The music had mellowed into ambient house beats that pulsed gently through the engineered acoustics of the space enough to keep the vibe alive, but no longer demanding. Twinkling smart lights shimmered like synthetic stars above, reflecting across the polished marble floor. Amidst the towering furniture and tables where the remaining human sized teens were lounging or starting to gather their things, a stark white clothed table against the wall held its own microcosm of life in the Little Area.
The cloth was pinned taut, every wrinkle ironed to perfection. Atop it sat a whole world at miniature scale, curated down to the last manicured detail.
In the center of this scaled environment was a dance floor, no bigger than a vinyl record to the average human, but to Jordan and Kelli, it was as wide as a town square. Tiny lights rimmed its edge, synchronized to the beat of the current DJ, Echo Riot’s own Little performer, DJ Emberbyte, whose headset glowed softly with Generitech’s branding.
Adjacent to the dance floor sat a compact Little-sized food truck, modeled in perfect detail down to its miniature condiment rack and flickering menu screen. The scent of sizzling sliders and garlic little bites still lingered in the air, even though the truck had just closed down.
Opposite the truck, across the far side of the white clothed dance terrain, were the portable washrooms, designed like sleek festival-grade port-a-potties but with plumbing, sanitation, and warm water. The polished acrylic sign above them reflected Generitech’s influence even in waste management even when producing items not for sale.
A short ornate bridge, no longer than a playing card, led across a narrow gap to a second platform table: this one home to a Little sized celebrity trailer modeled after the kind used by full-scale stars. It shimmered beneath the overhead lighting like polished chrome, its faux-red carpet still rolled out from earlier. Sharing space with the trailer was a miniature stage, complete with scaffolding and light rigs, all scaled for performers like Liv Dangerously, who had lit up the room earlier. Now, DJ Emberbyte controlled the after-hours energy from the stage’s secondary platform, filling the scaled area with electric texture.
Jordan stood near the dance floor’s edge, just far enough from the towering centerpieces and surrounding chairs that he could feel the expansive stretch of space between him and the humans above. The table trembled slightly whenever someone walked nearby, the sound of a single footstep magnified into a thunderclap from their scale. Kelli stood next to him, her approximately six inch (152.4mm) form providing him a rare comfort. She was much larger in size as female littles generally were, and yet, here in this world of titans and artificial cities, they were both equally small.
From their vantage, they could see across the white clothed expanse. Mallory was near the edge of the human-sized tables, now moving among her circle like a general organizing her troops.
“Let’s go,” Mallory said sharply, clapping her hands together before the glint of polished house keys swinging from her fingers as she motioned to a taller girl Jordan didn’t recognize but was clearly brought along because she could drive.
Jordan knew her type. Friends of convenience. Mallory wasn’t sentimental when it came to alliances beyond her core friend group, she collected people for what they offered. But still, he wondered if he was being too cynical. Shrinking changed how you viewed intention. Everything looked like power dynamics when you were small. Even when in truth there was none at play.
“Waaaaiiit for me, Mal,” slurred a voice from above. The words echoed down like unstable echoes off a cathedral ceiling. Kayla’s speech was thick, syrupy with intoxication. She stumbled near the table’s edge, her cheeks a splotchy red that didn’t come from exertion.
“I’m sorry, Mallory. She had too much to drink,” said another voice, a steady, unfamiliar one. Jordan peered up and spotted the speaker. Talisa, who stood firmly beside Kayla, supporting her with both arms.
Mallory’s eyes narrowed as she gazed down at the pair, and her voice dropped slightly as she looked at Talisa with the concern of a lost dog. “I’m sorry, who are you?”
“Talisa. Kayla’s friend. She didn’t mean to overdo it, she was just nervous.” Talisa’s voice held a polite firmness. Not defiance, but not deference either. Jordan respected it.
Kelli, beside him, gently shook her head, but said nothing. Her lips tightened in a way that said I’ve been there.
Kayla leaned over the table, nearly knocking over a napkin-sized lamppost meant to illuminate a section of the little area “I just… I just have to get Kelli,” she groaned.
Jordan instinctively took a step back, but Kelli stood her ground. Her larger Little form looked up toward her sister, not with fear, but concern.
“Whoa. That’s not happening,” Mallory interjected. As she waved off Jessie. She stepped between Kayla and the table. “You’ve had way too much. You can’t even control your center of gravity.” Mallory said before lookign at Jessie the guard for the little area “I’ll take care of her.”
Mallory looked directly down at Kelli. “You good?”
“Thanks,” Kelli nodded, then paused. “Can I ask for one thing?”
Mallory tilted her head, curious.
“Can you take care of her too?” she asked, nodding to Talisa. “I don’t want to see her get into trouble for doing the right thing.”
Talisa blushed, taken aback. Her eyes met Kelli’s with a quiet intensity. A connection sparked, small, but unmistakable.
Mallory held Kelli’s gaze for a beat longer than necessary. “Just because it’s you.”
Then, turning away: “Molly. Help Talisha with Kayla. She’s staying with me tonight.”
“I—It’s actually Talisa,” the girl corrected sheepishly.
“Right. Explain who you are on the way to the car,” Mallory said, waving her off as casually as she might dismiss a waiter. Kelli knew it was for appearances though. As could see Mallory moving in a way that kept Talisa nearby despite her dismissive words.
The towering teens began to move, casting long shifting shadows across the Little Zone. The air thrummed with footsteps and closing car doors beyond.
Jordan exhaled, his voice barely audible over the lingering bassline of DJ Emberbyte’s final set. “You okay?”
“I take my little sister to a party,” Kelli muttered, kneeling beside him, her form still silhouetted against the low lighting of the mini stage, “and she gets absolutely trashed. If my parents find out…”
“Normal to worry,” Jordan said. “She may be your Guardian, but she’s still your sister. I get it. I’ve got one of those too.”
Kelli squeezed his tiny hand. Even her light touch nearly enveloped his entire palm.
She smiled, just a little. “Well… on the bright side, I guess our date goes into overtime.”
Jordan glanced up at the glowing orbs above them, the DJ now shifting into a downtempo remix of some vintage track.
“Do I get extra points for surviving the afterparty?” he asked.
“You get a gold star if you make it to sunrise,” she replied.
They sat beside each other in the shadow of the mini food truck, the smell of grease and onion slivers still wafting through the tiny air vents. A few Littles that were part of the crew were packing up in the distance, crossing the bridge toward the trailer stage. Emberbyte gave a two-finger wave from her booth, and a glitter cannon, no larger than a paperclip, shot a sparkling puff into the air.
Jordan looked up at Kelli resting his head against her as they sat taking in the final moments of the party.
Related Images:
Thank God Mallory didn’t let Kayla near Kelli while she’s drunk.
It was a good and obvious move, though Chloe already had security to do that, Jessie was right there.
Mallory held Kelli’s gaze for a beat longer than necessary. “Just because it’s you.”
i don’t know why, maybe it’s just cause I like kelli a lot and dislike Mallory’s gaurdian style, but this line bothered me.
It’s because Mal was considering not doing it, or pretending to like some faux dominance display.
probably the latter I’m guessing
Wow very interesting chapter
Talisa blushed, taken aback. Her eyes met Kelli’s with a quiet intensity. A connection sparked, small, but unmistakable.
and now it begins
so says Arthur Dayne
lol, I like that you are starting a kelisa movement right from underneath vader.
There needs to be a PG-13 threesome with Jordy and Kelli making out on Talisa’s Tummy lol.
It was meant to be lol
1) “synchronised to the beat of the current DJ, Echo Riot’s own Little performer, DJ Emberbyte, whose headset glowed softly with Generitech’s branding” I didn’t know there’d be more than Liv Dangerously performing.
2.1) “across the far side of the white clothed dance terrain, were the portable washrooms, designed like sleek festival-grade port-a-potties but with plumbing” it’d be nice for Jordan to use a real toilet.
2.2) “The polished acrylic sign above them reflected Generitech’s influence even in waste management even when producing items not for sale” even at a party Chloe’s gotta advertise.
3) We’re getting some good detail about the little area here, I’m surprised thi wasn’t described earlier.
4.1) “Mallory wasn’t sentimental when it came to alliances beyond her core friend group, she collected people for what they offered” Typical teen girl behavior
4.2) “But still, he wondered if he was being too cynical. Shrinking changed how you viewed intention. Everything looked like power dynamics when you were small. Even when in truth there was none at play.” Damn, maybe I did that too, lol.
5) “Kayla’s speech was thick, syrupy with intoxication. She stumbled near the table’s edge, her cheeks a splotchy red that didn’t come from exertion” I hope she’s not about to try handling Kelli.
6) “I’m sorry, who are you?” Sara already introduced you t Talisa you bitch.
7) “Kelli, beside him, gently shook her head, but said nothing. Her lips tightened in a way that said I’ve been there” I’ll bet she has.
8) “I just… I just have to get Kelli,” No the fuck you don’t, you need someone sober to grab her for you.
9) “Jordan instinctively took a step back, but Kelli stood her ground. Her larger Little form looked up toward her sister, not with fear, but concern.” That’s cool, but Kelli really shouldn’t let drunk humans handle her, sounds dangerous.
10) “Whoa. That’s not happening. You’ve had way too much. You can’t even control your center of gravity. I’ll take care of her.” A rare good move from Mallory. Even keeping Jessie of Kayla’s back.
11) “Can I ask for one thing?” … “Mallory tilted her head, curious.” Carefu, Mal’s already been kinder than usual this party, she’s bound to be nearing her limit, if it’s not already passed.
12) “Can you take care of her too? I don’t want to see her get into trouble for doing the right thing.” Love Kelli looking out for Talisa.
13) “Molly. Help Talisha with Kayla” you just learned her fucking name.
14) “Kelli knew it was for appearances, though. As could see, Mallory was moving in a way that kept Talisa nearby despite her dismissive words” She was probably keeping Kayla close, not Talisa.
15) “I take my little sister to a party, and she gets absolutely trashed. If my parents find out…” Normal concern for Kelli as a big sister, amplified by the fact that Kayla’s her guardian. Her freedom is based largely on what Kayla allows, or can allow.
16) “You get a gold star if you make it to sunrise,” man, the bar for gold stars is getting low.
17) “Jordan looked up at Kelli resting his head against her as they sat taking in the final moments of the party.” That’d be a cute visual, but didn’t Mal take Kelli before they left?
1) Someone’s got to keep the party going.
2) well it would be a degree of luxury that he wouldn’t get in many places.
2.2) The rich are rich for a reason as they say.
3) We were more sweeping around the party as whole before so not many good places to fit it in.
4) It is relatively common I agree.
4.2) Jordan definately is.
5) She tries, one of those you don’t realize how drunk you are.
6) Its not like Mallory would remember the name of a person she never expected to see again. As Talisa isn’t exactly in any of the circles Mallory is in.
7) Kelli has probably been on both sides of that particular situation.
8) Kayla is going all in. considering stone cold sober she isn’t the most skilled guardian. In this state would be rough.
9) She could also figure there was little point in running. Even with her coordination hindered its doubtful Kelli could avoid Kayla’s grasp
10) Mallory praise had to be hard for you type. Well Mallory does protect her own. Sara brought Kayla in. so Mallory is going to treat her as part of their group.
11) I like how you picture mal with a meter like a taxi driver. Sorry we are over limit. time to switch back.
12) Its the kind of person Kelli is. she has spent her life looking out for them as much as she can. she wont stop just bcause of Smallara.
13) I knew that was going to get a mention from you when i wrote it.
14) Both can be true. She is doing as Kelli asked because its Kelli asking.
15) Plus if Kayla is grounded Kelli would be grounded as well in essence now. Being in trouble probably works the same way.
16) Thats a high bar for Jordan though. Thats alot of socializing after already doing alot of socializing.
17) No, Mallory didn’t take Kelli or Jordan. She only took Talisa and Kayla.
2.2) Indeed. Though you seem to be pushing a “not like other trillionaires” schtick with the Gracewoods
4.2) I do like that he’s sceptical, though, just wish he did more with it.
7) Sounds like her
8) Agrees, really bad mix
9) She could have called for help, tried to talk to Kayla, anything really.
10) My keyboard spontaneously combusted as I wrote it. I thought Mal didn’t see Kayla as a full member, keeping her on the periphery like Steph
11) Everyone has their limit, Mal’s is just smaller
12) Love that about her
13) It needed to be mentioned
15) that’s what I was getting at, year
16) Fair
17) I miss understood that part.