Cindy watched Greg through short, careful glances.
He sat in Madison’s lap, eating from a Pizza Roll Madison had opened for him. He was being careful with it, taking small bites from the softened edge, his hands braced against Madison’s leg to keep himself steady.
Cindy hated that he could still partake.
She did not know exactly when it had started. It must have been McKenzie sneaking him food on the side, little bites here and there, enough for Madison to eventually notice. But Madison clearly knew now. Greg was eating a Pizza Roll in the open like it was nothing, like people food was still something he could access if Madison felt generous.
Meanwhile, Cindy’s body had become pellet-based in nature.
The thought made her stomach twist.
Her body accepted pellets as food now. Readily. Efficiently. Almost gratefully. Human food had become complex and difficult, something her body no longer knew how to handle properly. It was not that she had forgotten what real food tasted like. That might have been easier.
She remembered.
She remembered pasta, the warmth of sauce, the sharpness of parmesan, the comfort of garlic bread dipped into the edge of a plate. She remembered a ribeye steak cooked medium rare, the seared crust giving way to tenderness beneath. She remembered wine with dinner, coffee in the morning, fruit eaten straight from the cutting board while she prepared something larger.
She remembered telling Greg, with absolute seriousness, that a well-done steak was a travesty against everything mankind stood for.
Now she ate pellets from a bowl.
Madison and McKenzie bought them. Madison portioned them. Cindy consumed them.
That was the arrangement.
She could not even sneak people food if she wanted to. Madison had made sure of that. And as much as Cindy wanted to hate Madison for it, some part of her knew the awful truth.
It was her own fault.
She had stressed to Madison how important it was. Littles should not eat people food. Littles needed specialized nutrition. Pets ate pet food because that was what pet food was for. Human food created confusion, sickness, begging behaviors, entitlement, and poor adjustment.
Cindy had said all of that.
More than once.
Probably with charts.
Now she was trapped inside her own lesson plan.
Madison had executed her teachings perfectly.
Human food sat above Cindy now as something beautiful and unreachable. Delicious in memory, dangerous in practice. Her mind still wanted it. Her mouth still remembered it. But her body could no longer reliably do anything with it. If she managed to stomach it at all, she would likely get sick.
So now a treat was not cake.
A treat was birthday cake pellets.
A treat was not a brownie.
A treat was brownie flavored pellets.
Something sweet. Something decadent. Something Madison could present like generosity while still keeping Cindy firmly inside the rules.
Still pellet.
Always pellet.
Just not the usual variety.
Cindy could not even pick out her own pellets.
Madison and McKenzie did that.
She was like a child again, but worse. She remembered being seven or eight years old, sitting at the dinner table while her parents served whatever they had decided to make. She had been expected to eat it because that was dinner. At the time, it had felt unfair in the way childhood things felt unfair.
Then she had grown up.
She had earned money. Bought groceries. Chosen restaurants. Ordered exactly what she wanted. Cooked meals the way she liked them. Decided what food came into her house and what did not.
That freedom had felt so ordinary that she had barely noticed it.
Until Smallara took it.
Now Madison decided breakfast.
McKenzie decided backup supplies.
The girls chose flavors off shelves or through Guardian supply apps, probably tossing bags into carts while discussing school, music, and whatever else mattered more than Cindy’s preferences.
To their credit, Madison and McKenzie did mix it up.
That almost made it worse.
Madison usually got her the breakfast blend in the mornings, but sometimes she bought bacon and egg pellets or maple oatmeal pellets if she was feeling generous. Lunch was lighter. Ham and cheese. Turkey club. Tomato soup and cracker flavor. Things that mimicked human meals closely enough to mock them.
Dinner was always a crapshoot.
Pot roast pellets.
Hamburger pellets.
Pasta pellets.
Chicken casserole.
Taco bowl.
Whatever Madison or McKenzie felt like buying.
Cindy had zero say in which pellets were chosen.
But she knew, with humiliating clarity, that if their roles were reversed, she would not have asked either.
In all her life, Cindy had never once consulted a Little when buying pellets.
Not once.
She had checked nutrition labels. Compared brands. Looked at guardian reviews. Approved supply lists. She had talked about quality and adjustment and digestive compatibility. But preference?
No.
Preference belonged to people.
Nutritional management belonged to Littles.
Now Cindy was the one on the other end of that decision.
The one not being consulted.
The one who had to be on good behavior to receive treat-based pellets.
The one who knew Madison kept a bag of liver and onion pellets for punishment days.
Cindy hated those most.
Not because they were nutritionally bad. Of course they were not. Madison would never buy pellets that were actually unsafe. That was the worst part. They were perfectly formulated. Perfectly appropriate. Perfectly defensible.
They just tasted horrible.
Dense, bitter, meaty in a way that clung to the tongue.
And Madison had a rule.
New pellets did not go into the bowl until the old pellets were eaten.
No waste.
No bargaining.
No waiting out a flavor until someone softened.
Madison portioned exactly how much a serving was. She measured with the little scoop that came clipped inside the food container, leveling it carefully the way Cindy used to level flour when baking. When Madison fed Cindy and Greg together, she measured the exact amount each of them needed and watched to make sure neither of them pushed pellets aside or tried to trade.
That was Madison all over.
Teenage impatience wrapped around rigid rule-following.
She might leave clothes on the floor. She might forget homework until the last second. She might drink iced coffee like it was a personality trait and leave cups in places Cindy had once forbidden.
But when it came to Little care, Madison could become maddeningly precise.
Because Cindy had taught her that precision was responsibility.
Cindy looked down at the tablet in her lap.
Brooklyn’s science homework waited.
Little physiology and reinforcement response.
She almost laughed.
Almost.
Across the room, Greg took another careful bite of Pizza Roll.
Madison glanced down, smiling faintly as he chewed. “Good, right?”
Greg looked up at her and nodded. “Still tastes like I remember.”
Something in Cindy tightened.
She could not decide what hurt worse.
That Greg still had access to small pieces of his old life.
Or that he looked grateful for them.
A part of her wanted to resent him. A small, ugly part. The same part that had resented hearing McKenzie laugh with him upstairs. The same part that hated seeing him relax under Madison’s hand while Cindy sat in Evan’s lap doing homework for children.
But the resentment could not hold.
Not fully.
Greg had paid for this too.
Just differently.
He had learned to accept little kindnesses because rejecting all of them would leave him with nothing. Cindy understood that, even if she hated it. Greg’s survival looked like softness. Hers looked like resistance. And somehow, in this world, softness was rewarded while resistance was called misbehavior.
Cindy looked back at the homework.
Brooklyn’s first question asked her to explain why Little specific diets supported long term adjustment and reduced maladaptive identity retention.
Cindy stared at the words.
She knew the answer.
Of course she did.
She had helped make sure children like Brooklyn learned it.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.
Then, because Madison would check, because Brooklyn expected it, because Ava’s assignment was waiting next, because refusing would only bring punishment and liver pellets and another lecture about attitude, Cindy began to type.
Little specific diets provide nutritional stability while reducing dependence on human food rituals…
She stopped.
Human food rituals.
That was what dinner had become now.
A ritual she watched from below.
A thing humans did.
A thing Greg could occasionally be invited into if Madison or McKenzie felt loving enough.
A thing Cindy had argued Littles should be trained away from.
Her eyes burned.
She blinked hard and kept typing.
Above her, Brooklyn laughed at something Krysi said. Ava asked Madison if there were more drinks in the fridge. Evan’s hand rested near Cindy, warm and casual, a reminder that she was not alone but also not free.
Greg took another bite of Pizza Roll.
Cindy typed the answer perfectly.
Boom! McKenzie rocks up says hey! Mom wanna watch a movie!!!……. damm that was a great dream 🤣🤣
She’s at practice not likely
Cindy feels jealous? Boo fucking hoo bitch.
lol. I mean she still has feelings
Does this look like the image from the next scene?
It’s not as I haven’t made the images for next week. I just didn’t want to do a basic render of the new everyone sitting on the couch pulled back.
As that’s an easy out and isnt really that fun
“He sat in Madison’s lap, eating from a Pizza Roll Madison had opened for him. He was being careful with it, taking small bites from the softened edge, his hands braced against Madison’s leg to keep himself steady.”
Lol called that shit!
What a little coward
For eating? What do you expect to him to do or say that would help in this scenario?
Why doesn’t he suggest he help Cindy with the homework? Or tell Madison he misses her and wants to see her? At worst, she punishes him, he still gets to talk to Kenzie later, and gets to confront the “more reasonable one” about what is going on and maybe change it. But he doesn’t wanna risk comfort.
Why didn’t Cindy when Madison took her downstairs the night before? It’s not just on Greg.
Madison specifically said earlier she wanted to spend time with him. This is specifically time Madison is wanting to spend time with her dad and her friends.
There is no reason to stir the pot. What would he possibly accomplish other then pissing Madison off. As he would basically be saying I know you set aside time to for us to spend time together with your friends but I’d rather do homework with Cindy as It’s been 8 hours that I haven’t seen her.
Little or full sized that is a good way to piss off a female
On a normal day pre smallara they would go more then 8 hours without seeing each other.
Because Greg is the one with privileges that Cindy doesn’t have. It has been established that she is WAY more willing to hear Greg out than Cindy.
What does it accomplish? It is called solidarity. Even if he gets punished, he would be in a similar situation that Cindy is in. And who cares if it makes the shitty daughter he helped raise angry? What will she do about it? Stomp on him? Of course not. He will be given some shit to do, that Cindy would’ve probably had to do otherwise, until Kenzie came home. And then it would’ve maybe snapped Kenzie out of her being okay with Madison behavior when she sees it happening to Greg for the crime of wanting to help his wife out instead of just watching.
Seriously dude, what has Greg even tried? We keep being told how great Kenzie is and how she hates her mom’s views, yet Greg is terrified to suggest anything of real substance at all if it may sacrifice his little privileges he gets. Guy is and always was, a chode
Picture looks like Cindy is going to go into little foot massage mode to get some pets lol
Just a coincidence. As Evan sits down next to Brooklyn.
I’m surprised the girls don’t make their parents do mussel knot duties after their practice because they’re tiny hands can get between the muscles.
0) Brooklyn’s socked feet looming over Cindy in the image give a nice visual metaphor of where she sits now.
1) “Greg was eating a Pizza Roll in the open like it was nothing, like people food was still something he could access if Madison felt generous.” Well, if Cindy had taught differently, so could she.
2) “Meanwhile, Cindy’s body had become pellet-based in nature”, all according to her plan
3) “She remembered pasta, the warmth of sauce, the sharpness of parmesan, the comfort of garlic bread dipped into the edge of a plate. She remembered a ribeye steak cooked medium rare, the seared crust giving way to tenderness beneath. She remembered wine with dinner, coffee in the morning, fruit eaten straight from the cutting board while she prepared something larger.” Well they’d taste differently now,
4) “It was her own fault”, good
5) “She was like a child again, but worse.” Yeah, children eventually grow out of that phase, Cindy won’t.
6) “Madison usually got her the breakfast blend in the mornings, but sometimes she bought bacon and egg pellets or maple oatmeal pellets if she was feeling generous” Would those flavours not be part of the breakfast blend? If not, what flavours would be?
7) “Things that mimicked human meals closely enough to mock them.” Depending on the brand, I don’t think it is mockery, I think it’s a genuine attempt to bridge the gap between biggle and Little food.
8) “Cindy had zero say in which pellets were chosen.” I wonder if Greg does.
9) “But she knew, with humiliating clarity, that if their roles were reversed, she would not have asked either.” Very true
10) “In all her life, Cindy had never once consulted a Little when buying pellets. Not once.” Ok, but how many Littles was she buying pellets for?
11) “The one who knew Madison kept a bag of liver and onion pellets for punishment days” That’s fucked up.
12) “Madison would never buy pellets that were actually unsafe.” I’d think those pellets weren’t available for sale.
13) “And somehow, in this world, softness was rewarded while resistance was called misbehaviour.” That’s actually very typical of tyrants.
14) “She knew the answer. Of course she did. She had helped make sure children like Brooklyn learned it.” This is deserved savagery.
14}. Hard not to get your own teaching wrong lol
0) She definately is beneath brooklyn in the pecking order. When i made hte image i didnt even think about that. I was just thinking about how Evan sits near Brooklyn so how do I make this work as Brooklyn definately would keep lounging as thats who she is.
overall it turned out pretty good. Although Cindy’s tablet is hidden. but i w anted the full view of Evan.
1) I’m sure her meals are everything she wanted for a little. Only now she gets to see it for herself.
2) I love it when a plan comes together.
3) She has her memories though of what they all taste like. So she have solace in that fact. Pasta pellets are probably the same thing.
4) One of the few time you will agree with cindy.
5) or wont be allowed too.
6) the breakfast blend is more fruits, grains, berries etc. its healthy mix of things but also filling. Its not bad its like a healthy more naturalish breakfast foods is the intent.
8) Not really. I mean like Cindy he could ask. But its really up to the girls. They are teens so its not like they are going to the store with a list. So even if cindy was like i want X they would have to remember it.
7) thats probably a better way to put it. I mean the attempt by comapnies is genuine as you said. but the perspective of cindy who just wnats the human variants it feels mocking is what i was trying to illustrate.
9) She is being very forthcoming on the reality here. Channeling her dose of reality.
10) hard to say. I mean she did work at preematech, and she does work as a consultant for businesses integrating littles into the workforce. So its not like she has never had to buy little food.
11) The standard bearer. If you dont want to fall in line. You can survive off liver and onions for a meal or two to let you rethink and reconsider your position on the matter. Thats why earlier it was stated that when madison puts pellets in she knows how muchs eh is putting in and how much each person should eat. So she will just wait them out.
12) The intent was she is buying name brand pellets like generitech pellets. Seh isnt buying random cheap pellets to save a buck. Mystery pellets 8 dollars box.
13) thats also true of most any world, nation, society, etc. Its not all that unique. Its just something people generally dont like to talk about or consider.
14) Oh, just you wait.
11) Well, as far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing stopping her from simply stopping the onion and liver pellets. I think she can survive a day or two without food with constant access to water. And then Madison will have to make a choice: either give up the onion and liver pellets or risk her mother’s health.
I’m just in awe of Cindy’s strength; she’s truly a great person (and not all great people are good). Damn, 8-9 months of fighting, and she doesn’t seem to be giving up. I wonder how long all those little brats would last in the same situation? A month or two?
I hate to admit it but you make good points lol
I’m just trying to figure out her train of thought. She’s far from stupid and understands perfectly well what’s happening to her and why. She realizes she’s in a cage of her own making, but she also knows how her methods work on the Little Ones. Where to apply pressure, where to ignore, to create the illusion of alienation and abandonment. And I think she believes that as long as she doesn’t give in to these methods, she remains human. She’s perfectly aware of the pros and cons of her altered body, but she also understands that her brain hasn’t changed. So for her, accepting herself as a Little One means giving up her humanity. And for now, she’s ready to keep fighting.
You can survive a long time on just water and starvation is painful.
Madison could also have Cindy injected with nutrients with an iv or tpn.
Madison could just call her bluff she can eat or she can trade Cindy in for the little
She actually wants as her real mother died the moment she became a little. This would be her be in line with culture beliefs and Cindy’s own beliefs as well.
So then Cindy would have to choose. As Cindy is a domesticated creature and asset by the rules of this world. So she can only go she far is the canon answer.
The real answer is it would just ruin the story and i would just shut it down. As like with any book or movie you need a suspension of disbelief as you can always logic out of any situation and just ruin the story
Well, it’s unlikely things would have gone that far. I didn’t mean giving up pellets altogether, I just meant the nasty-tasting pellets. Replacing them with pellets with a different flavor wouldn’t be a problem for Madison.
And by the way, how realistic is it for these youngsters to exchange Little Ones? As I recall, you said earlier that changing Guardians is practically impossible. It’s a lifelong contract. Of course, there may be exceptions, but beyond Evan’s wishes, there’s the legal process of re-registering a Guardian, which involves a ton of paperwork and government registries. I don’t think Generitek or the government would approve of exchanging Little Ones between Guardians like gum wrappers.
Its like most things there is the legal construct of what is done and there is what people do.
There if Madison says here is Cindy to Evan and Evan takes Cindy. There is nothing inherently stopping that from occurring. Just like if it were a Car or any other asset.
Legally when your exchanging an asset of that kind of value certain procedures are required to happen but that doesnt stop people from doing it anyway.
That’s just reality, there is the law, and then there is what people actually do.
The other point is Madison wouldn’t have to legally give up Cindy for Evan to take her. Evan could just be indefiantely caring for her, but she still be Madison’s legally.
There are many ways around things. Just like you can claim residency in a state but live elsewhere. There aren’t many actual mechanisms to prove you live somewhere. They use things like bills, your name, and such. Then you just saying yeah i spend X amount of time here.
So the threat is fairly real as the actual exchange isnt some formal process unless they want it to be.
I agree, that’s a possibility, but the opinion of the other co-guardian, Mackenzie, needs to be taken into account in this case. By the way, who will be held responsible if Cindy gets hurt while under Evan’s care? Perhaps it would be better for Cindy to leave this family altogether and end up in a facility where Madison’s friends wouldn’t harass her. Although she’s unlikely to do that, as she loves her family no matter what and is willing to endure a lot for them.
Although I still despise my sisters for forcing their mother to clean sinks and toilets, even with special equipment.
So what happens if a Guardian dies in an accident or from disease? Does the little go back through the system or does the family get the right to keep the little?
Same thing that happens to a dog or anything else. Littles aren’t people and aren’t given the agency of one.
If a qualified family member or friend was available or they were left to someone. Otherwise, the little would
Have to be given up if no one to care for it.
As far as I remember, Ellie was signed up as Jordie’s co-guardian for just such a case.