Saturday sunlight streamed through the tall glass panes of Glinda’s Thrift on West Hanover, diffused into soft gold by the dust-speckled air. The hum of a well-tuned espresso machine mingled with the sharp click of hangers sliding across racks. Dayton moved between aisles of sequined jackets and silk blouses, the weight of the week loosening, if only slightly, from her shoulders.
Sydney walked beside her, holding a plastic shopping basket brimming with finds: a linen jumpsuit with the tag still on, a soft cardigan in periwinkle, and a pair of vintage sunglasses too large for her face. Tucked against her chest, in the crook of her arm, sat her Little, Ella, seated calmly, legs crossed daintily, hands resting over her lap like she’d been raised in a palace.
They made an odd trio, Dayton thought. But not an unfamiliar one.
She let her fingers trail the edge of a designer coat, discounted to a third of its worth simply because last year’s trend had been fur trim and this year favored buckles.
“I didn’t want to think about it today,” Dayton said finally, voice low, as if the words had to be coaxed through grit. “But I need to talk. Just… to get it out.”
Sydney looked at her, eyes understanding and patient. “So get it out.”
So she did.
In the dusty hush of the thrift store, between a mannequin in paisley and a cracked mirror that warped their reflections, Dayton told her everything. About the quizzes, the board writing, the forced assistance. About the way he said her name like a correction. The way he refused, always refused, to call her Miss Harris.
“Like it’s a joke,” Dayton said, the words catching between her teeth. “Like my rank doesn’t matter. Like I’m playing house and he’s just waiting for the adults to come home and undo the game.”
Sydney said nothing at first. She just led them into a quieter corner near a rack of vintage belts. A place where ears wouldn’t catch the wrong tone. Then she stopped walking.
“You really filed then?” she asked, though she already knew. It was in Dayton’s posture. In the way she’d been holding her breath all morning.
Dayton nodded. Her gaze flicked to Ella.
The Little tilted her head slightly, her black collar catching the overhead light. It was simple leather, unadorned, but meticulously polished. No scratches. The kind of wear that came from care, not neglect.
Dayton looked back to Sydney. “What do you think?”
“I think you already know what I think.”
“I want to hear it anyway.”
But instead of answering, Sydney looked down at Ella. “What do you think?”
The Little straightened slightly in her sling, her expression unreadable for a moment. Then she spoke, her voice calm and measured.
“I don’t know everything. Just what Dayton’s shared. But… a Little without a collar?” She paused. “That’s sacrilegious. It’s like walking around without a name. Our collars aren’t just decoration, they’re identity. Like a driver’s license, or a state-issued ID. They mean someone has chosen you. Claimed responsibility. It’s structure. It’s belonging.”
Her fingers absently touched the edge of her own collar.
“And it’s status, too,” she continued. “There are differences. You can tell who someone’s bonded to by the quality of their collar. A plain band versus custom etching, ornamentation, gem inlays… it’s not just vanity. It tells a story. And not having one? That’s not freedom. That’s risk. That’s… exposure. Its like walking around without citizenship”
Dayton listened. Really listened.
Ella shifted slightly. “As for the rest of it… it sounds petty. From him, I mean. What he’s doing to you. If what you’re saying is true, then he’s being childish. Resisting something he knows is inevitable.”
Dayton blinked slowly, absorbing the words like sunlight through glass.
“He’s not scared of you,” Ella added, her voice quiet. “He’s scared of what you represent.”
Sydney’s gaze softened. “She’s not wrong.”
Dayton’s fingers tightened around the strap of her bag.
“I don’t want to make this into something it’s not,” she said, voice low. “But every time he calls me Dayton, it’s like he’s spitting on it. Like I’m not worthy of being respected or referred to as more. Like I’m beneath him.”
Ella nodded slowly. “He’s trying to reclaim control.”
Sydney leaned against a rack of high-waisted jeans. “And the irony is, he lost it the second he walked into your classroom without a collar.”
Later, in the boutique two doors down, while Sydney haggled with the clerk over a pair of designer boots, Dayton sat on a velvet bench near the dressing rooms. Watching as Ella stood on a low shelf of accessories next to Dayton and was silently arranging bracelets by color.
Dayton pulled out her phone. The notification was still there.
Claim Status: Pending Compliance – Initiated.
It pulsed like a heartbeat.
She scrolled down to the fine print: Subject will be notified of infraction in person by registered agent. Guardian claims kit to arrive within 5 business days.
She knew there was no turning back at this point. It was with the government now. She didn’t think she would actually get a little out of this but she knew the laws and believed they were on his side. Mr. Rhys would learn she wasn’t just some kid playing adult.
“What do you think he’ll do when he sees it?” she asked suddenly.
Ella looked up.
“Comply,” she said, without hesitation.
“You think so?”
“I think… he’ll have no choice. If he’s in violation, the full might of U.S. government will come down upon him, upon the district, upon whoever caused the problem. As a little before Sydney got me. My place was made quite clear. The laws reinforce the governments stance.”
They ended the day back at Sydney’s home, sprawled on the plush sectional. Ella curled up in her usual nook on the armrest, a miniature tablet balanced in her lap. Sydney was painting her nails a soft sage green.
Dayton sat cross-legged, clutching a pillow to her chest, her mind still whirring.
“I don’t want to destroy him,” she said after a long silence. “I just want… recognition. I want the game to stop. I want him to look at me and see me. Not a student. Not a child. Not someone he can dismiss. I want him to leave Nicole and Kinsley alone.”
Sydney looked over. “You don’t want obedience. You want acknowledgement.”
“Yes.”
Ella glanced up from her screen. “Then if you get the chance make the collar a mirror, not a chain.”
Dayton met her eyes.
And for the first time all week, she didn’t feel alone.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! God damn it please don’t let this succeed in an way I don’t want this victory for Dayton I honestly don’t want any victory for Dayton
And oh noooo !!! They brainwashed Ella poor little soul!
If only she saw the potential for little like me rhyes being in charge of a classroom like this and I get it he’s an ass but a still a good teacher not trying to treat education like it should be sanitized
Sigh
what’s going to be really interesting is that it’s possible he keeps teaching or he ends up becoming an assistant to the teacher so dayton can pay off her loan…..
Ella isn’t brainwashed for the record. She just is okay with the system as it works. There is obviously things she thinks could be improved but she isn’t against the process.
She’s clearly given up on any resistance, but also seems critical of anyone else resisting.
i love Ella. She is a well adjusted little that understands her limitations and understand how lucky she is to have a loving guardian. I hope Kelli gets to the point Ella is a can enjoy the positives of being a little, not just the bad.
here is a quick video of the picture lol. sorry i am trying to get better lol
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g7FZC-v1XfhB22eU2xw0irTktcc-tarr/view?usp=drivesdk
That realy made the scene come to life.
what happens if he doesn’t comply. I see him either emotionally refusing or just calmly, but i still see him refusing.
He’ll definitely resist and struggle, and with any luck, it’ll be enough to stay free.
Doesn’t comply with who? Dayton or the SEA? Most people comply with the SEA the ones who don’t wish they would have. It’s like not complying with the fbi or cia.
If he doesn’t comply with dayton she would just have to deal with it and keep working at it.
It’s great to see Sydney again, and her little Ella is one that I’m interested to learn more about, but she seems like she’s accepted her role as a little.
Yeah, I wanna know if she’s always been this compliant, or if she had to break too.
I can see some littles becoming compliant quickly because it makes their lives as littles easier, while others who try to fight back are broken and either sold or given other roles.
Yeah, plus some people are just naturally more submissive, like Jordan, who only took a couple of days from him to start accepting his new place.
I think Elle and Jordan have better lives excepting their limitations and enjoying the positives of being a little with a loving guardian.
Everything doesn’t have to be a battle when it will make your life bad. If being chill and trying to just enjoy life is submissive then I guess I know a lot of submissive people because I stopped hanging out with aggressive people when i was 21 because they were a pain in the ass in clubs and bars when i just want to chill with a flavored beer lol.
0) I liked this chapter, it felt light, which was needed after so many heavy ones in a row.
1.1) “Sydney walked beside her,” Oh, Syd’s back
1.2) “Tucked against her chest, in the crook of her arm, sat her Little, Ella, seated calmly, legs crossed daintily, hands resting over her lap like she’d been raised in a palace” And we meet her Little, cute.
2) “I didn’t want to think about it today,” but you also can’t let it go, even if temporarily
3) “The way he refused, always refused, to call her Miss Harris.” he wouldn’t keep refusing if you’d stop bringing it up.
4) “Like my rank doesn’t matter.” Your rank doesn’t matter to him
5) “But instead of answering, Sydney looked down at Ella. “What do you think?” Always nice to see Littles asked their opinion.
6) “a Little without a collar? That’s sacrilegious. It’s like walking around without a name. Our collars aren’t just decoration, they’re identity. Like a driver’s license, or a state-issued ID. They mean someone has chosen you. Claimed responsibility. It’s structure. It’s belonging.” She’s thoroughly indoctrinated into this system, like she’s worn a collar her whole life.
7) “You can tell who someone’s bonded to by the quality of their collar. A plain band versus custom etching, ornamentation, gem inlays… it’s not just vanity. It tells a story” It tells whether or not your guardian is rich enough to afford a fancy collar.
8) “Dayton listened. Really listened” Of course she did, she’s being told what she wants to hear.
9.1) “As for the rest of it… it sounds petty. From him, I mean.” it’s petty from both of them,
9.2) “ What he’s doing to you. If what you’re saying is true, then he’s being childish. Resisting something he knows is inevitable.” Maybe, but he’s trying to stay free, which you can’t really blame him for.
10) “He’s not scared of you, He’s scared of what you represent.” And what she’ll do.
11.1) “I don’t want to make this into something it’s not,” Yes you absolutely fucking do, you want to turn him into an obedient submissive pet.
11.2 a) “But every time he calls me Dayton, it’s like he’s spitting on it.” So why did Ella get to call you ‘Dayton’ without your objection, but Ezra doesn’t?
11.2 b) Sounds like you’re singling Ezra out as the only one who needs to follow this ‘rule’, even though Ella, Kingsley and Thomas (every other Little we’ve seen you interact with post training) used your first name no problem.
12) “Like I’m not worthy of being respected or referred to as more. Like I’m beneath him.” You’re trying to get him to acknowledge you as his superior, and he’s making sure you understand that he is still the teacher and you are still the student. There are things he’s done that are in the wrong, but not that.
13) “He’s trying to reclaim control.” which he needs as a teacher.
14) “And the irony is, he lost it the second he walked into your classroom without a collar.” No, but the fact that people think that is proving him right.
15) “Claim Status: Pending Compliance – Initiated.” Please don’t work
16) “She scrolled down to the fine print: Subject will be notified of infraction in person by registered agent. Guardian claims kit to arrive within 5 business days.” please don’t be confirmation of it working
17) “I think… he’ll have no choice. If he’s in violation, the full might of U.S. government will come down upon him, upon the district, upon whoever caused the problem.” that’s a pretty big if.
18) “As a little before Sydney got me. My place was made quite clear. The laws reinforce the government’s stance.” Laws often side with the people making them
19) “I don’t want to destroy him,” Just take away his livelihood, everything he has, and break his will.
20) “I just want… recognition. I want the game to stop. I want him to look at me and see me. Not a student. Not a child. Not someone he can dismiss” He does see you, just not the you that you pretend to be, that you want him to see you as. He sees you as you are to him, and it’s much less flattering than you are to yourself.
20.2) “I want him to leave Nicole and Kinsley alone.” That’s actually fair
21) “You don’t want obedience. You want acknowledgement,” she wants both. Ironically, he did acknowledge her achievement. He just didn’t let her assert dominance over him with it, which she can’t stand.
22) “Then if you get the chance make the collar a mirror, not a chain.” How is she to do that exactly? Because collars are actually designed to work with chains, not mirrors.
23) “And for the first time all week, she didn’t feel alone.” So I guess Fuck Hannah, Hayden, Kinsley and Nicole then. They can’t stop Dayton from feeling alone.
11.1) agreed, by her own words that’s seemed like her goal from the start. haven’t seen anything to the contrary until these last few chapters to a small extent.
when I do the media from what the little sees, I cant tell what age Dayton is because her size is so big and she dresses and acts like a college student not a kid so I’m thinking when he sees someone he is guessing unless he knows them because I would think his just out of college helper doesn’t look that different then Dayton because they are both huge and he cant see all of either one of them. It was strange doing point of view videos, you see parts of their cloths and some of their head. lol I guess I was trying to say Dayton kind of has a point in he should treat everyone better.
3) I still don’t understand why she thinks he is required to call her “Ms. Harris”. Other Littles are not required to address other Guardians in that manner (unless they are instructed to do so by their Guardian, although I don’t see how that falls into the “Guardian Code” as it is not a requirement for their safety or well-being. It’s just a form of dominance)
4) Rank should not matter. You are a Guardian or you are not. Ranking does not entitle more reverence.
5) Also a great way to avoid the question.
6) I saw Asuka claiming she is not brainwashed, but she is at least weak willed. I hate to use extreme comparisons, but to me it would be like a Jew in Nazi Germany being content with wearing a yellow star on their clothing.
7) I don’t know how to express myself regarding the way Ella thinks. This type of concern about how attractive a collar is,is petty and bordering on the way a owner considers their pet’s collar. Sure a nice looking collar probably indicates the Guardian (owner) has some regard for the Little, but it doesn’t mean they are respectful of the Little.
11.2 a & b) Great point! Aligns with my earlier comment from #3 above.
18) Sounds like Ella had some bad experiences before Sydney. Perhaps some sort of training?
20) But she is a student and a child!
3) there is now law saying she has to call him Mr. Rhys though. She could call him Ezra. Other people call him Ezra unless they are asked or instructed to by him, their parents, or someone with authority.
Its not a requirement for the students safety or well being or effects there learning or education. It is also a form of dominance.
While you aren’t wrong she is only applying the same construct he is using to him in the exact same way. Only she is being respectful and calling him Mr. Rhys and he is actively not being respectful to her but calling everyone else in the class Mr. and Miss. X.
4) it equates to more skill which makes you more highly regarded to the government, to the SEA, etc. Which does provide you with a certain amount of clout. Sara being the #1 ranked guardian is a meaningful distinction within the world. While knowing Chloe helped her get the little mart spokesmen role being the #1 ranked guadian was also a large factor, her streaming clout was also a large factor.But the point is it is meaningful within there culture even if to ours it is not.
6) I wouldnt call her weak willed she just accepts the system as it is and is living a happy and complete life within it. SHe was born Homo Parvus and the smallar virus is the catalyst for those genes to be come active. In essence its not taking anything from her but its revealing who she always was.
She is a little and she can spend her life miserable, upset, and hating every moment of it or she can live her life with Sydney and make the best of each moment. Actually live a fulfilling life. Embrace her culture, and her people and their trends.
She is doing all that similar to people who live in the litte cities. Until now, we’ve onyl really seen people who feel one way. Something was stolen and they are upset to some degree. This is someone who is not that and it doesnt make them weak willed for choosing to live there life as they always were.
In alot of ways their time living as a human was living life as a lie. Similar to if you are gay and are pretending not be.
7) Its been talkd about and brought up before just not this overtly. Within little culture itself collars are meaningful and a status symbol. So far within the story we generally only see people who arent yet apart of little culture or not interested in it or feel there humantiy was taken from them. This is the first time someone who is a little, views themselves a little, and is completely fine with that.
11) its really the same answer I provided to lethal in response to his post would be my answer here.
18) She had experiences that opened her eyes. It doesn’t inherently mean they were bad.
20) Just because she is a student and a child doesnt lessen the expierence or the achievement. Doesnt mean the ask has any less merit. He refers to others n the class as Mr. or Miss and there last name but not Dayton.
So he doesnt have a problem with it. He isn’t opposed to it. He just doesn’t like her, so he’s not going to do it. Her age has nothing to do with it. That’s just the cover to avoid an uncomfortable conversation.
Just like if someone is racist they aren’t always overt about it. they aren’t making big scenes. They find other ways to make there feelings and beliefs known. Mr. Rhys you could argue is doing the same. Not with racism but with not wanting to acknowledge dayton.
3) How many students (at least at this level of the education system) would call their teacher by their first name? My experience was that teachers called you by first name 99% of the time. Maybe sometime in high school you MIGHT have a teacher call you by an honorific, but by an large they do not.
4) Sure the government can regard her more highly, but she should not be expecting others to. If I was a teacher, I might respect the achievement a pupil as earned, but it does not behoove me to call them by any title in class (granted in this case Rhys does call others by “Ms” or “Mr”, so he is being a jerk with Dayton, but he would most likely do that regardless of her Guardian standing).
6) The lifestyle Home Parvus have been leading prior to shrinking was not a lie, it was the life they knew and the life Homo Sapiens knew as well. Home Sapiens decided that after Homo Parvus shrinks, they will be treated differently. Prior to shrinking they are treated the same as Homo Sapiens (that is by law, at least so far, and in the US).
There is not Little culture (yet). They have only existed a short time, not long enough to develop a culture.
I think you would be hard pressed to find a Little that was not “upset” at shrinking.
7) At this point I can’t imagine that Littles socialize enough (outside of the Generitech communities) to have established a social standing based on collar style.
20) I think her “ask” is unjustified. Has she asked other teachers to address her in this manner?
Rhys is a jerk though.
i like the idea of seeing littles liking there life after the change instead of the ones that just complain. A lot of people are like Jordan and are not engaged in life and being a little opened his life up to so much experiences. I think seeing different littles like Kelli and Jordan dating and starting a family in the giant world, having to find out if its ok if they get together and have kids because their life is planed by their guardians.
0) I agree this one worked nicely to change the pace and it brought it back to one of Daytons other friends. As her and Sydney stay friends post guardian training
1) yes she is.
1.2) yup the official introduction/unveiling of Ella.
2) I fully agree with you but I also can fully relate to that feeling as i’ve definately been in situations like that where i want to not think about it but i cant help but not think about it. I feel for dayton here.
3) Well shes asked him to do it and she doesnt feel his reasons are good enough.
4) that is very true. Daytons guardian rank could be 2nd or dead last and Mr. Rhys wouldnt care about it.
5)Sydney and Ella have a good relationship so its pretty normal for her to ask what she thinks about something.
6) Well its kind of feeding into little culture and how they view collars as a status symbol. Its supposed to illustrate how Rhys distances himself from little culture where Ella is more embracing it. As in her opinion she was born a homo parvus and she can either spend her life upset or mad about it or she can just embrace this is who she is and live an actual life as a little and just be happy with that. Kind of like if you were born with a missing limb or something. Sure it would be more difficult but you can either spend your whole life upset that you are missing a limb or just accept you don’t have it and just live a fulfilled without it. Yes you have to make accomodations and do things differnetly then someone with all limbs. But if thats your life it just becomes normal.
thats more how Ella views it.
7) Well you can still have a nice collar and not spend an arm and leg. Effort and craftsmanship matter as well. If you made it from scratch the amount of effort would be equally meaningful and symbolic.
8) Well that is fair point. Ella does ride closer to Daytons Methadology but the intent was dayton was listening becuase she is into Littles. Thats why she knows the laws and the SEA stuff and why she worked so hard in training. She’s fascinated by them. So discussing topics about littles is interesting to her.
9) I do agree they both have petty points. I would personally put more weight on Mr. Rhys though as he is an adult and there teacher and Dayton is 13. I expect a certain degree of pettiness from a 13 year old. While adults can be petty too its harder to overlook. Especially someone who is suppoed to be educator and passionate about shaping young minds.
9.2) Mr. Rhys is doing what he thinks is best and will give him the best possible life which i cant fualt him for even if I dont agree with his methods.
10) He’s scared of the unknown. Scared of not being in control. Scared of Dayton. No shame in that. You would have those same fears even if you lined up to be whoever your ideal guardian would be. It would be abnormal not to have those feelings.
11) Yes to an extent but there more nuance to it I would say but the gist of it would be that to some degree. The debate would be how far.
11.2) because Ella has a personal relationship with Dayton and Mr. Rhys doesnt. The same reason why another teacher would call him Ezra but a student would never.
Dayton doesnt have Kinsley or Ella call her Miss Harris as the relationship is different. Dayton and Rhys are in a strictly professional situation. If she is being asked to acknowledge his accomplishments and show him respect by calling him Mr.Rhys. She wants the same courtesy. He instead has chosen the spiteful route and now calls others how she wants to be addressed and her just by Dayton.
11.2b) this is answered in A.
12) At the start if we are being honest. She wanted him to acknowledge her as Miss Harris because of her accomplishments. She expected a professional little to guardian trained person relationship where each is respectfully acknowledged and he would not do it. So we are here.
13) He is trying but one could also argue he is going about it a harder way. Dayton wouldnt necessarily have a factor on his control. While she probably still wouldnt like him because they didnt like each other before he was a little. But she probably wouldnt have gone to this extreme seh would have just grumbled though class and talked shit like every other student about a teacher tehy didnt like since the beginning of time.
14) Well it depends on what you are viewing the battle is. From Daytons perspective which she is taking the legal side. The moment he chose to commit a crime he lost. Ethically if the law if fair or right is a whole nother question. Dayton isn’t discussing the morality of the law which she coudl have different feelings. She is saying the law as it exists today makes this illegal and the district seems to be condoning and supporting this illegal operation. Which from a strictly legal standpoint is factual. Its just a very cold way to look at it.
15)You should find out for better or worse this week as to if it will work not.
16) its more spelling out procedurally of what will happen. Its not confirming or denying anything other then she will be notified in person and she will get a claims kit explaining the response formally in writing.
17) its the If really.
18) That is true since the beginning of time across all nations. Its what unites us schmoes
19) We dont know if she will take away his livlihood. As her issue was he was practicing teaching illegally. She hasnt ever said he doesnt have a right to a livlihood. Just the way its being done is agaisnt the law.
he seems to have already lost most of what he has. In theory with a guardian he could retake some of that. He coudl have things that are actually his. Right now he lives in basically government housing, with everything provided by the governent or this case the district which is a government funded entity.
20) That is one way to put it. I am partially in agreement with you but not fully.
20.2) Everyone can agree on that point.
21) I woudlnt say he acknowledged her achievement with any sincerity. Everytime he has brought up it has been tongue and cheek or as part of a joke to proivde humor to the class. He has never acknowledged her achievement with actual respect.
22) She wasn’t speaking in such literal terms as having it show his reflection. But more metaphorical or symbolically. One could do with charms would be one possibiltiy where each charm is symbolic or meaningful. So he is constantly reminded of it.
23) There is a bit more to it that isn’t spelled out here but you will see tomorrow.
My heart goes to Mr Rhys, I hope he wins
you should find out thsi week
I hope Dayton has him on her shoulder showing him off soon lol. He is a snooty in my humble opinion lol.