By the time they drifted toward the front of the store, Little Mart had shifted into its late afternoon mood. The rush was thinning. The music got louder by default. The air smelled like sanitizer, citrus, and whatever artificial “cozy” note corporate thought meant safe.
They cut through Little Electronics on the way to checkout, and Kinsley’s whole body changed.
Not in a cute way. In a locked in way.
Her shoulders lifted. Her eyes sharpened. Her head tilted as she took inventory like she was scouting a field.
A habitat roomba rolled lazily in a demonstration pen, bumping a wall and correcting itself with quiet persistence. Little TVs played the same looping ad, a smiling Guardian and a smiling Little laughing on a couch that looked suspiciously like a staged showroom couch. A rack of controllers hung in bright colors, each packaged like candy. A tiny phone blinked on a pedestal. The display card read:
LittleCall Mini: Guardian-approved contacts only. Geo-ping. SOS chirp. Uses guardians phone for calls.
Kinsley stared at it like it was a personal insult.
“Dad,” she said, instantly and dramatically pointing at a Little sized gaming laptop in a glass case. “Please.”
Mr. Myers didn’t even break his stride. “We just got you the controller that works with the Nintendo Switch 2 that we just bought you girls.”
Kinsley’s face scrunched up. “Yeah, but I need Nicole or Dayton to use it with me or at least turn it on. This is something I could turn on in my habitat and play by myself.”
Nicole didn’t look up from the cart, but her mouth did that thing it always did when she wanted to laugh and wanted to pretend she wasn’t going to. “She means, ‘I want a device that removes my only remaining obstacle, which is human hands.’”
Kinsley shot her a look. “You’re so rude for somebody whose job is literally to be my Guardian.”
Mr. Myers sighed the way dads sighed when they’d had the same argument with the same kid a thousand times, only now the kid happened to be six inches tall and the argument happened in public.
“You also have the tablet we bought you a few months ago,” he said.
Kinsley’s eyes widened like he’d accused her of treason. “That’s for school. I needed that to study for the LSAT.”
“You are barely tall enough to see over a cereal bowl,” Nicole said, and finally cracked. “You are not taking the LSAT for years.”
Kinsley’s stare sharpened. “As your Little, you should be prioritizing my needs before your own.”
Nicole’s laugh escaped, quick and disbelieving. “That sentence is insane. We’re the same age.”
Kinsley leaned back against the cart basket like she was fainting on purpose. “I’m out here neglected. Practically wasting away. I live without s’mores pellets. I live without personal electronics. I live in a world that refuses to consider my suffering.”
Dayton, walking on the other side of the cart, sipped her lemonade and added, deadpan, “Don’t forget about the little cokes.”
Kinsley’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Day. See? She gets it.”
Nicole turned her head slowly. “Whose side are you on.”
Dayton shrugged, innocent. “I’m on the side of peace.”
“You spilled the last little coke,” Nicole said, and nudged Dayton’s shoulder with hers. “So your loyalty is fake.”
“It was an accident,” Dayton said quickly.
“It was a tragedy,” Kinsley corrected, solemn.
Mr. Myers muttered, “I’m surrounded by drama queens,” and then immediately, reflexively, adjusted his grip on the cart so Kinsley could lean safely without wobbling. He did it without thinking. That was the thing. He’d absorbed the new physics of his daughter’s body like it was a language he’d always known.
They reached checkout.
Dayton stepped in and started unloading with that Guardian clipboard energy when she wanted to be thorough. Boxes of pellets. Bedding. A vented travel case. A tablet stand. Some tiny hygiene supplies, and a little tablet
Watching the pile grow made Dayton’s stomach tighten.
She’d built her allowance up for months. Babysitting. Dog walking. The humiliating little chores where her mom pretended it was about “responsibility” and not helping her earn extra money.
She didn’t want to ask for help.
Not because her mom wouldn’t. Dayton’s mom would move mountains for her. But Dayton could already hear the sentence that would follow the money.
Then we need to talk about what you can realistically manage.
And Dayton didn’t want “realistic.” She wanted controlled. She wanted capable.
She wanted to look the day in the face, the day the SEA walked into her classroom like it was a war zone, and not feel like she’d borrowed adulthood she couldn’t pay back.
“Oh, here,” Dayton said, and slid a card across the counter. “Discount card.”
The clerk was young. Nervous. Her name tag said CRYSTAL and her hands hovered over the scanner like she was afraid the items might bite.
“I didn’t know we had discount cards,” Crystal said, blinking at it. “Just a second.”
She called over a manager.
Elton the manager approached with the soft urgency of someone who’d learned through years of experience how to be calm while fixing problems. He had a Little Mart polo, a tablet in his hand, and the relaxed posture of someone who knew every camera angle in the store.
Like all LIttle Mart employees they went through the same screening that all generitech employees go through. They screened and scrutinized to ensure not that they have skills needed although that helps. But to ensure they are good people, aligned with generitech values and beliefs. That they are hard working and willing to learn. As those are the only traits that really matter to Generitech. They can teach skills and get people certifications and degrees if needed but they cant teach loyalty, or hard work, or a beliefs about littles.
He glanced at the card, then at Dayton, then did a double take.
Crystal started scanning.
The prices popped up on the screen and immediately looked… wrong.
Not “sale” wrong. Not “coupon” wrong.
Cost wrong.
Elton leaned in. His face shifted into professional alarm, then recognition, then surprise.
Then he looked up fully and his whole expression changed.
“Dayton,” he said, like he couldn’t believe he hadn’t clocked her sooner. “I’m so sorry. It’s been busy today.”
Dayton’s mouth twitched. “Hi, Elton.”
He gave Crystal a quick, gentle nod. “Crystal, this is Dayton Harris. She’s… basically a friend of the store. She’s friend of Chloe Gracewood and she’s Sarandipity’s sister..”
Mr. Myers’s mouth actually opened in that way of surprise every time he heard Dayton spoke about like this.
Elton kept going, warm now, pleased. “You must have finally gotten your Little.”
Dayton’s chest tightened. She didn’t show it, but it hit anyway.
“Yeah,” she said. “He’s at home. It was a really… intense day.”
Elton’s face softened. “I saw the news. I wondered if it was connected to your claim.”
Nicole’s expression flickered quick. The news. Like this wasn’t just their day, their hallway, their class. Like it was a headline now.
Dayton lifted her chin a hair. “He’s safe.”
Elton nodded like that mattered. “Good. Do you need a lemonade for the road?”
Kinsley’s head snapped up so fast it was almost comical. “I’d like a little lemonade for the road.”
Nicole and Mr. Myers both turned toward her at the same time.
Kinsley didn’t flinch. She just looked back sweetly, weaponized innocence.
Elton chuckled. “Of course. We can do that.”
Dayton cleared her throat, suddenly aware she’d been rude by default. “Sorry. Elton, this is Nicole Myers. And Kinsley Myers. My best friends and their dad.”
Nicole offered a small wave, still trying to process the fact that Dayton apparently walked into Little Mart and got concierge drinks like she owned stock.
Mr. Myers stepped forward and extended his hand. “William Robert Myers. Nice to meet you.”
Elton shook it firmly. “Pleasure. And friends of Dayton are friends of the store.”
Then, casually, as if he were complimenting Dayton’s shoes, he said, “She’s a good kid. She comes in on Sundays and volunteers in intake. Helps settle new Littles when they arrive. It can be a lot for them.”
Nicole spun to Dayton. “What.”
Dayton’s cheeks flushed. “It’s not a big deal.”
“You volunteer on intake Sundays,” Nicole repeated, like she was testing whether the words were real.
Dayton shrugged, too fast. “I don’t brag about it. It’s just something I do.”
Kinsley stared at Dayton a long second, quiet. Not teasing. Not joking.
Then she said, softly, “That actually is a big deal.”
Dayton’s throat bobbed. She swallowed and looked away, like she didn’t want the moment to land.
Nicole recovered first, of course, because Nicole always did. “Is this why you’re ‘busy’ every Sunday,” she said, eyes narrowed. “You little liar.”
Dayton shot her a look. “I’m not a liar.”
“You are a liar,” Nicole said, delighted now. “A charitable liar.”
Elton smiled like he’d just watched a friendship do what it was supposed to do. “If you ever want to come, Nicole, we can arrange it properly.”
Nicole’s eyes lit up. “Yes.”
Dayton blinked. “Actually?”
Nicole nodded hard. “Yes.”
Mr. Myers looked between them, then sighed like he’d already accepted this was happening. “Of course you want to volunteer at the Little store.”
Kinsley muttered, “They have lemonade.”
Elton laughed. “I’ll let the team know to expect you.”
Crystal finished scanning, eyes wide as the total settled.
“Okay,” Crystal said, reading the screen like it was personally offending her sense of math. “Two hundred eighty dollars and fifty-nine cents.”
Kinsley leaned forward, outraged. “You bought a whole tablet setup and a bunch of stuff and it’s only $280.00?”
Dayton kept her face neutral, but the relief inside her was sharp. She could do this. She could keep her allowance intact enough to not look like she’d overreached.
Nicole slid Kinsley’s s’mores pellets onto the counter. “Add this.”
Dayton handed the discount card again. Crystal scanned.
The screen changed.
Crystal blinked, then blinked again. “That will be… seventy-eight cents.”
Kinsley’s eyes widened in genuine awe. “Dad.”
Mr. Myers didn’t even look at her. “No.”
“Dad.”
“No.”
Kinsley pivoted to Nicole. “Nicole.”
Nicole stared down at her. “Do not.”
“I’m just saying,” Kinsley said, voice suddenly silky, “this is financially irresponsible not to take advantage of this.”
Nicole put a dollar on the counter. “You are not being a big back, Kins.”
Kinsley gasped like she’d been stabbed. “Excuse me.”
Nicole leaned in, smiling like a shark. “But we are shopping with Dayton from now on.”
Dayton snorted. “That’s what you got from this.”
Kinsley smiled sweetly. “That’s what I got from this.”
Mr. Myers pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m going to age ten years.”
Elton waved a hand. “We’ll have the little lemonade brought up.”
Dayton tucked the receipt into her pocket, watching the bags stack up, watching the reality of this settle into objects.
This wasn’t a concept anymore.
This was Ezra’s food. Ezra’s bedding. Ezra’s life, packaged in branded paper bags and a hard-shell carrier like it was normal.
And she was the one paying.
She was the one choosing.
She was the one responsible.
Dayton lifted the bags with both hands.
Nicole took the cart.
Mr. Myers took the heavier load like it was nothing.
Kinsley sat in the child-seat of the cart like a tiny queen being chauffeured through a kingdom that had been designed for her as she sipped on a lemonade.
What no barbie carriers lol
This is a serious operation they are running here lol
I love that Nicole is finding out these things about Dayton and sounds jealous.
Nicole has become my top guardian. She is loving while still making sure her little doesn’t get into danger and try’s her best within her means. Nicole’s family has a large house, a car in the most expensive burrow in New York so I’m guessing they got some money just not Sara friends level
That seems to be a popular sentiment with people liking Nicole.
Nicole’s family is explicitly stated to be middle class, definitely in the top 50%, but Sara and her friends would all be in the top 5%. Gracewoods would be 1%
That is funny the way the Kinsley is reacting also lol
Well I wanted to try to mimic a friendship with them more to me them feel more real. Wheee you don’t know everything about your friends
Who wouldn’t, though?
The retail girl looks nice with a fun spirit
She was kind of a throwaway character
Reminds me of Nico from the latest Spider-Man cartoon
1) “A habitat roomba rolled lazily in a demonstration pen, bumping a wall and correcting itself with quiet persistence.” That’d be a great way to keep habitats clean.
2) LittleCall Mini: Guardian-approved contacts only. Geo-ping. SOS chirp. Uses guardians phone for calls”. It always loops back to control.
3) “We just got you the controller that works with the Nintendo Switch 2 that we just bought you girls.” – “Yeah, but I need Nicole or Dayton to use it with me or at least turn it on. This is something I could turn on in my habitat and play by myself.” The laptop would have been a better purchase than the Switch if it were for Just Kinsley, but if they share it, the Switch is better (though a way for Kinsley to turn it on herself would be needed), and the Myres likely can’t afford both.
4) “She means, ‘I want a device that removes my only remaining obstacle, which is human hands.’” And is that so wrong?
5) “You are barely tall enough to see over a cereal bowl.” Kinsley is literally the tallest Little we’ve seen yet, she’s already at the taller end for female Littles at 13. And those are some tall cereal bowls if six inches are barely taller.
6) “As your Little, you should be prioritising my needs before your own.” – “That sentence is insane. We’re the same age.” – “I’m out here neglected. Practically wasting away. I live without s’mores pellets. I live without personal electronics. I live in a world that refuses to consider my suffering.” I love Kinsley so much; she put’s herself first she’s not even a little bit afraid of her guardian.
7) “Thank you, Day. See? She gets it.” No she doesn’t she just likes stirring shit
8) “Whose side are you on.” – “I’m on the side of peace.” The why are you attempting to escalate?
9) “immediately, reflexively, adjusted his grip on the cart so Kinsley could lean safely without wobbling. He did it without thinking. That was the thing. He’d absorbed the new physics of his daughter’s body like it was a language he’d always known.” welp, that’s dow dads work
10) “Dayton didn’t want “realistic.” She wanted controlled. She wanted capable” wanting control is a staple of Dayton’s character.
11) “Discount card.” she wants independence but is still more than happy to use things she gets from handouts.
12) “Like all LIttle Mart employees they went through the same screening that all generitech employees go through. They screened and scrutinized to ensure not that they have skills needed although that helps. But to ensure they are good people, aligned with Generitech values and beliefs.” than how did Sara get to work there? Because we know she opposes Genritech values, it’s something her and Chloe canonically fight about, or does fucking the boss get her special nepotism.
13) “They can teach skills and get people certifications and degrees if needed but they cant teach loyalty, or hard work, or a beliefs about littles” That’s fair, Mr Ezra tried to teach beliefs about Littles and had the armed forces kick down his door.
14) “Nicole’s expression flickered quick. The news. Like this wasn’t just their day, their hallway, their class. Like it was a headline now” thugs storming a school is newsworthy? Who knew
15) “He’s safe.” does he know that?
16) “Dayton cleared her throat, suddenly aware she’d been rude by default” that is Dayton’s default
17) “William Robert Myers. Nice to meet you.” Fuck yes!!! Long live Billy Bob Myres
18) “She’s a good kid. She comes in on Sundays and volunteers in intake. Helps settle new Littles when they arrive. It can be a lot for them.” She fucken what? I feel like you’re trying really hard to compensate for Dayton’s past actions here, without actually addressing them; it almost comes off as disingenuous. But either way, that doesn’t sound like Dayton. And she does this for free?
19) ““You volunteer on intake Sundays,” it would’ve been funny if they’d walked through the sections with all the Littles on the shelves, and they’d all stopped what they were doing to wave to Dayton, and it wouldn’t have been explained until right now, lol.
20) “I’m not a liar.” yes you are, and not just about this
21) ““That will be… seventy-eight cents.” how much is the discount?
22) “I’m just saying, this is financially irresponsible not to take advantage of this.” Kinsley’s looking to gold dig
23) “And she was the one paying. She was the one choosing. She was the one responsible” She was the one who’d lord it over him, who’d reduce him even further than he already had been
24) “Kinsley sat in the child-seat of the cart like a tiny queen being chauffeured through a kingdom that had been designed for her as she sipped on a lemonade.” Kinsley core is my new favourite Little aesthetic.
18.2) “Helps settle new Littles when they arrive. It can be a lot for them.” It’s not bad enough they’ve been infected and lost everything they’ve ever had or earned, but here to help them ‘settle’ is
Satan herselfDayton HarrisShe could cure smallara and you would say something bad lol
Curing Smallara’s probably the only way I’d forgive her.
Well at least you have your ceiling lol
15) He has reluctantly acknowledged that he is safe. But “safe” has a whole context wrapped around it now.
17) 😝
18) Helps explain a bit more about the discount card too.
22) She is going to get that game system!
15) He’s physically safe, mentally and emotionally safe are different matters entirely.
18) I feel like Chloe’s give her the discipline even without the volunteer hours.
22) fuck yeah.
23) I can only go by what has currently happened and I think Dayton is being very kind to prof puff in a difficult situation. He has much older teacher arrogance on top of being treated like the current law demands, and of course they are watching. I think my new favorite twin team so far has kept her in check through this mess. I hope Kingsley get to teach the much smaller teacher then her lol.
1) Im sure it would be as annoying as the full sized ones.
2) Well it piggy backs off the guardians phone plan so you arent paying for a second line is the intention.
3) Agreed, the laptop would be better if it was just for kinsley I agree. The intent was teh switch 2 was for both of them. Kinsley could technically turn it on herself but it woudlnt be very easy.
4) not really. I wouldnt say its wrong. Its probably expensive.
5) That was more just a ribbing she wasnt speaking in literal terms.
6) Well its her sister why would she be afraid of her? She’s also playing it up and not completely serious.
7) Dayton is friends with Kinsley too. Sometimes she can side with her just becuase without a ulterious motive.
8) Shes more playing along.
9) yup sure do. Especially a girl dad.
10) It is part of who she is. Shes an alpha.
11) I mean when i have discount cards to places I sure as hell use them.I’m never to proud to take a discount. If one is available to Dayton i’d use it as well.
12) Canonically, they at Little Mart reached out to Sara. Sara didnt reach out to them initially. Sara is a likeable person with a likeable personality. Its not a hard sell. You are also specifically looking at their values exclusively through the lens of all they do is sell little products and all of their values, beliefs, etc. revolve exclusively around littles.
Sara may not think littles are equals but she isnt anti-little either. You are also referencing points that aren’t public knowledge. So very few people actually know or saw her in that moment. Her beliefs and thoughts could change she was 15 when that happened its not like the entirety of who seh is was locked in. If she was 40 it would be different story. LIke i dont expet Daytons mom to drastically change.
13) He also spouted it off to children. I can politically disagree with the decisions made by the president of the united states at times but its another thing to go into indepth tirades with power point slides breaking down my thoguhts and beliefs to young children.
If he was at hte bar spouting his beliefs it would have been viewed differently.
14) Kids that age dont really watch the news or think of things in that way though.
15) who ezra? I would think so. He can not like his situation or have issues with it. but its clear he’s not in any physical harm.
16) fair, you arent wrong.
17) I was wondering what your reaction would be
18) Dayton takes her guardian stuff seriously. She also learned from the Jordan experience. She volunteers because she wants too and it gives her expierence.
19) that would have been great. Perfect idea missed opportunity on my part.
20)I really like the idea/visual of you arguing with a 13 year old. “your a liar”
21) She gets everything at teh cost it takes for generitech to produce it.
22) Kinsleys not a fool. Kinsley gonna kinsley.No dollar left behind.
23) im not sur ehe can be reduced further.
24) lol its a life style
2) I see, control and cheap.
3) There should be a function on the controller to tur it on remotely.
6) IDK, Madison’s Cindy and Grag’s daughter, they’ve got reasons to fear her.
7) but not this time,
9) I think a boy’s dad would for his infected son as well
10) With all the problematic baggage that claim holds.
12) I thought the story was that Sara snagged the copyright for the term Little mart (Smallara 319) and she became the spokesperson as part of that negotiation? And because she’s fucking Chloe, and the #1 guardian.
Sure, and Andrew Tate may not think women are equals, but he isn’t anti-women either. That’s how that sentence sounds to me: viewing someone as an inferior being due to certain traits is being anti to whatever trait of that person’s you’re targeting. Perhaps Sara will grow up and be the pro-Little icon Little Mart pretends she is, but so far that’s not looking likely.
13) So would a college professor be able to get away with it? (also, it’s still pretty normal for teachers to insert politics and indoctrination into their lessons, Ezra was already teaching an inherently political subject too.)
Don’t think we’d call people rambling at bars ‘educational’
15) Physically safe isn’t the only kind of safety.
17) It’s glorious.
18) What exactly did she learn from the Jordan experience?
19) curse my perfect hindsight.
20) That’s even sadder than the reality, and let’s be honest, this is a pretty sad reality.
21) Fucking damn
23) Dayton’s Pretty clever, she’ll find away
13) unfortunately their are many teachers that had their brain warped in college and think teaching against parents values is their job. I am in a major part of our country for that , grade 1 thru 12 and now that my daughter is in college. It’s very sad they are teaching basically a different reality that doesn’t line up with basic science and years of data
2) The control wasnt really a factor in the creation it was just a cost savings. Otherwise they would have to charge for a whole nother line.
3) Not all controllers can wake the console now. Some can but can’t. It seems to be hit or miss on if that functionality is included. its usually a premium feature i feel like.
6) That was mostly Cindys doing. I feel like cindy fears her more then Greg does.
9) agreed assuming it was going to cause injury. Although dads are a bit more rough adn tumble with their sons so the actions could be different depending on the scenario.
10) its who she is.
12) The two were always meant to be seperate. Sara just thought little mart would be a good idea and believed in it so she was doing what aseh could to convince chloe of it. The spokesperson thing was seperate by the marketing department. A person could believe that chloe and/or her parents offered the spokesperson role through the marketing department as a kickback or appreication of the idea. But sara wasn’t told that. She was just approached her her sarandipity channels and her agent.
i’m not sure hwo andrew tate is i did google him but i/m not familar with this beliefs but iw ill take your word on it.
13) in the states its not very common any more. My wife who teaches specifically has to be neutral in her teaching. If the kids ask a question about something she can answer it but she cant directly manipulate them or teach in a way that would slant them politically one direction or another.
15) its not I agree.
17) I picture you heading to hte timeline to make it offical.
18) The line, that they are still intelligent even if they are littles. You can’t just do what you want without reprecussions as they arent mindless dolls. Would be a few thingst.
21) Kinsleys goign to be putting in pellet orders through dayton.
23) You have such faith in her.
3) Yeah, I feel like it should be more common on Little controllers
6) Cindy gets her Karma
9) They can horse around a bit more with sons, but arguable that involves more control and discipline as it has greater risk.
12) Honestly keep it that way, I found out who he was through a college comparing a local politician to him and kinda wish I hadn’t. Just know he thinks of women similarly to how the guardians think of Littles. Advocates for men to be in control and presents it as beneficial to the women he’d be controlling.
13) I guess it depends what you consider “propaganda”, I’ve heard of teachers being harassed for hanging crosses or flags in their classrooms. And I’ve heard of cases of teachers inviting political advocates to “educate” students and being applauded.
17) How old is he again?
18) But she didn’t learn that form Jordan, she learned it form Kinsley, Dayton disregarded everything Sara told her.
21) Can’t blame her.
13) America is kind of weird now in that we teach religions of the world but they must be taught without any leaning or encouragement htat one is better or less than. Just like you can’t show support or no-support for same sex marriages or support or no support for Roe v Wade which is the case whichs ets the precident for abortion laws.
I get hte feeling austrlia isnt like that.
17) I never specifically defined it. He’s probably 36. htat would mean he was 23 when Kinsley and Nicole were born.
13) I can only attest to the school I went to, but teachers were always open about their beliefs, and we had entire units around civil rights movements, especially gay marriage (Australia legalised it the year I graduated, so it was hyper relevant).
That could have changed since then, though. I know for a fact that the primary School I went to (Aussie Elementary/Middle school) no longer teaches religion at all.
9) being a girl dad I agree. We do anything to protect them and spoil them lol
3) my daughter and I are big gamers and have all the systems in a game area but we stopped buying the new game systems on these latest versions because we both play on our own gaming computers and it’s seems to be getting back to StarCraft kind of days. I’m with
Kinsely 100% lol.