so long. “Of course it matters,” she insisted gently, rising and taking a cautious step closer. “You worked so hard these past few months, Day. Passing guardian training is huge.”
“Yeah, I worked hard,” Dayton snapped, eyes suddenly sharp and filled with raw pain. “And for what? To end up here, empty-handed?”
Nicole hesitated, biting her lip, uncertainty flickering across her features. Her gaze drifted to the empty carrier across the room, the plush interior arranged perfectly, awaiting an occupant who wouldn’t arrive. “I know it’s hard,” Nicole offered softly, empathy filling her voice. “Maybe it just wasn’t meant to happen right now.”
Dayton released a heavy sigh, dropping her feet to the floor with a dull thud. “Easy for you to say,” she muttered, irritation flaring briefly in her eyes. “Your little is at home waiting for you. You never had to wonder if you’d get one, you had yours from the start.”
Nicole sighed quietly, her heart aching for Dayton. “Kinsley stayed home today because she thought you’d rather not see her right now,” she confessed gently, regret coloring her tone. “She wanted to give you space.”
Dayton’s eyes softened momentarily, bitterness quickly reclaiming her expression. “I wouldn’t have minded Kinsley,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “It’s just… Thomas should’ve been mine. He would’ve been so much better off with me. Now he’ll be stuck in some crowded little city, living a life he wasn’t meant for.”
Nicole approached slowly, placing a comforting hand on Dayton’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Day. I know how attached you got to him.”
Dayton leaned her head back, squeezing her eyes shut to ward off the sting of tears. “I passed at the top of the class, Nicole,” she whispered shakily, her voice thick with emotion. “I did everything right. All that work, all that dedication, and for what? Thomas deserved better than being trapped in some manufactured city. He deserved a real home, a real life, with someone who truly cared about him.”
“He knew you cared,” Nicole assured softly, kneeling beside Dayton so their eyes were level. “You made him feel safe and special. He’ll remember that.”
“But that’s the problem,” Dayton sighed, opening her eyes slowly and meeting Nicole’s sympathetic gaze. “He won’t. He’ll move on, and I’ll be here, still wishing things were different.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “I thought passing would mean something more. I thought it would finally mean having a little of my own, someone who depended on me. Someone I could protect, like Sara does.”
Nicole gently squeezed Dayton’s shoulder, her expression earnest and comforting. “You will, Dayton. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday. And when it does happen, it’ll be the right little, at exactly the right moment.”
Dayton sighed deeply, the ache in her chest unrelenting. She turned her gaze toward the empty carrier once more, its silent emptiness a poignant reminder of what she’d lost, or perhaps had never truly gained.
Nicole gently rubbed her friend’s back, her voice tender. “Want to go grab some ice cream or something? Just get out for a bit?”
Dayton managed a weak, half-hearted smile. “Maybe in a little while. Right now, I just need to sit here for a minute.”
Nicole nodded, understanding perfectly. “I’ll stay as long as you need.”
“Thanks, Nicole,” Dayton murmured softly, her eyes drifting back to the carrier. “I just… need time.”
Nicole squeezed Dayton’s hand reassuringly. “Take all the time you need. I’m right here.”
Dayton nodded slowly, her gaze lingering on the empty carrier, softly whispering to herself once more, “Yeah… someday.”
Oh damn ….. Dayton …….. sigh 😞 it’s both fun and infuriating to see her whining ass !!!! And THANK GOD THOMAS IN FREE FROM HER REIGN !!
So she passed hmmmmmm I don’t know how to feel about it on one hand I hope to god it means she’s improving her little social skills!!!
I’m surprised Sara ( not Jordan included because fuck that) didn’t come yet but probably later
Thomas’s freedom is the best thing to come out of this story.
I’m also disappointed about her passing the exam.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Dayton doesn’t want Sara to see her like this, if Day’s waiting to get her emotions in check before facing her.
(1) It’s nice to see an update on Datyton’s story, and heck yeah, she passed! Woooo hooo!
(2) Don’t worry, Dayton, you’ll get a little someday, heck, I’ve been thinking a Preema Tech little might suit her better because of the ability to mold them to the way that she wants them to be, due to the Preema Tech chip and I’ll always be Dayton’s #1 fan.
(3) Is Kinsley Nicole’s sister’s name?
I’ve been enjoying the side stories like this one, Chrissy, Brothers, and the Birthday Shipment more than the main Smallara story because frankly, Sara and Jordan bore me.
your a sick puppy liking Dayton lol, but I agree I love birthday present because at least she gets kinky some time lol.
1) Dayton Passing made me lose more faith in the system, and I already lacked faith in the system.
2) I hope she never gets a little, that Littles will forever be just out of her reach, like Tantalus’s fruit.
3) I think so, Mandy was just a name I chose because we didn’t know the Canon name.
Side stories are nice, and I was happily surprised to see one.
1) passing is judged strictly on academic merit and skill though. They aren’t judging anything else.
Generitech can choose not to sell her a little for any reason. However, it would be difficult to fail her if she did well on the test and performed the skills. If anything her failing would reflect badly on Thomas.
2) lol, she could certainly go to preematech. They sell to anyone with money.
3) that is her sister
I wonder if Thomas was given a choice to go with her or not and he chose not to. I know I wouldn’t. Dayton did seem to be changing at the end of the previous part of the story and maybe was starting to see littles a bit differently so maybe she wouldn’t have been horrible going forward, but if i had a choice between a community full of people similar to me and everything scaled down to my size or going to be a pet, i’d absolutely pick tthe former. I just don’t think Dayton understands that. Seeing her with another little like Kinsley will be interesting
I would go with a good guardian not the little city because of the freedom of the outside world thru the guardian
Thomas was brought over from England to be involved in the American Guardian Training, I highly doubt he’d be given that choice. I also agree that the Little City seems preferable to being someone’s pet, especially Dayton’s pet.
I think Karma is Dayton becomes Nicole’s little not Sara’s because Dayton is the person we all have delt with that is not meant to have any power over someone like a lead or boss lol.
That’d be interesting, though I also like the idea of Dayton being shipped off to a stranger.
(But obviously, my preference is that Little Dayton goes to Sara.)
0) Wasn’t expecting a sidestory, but I’ll take it.
1) “Nicole lay sprawled across Dayton’s bed, her head dangling upside-down off the edge, her hair cascading toward the floor like silken ribbons” It’s cute when girls do that.
2) “you still haven’t told me, did you… did you pass the final exam?” Please say ‘no’, Please say ‘no’, Please say ‘no’, Please say ‘no’, Please say ‘no’.
3) “I worked hard, And for what? To end up here, empty-handed?” empty-handed? As in no license?
4.1) “Your little is at home waiting for you” Damn, I was hoping we’d see Nicole’s canon Little.
4.2) “You never had to wonder if you’d get one, you had yours from the start.” I understand what Dayton would be jealous, But I think Nicole would prefer if her sister was immune.
5) “Kinsley stayed home today because she thought you’d rather not see her right now. She wanted to give you space.” So Mandy’s canon name is Kinsley? Cute. I’m hoping Nicole finds excuses not to bring her around Dayton after the Jordan incident, and that’s the real reason she isn’t here.
6) “Thomas should’ve been mine. He would’ve been so much better off with me. Now he’ll be stuck in some crowded little city, living a life he wasn’t meant for.” Good for Thomas, he didn’t just dodge a bullet, he avoided a tactical nuke.
7) “I’m so sorry, Day. I know how attached you got to him.” despite being told she wouldn’t get to keep him.
8.1) “I did everything right. All that work, all that dedication, and for what?” I’m hoping for you to walk away unlicensed.
8.2) “Thomas deserved better than being trapped in some manufactured city. He deserved a real home, a real life, with someone who truly cared about him.” He’s better in the Little city than with Dayton, and he could easily meet someone who’d truly care about him in there.
9) “He knew you cared, You made him feel safe and special. He’ll remember that.” She’s his first student, he likely will have a special memory of her and Sydney.
10.1) “He won’t. He’ll move on, and I’ll be here, still wishing things were different.” No, Dayton, you’ll move on too.
10.2) “I thought passing would mean something more” NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!
10.3) “I thought it would finally mean having a little of my own, someone who depended on me. Someone I could protect, like Sara does.” I’m pretty sure she was told from the beginning it wouldn’t happen, that just because she was getting trained doesn’t mean she’d get a Little.
11.1) “You will, Dayton. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday” two sentence horror story.
11.2) “And when it does happen, it’ll be the right little, at exactly the right moment.” Pity that Little won’t be getting the right guardian, though.
12) “its silent emptiness a poignant reminder of what she’d lost, or perhaps had never truly gained” I think she’s getting it, she can’t lose what she never had.
13) “I’ll stay as long as you need.” Nicole’s a better friend than Dayton deserves.
11.2) I wonder if we will get to see how the gaurdian and little pairings work. I know Preema Tech wouldn’t care, and i know we didn’t really see it in the little mart story, as random people were checking out the littles, but I’m under the impression there is some kind of pairing system in place to make sure the right guardian is with the right little at generitech. unless that’s just something i misread somewhere
was I wrong thinking the US made choles company the owners of all littles in the US? If so where does Preema Tech come in because they seem mean compared to Chole.
Genritech offers littles up for sake to anyone, though they will initially try to arrange fir the littke to go with someone they knew prior, if such a person is eligible and willing.
If no close persons are available the little goes up for sale to anyone.
Preema Tech is a competitor of Genritech who doesn’t initially facilitate littles to go with loved ones.
Preema Tech is known for cheaper lower quality of products. And uses foreign legislation to get around the limited protections littkes have in the US.
2) I agree she shouldn’t have a little
3) no little
4) I am thinking the same, not many what a little family member
5) Agree with both lol.
6) I would have been nice to see what he wanted to do.
7) she sounds like a spoiled girls that doesn’t get told no
8) I think Dayton cares what a smart little like him can do for her more than anything
9) your first is always special lol.
10) again acts like a spoiled kid and they will remember their first and they will move on.
11) she should get a prisoner little that she can mold lol.
12) she will figure it out when she doesn’t get to boss a little around lol.
13) Dayton needs a follower , not a good friend with a little that is a sister that might get bullied buy her.
0) got to keep you on your toes.
1) It is, its a fun look
2) I love the idea of you hate reading this.
3) Lol, I can hear the tone of hope in your voice.
4) Gotta leave people wanting more. Can’t spoil everything good right away.
4.2) Because its her sister yeah. She would prefer her full sized. But from Dayton’s point of view it would be easier that way.
5) That would be doubtful. Dayton would get suspicious. Plus Nicole isn’t anti dayton.
6) Thomas has a life and a career. He is working towards things has a home and things. He would be giving up a lot.
7) Yes, but you know how young people are. It seemed realistic to hear it but not believe it.
8) lol, the hate read continues.
8.2) I agree he was in a good situation. going with Dayton would be a step backwards.
9) I agree. He is in a educator type role so he would have some special moments.
10) You are probably right. She will 100% move on. She just can’t see the forest from trees right now.
10.2) a lethal nightmare. I wanted Dayton to pass but I also wanted things to not fully fall her way where she gets a learning experience. So this seemed like a good balance.
The other factor is I wanted a degree realism. I wanted the testing to be more just you have to do the work and answer the questions right and be able to do the skills. Kind if like school in that you can do well and still be a bitch. its not testing your character its testing what you know and skills.
So to fail dayton on Merit would mean she can’t do the skills or have the knowledge. If it was a character assessment then it would be more reasonable to fail her.
10.3) People hear often when they want to hear though. You know how it is. Especially when you’re young and your like yeah but really I’m getting a little.
11) Maybe she will get an aussie little named Lethal. Who knows.
12) It would settle in eventually.
13) Everyone has good friends in their life. Who knows nicole being a good person could be what keeps Dayton somewhat grounded. SHe could be worse without her in her life.
I hope Dayton learns to bully less, and care more before she gets a little. We will see if Dayton gets some guardian maternal instincts in later chapters for a little lol.
0) So will tomorrow be Smallara Prime or another side story?.
2) That’s basically what happened.
3) I had hope, you ruined that.
4.1) Fair, I was wondering if she’d ever show up at all or get canonically named.
4.2) Dayton’s point of view is as shallow as ever.
5) I get that.
7) I know, I was just making fun of Dayton.
8.2) It’d be a swan dive into acid.
9) even if every other student is better, they’d always matter to him.
10.1) She’s much too self-absorbed for this to last.
10.2) I have to disagree; the only thing that didn’t go her way was the unrealistic desire that no one who isn’t a Gracewood could achieve, which isn’t that balanced.
I think people failing guardian training would also add a degree of realism, just putting that out there. Dayton not knowing the information is also established though, She thought Littles had different breeds and had some weird misconceptions that would justify her failure.
I get that some characters can get trained and still be horrible people, that’s Cindy, Sara, Maisy, Saddie, Miah, practically all the guardian trained characters, actually.
I still think Dayton could have failed on merit with what’d been established, she wasn’t too bright.
11) Please don’t do that, I beg you.
12) I do hope the Misery stays, though.
13) Nicole doesn’t seem too much better than Dayton to be keeping her grounded.
(11) Lethal as Dayton’s little would be perfect lol Muhahahaha!
That would be cruel. I couldn’t do that to him.
This gives me ideas for creating the perfect little for Dayton, at least for fanfiction writing purposes. Now I need to figure out if she prefers a male or a female, and which company she prefers to get the little from, Generitech or Preema Tech.
We know she wants a little like Thomas or Jordan, so probably a boy, and she has a high admiration for Sara and Chloe, so definitely Genritech.
Dayton would prefer a boy if she had full selection options. However she would also accept a female little if that’s what was given or offered to her.
I thought so. Would that also extend to the little she would want? Like she’d prefer a Genritech little if she had options, but would take a Preema Tech if it was given or offered to her?
Correct. She would prefer/want a Generitech little but if she was given a preematech one she wouldn’t turn it down
Alrighty then, I’m off to give Dayton a Preema Tech little (well really her mother, but you get the point lol)
Good luck. Can’t wait to read it
(1) I’ll do my best
(2) Can’t believe I didn’t think about this before but considering that they are a publicly traded company. How much would Dayton know about Preema Tech and the way they train littles that they get?
2) probably some because Preematechis a large company and she is close to Sara and knows Chloe. So shes heard a thing or two.
She is still young though. It would be like asking a 13ish year old person what they know about Microsoft or apple or google. They would know things but its not like they are doing play by play breakdowns.
I’m surprised Dayton doesn’t make a little pray to her like she is a god lol.
I don’t know if Dayton would do that.