The machine mowed along in its steady rhythm. The vibrant orange fabric smoothly sailed across the needle plate, pampered by the presser foot's clean pumps. Leni's fingers carefully maneuvered the fabric, insuring that the seams are clean and straight. Whenever she reached a corner, she successfully turned it and continued on her way. This process, interspersed with her Princess Pony mind movie and a pinch of privacy produced bliss.

One of the episodes from a few weeks ago had a new song. Leni wasn't the fastest at learning lyrics, but the tune was so cheerful that she couldn't help but hum it to herself behind a noticeable smile.

"This is gonna make someone happy!"

She then heard the door knock. Her ear buzzed as she took her foot off the pedal. She twisted around her chair and saw two familiar boys, Lincoln and his friend Clyde. Seeing him made her lips stretch even further.

"Hi Linky!" she exclaimed, throwing up her hand to wave it. Her little brother's face flustered a little upon hearing that nickname. Clyde, meanwhile, chuckled at his friend's blushing cheeks. As she continued waving it, she remembered another phrase, "How are you?"

"Great," Lincoln replied, trying to compose himself. His voice carried some of the excitement Leni displayed.

"Hi Leni," Clyde said, grinning.

The two of them stood in the doorway as they tried to remember why they were there. Thankfully for them, Leni patiently sat there, happy as ever.

"So can you make me and Clyde costumes for Halloween?" Lincoln asked. He then reached for his pocket and pulled out a white wad and unfolded it.

"Sure! Where's the design?"

Lincoln handed it over to her. On it was two simple drawings. One of them was a red T-shirt with a black logo, something that looked like underwear, and a blue cape. The other was a shirt with blue around the edges, a swirl of white in the middle, and red dots. On the bottom was a series of numbers and labels.

"Can you get it for us by Halloween? It would mean a lot to us."

"Halloween's about four weeks away, so that should give you plenty of time," Clyde added.

Leni's smile slipped a little, but she caught it before it could mutate into something concerning. She then quickly nodded.

"I know, silly. I can get this done before that, even," Leni said.

"Thanks. You're the best, Leni," Lincoln said. He then led Clyde out into the hall. After several seconds of staring in the open space before slowly inching back to her machine.

She stared at the unfinished product before her. She thought about that thing Lincoln's friend said. Did he think she didn't know when Halloween was? She knew she didn't put on an air of intelligence, but she wasn't stupid. Right?

Resuming her sewing, Leni did whatever she could to get back to that special zone. She started humming that same song again. Maybe she should have learned the lyrics after all.

"Leni. Have you seen my babysitter uniform?"

Once again, the process halted. She turned to see Lori scrambling around their room, chucking shoes from under her bed and then shirts from the closet. Leni silently observed the panicked whirlwind, all the while thinking of the tyranny that would await her and her little siblings that evening.

"Leni! Answer me now!" Lori snapped, encroaching her. Her terrified eyes did their best to form a menacing glare. It worked. Leni felt her spine gripped by fear.

"You don't, like, need that thing," Leni said, stuttering.

"Yes I do!

And just like that, she felt herself being pulled into her place. But it seemed like she didn't know where that place quite was. Besides, it disturbed her seeing her big sister so distressed.

"I think you, like, look great just the way you are," she said, nervously putting on a smile. She hoped that Lori could understand that she really meant it. She adored her big sister's appearance and she wanted her to know that she didn't need all that makeup or fancy stuff. Lori seemed like more than a human, better than she herself could ever achieve.

"I need it! Now tell me where it is!"

And now that place was found. Leni lamented the fact that her sister kept looking at her like that. Lori's frown was nasty and her forehead practically had a single eyebrow.

"Like, I dunno," Leni answered softly.

Lori, though, was unfazed.

"Well someone literally stole it!" Lori said angrily. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she pointed at the sewing machine, "You didn't use it to make your dumb clothes, did you?!"

Leni felt her chest twist. Her sister leaned in to her, making her regret even opening her mouth. She shook her head.

"You better not touch it! Do you understand?!" Lori sneered, her eyes narrowing even further. The fear Leni could see within them was more apparent than ever. Even though she herself was scared, something told her that Lori was even more so.

"I do," Leni answered, trying to calm down.

After a few more seconds of leering, Lori leaned back, still carrying a firm lip. Leni took several deep breaths.

"Fine," was all Lori said.

Leni glanced past her and saw Lynn rush across the hallway docked in black boots, army green jacket, general's hat, and black sunglasses. Once out of sight, a shrill whistle rang out.

"Alright Lucy! Drop an' give me twenty!" Lynn's rash voice shouted.

"Hey!" Lori yelled back, sprinting out of the room, "I'm gonna rip your head off!"

Leni was distracted by the argument (mixed with shouting, mocking, and whistle blowing). She knew that Lori's threats couldn't hurt Lynn, but she was still disturbed by them. Not even the joy she got from sewing could mute or alleviate the unease she got from her siblings fighting. It was a shame she herself wasn't entirely above it.

"One hour of solitary confinement tonight!" Lori rashly proclaimed. Leni watched as her sister marched into the doorway and stood straight as a pencil. She was fully dressed in the Halloween costume, complete with the cheap sunglasses to hide her eyes. Her lip was simply a smirk (one of the corners was tightly twisted inward).

"Let that serve as an example," Lori boasted, throwing in a grin to boot. Leni merely absorbed it, afraid of retribution. She slowly started turning back to her sewing machine, hoping the awkwardness would magically fizzle away.

"Eh-hem," Lori huffed out, forcing Leni to face her once more towards her desperate sister, "No one messes with me!" she said, only followed by silence, "I am the one in charge around here!" once again, nothing. Lori's face became noticeably tinged, worrying Leni. What did she want? Her big sister looked so vulnerable, "No one else can bring me down!"

The older sister even stomped her foot to boot. Leni saw that as her cue. She jumped from her seat and nearly tackled Lori with a hug. She couldn't bear to see her sister like that anymore. Did she have a bad day? Did some big meanie hurt her feelings? Lori had looked so frazzled in her search for her costume. Hopefully a little reminder could calm her down.

"Get off me this instant!"

The girl instinctively peeled herself away. Rather than anger, Lori's face merely displayed that leftover buzz. The two locked eyes in the midst of the thick air. Leni saw her sister's lips hang open, exposing her braces. She wondered if Lori wanted to tell her something, something important. But Lori's lips suddenly puckered as her hands fiddled with the whistle. She clumsily brought the instrument up and blew it, allowing its screech to ring into both of their ears.

"T-That will put you on warning," she uttered out. Lori then thought it would be a great idea to point, and so she did just that, "You are, are on warning. One more quick move like that," she then paused briefly. Her mouth temporarily showed her braces again, "and you," she said, poking her finger through the air, "will be in big trouble tonight."

Leni nodded.

"Now say 'yes m'am!" Lori barked.

"Yes m'am," Leni answered simply. Maybe that compliance would ease her sister's conspicuous tension. It did (a little) as Lori stepped back and her face slightly relaxed.

"Remember," she made out as she stood in the doorway, "I'm in charge tonight," and after a delayed point at her chest, she stuttered out.

Leni turned back to resume her work. Now, all she could think about was the challenge before her at school. Lori showed little interest in talking about Carol. After seeing her snap like that, Leni didn't dare consider bringing it up. The last thing she wanted was the knowledge that she had contributed to her sister's stress. And she hoped that tonight would be met with little conflict by anyone.

And then there was Carol. In her eyes, Carol was nice and outgoing. And she seemed like she was sorry for the way she treated Lori before. Leni had imagined her plan to be to ask her big sister to be more open-minded and willing to forgive. She herself had already forgiven Carol for those grievances she never saw.

"I'm sure that's what Rosy Cake would do."

As she eased herself back into a rhythm, she slowly started humming again. That song sure was catchy and it did sorta lighten her spirits. As it went on, she marveled at the progress she was able to make. One seam after another came together, forming a clean cohesive unit. Eventually, she finished the dress. She pulled it from the machine and held it up.

It was a bright orange dress with red highlights spread out in different corners. Given the neck and sleeve sizes, she figured it could be worn by a kid around Lincoln's age, even if the dress itself was a little long. She hoped that there was a girl like that in town willing to wear something like this. After several seconds of examining her work, she smiled, hopeful that it will be sold. She gleefully folded it and placed it in a paper bag she kept on the floor beside the desk. Inside that bag were about four other articles of clothing.

Another knock on the door. Leni swung in her chair to see that the door was still open from earlier. Her mother stood there gripping a black garbage bag.

"Hi Leni. I brought down some old clothes from the attic that you could use in your fundraiser," Rita said as she propped it up against one of the walls. The woman figured that even with the abundance of small children in the House, they didn't need that many hand-me-downs, especially not Lincoln's baby clothes.

Leni grinned.

"Thanks Mom!"

Rita smiled and went on her way. This time, Leni rose and approached the garbage bag. She grabbed it and rested it on her bed, puffing dust and wood particles onto the sheets. Undoing the knot, Leni poked her head in the arid space to see the crumpled shirts, socks, and pants. She knew that none of the clothes were her's nor were they ones that she had ever searched through. Still, she smiled at the prospect of a lucky little boy wearing them.

"They'll ask all about my special little Linky!"

The sun waned down as Leni finished up a purple shirt for herself. Sure her mother was willing to help with the hand-me-downs, but she also loved the idea of new homemade clothes. It was good practice and besides, she figured it would make her at least a little useful.

"Please Luan, not right now," she heard Luna say from the other side of the wall.

"Come on," Luan shot back, her voice mixed in with uncontrollable giggles, "Why don't they play poker in the jungle?"

A comedically-timed pause ensued. Leni made sure to keep still and quiet, lest she missed this funny moment.

"There's too many cheetahs!"

While Luna sighed, Leni felt the need to hack out some laughter. After all, Luan said something funny and when something is funny, you're supposed to laugh. All she had to do was keep at it long enough for her to know for sure that Luan could hear her. She wasn't gonna make the same mistake she made the first time she heard her little sister Luan crack a joke. Thankfully, Luan did stroll by the open door and grinned at her.

"That is funny," Leni said in between chuckles.

Luan replied with her signature laughter. The older Loud was relieved that her sister was in a good mood. Happy even.

Having finished a satisfactory amount of work for one day, Leni turned off the sewing machine and headed into the narrow hallway. It was only once she was out there that realized she had no idea why she walked out. She didn't have much of an idea of where to go or what to do next. Leni awkwardly rotated around, seeing the empty corridor.

As she tried resolving these questions in her mind, she heard a door swing open. She stumbled her way around to see Lynn emerge from her room.

"Hey," she said as she passed by.

"Hi Lynn," Leni responded. Her eyes followed her sister as she went to the bathroom, even staring at the door once it was closed. She supposed that was a nice distraction from her thoughts, even a means of giving a kind gesture.

"Hi Leni."

The sudden noise made her jump, even scream a little. She landed forward, her feet clumsily holding her up, and clamped her hand against her mouth. It made her eyes widen a little and her breathing hiccup a little, much to her embarrassment. Upon turning around, that humiliation spread when she saw Lucy's despondent figure.

"Sorry," Leni said, flushed with guilt. Lucy, though, sighed in resignation. Seeing her long face was depressing. Over the last few months, she had witnessed her sixth youngest sibling slouching more and smiling less (although she had never done that often to begin with). Her black hair (another oddity from a set of parents that wore blonde and brown) was being groomed less and less, allowing it to become an unkempt nest. And to top it off, she had even requested her to craft a special outfit, citing that none of the clothes in the attic were "dark enough". Leni agreed and happily put it together, but now that was all she ever wanted to wear (except to go to bed). Sometimes, Leni got concerned with her little sister's behavior. She wondered if there was any joy in her heart, underneath her smelly unwashed dress (perhaps a second outfit was in order to be made). And now she had supposedly hurt her feelings once again. So much for a reassurance, she thought.

Leni decided that for the moment, a hug was needed. With that, she lunged at Lucy, embracing her tightly.

"Are you okay?" Leni asked, worry apparent in her voice. All she could think about was whether this would be enough to make her sister feel better after the act of insensitivity she displayed. And to think she's supposed to be the older one.

"I'm as well as a violet right as the first snow falls," Lucy said in a monotonous drone, accompanied by yet another sigh.

While Leni's mind remained very much on the task at hand, she felt her mind enter a labryinth. The walls were towering and impenetrable, all the paths seemingly led to nowhere, and the her embarrassment mounted even more.

"What do you, like, mean? You're not a violet," Leni said. To make up for her lack of knowledge, she used her hand to start brushing her sister's thick unruly hair. Even if she couldn't understand what Lucy had to say, she could at least make her feel beautiful.

Instead, Lucy sighed once again.

"Nevermind."

Leni made sure to hold on to that hug, especially after that last comment. The last thing she wanted was for her little sister to feel like she doesn't matter. Especially not now. Maybe a little more brushing could help, which is what she did. And a pat on the back, and a gentle one at that. She refused to let go.

But in the end, it was Lucy that backed away. After some hard pushing, the younger girl pried herself away from Leni and solemnly walked away.

The older sister watched as Lucy retreated to her room. She stood there, feeling sorry for herself. In her eyes, Lucy didn't seem okay, nor all that thrilled to be around her. Trying to forget about it, she went downstairs and stood in the foyer. Keys rattled and Lynn Sr. emerged in a neon blue suit and a cool smirk.

"Hey there Leni," he said casually.

"You look great," Leni said, throwing in a smile of her own. After that last incident, she wished to impart good feelings more so than usual.

"Thanks!" he expressed, using his energetic arms to show off the outfit, "Your mother and I are heading out for a little bit. I thought I'd go old school with the same suit I wore to our prom."

The blonde nodded in agreement. On cue, heels tapped across the floor. Leni turned around to see her mother in a formal purple dress. Even from several feet away, Leni's nose was overwhelmed by the strong perfume her mother had applied. It was then that she realized it was those type of special nights, where her parents would act like they're going to the opera or some other high class event. Still, she admired her mother's efforts.

"You look great, Mom," Leni said, only to immediately regret the fact that she had used the same wording.

Rita giggled.

"Thank you honey. We shouldn't be out for too long. Lori will watch over you," she said as she joined her husband.

Before she could say anything else, the married couple flew out of the door. When the door gave a hardy slam. For several seconds, the house fell silent. Leni had largely internalized much of the background noise that was natural to the House. She thought her ears buzz from a lack of stimuli.

But with a lot of precious things, silence was short-lived. A piercing pitch sliced through the halls and staircase. Lori marched from the living room to the foot of the staircase. Her head mechanically swiveled like a robot, revealing her shady demeanor and firm lip.

"What do you think you're doing?" Lori asked, trying her best to come across as cold. Leni merely stood there, unsure of how to answer. She didn't know what she was doing, let alone what she thought about it. Lori, though, tucked her lips inward and shook her head.

"Get in line!"

Startled, Leni propped up her Ducky arms. By this point, it was an instinct. Given how she couldn't help this, she knew she didn't want to make it worse. And with that, she slowly and shamefully walked herself to the "line". Meanwhile, a blob of children filed down the stairs. Leni saw the dread in their eyes and lifelessness in their posture. Each of them lined up to her left, with Luna right next to her. Lori glared through her dark shades as she saw what she viewed as sad slaves.

"Now that I have your attention," she started, "you will do as I say. By now you know the drill, but," she then smirked a little out of pride, "I will be honored to list them again," and with that, she halted for dramatic effect. She stood as straight as a pencil as she readjusted her shades, "There is to be no rough housing, no snacks, no messes, no TV, no Internet."

The babysitter then leaned into Luan, who recoiled in fear, "No jokes, puns, or tricks."

She then paced slowly towards the younger end, eventually stopping at the twins, "No going outside and no playing with the pets," she said, pointing her finger at Lana. The finger then took its sweet time traveling to Lola, "No makeup, no tea parties."

Both of them moaned and whispered some inaudible words (at least from Leni's perspective). Lori, though, scrunched her face.

"If you have a problem with that, then perhaps you can whine all you want in solitary confinement. I bet Lynn would love to have some company," she said, her grin growing to include her braces. And with that, she continued forward, this time standing right in front of Lynn, who rolled her eyes upon seeing the babysitter.

"In case none of you know," Lori announced to her entire 'platoon', one of the members folding her arms, "Lynn Marie Loud Junior," she said as slowly as possible, making sure every words hits like a hammer on a nail, "has been sentenced to one hour of solitary confinement for insubordination and complete disrespect of the sanctity of the uniform that proudly is bestowed upo-"

"Get on with it!" Lynn said, impatient with the unnecessarily purple description. Lori froze, offended even to hear such a snide remark. She did her best to bolden her expression and press on.

"Lucy," she said. The younger reserved girl snapped to attention, "Because your room will be where Lynn will be in solitary confinement, don't go in there," she then quipped a smug, "Unless you want to be sentenced too."

Lucy shuddered at the thought of enraging her intimidating older sister. She nodded.

"Yes m'am," she replied.

Having her boots cemented on the same spot, her head encroached upon Lynn, who was unfazed. Leni knew that Lynn wasn't one to be daunted by her siblings, no matter what their size difference was. Even now, Lynn mirrored the glare Lori gave her.

"Watch it, bud," Lori whispered through her grated teeth. And to add to the effect she desired to achieve, Lori even jabbed her little sister in the chest. Fortunately, Lynn wasn't willing to assault back. All she gave was a glare.

And with that, Lori continued with her stroll, still insisting on upholding the military-style professionalism she sought to impress. This time, she stopped right in front of Leni. Her body's first instinct was for her belly to churn. With those shades, her big sister was terrifying and commanded respect that she craved.

"No sewing," she said simply.

As Lori proceeded, Leni felt herself calm down. Sure she loved sewing and was disappointed that was prohibited, leaving her only to conversation and her magazines. But at the same time, the babysitter came across as gentler than she had to the other siblings. She didn't give her any especially sinister look (no glare, no smug, no leaning); Lori just gave it straight and moved on, as if she were merely talking to her. Why was that? Or was it just her thinking silly again? Maybe Lori actually had the most impatience and contempt and she just couldn't pick up on it. How could she know for sure?

Lori approached Lisa and bowed her torso down to the infant's level.

"No reading," Lori said exceptionally slowly and amplified. Even Leni knew she was using baby talk, but the way it came out was far more mocking than she hear Mom or Dad use.

"I'm gonna read so I could learn more," Lisa said slyly.

Everyone else (barring Lori) gasped. Lisa was no more than a month old, yet she could speak (and relatively well at that). Sure her voice was high, squeaky, and underdeveloped, but that didn't matter to them. Leni's eyes went to Lori, who's cheeks and lips were betrayed by the shock of the disobedience. For a good ten seconds, she was too startled to even speak. Leni swore she could see Lori's true self in that moment of vulnerability. She saw a person that wasn't able to properly handle authority nor sought to. It was uncomfortable to witness something like this; Lori always seemed like the type of person that would know what to do. But soon enough, her face emboldened and her hands gripped.

"You are to do as you are told," she declared, trying her best to reassert herself. Lisa, though, appeared...unusual. At first, she was glancing at the ground, as if she was observing the material of Lori's boots. But then, Leni observed her youngest sister fidget in her spot.

"But it's stupid!" Lisa shouted, her face shooting back up. The outburst shocked everyone once more. Not only was their youngest competently talking, she now had attitude. This time, Lori was quicker to react.

"You are on warning! How dare you commit insubordination upon me!" Lori barked back, forcing her body upon Lisa.

"No!"

In a swift motion, Lisa stomped Lori's foot. The babysitter screamed as she hopped in an effort to heal the stabbing pain. In this interlude, Lisa sprinted up the stairs.

"I will not be inhibited by your autocracy!" she exclaimed as she dashed upward. She reached her room and slammed the door, the crash clambering around the entire House.

The remaining younger siblings watched nervously as Lori took her time nursing her foot. For a small child, Lisa really knew how to inflict pain. Was that something she read in those dumb books or was she wearing cleats, she wondered. Lori figured she wasn't gonna yell or anything; she already knew Lisa was gonna be in solitary confinement. She was in too much distress to scream or anything. Eventually, she lowered the foot on the ground and stared at each of her "subjects".

"No one is to see her as a role model," she said. Her voice may not have been loud, but it was seething with anger, an emotion that all of them immediately internalized, "Now go about your evening, wherever that's supposed to be."

Most of them immediately headed upstairs, presumably to their rooms (or in Lucy's case, someone else's). Leni, though, stuck behind and walked up to Lori.

"Are you okay?" Leni asked.

Lori shot an impatient look at her little sister. She could tell some of the pain from the strike was still painted on her face.

"Go to my room," she said, out of breath and willpower, "That is an order."

Leni wanted to say something else. Clearly, her big sister wasn't well (though the amount to which that was owed to Lisa's outburst was dubious). She saw it as her duty to look out for Lori, the least she could do for all the years she had received support from her. Anything, a kind word or a hug, could have and should have done wonders to her.

So why did she choose to head immediately upstairs?

Perhaps it was a fear of retribution. Maybe it fell under some weird guise that following this "order" would make her big sister feel better. Either way, it didn't make her feel very good.

"And to think I have to ask her to forgive Carol...How am I gonna get this done?"

One step at a time. Up those shameful steps.