Dayton stayed glued to the cart like she could physically steer the conversation away from “you are casually receiving corporate perks.”
They moved past a glossy endcap of LittleNet tablets and “Guardian Starter Bundles,” the aisle lights too bright, the floors too clean, the whole place smelling like sanitizer pretending to be vanilla.
Dayton kept her lemonade in hand like Exhibit A.
“I’m telling you,” she said, voice low but insistent, “it’s not a big deal. It’s literally just lemonade. Chloe doesn’t care.”
Nicole walked with the cart like she was pushing a shopping cart and also an entire moral philosophy. “Dayton. It is not about the lemonade.”
Kinsley, perched against the cart handle with her tiny bottle hugged to her chest, took a smug sip. “It’s about the aura.”
Dayton shot her a look. “Stop.”
Kinsley grinned wider. “I can’t. I’m living. This is the most hydrated I’ve felt since… ever.”
Dayton turned back to Nicole, urgency creeping in. “Okay, fine. Watch. I can literally call Chloe and ask on speaker. She’ll be like, ‘Yeah Dayton, it’s lemonade, relax.’”
She reached for her purse.
Nicole’s hand shot out, not grabbing Dayton, just blocking the purse like a crossing guard. “Absolutely not.”
Dayton blinked. “Why.”
“Because you are not putting Chloe Gracewood on speaker in the middle of Little Mart to discuss the lemonade she ‘doesn’t care about,’” Nicole said, each word precise, like she was laying down a legal boundary. “That’s… weird. That’s socially radioactive.”
Dayton frowned, offended on principle. “It’s not radioactive, it’s normal.”
Kinsley tilted her head. “Normal for you, princess.”
Dayton pointed at her with the lemonade bottle. “Don’t start calling me that.”
Kinsley’s eyes glittered. “I’m not starting anything. I’m just noticing you’ve accidentally become a minor celebrity with beverage privileges.”
Dayton looked back to Nicole, pleading now. “Kinsley is cool with it.”
Kinsley lifted her tiny bottle again like a toast. “I am extremely cool with it. I am cooler than the back fridge.”
Nicole didn’t even look at Kinsley. “Kinsley would be cool with free oxygen if it came in a cute bottle.”
“It would,” Kinsley agreed instantly. “And I would drink it.”
Dayton let out a frustrated breath. “Okay. But seriously. Chloe doesn’t mind. Sara doesn’t mind. I’m not like… taking advantage.”
Nicole’s pace slowed half a step. She finally glanced at Dayton, softer but still firm. “Dayton. I’m not mad. I’m just saying… your ‘not a big deal’ is a different universe than everyone else’s ‘not a big deal.’”
Dayton’s mouth opened, then shut.
Kinsley leaned forward, stage-whispering like she was narrating a nature documentary. “In the wild, the Guardian displays dominance by receiving citrus.”
Dayton hissed, “Kinsley.”
Nicole pushed the cart forward again, steering them toward the entertainment section. “Focus. Tablets. Ezra. We can unpack your lemonade monarchy later.”
Dayton muttered, “It’s not monarchy.”
Kinsley sipped again, eyes smiling over the bottle. “Long live the queen of pulp.”
“So what kind of Tablet should i even get him? I mean he’s like a former teacher i cant get him just like a starter tablet and be like hey heres a tablet its purple and his dinosaurs on it.
Nicole didn’t even hesitate. She was grateful for the pivot like it was a life raft.
She nudged the cart with her hip and aimed them down the electronics aisle. “Okay, first of all, the purple dinosaur tablet is for, like, toddlers. Ezra is going to spiral if you hand him something that looks like it came with a juice box.”
Kinsley snorted. “But imagine. Mr. Rhys, dignified intellectual, trapped in a Barbie iPad case. I would watch that movie.”
“Kin,” Nicole warned, but she was half-smiling.
Dayton shot her a look. “I’m being serious.”
“I know,” Nicole said, instantly back in Guardian-mode. “You want something that doesn’t feel like a punishment, but also doesn’t give him free rein to become a menace.”
Kinsley lifted her tiny lemonade like she was holding a microphone. “Get him something that says ‘adult’ but with guardrails. Like… corporate laptop vibes. Minimal joy. Maximum compliance.”
Nicole pointed at her without looking. “That’s… annoyingly accurate.”
She slowed by a display of LittleNet devices and started ticking off points with her fingers, calm and practical. “Here’s what matters.”
“Screen first,” Kinsley said, leaning in. “If it’s too small he’ll hate it, if it’s too big he’ll drop it and it’ll crush him. Tragic.”
Nicole gave her a look. “Not tragic. Expensive.”
Kinsley shrugged. “Also tragic.”
Nicole continued, “You want something with:”
- “A big enough screen he can actually read for long periods without getting a headache,”
- “a stand that locks in place so it won’t tip,”
- “physical buttons he can operate or a stylus that’s actually his size,”
- “and parental controls. Not because he’s a baby, because he’s… Ezra.”
Dayton blinked. “Because he’s Ezra.”
“Because he’s Ezra,” Nicole repeated, deadpan. “He’s going to try to ‘research’ his way out of this. You do not need him on forums, LittleTube, and whatever weird old-teacher corners of the internet exist.”
Kinsley nodded solemnly. “He will radicalize himself in twelve minutes. It’s like sourdough starter. Give it air and it becomes a problem.”
Dayton made a face. “Okay but he was a teacher. He used tech. He’ll know if I’m giving him like… Fisher-Price.”
Nicole softened a little. “Then don’t. Get him a standard LittleNet tablet. The mid-tier one. Not the cheapest, not the deluxe ‘influencer Guardian’ one.”
Kinsley perked up. “Get him the one with the keyboard dock.”
Nicole immediately shook her head. “No keyboard dock yet.”
Kinsley frowned. “Why not? He literally types for a living.”
“Because he’s not ‘typing for a living’ right now,” Nicole said, calm but firm. “He’s adjusting. And if you give him a keyboard, he’s going to start writing essays at you like you’re the school board.”
Dayton exhaled, half-laughing. “He would.”
Kinsley grinned. “He absolutely would. You’d wake up and there’d be a five-page MLA formatted argument taped to your water bottle.”
Nicole pointed at a shelf. “This. LittleNet standard tablet, matte screen. Then get the setup cable and the stand. Lock down the apps. Give him reading access, school stuff access, maybe a journal app if you’re feeling generous.”
Dayton’s brows knit. “But won’t he feel… controlled?”
Nicole looked at her. Not mean. Just real. “Dayton. He is controlled. He’s collared. The goal is to make the control feel like structure instead of humiliation.”
Kinsley lifted her lemonade again. “And if he behaves, you can upgrade later. Like a video game character. He unlocks keyboard privileges at Level Five Obedience.”
Dayton groaned. “Kinsley.”
Kinsley smiled sweetly. “I’m helping.”
Nicole glanced back at Dayton as they walked. “Also. No dinosaurs.”
Dayton’s mouth twitched. “What if it’s like… a tasteful dinosaur.”
Kinsley lit up. “No. Commit. Get him a triceratops. Make it his brand.”
Nicole didn’t even blink. “Dayton, don’t.”
“you’re right. I didnt mean i would literally get him a dinosaur tablet. That was just the example. I want to do this right or as right as possible when you get your little via a middle school raid by the SEA. I’m trying to get this back to normal or whatever our new normal is going to be. Not SEA surveillance. I’m not trying to gatekeep his internet access. I don’t care if he goes on the internet or littlenet. But I probably should wait a bit until the SEA is not probably tapping and watching everything Ezra and I do.
Nicole’s expression softened for a minute, but it didn’t stay soft. It tightened into something steadier. Focused. The look she got when she was about to take a situation apart and rebuild it into something survivable.
“Okay,” Nicole said quietly. “That’s a real concern. You’re not being dramatic.”
Kinsley didn’t crack a joke this time. She just watched Dayton, small and sharp and still too new to this body for the way her eyes carried so much older anger underneath. The little lemonade bottle sat in her hands like a prop she hadn’t asked for.
Dayton exhaled, almost relieved to be believed. “So I should wait.”
“Yes,” Nicole said. “Assume they’re watching anything that makes it easy. If the SEA flagged his collar and your Guardian account today, then this week is going to be the most monitored week of your life.”
Dayton’s stomach turned. “That feels… insane.”
“It is,” Nicole said, and there was no sugar-coating it. “But it’s also how it works when they do a full armored entry and collar somebody in a classroom. They don’t leave that kind of scene without follow up.”
Kinsley’s fingers tightened around the bottle, plastic creaking softly. “They made it public on purpose,” she said. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it cut clean. “It wasn’t just enforcement. It was a message. To the district. To the teachers. To everyone watching.”
Dayton glanced at her. “Yeah.”
Nicole nodded once, like Kinsley had said what she didn’t want to say out loud. “So… make your choices like someone might ask you to justify them. Not because you’re doing anything wrong. Because you’re going to be judged anyway.”
Dayton swallowed. “I don’t want him to feel like I’m taking things from him.”
Kinsley’s gaze flicked up. The seriousness in her face made her look even smaller, like all the extra weight of the world had been shoved into six inches of person. “He’s going to feel that,” she said. “Because his entire life got taken in one day. You can’t avoid the feeling.”
Dayton’s throat tightened. “Then what do I do.”
“You name it,” Kinsley said, steady. “You tell him the truth. You tell him it’s temporary. You tell him it isn’t about control, it’s about making sure they don’t have an excuse to come back in and ruin your life again.”
Nicole added, “And you set it up as a phase. A transition plan. Phase one is boring on purpose. Phase two is closer to normal, once the heat dies down.”
Dayton’s eyes flicked between them. “So… not ‘no internet because I said so.’ More like… ‘no internet because the government is currently breathing down my neck.’”
Nicole’s mouth twitched, but she didn’t let it become a smile. “Basically. And you document it. In your Guardian notes. If they ask, you have a clean explanation.”
Dayton’s shoulders dropped a fraction, like a weight had shifted off the wrong muscle. “I hate that I have to think like that.”
“I know,” Nicole said.
Kinsley stared ahead at the bright aisles, the polished floors, the branding that tried to make containment look like self-care. Her voice went quieter. “You don’t have to make it feel normal for him right away,” she said. “Just… don’t lie. Don’t pretend it’s for his own good when it’s really for compliance.”
Dayton nodded slowly.
Nicole reached out and tapped Dayton’s elbow, quick and grounding. “You’re trying. That matters. But don’t confuse trying with rushing. If you rush and it backfires, the SEA doesn’t punish Ezra. They punish you. And then your mom. And then everyone around you.”
Dayton’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “Yeah.”
Kinsley looked up at Dayton then, eyes steady, no humor left in them. “You want to do right by him,” she said. “So do it the way you’d want someone to do it for you. Explain. Be consistent. And don’t hand the SEA a reason to walk back into your life.”
Dayton’s breath came out slow. Controlled.
“Okay,” she said. Not a performance. Not a joke. Just the first solid plan she’d had since the classroom door opened and the armored men walked in.
Nicole’s pace slowed half a step. She finally glanced at Dayton, softer but still firm. “Dayton. I’m not mad. I’m just saying… your ‘not a big deal’ is a different universe than everyone else’s ‘not a big deal.’”
that’s what i’m saying haha
also, Nicole and Kinsley are right. Be honest about why things are the way they are right now. Ezra’s an adult, he was the SEA target, he’ll understand why things are reigned in from a logic standpoint. He’ll probably need time to accept it, but he’ll understand. Hiding the reality like sara had tried doesn’t workout very well in the transition phase. its more demeaning if anything in my opinion.
I enjoy Kinsley because she is not like most littles that complain and focus on what they can’t do. She knows what she lost and what she has to deal with but still try’s being up beat , even when she excepts Nicole is in control, she does it with love and fun not anger and push back against control.
Imagine Ezra going down a littlenet rabbit hole and finding all sorts of crazy theories about littles would be problematic.
How about asking AI and getting all kinds of “hallucinations”. 🤣
That would be hilarious for us readers, but not for Dayton.
I feel like Ezra’s smart enough to know the difference between a conspiracy theory and reliable information.
I’m sure like in our world, conspiracy theory’s (ironically a FBI promoted op defense saying) have a high rate of being true. Unlike our world that has X and other ways to openly communicate evidence to expose hidden agendas with verified evidence I’m guessing the internet in the smallara world has a Chinese like internet lockdowns to prevent unwanted exposure to government programs & plans that might not be popular. It sounds like in our world they have heavy media propaganda rolling to support government programs like little programs set up to help but end up being government sanctioned slave trade type set ups for money.
1) “it’s not a big deal. It’s literally just lemonade. Chloe doesn’t care.” The problem isn’t that it’s a drink; the problem is that this isn’t available for everyone else.
2) “Because you are not putting Chloe Gracewood on speaker in the middle of Little Mart to discuss the lemonade she ‘doesn’t care about,’” That would be a weird phone call for Chloe to get.
3) “It’s not radioactive, it’s normal.” – “Normal for you, princess.” It’s special treatment
4) “I’m not like… taking advantage.” You absolutely are, this is an advantage and you’ve taken it.
5) “In the wild, the Guardian displays dominance by receiving citrus.” Damn, Kinsley that’s gold
6) “But imagine. Mr. Rhys, dignified intellectual, trapped in a Barbie iPad case. I would watch that movie.” Careful, Kinsley, you don’t want to tempt Dayton
7) “Get him something that says ‘adult’ but with guardrails. Like… corporate laptop vibes. Minimal joy. Maximum compliance.” Something the SEA can easily monitor without you knowing
8) “Because he’s Ezra, he’s going to try to ‘research’ his way out of this. You do not need him on forums, LittleTube, and whatever weird old-teacher corners of the internet exist.” So afraid he’s gonna find a way out, y’all won’t even let him on the censored YouTube variant?
9) “He will radicalize himself in twelve minutes. It’s like sourdough starter. Give it air and it becomes a problem.” If by radicalise you mean vocally disagree with the law, than that ship’s sailed
10) “He’s adjusting. And if you give him a keyboard, he’s going to start writing essays at you like you’re the school board.” or it could help him, let him get out how he’s feeling in written form
11) “But won’t he feel… controlled?” – “Dayton. He is controlled. He’s collared. That was your fucking goal bitch, remember? Or have you drunk so much of your own kool-aid that you’ve forgotten who you truly are?
12) “I want to do this right or as right as possible when you get your little via a middle school raid by the SEA” that bridge is likely burned already, right would likely require personality compatibility tests before purchase.
12.2) “I’m trying to get this back to normal or whatever our new normal is going to be” it’ll never be back to normal, and the new normal is gonna suck for him, no matter how generous you’re pretending to be about it.
13) “I’m not trying to gatekeep his internet access. I don’t care if he goes on the internet or LittleNet. But I probably should wait a bit until the SEA is not probably tapping and watching everything Ezra and I do.” SEA spies are definitely something you’ll need to watch out for.
14) “Assume they’re watching anything that makes it easy. If the SEA flagged his collar and your Guardian account today, then this week is going to be the most monitored week of your life.” Not just this week, I’d say a month at minimum, but I could easily see it being over a year.
15) “That feels… insane.” Actions have consequences, Dayton. Just be glad you’re getting off easier than you deserve.
16) . “They made it public on purpose, It wasn’t just enforcement. It was a message. To the district. To the teachers. To everyone watching.” They definitely turned it into a spectacle, but Dayton did get praised publicly.
17) “I don’t want him to feel like I’m taking things from him.” But you are, that was your goal, take him and take his things, then reduce him into your obedient pet/slave.
18) “He’s going to feel that, Because his entire life got taken in one day. You can’t avoid the feeling.” – “Then what do I do?” You made your bed, now lie in it. And just remember, as many inconveniences as this may have for you, his situation will be infinitely worse, and that’s at least partially on you.
19) “You tell him the truth. You tell him it’s temporary. You tell him it isn’t about control, it’s about making sure they don’t have an excuse to come back in and ruin your life again.” Ruin Dayon’s life? Again? SEA gave Dayton exactly what she wanted, not their fault that there are inconveniences Dayton didn’t think about.
20) “So… not ‘no internet because I said so.’ More like… ‘no internet because the government is currently breathing down my neck.’” Of course, Dayton shifts the blame.
21) “I hate that I have to think like that.” You’re not even going through the hard part.
22) “Just… don’t lie. Don’t pretend it’s for his own good when it’s really for compliance.” Little late for that, Dayton’s already been pretending everything’s for his own good.
23) “If you rush and it backfires, the SEA doesn’t punish Ezra. They punish you. And then your mom. And then everyone around you.” I highly doubt that SEA would let Ezra off the hook in the case of Dayton’s failure.
24) ““So do it the way you’d want someone to do it for you. Explain. Be consistent. And don’t hand the SEA a reason to walk back into your life.” That’s literally the best advice I’ve seen given to a guardian yet, but Dayton. But it’s a Little late for Dayton, I’m sure if Dayton were in Ezra’s position, she wouldn’t want most of what she’s done to him.
6) Kinsley should be careful what she wishes for. It could come back to haunt her.
7) The type of tablet won’t matter. The SEA will monitoring all traffic from Dayton’s house. The hardware (tablet) won’t make it possible to elude the authorities, that will take software (e.g. VPN) but even then it would be very difficult to hide from the SEA, and suspicious activities (like a VPN) would just alert them anyway.
8) As stated before and later in this episode. They eyes of the SEA are on them. Best to wait for the fire to die down.
10) I think a keyboard would be a nice gesture. They are exaggerating how he would abuse it.
14) Agreed. How could they tell when the heat has died down?
16) She may become a figurehead for the SEA. “Look here! This is how good citizens behave!”
17) She’s trying to give him back things, but like we have all said, it will never be normal to Ezra ever again.
20) But it honestly where the blame belongs.
22) Unfortunately for Ezra, she is not pretending.
24) She is trying to be the Uber Guardian. We have seen other Guardians being more humane with their Littles. Even if she wanted to be more lax with Ezra, she can’t at this time due to the SEA keeping close watch. But no matter how nice you treat a Little, they will always have a diminished sense of being (excuse the pun).
1) Dayton never said it was publicly available just that when she goes to little mart she gets lemonade as its part of the expierence. She also likes the lemonade. She never billed it as the unwashed masses off the street should also get lemonade.
2) It would. I feel like Chloe would laugh though that it was that big of a deal.
3) One persons normal is the next persons special treatment.
4) It was offered to her by chloe though. She is just accepting what was offered.
5) I wondered if you would catch that. Im glad you enjoyed it.
6) Dayton could go halfway and do dinosaurs or teenage mutant ninja turtles for him.
7) That would be any device on the planet that was connected to the internet and given a ip address.
8) more afraid he is going to cause trouble that brings the SEA back into their lives.
9)Radicalize as in cause an incident that SEA has to show up for.
10) some view that as a paper trail or digital paper trail. Which is he is writing illegal seditious things they would not want that anywhere that could cause problems.
11) Well thats who you thinks she is for sure. I wouldnt say thats necessarily how the world at large views it.
12) oh the SEA doesnt care about personality tests and compatitibility. They care about is the guardian trained, is the little collared. is the little following the laws. If you have the money to own a little. As long you follow the rules and your little follows the rules. You are treating the little humanely by the legal definition. basically the same level humanely a dog or a cat would get for treatment.
12.2) Well the new normal is his to accept. HE’s a little thats the deal. Whether its dayton or someone else he has to accept that and if he cant thats just to bad he will have to accept that anyway. As he has no other alternatives. Any considerations he may have gotten he burned the moment he started running his mouth spouting information and ideals the government didnt like. He is old enough to know better or atleast realize the consequences for the actions he chose. If you want to martyr or spout anti government ideals sure you ahve the freedom of speech to do that but you arent free of the consequences as these are the consequences for him.
13) Im usre it will be quite sometime before he gets any kind of internet access that is beyond something like generiflix using the internet to watch something. As they would definately be watching.
14) A year would be a good starter time frame. i wouldnt ease anything before then.
15) they sure do. Ezra is feeling them now.
16) Dayton didndt actually want the praise though. she didnt want it to be a public spectacle. But she got one.
17) He has nothing to take she would want to be fair. Maybe if she got him before going into district system sure. But outside of him being her little she isnt really getting much.
18)His entire life got taken the moment he decided not to follow the rules. Regardless of if dayton did something or not. if you choose to rob a store. the person who witnesses you breaking hte law and turns you in isnt at fault for your crimes
19) I wouldnt say they gave her exactly what she wanted as she didnt want it so public.
20) WWell its not really shifting it. Its stating why shes doing what she is doing. If he wasnt a government watch list htat wouldnt be a problem but thats on him not dayton. He chose his words not her.
21) hard enough for someone her age. She is only 13
22) you are savage today toward dayton.
23) Oh ezra would be punished no matter what. there is no world where and screw up doenst end badly for ezra. THe best case scenario for him would be a heart attack while being taken away by the SEA. But gods not that merciful.
24) Dayton would never be in ezra’s position as she wouldnt have pissed off the entierty of the US government and got herself on a watchlist of a govenrment who was already cracking down on the laws, policies of things smallara related. Jordan, Kelli, scott, the brothers, etc. a plethora of littles manage to get catch smallara and draw the eye of sauron upon them. Ezra did everything he possibly could do get its attention. Then is upset over the consequences. Life is not fair. Everyone is not treated equally. Some peoples ladders have built in escalators and other laddres are missing the first 5 steps. Someitmes your dealt a bad hand and realizing your dealt a bad hand hten proceeding to make it worse doesnt mean anything other then Ezra is even more of an idiot then his education lets on.