So much untapped potential remained in this world. So much left to be discovered and understood. So much to be utilized.

That was a journey that Lisa set out to complete from her earliest years, and it was ongoing today, from the first time she ever picked up a book, to when she presently stood at her desk, connecting wires together for her latest invention. Today was the day she would accomplish what millions- no, billions of people before her couldn't achieve tonight in her personal laboratory.

Ah, but making history didn't come easy! One had to stand out from the rest of the crowd. It wasn't like anyone could just scribble a bunch of shapes and be done with it! No, this project required a true understanding of the world around them. The natural laws and limitations universal to all life, and how they can be benefited by all. The collective observations of an advanced society, the woes of our conflicts, our increased standards of living, and a desire to seek a greater tomorrow.

But alas! Today was the day! With this peace-making invention, mankind could collectively enjoy this tool, perfectly harnessing our natural resources and uniting us under a common goal!

So, Lisa grinned as she continued wiring her chocolate fountain together. Boy, she couldn't wait to slurp up some of that delectable goodness!

…what? Everyone likes chocolate! Those serotonin levels weren't gonna raise themselves! At least, that was something most people could agree on…

The grin turned into a smaller chuckle as she moved her hands from the fountain and viewed her creation from a distance. Look at that thing, all the complex mechanical processes it has to undergo to deliver the goods. There was the screw within, the motor, the computer programming, they were the results of thousands of years worth of research from all kinds of brilliant minds, coming together to make this curious little device.

So how was it that she couldn't draw even a single worthwhile picture!?

Lisa ruffled her hair aggressively as she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. These thoughts of being in art class, they continued to plague her mind, hours after it had already passed. The numerous decisions and breaking points within the process, her inability to progress beyond a single line, and the helplessness behind it all, that was a school experience unlike any other. That was the first time she was legitimately challenged.

She stopped and opened her eyes to look at the fountain once more. Her classmates couldn't possibly construct a machine like this. They didn't possess the necessary knowledge! So why was Lisa Loud, recipient of four PhDs, Junior Nobel Prize winner, and professor to Royal Woods Community College, unable to produce a simple drawing!? Even the lowliest of her classmates were capable of such an extraneous task!

"Who are you talking to?"

Lisa turned to see Lily standing behind her, blankies slung around her shoulders as usual.

Seeing this, Lisa heaved a sigh and hung her head down slightly. "I don't know, she muttered."

"It's okay Lisa," Lily reassured her. "You're smart."

Lily had good intentions, but it wasn't like she could possibly grasp the gravity of the situation. She was still very young, and there was still so much for her to learn.

"Say, Lily, I think you might find some intrinsic value in the device I'm about to finish," Lisa said. "Why don't you come up here and get a closer look?"

Lily squinted as she looked her older sister in the, whom returned a gaze; one that clearly indicated she was hiding something. In a matter of seconds however, Lily dropped her gaze and relaxed, walking up to the desk and standing on her toes in an attempt to get a good view.

"This here is a liquidated cacao propulsion device, street name 'chocolate fountain'," Lisa explained. "You like chocolate too, don't ya?"

Lily nodded at that. The inquisitive nature slowly disappeared from her face, replacing itself with curiosity and wonder.

"Oh, who am I kidding, we all like chocolate!" Lisa laughed as she slapped her forehead. "That's one of the few things our family can collectively agree upon, aside from basic moral principles, a hierarchical authority ranking- oh shucks, the list could go on!"

Lisa dragged the machine closer to herself for Lily to see. "Now this here is a very special device," she started. "It's capable of converting our beloved chocolate within this household into a liquidated variant, which allows for a whole new method of consumption. Now I don't know about you, but I've always wanted to try some chocolate covered strawberries!" she licked her lips and patted her stomach at the thought.

As Lisa passionately ranted on about her invention, Lily's eyes wandered towards the various other items strewn all across the desk. Papers, books, and writing utensils (just #2 pencils, mind you!), it was a mess as usual. Specifically of interest however was a beaker in the middle, filled to the brim with leaves from outside. Lily's eyes landed on it, and she couldn't help but focus intently, rendering her older sister's words as nothing but background noise.

"There are some kinks I'll have to work out though…" Lisa hummed to herself at the thought. "Let's see, I have to wire the electronic circuit, program the buttons, the melting point of the machine is somewhat dubious, gosh I can't forget that! Chocolate would melt easily, but who's to say we're restricted to chocolate? We could theoretically have a cheese fondue fountain, that sounds delightful as well! If I improve the loading compartment with- hey!"

Just before her, Lily was reaching her arms over the edge of the desk, and they were clearly snaking their way towards the beaker, which stood out from the rest.

"Nonono! Lily!" Lisa gasped as she immediately reached for the beaker and grabbed it, standing on top of her stool to place it on the shelf above.

Panic turned to annoyance as she turned towards her younger sister, briefly clenching her fists and letting out a frustrated growl. "That was very careless reaching for that beaker, you know what kinds of dangerous chemicals I work with here!" she scolded. "You're fortunate that was just a bunch of leaves, imagine if that was a vat of hydrofluoric acid! Spill it, and there goes my life's work, or worse, your skin!" Lisa jabbed Lily's skull with her finger for emphasis.

"After all these times I've talked to you, somehow you still manage to forget!" She facepalmed as she said that. "You can't just go and touch anything and everything! I suppose you'll reach for anything that glows or stands out from the crowd! Absolutely irresponsible, and you should be ashamed!"

It was at that moment when she first noticed Lily's expression. Her sister faced her direction, but didn't look up at her, head hung downwards with regret. Seeing this, Lisa softened her gaze, annoyance replacing itself with concern as she slowly dropped the hand on her face. As much as it annoyed her to admit this now, seeing her younger sister in this state didn't sit well with her.

So, Lisa reached over to Lily's shoulder and rested her hand there, glancing downwards towards her eyes. "Look," she began, "I may be harsh on you sometimes, but it's for the best. I can't be lenient in the face of all the dangerous work I conduct on a daily basis."

Lily didn't respond.

Several seconds passed, and Lisa picked at any kind of lead or guidance, looking for any more words to say to her sister. But alas, they were fruitless endeavors. Eventually, Lisa couldn't help but join her sister in hanging her head down as well.

Just what was she supposed to do? She couldn't let her sister go this time, could she? Imagine the ramifications, the slippery slope they would tread! One leniency after another, and a bad precedence is set! For such an unforgiving field nonetheless, best not to encourage the start of a trend, absolutely not!

But still, Lily stood in front of her, now glancing away to the side. Talk herself through the logic as much as she will, that did little to remediate the sting, as her sister's disappointment continued to transplant itself into Lisa's conscience.

With that, Lisa turned herself towards the machine and started picking at the wires again. Anything to get her mind off this situation. It may have been confusing now, but the message undoubtedly came through.

Suddenly, electrical sparks shot out from the machine, causing Lisa and Lily to jump back in surprise. The sparks landed on some of the sparks landed on the papers strewn across the desk, igniting a fire with it. The flames were small now, but they would quickly grow. What more, they had already taken one of her research papers, and it was quickly encroaching on the rest of the table.

Lisa gasped as she frantically gathered the books and papers she could, shoving them on the ground below. Who cares if they were a mess now, their very existence was at stake! Damn if she let weeks of work go to waste!

But still, the flames continued to grow, and the number of papers she could save continued to shrink. Her head turned wildly and her hair was ruffled in frustration and panic, as she grasped at literally anything she could do. Instinctively, she reached for a blanket in her peripheral vision, smothering the fire in hopes of extinguishing it.

To her dismay however, the fire didn't go out. Instead, the blanket lit on fire as well. Lisa facepalmed at that. Of course it wouldn't go out! Cotton, very flammable!

So, she ran over to her closet, where she opened it and grabbed the fire extinguisher before running back to the desk. Teeth clenched, fingers shaking, she pulled the pin and trigger, letting loose all the foam within. They encapsulated the top of the desk, covering everything from the papers, books, the chocolate fountain, and some probably got on Lily.

The flames were long gone, but it took a few more seconds for Lisa to realize before she finally let go of the trigger. The foam stopped shooting out at that, leaving her to behold the scene ahead of her. It wasn't the first time there was a fire in the room. In fact, this was a situation she had been in several times now. That didn't make the reaction any less stressful; after all, her entire life's work was at stake!

Beside the desk however, Lily wiped some foam off her face, taking one of her blankies off her shoulder, where she gazed down at it, tears welling up in her eyes as she caressed her prized possession.

Oh no. The other blanket, it's…

Lisa frantically swatted away at the foam on the desk, throwing them off to the side and uncovering the contents below. Some of the papers were soaked, but they were salvageable. They could be restored with a bit of work and time. Some however weren't so fortunate, being burnt to a crisp and reduced to ashes. The most unfortunate victim of all however was a lavender cotton blankie, most of which was charred, and quite literally hanging on by a thread. Lisa grabbed it and held them within her arms, scanning her eyes several eyes over in disbelief at what she saw.

"Nonononono!" She immediately dashed towards her closet, slamming it open and rummaging through the shelves, baskets, and piles for anything that could remotely help the situation. Meanwhile, Lily started audibly crying from behind, only furthering her resolve to search harder. Pliers, thermometers, breakers, there was a lot to dig through, the options dwindling and her hopes along with it.

Eventually, she pulled out a type of synthetic fiber, black all around and with a scaly exterior. It was supposed to be a prototype for a military grade body-suit, definitely not for everyday use. However, it was the closest thing she could find resembling a cloth, and at this stage she was willing to take anything. She wasted no time in running back to the desk, where she saw Lily still weeping, clutching the both the charred and clean blankie close to herself.

"Pardon me!" Lisa yelled as she grabbed the charred blankie from Lily and threw it onto the table. She then reached down to pull a drawer open with enough force to almost pull it off the hinges, rummaging through the contents for anything helpful. When she found nothing but papers, she tried again with the other drawer, opening it with almost the same amount of excess force. She grabbed at one of the first vials she saw, threw it onto the desk, then slammed the drawer shut. Maybe she could get somewhere! The blankie might be saved! It had to be!

Lisa popped the vial open and poured its contents alongside the charred end of the blankie, spilling some on the desk along the way. She then took the fibers and straightened them out with enough force where any regular cloth would have torn apart. With that, she aligned the edges to the glue, smacking her fist down repeatedly against the edges in a desperate attempt to connect the pieces.

As she continued however, her fists started to sting a bit, eventually causing them to loosen up and relax. Her face loosened as well, the tension slowly dissipating and her hopes vanishing at what lay on her desk.

The synthetic military-grade fiber looked awful. Yes, it was practical, and if by a collection of unfortunate circumstances an explosion went off in her sleep (which to be fair wasn't impossible), then she would be very well protected.

However, she couldn't help but turn back to see Lily whimpering behind her. Her sister squeezed her lone blankie tightly to herself as she sat on the floor and curled herself forwards, still refusing to acknowledge her older sister.

There was no denying it. Lisa messed up.

What more, she didn't have what it took to replace Lily's blankie. There was a certain softness, a sentimental value, and a tender touch to the blankie that she couldn't replicate. There was only one person in the household that could ever make such a thing.

"Uh, I'll be back." With a sigh, Lisa took the blanket off her desk and slumped her shoulders as she trudged her way towards the door, leaving a distraught Lily behind. She couldn't face her right now, and it wouldn't be any harder to face the person she was forced to approach.

She pulled the door open and poked her head out, taking a glance to the left at the room she would soon enter. A few seconds spent staring, then a quick glance away towards the floor. Eventually, she stepped out and pulled the door shut behind her, walking towards the other end with her head hung down.

The thoughts swirling her mind were but a million conflicting emotions and thoughts, with little coherence to any of them. Lisa Loud, a child prodigy with this vast reservoir of knowledge, unable to produce a simple drawing for a measly grade. Responsible for her younger sister, yet careless with her self-devised danger zone. Capable of constructing functional chocolate fountains, yet somehow confounded by a colored sheet of fabric. She was a failure.

At last, Lisa arrived in front of the door. She held the half-charred blanket in front of her at that, her eyes now filled with sorrow and regret. It looked just as awful as the person that caused the damage.

Nevertheless, there was a little sister without a blankie waiting for her, and mourning wouldn't accomplish anything. So, she slung the blanket over her shoulder, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, prepared for humiliation and resentment coming her way.

"Here goes," she said as she opened the door.

When she did so, she noticed for the first time a small whirring sound, accompanied by an equally subtle puncturing noise. Up ahead was Leni, sitting in front of her sewing machine, humming a tune to match the cloth that was being made.

Lisa crept closer, not saying a word nor making a sound. She found herself enamored by the cloth in the machine, with all the aesthetic beauty and craftsmanship that went into it. The warm colors, the silky smooth surface, the patterns woven within… She couldn't quite put her finger on why, but if it wasn't captivating nonetheless…

"Hey Lisa!"

With that, she was snapped back into reality, a rude awakening from her older sister calling to her. She fumbled as she quickly got herself upright and faced Leni, who continued to work, but gleamed down with a smile.

"Uh, greetings second eldest sibling!" Lisa said. "I, uh, I came to…" She trailed off at that.

"Came for what?" Leni asked. Her gaze remained unchanging, and the sincerity in her voice was unmistakable.

Lisa stood frozen in place, unable to say a word. To utter then would be a strike to her already tainted character, and a downed person could only take so many blows.

"Is that Lily's blankie?" Leni pointed at the lavender cloth slung around Lisa's shoulder.

Well, she could only dance around the facts for so long before she got exposed to the all-encompassing truth they were subject to. Lisa pulled the blanket off her shoulder and glanced away as she held it in front of her.

Seeing this, Leni gasped and put her hands on her cheeks. "OMGosh! This is terrible!" she immediately snatched it from Lisa and started frantically fumbling with them in her hands, feasting her eyes on the horror that lay before her. The blanket was nearly unrecognizable compared to the masterpiece it once was, reduced to a charred mess and a dream long gone.

"We have got to fix this!" She yelped, pushing the cloth in her sewing machine aside to position the blankie.

Lisa offered no resistance to this, standing with her head hung down staring at the ground. What was there for her to see? Shameful that she couldn't figure out how to fix the problem. It was her fault that she was in this situation in the first place. Try as she would to protect her little sister from fatal mistakes, it was ironic how Lisa couldn't keep herself safe either.

Heaving a sigh, she turned and trudged her way towards her older sister's bed, seating herself on the edge. With that, she dropped herself down backwards, and the bed made a soft oomph. At this stage, she could only stare at the blank ceiling and hope her mind would reach a similar state. Let Leni take care of it all, and forget this ever happened. What was one self-imposed cognitive dissonance for Lisa when she was as incomplete as she was?

In the midst of all this self reflection however, the repetitive puncturing noise of the sewing machine ahead kept creeping into her mind. Rhythmic and consistent, not exactly soothing, but not grating either. Enough of a presence for Lisa to glance up at the source of the noise.

There Leni was, going at it as usual. She reached for a textile roll next to her desk, measured a segment with her finger, cut it with a pair of scissors from nearby, and positioned them near the machine, humming a tune to herself along the way.

Such a wide range of textiles Leni had access to, all with their own set of vibrant colors and enchanting patterns! The colors extend beyond the seven basics, expanding into variants like turquoise and beige. The diversity in patterns were unparalleled, stacking all sorts of shapes, patterns, lines, and squiggles in ways most could only begin to imagine. It was a wonder how her older sister could take all the complexities, all the possible factors present, and somehow connect them together into a piece that was inexplicably coherent and aesthetically pleasing.

"Done!" Leni beamed as she turned around and held the blanket in front for Lisa to see.

There it was, beautifully woven with a comforting allure. It was just as good as new, with the same lavender silkiness and no traces of combustion or char to it. All in a matter of seconds too! She made it look so easy. No, it should have been easy! Lisa grumbled to herself at that thought, glancing away from the desk and down towards the floor.

In the meantime, Leni walked over to Lisa where she sat on the bed, handing the blankie to her.

Lisa held them in her hands, noting the fluffy cotton texture that they had. The color was familiar, the patterns were mesmerizing, truly the result of masterful craftsmanship! She couldn't help but hold the blanket up to her face and rub it against her cheeks, taking comfort in the softness of it all.

Alas, that didn't last very long. Lisa eventually lowered the blanket, dropping it to her right before staring down with hands clasped together. "Thanks," she muttered.

Meanwhile, the cheerful smile that Leni wore started to drop, her gaze softening and an expression of concern replacing it. "You don't like it?" she asked.

Lisa didn't respond.

Seeing this, Leni inched herself closer to her sister until they were directly next to each other. She then put her hand on Lisa's back and started rubbing it softly. "What's wrong?" She asked.

Chills went up Lisa's spine as she felt the display of affection, and she instinctively swatted Leni's hand away. "None of your concern," she grumbled.

Leni was taken aback by that. "Why not?" She asked.

Lisa balled her hands into a fist and clenched her teeth at that. It wasn't fair! What did she do to deserve this disturbing disparity in skill?! What embarrassment, creating a problem, and being unable to take personal responsibility! To resort to her older sister to bear this burden… For once, she didn't want to think about it.

Lisa hopped off the bed, slinging the blankie over her shoulder as she started walking towards the door. "You wouldn't understand," she mumbled.

Suddenly, Lisa felt a tug from her left arm, and she was pulled backwards toward the bed. Just like that, she was back where she started, with her older sister's concerned gaze looking down.

"Why won't you let me help?" Leni asked.

"There's nothing you can do!" Lisa started raising her voice.

"I can at least try!"

There was an assertive tone to Leni's voice. But at the same time, there wasn't a hint of aggression to be heard. Her voice was of pure concern, a strong nudge in a certain direction, and unmistakable for what she believed was the best. Lisa felt her shoulders relaxing, and soon she was back to clasping her hand together, glancing downwards at the floor below. "What could you possibly know?" She whimpered."What do I know?"

Lisa soon felt an arm wrap around her shoulder from her left side, coming from none other than Leni. "It's okay Lisa," she said. "You don't always have to know. I can help you." Not once did her voice waver or falter.

Hearing this, Lisa took a deep breath. She was still dubious about the actual content of the words themselves, but nothing could outshine the genuine concern and care that Leni was demonstrating with the rest of herself.

"I don't know…" Lisa started. "There are things I don't know that I otherwise should…"

"Like what?" Leni asked.

"How about, I don't know, everything?" Lisa threw her arms out in front of her. "Look at me! PhD, junior nobel prize, a vast expansive set of knowledge unparalleled by anyone in a 60 mile radius!" She cried. "Me, thrown into a standardized grade school curriculum, unable to produce a simple drawing!" She laughed sardonically at that. "Art class, that inane recreational activity, one adored by millions of children worldwide, who knew it would be the most diabolical undertaking of them all!?"

Leni simply sat and watched.

"All these egregious errors I make too! Who am I to be an authority figure to Lily if I can't hold myself accountable!?" Lisa cried. "What does that say about me, huh?!"

Lisa then picked up the blankie, squeezing them with her shaking fists. "This blankie…a simple fulfillment of a basic human desire to feel comfort… Such a masterpiece beyond comprehension. Look at me!" She tossed the blankie aside. "Crafting chocolate fountains, time machines, complexities exceeding average human threshold! A light undertaking. Some soft piece of fleece? Color me confounded!"

With that, Lisa buried her hands within her arms, all while Leni patiently watched and listened.

"Just what is happening to me?" Lisa moped. "Apologies for this incessant complaining, dear sister. I don't know what came over me. Dwelling on faults won't address anything."

"Lisa, it's okay!" Leni said. "You're doing great!"

"You call that greatness?!" Lisa roared. " The knowledge I have, the resources I possess, the world's secrets at my fingertips! All this potential, all that can be unlocked, what a disgrace to not hold standards! What do you know of greatness?!"

"I don't!" Leni cried. "But I know you don't have to be!"

Lisa was taken aback by the confidence Leni displayed in her words. Of all the dim moments Leni had in her life, this had to be the darkest of them all. How could someone so surely make such obviously false statements?! This just demanded an explanation.

"Proceed," she said.

Leni's eyes shifted to the side, uncertainty seeping through her glance. "Well, I make a lot of mistakes. I know I'm not perfect."

Tell me about it, Lisa wanted to say.

"Do you remember Lily's birthday party?" Leni asked. "The one where I was in charge?" Her voice dipped downwards in tone, her voice slightly lower.

Lisa thought to herself as she remembered that day. Leni's inability to maintain order, her disorganized fleeting nature, her failure to keep watch of a mixer for longer than 30 seconds…

"I messed up a lot. I didn't know what I was doing," Leni continued. "Lori made being in charge look so easy! I wanted to make a perfect party for Lily, but I know you guys want to help too."

At least she was honest enough to admit it to herself .

"Maybe I was sad when it happened. Who wouldn't?" She said, forcing a smile. "But we still had an awesome party, right?"

Probing through the depths of her cranium, she recalled the group hug they shared as Lily came down the stairs. The physical closeness, the familial comfort, that was a memory dear and close to herself.

"Lily loved her gift I made her too! She never goes anywhere without it now!" Leni said. "That counts for something!"

As Lisa continued listening to the conversation, the storm of thoughts and emotions swirling within started to simmer, now more akin to a light drizzle. Leni's voice was soothing. Never demanding or overbearing, almost reassuring even.

"I know I'm not perfect, Lisa. But I still try my best." Her forced smile was now more genuine as it grew slightly wider. "I can still help on my own way. And I know if I ever have trouble, you guys will always be there for me."

With that, Leni reached in for a hug from the side. Lisa felt the pressure exerting itself onto her shoulders, a bittersweet display of affection.

"I'm here for you, Lisa," she reassured her. "You don't have to know everything. It's okay to make mistakes. You're perfect the way you are."

The hug lasted for several seconds more, until Leni finally let go of the embrace. With it, her warmth and closeness left as well. Lisa remained stunned, unable to comprehend just what was happening to her.

"I uh, I should go..." Lisa quickly stood up, slung the blankie over her shoulder, and beelined towards the exit with a quick pace. Leni made no attempt to stop her, simply watching her by as her sister slipped through the exit without another word.

In the hallway, Lisa found herself caught in another storm of thoughts and emotions, this time further exacerbated by words from a certain ditzy fashionista. Oh, how she wanted for Leni to be wrong. Her views were so backwards, so contradictory, they just didn't feel right. But Leni compelled her with a power beyond what words could describe. A feeling of intense positivity, love and support. In times of vulnerability, where Lisa was coming to terms with being incomplete, Leni nearly gave her the closure to make it all seem okay.

Lisa arrived at the door and reached for the doorknob, wheel and axle grinding against each other as she turned it slowly. She carefully opened the door, making a creaking noise only heard when one didn't want to be noticed, and further augmented by the dead silence inside.

In the center of the room, Lily sat, head hung down and not a sign of movement from her at all. Her whimpering had ceased, and tears no longer leaked from her nasolacrimal ducts. The signs of distress were no longer overtly obvious, but she knew it all; Lily still longed for her lost blankie.

A part of her begged for her to reconsider; to turn around and walk away, or to go straight to the desk and take matters into her own hands, take responsibility for her actions and prove she too could fix it. Yet, with the innocent questions she asked, the disappointment she radiated upon losing her prized possession, Lily's emotional state reached her in a way no rational line of thought could. With that, Lisa took a deep breath and slowly walked over to where Lily was, careful not to make any excessive noise. Foiled by her inane human emotions yet again, yet for a cause she could fully endorse.

Soon, she came around in front of Lily, who still stared down at the ground below. Lisa stared downwards as well, watching her sister for any signs of movement. In due time, she would acknowledge her presence. She wanted for Lily to acknowledge her presence.

Eventually, she did, turning her head upwards, meeting her gaze with her older sister. Lily's eyes glanced to the side at a familiar color slung around the shoulder, then back at the glasses Lisa hid behind. With that, her eyes started to widen, and the slight downwards curve on her face turned upwards into a massive smile.

Lisa glanced away at that, unable to return the positivity. She still had to remember why she ended up in this situation in the first place. Her inability to comprehend a simple art assignment, letting her frustration get to her in her lab, and her carelessness with extinguishing the resulting electrical fire. They were all entirely her faults, issues that could have been avoided or never should have existed in the first place. As far as she knew, they would be long-lasting stains on her character, and would always put her intellectual capabilities into doubt. Lily would account for these experiences, and the trust established between them would surely be damaged, if not destroyed completely.

However, as her gaze returned to her little sister, she none of that. Lily still gazed upwards, and she was pointing a finger at the blankie. Her eyes however were strictly on Lisa, with not indication of malice or discontent. It seemed that Lily had little recollection of who was responsible, nor did she hold any discernible grudge. There was only the purest of joy in having been reunited with her lavender blankie.

She crouched down to meet her gaze at her level, and Lily's eyes followed.

"Look, I know I haven't been perfect," she began. "I have many faults, some egregious errors, lapses in judgment... my inability to comprehend basic concepts that define our humanity. The list is far too large for my own good."

With that, Lisa crouched down and unslung the blankie from her shoulder, handing it over to her sister with a forced smile.

"One of these days, I'll be free of those inhibitions, mark my words," she continued. "But for now, I realize I've not treated you with decorum, and I'd like to apologize for that. Consider this repaired annual benefaction a token of appreciation, courtesy of Leni."

Lily giggled at that, grabbing the blankie and clutching it like there was no tomorrow. Lisa couldn't help but mirror the expression, the forced smile becoming genuine by the second. All the doubt and uncertainty, they mattered not in the face of her sister's joy. Today, that was all she could ask for.

Author's note:

Yes, I'm making one for once, mom get the camera! I've intentionally avoided making them for this story, since I felt they were obligating me to make one for every chapter, and I wouldn't always have something to say. It also made the fanfic look and read cleaner too. However, this time, I feel it's important to make one, because I'm going to be taking a break from this story. It's an ambitious goal, and there are only seedlings of the plant I plan on growing as I develop this story more. I'm starting to get burnt out though, and there are other ideas I want to pursue, whether they be to write more chapters of Devices and Machinations, or to write one-shots independent of this story. I can't say how long this break will be, but mark my words, I WILL come back to this story. It WILL see its end one day, and my vision will be realized. Will Lisa ever come to terms with her imperfections? What will she do about her struggles in art class? What about Lisa's relationship with Lily? All those will be resolved eventually. Until then, thanks for all the kind words and taking the time to read. Be on the lookout for an Lola Lisa one-shot!