The final bell at Roosevelt Middle School rang with the sharp finality of a judge’s gavel, sending three thousand students cascading through the hallways like water through a burst dam. Locker doors slammed in metallic percussion; sneakers squeaked against waxed linoleum, and the familiar cacophony of teenage voices rose to fill every corner of the building. The scent of cafeteria food lingered in the air, mixing with the industrial tang of floor cleaner and the faint autumn chill that leaked through the main doors each time they opened.
Hannah adjusted her worn leather messenger bag, a vintage find from a SoHo thrift shop that her art teacher had complimented, and glanced nervously at Nicole, who was rubbing her jaw with one hand while scrolling through her phone with the other.
“Still sore?” Hannah asked, her voice soft beneath the ambient chaos.
“Feels like they excavated my entire mouth,” Nicole muttered, wincing slightly as she worked her jaw. “But it’s not awful. Just… tender.” She looked up from her phone, her light brown eyes meeting Hannah’s. “I can’t believe I missed it. I mean, I heard the rumors during lunch, but…” She shook her head. “Mr. Rhys has been our teacher since sixth grade. He’s the one who made us memorize the entire ‘To be or not to be’ soliloquy in seventh grade, remember? And now he’s…”
Hannah bit her lower lip, a habit she’d developed whenever she was weighing her artistic instincts against social pressure. “I know. It’s surreal.” She hesitated, tucking a strand of honey-blonde hair behind her ear. “I mean, he was always so… commanding. Remember how he used to pace during lectures like he owned the entire school? And now…”
Nicole’s expression shifted, the skepticism in her eyes softening into something more complex. “Yeah. It’s like how Kinsley gets sometimes. When she’s around most people, she’s this… polite, quiet version of herself. But when it’s just us, or when she’s texting or talking with Dayton, she’s still the same person who used to challenge me to Mario Kart tournaments until three in the morning.”
They walked in comfortable silence through the thinning crowd, past the trophy cases filled with academic achievement awards and faded photographs of championship debate teams. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting long rectangles of gold across the tile floor and illuminating dust motes that danced in the air like tiny performers.
“Room 112,” Hannah said, though she didn’t need to check any paper. They’d been walking to Mr. Rhys’s classroom for three years now. “I still can’t wrap my head around it.”
“Dayton said during lunch that he corrected her in class today,” Nicole said, shaking her head. “I mean, that’s so typically him, right? Remember in sixth grade when he made Tommy rewrite his entire essay because he used ‘affect’ instead of ‘effect’? Mr. Rhys never let anything slide.”
Hannah smiled at the memory. “And he’d quote entire passages from memory while writing on the board. I swear he had every Shakespeare play memorized. Remember when he recited all of Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking scene without even looking at his book?”
“He’s been doing that since we were eleven,” Nicole said, and they shared a quiet laugh. “A decade at Roosevelt, and he never changed his teaching style once. My cousin said he was exactly the same when she had him for literature.”
The hallway grew quieter as they moved toward the English/literature wing, the sounds of departing students fading into a distant murmur. Here, the institutional fluorescent lighting felt less harsh, more intimate. A few teachers could be seen through open doorways, grading papers or preparing for the next day, their presence a reminder that school was a workplace as much as a learning environment.
Room 112 stood halfway down the familiar corridor, its door propped open with the same rubber wedge Mr. Rhys had used for as long as they could remember. Warm light spilled out into the hallway, and Hannah could hear the faint hum of electronics, computers, probably, or maybe the sound system they’d heard about from the other students.
“Okay,” Nicole said, stopping just outside the doorway. “I just… I need to see for myself, you know? He’s been our teacher for three years. He gave me my first A+ in literature. He’s the one who recommended me for the advanced writing program.”
Hannah’s artistic mind, always attuned to visual composition, had already begun cataloging details. “I get it. I mean, this is Mr. Rhys we’re talking about. He’s practically a Roosevelt institution. Mrs. Patterson in the office told my mom he’s been here longer than any other teacher. Like 7 or 8 years”
“Right,” Nicole agreed, though her tone suggested she was still processing her own motivations. “Normal. Got it.”
They approached the doorway with the kind of careful casualness that only teenagers could manage, trying to appear confident while simultaneously preparing for whatever they might find. Hannah knocked gently on the door frame, the sound echoing softly in the quiet hallway.
“Mr. Rhys?”
The response came immediately, amplified but unmistakably familiar: “Yes?”
Hannah stepped forward first, Nicole following slightly behind. The classroom looked exactly as it always had, rows of desks arranged in the precise formation Mr. Rhys had perfected over years of teaching, whiteboards covered with his characteristically neat handwriting, the same motivational posters about the power of literature that had watched over them since sixth grade. The afternoon sunlight streamed through windows that offered a view of the courtyard where a few students were still lingering by the oak tree.
But there, on his familiar teacher’s desk, the same desk where he’d graded their papers for three years, was a sight that still seemed to defy logic.
Mr. Rhys stood, actually stood, beside what appeared to be a miniature workstation. A tablet, perfectly proportioned to his four-inch frame, glowed softly beside a tiny speaker system. His posture was exactly as Hannah remembered: straight-backed, confident, professorial. His clothing, a suit and slacks that looked like they’d been tailored by someone with an obsessive attention to detail, was impeccable, just as it had always been.
“Hello, girls,” he said, and despite the amplification, his voice carried the same authoritative warmth they’d known since sixth grade albeit now over a speaker system. “Nicole, I heard you had a dental procedure today. I hope you’re feeling well.”
Nicole blinked, clearly taken aback by the normalcy of his greeting. “I… yes, sir. Just some work on my wisdom teeth. I’m okay.”
“Good to hear,” Mr. Rhys replied, then glanced at Hannah. “And Hannah, I assume you’re here to satisfy your artistic curiosity about how perspective changes when you’re four inches tall?”
Hannah felt her cheeks flush, he’d always been able to read his students with uncanny accuracy. “Maybe a little,” she admitted.
“I heard about what happened in class today,” Nicole said, stepping forward with measured control. “With Dayton, I mean. Everyone is talking about it.”
Mr. Rhys’s expression didn’t change, maintaining the same composed demeanor he’d worn through countless parent conferences and administrative meetings over the years. “Ms. Harris was exhibiting the same classroom management issues she’s displayed since sixth grade. I simply addressed them as I always have. The fact that I’m now four inches tall doesn’t change classroom expectations.”
Hannah found herself smiling despite the surreal nature of the conversation. “That’s so… you, Mr. Rhys. Some things never change, I guess.”
“My physical stature has changed dramatically,” he replied with a hint of dry humor that was entirely familiar. “My pedagogical philosophy has not unless some student decides to step on me.”
Hannah giggled, a sound that seemed to surprise her as much as anyone else. It was relief, she realized. Relief that he could still joke, still be himself in this impossible situation.
Nicole’s mouth tugged into something between a smirk and a nod. “I guess that’d be a weird way to end a lesson.”
“Unexpected, certainly,” Mr. Rhys said, the corner of his mouth quirking upward. “But memorable.”
The girls maintained their distance, not out of fear, but out of the same respect they’d always shown their longtime teacher. Hannah appreciated that the dynamic felt familiar, even in these impossible circumstances.
“Are you… living here?” Nicole asked, gesturing around the classroom they’d spent so many hours in over the years.
“I’ve been assigned housing upstairs,” Mr. Rhys offered, seeming to sense Nicole’s curious glance around the room. “A unit built into the wall behind the staff room. It’s scaled to my size, kitchenette, bathroom, and climate control. Comfortable, if a little… vertical.”
Nicole frowned slightly. “So, you live here?”
“Technically, I live on campus. Temporarily,” he clarified. “Until the district finishes reviewing placement options. But it’s private, secure. About the size of a studio apartment. Not too bad and the rent is free.”
Hannah wrinkled her nose, trying to imagine what that would be like. “Doesn’t that feel, I don’t know… claustrophobic?”
“There are days when it does,” Mr. Rhys admitted, his honesty catching her off guard. “But compared to some of the options Littles are given, it’s a castle.”
Nicole’s arms were still folded, but her tone dropped slightly. “No guardian?”
“No,” Mr. Rhys said evenly. “Not yet. I’m on provisional autonomy, permitted to work and live independently with district supervision. There’s a student teacher named Cassie who checks in mornings and evenings. She helps with anything… physically challenging.”
“Like what?” Nicole asked, and Hannah could hear the genuine curiosity in her voice.
“Reaching things. Carrying heavier equipment. Replacing chalk that’s been put in the wrong drawer.” Mr. Rhys smiled. “She’s competent and kind. Doesn’t treat me like a child. And no, she doesn’t have guardianship. It’s a job, not a relationship.”
Nicole glanced at Hannah, and something passed between them, a shared recognition of how different this was from what they’d expected. Hannah had imagined Littles as fundamentally changed, dependent, almost childlike. But Mr. Rhys was still… Mr. Rhys.
“Huh,” Nicole said simply.
“That’s kind of… cool,” Hannah said slowly, the words feeling strange in her mouth. “I didn’t even know that was an option. I thought…”
“You thought we all got carried around in baby slings and wore footie pajamas?” Mr. Rhys raised an eyebrow.
Hannah felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. “No! I mean, okay, maybe, but not really…”
“It’s a common misconception,” he said, and she could hear the amusement in his voice. “There aren’t many of us doing this. But we exist.”
Nicole’s expression shifted, her eyes sharpening with focus. “Why do all this?”
Honestly? Doesn’t it feel like way more work than it’s even worth now that you’re a Little.” Hannah asked, almost breathless. She found herself leaning forward slightly, drawn in by the conversation.
“It’s…” He hesitated, and Hannah could see him choosing his words carefully. “It was what I trained for. What I loved. Teenagers are messy and sharp and impossible, and brilliant. I would miss them.”
“And the shrinking?” Nicole asked bluntly. “Was it awful?”
The silence stretched for a beat that felt like forever. Hannah could hear the distant sound of janitors in the hallway, the hum of the ventilation system, the tick of the clock on the wall.
“Yes,” Mr. Rhys said simply.
Neither girl moved.
“I used to walk into a room and shake hands,” Mr. Rhys continued slowly. “Now I get elevator music playing from a speaker when I enter a meeting. I used to see faces. Now I see knees. The world didn’t just grow around me, it transformed. Everything feels louder. Closer. More dangerous. Even kindness can be condescending when you’re at eye level with belt buckles.”
“But you’re still you,” Hannah said, her voice very small.
He met her gaze. “Yes. Though people forget that.”
Nicole exhaled through her nose. “My sister’s a Little. Got reduced over a year ago. She used to win debates. Would destroy people. Now she just… she kind of floats through things. Smiles more. Laughs at dumb stuff. She only really acts like herself around one person, my friend Dayton.”
Hannah blinked in surprise. Nicole rarely talked about Kinsley’s reduction so openly, especially not with adults.
Mr. Rhys’s expression softened. “I’m sorry.”
“I don’t know if she’s happy or just… programmed.”
“Reduction affects people differently,” he said gently. “Some adapt. Others… lose footing. Not all of it is physical.”
“Can you get it back?” Hannah asked, the question slipping out before she could stop herself.
His eyes lowered. “I don’t know. But I think people like your sister, people like me, deserve the chance to try.”
For a moment, none of them spoke. The overhead fan clicked as it rotated. Outside, the distant shuffle of janitors echoed through the tile corridors. The classroom felt impossibly vast from where Hannah stood, and she tried to imagine what it must look like from Mr. Rhys’s perspective, a canyon of books and desks.
Nicole finally nodded. “Thanks for… talking.”
“I’m glad you came,” he replied. “I know I’m not what you expected to see. But I’m still here to teach. Give me time, I’ll prove it.”
Nicole offered a small nod. “We’ll see.”
Hannah smiled, feeling something warm and unexpected bloom in her chest. “I think you’re already kind of cool.”
Mr. Rhys chuckled. “I’ll take that.”
They turned and left, their footsteps echoing in the quiet hallway. Hannah felt the weight of the conversation settling around her shoulders like a blanket, heavy, but not uncomfortable. As they walked toward the main exit, she found herself thinking about perspective, about the difference between what she’d been taught and what she’d just witnessed.
“That was…” she began, then stopped.
“Yeah,” Nicole agreed, rubbing her jaw again. “It was.”
They pushed through the main doors into the crisp October air, where the scent of fallen leaves mixed with the distant smell of coffee from the Starbucks down the street. Students were still clustered around the front steps, waiting for rides or just reluctant to end the school day.
“Dayton’s going to want details,” Nicole said, pulling out her phone. “Not all of this seems legal.”
Hannah nodded, already composing her thoughts. But as she watched her friend type, she couldn’t shake the feeling that they’d just witnessed something important, Mr. Rhys seemed to be trying to change a system she wasn’t sure people wanted changed.
“Hey,” she said suddenly, causing Nicole to look up from her phone. “Do you think we’re on the right side of this?”
Nicole’s fingers paused over her screen. “I don’t know,” she said quietly. “But I think we’re about to find out. If this setup is legal, then Mr. Rhys has nothing to worry about.
They walked home in thoughtful silence; the autumn air crisp against their faces, each carrying questions that felt too big for thirteen-year-old minds to hold alone.
please be legal. Mr. Rhys seems like he’s thriving and knows his limits and is far more aware than Dayton realizes. I’m sure Nicole will point that out to her, but whether or not Dayton listens, or just focuses on the fact that he doesn’t have a guardian will be the issue.
Sorry for the late reply we were moving offices this weekend so it was an I.T. Logistical nightmare.
Nicole and dayton definately dont align on everything little related but they are still close friends despite differences. Dayton will always hear nicole out as they are best friends but if its something dayton agrees with only time will tell.
no need to apologize lol office moves suck
and good. that’s a mature way to live life. you won’t agree with your friends on everything but that’s usually not a reason to cut them off completely
That’s pretty unique that Mr. Rhys has his own apartment for the time being. I believe it is legal, given that the district has set it up for him while reviewing placement and guardian options, and it allows him to teach until then.
Also, this makes me want a one-shot story focusing on Nicole and Kinsley.
i want this to be legal so so bad. Dayton is going to be detrimental to him. not because she’d be a bad guardian as i think she has the ability and just needs more maturity, but because to me she only seems to want to do it to take away part of his life because her believes say that he should have it.
Even as a big Dayton fan as I am, I agree with you. She’d be better off with a Preema Tech little in my opinion.
a preema Tech little seems to easy for Dayton. She needs a little she can tame because she likes a challenge
i want Dayton to be his guardian. They would be a funny odd couple with Dayton being a overbearing little mom to the older ex teacher of hers lol. It would be funny Dayton making him cuddle at curtain times and wear different cloths and have to learn to paint her toes and finger nails lol.
The irony is that so far we’e only seen Dayton question the legality of it under US law. she hasnt done much other then based on her training and understanding of the law she doesnt think it smells right.
If its legal and on the up and up there is not much she could do or even want to do.
time will tell if its legal like in real life laws are open to interpretation when put into law. Being teachers are in demand it defiantely benefits the district to maintain Mr. Rhys as a teacher.
I want Dayton to get this nitwit. She needs to collar this pretentious…… dude thinks he’s above the law? Dayton’s got four words for him…. “I AM the law!”
I like your point of view lol
I’m thinking that Dayton ends up being his school provided guardian, but not his official one. These laws and regulations are on blast all over the place and have super strict repercussions for violating them. This would be one of the instances of a violation. So they wouldn’t just have him out in the open like this. I don’t think he’d be so honest about the issue either. Maybe he is misinterpreting the rules, but part of me is thinking the school made a case that they need him as a teacher and there’s a process for this, and the guardian they’re looking for is one that will allow him to stay as a teacher. Just my theory though. And not completely disagreeing with the collar. Cause I don’t want to know what happens to a little that Violates that rule lol
I agree
I like the split in the comments between dayton getting him and dayton not getting him.
1) “Yeah. It’s like how Kinsley gets sometimes. When she’s around most people, she’s this… polite, quiet version of herself. But when it’s just us, or when she’s texting or talking with Dayton, she’s still the same person who used to challenge me to Mario Kart tournaments until three in the morning.” It’s good that Kinsley feels safe to be herself around Nicile, and surprising that she feels that way around Dayton.
2) “Dayton said during lunch that he corrected her in class today, I mean, that’s so typically him, right? Remember in sixth grade when he made Tommy rewrite his entire essay because he used ‘affect’ instead of ‘effect’? Mr. Rhys never let anything slide.” Dudes acting like he always had, Dayton’s problem is that the world isn’t changing to her preference.
3) “I swear he had every Shakespeare play memorized. Remember when he recited all of Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking scene without even looking at his book?” dedication to his trade
4) “Trying to appear confident while simultaneously preparing for whatever they might find” Pretty sure Mr Rhys had to do that before dealing with Dayton
5) “Nicole, I heard you had a dental procedure today. I hope you’re feeling well.” A good teacher cares for his students.
6) “Ms. Harris was exhibiting the same classroom management issues she’s displayed since sixth grade.” So he does call her ‘Ms Harris’, just not to her face, (Or is he using it the way Aussie teachers always used to, where ‘Mr/Ms surname’ is bought out when a student fucks up and is in trouble.
6.2) “I simply addressed them as I always have. The fact that I’m now four inches tall doesn’t change classroom expectations.” and good on him.
7) “That’s so… you, Mr. Rhys. Some things never change, I guess.” and nor should they have to Hannah.
8) “Technically, I live on campus. Temporarily, until the district finishes reviewing placement options, but it’s private, secure. About the size of a studio apartment. Not too bad, and the rent is free.” I like that he’s being honest with them, which definitely adds to my theory that he’s not a bad teacher, just strict, and Dayton has burned bridges between them.
9) “Not yet. I’m on provisional autonomy, permitted to work and live independently with district supervision. There’s a student teacher named Cassie who checks in mornings and evenings. She helps with anything… physically challenging.” Kinda what I figured he answer would be, same way Lisa is Genricare property, Mr Rhys is Roosevelt Schol property.
10) “Hannah had imagined Littles as fundamentally changed, dependent, almost childlike. But Mr. Rhys was still… Mr. Rhys.” Good to see her learning
11) “You thought we all got carried around in baby slings and wore footie pajamas?” not far off what the government wants.
12) “I used to walk into a room and shake hands, now I get elevator music playing from a speaker when I enter a meeting. I used to see faces. Now I see knees. The world didn’t just grow around me, it transformed. Everything feels louder. Closer. More dangerous. Even kindness can be condescending when you’re at eye level with belt buckles.” Figured he’s have downsides, though nothing that isn’t normal for the Littles we’ve seen.
13) “Yes. Though people forget that.” *cough* Dayton *cough*
14) “Reduction affects people differently, some adapt. Others… lose footing. Not all of it is physical.” just like any other disability
15) “Can you get it back?” Some will, some won’t just like any other hardship.
16) “I know I’m not what you expected to see. But I’m still here to teach. Give me time, I’ll prove it.” I like seeing that he’s less antagonistic towards students with healthier views of Littles.
17) “she found herself thinking about perspective, about the difference between what she’d been taught and what she’d just witnessed.” Still learning
18) “Dayton’s going to want details, Not all of this seems legal.” I doubt there’d be any laws broken, bent maybe, loopholes used, but not broken.
19) “Mr. Rhys seemed to be trying to change a system she wasn’t sure people wanted changed.” but also a system not everyone wants unchanged.
20) “Do you think we’re on the right side of this?” – “I don’t know. But I think we’re about to find out” Just because someone wins doesn’t mean they’re on the right side, History isn’t written by the victors anymore.
20) they should have lied by omission. Dayton could something to the right someone that may uproot him
20) perhaps they did, though I can’t think of what it may be. I’m hoping they’re legally sorted though.
14) as a little he seems isolated from physical contact. He can take one of his better students in every class sit in his chair and help give out stuff to work on, then when she is working on the assignment he can get his cuddles on her lap to make him feel better
Much like humans, Littkes don’t actually need physical interaction and affection, they’re just nice additions to life.
But what you’re describing sounds unprofessional for a student/teacher relationship, the kind of thing that could derail this program.
Having been around domestic and farm animals most of my life , animals are much happier with physical interaction. I know as a human I am but I am aware some people a loners.
I know they’re happier, but it’s not a necessity
I look at stuff that makes people happy as a must have but I understand your train of thought. Of must haves-food, water & shelter. I always try to look at both sides / would you want to live without physical contact if you had advanced senses lol
I agree with you on that
1) Dayton and Kinsley have their own relationship. Probably better put as friendship. They did hang out and stuff. Dayton and Kinsley talk regularly and have their own independent stuff.
2) thats not quite true. Dayton having just been through training is aware of the laws and how they work as she was tested on them by generitech. So she is applying what she learned and giving things the smell test.
So while dayton doesnt like Mr. Rhys she is also annoyed becuase she feels the laws and rules arent being applied properly which bothers her. Only time will tell if they actually are being applied incorrectly or they just arent being applied in a way that she feels she should
3) He would be an annoying techer i feel like
4)you are probably right on that one.
5) yeah, although mr. rhys you could argue has his petty moments as well. He also could be friendly with nicole just to bug Dayton.
6) Yup, he does not call Dayton Ms. Harris to her face. Which is why I said he wasnt being the most professional as he is being petty in his own ways.
6.2) I would say he is being stubborn as to say things havent changed is a refusal to accept that they have. It could mean not even accepting that he has become a little which would require some change as much as a person may not want it too.
7) Its one way to look at things. Its always interesting seeing characters with diffrent views. I would say i don’t agree with Mr. Rhys stance adn views overall on things which also makes him intereting to write.
8) He also could figure there is no reason to lie as they will probably find otu eventualyl anyway.
9) Similar I would say but Lisa works directly under a doctor in Dr. Wilson. Mr. Rhys is not working directly under anyone. Which is part of where dayton is coming from.
10) Observing for sure. time will tell if its applied.
11) fair enough
12) Everything he has mentioned i feel like would be pretty typical little expierence as you said.
13) whatever do you mean? Dayton is the pinnacle right after Sara lol.
14) It really is.
15)I feel like its 50/50
16) Well non daytons atleast. If it was dayton present his reactions and comments would be different.
17) Each of the girls kind of have their own thoughts and opinons as i thoguht ti was important to make them not just dayton clones. THy have there own thoughts and opinions but its subtle in alot of ways.
18) it really depnds how well the understanding was of who put the arrangements together.
19) Well more people are okay with teh treatment of littles and laws then against it canonically.
20) I would say history is written by the victors when you look at the results for the last world wars and how things are viewed and who was right and who was wrong who was vindicated but there has been alot of peace since then overall. Where tehre aren’t really that many history altering wars. Not that i want one mind you. Im okay with overall things being more peaceful.
since the teacher doesn’t have a guardian, can Dayton grab the little guy and take him to be registered under her? i bet her mom would approve a little teacher as her pet to help her with school work into college
well it all comes down to what exactly happened and what process was used with mr. rhys. As we’ve seen, like with the hospital, littles can be employed as Dr. Wilson has a little who works with her.
So its all about what happened, how it happened. If the district owns mr. rhys then dayton would not be able to register him. The district would only need to assign caretaker or have care schedule where people are ensuring his care.
if he is working through some other means or whatever was done was not legal then it would depend on the situation.
Dayton would if she was goign to register him also need the money as financially she would need to have the funds available to her or her parents would need to have the funds available if she herself does not.
1) Surprising given that Dayton refereed to her as an animal, but I’m looking forward to seeing it.
2) Dayton’s broken rules when it suited her, ling to Sara and what not. But more then that She clearly doesn’t want it to be legal, otherwise she’d just assume the legality was sorted out by the school board, which I’m assuming is what the other students are doing.
3) Perhaps, you know him better than I do.
5) But Dayton’s not here RN I get it if it was in front of Dayton but it’s not currently
6.1) He should just call her Dayton 100% of the time, consistency is king
6.2) I don’t think he’s denying changes have happened, Just because something has changed doesn’t mean everything else has to, he’s adapted to what he’s had to change and is keeping consistent what he can.
7) Well, we’ll see how the story goes and more of his stance is shown.
It’s an impressive skill to write a character you disagree with without making them a strawman, you do it so well
8) Maybe, but he could also say his private life is none of their business and to not be nosey.
9) I get that, but he Doesn’t need to work under anyone, he was already a qualified teacher, Lisa had no medical background.
13) Lies! you lie!
16) Definitely, but If Dayton was there, she’d be leading the conversation
17) Less Dayton’s is preferable; one is already pushing it.
18) Yes, I hope it was sound
19) I see, most people act like Sara.
20) That’s true-ish, but look at how much people are trying to challenge historical narratives. Look how much modern historians want to challenge the stories told by the victors and give voice to the people who lost. In my country, the stories around colonisation are trying to paint the colonists (the victors) as the villains, hardly a story they wrote (I’m not saying the colonists were heroes, they weren’t, but neither were the aboriginals).
History is written by whoever modern historians want it to be.