“So tell me again,” Evan said, shifting Charity a little higher in her hand as she leaned against the lockers beside Brooklyn. “How did you run into the Shark of all people? Madison, be so for real right now. She already hates us because of Charity.”
“She does not hate us,” Brooklyn said.
Evan gave her a look.
Brooklyn shrugged. “Okay, she hates you. I’m just near you sometimes.”
“Fake friend behavior,” Evan said.
“Accurate friend behavior.”
Charity sat quietly in Evan’s palm, one hand braced against Evan’s thumb. She looked up at Madison for half a second, then lowered her eyes again like she had decided this was not a conversation she wanted any part of.
Madison leaned back against her locker, still gripping her phone from the call with McKenzie. “I was thinking about Dad and McKenzie.”
Brooklyn immediately softened a little. “Okay, yeah. That tracks.”
“She sprung the whole Dad sleeping in her room thing on me when she dropped me off,” Madison said. “So I’m walking down the hall, fully spiraling, and Dayton is turned around talking to someone. She doesn’t even see me coming. Then I slam into her and Ezra.”
Brooklyn’s eyes widened. “She had Mr. Rhys?”
“He was fine.”
“Mads.”
“He was fine,” Madison repeated. “Dayton was just being Dayton.”
Brooklyn lowered her voice dramatically. “Don’t say her name. She’s like Voldemort. She’ll appear.”
Evan blinked. “That reference is ancient.”
Brooklyn pointed at her. “And yet you understood it.”
“Unfortunately.”
Madison crossed her arms. “She is not Voldemort.”
“No,” Evan said. “Voldemort had less social power.”
Brooklyn lost it, covering her mouth as she laughed.
Madison glared at both of them, but there was less heat in it now. “I came here for support.”
“And you got us,” Brooklyn said. “That was your first mistake.”
Evan nodded. “Huge error.”
“You both are actually the worst.”
“Your worst,” Brooklyn said, bumping her shoulder lightly against Madison’s. “There’s a difference.”
Madison tried not to smile and failed a little.
Evan noticed immediately. “See? Healing.”
“Shut up.”
“There she is.”
Madison looked back down at her phone, and the smile faded. “McKenzie is being so annoying.”
Brooklyn leaned closer. “What did she say after I stopped hearing your side of the call? Because all I got was ‘Dad needs work clothes’ and then your scary whisper voice.”
“It was not my scary whisper voice.”
“It was absolutely your scary whisper voice,” Evan said.
Charity shifted slightly in Evan’s hand.
Without looking down, Evan murmured, “You’re okay, Char.”
“Yes, Ms. Evan,” Charity said softly.
Madison watched the tiny exchange, then looked away before anyone could catch the look on her face.
Too late.
Brooklyn caught it.
She always caught it.
“Oh,” Brooklyn said.
Madison’s eyes narrowed. “Oh what?”
“You’re doing the thing.”
“What thing?”
“The thing where you look at Evan and Charity and get all quiet-jealous.”
“I am not jealous of Evan.”
Evan gasped. “Rude. I am very jealousy-worthy.”
Brooklyn nodded. “She has layers.”
“I hate both of you,” Madison said.
“No, you don’t,” Brooklyn said easily. “You’re mad because Evan can just hold Charity in the hall and everybody knows Charity is hers.”
Evan’s smile faded a little, not fully, but enough that she knew Brooklyn had hit something real.
Madison looked away. “That’s not what this is.”
“It kind of is,” Evan said, softer now.
Madison’s jaw tightened.
Evan adjusted her hand so Charity could sit more securely. “Mads, I’m not judging. I get it. If someone started acting like Charity was more theirs than mine, I’d be fully feral.”
Charity’s eyes flicked up.
Evan looked down at her. “Not in a bad way.”
Charity lowered her eyes again. “Yes, Ms. Evan.”
Brooklyn snorted. “Very reassuring.”
“I am reassuring,” Evan said.
“You are many things.”
Madison exhaled, some of the fight leaving her. “It’s not even that McKenzie has him at night. I mean, it is. But it’s more than that.”
Brooklyn nodded like she already knew. “It’s the way she does it.”
“Yes,” Madison said quickly. “Exactly. She acts like she’s being so much better than me because the habitat is cute and Dad has little outfits now.”
“The habitat is cute,” Evan said.
Madison pointed at her. “Do not.”
“I’m just saying.”
Brooklyn lifted a hand. “It is cute, but that is not the point.”
“Thank you.”
“See?” Brooklyn said. “Support.”
Madison rolled her eyes, but she leaned into Brooklyn’s shoulder for half a second before straightening again. “McKenzie is acting like because Dad sleeps there, she gets to call me during school and tell me how to handle him.”
Evan made a face. “Yeah, no. That part is cringe.”
“Right?”
“Like, I love Kenzie,” Evan said. “But calling you in the middle of the hallway to do the responsible older sister voice is nasty work.”
Brooklyn nodded. “It was very ‘I’m not mad, I’m disappointed.’”
Madison groaned. “That is exactly her.”
“And you hate that because it works on you,” Brooklyn said.
“It does not work on me.”
Evan and Brooklyn both looked at her.
Madison looked between them. “It works a little.”
“There we go,” Evan said.
Brooklyn smiled. “Growth.”
Madison sighed. “She keeps acting like Dad is just Dad.”
Brooklyn’s expression softened again. “He is Dad.”
Madison looked at her.
Brooklyn held her gaze. “But I know what you mean.”
That helped more than Madison wanted to admit.
Evan nodded. “You mean McKenzie treats the Little part like it’s optional.”
“Yes,” Madison said. “That’s it. She wants the cozy version. Cute habitat, soft clothes, Dad getting to feel like himself. But then when he comes back to me and Mom, I have to deal with the actual Little stuff. Rules. Food. Chores. Listening. Adjusting.”
Brooklyn leaned back against the lockers. “Okay. That makes sense.”
Madison looked suspicious. “Really?”
“Yes, really. I’m not always bullying you.”
“You are usually bullying me.”
“Lovingly.”
Evan nodded. “Bestie service.”
Madison laughed despite herself, then quickly tried to hide it.
Brooklyn grinned. “Caught.”
“Whatever.”
Evan shifted Charity from one hand to the other. Charity moved with her, careful and quiet, settling into Evan’s other palm like she knew exactly where she was supposed to be.
Madison watched again.
This time Evan did not tease her for it.
“You want Dad to be that easy with you,” Evan said.
Madison’s throat tightened in a way she hated. “I want him to stop looking at me like I’m doing something wrong.”
Brooklyn’s teasing expression dropped.
Evan went quiet too.
For a moment, the hallway noise seemed louder around them.
Then Brooklyn reached over and squeezed Madison’s arm. “Hey.”
Madison looked down.
Brooklyn’s voice was gentler now. “You’re not wrong for wanting him to adjust.”
Madison swallowed. “McKenzie thinks I am.”
“McKenzie thinks everything has to be soft,” Evan said. “You think everything has to be rules.”
Brooklyn nodded. “And both of you are annoying about it.”
Madison huffed. “Wow. Beautiful support.”
“I’m not done,” Brooklyn said. “The point is, you need to stop letting McKenzie make you look like the unstable one.”
Madison looked back at her.
Brooklyn smiled slightly. “Because you are giving her free material.”
Evan nodded hard. “So much free material.”
“I hate when you’re both right.”
“We know,” Brooklyn said.
Evan leaned in. “Use her words.”
Madison frowned. “What?”
“McKenzie words,” Evan said. “Comfort. Stability. Consistency. Clear expectations.”
Brooklyn snapped her fingers. “Yes. Make it sound like you’re helping Dad, not fighting over him.”
“I am helping Dad.”
“I know,” Brooklyn said. “But say it in a way Kenzie can’t turn into a whole lecture.”
Madison considered that.
Evan continued, “Tell her if Dad is sleeping in her habitat, fine. If she wants him wearing clothes, fine. But after school is your time, and he needs consistency when he’s with you and your Mom.”
Brooklyn pointed at Evan. “That. Exactly that.”
Madison slowly nodded. “And if she wants him dressed, then she needs to send chore clothes.”
Brooklyn immediately pointed at her. “Chore clothes. Not work clothes.”
Madison rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
“Say it.”
“No.”
“Say it.”
Madison sighed. “Chore clothes.”
Brooklyn smiled. “Proud of you.”
“You’re so annoying.”
“You love me.”
“Barely.”
“Enough.”
Evan looked down at Charity. “Charity, does Madison love us?”
Charity froze.
Madison pointed at Evan. “Do not drag her into this.”
Evan grinned. “Fine. I’ll spare her.”
Charity looked deeply relieved.
Brooklyn laughed. “Even Charity knows this friend group is a hazard.”
Evan looked offended. “Charity loves being included.”
Charity hesitated for a dangerous half second.
Madison actually smiled. “That pause was crazy.”
Evan looked down at Charity. “Charizard.”
Charity quickly said, “Yes, Ms. Evan. I like being included.”
Brooklyn covered her mouth. “Best save ever.”
Evan looked pleased. “See? She’s learning.”
The warning bell rang overhead, and the hallway started moving all at once.
Brooklyn grabbed her books from her locker. “Lunch. We are continuing this because I need the full Dayton version and the full McKenzie version.”
Madison groaned. “There is no full Dayton version.”
“You ran into the Shark while she had Mr. Rhys,” Evan said. “There is absolutely a full version.”
“And until lunch,” Brooklyn added, pointing at Madison, “no more fighting Dayton.”
“I didn’t fight Dayton.”
“You told the Shark she doesn’t own the hallway.”
“She doesn’t.”
Evan lifted Charity carefully to her shoulder. Charity settled beside Evan’s neck, gripping a strand of hair with both hands.
Evan smiled. “Spiritually, she kind of does.”
Brooklyn nodded. “Historically, socially, spiritually.”
“You both are useless,” Madison said, but this time she was smiling.
“Your useless,” Brooklyn said.
Madison shook her head and started toward class with them.
For the first time since McKenzie’s call, the tightness in her chest loosened a little. Not completely. Not enough to make the problem go away.
But enough.
McKenzie could have the fancy habitat at night.
Dayton could have the hallway.
For now.
Madison still had Dad after school. She still had Mom. She still had Brooklyn and Evan.
And now she had the right words.
Consistency.
Stability.
Clear expectations.
If McKenzie wanted Madison to act mature, Madison could do that.
Probably.
Long enough to get what she wanted.
~~~~~~
So just a note. as discovered by dledge. I had pasted chapter 35 into thursdays adn fridays. So here is what is supposed to be 34. I dont think mixing them creates a huge issue but ican’t really look through this in depth at work.
Think you copied yesterdays story by mistake
you are correct. i posted 35 on boht days. Here is what is supposed to be 34 now availbale for you to read.
So I don’t get it, is this the text of chapter 34? Image 35?
Let’s be honest, if any of her family had caught Smallara. Cindy wouldn’t have hesitated in either leaving them to the system or doing exactly what Madison is doing to her right now.
She brought this upon herself, and karma is collecting a debt that Cindy owes and it is glorious to read her suffering.
I agree but I also wouldn’t stoop to Cindy’s level, I’d never let her forget what she is but for Cindy to turn the corner she needs to realise she is a little and she needs to apologise to McKenzie and madsion with no motive Behind it other than she was wrong and she’ll spend the rest of her life making it right
I agree. Two wrongs don’t make something right.
I’d love to see a story set in an alternate universe where McKenzie was the only one in the family to catch the Smallara.
Would Cindy be such a terrible and cruel person that her twisted beliefs would outweigh a mother’s love? I remember that when someone questioned the fact that Mrs. Harris seemed to be being nice to Ezra, Asuka replied that she loved her daughter more than she hated the littles.
What about Madison? Would she continue to idolize her sister? Would she treat her the same way she treated Greg?
And what about Greg? Would he be complicit? Would he pretend not to see these absurdities, or would he try to protect his beloved daughter from this psychological torture?
These are things to think about.
It would be an interesting idea; you should give it a try at writing it.
I think Greg would protect Kenz from any harm. He would do the same for Madison because a father’s job is to protect his daughters. Coming from a girl dad & knowing others I know this to be true.
I think, due to making a living off of her shitty, ignorant beliefs, she would act way more strict in public and convince her shitty fans that she didn’t treat her any different, but would be less of a bullying monsterous bigot in the privacy of their home.
Madison would probably end up being just the same as she is now, but would probably still take her day out on Kenzie.
Greg would secretly be nice to her and tell her he feels terrible, and maybe lightly suggest that maybe Cindy treat her a little better, but would ultimately cave to his monster wife like the placating wet noodle he is.
I have a real hard time watching anyone be enslaved, especially by their young daughters. Her beliefs were disgusting and harmful, but I think her shrinking could be a good tool to show her that it doesn’t need to be this way and that she was a monster for believing them. Treat her like a person. Treat Greg like a person. Make them experience you treating other littles like people. Prove that you were right, but don’t stoop to their level by being literal slave owners.
“Yes,” Madison said. “That’s it. She wants the cozy version. Cute habitat, soft clothes, Dad getting to feel like himself. But then when he comes back to me and Mom, I have to deal with the actual Little stuff. Rules. Food. Chores. Listening. Adjusting.”
Rules: loosen them for both parents
Food: get them a variety of pellets at least (i’m assuming she has and the main complaint is just normal food that’ll make Greg sick, but still)
Chores: cut back
Listening: be a person worth listening to instead of a slave driver
adjusting: you can’t force that, and since the thing they aren’t adjusting to is how you treat them, change how you treat them. cindy has to force it, Greg knows theres a better version of it.
Maybe they can realize that her mom held dumbass beliefs, as does the majority of society, and start treating them like what they are: Small, vulnerable people. They can still guide them into adulthood without having to physically threaten them.
Or how about we just start by not treating them like slaves, and let them see each other, alone whenever they want.
From our perspective, sure, that would be the more humane answer. If Madison and McKenzie viewed Greg and Cindy as small, vulnerable people, then yes, letting them see each other freely and giving them more autonomy would make sense.
But that’s not really the society they were raised in. Madison’s World isn’t meant to be our exact world with Smallara added on top. It’s an Earth-like society that developed differently, with a government and culture that have spent years normalizing the idea that Littles are not people in the same way humans are. They’re viewed as dependent/domesticated beings, not equal citizens.
So Madison isn’t looking at Greg and Cindy and thinking, “I’m going to treat my parents like slaves.” She’s looking at them through the framework she was taught, which is that Littles need guardians, structure, correction, and supervision. That doesn’t mean she’s morally right from our perspective. It just means she’s acting inside the beliefs of her world.
Cindy is also a big part of that. She didn’t just casually believe these things. She helped promote them. Madison applying those beliefs to Cindy now is part of the irony and conflict of the story.
So yes, the healthier answer would be for them to recognize Greg and Cindy’s personhood more fully. But the story is about why they don’t immediately do that, and how normalized beliefs can make cruel things feel normal to the people living inside them.
What years? It’s supposed to be 2024 now, and Sarah and Jordi’s story (the beginning of the epic) is 2020. So when did the Little Ones and the virus appear? If the Little Ones have always been around and simply disguised themselves as ordinary people, where is the history of their civilization? There’s no archeology in this world?
According to the “Canon Time Line” (maintained by Lethal). Smallara first appears in 2010, but is kept quiet initally.
2015: the public finds out about it.
2020:
2021: around September, Charity Stevens is infected.
2023: Greg and Cindy are infected.
So, the entire ideology was instilled into the population’s minds in about five years? Since mass incidents only occurred in 2020. What an overly pliable and dumb society 🙂
mass incidents occurred in the US in 2020. The Smallara virus appeared as a recognizeable pandemic in 2010 and many other countries around the world deal iwth it between 2010 and 2020 As was discussed in Smallara mainline series.
It was already discussed in mainline Smallara series how other countires dealt withit what they did etc. Whispers of a former life specifically discusses hwo Mexico deals with it. Chloe in the mainline series provides insight to how other countries handle Smallara.
2020 was the first large outbreak in the United States. The public in the US found out about Smallara in 2015.
At no point was Smallara ever presented as people just found out in 2020 and then overnight all this pops up.
People started being educated in US and its allies where littles stand in society. There was never a point in human history of this world that Littles were ever presented as equal.
Madison has only been alive for 1 year where Smallara didnt exist on the planet in its current form.
The U.S. like any government would was already setting up things and taking precautiosn ahead of time. So when the public found out. they were ready with explanations, talking points, framing, etc. first impressions mean alot. Especially when the government also controls the media, also controls and funds the studies. THe people doing hte studies are under NDA’s as its not their information to discuss.
That was also part of the reason why The US closed its borders under the guise of “protection its citizens” it was because information is easier to frame and control. As no one has the ability to get other informaiton.
The US. Government and its allies are specifically are working, designing, and educating societies and their citizens around the belief they want them to have.
The laws in place support what the governments are doing and saying. The things you hear on TV, media, find online, etc. support their beliefs and talking points.
People with different opinions are branded as outliers. Non-traditional views, rebellious people, etc.
I believe somewhere in the story it is mentioned that Madison procured various flavors of pellets.
Most of that is fair from Greg’s point of view.
The problem is Madison doesn’t view those things as optional cruelty. She views them as the actual work of being responsible for Littles. Rules, controlled food, chores, listening, correction, routine, in her mind, that is what helps Littles adjust.
McKenzie gives Greg a gentler version where he still gets to feel like Dad. Madison sees that as avoiding the hard part. She thinks McKenzie gets to be loved while Madison has to be the one enforcing reality.
That doesn’t mean Madison is correct. It means she is a product of a society that taught her Littles need structure and control more than autonomy. Greg knows there’s a better version because he’s experienced it with McKenzie. Cindy is stuck with the harsher version because Madison believes Cindy especially needs to be broken out of her old authority.
So I agree Madison treating them differently would help. But the story conflict is that Madison doesn’t understand that yet. She thinks loosening up means failing as their guardian.
I think it’s up to Kenz to have a talk with Madison with their dad there and let everyone speak their mind and create a new way forward for their family. I like it when littles get better lives changing like Jordan did & it could be that way for Greg but maybe Cindy after some serious bonding & mind changing( pet training)
I do think a talk could help, especially because Madison does look up to McKenzie and loves her. I don’t think Madison is incapable of changing.
But I also don’t think one family talk would undo the entire belief structure Madison was raised with.
Madison doesn’t leave her house and enter a world that thinks like we do. She lives in a society with its own history, culture, government, and beliefs about Littles. In that world, most people would agree with Madison on at least some level. They would see Littles as dependent beings who need guardians, rules, structure, and correction.
So for Madison to really change, she wouldn’t just be admitting she was too harsh with Greg and Cindy. She would be questioning what her mother taught her, what society taught her, what the government says is true, and what most people around her consider normal.
That doesn’t mean she can’t change. She can. But I think it would take more than one conversation. A talk with McKenzie and Greg could be the start of that change, but Madison would still have to slowly rebuild how she understands Littles and what kind of guardian she wants to be.
I remember going overseas and every day I was at an airplane partner having a daily meeting teaching aerospace engineering & building redundancy so after a month everything they thought was about making sure there was documented redundancy’s . I think if they had daily family meetings lead by Kenz letting everyone verify they understand and are doing the new family way and voice any concerns. The effort to fix has to match the effort to be broken lol.
Daily family meetings is wild from someone who grew up with never having a family meeting to this day.
My family didn’t either but at least our family power structure didn’t totally flip more then 100% because the parents as littles are weaker then the girls were as kids. Got to use what they got, and the girls have the power to change for the better , against the people outside the family.
This story just has a way of making feeling like going mentally insane like the family is so conflicting
The friend group seems fine so far
Good god this story has me so emotionally hurt and sad that I just want to get to the happiest part for all sides already
Because not only yesterday chapter got me fearing for Cindy’s mental state but also this chapter feeling like the two girls will fight over their relationship with their father
And Greg just trying to help his three girls as best as he can
And for any anime watchers Cindy for real reminds me of endeavor from mha a horrible parent who in some ways from redemption and did some good things so far it’s kinda been like that for Cindy having hard time accepting facts but eventually finds herself
Idk, Greg seems like he is only willing to help if it won’t negatively affect him. He is more than happy staying with Kenzie, even though by doing so he is further isolating his wife and probably leading her to a dark place. He should be there for her, even if that means dealing with his bratty youngest daughter. He raised her too. Dude just has a history of being fine with horrible shit as long as it doesn’t affect him personally.
He can’t help Cindy until she helps herself with her anti little beliefs even as a little herself.
Greg hasn’t ever given a damn about her views though. He doesn’t even try because it benefits him personally, at her expense. Dude is a terrible husband.
This is a bit of projecting as both Cindy and Greg work. It was never said Cindy did her political stuff for money. She just as easily could have done it for free or volunteering for a cause she believed in.
Greg could also make more money than Cindy. They may not even need Cindy’s income.
Just saying it benefits Greg does make some assumptions even if it is true he didn’t speak up as strongly as he could have.
She had a podcast that is relatively well known right? Like, she is somewhat famous for advocating for little slavery? Also, you said earlier that Charity’s rich ass family would be donors for her, so she had rich donors. ANY money she made off of this benefitted her family by definition. Therefore, it benefitted Greg, even if he made more money.
Just because you have a successful podcast doesn’t mean you are rich.
People like charity’s family are who donate to political parties. That still doesn’t make
Cindy rich.
Just because people are donating politically doesn’t mean Cindy gets political donations.
The money that was actually hers to be made would be from the podcast but the podcast was free which is why it’s popular she has big people on it so it did well.
She only made money off ad revenue but she also has expenses.
My only point it you are assuming she is making millions of podcasting and donations to political
People.
However that’s not necessarily true.
I literally never said she made millions dude. Almost every podcast is free and relies on ad revenue.
Idk what you mean by if she gets donated to politically that she doesn’t get political donations. She is a political mouthpiece whose whole podcasts purpose is swaying public opinion into believing that littles should be slaves.
The point is, she makes money from her podcast. Which she uses to spread pro slavery ideals. That money benefits her family. It doesn’t matter if it is a ton of money or not. It, by definition, benefits her family. It would be crazy to assume that the money she makes from the podcast isn’t used at all for her family. Like, that would make zero sense and would just come off as bending over backwards to give Greg an out.
That’s fair in the sense that if Cindy made any money from the podcast and that money went into the household, then yes, Greg technically benefited from it. I’m not really arguing against that specific point.
What I’m pushing back on is the larger assumption that Greg’s whole motivation was financial benefit or that he was sitting there thinking, “This helps me, so I’m going to ignore what Cindy believes.” That’s not really how I view him.
Greg should have pushed back more. I don’t disagree with that. His flaw is that he avoided conflict and let Cindy take the lead on things he was uncomfortable with. That does make him complicit in some ways, but I don’t think it automatically means he was actively supporting her views because he wanted podcast money.
Cindy having a successful podcast also doesn’t necessarily mean it was some huge income source. Yes, she probably made ad revenue. But popularity, political access, and actual personal income are not all the same thing. Someone can have influence without being rich from it.
So I think there’s a difference between Greg benefited indirectly because he was part of the household and Greg was okay with Cindy’s views because it personally benefited him. The first one is fair. The second one is an interpretation, but it’s not something I think the story has established as fact.
You are assuming that a happy ending is definite. This could end a whole host of ways, some of them not so happy.
Asuka, has the other story lines that may have happier endings. This one may the one he decides ends just as Cindy envisioned thing should be.
I enjoy happy littles also lol
Madison’s throat tightened in a way she hated. “I want him to stop looking at me like I’m doing something wrong.” Then maybe talk to him instead of exploding and punishing him… he can mess up too just like you mads
1) “I am not jealous of Evan.” – She is. She didn’t get the Little she wanted, she got Cindy. She has said so before.
2) “Yes,” Madison said quickly. “Exactly. She acts like she’s being so much better than me because the habitat is cute and Dad has little outfits now.” – No, she just treats he father with true affection and does not insist he bow down to her.
3) Madison sighed. “She keeps acting like Dad is just Dad.”
Brooklyn’s expression softened again. “He is Dad.”
Madison looked at her.
Brooklyn held her gaze. “But I know what you mean.”
That helped more than Madison wanted to admit.
Evan nodded. “You mean McKenzie treats the Little part like it’s optional.” – This group is just to brainwashed by Cindy’s teachings to even consider that McKenzie might have a point.
4) Madison’s throat tightened in a way she hated. “I want him to stop looking at me like I’m doing something wrong.” – I guess she will never consider that perhaps she is doing wrong.
5) Brooklyn is making me upset again. Giving Madison ideas on how to turn McKenzie words on herself.
6) I just want to point out a comment yesterday by gui58. He came up with an excellent reason to invalidate Cindy’s belief system. Here is what he said:
Madison is going through all this nonsense to honor the legacy of the “human Cindy,” right?
But according to the belief held by the vast majority of people in this world—including Cindy herself—there never was a “human Cindy.” She had always been a little who hadn’t taken on her true form. That being the case, there’s no reason to honor the legacy of this so-called “human Cindy.”
1) Given Asuka’s wicked mind, I wouldn’t be surprised if, eventually, Madison finally got the unrelated little she so desperately wants. Madison always gets what she wants.
This would bring a new series of humiliations into Greg and Cindy’s lives. They’d be forced to be inferior to this new family member while watching them to be treated with more dignity and privileges than they are, including more time outside the habitat, getting to go to school, and being spared the hardest and most degrading chores.
1) 100% true. Madison wanted her Japanese or at the very least asian little. And not like an american who is asian or american japanese, americn chinese, etc. She wanted a little who is actually chinese, korean, japanese, etc. who also knows english and is a little.
Preferably female, someone younger not younger hten her but anywhere from her age to 20’s.
She has a specific little she envisioned and wanted and honestly still wants. So getting “stuck” so to speak with her parents as littles when Evan got the exact kind of little she wanted. Brooklyn searched and found the exact little she wanted.
Now here is Madison who has the much harder job as her litltes are her parents which has a mess of complications and hardships and real burdens her friends never have to deal with or even think of in a realized way.
So she is very much 100% jealous as really how could she not be. they got to expierence the exact thing she wanted to expierence. they got to feel the exact joy seh wanted to feel. they got the little guardian experience she wanted.
While Madison got her life blown up. Her parents turned into domesticated pets, and shes the guardian along with Mckenize. So even the thing she wanted in a little she has to share.
2) Well that is one way to put it and you arent wrong. But thats not what Madison is really upset about. As your point is true in the way we would look at it. However for madison who grew up, and was taught and has a society that generally believes littles to be lesser domesticated beings.
Madison is more viewing it as McKenzie gets to be the fun parent and Madison has to provide the rules, structure, the order, all the reality of being a little.
Similar to how parents send there kids to grandma’s house then they come back hopped up on sugar and bundles of energy.
Then you get to be the bad guy or gal who has to shut it all down. Thats what madison is feelig.
3) I do think a important distinction is while it is Cindy’s teachings its also the government and society beliefs as a whole. As while we see in Smallara prime that people liek chloe and her family believe different and have enough money to act on it. They find and look for people with similar beliefs set to bring into their companies. Its still a minority of the population andwhile a minority when your talking about the whole world can still be millions upon millions of people spread across the world. Cindy’s perspective and beliefs are more commonheld. Maybe not always quite to her extremes but somewhere along that tilt.
so for Madison believing something different does require effort and consideration and thought. Its something someone has to build towards.
4) I think thats a harder thing then it appears to be. As its kind of like Japan having historically a younger age of consent then america. That was their belief and something they felt was right. Even if as someone from hte outside I felt differently about it. To go there and say well your wrong have you never considered doing it how we do it here.
is a bigger ask when its cultural and societal belief and normalized thing. It takes time and work and a change in people over generations sometimes.
while the scales of the beliefs are different the point is within this world Madison’s beliefs arent wrong even if they are wrong to us. So what is really being asked of her isnt as simple as it would be on the surface. Its asking her to believe something completely different.
5) She is being a good friend though. Supporting one of her best friends.
6) I don’t think Madison is honoring the legacy of “human Cindy” in the sense that she believes Cindy was truly human and now has to preserve that version of her.
Madison is honoring the Cindy who raised her.
That earlier version of Cindy still matters to Madison because she was her mother, the adult in the house, the public voice, and the person who taught Madison how Littles were supposed to be understood. Cindy’s beliefs are a huge part of why Madison sees Littles the way she does.
So even if Madison believes Cindy was always a Little who had not taken her true form yet, that does not make Cindy’s past meaningless to her. In Madison’s mind, Cindy still had a role before Smallara revealed what she really was. She still taught Madison. She still shaped the family. She still helped define Madison’s worldview.
So Madison is not really honoring Cindy’s “humanity.” She is honoring Cindy’s role as her mother and as the person who taught her these beliefs. The irony is that Cindy’s own worldview is now being used against her.
6) I hope that someday Cindy will realize—genuinely, and not just because she’s being affected—that she was wrong.
What she and Greg are going through is constant psychological torture. In the real world, no one could maintain their sanity living under these conditions.
This makes me wonder if there are mental health professionals for little.
In this reality, society may not even consider them human, but the fact that they retain intellect, rationality, and consciousness equal to that of a human should count for something.
Even irrational animals suffer from depression.
Doesn’t Madison care about their mental health? How would she feel if she realized she had gone too far and saw them depressed, broken, acting like zombies, with no will to live, self-harming, or, in an even more extreme and grim case, begging Madison herself to put them in a blender to end their suffering? It’s hard not to imagine this scenario, given everything that’s being shown.
To me, this story has already turned into a psychological horror novel. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying it, but I’m rooting for a happy ending—one where Cindy realizes she was wrong and accepts that she is a little, and Madisson feels enough remorse to break down in tears and beg for forgiveness for everything she’s done to them.
I do think there’s psychological horror in the story, but I would separate psychological horror from psychological torture.
Psychological horror can come from an unsettling situation, loss of control, power imbalance, and the discomfort of watching characters adjust to a world that treats them differently. Madison’s World definitely has that. Greg and Cindy being small, dependent, and no longer seen the same way by society is meant to feel uncomfortable at times.
But psychological torture is a different thing to me. That implies intentional mental abuse meant to break someone down, isolate them, or force obedience through sustained emotional damage.
I don’t view most of what Greg and Cindy are experiencing that way. The habitat is there largely because they cannot safely navigate a normal sized house anymore. That can feel isolating, but it is not the same as locking someone away specifically to mentally break them. They still see and interact with their daughters.
The pellets are also not meant as cruelty. In the story, they are biologically necessary because normal human food can make Littles sick. So while Greg and Cindy may hate the loss of normal food, Madison is not giving them pellets just to punish or degrade them.
Collars are legally mandated by the government for identification and registration and show ownership. they act as the liltles federal identification and helps quickly tie them to a guardian. As does the chipping. None of which is inherently degarding or intended to be a punishment.
There is teasing, mocking, and manipulation at times, but some of that is also because Madison and McKenzie are teenagers. Teenagers tease, push boundaries, and manipulate their parents even in normal families. It hits differently because Greg and Cindy are small and powerless now, but that does not automatically make every immature or selfish thing the girls do psychological torture.
So I agree the story can be read as psychological horror. I think that’s fair. But I don’t think Greg and Cindy’s entire life should be described as constant psychological torture. To me, it is more of a dystopian family power shift where some things are unsettling, some things are unfair, and some things are harmful, but not everything is being done with the intent to mentally destroy them.
1) “So tell me again, How did you run into the Shark of all people? Madison, be so for real right now. She already hates us because of Charity.” Even though retaliation is coming
2) “She does not hate us, Okay, she hates you. I’m just near you sometimes.” That’s smart, Brooklyn. Establish degrees of separation.
3) “She had Mr. Rhys?” interesting that he’s still called that to them
4) “Don’t say her name. She’s like Voldemort. She’ll appear.” Jordan has also made that comparison with Dayton
5) “The thing where you look at Evan and Charity and get all quiet-jealous.” – “I am not jealous of Evan.” Given Madison’s relationship with her Littles, I don’t blame her for being jealous of Evan and Charity.
6) “Mads, I’m not judging. I get it. If someone started acting like Charity was more theirs than mine, I’d be fully feral.” The difference is Greg has always been both of their father, not just Madison. Hse needs to understand that while this could be interpreted as McKenzie taking Madison’s dad away, the alternative is Madison taking McKenzie’s dad away.
7) “It’s not even that McKenzie has him at night. I mean, it is. But it’s more than that.” It’s the fact that McKenzie has arbitrarily decided to overrule the processes you had in place.
8) “But calling you in the middle of the hallway to do the responsible older sister voice is nasty work.” In fairness, McKenzie had no way of knowing where Madison was.
9) “You mean McKenzie treats the Little part like it’s optional.” She acknowledges it when she has too, but doesn’t let it be his defining feature.
10) “That’s it. She wants the cozy version. Cute habitat, soft clothes, Dad getting to feel like himself.” That’s why McKenzie has a healthier relationship with their dad, because it’s a more optimal Little/Guardian relationship.
11) “But then when he comes back to me and Mom, I have to deal with the actual Little stuff. Rules. Food. Chores. Listening. Adjusting.” Actually, McKenzie deals with those things too, just differently. And those differences are all choices you’ve made.
12) “I want him to stop looking at me like I’m doing something wrong.” Then maybe examine your behaviour to see if you are.
13) “McKenzie thinks everything has to be soft,” – “You think everything has to be rules.” The difference is McKenzie does still have constant rules, whereas Madison’s softness is few and far between. I’m predicting this’ll build into a ‘you both need to find a better balance’ lesson for them, but I’d argue McKenzie is already balanced.
14) “The point is, you need to stop letting McKenzie make you look like the unstable one.” If the boot fits.
15) “McKenzie words, Consistency. Clear expectations.” That’s actually solid advice.
16) “And if she wants him dressed, then she needs to send chore clothes.” Or, if Madison wants him doing chores, MADISON needs to provide those clothes.
17) “Charity, does Madison love us?” – “Do not drag her into this.” – “Fine. I’ll spare her.” Imagine Madiosn Wessen protecting a Little, lol
18) “Charity loves being included.” – “That pause was crazy.” – “Charizard.” – “Yes, Ms. Evan. I like being included.” – “Best save ever.” – “See? She’s learning.” Man, these girls are Fucking cruel (about what Charity deserves).
19) “I didn’t fight Dayton.” A fight between Dayton and Evan’s Cliques would be interesting,
!) Dayton isnt known for her being forgiving and understanding But she is also smart enough to see things she can exploit. Knowing she is mad at charity this would be convenient for her to use to try to get back at charity in some way.
2) Thats how winners survive lol.
3) It seemed natural as to them that would still be his name. Like as a student i didnt even know the first names of most of my teachers. Even when i see them as adults I sitll call them Mr. Or Mrs last name. Dayton created the dialog and reasons for her friends to call him Ezra.
However that doesnt necessarily trickle down to everyone else who woudl have very limited interaction generally speaking. It may just be easier or natural to call him Mr.Rhys As its distinct in who is being spoken about.
4) her reputation proceeds her.
5) She is definately jealous of Evan and Charity, Brooklyn and Trina getting the little relaitonship she always wanted. They got to pickout there littles. tehy searched and pute effort into it.
madison had a ideal little she wanted and Greg and Cindy werent it. SHe wasnt wishing for her parents to become littles. So it complicates things and creates burdens and issues that are unique to her.
6) because of madisons age she most definately is thinking more my dad is being taken away then naturally thinking about how McKenize would feel the same if things were reversed
7). That is a large factor. She didnt get a say in the decison process and had everything from her view ripped away.
8) That is true or She could have thought Madison would go off to a corner that is more quiet or something. She doesn’t have her schedule so Madiso
9) That would be a huge point of contention between them i agree with you on tha tone.
10) ALthough from Madison’s viewpoint McKenzie’s non traditional views makes it so she is put in the position of being the bad cop so to speak ot her good cop. As Madison would view her job with hte parents as raising them as proper littles.
11) Its kind of a conflict though. As McKenze leaves Madison to watch and care for the parents but then doesnt even try to work within Madisons systems and routines. Not that she needs to do every single one but to change things so out of the blue would be frustrating.
12) Well based on the worlds and societies views she isnt doing anything wrong though. Its normalized behavior. While there are dissenting beliefs there are dissenting beliefs to nearly any opinion. The vast majority of people would view madison as doing her job as guardian in this world. So its understandable i woudl think for her to be frustarted and feeling undermined.
13) McKenzie would say is more balanced into what people from our world would view as okay. However, form the ideals, beliefs, constructs of their world i wouldnt say McKenize is balanced as she would be more out there in the belief system.
14) I wouldnt say Madison is unstable. I think she has a different belief set then you beleive in but she isnt unstable.
15) agreed really. Its good advice.
16) I mean if oyu get down to the brass tax of it all. The funds would come form the same pot. So it probably doesnt matter.
17) A madison compliment. Color me shocked.
18) I really wanted to put Charity’s internal thoughts into this but that would be more of a evan’s world kind of thing. As internal charity thoughts and external comments are not always consistent.
19) another Arena in which Dayton has the opportunity to claim supremecy as your number 2 guardian behind Sara.
1) Dayton and exploitation go together very well
3) Makes sense
4) her reputation proceeds her.
5) Madison not getting what she wants is a win.
6) Obviously
7) Just like Guardians do to their Littles
10) Calling Mckenzie’s view non-traditional is wild, Littles have been around for barely more than a decade, public knowledge for less and in America for even less than that. Her view may currently be uncommon in this world, but there far from having traditional views yet.
11) I agree that McKenzie has put a disproportionately larger burden on Madison’s shoulders regarding guardianship. Then comes in and makes random changes when it suits her.
12) Madison’s view is especially validated in this house because they match Cindy’s
13) But there are a multitude of people in this world who agree with McKenzie
14) Fair
16) I’m sure McKenzie is giving Madison an allowance she could take from
17) ‘Twas more a comment on the absurdity/
18) This whole plotline feels like it should be in Dayton or Evan’s World
18) The intention is you would see this issue crop up beyond just here. You are just seeing a specific perspective of this.
As showing Charities side of it and how she feels would be Evan’s world territory.
Seeing how dayton, her friends, ezra feel on it would be a Dayton story kind of thing.
This was specifically framed from Madison’s point of view. So you see Madison’s role in it what she did, what caused it. what she thought, etc.
17) fair enough but Madison can exploit a compliment.
13) There, the world has over 8 billion people so while there would be a mulittude i’d say millions of people globally. While i’m not saying 1 billion people agree with McKenzie I do feel like canonically that would be the absolute high end. That would sitll only equate to 12% of the worlds population.
Thats also spread out globally not just contained to the united states. So there are probably ony a few million people in any given country which isnt a small number but its not overwhelming either.
12) Yeah i agree with you. while cindys view I would say is more hardcore or extreme then what most people believe. I would say more people wold fall in somewhere between they dont care and cindy’s belief set. So they some area’s they may agree with the gracewoods, or have a more gentler belief set.
Cindy influenced her daughters opinions, the society views, and school systems and government didnt help.
10) that is true but the US government wasnt unaware. they were preparing and making moves, and ready with what they wanted to do. they had laws in place when Jordan shrunk. Sara wasnt confused as to what her rights her, what she could do, etc. SHe knew she had to report it to the helpline.
When the cure wasnt availabe to Jordan Sara knew what her rights were then. Maybe not fully im not sayin shes a lawyer or something. But she knew the broad strokes.
My point is thats not a government that wasnt prepared. they had placesf or all these littles go. tehy had facilities in place. The government contorls messaging, the media, tehy rolled out classes in school systems. they were already framing what littles were before they ever came to the US.
They had presented the fear and the unknown enough that people were already signing up for guardian classes. They were preparing people for this reality.
So while it has been short amount of time historically. First opinions matter, information being presented matters. What information people can easily find matters. Whats easy to find is not much to your surprise im sure is that Littles are equal. Littles are intelligent beings and similar to man but smaller.
You would struggle to find that verbiage used on an official document being put out for broad consumption.
So I would say McKenzie’s views are non traditional as its not whats taught ins chools, or presented by teh government or media. etc.
The people of this smallara story community I believe try to treat everyone fair and nice & the bullying & racism aspect of the governments teaching in the smallara reality drives us crazy but the power dynamics changing like parents becoming littles & teachers becoming owned by students are compelling stories in the reality lol
That’s the core reason I write the stories, though that’s the interesting part to me. A dystopian-leaning world where information and materials are presented in a leaned slant.
Thats why in whispers of a former life where we saw mexico come down with a hard hand and the laws and there society were created around littles being taken at birth is harsh but was also a fascinating idea to explore.
Seeing Greg who is a good person, adn Cindy who i wouldnt call fully a bad person as if you remove her little opinions, was probably a Karen-type person makes how the dynamics of her own beliefs apply to Greg who is a good person, and her who is neutral to bad leaning person interesting.
Ezra being a normal teacher who maybe was to opinionated in his teaching aspects becoming a little and a student taking advantage of the system was interesting to write. As it does happen in real life. Not shrinking but you hear stories about students making accusations on teachers doing things sexual and not.Sometimes making things up and but hte damage to the teacher is done. It happens enough that you can believe a situation where a student ends up with her teaher as a little happening. Getting what they feel as justice.
Becuase its real enough to happen. Sara kind of taking advatnage of jordan when he first got Smallara was a situation that felt like it could happen. Greg adn cindy are in situations that could happen.
Nothing Madison or Cindy are doing has been overtly cruel or sexual or inherently mean within the context of their world not ours. But its always things plausible enough that people there age would do.
A) The only thing I would add is I think the young guardians would explore the physical differences more because I saw that with my daughter & her friends playing with her tinker bell dolls I bought her when she was younger.
B) I would love to see more littles like Jordan that has a better life as a little than a big. I could see this easily happening because so many people are over worked or in poor health that becoming a little would solve. My after injury life would be better as a little lol.