Hayden was mid laugh, still riding her own “expired lip gloss” joke, when Dayton’s phone started buzzing like it was possessed.
Not a text buzz. Not a polite little brrp. A full on, vibrating in her pocket, someone is FaceTiming you right now insistence.
Dayton glanced down, then reflexively brought her hand a little closer to her chest so Mr. Rhys wouldn’t get jostled by the hallway current. With her free hand, she fished her phone out.
The screen lit up with SARA and the big green accept button.
Dayton’s thumb hovered for half a beat.
Then she answered.
Sara Reeves’ face popped onto the screen, close enough that you could see the shine in her eyes, like she’d been staring at the call screen waiting for it to connect. Ellie Montgomery-Ward was wedged into the frame beside her, leaning in like she’d been invited to the drama and brought snacks.
Behind them, out of focus, there was motion and noise. Someone laughing. A voice that sounded like Mallory saying, “Kayla, stop, you’re literally doing too much,” and Kayla snapping back, “I’m not, I’m being efficient.”
And further back, Dayton caught a glimpse of Jordy’s head and Chloe’s blonde hair, but they weren’t in the frame. Just a blur of presence.
Sara didn’t waste time pretending she was casual.
“Baby Shark,” she said immediately, voice tight. “Talk to me.”
Dayton’s expression softened in a way it only ever did for Sara. “I’m okay.”
“That’s not an answer,” Sara shot back, and her eyes flicked down, scanning Dayton like she could see through the screen and check for bruises. “Chloe had a private feed. I saw the raid. I saw the officers. Like… the guns, Dayton. Are you okay okay?”
Ellie made a face, then lifted a hand and gave Dayton a two-finger salute. “Hi, Day. You look… very un-arrested. Congrats.”
“Sara,” Dayton said, a little exasperated, “I’m fine.”
Sara’s stare didn’t move. “Mentally.”
That word landed heavier than the rest of the hallway noise.
Dayton swallowed. Hayden, standing close enough to hear, didn’t interrupt this time. She just shifted her weight and leaned in, shoulder brushing Dayton’s, a quiet little I’m here.
Dayton exhaled. “I’m… processing.”
Sara’s mouth tightened. “Okay. And him. Is he okay?”
Dayton lifted her hand slightly so the camera could catch Mr. Rhys.
The effect was immediate.
Sara’s face softened into something almost maternal, but there was fear underneath it. Ellie’s brows lifted, more curious than shocked, like she was looking at a rare collectible she’d only heard about.
Mr. Rhys stared at the phone as if it were a portal to another universe. He knew Sara Reeves. Not personally obviously, He’d heard students talk about her streams, the way they talked about weather: constant, unavoidable, everywhere. However, more than that if he was being honest with himself he watched her streams. It was a guilty pleasure to unwind. They were silly, mentally relaxing and she also worked in segments of genuine good advice for guardians and littles.
But Ellie Montgomery-Ward being there?
His brain snagged on the hyphenated last name like it was a hook.
Montgomery-Ward.
Shipping. Ports. East Coast freight. Gulf routes. Even Canadian Atlantic terminals. A family that didn’t just have money, but had infrastructure. The kind of power that didn’t trend for a day and disappear. The kind that moved in steel and contracts and entire coastlines with a hint something more under the table. He had heard the rumors and talk. He had no idea if they were true but he never wanted to find out either.
Ellie leaned closer to the camera, squinting at him like he was a new filter. “No way,” she said. “That’s literally Mr. Rhys. He looks just like Dayton said only smaller now.”
Mr. Rhys felt a cold prickle go down his spine. “Montgomery-Ward,” he blurted before he could stop himself.
Ellie blinked. As people didnt use her name like that. Then grinned like she’d just found a fun button to push. “In the flesh. Or… in the Wi-Fi.”
Sara shot Ellie a look. “Ellie.”
“What?” Ellie said, totally unbothered. “I’m not being mean. I’m being… observational.”
Mr. Rhys’s mouth went dry. He stared at the screen, trying to recalibrate. “You… know Dayton?”
Ellie’s grin widened. “Yeah.”
Mr. Rhys looked up at Dayton’s face, then back to Ellie, like his mind refused to accept the math. “Why.”
Dayton’s eyes narrowed. “Because people exist outside your classroom, Mr. Rhys.”
Hayden bit her lip hard, clearly fighting a laugh.
Sara leaned in, voice gentler now. “Ezra,” she said, using his first name like she had permission to, like the world had already shifted. However, he wasn’t he teacher. He was just a person, a little to her. She only knew what Dayton had told her. “Are you… okay?”
Hearing his name out loud, from Sara Reeves, on a video call in a hallway full of kids who could crush him without noticing, made something in his chest lurch.
“I…” He tried. The words tangled. “No.”
Sara’s expression softened even more. “Okay. That’s honest.”
Ellie’s tone stayed light, but her eyes sharpened in a way that suggested she did, in fact, possess concern underneath the jokes. “You’re not, like, bleeding or anything, right? Because I’m pretty sure Dayton would lose it and start biting people.”
Dayton snorted. “I would not.”
Hayden leaned in. “She would.”
Dayton shot her a look. Hayden smiled innocently.
Sara took a breath, steadying herself. “Dayton, I’m proud of you even if Chloe and I didn’t agree with your choice,” she said, and the pride sounded real, but it was threaded with worry. “But I need you to tell me something straight. Are you okay owning him?”
Dayton’s grip tightened a fraction, not squeezing, just anchoring Mr. Rhys so he didn’t sway as a group of eighth graders thundered past. Her eyes stayed on Sara’s face.
“I chose this,” Dayton said quietly. “I told you and Chloe I could even when you said I shouldn’t. I can do this.”
Sara nodded slowly, like that was the exact answer she feared and respected at the same time. “Okay.”
Mr. Rhys heard it again, that word owning, and his stomach turned.
Ellie, sensing the mood dip, decided to kick it back up with her usual brand of fun. “Also,” she said, grinning, “I’m sorry but this is kind of iconic. Mr. Rhys finally has to look up at Dayton.”
“Sara,” Dayton said instantly.
“I’m sorry,” Ellie said, not sorry at all. “Too soon?”
Sara gave Ellie a warning look that only kind of worked. “Ellie.”
Ellie held up her hands. “Okay, okay. Concern. I have concern. I’m concerned. He’s no Jordy though.”
Hayden leaned closer to Dayton’s phone and stage whispered, “This is why she runs shipping. No one can stop her.”
Mr. Rhys’s eyes flicked back to Ellie. The fact that she was in Dayton’s circle, joking like this was a normal day, made him feel like he’d stepped into a room where everyone else had already read the script.
Dayton’s gaze shifted. Something in her expression brightened, sharp and mischievous, like an idea had just struck.
“Sara,” Dayton said. “Put Chloe on.”
Sara blinked. “Right now?”
“Yeah,” Dayton said, and her mouth twitched. “Ezra doesn’t believe me.”
Mr. Rhys stiffened. “That isn’t what I said.”
“It’s what you meant,” Dayton replied, sweet as poison.
Sara looked off screen. “Chloeee,” she called.
In the background, Jordy’s voice drifted faintly, annoyed. “Why are you yelling, she’s literally right here.”
Then Chloe Gracewood stepped into the frame.
Even through a phone screen, she had presence. Not loud. Not showy. Just… inevitable. Like people were designed to notice her.
She leaned in beside Sara with a small, bright smile. “Hey.”
Dayton lifted her chin, triumphant. “Hi.”
Chloe’s gaze dropped to Dayton’s hand, then to Mr. Rhys. Her smile didn’t change, but her eyes sharpened with quick understanding.
“Mr. Rhys,” Chloe said pleasantly, as if she were greeting him at a fundraiser instead of over a video call with him in daytons hand in a Roosevelt hallway. “So you’re the new addition to the group.”
Mr. Rhys felt his pulse slam against his ribs.
He knew that name. Everybody knew that name. Even if you didn’t follow the corporate drama, even if you didn’t care about music labels, technology, or philanthropy or whatever else the Gracewoods touched, you knew who they were… gravity.
He tried to sit up straighter in Dayton’s palm, which was humiliating because Dayton’s palm was not, in fact, a chair.
“Miss Gracewood,” he managed, voice suddenly thin. “I… didn’t realize you and Dayton…”
Chloe’s smile widened a fraction. “Know each other?”
Dayton’s eyes glittered. “He told me I was lying.”
“I did not,” Mr. Rhys protested.
Hayden, helpful like a match near gasoline, murmured, “He kind of did.”
Chloe’s gaze returned to Mr. Rhys, calm and unbothered, the way rich kids got when they’d never had to rush for anything in their lives.
“Dayton doesn’t normally lie about her connections,” Chloe said simply. “Or her skills.”
Mr. Rhys’s throat tightened.
Chloe tilted her head, still smiling. “Also, you’re in her hand right now, so I’d recommend choosing your next few sentences with… care. But just some free advice.”
Ellie, from the side, coughed like she was choking on laughter. “Chloe, that was so scary. Say it again.”
“Stop,” Sara hissed at Ellie, but she was smiling despite herself.
Dayton’s lips pressed together, fighting a grin. She looked down at Mr. Rhys, and her voice dropped to just him.
“See?”
Mr. Rhys stared at the screen, at Chloe’s calm certainty, at Sara’s worried eyes, at Ellie’s amused face. The whole thing felt unreal, like he’d slipped into an alternate version of life. where the popular girls included shipping dynasties and music empires and his own student guardian, and he was the smallest piece on the board.
Chloe gave Dayton a little nod, softening. “You okay, Dayton? I’ve seen the body cam footage. Private feed. It looked intense. I didn’t know till it happened.”
Dayton hesitated for half a heartbeat, then nodded back. “Yeah. I’m okay.”
Sara leaned closer, voice quiet but firm. “Text me after class. Real check-in. No ‘I’m fine’ shortcuts.”
Dayton rolled her eyes. “Okay.”
Ellie leaned in again, playful but warm. “And tell Hayden to stop acting like she’s not obsessed with being part of this.”
Hayden scoffed. “I’m not obsessed.”
Ellie’s grin went wolfish. “You’re literally vibrating.”
Hayden laughed, and Dayton laughed, and for a second the call felt like a bubble around them in the hallway, a pocket of home.
Mr. Rhys didn’t laugh.
He just stared at the screen as Chloe lifted a hand in a casual wave and stepped out of frame again, like she’d dropped by a video call the way other kids dropped by a locker.
Royalty, he thought, and the word felt absurd and accurate at the same time.
Sara’s eyes found Mr. Rhys once more, gentle but serious. “We’ll talk later too, okay? You’re not… alone in this.”
Mr. Rhys couldn’t answer. His throat was tight with the weight of everything he’d lost, and the strange, terrifying fact that Dayton’s world had room for people like Ellie Montgomery-Ward, Sara Reeves and Chloe Gracewood, and now, apparently, room for him.
Dayton lowered the phone slightly, starting to move again with Hayden at her side, the hallway tide pulling them forward.
The call stayed on.
So did the reality.
And Mr. Rhys, sitting in the center of Dayton Harris’ palm like a fact nobody could unsee, felt the last thin strand of denial inside him finally go slack.
The call ended with a soft little click, and suddenly the hallway was just… the hallway again.
No glowing screen. No familiar voices in Dayton’s palm. Just lockers, sneakers, laughter, and the dull roar of Roosevelt moving like a living thing.
Dayton slid her phone back into her pocket like she hadn’t just casually FaceTimed half the unofficial social power grid of New York.
Mr. Rhys did not recover nearly as smoothly.
He stared at the spot where the screen had been, his face pale in a way that looked almost comical at four inches tall. His hands flexed, then clenched, then flexed again like his body couldn’t decide what to do with the adrenaline.
“You,” he said, voice tight, “you just… you just spoke to Chloe Gracewood like it was nothing.”
Dayton blinked innocently. “Yeah, And Ellie Montgomery-Ward. She’s Sara’s best friend. I’ve known Ellie forever. Since like diapers or something. As if you see one you see the other. Married couples are together less time than Sara and Ellie.”
“And Sara Reeves,” Mr. Rhys snapped, like he couldn’t believe he had to say it out loud. “Sara Reeves. Sarandipity. You weren’t lying or tricking me. She was right there.”
Dayton’s mouth twitched. She lifted her hand slightly, bringing him closer to her face as they continued down the hall, Hayden walking beside her with a grin like she was watching a live episode of something.
Mr. Rhys was breathing faster now, eyes darting, like the hallway had somehow become more dangerous because he’d just glimpsed the world above it.
“Do you have any idea,” he hissed, “what kind of… what kind of access that is? What kind of…”
“What kind of influence,” Hayden supplied, delighted.
Mr. Rhys shot her a look that would’ve wilted a plant if he were still full sized.
Dayton’s smile widened, finally giving up on pretending she wasn’t enjoying this. “Ezra,” she said, sweetly, “are you… freaking out?”
“I am not,” he started, then his voice cracked on the lie. “I am recalibrating.”
Hayden laughed. “He’s buffering.”
Mr. Rhys’s cheeks went hot. “I’m not buffering.”
Dayton tilted her head, eyes bright with mischief. “So,” she said, “you’re telling me you recognized Sara Reeves instantly.”
Mr. Rhys froze.
Dayton’s grin turned feral. “Oh my God.”
Hayden’s smile went huge. “No way.”
Mr. Rhys tried to recover, dignity scrambling back into place like a cat on slick tile. “She is… a public figure.”
Dayton nodded very seriously. “Totally. A public figure whose streams you definitely never watch.”
“Merely for educational curiosity. I do not normally watch her streams.” Ezra said in a tone that even he didn’t believe was truthful.
Hayden leaned in, fake whispering, “He so watches her streams.”
Mr. Rhys’s voice went sharper. “I do not.”
Dayton’s eyes narrowed, playful and victorious. “You said her streamer name like it was your own mother’s name.”
Mr. Rhys opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. Nothing came out except a frustrated exhale.
Dayton giggled, actually giggled, and it made him feel both irritated and weirdly… unsettled, because she was laughing while holding him like a phone charm.
“Okay,” Dayton said, drawing the word out. “So you’re a super fan.”
“I am not a…”
“You’re a super fan,” she repeated, and her tone made it a fact, not an insult.
Hayden bumped Dayton’s shoulder. “That’s so embarrassing for you.”
Mr. Rhys glared at Hayden. “You are enjoying this far too much.”
Hayden beamed. “Correct.”
Dayton’s thumb brushed lightly against his shoulder, not mocking now, just steady. “Relax,” she said, and her voice softened, like she knew exactly where the panic was coming from. “It’s not a big deal.”
“It is,” Mr. Rhys said immediately, then quieter, “It is a big deal.”
Dayton’s expression softened again, just slightly. “Okay,” she said. “It feels like a big deal.”
Mr. Rhys swallowed. His eyes darted up at the sea of students again, then back to Dayton, as if he couldn’t decide which reality was more terrifying.
Dayton’s smile returned, smaller now. “But yeah,” she added, like she couldn’t resist one last twist of the knife, “you’re a super fan.”
Mr. Rhys made a strangled sound. “Stop saying it like that. I just watch her streams to unwind. Her tips on the arkfall raid were particularly helpful.”
Hayden snorted.
Dayton laughed again, then lifted her chin toward him, almost conspiratorial. “You’ll meet her in person soon enough,” she said, like she was talking about a field trip.
Mr. Rhys went still. “What.”
Dayton’s eyes glittered. “Sara.”
“Why would I meet Sara Reeves in person,” he said, voice rising, “I am in your hand.”
Dayton shrugged like it was obvious. “Because she’s my sister and she checks in. And because you’re my little now.” She said it matter of factly, like weather. “So… you’ll meet her. We go on vacations together and spend holidays together. I go to her house just to hang out. She stops by mine. She picks me up and stuff sometimes.”
Mr. Rhys stared at her, stunned, like his brain had hit a wall and was trying to climb it anyway.
Hayden leaned in, grinning like she couldn’t help herself. “Imagine being a grown man and your life is just getting humbled by teenage influencers.”
Mr. Rhys shut his eyes for one second, as if the darkness might reset him.
It didn’t.
Dayton kept walking, hand steady, voice light again. “Don’t worry,” she added, almost kindly. “You can ask her to sign your phone case.”
Mr. Rhys’s eyes snapped open. “I will not.”
Hayden burst out laughing so hard she had to grab Dayton’s sleeve to steady herself. Dayton laughed too, bright and sharp. It felt good to laugh after everything. After the guns, the officers, the SEA, the stress.
Mr. Rhys being a fanboy of Sara’s is hilarious.
It’s strictly educational….lol.
No i wanted to humanize him so making him watch her streams and do some gaming seemed like a good recreational touchstone .
I always wanted to make it where it was a big deal to him but he was trying to play it off.
I can see that I’d love to see Mr. Rhys and Jordan interact.
I think chole saying “Chloe tilted her head, still smiling. “Also, you’re in her hand right now, so I’d recommend choosing your next few sentences with… care. But just some free advice.” I think finally made him understand how small he was now and that he was the child now not Dayton. I hope for his sake this keeps him for acting like Kelli and understand his place because Dayton isn’t Kayla.
Hard to say how much impact it had as it’s so early
video of Reyes showing his new love for Dayton after the facetime lol.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HxamsfoUqqIyDVfhY08aGxvTFjul-A5w/view?usp=drivesdk
1) “The screen lit up with SARA and the big green accept button.’” I’m actually surprised this didn’t happen sooner, but I’m thinking Sara praise is coming
2) “Ellie Montgomery-Ward was wedged into the frame beside her, leaning in like she’d been invited to the drama and brought snacks” her natural habitat
3) “And further back, Dayton caught a glimpse of Jordy’s head and Chloe’s blonde hair, but they weren’t in the frame. Just a blur of presence.” A failed attempt at keeping Jordan away from her.
4) “Baby Shark, Talk to me.” Sara calling her shark too is golden.
5) “Chloe had a private feed.“ of course she did.
6) “Hi, Day. You look… very un-arrested. Congrats.” Better than unarrested, she got a pat on the back from the goons
7) “Okay. And him. Is he okay?” that’s the kind of question i’d expect from Chloe, not Sara
8) “He knew Sara Reeves. Not personally obviously,” not yet
9) “Ellie blinked. As people didnt use her name like that. Then grinned like she’d just found a fun button to push. “In the flesh. Or… in the Wi-Fi.” Glad she’s having fun with it
10) “You… know Dayton?” – “Yeah.” Dayton’s associates fonna seem real wild to Ezra.
11) “I… No.” Honest answer, and how could he be, he just lost the rest of what he’d held on to post infection, (partially his fault but still)
12) “You’re not, like, bleeding or anything, right? Because I’m pretty sure Dayton would lose it and start biting people.” – “I would not.” Dayton doesn’t care about him enough for that.
13) “Dayton, I’m proud of you even if Chloe and I didn’t agree with your choice,” why? She did specifically what you told her went against her training and claimed a Little for revenge, (granted it was Sara’s plan for Charity, but she’d grown past that).
14) “I chose this, I told you and Chloe I could even when you said I shouldn’t. I can do this.” Yeah, because overconfident 13yo are never wrong/s
15) “Sara,” Dayton said. “Put Chloe on.” Fuc you Dayton you don’t give orders like that, and trying to flex with your connections is not the best way to start a guardian/Little relationship. (not that any of this has been a good start)
16) “Dayton doesn’t normally lie about her connections, Or her skills.” Just her intentions, and the behaviour/actions of Littles
17) “Also, you’re in her hand right now, so I’d recommend choosing your next few sentences with… care. But just some free advice.” THat’s what I said, Chloe being in step with my mind makes me happy. Obviously she’s well aware he’s not safe
18) “Chloe, that was so scary. Say it again.” Ellie’s being quite childish this episode.
19) “Text me after class. Real check-in. No ‘I’m fine’ shortcuts.” Sara is intimately familiar with all those tricks
20) “Royalty, he thought, and the word felt absurd and accurate at the same time” that’s Chloe Gracewood
21) “We’ll talk later too, okay? You’re not… alone in this.” No, but he’s surrounded by people who’ll almost universally side with Dayton or each other over him, which I can tell you from experience is comparatively lonely.
22) “half the unofficial social power grid of New York.” that’s a good way to describe them
23) “Sara Reeves. Sarandipity. You weren’t lying or tricking me. She was right there.” I don’t blame him for thinking Dayton was lying, kids that age are often dishonest
24) “Do you have any idea, what kind of… what kind of access that is?” Of course his radical mind immediately thinks of her friends as tool that can be used
25) “Dayton’s smile widened, finally giving up on pretending she wasn’t enjoying this” so the mask is coming off more.
26) “He so watches her streams.” He’d be getting teased less if he just admitted it.
27) “she added, like she couldn’t resist one last twist of the knife” that’s Dayton for ya
28) “Why would I meet Sara Reeves in person, I am in your hand.” But sooner or later that hand will be near Sara Reeves, She’s Dayton’s babysitter afterall
29) “Imagine being a grown man and your life is just getting humbled by teenage influencers.” THat’s the life of Jordan and a few other Littles no doubt
30) “It felt good to laugh after everything. After the guns, the officers, the SEA, the stress.” and of course that laughter came at Ezra’s expense, the one who probably needs a laugh the most is the only one not laughing.
1) Well Sara is in school as well. So she had to find a moment to call her where she knew both her and dayton wouldnt be in class. She did text her earlier.
2)It really is her natural habitat.
3)To be fair he is away from her. THey arent in he same bulding even. He is just in the background. Its not like Dayton thinks he died.
4) Well Sara specifically calls her baby shark. My head cannon is when Dayton goes on the streams to game with Sara. Sara plays the Baby Shark as Dayton comes on.
5) Its the gracewoods. If anyone was getting a video access its them with their level fo security clearance due to government work.
6) I wouldnt call that a pat on the back. Just a acknoweldgement of survivial.
7)Sara can care about people. She is actioning speaking louder then words.
8) The not yet seems ominous.
9) Its Ellie. She finds the fun in most things.
10) They would seem wild to most people I feel like. Very rarely has normal people been depicted interacting with them.
11) agreed 100%
12) Dayton didnt want him physically mauled shes not that heartless.
13)Well there not proud of he why but they are proud of her conviction and follow through to her own beliefs.
14) Never, I cant think of a single thing that could possibly be wrong or go wrong.
15) I mean i agree with you where none of htis has been good start. Mr. Rhys started it bad. Dayton started it bad. They have all around not made great choices that led into where they are now in my opinion.
This part seemed like something someone her age would do though.
16) So we are in agreeance that chloe is factually right Lol
17) I knew you were going to like that. When you said it yesterday i laughed so hard as i was so close to wht chloe said.
18) She is just goofing around.
19) Yup Dayton would need to get up pretty early to beat sara with one of those tricks. But I also wanted to kind of show how Sara does actually care about dayton and vice versa. As i felt it hadnt been highlighted very well
20) in a nutshell. If america had a royal family it would be them in this universe.
21) Well most of htem dont know him. As they never went to public school. But they hae good intentions.
22) it is very fitting
23) They are its a fair question. I would say exaggerate more then lie. but both happen.
24) Well he isnt the greatest person. Hes not horrible but he’s not out here claiming to be mr. america.
25) Or becoming more comfortable
26) I agree. if he was honest about it he could have avoided alot of this. They aren’t so much as teasing but pointing out the truth. He is a fan and there is nothing wrong with that. Like everyone has things they find relaxing or destressing.
27) LIke I said she is a better person thens he was but still dayton. SHes not mother teresa all the sudden.
28) He doesnt know all that but it should be obvious if she calls them and talks how she did with them. She would also hang out with them.
29) Jordan is a pro at this point.
30) Well it woul dbe stressful for them as well. Guys with automatic weaspons storming in. But you are correct Ezra could use a bit as well but he is also keeping himself wound up pretty tight.
1) Fair enough
3) If it
S good enough for him I suppose
4) If Dayton’s been on her streams Ezra should have noticed, lol
6) She was praised in front of her peers and they were told to be more like her, that’s a pat on the back and then some.
7) they were just words though.
8) Lol.
10) No, Kayla’s probably their most normal friend
12) but she also wouldn’t seek bloody vengeance if he was.
13) By that logic Sara should be proud of Jordan’s escape attempt.
15) Yeah, I think Dayton’s were worse because she made the choice that keeps them together instead of going their separate ways.
16) Yep
17) It was gold
19) She definitely cares for Dayton.
20) Lol
21) I’m not sure he’ll agree their intentions are good, we know they’re willing to defend each other’s bad decisions. He’s gonna get what Jordan got, where ever he looks there’ll be someone else telling him how “lucky” he is to have his guardian, despite all the shit she puts him through.
24) It’s how he sees the world
25) both can be true
27) she’s a slightly better person.
28) It should be obvious, Sara even mentioned checking in with Dayton, which could easily been person. (I could actually imagine a situation where she comes to check on Dayton and leaves Jordan to talk to Rhys)
30) How could he not be wound up in that situation, having lost everything and stressing about if he’ll ever be safe in his uncertain future? especially with those girls making digs to wind him up further.
4) He could have, but in my head Dayton isnt on very often because of her age so she is more just in the chat. So it was just she was on when he wasn’t watching.
6) I guess it depends on if it was viewed as praise. But only time will tell.
7) Well I counted the action of her asking about him and checking with him when she didnt need to as being an action. As she could have just checked on dayton and asked about Ezra like he was a pet or something. But she acknowledged him and asked about him with respect and dignity.
10) That is a good point i wasnt thinking about her as she is just part of the crew at this point. Her family is sitll pretty well off though but she doesnt have the clout or fame as Sara, Ellie or Chloe. So thats a good pull.
12) Well thats true. She would react differently then if Kinsley was harmed.
13) Maybe not proud but she does acknowledge the degree of courage it took with giant bugs and such. SHe also thinks it was dumb on his part as it was needless harm.
15) I can understand that logic. I personally view them as equal.
21) Well they dont view them as bad but I see your point.
25) they can
27) thats high priase from you.
28) That would be intersting if she left Jordan and Rhys together as they dont seem like they would have much in common. Plus Jordan is a introvert so he wouldnt be the most comfortable meeting someone new.
I coud also see a world where Sara wouldnt put that much social pressure on him. But I could see Jordan saying Hi or hey and then it being awkward.
30) He also led himself a bit into getting teased. They could also view teasing as more light ribbing in a bringing him into the group. As if you are part of that circle you’re going to get a bit of ribbing. Everyone gets their turn on both sides.
But i get where you are coming from as well.
Asuka,
I was wondering if you have any thoughts on the demographics of the Guardians in America? How many are there? What percentage are adult? What percentage are female? What percentage of Guardians actually have a Little? Any other categories you can think of.
So far we have only seen teenage Guardians, and I understand that is the purpose of your story lines. I’m just curious how you picture the rest of the Guardian population.
If you haven’t delved into this aspect, I won’t be disappointed, it’s just one of those odd questions bouncing around my head. 😁
just to add to that, what are the age demographics of those that shrank? so far it seems like a ton of people under 35 (I think Greg and Cindy are the eldest, but idk about charity’s parents)
There his bin a lot of Questions asking the same thing about charity’s parents and those distant Relative? the same go for stepmonter 2 .
But look like we will never know is have bin 6 years since stepmonter end many many Messages sind to the author to continue the story and make season2.
But no matter what nothing will change.
No I answered the question about charity’s parents. I said they were created be how they were used. I could write a story about them but they werent created with that in mind so it would need to be done from scratch. They were bit characters to exist as her parents and be in that role. They aren’t fleshed out people in the way Kayla and Kelli are. They arent Sara or Jordan because they werent designed to be that. So if I were to make a story around them. I would have to fully design the characters making them fully fleshed out while also still being the people they were to not break continuity.
Secondly, I have an actual production pipleline so even if I were to write a story about her parents. it wouldnt be done anytime soon as I have pretty much all of 2026 already booked out.
Like I mentioned before I have a large chunk of step monster 2 written. Its been written for years I even had someone edit it years ago when they were asking about it then.
But when I had the time and want to work on it there was not enough interest. So I wrote it and made it for myself And now i’ve moved on to other projects. so if I were to post it I would need to Re-read it. Format it for the current format and do character art and designs for it. As I would post it here.
I spent many years writing stories and fiction. Smallara is something I do for strictly myself because I enjoy it. I like the characters. I like the world. I made some mistakes over the years in how I originally made the world but you live and learn.
If I were to release step mosnter 2. I would also have to stop production on everything I’m current working on to do it. So its not that it wont happen its just not the first thing on my mind anymore.
I’d also need to actually post all of step monter the original tale here and make artwork for that.
There is also the reality that the current readership here may not be fully interested in a story written in that way and style. While alot my learnings from step monster were rolled into the smallara world. Its a very different kind of story that is more cruel.
Short answer: I don’t have hard demographic numbers for Guardians, and that’s intentional. I don’t really build the world from a statistical, census-style angle. I tend to focus more on the material and social realities of Littles, how they’re treated, commodified, protected, or exploited, rather than trying to pin everything down numerically.
That said, I do have a general picture in my head.
You’re right that most of the Guardians we see are teenagers. That’s partly a storytelling choice and partly a worldbuilding one. The world started very tightly with Mallory, Gavin, Jordan, and Sara, and then branched outward. Because I write very slowly and methodically, that initial age group naturally defines a lot of what we see.
There are older Guardians. Bella from the Smallara Village story is a good example, outside of Greg and Cindy, she’s probably the oldest featured Guardian so far. Older people absolutely exist in the Guardian system. They’re just less visible in the main narrative.
A big reason for that is structural. In the U.S., which is where the story is primarily focused, Smallara didn’t hit nearly as hard as it did elsewhere. Guardian training didn’t start as a universal or mandatory system. It rolled out unevenly, and mostly later.
You can see this clearly depending on timeframe:
Because of that, younger people simply have more access to becoming Guardians. They’re trained early, subsidized through school systems, and normalized into the role. Older adults, by contrast, usually become Guardians for practical reasons—family obligation, necessity, or circumstance, rather than “this seems interesting” or “this would be fun.”
Some plotlines also just don’t work with older characters. A character like Dayton at 30, for example, wouldn’t be edgy or dramatic in the same way, it would just be sad. The emotional beats I’m aiming for often depend on youth, immaturity, power imbalance, and social pressure.
As for gender dynamics: I’ve spent more time thinking about the economic side than Guardian demographics. Female Littles are canonically more economically “valuable” due to what is called in universe the Barbie effect, people like dressing, styling, accessorizing, and customizing them. A living, moving, breathing Barbie has enormous consumer appeal, and that shapes how society treats Littles overall. That lens has mattered more to me than whether Guardians are 42% female or 55% adult.
So while I can’t give you percentages like:
I can say this: older Guardians exist, but they’re quieter, more practical, and less narratively explosive. Younger Guardians dominate the visible culture because the system is built around them, trained into them, and because that’s where the story I’m telling lives.
And honestly, none of this is to say those other stories aren’t there. They’re just not the ones I’m telling yet.