"Helloooooo, a little help down here!"

Donna "Diva" Delaware shouted up to the crew moving about the set.

"VIP in need of attention here!"

Donna, or as most called her, "Diva," was one of the best athletes in the world. Well, one of the best Lilliputian athletes in the world. And, while it was a well accepted fact that the miniscule people couldn't compete with their larger Human cousins, Diva had still become a household name for those into the Lilli soccer scene. 

"Hey, whatshisname! Either my enhancer collar is broken, or you've gone deaf, neither of which are likely!"

Her voice carried far, thanks to her standard issue Lilliputian Voice Enhancement Collar, or "L-VEC," she stamped her foot and locked eyes with the poor production assistant in charge of seeing to her needs while she was on set.

"Eeek! Sorry Ms. Delaware I-"

"W H A T did you call me!?"

"D-d-diva! Sorry Ms. Diva!"

Danny kneeled down and lowered his outstretched palm in front of the miniscule woman. He could barely feel the weight of her tiny body as she stepped on to his clammy palm, her cleats still managing to cause a small amount of discomfort to his sensitive skin. This was his first big assignment at his new job, Danny had very little experience handling Lilliputians, but he was doing his best to impress the rest of the crew. "One small step towards director" he told himself during each humiliation, "Just one step closer to my dream." Little lies of comfort to make it easier to get through the day.

"EARTH TO WHATSHISNAME!"

Danny snapped out of his daydreaming, once again thanks to the ever demanding Diva. Raising his hand and nervously smiling at the impatient athlete as he stood. He instinctively began to walk towards her dressing room. Along the way he passed plenty of other famous athletes all in one stage or another of the filming or photo-shoot process. They were all here for one reason, a large-scale ad campaign for Boost+, Premier Sports Drink, the latest sports drink taking the beverage world by storm. It was really quite the production, Danny couldn't help but be star struck by all of the Sports Stars he was quite literally rubbing shoulders with. Wrestlers, football players, tennis players, soccer, golf, basketball, you name it Boost+ had an athlete here for it. Hell, it was easy for him to forget that he was literally holding the Donna Delaware in his hands. Speaking of which…

"Uuuuuhg. I can't believe she's here…"

Diva mumbled to herself in frustration as she and Danny passed up another set, both of them seeing the cameras focused on one female athlete kicking a soccer ball for an in-action shot in front of a green screen.

"Daniella Davenport…"

"Daniella Davenport!"

Danny spoke with awe in his voice, Diva with hatred. Diva despised Daniella, largely considering them to be something akin to rivals, even though they were technically in different leagues, Daniella in the NWSL, and Diva of course in the LNWSL (Nation Lilliputian Women's Soccer League). Women's Soccer at large being an underappreciated sports Diva wanted as much of the spotlight as she could grasp. She desired fame and admiration for her athletic skills, pushing herself hard to be acknowledged as the best there was. Despite her best efforts however, she constantly felt overshadowed by her normal sized counterpart. Daniella was beautiful, kind, humble, and worse, she was just as good at soccer as Diva. If they were both the same size, it's safe to say that they would be fairly evenly matched. It didn't help that, being a human, she was more watched and loved. Lilliputians weren't exactly discriminated against per say, the world was just simply built more for Humans. Lilliputians took up less space, and therefore often got less limelight. The thing that really got to her was that the handful of times Diva and Daniella had met, Daniella was just so nice! The entire situation infuriated Diva to no end.

Danny, on the other hand, was smitten. The small world that it was, he and Daniella actually knew each other. They both attended the same elementary school and high school, and were friendly acquaintances all throughout, having had many mutual friends. Danny had always kicked himself for not telling Daniella how he really felt about her; that he'd been completely taken by her ever since she accidentally hit him in the face with a soccer ball in 3rd grade. After graduation, Danny went to film school, and Daniella went off on a sports scholarship out of state. He largely put it all behind him as life went on, vaguely keeping up with her achievements on social media and the like. He almost couldn’t believe that they were actually going to be in the same room together after years apart. He kept telling himself that this would be it, somehow he’d walk over there and tell her how he felt… if she even remembered him. Still, despite his doubts and hesitations, he couldn’t help but stare and daydream as she wiped the sweat off her brow, her form highlighted perfectly by the stage lights.

“She’s just so…perfect…”

Diva’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, but just as quickly bent downwards, a scowl forming on her face. Even her damn assistant was ensnared under Daniella’s spell. She couldn't even film a commercial in peace! Always being looked over for highlights and replays, her achievements being overshadowed just because Daniella was Human! It should be her getting accolades, it should be her in the spotlight, it should be her this dumb production assistant should be drooling over, it wasn’t fair!

“Whatshisname lets go. Now!”

Evidently Diva’s demanding voice wasn’t enough to shake Danny from his love-fueled stupor, his eyes and mind still firmly entranced by his long-time obsession. This pushed Diva to her breaking point, her anger boiling over and her face turning red with anger.

“Whatshisname. Whatshisname! God dammit, LISTEN TO ME!”

Frustrated beyond her breaking point, she lifted her right leg and stomped her cleat-clad foot as hard as she could onto Danny’s palm. Unfortunately, as with many blows delivered from rage, this decision would cost her dearly.

“YOWCH!”

Danny’s hand flinched in pain. The motion was delivered abruptly and quickly, Diva’s stomp feeling like a bee sting. 

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

The miniscule soccer star let out a terrified scream as she was launched into the air, her small body flying through the crowd unnoticed.

"Oh my gosh! Ms. Diva!"

Well, unnoticed by all except Danny who watched in horror as the person he was supposed to be catering to flew through the room. His body froze as Diva sailed downwards towards Daniella's set, his muscles tensing up while imagining her crashing into the ground and becoming a broken pile of attitude. 

*Bloop*

"AAAAAAAAAH-" 

*SPLASH*

Diva found herself submerged in a sweet yellow liquid. Instinctively, she worked her way to the surface and began treading water

“*GAAAAASP* *COUGH COUGH*”

Looking around in a panic, she tried to figure out where she was after being tossed into the air by that idiot Daniella lover. The liquid she was swimming in tasted… familiar, and surrounding her was what looked like a dome made of clear plastic, with a large hole right above her….

“Oh you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

She soon realized that she was swimming in a freshly opened bottle of lemon-lime flavored Boost+.

“Hey. Heeeeeeey! Someone get me outta heeeeere!”

She noticed that her voice wasn’t carrying as far as it usually did. She tapped on her L-VEC’s status indicator button and an automated voice rang out.

“Water-water-water warning. L-VEC sys-systems switching to power saving-” *Beeooow…*

Just like that, the one thing that allowed Diva to communicate to members of the larger race was gone.

“No. Nooooo no no no!”

Diva’s trademark confidant and dominant personality began to melt away, and fear took over. She began to panic, her eyes darting around for any sign of hope, survival instincts filling her with adrenaline.

*RUMBLE*

A quake shook her enclosure as a hand wrapped itself around the bottle, its contents sloshing around as it was lifted off of the table and into the air. Oh god someone must have picked up the bottle to take a drink.

"Heeeeey! Down here! I'm here! Look down!”

Slowly, the bottle moved upwards, and Diva braced herself for whatever was to come. Then a giant eye covered the hole, staring inwards right at her.

“Ms. Diva! Thank goodness! I’m so sorry! You stepped on my hand and I- and you flew through the air- and I thought you’d and- um well…”

Diva felt extreme relief when she realized that the person holding her bottle prison was the bumbling assistant in charge of seeing to her needs. Not only that, but he was aware of where she was, so she was likely safe from any further danger. That relief quickly shifted, once again, to anger.

“You… YOOOUUUU…. I wouldn’t BE in this situation if it wasn’t for you! You weren’t so damn twitchy, and if you hadn’t been gawking over that RIDICULOUS Daniella Davenport who isn’t even that pretty and…”

“You… YOOOUUUU…. I wouldn’t BE in this situation if it wasn’t for you! You weren’t so damn twitchy, and if you hadn’t been gawking over that RIDICULOUS Daniella Davenport who isn’t even that pretty and…”

Though Diva’s voice wasn’t very audible without her L-VEC, Danny knew when he was getting yelled at. This wasn’t good. He needed this job, and if Diva complained to his boss he’d be screwed! Diva’s squeaks became background noise as he stared blankly forward, spacing out once again as his anxiety-filled brain began to spiral.

“Oh wow is that for me? Thank you so much!”

“Wha?”

“And another thing!-”

*RUMBLE*

“Oh wow is that for me? Thank you so much!”

“Wha?”

Diva’s rant was cut off as the bottle containing her shook violently once again. Her vision limited to what she could make out through the plastic, she could make out that her bottle had switched hands.

“Whatshisname? What’s going on?”

“I was super thirsty! It's been such a long shoot today.~”

Thirsty!? Looking up, Diva finally could make out who was holding the bottle…

“Daniella…”

No. No she couldn’t go out like this. Not to her, anyone but her!

“Daniella! Daniealla you bitch look down! I’m in here!”

*SA-SLOSH*

The bottled beverage lurched forward as the opening was brought towards Daniella’s beautiful lips.

“NO! NOT LIKE THIS PLEASE!

Diva began to swim away from the opening as the yellow liquid began to drain into Daniella’s mouth, the sickening sounds of gulping echoing through the bottle as she drank more and more. The current was strong, too strong for the Lilliputian. Despite her best efforts, there was simply no way that Diva could resist the flood pulling her towards her doom. Her bravado had long since faded, her face twisted into one of terrified despair, tears running down her cheeks and disappearing into the river of Boost+. Soon enough, the bottom of the bottle got further and further away, the environment becoming more humid as she passed into Daniella’s mouth. Teeth entering her vision, the booming sounds of swallowing right behind her, she could only wail and cry knowing that she was dead.

“DANIEEEEELLLAAAAAAAAAA!”

*GLRK, GLRK, GLRK*

“DANIEEEEELLLAAAAAaaa…!”

*GLRK, GLRK, GLRK*

“Aaaaaah~”

Danny could only watch in shock as Daniella sucked down the entire bottle of Boost+, Diva and all. Danny being a production assistant, Daniella mistakenly assumed that the bottle he was holding out in front of him was being offered to her. Of course, his meek and hesitant personality could do naught but squeak and stammer as he watched Diva vanish.

*Uuuurp* “Ooops! Sorry haha…”

Daniella handed the, now empty, bottle back to Danny who stared into it, hoping in vain to see any sign of the tiny soccer star, but alas it was not to be.

“Oh my gosh, Danny!?”

Danny’s eyes shot up after being addressed by Daniella.

“Danny Daron?”

She remembered him. She remembered him! Awkwardly smiling he stood up straight and meekly waved.

“Oh uh, hey Daniella! What uuuuh, what are you doing here?”

Pain arrived in his upper arm as Daniella playfully socked him below his shoulder.

“What am I doing here!? You goof what the heck are you doing here?”

The question brought Danny off of his high and back to reality. His eyes drifted downwards to Daniella’s midsection, knowing that Diva had to be somewhere inside of her. How could he even bring something like that up? Daniella blushed a bit, embarrassed as Danny stared at her belly.

“Uuuuuhm, something on my shirt?”

Realizing that he’d been just standing there and staring at her like a creep his head sprung up and he began to babble in embarrassment.

“Huh? OH! N-no it's not that, it's just-”

“DANNY!”

The young production assistant practically leapt out of his skin when one of the set directors called his name, walking over to him.

“Danny! Where the hell is Diva! She’s set for a photo shoot in 10 minutes!”

Sweating at this point, Danny’s heart felt like it was going to fly out of his chest like some sort of alien parasite.

“M-Ms. D-Diva- Well well- You um, you see the thing is- Well she was yelling earlier- and um and and-”

“Diva? As in Diva Delaware?”

Both Danny and the set director looked at Daniella as she spoke up, interrupting Danny’s blathering.

“Thaaaat explains why you’re such a wreck, Danny! Knowing Diva she probably stomped off on her own in a tantrum. I love the girl but for being so small she can be more than a handful! Isn’t that right Danny?”

Danny, seeing the opportunity to escape the set directors ire just nodded his head.

“Uuuuuh yes. Yes, uh-huh, she- she um, she just flew off on her own.”

The set director looked at the two for a moment in silence before sighing in frustration.

“Uuuuuhg, that does sound like her… Well Danny, if she’s off on her own I can’t have you just standing around doing nothing. Maybe you should head home for the day.”

Before he could speak up, he suddenly felt an arm wrap around his. Looking over, time seemed to stop as he saw Daniella pulling him in close to her with a big smile on her face.

“Well actually, my production assistant called in sick today apparently, and since Donna and I are such good friends, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if I borrowed hers while she’s off on her own!”

The set director answered quickly and decisively before running off to attend to one of their many other tasks.

“Love it, consider it done. Danny, give Ms. Davenport here whatever she wants, got it? Good!”

Danny and Daniel turn to look at each other, their eyes locking. If anyone had been paying attention to the two, they would easily be able to see the spark of energy between them. It was clear that Danny wasn’t the only one who left things unsaid.

“Well, you heard ‘em. You have to give me anything I want Danny!~ I’d love to hear about what you’ve been up to! I’m on a break while hey set up the next shoot for me, how about we head back to my dressing room and catch up!”

Danny simply followed Daniella as she led him through the crowd towards her room. He couldn’t believe his luck, that this was actually happening! So obsessed with the universe giving him a second chance with the girl that he loved, that he’d already forgotten about the girl he’d lost…

*THMUP THUMP*
          *THUMP THUMP*
   *GGGRRRRAAAAOOOOoooowwwl….*

Diva’s world had come crashing down.

“Please! Somebody, aaa-haaa-haaaanybodyyyy….”

She waded through the chest high mix of Boost+, gastric juices, and remains of whatever Daniella had eaten throughout the day. Eventually she made it to a stomach wall, and pathetically banged her balled up fists against her fleshy prison.

“Whatshis name…. Daniellaaaaa! Anyone…”

Tears poured from her eyes as she sobbed. Her struggles were so small, so minute, that Daniella would never know that her “rival” would soon become a part of her. Nothing but fuel for her fire. Defeated, Diva slumped herself against the wall, trying to just breathe. She’d heard stories about Lilliputians being eaten before… Almost all of them ended badly. Sniffling, she closed her eyes, letting her mind wander too and fro as the putrid air continued to fill her lungs. Luckily, she would slip into unconsciousness long before the painful reality of digestion took place. At least by becoming a part of Daniella, she would still share in the soccer spotlight in a way…

*GGGRRrrrAAAAOOoooowl….*