The soft hum of distant ventilation systems and ambient lighting followed Sara as she walked down the corridor of the Gracewood estate. She was humming to herself, a soft, absentminded melody that reflected her calm demeanor. The smooth, fluid rhythm of her walk was something Jordan had long grown accustomed to. He’d stopped noticing it, really, until moments like this reminded him how exceptional it truly was.
Cradled securely in the crook of Sara’s hand, he felt nothing but a gentle rise and fall, like drifting on a calm sea. He wasn’t jostled, jerked, or bounced. Her fingers curved subtly to brace him with an unconscious instinct that came only from experience and care. It wasn’t until other people carried him, like Kayla or Stephanie, that he realized how rare that steadiness was. Kayla wasn’t clumsy, but she wasn’t practiced, either. With her, the ride always had more turbulence. Jordan had come to understand just how much Sara protected him from discomfort, even in the smallest of ways.
Beside him, Kelli was visibly stunned. She wasn’t clinging to anything. Her balance held effortlessly, even as they turned down another polished hallway with its high ceilings and illuminated panel floors. Her instincts told her to brace, tighten her core, cling to a thumb, dig her heels in, but none of it was necessary. Sara moved like someone who was always aware of the fragility of what she held. It was graceful. Almost unreal.
Kelli glanced up at the towering teen above them. And for the first time, she understood why Sara was ranked the number-one Guardian. It wasn’t about strength or dominance. It was control. Precision. Mastery.
“So,” Sara asked casually, her voice warm and smooth as she glanced down at them. “How was your night?”
The question was for both of them, but her eyes lingered on Kelli. Jordan she understood, intimately. He was passive by default, someone who preferred not to rock the boat unless pushed. Sara had seen that the moment he’d let the nickname “Body Hottie” slide. He didn’t mind strong personalities. In fact, she suspected he liked being surrounded by them. People like Ellie, Mallory… her.
But Kelli was different. Kelli didn’t yield. Not easily. She was like Sara, a girl who had learned to protect herself before anyone else had stepped up. And Sara respected that. She admired it. But it also meant she’d have to be patient, gentle, and strategic in a different way. This wasn’t just about taming defiance. It was about building trust where none had ever truly existed.
“The event was… more than I imagined,” Kelli said slowly, gathering her thoughts. “I’ve been to fancy parties before. Fundraisers. Ceremonies. But a Gracewood party?” She exhaled. “That’s something else. The Little zone alone was amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it outside of propaganda ads.”
She leaned slightly toward Jordan and bumped his shoulder playfully. “And my date cleaned up pretty well.”
Jordan smirked, ducking his head slightly.
Kelli continued, more thoughtfully now. “When I was in the government facility waiting for Kayla to finish Guardian training, I met other Littles, but that was different. It was all structured, monitored. You were always being observed, processed, assessed. Everything felt temporary. Mechanical. You were just passing through until a company or Guardian claimed you. But tonight? These Littles were living. They were laughing, dancing, flirting, being human. Not specimens or projects. Just people.”
Sara nodded, pleased. “That’s the energy Chloe wanted. A celebration. A statement. I’m glad it resonated.”
They stepped into the private wing of the estate. Unlike the glamorous party spaces and curated courtyards, this area was warmer, more personal. The lighting here was softer, the furniture slightly lived-in. It was the part of the house where Chloe’s family actually lived. Sara moved through it without hesitation. She’d been here enough times that it no longer felt like a palace, just Chloe’s home.
As they entered the sitting room, Kelli spotted Chloe curled comfortably on a plush cream sofa, now dressed in cozy loungewear. A thick-knit cardigan draped over her shoulders, and her hair had been let down from its styled perfection. She looked effortlessly elegant, even relaxed, something rarely seen from someone in her position.
Sara slid onto the couch beside her, leaning in with an affectionate giggle and placing a quick kiss on Chloe’s cheek. “Missed you,” she murmured, her head resting against Chloe’s shoulder.
Chloe smiled, looping an arm lazily around her. “You were only gone five minutes.”
“Too long,” Sara replied playfully.
She gently lowered her hand to the far cushion and let Jordan and Kelli step off onto the soft surface. It was wide and plush enough for them to walk freely or recline if they wished.
“You two can relax here,” Sara said. “Or would you prefer the small armchair?”
“This is fine,” Kelli said, her voice quieter now. Everything felt surreal. A few hours ago, she’d been nervous about this night. Now she was sitting in the private quarters of the most powerful teenager in the world.
“I’m just going to go change,” Sara said, standing. She glanced down at the two Littles and smiled. “I’m done being fabulous for the evening.”
“Don’t worry,” Chloe said softly, eyes never leaving Sara’s. “I’ll keep an eye on them.”
With one last look, and a wink for Jordan, Sara walked off toward Chloe’s bedroom, leaving the Littles momentarily in the company of a girl whose empire had been built before she was even born.
Jordan looked up at Chloe, unsure of what to say.
But she didn’t demand conversation. She just watched them quietly, almost wistfully, as if seeing something fragile and rare. After a moment, she leaned back, pulled a soft blanket over her lap, and simply said, “You’re safe here.”
And they believed her.
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1) Hey, another one of those hanging chairs that ere so popular in this world.
2) “The smooth, fluid rhythm of her walk was something Jordan had long grown accustomed to.” in just a week, damn.
3) “Her fingers curved subtly to brace him with an unconscious instinct that came only from experience” What experience? She did this briefly during training and then didn’t touch a little until Jordan.
4.1) “Kayla wasn’t clumsy, but she wasn’t practiced, either” can’t really hold that against Kayla, how would she have practiced it.
4.2) “Jordan had come to understand just how much Sara protected him from discomfort, even in the smallest of ways” that is when she’s not the cause of it
5) “for the first time, she understood why Sara was ranked the number-one Guardian. It wasn’t about strength or dominance. It was control. Precision. Mastery. “ she’s gonna get jealous about Kayla not having Sara’s skill level.
6) “the moment he’d let the nickname “Body Hottie” slide. He didn’t mind strong personalities. In fact, she suspected he liked being surrounded by them. People like Ellie, Mallory… her.” The moment y’all stopped sexually harassing him, he seemed to like you more? Weird.
7.1) “Kelli didn’t yield. Not easily. She was like Sara” Sara yielded, Sara almost permanently yielded.
7.2) “This wasn’t just about taming defiance. It was about building trust where none had ever truly existed” it shouldn’t be at all about taming defiance and exclusively about building trust, she’s treating Kelli like an adversary she needs to overcome.
8) “The Little zone alone was amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it outside of propaganda ads.” what kind of ads is she calling propaganda? Genritech’s? Preema Tech’s?
9.1) “You were always being observed, processed, assessed. Everything felt temporary. Mechanical. You were just passing through until a company or Guardian claimed you” that’s the vibe I’ve always gotten from facilities.
9.2) “But tonight? These Littles were living. They were laughing, dancing, flirting, being human. Not specimens or projects. Just people.” which is much closer to how it should be.
93) “Sara nodded, pleased. “That’s the energy Chloe wanted. A celebration. A statement. I’m glad it resonated.” I’m surprised Sara didn’t say anything to counter Littles being referred to as “people”.
10) “They stepped into the private wing of the estate. Unlike the glamorous party spaces and curated courtyards, this area was warmer, more personal” imagine being so rich your own home has a separate “private wing” damn.
11) “Chloe curled comfortably on a plush cream sofa, now dressed in cozy loungewear. A thick-knit cardigan draped over her shoulders” Chloe looked really pretty at the party, but this will always look nicer to me.
11.2) “her hair had been let down from its styled perfection. She looked effortlessly elegant, even relaxed, something rarely seen from someone in her position.” It looks the same as it did at the party.
12) “Missed you,” “You were only gone five minutes.” “Too long,” Adorable.
13) “Or would you prefer the small armchair?” I’d definitely want a small armchair is I were in their position, the fact Chloe casually owns little furniture, higher quality than most guardians, is awesome to me
14) “I’ll keep an eye on them.” Moments between Chloe and Litttles don’t disappoint.
15) “Jordan looked up at Chloe, unsure of what to say.” “But she didn’t demand conversation. She just watched them quietly, almost wistfully, as if seeing something fragile and rare” that’s part of what I like about Chloe, she just let’s Littles be, not bullying or babying them.
16) “Simply said, “You’re safe here.” And they believed her. And they should, Chloe’s about the only person whom I’d fully trust when she says these things.
1) Actually 2 in this room at this time as a 2nd one is on a wall not featured but I haven’t actually decorated this room yet so subject to change.
2) Well he is carried or riding shoulder alot. My thought process was if you had to ride horseback everywhere for a week and were doing it many times a day. You would get accustomed to the process pretty quick. Not mastery level a person would get used to it I think. Could be wrong but thats the thoguht process behidn it.
3) She has grabbed and held jordan alot in the past week plus with her natural skills. Its also not out of the question she didnt practice using something small in between getting traiend and Jordan. As she is a studier.
4) Being Kayla was trained and immedaitely got Kelli she would have litlte time practice. Although a person could practice with a small doll or something. I could see some rudimentary stuff being made to refine and keep in practice if you don’t have a little right away.
5) I could see Kelli pulling a “I don’t get motion sick like this with Sara.” in a sisterly argument.
6) That is odd. I can’t put my finger on how those events could connect.
7) confused by this part what you mean by permently yielded.
7.2) Adversary may be a bit a strong. She is trying to build trust with Kelli. Being she wants to be friends with Kayla. She doesn’t want Kelli as an enemy.
8) General commercials for little products by all companies producing little things. Kind of like if oyu remember the original ad for the nintendo switch where they showed people breaking out the switch at parties and parks, etc. Where normal people may not actually use it that way. Kelli is referring to a similar thing where you see little gatherings and parties but she hadn’t ever seen or been to one
9.1) Thats the vibe i was going for. Its a very practical thing the government facilities. It provides you what you need but its not warm and inviting. Which is why the little cities are kind of unique and how genritech incorporates littles.
9.2) Especially if you view them as equals to a human. Sadly not all do.
9.3) Sara does recognize differnce of opinion. She hasn’t really at any point continually forced her belief on swaths of poeple. She has to a degre with Jordan but Jordan is hers so its a bit different. But in any other situaiton she hasn’t really gone all that far in saying only her belief is right and none other are allowed.
10) Your farm has that to some degree. Living area and a barn. Maybe a garage or space for equipment they just aren’t connected necessarily. But yeah your overall point i coudl not even fathom that kind of money.
11) I agree, I like the more casua look.
11.2) I didnt change her hair in the render. The text is always the canon depiction of what is happening. The renders are just for a visual benefit ot the reader but they aren’t 1 to 1 depictions of what is happening or how things or people appear in the story because i can only spend so much time of them. Its why the older renders were often more accurate but in order to write 5 episodes and render 5 episodes a week it means things aren’t produced at the same time. Plus if there is errors or rendering problems it means re-renders the party scene was very large so i often had crashes and errors while rendering as it was near the max of what i could do system wise. So its why the pictures don’t always sync up unless i change the production schedule to be fewer episodes per week.
12) Gotta lay it on for their relationship.
13) They were trying to be polite and not wanting a fuss made.
14) Hopefully this one wont. its Kelli V. Chloe
15) I get that. I also feel like Sara’s character makes moments like this. more impactful though. If they were with chloe all the time it wouldn’t be as big a deal or noticed.
16) I’d trust Chrissy but she has a differnet belief set to some degree then Chloe. Hailey as well but once again she is sitll a bit different then Chloe.
5) Maybe Kelli will insist on them practicing
7) Pretty sure he was referring to her suicide attempt (as permanently yielding if she was successful)
7.2) For Sarah, she is being nice, but she still wants things her way when it comes to Littles.
9.3) You had a small bit of Sara spouting her beliefs early on when she asked of Chloe was going to attend the demonstration, but that was about it. I agree, she does not push her beliefs on People, but she does with Littles.
10) You must fathom it, you wrote it 🙂
10 is a struggle though. I need to win the lottery to better understand that level of wealth to write a better story
I think Kelli and Kayla staying a week with Chole and Sara as a training get away would be great because Kelli needs more time to learn she needs humans help to survive and I think with Sara petting her and bonding to her in steaky ways will mellow Kelli out and let her enjoy life as a little more. She will still be herself but a mellow version and she can still be domante around Jordan because that is a little mans place in their society
2&3) That makes sense.
4) *Advertiser voice* “Introducing Genritech Miniquins, the only product designed to help hopeful guardians prep for their eventual care of a Little” lol
Or she could practice with Kelli, call it sisterly boding.
5) I could see that hurting Kayla way more than Kelli intended.
7.1) I was referring to her suicide attempt.
7.2) Opponent maybe better.
8) Interesting spot of lore there.
9.2) Truly sad indeed.
9.3) She does push them on Littles though, like how she’s called Gavin and Kelli “pets” despite knowing Mal and Kayla don’t see them that way.
10) But those are work area, that comparison would be like if the Genritech office and warehouse were attached to the Gracewood mansion
11.2) Same with my stories, the text is always canon.
13) that makes sense
14) Wait, why? They have no reason to fight.
15) I understand that, but I don’t think Chloe’s treatment should be a big deal it should be the norm.
16) Chrisy I’d be OK with, and Haily, the Brunswicks or Lily. But Chloe I trust the most.
11.2) i’m glad it isn’t just me banging my head against the wall when Daz decides to Daz
I forget, is this before the Kayla story?
That’s a good question.
It’s a week before
Yes, the Kayla story would be next weekend.