Nicole had the cart angled like she meant business, steering them down a wide aisle that opened toward the electronics wing. Little Mart did that thing where the store wasn’t just aisles, it was zones, like a museum for tiny-people infrastructure. Ahead, a glossy sign read LITTLE TECH & CONNECTIVITY with a smiling Guardian holding a tablet and a smiling Little sitting on a stand like he was about to join a Zoom call, not a captivity.
Dayton walked beside the cart, hands in her hoodie pocket, trying to look casual about the fact that she was shopping for her collared former teacher like he was a new laptop.
Kinsley sat perched in the child seat, legs swinging, face alert in that way she got when she was about to be a problem on purpose.
Mr. Myers followed a few steps behind them, scanning the store with quiet Dad Awareness. Not suspicious exactly, but… awake.
They hadn’t even reached the endcap when a Little Mart employee stepped into the aisle like he’d been waiting for a cue. He wore the black polo with the embroidered logo, his name tag catching the overhead lights.
BOBBY.
He approached with two tall glass bottles and one tiny bottle nestled in a foam sleeve, like this was a champagne service and not a retail store that sold habitats.
“Hello, Ms. Harris, Ms. Myers, Mr. Myers,” Bobby said smoothly, holding them out. “Here are your lemonades.”
Nicole stopped so fast the cart wheels squeaked.
Kinsley blinked. “What.”
Mr. Myers’ eyebrows went up in a way that was very polite and very confused.
Nicole looked down at the bottle like it might explode. “I’m sorry,” she said, slow, “are… are we being served beverages right now?”
Dayton didn’t even hesitate. She reached out and took hers like she accepted drinks at restaurants all the time, because apparently she did.
“Thanks, Bobby,” Dayton said, bright and easy. “You’re a lifesaver. I appreciate you. Out here doing gods work.”
Nicole stared at Dayton’s hand like it had just signed an autograph. “You ordered lemonade.”
Dayton shrugged, twisting the cap. “I asked nicely. It’s not a big deal.”
Bobby offered the second bottle to Nicole. She took it automatically, still processing, like her body accepted hospitality while her brain filed a complaint.
“And this,” Bobby added, smiling, “is the small one.”
Dayton took the tiny bottle and handed it straight to Kinsley.
“Here,” Dayton said, very matter of fact. “I didn’t forget about you.”
Kinsley accepted it with both hands, eyeing the label. The bottle was adorable in a way that made it feel like an insult and a gift at the same time.
“Thank you,” Kinsley said, then narrowed her eyes. “But when does Little Mart have lemonade.”
Nicole nodded hard. “Yeah. I have been here like… a hundred times. I have never been offered anything except hand sanitizer.”
Bobby’s smile didn’t shift. This was clearly normal for him, which made it worse.
Dayton took a sip casually. “They keep it in the back fridge.”
Kinsley’s mouth fell open. “There’s a back fridge?”
Nicole squinted at Dayton. “Why do you know there’s a back fridge.”
Dayton looked genuinely confused by their confusion. “Chloe keeps it stocked. It’s in the black room. Just down the hall from the break room. Then you take a left.”
“Chloe… like Chloe Chloe?” Nicole asked slowly.
Dayton waved a hand. “Yeah, are you holding out on me? What other Chloe do you know?” Dayton asked before answering “ Sara’s Chloe.” Dayton said then elaborating “When Chloe and Sara come through they normally take me with.”
Kinsley’s eyes went huge. “And you didnt take me? I can understand Nicole. She can be a wet blanket sometimes. But me?”
“I didnt know you wanted to come. Next time I will make sure to invite you.” Dayton said.
Nicole stared at her lemonade bottle again, then back at Dayton. “So you’re telling me you come here enough that you have a usual drink.”
Dayton sipped again. “Yeah.” Deciding not to mention the soft pretzels.
Kinsley held her tiny bottle up like evidence in court. “And they have a Little sized version.”
Dayton shrugged. “Kinsley is Little. It would be rude to give her a giant bottle.”
Kinsley twisted the cap, sniffed it, and took a sip. Her face brightened instantly, like her soul had just been refilled.
“Oh,” she said quietly. Then louder, “Okay. This is actually… insane.”
Nicole took a sip too, and her expression shifted. She tried to fight it. She failed.
“This is… premium,” Nicole admitted, offended by how good it was. “Fresh squeezed. Like… not store lemonade.”
Dayton nodded, satisfied. “Yeah. That’s why I get it.”
Kinsley pointed her tiny bottle at Dayton. “So your s aying you secretly like… Little Mart royalty.”
Nicole’s voice went flat. “She’s a VIP. Apparently.”
Dayton’s mouth twitched. “It’s not that deep guys. I do a get a discount but I’m just like everyone else.
Nicole leaned closer, whispering, “Bobby just walked up like we’re in first class.”
Kinsley added, delighted, “He greeted you by name like you’re famous.”
Dayton gave them a look. “It’s just… service.”
Mr. Myers’ tone was mild, but pointed out. “This isn’t a restaurant.”
Dayton made a face. “It’s an experience. Also, the Little Mart at the mall doesn’t have lemonade. They have this fruit punch thing that’s fizzy. It’s good, but it’s weird. This store is better. It’s bigger. It used to be a warehouse.”
Kinsley scanned upward at the absurdly high ceiling. “Yeah, I noticed. This place has the energy of a Costco that got a sociology degree.”
Nicole snorted, then immediately looked annoyed at herself for laughing.
Dayton brightened again, turning back to Bobby like the conversation had never gone off the rails. “Bobby, did you ever get that moped you were talking about? When I was here with Sara like… two or three weeks ago?”
Nicole’s head snapped toward Dayton. “You have ongoing life updates with employees?”
Kinsley whispered, “She has a side quest.”
Bobby’s face lit up in a genuinely pleased way. “Yeah. It’s been great,” he said. “Good gas mileage, and it beats walking here or relying on public transit.”
Dayton nodded enthusiastically. “Love that.”
Bobby, riding the wave of being treated like a human and not a nameless retail NPC, added with a grin, “I’ll give you a ride sometime. It’s very freeing.”
Nicole’s entire face changed. It wasn’t anger. It was alarm.
Mr. Myers’ head turned slowly. “No.”
Dayton’s eyes widened in excited disbelief. “Really?”
Nicole jabbed a finger gently into Dayton’s shoulder. “Absolutely not.”
Kinsley cackled. “Dayton just got grounded by Nicole.”
Dayton sputtered, “It’s not like today. I mean like… sometime.”
Mr. Myers’ voice stayed calm, the way dads get when they’re about to become a locked door. “Dayton, you are thirteen.”
Bobby’s grin faltered half an inch as reality re-entered the chat.
Dayton recovered fast, cheeks pink. “Okay, yeah. Obviously. I mean… hypothetically. In a future where time exists.”
Kinsley’s eyes glittered. “In a future where you’re twenty-five and still ordering lemonade at Little Mart.”
Nicole pointed at Kinsley without looking at her. “Drink your tiny lemonade and be quiet.”
Kinsley took another sip immediately. “No.”
Bobby cleared his throat, professionalism snapping back into place like a uniform. “I should get back to it. It was good seeing you again, Dayton. Nice meeting you, Kinsley, Nicole.”
He nodded to Mr. Myers respectfully. “Sir.”
Mr. Myers nodded back, polite. “Thank you.”
Bobby headed off down the aisle, already moving fast like he’d just remembered he worked in a store and not in Dayton’s orbit.
Nicole waited until he was out of earshot.
Then she turned slowly to Dayton, eyes narrowed.
“Explain,” Nicole said.
Dayton blinked, innocent. “What.”
Kinsley raised her tiny bottle like a toast. “I’m with Nicole. Explain why you’re casually getting beverage service like you’re a celebrity.”
Dayton took another sip, calm as anything. “I told you. It’s just part of the experience.”
Nicole stared at her for a full second, then pushed the cart forward again, still baffled but now fueled.
“Fine,” Nicole muttered. “Let’s go look at tablets for your Little.”
Kinsley grinned, wicked. “Your VIP Little.”
Dayton groaned. “Do not start.”
Kinsley took a victory sip. “Already started.”
Been loving the shopping arc as a nice pallet cleaner from the school arc.
you could say it’s a…pellet cleanser
I actually read it as pellet cleanser until you posted this
It does show Dayton more as just a person
technically Dayton, it’s more part of your experience. The employee’s won’t really know to do that for nicole and kinsley if you don’t take them with you when sarah and chloe go
Fair but Dayton can only really speak to her expierence. She’s not trying to review little mart. When she comes drinks are available to her so she gets drinks.
She’s not really thinking much beyond that. I wouldn’t mind the Dayton expierence when I shop though.
neither would i haha it’s just slightly out of character, to me at least, for her not to make sure it’s understood that it’s only part of the experience if you know Chloe and Sarah. Like she’s way too specific to forget to do that, though i guess she kinda does in hindsight of my comment but i wouldn’t call it part of the experience if i was her.
1) “Kinsley sat perched in the child seat, legs swinging, face alert in that way she got when she was about to be a problem on purpose.” Kinsley has a bratty charm
2) “Thanks, Bobby, you’re a lifesaver. I appreciate you. Out here doing God’s work.” Sounds like Gretchen delegated the task
3) ““You ordered lemonade.” – “I asked nicely. It’s not a big deal.” Not really, Daton demanded lemonade.
4) “They keep it in the back fridge.” – “There’s a back fridge?” – “Why do you know there’s a back fridge.” I think both Twins should be able to figure out that knowing Chloe and Sara would allow Dayton perks.
5) “Yeah, are you holding out on me? What other Chloe do you know?” Well, Chloe isn’t exactly a rare name; it’s not unreasonable to know several.
6) “And you didnt take me? I can understand Nicole. She can be a wet blanket sometimes. But me?” – “I didnt know you wanted to come. Next time I will make sure to invite you.” That I’d like to see
7) “And they have a little-sized version.” It’s Littlemart, Little-sized versions is kind of their thing
8) “So you’re saying you secretly like… Little Mart royalty.” – “She’s a VIP. Apparently.” Both of them know she’s got a personal relationship with a Gracewood and a future Gracewood; this shouldn’t be a surprise to them
9) “He greeted you by name like you’re famous.” What’s weirder is that he knew Nicole and her Dad’s surname, Dayton never told it to Gretchen
10) “This isn’t a restaurant.” – “It’s an experience. Also, the Little Mart at the mall doesn’t have lemonade. They have this fruit punch thing that’s fizzy. It’s good, but it’s weird. This store is better. It’s bigger. It used to be a warehouse.” Sounds like Dayton’s trying to deny that she get’s special treatment.
11) “Yeah, I noticed. This place has the energy of a Costco that got a sociology degree.” That’s a good way to put it
12) “Dayton, you are thirteen.” NGL I kinda thought Bobby was her age, he looks to be the same height as her at the very least.
13) “In a future where you’re twenty-five and still ordering lemonade at Little Mart.” I can’t think of a single reason why she wouldn’t be.
14) “Drink your tiny lemonade and be quiet.” – “No.” Don’t silence your Little
15) ““I told you. It’s just part of the experience.” It’s not, though, it’s because she knows people in the Genritech owner family
16) “Your VIP Little.” – “Do not start.” – “Already started.” Sounds like Dayton doesn’t want Ezra enjoying her perks
1) She does is part of the kinsley expierence. She would have been a fun guardian if she was immune.
2) yup or she just called to the back.
3) Im not sure about demanded. But iguess it would depend on the tone you read it in. I was more thinkign when i wrote she was more casual about it like it was a regular thing.
4) Well they didnt know dayton was intrinsiclly aware of the inner workings of little mart locations even with knowing chloe and Sara.
5) Thats true, I will make a note to add in 7 more chloes for you.
6) OH dayton definately will. Shes always down for some Kinsley time. It would be funny if just Dayton and KInsley went without nicole.
7) Well its a little sized version ofspecifically the lemonade chloe likes and buys for herself.
8) Its not shocking surprise they just didnt know Dayton was a little mart vip. As she didnt talk about it or mention it.
9) its generitech you dont think tehy have a list who known acquaintances
10) Well to her its more normalized. So its not a big deal. ITs not something she think about it.
11) im glad that landed
12) He is more around sara’s age.
13) Fair, dayton probably would be. UNless they stopped stocking it.
14) Kinsley cannot be silenced dont worry. Shes no the kinslayer for nothing.
15) Well its part of her expierence..
16) She has to get ezra through the door first.
5) Dayton and Nicole pretty much know who each of them know, so another Chloe would be something they are both aware of, hence the question about knowing another Chloe.
6) That would be fun!
7) The Gracewood touch.
9) This reeks of facial recognition tech!
12) Yeah the picture says younger, but the conversation suggests older.
15) What would happen if a no-name person asked for lemonade?
16) Pretty sure if Ezra had tagged along, he would be a VIP Little.
5) that is fair enough. The odds of dayton or nicole being friends with someone the other isnt aware of is fairly slim.
6) It has alot of possibilities with the fun duo back on the prowl.
9) Well they also could just have a list of known people who associate with dayton and they put two and two together based on the first names.
12)At that age everyone matures at a different pace.
15) They probably wouldnt know to ask. Its not a advertised feature plus Chloe said Dayton can help herself canonically so she does. Chloe has little versions of the lemonade because of Jordan.
if a random stranger asked they probably wouldnt get anything but it really would depend on the employee
16) Well he woudl be recognized as daytons little so he would get special treatment.
Well the guy was all ready looking small for at least a 16 year old guy and now we know why lol. The girls are a whole different VIP to him now lol
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wwAZJFVtqezu6eqXtE_oQTTBH2SZsFJm/view?usp=drivesdk