Leia pulled off her green beret placing it on her desk where she had various bills ranging in value from one dollar to twenty dollars having counted the total amount three times by that point.
"That's four hundred, and fifty-seven dollars," Leia said.
Writing the amount down, Leia turned to Marsha in order to find out the amount they had earned in more than just the physical bills.
"Marsha, how are we doing with card payments?" Leia said.
Marsha, a dark skinned young girl about Leia's age wore round frame glasses that framed her dark eyes. Her dark hair was cut shoulder length and she wore the same uniform as her friend. A plain white shirt with a forest green sash over it with her name and a few patches sewn onto it with a plain turtle being the most notable. As well as a green beret and a matching skirt long enough to go past her knees.
"Six hundred and thirty-two dollars," Marsha said, turning over the silver tablet to show Leia the amount on the screen.
"Okay. Put everything together. Divide by two. Then one half to three," Leia said as she awkwardly punched the numbers into a calculator.
"Are you nerds almost done with the numbers? I'm ready to just jump into the pool you've got in the back," Gwen said as she leaned back against the door frame of Leia's bedroom.
Gwen, was a light skinned girl the same age as her two friends. Her light brown had a rather fluffy texture to it giving it more volume as it was long enough to go past her shoulders framing her hazel eyes. She wore the same uniform as her friends albeit her green skirt was replaced with a pair of green shorts.
"I am not a nerd!" Leia called back, rather defensively.
"Pfft. Yeah, sure Boss," Gwen said.
Leia was left a bit flustered by her friend's remark. She was rather secretive about the interests she had acquired passively as a result of her many siblings who were much more unabashed about their interests one would consider nerdy or geeky. It was a common remark from Gwen with Leia as the tough girl herself always ensured to keep such an exchange between friends.
Leia put away half of the bills she had counted out in an envelope then sealed it before handing it to Marsha.
"Now we're done," Leia said, handing Gwen a few bills.
After counting the bills and looking at the amount transferred to her on her phone Gwen looked satisfied with what they had managed for the day.
As Marsha walked off to deliver the donation to its designated location, Gwen took off her beret and sash leaving it on Leia's bed.
"Alright now it's time for diving in," Gwen said, looking forward to making her way down the stairs and towards the backyard.
"Hang on there, Gwenny. It's still no time to play not with Marsha not here," Leia said, grabbing Gwen by her collar and pulling her back from rushing out of her room.
"You mean I just gotta stand around here even longer?" Gwen complained.
"No. We're not just gonna stand around here," Leia said.
The alternative that Leia had dragged Gwen to rather than standing around in the leading Turtle Scout's room was to start mashing up and making home made cookie dough in the kitchen. A preparation step in making the home made cookies the Turtle Scouts were known for that Liena was glad to supervise and participate in.
"I thought we were done with working today," Gwen said.
"Don't you think it's fun to be making cookies?" Leia said.
"The first time. Now you made it into work," Gwen said.
"Well it lets us get ahead on sales. At least we have one batch baking whenever we start another, and you like it when we have an extra box," Leia said.
The practical approach to the preparation did little to dissuade Gwen's annoyance over being made to do more prep work.
"You're doing very good making the cookie dough smooth and goldish," Liena said as she walked over and looked at the good job that Gwen was doing.
"Thanks," Gwen said, trying to look away from Liena as she begrudgingly accepted the compliment.
Once Marsha had gotten back she had first gone up to Leia's room only to find it empty. Expecting them to be in the backyard she walked through the kitchen expecting to take the side door to go and play with them only to find them doing more preparation work.
"Finally! You're back. Do what you want, I'm taking a jump into the water," Gwen said, washing off the cookie dough on her hands in a rushed manner before going outside to the Loud's backyard.
Marsha soon followed after her friend after taking off her sash and beret.
"Make sure to dry those later! You only have a few of those uniforms!" Leia shouted back.
Leia stayed behind, making sure to put away the cubes of shaped cookie dough that would be ready to be placed on a baking tray the next day into a container with the layers separated by parchment paper.
"Good job, Leia. You're putting a lot of hard work into the Turtle Scouts with your friends," Liena said.
"Why thank you, I aim to do only what's worth the utmost phrase," Leia said with a satisfied little grin.
Leia went up to her room to change out of her Turtle Scouts uniform into a hot pink and sky blue swimsuit to join her friends in the pool.
The next day, Leia and her friends were out and about coordinated again in their Turtle Scouts uniforms standing in front of the Loud Home again with green painted carts still partially filled with their cookie boxes.
"That's one more neighborhood crossed off," Leia said.
Her statement prompted Marsha to cross off the neighborhood they tried making sales at off their list while Gwen tapped her foot, her arms crossed as she sat on the spot of the cart she had made space for by stacking up the unsold boxes.
"I bet the Blue Bells got there before us again," Gwen said.
"Eugh! They just have to keep on managing to outsell us," Leia said, throwing her hands up in the air.
Marsha simply placed her tablet face down on the boxes she had also not managed to sell. She had long since come to terms with the disadvantages her friends and she had with their three person organization. Not being able to cover as much ground compared to their former scout group, the fact that most of their sales were going to come from neighborhoods like Leia's who were wealthy enough to buy top brand cookies from two organizations. Among other factors. Marsha was just glad that Leia was actually true to her charitable mission statement and that she got to actually keep some of the profit.
"Hm?" the three girls reacted with similar curiosity when they saw a small group coming towards them on their sidewalk. Then quickly became annoyed as they realized who it was.
Annibal Moore and her closest lackeys among the Blue Bell scouts.
"How's your luck making cookie sales?" Annibal said.
Annibal, Betty, and Phoebe had a strong contrast in their blue themed uniforms to their green colored rivals. Both Betty and Phoebe were light skinned brunettes practically twins were it not for Phoebe's green eyes and thin frame square glasses as opposed to Betty's bright blue eyes.
The three of them looked at each other clearly pleased with themselves with their empty containers in contrast to the inventory the Turtle Scouts were still pushing around.
"Eugh! What do you even want coming here, Ani?" Leia said.
"To get another sale, obviously. I think I'll just ask Miss Loud. One of them is home, obviously," Annibal said.
"Uh! Uh! No way are you encroaching on the home turf," Gwen said, raising up her fists facing the three Blue Bell Scouts.
While the two groups of rival girls were focused on getting ready to face each other more directly, Lulu had made her way around the front yard of the Loud Grounds and was crawling up the fence. Her hands and knees sticking along the fence like glue as she pulled herself up.
Betty had one foot back and the other forward holding both hands up looking like she was on the defense in a pose more reminiscent of one with practice in martial arts as opposed to Gwen's more fisticuffs style pose.
"Really, Leia? You're willing to make this go down in a scrap?" Annibal said while flipping her hair back.
"If that's what it takes to get you to not sell somewhere you shouldn't even be getting close to," Leia said, tightening up her twin tails looking straight on at her main rival ready to fight dirty.
Noticing her big sister's heightened state of stress, and the inevitable conflict Lulu made a jump towards Leia.
Despite her surprise over her baby sister just making a jump into her arms, Leia seemed to have her wits about her and was able to catch Lulu in her arms. Catching both groups by surprise as they focused on the brunette baby in her blue single piece all purpose suit.
Lulu turned to look straight on at Annibal, Phoebe and Betty letting her side jaws unhinge and unfurl revealing her many layers of sharp pointed teeth and let her skinny worm like teeth flail in all directions as she released a deeply bestial scream that terrified the Blue Bell Scouts badly enough to run off in the opposite direction.
Though she was quite aware of her little sister's mutant nature, Leia was still shaken even when Lulu set herself back into her normal state. Reminded of just the kind of features her little sister had as a result of her changed nature.
"Sometimes, I forget your little cousin is a terrifying monster," Marsha said.
Gwen on the other hand, stayed silent. Unlikely to admit her fear.
"Lulu! There you are," Lieo said, running out from the front yard towards the sidewalk facing the Loud Grounds.
The albino boy with round frame glasses wore a green jacket over a blue turtleneck and black colored cargo pants. After seeing his little sister in Leia's arms he put down the device he was holding. A compact device that was recording local atmosphere information through a small satellite device attached.
"I take my eyes off you for a little bit and you start crawling away," Lieo said, a bit frustrated as he took Lulu from Leia's hold.
Leia thought fast, looking at the machine she figured one of her older brother's projects must have taken his attention away for a little bit from watching over his little sister. A task he was normally so focused on to the point of being considered Lulu's consistent babysitter. Her assumption being that if she could assure Lieo that he was welcome to work on his latest science experiment than she and her friends could be watching Lulu. At least until they could cross the two thousand dollar profit goal.
"Hey, most favorite big cousin ever. What do you have there?" Leia said.
Lieo looked over at Leia a bit uneasy, he knew his little sister well enough to know that her suddenly showing an interest in his pursuits was a sign of her wanting something.
"It's a bare essential weather monitor. It measures the temperature, humidity, wind speed. Everything that gives a convenient glimpse into the most likely upcoming weather," Lieo said.
"Oh, why don't you just check the news for that?" Leia said.
"Mother explained the general idea for how the forecasts are determined. Now I want to measure these things myself and figure out how it all works," Lieo said.
"Uh huh. Uh huh, that's very interesting. It sounds like it take a lot of focus," Leia said.
"Yes, sometimes it does," Lieo said.
"Is this the first time that Lulu crawls away?" Leia said.
"What are you getting at, Leia?" Lieo said.
Marsha, having then figured out what Leia was trying to convince her older brother of had decided to step in. A skill that was quite useful regarding when to backup the manipulation her friend was trying.
"I think Leia would like to try to help by watching Lulu for a little bit. You could focus on your work, and the three of us could practice taking care of someone as little as Lulu. Good things for everyone," Marsha said.
"Yeah, it would totally be a good thing for all of us," Gwen said.
Lieo frowned as he looked down at the three Turtle Scouts being admittedly less than impressed at the case they were presenting. Yet, he did admit to himself that it would let him focus more on his own project if he let Lulu be in the hands of Leia and her friends for just a little while. Lulu was more dangerous to everything else around her than anything could be to her, and she would be in the hands of another Loud. Besides, there was always the tracker his Mom had made sure was built into Lulu's blue suit.
"Only for a little bit, and there's a lot I need to tell you about watching Lulu," Lieo said.
The Turtle Scouts had been pulled into what could be most accurately described as a Biology based lecture on the strange workings that were Lulu's internal workings. The way that she could be handled like any normal baby and the cases where more had to be done as the situation pertained specifically to the mutant child.
"Any questions?" Lieo said as his explanation he had been holding in the basement had been accompanied by a slide show with the last frame simply displaying the word 'Questions?' in bold to offer an opportunity for clarification, further explanation or review.
Marsha appeared to be the only one who had fully immersed herself in this knowledge as she had been typing notes into her tablet the whole time while Leia and Gwen stayed silent to not have to review information they weren't enthused to absorb the first time.
"Yeah? How long did you have all this ready to go?" Gwen said.
"They're mostly important things I remind myself about to take good care of Lulu," Lieo said.
Seeing that Leia and Gwen were at a loss regarding remembering everything he had just detailed but weren't willing to ask any clarifying questions, he sighed realizing that he was going to have to cover his bases a different way.
"I'll give you something you can look back on and read for you to remember," Lieo said, looking at Leia and Gwen to make the point he clear it was for their benefit as he nodded at Marsha having noticed she had put in the effort to take notes.
Leia would wait to meet with her friends the next day dressed in their Turtle Scouts uniforms.
"Just wait and I'll go get Lulu," Leia said before going outside to find Lieo looking at the readings of his device placed on a foldout table upon which Lulu was on as well. Crawling around on the surface of the table.
"Okay! I'm ready to watch Lulu," Leia said, looking up at Lieo and holding her hands out to take her little sister into her arms.
Lieo looked over at Leia in her green uniform for a moment reconsidering even the idea of Leia watching over Lulu only to sigh having settled on the decision to at the very least give her a chance.
"Alright Lulu, you're going to be in Leia's hands for a little while," Lieo said.
Lulu looked at her blonde older sister with an expression that seemed to give the impression that she at the very least was content in her current situation.
"Remember to just look back on the instructions if you have trouble taking care of her," Lieo said.
"Don't worry, big cousin. I can handle Lulu just fine," Leia promised.
"You're going to be a cute little Turtle, won't you?" Leia cooed at Lulu once she was inside the house again.
Afterwards, it had taken more preparation time to get Lulu measured and for Leia and her friends to put together a Turtle Scouts uniform fitted for the infant. Though putting it on her was a simpler matter as just about any clothes fit easily over the suit Lisa had made for Lulu.
"Aw, she is pretty cute," Gwen said once the little beret was on Lulu's head.
"Isn't she? She's going to make us so many sales," Leia said.
It was indeed the case that Lulu was able to bring in a lot more sales for the Turtle Scouts. To their potential customers she looked to be a well behaved adorable infant which endeared them to see the infant in question among the young girls selling door to door. Something found even more charming by those who were told Lulu was Leia's baby cousin.
To the Turtle Scout's Blue Bell rivals, Lulu was a terrifying monster who took personal offense to the girls trying to bother her older sister about stepping upon arbitrary turf for cookie sales. One who roared whenever she revealed the terrifying maw behind the veneer of an adorable child.
"Heh! You really were right about this, Leia. She's being a really big help to sales," Gwen said.
"I told you, I knew exactly what I was doing," Leia said, clearly satisfied with herself as she rested Lulu on her hip.
"It looks like now is the time to make sure she eats," Marsha said.
"Oh, right," Leia said.
Marsha took out some of the food Lieo had given her out of Lisa's food stores for Lulu and twisted off the lid holding it cautiously as Lulu looked up at her like a mischievous cat waiting for food or to be given a toy.
Once she had the food open Marsha held out the food at a safe distance from herself as Lulu opened up her jaw as her tongues reached out trying to take in the food even before Marsha poured in the strange slurry into Lulu's mouth, unnerving Leia and Gwen as they watched the process unfold.
"Let's get moving again," Leia said, wanting to forget what she had just seen as soon as possible.
By the end of the day the Turtle Scouts had settled down in Leia's room again to find that they had not only met but exceeded their sales goal for the day.
"Wow, great for raking in money and good backup on making sure no one steps on our turf," Gwen said, petting the top of Lulu's head only for the infant to look at Gwen with annoyance only making the tough girl chuckle.
"I think you're my new favorite sister," Leia whispered to where only Lulu could hear, grinning as she cradled Lulu and stroked her cheek.
Marsha was going through her checklist that she had created on her tablet looking around at everything they had been given to keep up with Lulu's care. Needing to check on her jaw openings, Marsha leaned Lulu's head up a little and rand her hand under the infant's chin. Checking off another box afterwards after confirming they were smooth enough to blend in and be confused for a normal chin.
"Are you still focused on all that? We can give Lulu back to Aunt Lisa or my cousin Lieo now," Leia said.
"It's just to make sure we're giving her back okay," Marsha said.
The Turtle Scouts would continue to bring Lulu with them while making their various sales. Bringing her along in her adorable scout uniform. For awhile Leia had it in her mind that she could secure all of Royal Woods and keep any Blue Bell scout from selling there too.
Leia and her friends had made their way back to the Loud Grounds taking a water break to recharge.
"Let's get ready to get going again. I'm sure there's still a few places here. Yes! There's still some houses around the south block," Leia said.
"Leia, I don't think we should get going for a little bit. Lulu really looks like she's needing the rest," Marsha said.
"Aw, you're going to be alright. Won't you cous?" Leia said, holding Lulu up moving to bounce her little sister on her knee trying to keep her up and about.
"Up and go," Leia said.
Lulu seemed to shake her head rather displeased by the action suddenly excreting a substance that made her slippery in her sister's hold and let her settle down on the cart instead.
"Maybe we can just push her around with us," Gwen said, getting up and getting ready to start pushing the cart.
"I don't think that would be good for letting her get her rest. She likes being able to stay still while napping," Marsha said, referencing the written material she was referencing on her laptop.
"Come in, it will be like rocking her," Leia said, trying to continue to push around the cart with Lulu in it only to find a lot of resistance and saw Lulu letting her pereiopods free from her back and setting them on the ground using them to stop them from leaving anytime soon.
"Please, Lulu. Make the rest of the trip for your cousin?" Leia said, picking up Lulu and holding her while making her request with a sense of insistence.
"Leia, I don't think you should be doing that. She is really sleepy," Marsha said looking at her friend worried about what she was doing.
She could see that Lulu was only becoming more irate with Leia over her insistence, and indeed despite wanting to keep her sister in good health and safe, Lulu felt the need to get her rest and the increased annoyance in not getting it. Especially as the three of them had heard Lulu whine. Something normal for any other baby that was unusual for Lulu.
"Nothing bad will happen, and she will be resting plenty at the end of the day," Leia said.
Except that insistence ended up being a last straw for Lulu. The experience that Leia had brought to the Blue Bell scouts by bringing her little sister around to act as her enforcer hound was now a fear that she herself was experiencing when Lulu let her jaw loosen and roar at Leia. The frequency causing her to be paralyzed from the fear.
"I think we really should leave her alone now," Gwen said, snatching Lulu from Leia's arms and rocking the mutant. The first time she had done so. She then settled Lulu down on the cookie cart once Gwen was sure that she had settled down to sleep.
Soon afterwards it had been quick, a little too quick to the point that Leia had become suspicious when Lieo had walked over spotting Lulu where Gwen had laid her down to sleep to which he then leaned down and scooped her up cradling her while taking her back inside.
"I think she should really get some rest in her own crib," he said.
Leia, Marsha and Gwen had continued on with their cookie sales knowing better than to be bothering Lulu, her brother or mother to bring her along where they would walk to. Leia didn't know how Lieo or her Aunt Lisa knew that something had happened but she knew better than to go digging. It was one of those times when she knew the limit on how far she could bother her family before she'd regret it.
At the very least they had made the impression they needed to keep the Blue Bells from encroaching where they could travel to. Giving their rivals to be afraid lest they run afoul the dreaded cookie cartel that the Turtle Scouts were now known as.
Leia knew she ought to have made her apology sooner, she had simply always found some difficulty in that.
Knocking on Lieo's door, Leia looked up at her brother when he opened his bedroom door to answer. Looking down at her clearly still frustrated.
"How's Lulu?" Leia said.
"She's fine, Leia. Completely forgotten about you dragging her all along Royal Woods until you tired her out to the point of annoyance. She's smarter than most babies but she's still a baby," Lieo said.
"Phew, that's good," Leia said.
"Yeah, no point now in you apologizing her built in instinct to protect the family," Lieo said.
"Huh? What do you mean built into her? How do you even know about what I did?" Leia said.
"Mom likes being safe and not sorry about a lot of things. Including making sure Lulu wants to watch out for us and protect us. Sometimes we have grudges or get mad at each other and don't have super mutant powers to act out with. As to how I know, that suit that Mom dresses Lulu in she had me wear when I was a baby too. It measures how the body is doing, and in Lulu's case also records when she has spikes in aggression," Lieo said.
"Dang, I forget how, crazy Aunt Lisa is about these things," Leia said.
"Yeah, making sure our little sister cares about us instead of letting her the same way we decide to care about each other," Lieo said, looking upset about the matter.
"Is there a way to fix that for her?" Leia said.
"Mom has done enough already. I don't want to change my little sister's mind and body even more," Lieo said.