While everyone reading this story knows that I've been fairly liberal with my use of timeskips, I need to draw the line here. I'm writing in the original Sin Kids as seen in drawings posted on DA, and while I'm going chronologically for each kid, I am changing the ages a bit. Like for the first three sisters, instead of a two-year difference in age, I only made it one, and after the next kid is born, I don't want the next kid to be born until four years later, rather than three. As such, I think we can all agree that a four-year timeskip would be asinine. As such, the next few chapters are going to be a bit of filler, but it's necessary filler. The sisters are changing and doing things that, while on the surface probably doesn't look like much, plays into their characters later, and as Lincoln's daughters age, they need to be given their respective personalities. So please bear with me during this gap between the sisters being born. For now, two plot points are still hanging after last chapter, so let's bring about a bit of resolution, shall we?
Edit: Forgot to mention this. The drummer and bassist in this story are the two friends Sam was hanging out with during L is For Love. I know they don't have canon names yet, and I wasn't sure what the most popular fan-made names were, so I just made my own for them.
Disclaimer: The Loud House and characters belong to Nickelodeon.
"Are you sure about this, honey?"
"Yes. While I don't have a set budget yet, the money I've earned from those roles I did and my channel online have left me stable enough that I can afford something nice."
"I wasn't asking about your budget, Luan. I was asking if you feel prepared to. You're only 21, and you don't have the benefit of having gone to college to get a taste of independence yet."
"I know, dad, but I've been doing my own thing for years now. Remember, I was barely a teenager when I ran Funny Business, and with Luna being gone so much to practice and record with her band, I'm used to having a space all to myself. Besides…I just really need my own space, right now. I mean, I love you guys and all, but I just want to be on my own, now."
It was Rita's turn to chime in. "We love you too, sweetie, and your father and I understand, but I do have to ask. Do you have an idea of where you want to move, because If you get cast for more roles, you may not be living in Michigan for much longer."
"I know that, and I've actually been planning to move out to California at some point anyway because of that and my channel…but right now, I really don't know which one I should do, if I should stay here a little longer, or if I should move out there now."
"Well…" Lynn got up from his chair and walked around the table to his daughter. "That's a decision only you can make, kiddo. It's what you think is best, and whichever you chose…" He put his hand on her shoulder. "Just know that your mom and I will support you in it."
"Thanks dad." She gave him a hug, which he returned as well. She was hoping he'd have the answer for her, the last order she'd take from him before gaining full independence, but he knew that she was an adult now that had to make this decision on her own. It was her life and she had to make the decision that would make her happy, not her parents. Well, at least she would have something to do for the rest of the day…and the next couple months, alongside her work.
After getting some actual breakfast in the form of a bowl of Cheerios with banana slices mixed in, she made her way upstairs to get ready for the day. The beauty of being the first sibling up (well, that didn't have a kid) was that the bathroom was open for the taking, though Luan wasn't known to be much of a hog compared to some of her other sisters. She made her way into her room and saw that Luna was up, but still laying in her bed, staring up at the ceiling.
"Morning, Luna."
"Morning, dude…"
Luan took notice of her attitude. "Are you still upset about last night?"
"Yes, but for a different reason. I didn't just mess up with Lincoln when we slept together."
"You're talking about Sam?"
"When everything was happening, I completely forgot she even existed…"
"You don't sound angry, though." All Luna could respond with was bringing her hand to her face in frustration.
"Luna, is everything okay between you and Sam?"
"Do you even have to ask that?..."
"What happened between you two?"
"I don't know. This is the third time we've tried to give this a shot and I still can't find it in me to be more dedicated. I thought a couple breaks would help us, but…if I'm being honest, I didn't miss her as much as I should've."
"…You don't love her, do you?"
"…There's no spark, anymore. It just…stopped being fun and exciting. With everything going on here, our commitment to getting the band going, and other stuff…"
"You don't want to be in a relationship right now." It was amazing how easily Luan could read her older sister.
"So what are you going to do?"
"I…I don't know. I want things to work out. I really do, but…I'm not sure it can. We took breaks. That shouldn't have to happen."
"Luna…if you're this unsure and because of the stuff that happened to you guys before…why do you think it will work?"
"Because I want something stable, dude. We both know I'm not going to get it from our family…especially after yesterday. Music, while fun, is insanely unpredictable, and I can't count on the band to stay together forever. I just want something that I can count on in my life that's considered 'normal.'"
"Your relationship with Sam isn't stable, Luna."
"I want it to be, though. Maybe things can finally change for us."
"Can you really count on that after yesterday, though? Cheating's not a sign of a healthy relationship."
"Fuuuuuuck..." Luna whispered, clearly exasperated.
Luna had little to defend herself. Her relationship with Sam was, to put it mildly, rocky. The band really hurt their relationship, since both were laser focused on getting the band off the ground, spending much more time on that than spending time together. A typical timeline for the two in a day would be to go to the studio to record stuff (sometimes for most of the day), have one or a few moments of intimacy between the two while on break or afterwards, and have one of the two eventually leave due to either family stuff or pre-planned engagements. On top of that, the spark the two had at the beginning was fading fast. They had been together, on and off twice, for six years, and neither had really thought about tying the knot at any point. Again, laser focused on getting their music careers with the band going. That caused a lot of disconnect between them as they seemed like they could never hold a conversation that wasn't based on their agenda as a band or music in general. That one Detroit show only added to the disconnect, and finally, Luna had to deal with everything she and her siblings were going through since Lori assaulted Lincoln, which Sam couldn't know about and, as a result, communication between the couple was extremely limited.
All the signs were not in favor of the girls' relationship lasting, and the cherry on top of that was what Luna just admitted, that Sam seemed more like a means to a selfish end than an actual partner. That is not what a healthy relationship is made of. Despite this, Luna had always thought of the two as a couple that could persevere through anything. When they had their first date during the astonishing quest, their thoughts of being perfect for each other were completely dashed when they found out that had very little in common, aside from their enjoyment of music and their poor baking skills. Still, they stuck it out and tried to make it work anyway, working to discover new things together. It could've (and probably would've) worked had the two not been so caught up in their ambitions as a band. It was clear for the both of them, but especially Luna, that music was their true love, and in relationships, you only get out of it as much as you're willing to put in.
"Luna…I know you guys really like each other, or at least, used to, but I just don't want you to have to deal with what I went through with Benny." Now there was a name from Luan's past. Like Luna, high school was where she had met her first love, even being the first guy she ever kissed. Their status as a couple lasted all throughout high school, but that's as far as they got. Benny's aspirations to be in theatre pushed him to attend a school for such affairs, and while he wouldn't have minded staying in Royal Woods, when a college like CalArts accepts you, it's hard to turn down an offer like that, especially on a generous scholarship. Luan, meanwhile, wanted to stay behind and work on her stand-up. While she enjoyed her experience in playing Juliet in her school's production of the Shakspearian classic, she never really cared much for theatre. Her passion was in-the-moment comedy, something Broadway would've frowned upon. Because of this, they ended their relationship, and Luan spent a good month recovering from the break-up, her first one.
"I know, and I appreciate your help on this, sis. I just feel like this is way more complicated than what you and him went through."
"So why stay in it if it's complicated?"
"I just told you, for stability."
"And like I told you, this isn't stable. You guys seem like you're driving yourselves crazy, and if I'm being honest…I think it should stop."
Luan hopped up on the bunk so she was eye to eye with Luna. "Please, Luna. You two shouldn't be treating each other like this. I just don't want to see you hurt, okay?" Luna nodded. "I know you don't want to hear any of this, but…I think a longer break would help you both." She pulled her older sister in for a hug before hopping down from the bed to get a fresh set of clothes to change into. She then went to go change in the bathroom, silently hoping others were up to use it too and she would have to wait.
Luna, meanwhile, knew what she had to do. She looked at the clock and saw that it was passed nine. Cool. Sam was usually wide awake at this point, and they needed to talk. She hopped down from her bed to grab her phone off of the nightstand, unplugged it, and dialed her girlfriend's number. With each ring came more and more anxiety. She wasn't sure how this would end, just hoping that it would be on slightly better terms than what she was expecting them to. For Luan, it turns out that there was a line she had to wait in, the twins having woken up by this point. She wanted to wait in line so she didn't have to enter the room while the phone call between the two was going on, but neglected to remember the house's thin walls. As much as she didn't want to, she heard her sister's voice as she made the call, and despite not wanting to, she focused in on the conversation.
"Hey Sam."
…
"You are?"
...
"Really? Cause I wanted to, as well."
…
"Yeah. Go ahead."
…
"Yeah. I know."
…
"That, too."
…
*sigh* "That's actually why I was calling."
…
"Yeah, I…I do Sam. I'm sorry."
…
"I guess it is."
…
"Listen, Sam. I don't regret what we had, and…I want to thank you…for everything. You were my first relationship, so you'll always be someone special to me."
…
"Thanks, Sam."
…
"You, too."
…
"Seeya, dude."
"Luan?"
"Huh?" She was snapped into reality.
"You're up for the lavatory."
"Oh. Sorry, Lise."
Luna knew this was for both of their interests, but that didn't stop her from crying. She felt like she just lost a part of herself. Her relationship with Sam had always seemed enduring. Even when the two went through a rough patch, they would always gravitate towards each other in the end. Heck, even on the breaks, they were just that, breaks. They always planned to get back together afterwards, showing they never saw themselves as finished. They couldn't say that now. They had actually broken up. It was mutual, but that didn't make it anymore painful. It was official. Luna had to finally endure an actual break-up.
Luan had walked back into the room to see her sister leaning against the wall, tears rolling down her face. She already knew what happened, so she allowed her acting skills to shine through and feigned concern.
"What happened?"
"We broke up…She felt the exact same way."
That actually was surprising. "…She did?"
"Yeah." Luna got up and walked to Luan and gave her a tight hug. "Thanks for pushing me to do it." Luan couldn't respond, and all she could do was watch her sister leave the room in a much better shape than she was when she broke up with Benny. There were tears, but they were comparable to a creek, rather than a dam bursting.
With a sigh, Luan remembered what she came into her room to do, so she booted up her laptop and opened a few online realty websites on Chrome. She went to work comparing Detroit metropolitan homes with those of the Los Angeles metropolitan, bookmarking a few houses she thought she might like to tour. The good news for her was that, with her EyeTube channel so big and her experience in stand-up, she could schedule a show out in the area in the coming months that she could use at an excuse to fly out there and see the properties. She had an expendable worth of about $700,000, with more coming in the more she worked on her routines, channel, and acting. So long as she kept her expectations in check, money wasn't much of an issue.
Now the good news regarding buying a house in those two cities was that the market was fairly stable in pricing. They weren't like New York where the housing prices seemed much higher than what the house should actually be worth. That said, LA has its own housing market oddities. For one, STAY AWAYfrom the city, unless paying nine digits, no decimal points, was an appealing prospect. Second, much like Detroit, the city's constant association with crime was not kind to the housing market there. Luan already knew that areas like Compton were out of the running. In fact, the more she searched, the more she was convinced living within or near LA's city limits wouldn't work for her, at least not on her budget. The two areas within the metro that she settled on were Long Beach and Anaheim, as both had a few decent properties if one was willing to look for them. The only problem was that most properties seemed to be subjected to the ever-(in)famous California financial rules. Even for someone who was just starting out, Luan had a hard time comprehending how a studio apartment can justifiably cost over $200,000. They properties weren't even that close to the city, so they couldn't even be sold on the view they gave. Turns out that those jokes Luan always heard about how everything in California costs double or triple compared to everywhere else may not have been jokes after all.
While the tab that had the Detroit listings was still open, she never went back to it since focusing on her search in the Los Angeles region. The more she thought about it, the more she felt it would be best for her to move away from the family and keep some distance. She felt she had to do this for both herself and her family. It would allow her to distance herself from the drama that was unfolding before and, hopefully, make sure she wasn't the next one in line. This would also force her to fully grow up. Like the rest of her siblings, she learned independence through her hobby that only she took part in. Funny Business was entirely because of her and she made it what it's become. She has since moved away from doing birthday parties, but she carried the brand to the internet, using it as her channel name and her umbrella term for all of the different routines, skits, and other forms of comedy she performs. She didn't use it for acting, as the phrase wouldn't make sense if she ever broke into more serious roles. The only things she wasn't using the brand for was merchandise, which she didn't sell due to perceiving that as "selling out", and she wanted to keep the brand as authentic as possible and not be corporatized, though the money she probably would get would be nice to have.
Moving to LA, though, would be a whole different kind of independence. She may have created her own business, but she always had her family. Part of the reason she didn't move out was because she wanted to simply stay with them still. She loved them dearly, and despite what was happening, nothing would change that. From now on, though, she would have only herself to rely on. She wouldn't have a rock out there like she did here, a shoulder to lean on, someone she can always go to for help. Everything would entirely be on her, all of her decisions, all of her responsibilities. She was going to be on her own, and as scary as that was, she knew she was ready for it, challenges and all.
Luna eventually came back after getting breakfast and using the bathroom. Luan took notice. "You doing okay, Luna?"
"Yeah. I am." She gave Luan a genuine smile that showed she wasn't trying to lie. It may sting now, but it helped knowing this is what Sam wanted, too. For now, she wanted to get her mind off of things, and since it was her unwritten rule to use the day after a binge-recording session to unwind, she needed to find something to do. First, she needed to change. She grabbed some clothes, headed to the bathroom, and came back fully dressed. She then went to sit beside Luan and looked at the computer screen.
"So, whatcha doin'?"
Luan was going to have to confess this to her sooner or later. "…Looking at houses."
"In LA?"
"Yeah."
"Is that where you want to move to, someday?"
"Not just someday. Soon." Luna began to show shock. "I already told mom and dad. I…think I want to be moved in in a few months."
This was definitely news Luna wasn't expecting. "W-When did you decide this?"
"Last night." Luan felt a tinge of guilt for saying this to her sister and roommate after she just went through a break-up. "I'm sorry, Luna, but with everything going on, I feel it's best to move out on my own." A lot could be referred by that statement, but Luna could guess that she was the main reason why.
It wasn't even noon yet, and Luna already had two big things happen to her, and they both involved important people loosening ties with her. She should probably have been angry, sad, or frustrated, but instead, she felt a tinge of pride in her sister. She pulled Luan into a hug and whispered to her "This was going to happen at some point. Sorry if I was the one that made you go."
"I-It wasn't just you. If acting takes off for me…"
"I know, sis. I'm happy for you. I really am." She was happy that Luan was finally tasting independence. Lori had, so far, been the only person to fully move out, having moved in with Bobby to a suburb of Great Lakes City and getting a job as a market research analyst for a jewelry company. Luna was happy it was her roommate that was going to become the second sibling to move out and make her life her own.
Luan couldn't help but return the hug with equal strength now. "Thanks, Luna. I'm going to miss you."
"I will, too, but first…" She ended the hug. "You actually need to find someplace to move to."
"Are you offering to help me out?"
"Well, I got nothing better to do today, so…"
"Gee, thanks. Nice to know I'm just an afterthought."
"You should be happy I think of you at all."
"You know what, Luna? There is an open window right over there. Do me a favor and have a nice fall."
They both couldn't help but bust out laughing. It felt good for the both of them to actually find a moment to just screw around and tease each other. Eventually, though, the laughing ended. "But seriously, dude, mind if I glance a peak at the places you're looking up? If this deal takes off, I'm, more than likely, going to take a few trips out that way for things like touring, and depending how big we get, I just may stay there, too, just for the studios they got out there."
"Sure. If anything, it would put me to ease."
"Thanks sis. So, catch me up. What have you been looking at so far?"
"Well, here's what I've got right now." She pulled up three houses that she was showing an interest in. The two spent a good amount of time talking about what they expect living out that way to be like, costs of living, and what they would want their houses to look like. Of all the things to draw these two closer together after last night, it was real estate that was pushing them along the most.
Lynn was sitting inside Robinson Restaurant, having just finished the burger and turkey sandwich she had gotten for herself. She was there with three of her friends from the track team: Stephanie, Anika, and Bethany. They were celebrating their victory at the track meet from yesterday, but Lynn was staring out of the window, a satisfied smirk crossing her face.
"Hey! Lynn!"
"Huh? What?"
"You're thinking about it again, aren't you? Our meet yesterday?"
"What makes you say that?"
"You almost never glow like this, not even after the hook-ups you tell us about."
"I'm not that bad, Beth."
"Yes, you are."
Being friends ever since they met at orientation, the three girls were good at observing what made Lynn tick. There were two things that Lynn was not good at hiding her feelings about: her family and her hatred for the University of Michigan, the school she once viewed as her dream school.
She still remembered the last two years of high school and how hard she worked to make herself an attractive prospect that colleges would be willing to offer her scholarships for. While she played multiple sports through high school, she knew that college was not a place where you could easily manage time if you overloaded yourself. As such, when her junior year of high school came around, she settled on cross country, working hard to make herself the single most well-conditioned runner in her school. She worked hard, really hard, so much so that it took a serious toll on her grades, with C's being the main grade that popped up on her report card, with the odd B and an A showing up for classes that were either easy or, because this was Lynn, gym.
She was a star, being able to keep up with those taller than she was (she would go on to have the dubious distinction of being the shortest of the Loud siblings by the time they all reached adulthood). She was the one that carried the team through thick and thin, winning matches that they shouldn't have won through her skill and determination. Footage of her feats were sent to several colleges across the United States. There was only one school, however, that she wished to go to more than any other: The University of Michigan. The reasons were obvious; it was, perhaps, the school with the most well-known athletic department in all of the northern United States, a program that ranked alongside colleges like Notre Dame and Alabama for just how prestigious it was to call yourself a member of one of their teams (though everyone knew them for football, which Lynn couldn't play for justified reasons). It was in her home state, making trips home easier, and they had a passionate student section that would be ready to cheer her name every time she set foot on the track. She wanted it, lusted after it in a way no other person in her family had ever done before.
So it was with complete shock, anger, and sadness that she received the letter from them saying that she had been denied admission. It was the single harshest moment of her life, being rejected from the school she saw as perfect. After she found out, the five stages of grief kicked in, and hard. She called up the admissions office saying that something must've been screwed up, but they assured her nothing had. After that, she endured a week of absolute hell. She screamed, she yelled, she called back to try and bargain, she tried to throw out all of her sports stuff (which her father quickly put a stop to), and couldn't see herself as anything but a failure. It was the hardest lesson she had to learn, that no matter how hard she tried, there were others that were trying just as hard, and they just happened to be the ones that the university wanted on their teams.
After the week had passed, her anger at herself quickly turned into anger at the school. She was trying her hardest and the school apparently didn't see that. Her sadness turned to motivation, to make them regret turning her down. She started to enroll in other colleges in the state that had good academic programs as well. She tried for Michigan State, but her lackluster academics were the reason she was rejected there. She then tried Central Michigan, and they were the ones to give them the chance she wanted from a school. They even offered her a really good scholarship, but that was granted with the expectation that her grades would improve when she actually became a student at the university. Finally! A school that was willing to give her a chance, and she vowed not to waste it.
The truth about college is that, in order to gain recognition as the best on the team, you have to be viewed as a transcendent talent. Otherwise, you just blend in with the rest of the team. This was what Lynn had experienced ever since she got here; rather than be viewed as the star, she was more a star, her fellow teammates being on par with her skills. They had to be, though, seeing as most of these girls were here on scholarships as well, and those aren't something that colleges are willing to give out to the next person that breathes. She didn't mind it, though. That meant that girls were just as passionate as she was, taking the burden away from her of being the one the team always counted on like in middle school and high school.
Yesterday was the matchup she had been waiting for ever since they got their schedule for the season, their meet against the University of Michigan. This was it. Now was the time to prove those jerks that she had what it took to be a part of their team. She trained for a straight week, making sure she was perfect for when the meet happened. There were no butterflies, but there was no confidence, either. All she had was determination, determined to win, determined to prove that they made the wrong decision. Did she come through with that wish? Yes, she did. Her whole team did. They won, and Lynn got her revenge. She had never celebrated so much in her life, and the smile she wore when she crossed first, the smile of sheer triumphant joy, photographed on the sidelines, would be the image that the team rallied around for the rest of the season.
Today was the cool-down day, and they were celebrating by grabbing some lunch at the dining hall together. Lynn was still smiling at the whole thing, feeling like she had just brought closure to such a terrible moment in her life.
"Sorry, guys. Just relishing in the sweet revenge."
"We know. You aren't shy about it, or a lot of other things."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." She said with a sly smile.
"I can't tell if you're smiling because we won, or if you're suggesting something." Staphanie said, wearing a contemplating look on her face as she was eating her salad.
"Yes" was what Lynn responded with.
"Ahhh, so somebody got some last night."
"I was on a rush. What can I say?"
"How many times has it been with Brad now? That's got to be, like, the twelfth since you got together."
"Double that and add eight." Brad and Lynn met each other in their first semester English class and they quickly hit it off. The two were a passionate couple that always celebrated each other's victories the exact same way. Unfortunately, the relationship was mainly built on those encounters, as both were on the hook for mediocre grades out of high school and spent a good amount of their time studying so they didn't lose their scholarships. School and sports were the priority while their relationship came (in a distant) third. That explains why the sex between the two was always such a workout in its own right.
Lynn felt her phone vibrate and pulled it out to see Luan was calling. As her friends started their own chat about how much they had sex (and how well their partners performed), she picked up.
"Hey Luan, what's up?"
"Hi, Lynn. I have some news." *pause* "I've decided that I'm going to be moving out on my own in a couple months."
"W-What?"
"Yeah. There is a lot that's been happening for me, and I think I'm finally ready to live on my own. I thought it would be good to call and tell you."
"Wow, I…uh…wow. It's just so weird. I'm so used to you being home with the rest of us."
"I know, but I think it's time."
"You have a place in mind?"
"I just started looking this morning, but…I think I'm going to move out to LA."
"That far?!" Lynn jumped out of her seat and slammed her free hand onto the table, startling her friends.
"Oh…sorry guys. That far, Luan?"
"Yeah. I think it's the best option. If I want my brand to take off, that's the best market for it."
"Well…looks like I need to make a trip home at some point to say goodbye."
"Looks like it."
"Listen, sis." She couldn't think of what to say, deciding on "Good luck with the search. I'll miss you when you leave."
"Same here."
"Alright, I'll talk to you later."
"You too."
"Bye."
"Bye."
She hung up and simply stared at her phone. "Everything okay, Lynn?"
"My sister's moving to California."
It sounded so strange to say. Lynn could be classified as the sibling that's the farthest away from home, right now, a good two and a half hours away. She always just assumed that everyone would stay around Detroit. Looks like she was wrong.
"Guys, I've decided to move out."
"What?! When did you decide this?"
"Last night. It won't be for a few months, though. I still need to search around and look at some properties."
"Do you know where?"
"Los Angeles. California."
While Lynn screamed at hearing that, the rest of her siblings just sat there without saying anything. Since this was Luan, maybe there was a chance of her joking, but the look in her eyes said that she was being true.
"Luan, a-are you sure about this?"
"I am, Lucy. I'm ready to be on my own."
"But that's so far away!"
"Sorry, Lily, but it's the best place for me to go."
More disbelief followed. They couldn't say it was unexpected for her to want to move out that way. Like Luna and Lola, she had her eyes set on the entertainment industry, and if you want to succeed in such an industry, you have to go to where the studios and markets are, and the city that does that better than any other was Los Angeles. But THAT FAR?! Even with what was happening with the family, they were still extremely close to one another. How could one of their own move so far away from the rest of them?
"Would it make you guys feel better if I told you I want to move to Anaheim?"
"Why would it?"
"Because that's where Disneyland is." Everyone's heads shot up and smiles formed. Their sister was going to be close to Disneyland? They always hoped for each other's success, but now they had even more of a reason to cheer for Luan to succeed. Family vacations in California would be freaking amazing.
"We're going whenever we visit." Lola demanded.
"Only if you guys buy your own tickets. I'm not paying that much for all of you."
"LUAN'S GONNA BE CLOSE TO DISNEYLAND!" The twins screamed. Well, at least that prospect, alone, made her moving easier to stomach for them. Besides, she wasn't moving out tonight. It wasn't like she was saying goodbye right then and there.
Of course, the high was going to eventually die, and everyone was once again reminded that she was going to move. Lincoln was the first to realize this, and walked up to her to give her a hug. "I'll miss you" he whispered. Did he believe it was his fault? It didn't matter. She would've moved out sooner or later. Eventually, everyone gave her a hug and said the same thing, with the twins giving her their world-famous double-hug. They were celebrating it now, but when the time actually came, they were going to cry. They did it with Lori, and they'll do it again.
After about a week and a half of Luan's decision, Luna got a phone call one afternoon from the band's engineer (and now, bassist) Brendon.
"Hello?"
"Hey Luna. Sorry I haven't called you since we last saw each other at the studio. I'm guessing Salina called you to say they sacked Greg?"
"Yeah, she did. I'm glad it's the four of us now. I never trusted that guy. Congrats on moving up, by the way."
"Thanks, Lunes. Sam also called and told me you two broke up…Are you doing okay?"
She paused…but gave a confident answer. "I am. You don't have to worry about me. We're both focused on the band."
"Good, because I've got some good news."
"What?"
"Zipfire got back to us. They loved what they heard, and they want to sign us."
"W-What…?"
"Yeah…they want to sign us. They've already talked to me about some things. I've read over the contract already, and they're prepared to help us get good studio time, book gigs, help us get sponsorship opportunities, and all we have to do is agree to release a new album every one or two years. They just need your signature on a few documents and it'll be official, so we need you down here at the label's headquarters right away"
Sam felt tears of joy coming. Her dream was becoming a reality. A label liked her music and wanted to sign her. Everything she worked so hard for was about to be hers, and this time, she didn't have to change anything about herself. It was only a couple signatures away. She could just barely choke out "I'll be there soon."
"We did it, Luna. We did it."
She hung up, collapsed to the ground, and simultaneously cried and celebrated in triumph. Luan, who was in the room with her, looked at what her sister was doing. At first, she was confused, but then it registered. "Did they like you?!"
"…I'm going to make it."
Luan simply ran and tackle-hugged her sister while she was still on the ground.
After a quick Lyft ride, she made it to the offices. Salina had apparently already left to celebrate with her family, but Sam and Brendon were still there, and so was chunk. If there was any sort of awkwardness between Sam and Luna in their first face-to-face after their break-up, it was completely negated thanks to the happiness the two felt at achieving their goals as musicians. Sam ran up and hugged Luna, which she returned in kind, happy tears falling down Sam's face as she hugged her ex. Luna soon ended it, though, and asked Brendon "So where do I need to go?"
Into the main office she went that had the contracts she needed to sign. She made sure to glance over them, learning from Lisa about how important it is to not screw yourself over by blindly signing a contract without knowing what the provisions are. She didn't find anything that would do that, though, and after signing the documents, it was official.
Her band had made it.
For the next couple months, Luan took a couple trips to Los Angeles, including one with Luna, to tour the different houses she thought she may like. The trip she took with Luna was the one where she found herself particularly impressed with a property near the center of Anaheim.
"This is a fairly new development. It has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, as well as hardwood floors." Her agent told her, opening the door.
The moment Luan walked in, she immediately fell in love. There was a lot of natural light, the kitchen was huge, she adored the master bedroom, and the bathrooms were much nicer than they had a right to be for a house like this. Of course, there were a few nitpicks she had. The exterior wasn't particularly attractive, there was nothing in the way of a yard, front or back, and none of the furniture came with the house, the current owners set on taking it all with them. But even with those problems, Luan still loved the house, especially the little amount of work she had to worry about putting into it. Aside from getting an inspector to go through the place, there was nothing she felt needed to be done with the place. It wasn't a hard decision for her to make. She wanted to put an offer on the table.
A bit of negotiating and $175,000 later, Luan was officially the owner of her own house. One of the nice things that came about with negotiating was that she was able to keep the appliances that were already in the house. Good. A couch and bed, she felt she could pick out, but a refrigerator and stove? Not likely. Paperwork was to follow, as well as buying furniture and insurance, which she expected to delay her move in by about two weeks, but the house was hers. Unlike Lori, who had Bobby to move in somewhere with, Luan did this all on her own, and her parents were never so proud of her. But even more than that, she was never so proud of herself.
Emotions ran high with the siblings the closer the date came to her moving. They spent time with each other doing the simple things they always did together, like go to the mall, the beach, and even squeezed in one last trip to DairyLand, which seemed smaller now that they were going to have a sibling that was going to live near a park that got much greater attendance. When it came time to say goodbye at the airport, some girls had an easy time saying goodbye while others took it hard. The worst was Lucy. For years, Lucy looked to Luan for guidance on how to navigate the world around her. The two were mentor and pupil, solidified after Luan gave up her record-setting dream to allow Lucy to have it instead. Lucy's relationship with her was one that she cherished for years after that, and so it was with some pain that Lucy had to say goodbye to the person that helped her reach new heights as a writer, and even more than that, the sister she had developed what was perhaps her strongest bond with.
After the other siblings gave their goodbyes, Lucy gave her a big hug, and while she managed to hold back on crying, she still choked out "Thanks…for everything."
"Think you'll be okay without me?" Luan knew what the bond she shared with Lucy meant to her as well.
"I can try, at least." They both smiled, released their hug, and they both wished each other good luck in the future. That only left Lincoln to say goodbye.
He wrapped her in another hug and simply told her "Thanks for doing this."
"I'm sorry I had to do this."
"Don't be. Sooner or later, you would've done it anyway." He released her from the hug and said "Have fun out there."
"I'll try. And Linc?"
"Yeah?"
"Stay safe." He nodded, and both parties parted ways, with Luan, Luna, and their parents catching the plane to LA while Lynn drove her and her siblings home.
"Alright, kiddo. You think you can take everything from here?"
"Yeah. Thanks dad."
"You're welcome, honey."
"My babies are growing up…" Luan now made two kids that Rita had to fully let go of now, and three that she couldn't get to see every day. Empty nest syndrome was something no mother wanted to develop, but my gosh, was it hard to think about her kids leaving her. "I'm gonna miss you so much."
"I'll miss you, too, mom. But I should be able to make it back for the holidays, and when my jobs fully take off, I should be able to visit any time I want."
"We hope they do, too. For now, work to get as much money as you can."
"I will. You can count on me to make BANK." She pulled out her debit card to make the joke, her last one with her parents before she was finally on her own. Everyone couldn't help but laugh at the joke. Her parents pulled her into a group hug, with Lynn saying "Good luck, kiddo. We love you." Rita repeated the 'I love you'.
"I love you guys, too."
"Luna, we'll be in the car. We'll be seeing you, Luan."
"Bye guys."
Lynn helped an emotional Rita to the car they rented to leave Luan alone with Luna.
"So…I guess we're not roommates anymore, huh dude?"
"Guess not."
"We had fun, though."
"Yeah, we did. Even though you could be annoying at times with how loud you blast your music…thanks for being such a great roommate."
"You too…" The two finally couldn't hold back and hugged each other hard.
"I'm really going to miss you!…"
"I will, too!..."
Having a sister for a roommate was always going to lead to a hard goodbye. It also wasn't like they were Lucy and Lynn, who got along for no better reasons than because they were family, they were the two middle sisters, and it satisfied the laws of 'opposites attract'. Luna and Luan had hobbies that were similar in ways, the obvious being that they were stage entertainers, and with Luan branching into acting, their hobbies complimented each other. Much like the rest of their sisters, their time as roommates made them a team. They bonded with each other, practicing their hobbies together in their shared room, talking with each other at night before bed. They even had a bunk bed, where having two people was necessary to get the best experience.
But they were both of the age where they had to fend for themselves. They were adults, and there was no handholding when a person finally gets out on their own. It was a hard pill to swallow for the two, knowing they could no longer be the duo they once were, but it was necessary. Plus, with Luna's record deal, she was inevitably going to be flying out here more for studio time and gigs.
"Well…have fun. And like you said, make some bank."
"I'll try my hardest."
"You'll get there, and sooner or later, I'll come by ready to bug you whenever I'm out this way."
"Good luck with the band."
"Thanks, sis, and good luck to you, too. Think you're actually ready?"
"It's not like I have a choice, now."
"Yeah…Well, I should head out with them. I'll see you around."
"Luna?"
"Yeah?"
"Even though I haven't fully gotten over what happened…when you find out, can you call me to tell me if you're having a boy or a girl?"
"I will."
"Thanks." They walked to the front door to see their dad ready to drive off when Luna got in with him and their mother. They exchanged one final hug with each other.
"I love you, sis."
"I love you, too."
And Luna left to get into the car with her parents, on their way back to the hotel to sleep and catch the early flight home next morning. Luan watched as the three of them waved goodbye to her, before they turned the corner and were out of sight.
She closed the door behind her and fell to the ground, the emotions and realizations running higher than they had ever done. It was done. She had accomplished what she set out to do and her family wasn't going to be with her from now on.
Luan was on her own.
While I actually think that Sam and Luna make a good couple, I needed them to not be together for my story, since this is a Sin Kids story and, with how I'm framing it, polyamory is completely out of the question (no way Sam would be okay with that). Also, I'm not entirely sold on their longevity as a couple just yet. A lot of this is because they are a new item, and since they're in high school, I'm afraid to make long-term predictions about them. This being a show primarily aimed at kids, they'll probably be portrayed as a couple to last a lifetime, but considering my experience in high school of being surrounded by couples that broke up after graduation and college started, my rational side is telling me to show restraint, and for this story, I decided to use that restraint and show what might happen if they did break up. Plus, they always say that you should never date a co-worker, and if they were in a band together, I think it's fair to assume that their focus would be more on their music than each other.
Also, as stated in the previous chapter, I'm experimenting with different storytelling techniques and elements, and one that always intrigued me was the idea of a one-sided phone call, so I tried it here for the break-up. While I understand if everyone wanted to read the whole conversation, I actually really liked how that part turned out.
Let this chapter serve as an indicator of the difference between what the Louds are facing from the central conflict and their normal lives. I want both the kids themselves and the siblings' lives outside of the conflict to juxtapose the actual conflict. I like the idea of the Louds being successful on their own while having to deal with everything that is going on with their family. So yeah, while I may not bring the harshest of punishments to the Louds (even though incest is NOT something to be celebrated, I hate writing outright downer stories), I'm not about to make everything easy to swallow for them, either, despite the nice things I want to write about for the next few chapters.
Speaking of which, you may notice that the next kid wasn't born yet, so expect that next chapter (and since I imagine everyone that is reading this already knows about the Sin Kids AU and the kids that comprise it, you can guess who's up next), as well as a few more sisters getting some time in the spotlight.
