"Jeannine, what source did you use for those crime statistics?" Myra asks me.

"Chapter six from the textbook, under 'Methods and Measurement'. I'll send it to you now." I switch tabs on my browser and post it in our group chat.

Working from my laptop makes it easy to collaborate. I rarely do group projects, seeing as I do my best work alone, but this was mandatory. Dr. Lam assigned us into groups of three or four to research and produce a paper on one of a list of topics. In two weeks, each group will present their findings in a brief, fifteen minute presentation. The whole project is worth thirty five percent of my grade, so I'm taking it very seriously. 

"While you're at it, where should we read about the Remnant crap? I'm at my wit's end." Stefan groans.

"Sure." I sigh. "It should be in chapter eight, 'Refugees and Conflict', if I'm not mistaken."

"Thanks."

The timeframe for the project is four weeks. Half that time has passed, and we've hardly begun our paper. I finished my research in the first week, but the two of them have been dragging their feet, even after much nagging. I'm not sure if it's because they dislike our topic or if they're simply lazy. While they continue to procrastinate, I continue typing away on our shared document. At my current pace, I should finish my part by this weekend, leaving me plenty of time to work on the presentation.

That would be the case, assuming they actually do their work.

I stop typing to scroll up on our paper. I feel a sense of frustration when I find both of their sections entirely blank. No, scratch that. Stefan's section has one, whole sentence written! What an achievement! Jokes aside, if they don't get serious soon, there's going to be a problem. I refuse to do three times the work because they won't do their part. I'm going to give them until Friday before I start to be mean about it.

"We're pretty behind schedule, guys. Can we please aim to finish the reading this week? I'm worried about our progress." 

"Relax, Jeannie." Myra brushes me off. "We've got this! I'm actually done with most of my reading."

"I'd prefer if you'd call me Jeannine." I smile, trying hide my irritation. That nickname is reserved for very close friends, as I've explained at least twice before. Yet, she keeps casually using it. "But that's good. Hopefully you can start writing soon."

"I swear I'll catch up by tomorrow night." Stefan chimes in. "I'd have finished already, but every time I pick up the book to read I doze right off."

"Would be nice if we could stop talking about Lillis for, like, one lecture. They're part of every topic, for some reason." She agrees, rolling her eyes.

"You can't escape them. Might as well call this class 'Lilli studies'." He laughs, shaking his head.

Myra and Stefan continue to complain about the class for the next few minutes. Their dislike of Lillis is nothing I haven't heard before. Rather than getting upset, I try to tune it out. I try, and ultimately fail. Sitting idly by as they spout such ignorant opinions on our fellow man rubs me the wrong way. I would never respond in class, especially in front of Dr. Lam, but here is different. It's just the three of us here in our corner of the library.

"Well..." I quietly join in. "Our histories are closely intertwined. Post-war Lilliputia is as relevant now as it was back then. Especially since New Brobdingnag began granting Lillis citizenship."

"Is that actually a thing? My cousin lives over there and he told me about that. I hear it's working out, somehow." Stefan shrugs. "I guess the people over there are pretty tolerant."

"More than over here, at least. I think it sets a good precedent for the rest of the nation." I tell him.

"Okay, but like, laws are just laws. The Brob zeitgeist hasn't changed." Myra adds. "They say that exposure can change the way you think. After dealing with Lillis, I have to say I disagree." 

Finding the conversation has shifted from mindless complaining to a genuine discussion, I close my laptop and decide to engage with them. Despite their attitudes, both Stefan and Myra are smart people. They may be sizist, but they're not nearly as bad as some people I know. Maybe I can appeal to their intellectual side?

"May I ask why?" I look her in the eyes to show my interest. "And how, for that matter. There are no Lillis here other than Remnants."

She looks both ways before motioning for us to come closer. Stefan and I scoot our chairs over so that we're sitting on either side of her. She answers my question in a hushed voice, almost a whisper.

"Okay, I think I can trust you guys with this. This doesn't leave the room, got it?"

Stefan and I nod, now more curious than before.

"Back in freshman year, my roommate decided to buy some Lillis off the black market. She had a vial of like five Remnants that were captured and sold at pretty hefty price. Needless to say, I was pretty shocked. Half because it's illegal and half because I'd literally never seen a Lilli before. They were fucking microscopic!"

"No way. Like, how small exactly?" Stefan asks. "Gimme a frame of reference."

"I'm not sure, it was a while ago."

"A Lilli is about half a millimeter tall. You could fit thirty of them on your fingertip with room to spare." I tell them, nonchalantly.

"How would you even know that?" She asks me, raising a brow.

"I did my research. I have a book at home all about them." I explain, having rehearsed this very excuse many times before.

"Fair." Stefan shrugs. "You were saying, Myra?"

"Oh, yeah. So basically, she brought the vial to our place and told me that she wanted to play with them. She said that we could do whatever we wanted, and that it wouldn't matter because they were just Lillis. I was against the idea at first, scared that someone would catch us, but she insisted." 

"So what did you do with them?" I ask her, growing worried. I've heard enough of these stories to know where this is headed.

"Nothing at first. Despite her excitement, we were both pretty nervous about the whole thing. She poured them out onto the desk in her room and we just... We watched them."

"Did they try to run away?" Stefan asks.

"Two of them did, yeah. They didn't get very far, though. Even at a full sprint, they weren't going anywhere. Like, it would've taken them ages to travel across the tabletop."

"Shit. That's kinda insane!" Stefan laughs. "And seriously pathetic."

"And after that?" I ask, paying no mind to Stefan. "You said 'nothing at first'. What happened after?"

"Well, she wanted to 'experiment' with them. Like, to see how they react to stuff. It was pretty sadistic, to be honest. I was also curious, but in a different way. We ended up splitting the group, two each, since we lost the fifth one. I think he might've fallen off the desk." She shrugs. "Anyway, we took them to our rooms. Within an hour, she'd accidentally killed both of hers. I did try to be careful, but they were just so fragile..."

"I bet. You can't be that durable you're that small." He tells her.

"I learned that the hard way. Trying to pick one up between my fingers crushed the little thing. I lost track of the other one and later found a tiny dot on my sleeve. I felt pretty bad after that. Neither of us were very interested in buying Lillis afterward."

I frown, feeling secondhand guilt after listening to her story. Five living, breathing people died unnecessarily. Those poor things. This is what happens when people like us aren't careful. I suppose I can't blame her all that much, since her intentions weren't malevolent. She made a genuine attempt at understanding them, even if it ended morbidly. That's more than most people would.

"But it did get me thinking." She continues. "About how different we are."

"How so?" I say, suspecting I'll soon regret asking. 

"When I was handling them, it was like..." She tries to find the words, pausing to think. "It was like they were nothing. I was using such little force and I still broke one. The didn't even feel it when I accidentally squished the other.

I'm pretty sure a literal ant would have survived that."

"Probably." Stefan nods.

"I was straining my eyes just to see them. Their voices were so quiet, I couldn't make them out at all. They reminded me of dust, they were so helpless. I'm not saying they don't experience pain, but I could hardly think of them as people."

"But they are people." I remind her. "That's why you felt bad about it."

"I know that. Sorry, I don't really know how to explain it. Someone who's never held a Lilli wouldn't get it."

"Mhm."  I nod, trying to hide my smirk.

"Yo Myra,  what would you have done if they'd survived? Like, after you got bored with them."

"I didn't think that far ahead." She shrugs. "I probably would have given them back to my roommate. Or maybe set them free somewhere."

"I would've just disposed of them. We don't need more Remnants running around."

"True." She agrees.

"I wonder if you'd feel differently if you spent more time around them." I tell her, trying to steer the conversation in a better direction. "Perhaps under different circumstances?"

"It's possible. They're more interesting to handle than to read about, that's for sure."

"Amen, sister." Stefan chuckles.

"Like, having one in front of you, knowing that you can do whatever the hell you want to them, is exciting. Their strongest man wouldn't stand a chance against my pinky. It's a nice feeling. Made me feel pretty powerful." She blushes slightly, realizing she's said too much. "To answer your question, handling those little people made realize that we just...aren't the same."

Both Stefan and I are silent for a time, processing what she told us. So much of her story was similar to mine. When I first handled Nick and Ori and the rest, I nearly killed them. 

I realized I'd have to be more careful, for their sake. It humanized them for me. Yet, Myra came to the exact opposite conclusion that I did.

I wish I knew why.

"Let's get back to work. We have loads to do."

The three of us spent the next hour more productively. For whatever reason, it's easy to shift back to work mode. Stefan is silent as he does his reading, Myra begins typing away on her laptop, and I put the finishing touches on my part of the paper. Aside from brief exchanges relating to the project, none of us are all that talkative. Myra's story left us with a lot to think about. 

"I'm going to get going." I put my laptop away and pick up my bag. "Good progress, guys. Let's keep this pace."

"Yes ma'am." Myra jokes. "We'll try."

"Same. The reading got easier after I started. I should be able to finish a good chunk tonight." Stefan yawns, stretching his arms. "Assuming I don't crash first."

"Thanks. Well, see you in class-"

"Jeannine, wait." Myra interrupts me. She zips her bag and walks over to me. "Let's walk together."

"Sure?" I say, surprised by her eagerness to accompany me. We may be classmates, but we aren't particularly close. "I'm headed to bus stop near the sciences building."

"Same! That's perfect." She beams at me.

We leave the library together and head to the stop. It's a short walk to get there. Upon arriving, we find no one else around, probably because the last bus just left. According to the electronic sign, the next bus will arrive in ten minutes. The two of us take a seat beside each other on the bench in the meantime. I look over at Myra who has been uncharacteristically quiet for someone who asked to walk with me. What was that about? I feel that I should chat with her, but she's busy staring at her phone. I figure it's fine if I do the same. Just as I'm reaching for pocket, she brings her arm over to show me her phone screen.

"Take a look at this." Myra tells me.

I see a blurry image on her phone. 

One that's been zoomed in on, to the point where it's difficult to make out what I'm seeing. It's so pixelated.

"What am I looking at?"

"Oh, I should probably have zoomed in after. My bad."

She pinches the screen, bringing the quality up drastically. Now I can see that it's a picture of a desk. There's something on it, but I can't make out what it is until she zooms in again. Now that I have the context, I'm able to understand what I'm seeing. This is a picture of a Lilli. 

"I took this picture a few months ago. I found this little guy wandering around on my desk. At first I thought that we had a Remnant infestation, but I soon realized that he was the fifth tiny that my roommate and I had lost." She explains, flipping to the next image on her phone. She does this a couple of times, showing me all of the photos, she took. "I suspect he'd been living as a Borrower in our flat, stealing food and living right under our noses. Probably even watching us while we sleep, the little creep." She cringes, a visible shiver rocking her body.

"Myra, why are you showing me this? I'd rather not hear about how you dealt with him."

"Are you sure about that? You might be surprised by my answer."

"Fine. Tell me, so long as it isn't violent."

"It isn't." She reassures me, flipping to one last image on her phone. It's a selfie, with other students in the background. They look to be in a classroom, likely one from our campus. "This is the 'Lilli studies' club."

I blink twice, replaying her words in my head. Surely I didn't hear that right. A 'Lilli studies' club? Like, one that's interested in understanding them? It doesn't sound real.

"I wasn't aware there was a club like that."

"I know, right? Technically, it's a culture club. The members are all super interested in our tiny brethren. Considering how hostile people are toward them, they're very selective with who they let in. It's exclusive, like that. So, what do you think?" 

"It's certainly interesting. Let me guess: You brought the Lilli to the club?"

"Bingo! Exactly right." She smiles. "I brought him over and they helped him out. I hear he's living comfortably in the capitol now."

"That's wonderful. Good to know that one of them had a happy ending."

"Right? I felt I owed to him after my slip ups with the other two." She then locks her phone and sets it down in her lap. "Which brings me to why I told you this."

"Oh?"

"Would you be interested in joining our club? You seem to know a lot about Lillis, but there's always more to learn. I think you'd be a perfect fit."

I consider her offer. A club like this sounds really nice. I've never been around likeminded people when it comes to the subject of Lillis. It would be a nice change, and I do have the time for it. Thankfully, my Lillis back home are not as dependent on me these days. If I can help more of them, then why not? The choice is clear.

"I'd love to. Is there a formal way to sign up?"

"New members can only join through referral. That's where I come in. I'll vouch for you."

"Thank you, Myra."

"Don't thank me yet. There's a lengthy screening process and background check, assuming my referral passes."

"Oh. Well, how long will that take?"

"At least a month? Since we're about to end the year, you'd be looking at next semester, after summer break."

"That's fine. I can be patient."

"Great!"

Myra stands up and puts on her backpack. She quickly stuff her phone into her back pocket and begins to walk away.

"Where are you going? The bus will be here in five minutes." I say, gesturing to the sign.

"About that." She turns back to face me. "I drive to uni most days. My car's parked over in Lot five. I'll confess, I just wanted an excuse to walk with you. I couldn't exactly talk about that in front of Stefan."

"Oh." I say, surprised that she lied. "Okay, well, see you later, Myra." I wave to her with a friendly smile. 

"Bye~! I'll let you know when it's official!"

I wait until she's gone before looking back and forth to confirm that I'm totally alone. I brush the hair behind my fight ear, revealing the previously concealed earring I've been wearing, along with the earpiece above it.

"What do you think, Ori?"

"I'm not sure, to be completely honest with you, Jeannine." I hear her tell me. "It sounds nice. However, something feels off."

"Really? How so?"

"The look in her eyes wasn't right. I caught a glimpse earlier. She did not strike me as a kindhearted person."

"Hm. I guess I should be careful?"

"Maybe. I could also be wrong. I wouldn't want you to lose a potential friend because of some silly, baseless thing I said."

"Hey, I happen to take my friends' opinions very seriously. I won't have you speaking so lowly of yourself."

"Th-Thank you. That means a lot to me."

"Anytime." I smile. "I hope this wasn't too boring for you. I hoped we'd finish studying sooner so that I could show you more of my university."

"It was a wonderful outing. I enjoy learning almost as much as I do teaching. Though, I've never studied from a book that big before!" She laughs.

"I bet!" I laugh along with her.

"It was nice to see what your life is like outside of the apartment. I saw another side of you today. One that I respect very much."

"How do you mean?"

"It was when you spoke with your peers about us. You reminded Myra that we're people. That made me happy. I think you got through to them, if even a little."

"I'd like to think so. But who knows?" 

"If it means they'll spare the next Lilli they see, then it was surely worth it." 

"Absolutely."

The two of us sit in silence for a short time before Ori speaks up again. She's being quite talkative, which makes sense after sitting in silence for most of the day.

"I hope we can do this again." She says softly, almost nervously. 

"What's stopping us? I love your company, Ori. Maybe even more than Nick, since you're less complain-y!" I giggle. "Next time I think I'll have you attend a lecture. It'll be nice to have someone as angry at Dr. Lam as I am."

"I'm sorry. I don't know who that is."

"Then consider yourself lucky!" I shake my head. "She's not someone I'm very fond of."

"I see. I'll remember that. Also, Jeannine, would it be acceptable if I called you 'Jeannie'? Sometimes, not always."

"Certainly, Ori. I'd love that." Out of the corner of my eye, I notice the bus approaching. I stand up and put on my bag, making sure I haven't forgotten anything. As the bus comes to a stop in front of me, I hurry to wrap up our conversation. "I won't be able to-"

"I know." Ori cuts me off. "We'll talk more when we get home. Speaking of which, I hope Louis isn't getting into any trouble..." She thinks aloud.

I nod in response, going quiet as she continues to mumble in my ear. She doesn't bother me at all. It's quite cute, actually. Seeing her so cheerful puts a genuine smile on my face. I'm happy I decided to give her a turn in the earring. Now she's officially the second person to ever accompany me out into the world. I'll probably limit this to just her and Nick. They're my closest Lilli friends, after all. I board the bus, pay the fare, and promptly take my seat by the window. My thoughts drift back to Myra's story and the Lilli club. I wonder what projects they're doing. Moreover, I'm curious about how they go about helping the tinies they're so intrigued by. 

I'd love to find out more!