Interlude: Indulgence and Intervention

Luna Loud was a woman of fine tastes (at least according to her). She liked good music, and made some of the best herself. She was a connoisseur of wine, women (one woman in particular especially) and a variety of vices and petty indulgences that most people could only dream of from their plebeian lifestyles as she once had.

She even had a list of stuff she liked to do juuust to make sure she could feel every dollar she and her band gleaned from their adoring fans that a younger (and slightly salty) Luna had scribbled down while dealing with all the frustrations that came from fourth-hand Loud Speakers and third hand everything else. A bucket/wish list of everything she could ever want or dream of if only she had the money and free time to make it real.

Like a pool of sangria that she could swim and drink at the same time (not as practical as teen Luna had expected- but still tasty and titillating until the burning set in!)

Or a strip club filled with Misty Cosplayers (but would the costumes come off or stay on? a younger Luna had been struck with indecision. It's not really Misty if it's just a petite girl in a wig or with dyed hair after all… halfway on? Neither, an older and more seasoned Luna had concluded, for age brought wisdom; openable costumes were clearly the patrician's choice).

Or just a nice, long shower without a million siblings ready to bust in at any moment.

Now years later and with nine-tenths of that list firmly crossed off and about half of them having become being regrets to forget, Luna Loud was largely content with her life. Sure she missed the old push and shove that had been her childhood from time to time, but that was only right up until she had to spend a week or two at the old house being reminded of the merits of personal space and she got to go off to wherever the hell she wanted because she could do that with her piles of money.

Fuck, Luna loved being rich.

But her adulthood indulgences weren't without limit. She couldn't go and wolf down whatever she liked and risk wibbling on stage after all. She didn't really have a permanent residence to fit a whole fleet of cars in so that was out of the question too. Sure she could have bought a mansion or three, but it would basically be vacation home with her lifestyle so she never bothered.

The bottom line was that in the approaching zenith of her life (not middle age because Luna Loud was Forever Young!) she'd learnt to appreciate a bit of moderation, even as she blew through more money in a week than most people made in months.

Because again; rich!

Alas, one bit of moderation she did not appreciate was the moratorium on smoking a joint.

The first time had been when she'd been pregnant with the twins for obvious reasons, that she'd held herself to without complaint and the rest of the band held to it too in solidarity for the few months she'd been able to keep up on stage. But her own parents had a long held opposition to any of the stuff in their house, and they'd throw a fit if she lit up near the kids (which wasn't unfair, the little tykes were all still developing) so whenever she came over to take a shift or just to see the kids her lighter got a lot less use than she liked.

Of course there was one obvious solution. See, there was usually a few other people on duty whenever she was over, and they basically all got a solid few hours break to decompress at some point in the day- usually naptime or a few more for whichever poor bastard had to empty the potties.

Luna for her part liked to take along walk to someplace secluded, pull out some of her self-rolled joints and draaag away the day's bullshit. You wouldn't think tykes that small could be so fucking stressful, but they were like animals.

Her own in particular. Sure they were cute and all, but it's like they were fucking bipolar- one minute they were hugging and getting along- the next they were trying to kill each other, and then back to playing nice again!

She loved the squishy little guys, but she'd be lying if she didn't need a break. And that's what her little light ups were, a nice long break with no one but her, maybe Sam and the best quality (And she meant quality, not the ultra-concentrated lab made garbage teens nowadays thought was a good time) stuff a woman of her means could get- self rolled to her matured palate.

Today was a special day- 'cause she'd volunteered to do the potties for an extra bit of 'her time'. And after the rank stench that twenty little arses could do to her nostrils the fine aroma of a toke couldn't be more welcome.

Of course, all good things must come to an end. She'd enjoyed herself for a good few hours and her home made stress relief was smoke in the air, and a happy buzz in her brain. Now it was time to pull on her big girl knickers, roll up her sleeves and get back into the fray.

Also she'd gone and left Sam behind this time (hey, she'd paid for her alone time! Sam could've helped if she wanted to join her for it), and according to their tradition if she didn't get back before playtime she'd have to take a round with Big Blarney up the back door to make things even.

The things you do for love.

But regardless; as she waltzed through the front door of her childhood home she was quickly reminded that while she may be Luna Loud, master musician, connoisseur of the finer things in life and just plain rich girl (she really liked having money) outside of the Loud House; inside she was just Luna Loud, the musical sister of the original generation (not old generation!), daughter of Lynn Sr and Rita Loud and still very much under their rules in these walls.

And today the little judge that came down to bring the wrath of those rules upon her innocent (if baked) head was one Lyra Loud.

Luna stumbled in surprise as she spotted her firstborn sat on the first steps with folded arms and big, brown eyes that stared up into hers. "Op- uh… hi songbird, how come you're not upstairs?"

The toddlers eyes narrowed and Luna felt the old feeling of being caught doing something she shouldn't be sink in.

"You. Late."

She sounded like Lemy had pissed in her grape juice.

"Ah…" Luna checked her watch. "I'm only- aw geeze."

She'd been gone for an hour longer than she said.

Sure she'd earnt an extra hour or two thanks to battling The Brown Wave, but she was well past when playtime was meant to have started. Which meant Sam was pulling double duty.

And she was getting a pegging.

"Dang it," Luna groaned. "Up me bum two nights in a row…."

"Up bum?" Lyra's stern voice queried. "You late because you PUTTING STUFF UP BOTTOM!?"

She shouted the last bit and Luna winced as the ever present cacophony dipped for a moment.

Yep, everyone heard that.

"No, no, no." Luna put on her best reassuring voice and crouched down to speak on Lyra's level. "I was just spending some time in the park, you know, enjoying all the trees, and sunlight and… grass…"

She stumbled over the last one, old instincts triggering a giggle as she professed the metaphorical truth of her 'adventure'.

"You go park?" Lyra stared at her doubtfully, then pushed herself up to get closer. As the toddler stepped forward though her mouth turned to a frown and when she came near to Luna's face her nose crinkled . "Eww! You stink!" She gagged.

"Wha?" Luna, pulled up her jack by the lapel so she could take a whiff. "Nah, no I don't!"

"You do!' Lyra stamped her foot. "You smell, ummm… naughty!"

Luna stared at her daughter for a second.

She blinked.

Then she burst out into a belly-shaking guffaw. "Bwahaha! I-I smell naughty? What does naughty smell like?" Any restraint for her less than two year old child's ego was lost before the sheer absurdity of her claim. "C'mon, tell me! I gotta know!"

Lyra growled and her face turned red, "like naughty! L-like burn dust!"

"Burn dust?" Luna raised an eyebrow as her giggles subsided. "… Burn dust…"

"I think she means 'grass' dear." The stern voice of Rita Loud cut through her speculation, and Luna felt her expression freeze.

Her dear, precious little angel of a child's expression meanwhile contorted into what Luna could only assume the was platonic form of smug. "You in trouble now!"

It turned out that what Luna Loud smelled of was exactly what one would expect; approximately two hours of an enjoyably slow trip down to happyland. Unfortunately said trip had been extra long, both to the point where she had lost track of time and been too blissed out to remember to shower off and change her clothes in one of their usual spots lest she carry her 'adventure' home. Said two hours of fun had also more or less blown out her nose for the next hour after, though Luna assumed that The Brown Wave was at least partially responsible for that as well.

Thus it was that Luna Loud was currently sat down in the kitchen, having to grin and bear another lecture from her parents like she was a teenager again.

"… We know we don't control your life Luna," Rita finished up. "But adult or not, star or not you do not bring that stuff into a house filled with children!"

Luan sighed. She would love to argue with them like she once had, but they had a point and more importantly she had said that she wouldn't even let the kids smell it on her. "Yeah I know… look, I wasn't doing it near anyone- I just forgot to change before I got home!"

"Lunes…" her normally placid father sighed. "It's not just that you were smoking a joint off on your own. We don't like it, but we understand that it's not our business anymore if it doesn't come in here-"

"And I'll keep it out of here next time," Luna groaned. "Look; I messed up. I'm sorry. This is the first time I've slipped up like this since… I don't know, before I moved out!"

Her mother stared at her.

"… Those other times were when I visiting, before the kids." Luna backpedaled. "My point that I get it and I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done it."

Her father looked disappointed.

"… What else do you want me to say?" Luna folded her arms.

"Luna," her Lynn Sr raised a hand upwards, to the filled nursery. "Do you know what time it is?"

"… Playtime?"

"Not anymore." Her father corrected. "That finished up before you came home. Lemy and Lyra were waiting for you the entire time."

"… The whole time?"

"Lyra waited the whole time," Rita interjected. "Sam managed to pull Lemy away to go play with the others."

Lyra stayed on the steps for all of playtime?

Not Lemy.

Luna shook her head in confusion, "I don't… why? I, it's like she doesn't even like me most of the time."

"Children can be funny like that," Lynn Sr's lips turned up as old memories dredged up. "They're grumpy when they're meant to be happy, happy when you least expect it and most of the time they don't even understand what they're feeling or why do what they do."

"But Lyra and Lemy look forward to you and Sam coming home more than you know," Rita asserted. "She doesn't show it like Lemy, but you're the one she always stays next to, the one she wants to spend time with.

Didn't you notice that?"

Luna swallowed and tired to speak, but nothing came out.

"She doesn't wear her heart on her sleeve, I'll give you that," Lynn Sr chuckled. "But I think you and her need to have a talk."

Luna wordlessly nodded, slowly and then quickly before stopping as her mind clicked together. She turned to leave the kitchen with new resolve.

A hand tapped her shoulder- startling her into an undignified yelp.

Her mother handed her a towel, "maybe wait until after you take a shower though."

One deep soak later and a change of clothes provided by a very happy Sam with a saucy wink that made Luna's anus clench hard enough to press coal into diamond, and Luna Loud was ready to face the Kraken.

The pint sized metaphorical Kraken (not literal, as Lyra was very specifically not included in whatever freaky experiment that would let Lulu turn into Oh God Why?) happened to be sitting on the living room couch, amazingly alone given that the space was usually sharply contested by child and adult alike. Of course, the sour demeanour radiating off of the toddler might have discouraged company and competition alike and so Lyra Loud was free to watch whatever she liked.

In this case the news.

Which Lyra never liked anyway.

"Heeey songbird?" Luna issued a soothing voice as she crouched down. "Mind if I sit down with ya?"

Lyra stared forwards without answering, and folded her arms.

Oh boy…

"I'll just sit here then," Luna, eased herself down next to the toddler- but when she settled in she felt a little shift of weight and suddenly found Lyra a good foot away on the couch, still not looking at her and with folded arms, but now her jaw was clenched.

"…"

"…"

This wasn't getting her anywhere. But Lyra was a stubborn little girl (she was a Loud after all), if she didn't want to let her in then she darn well wouldn't.

All Luna could do was sit there and wait for her child to get used to her presence.

So she did, for a good ten minutes until the news changed to commercials.

"… I'm sorry for missing playtime."

Lyra didn't answer her again, but Luna could see her fidget a bit.

"I just forgot-"

"You never here." Lyra growled.

Luna opened her mouth, then stopped. Maybe listening for once would be better.

It took another half a minute before Lyra continued. "Dad always here, but he always busy. Always have to share Dad.

But all everyone else get a Mom or other Dad just for them."

Lyra stopped and sucked in some more air, "… and I and Lemy and Lina have two Moms, but you never here. Even when you here you sleep when we up and go away and come back stinky and gross and- and…"

Lyra stopped, and didn't continue this time.

Luna looked at her daughter out of the corner of her eye, and Lyra's little face was bright red.

Dang it.

Children were strange little people. They knew so little, but they saw so much. When she realised they understood something she thought they didn't it always took her off guard.

Really though? All the coming and going, and her and Sam's habits were bound to make an impact at some point.

She should have seen this coming from the start.

The news switched to adverts again, and this time it was a PSA.

"Long term use of Marijuana can cause…."

Luna pointedly ignored the P.S.A., long since sick of being lectured.

"And you hurt you." Lyra snapped.

Luna turned to her in surprise, seeing Lyra's angry eyes staring at her. "Hunh?"

"Like on T.V," Lyra pulled out a pudgy little hand and pointed at the still playing PSA. "You… smoke bad stuff. Hear Granpa and Granma say so in kitchen.

You get sick and die."

Luna bit back her retort, mentally noting to roast her parents for talking about her behind her back like that. But for now…

"Lyra, the stuff I smoke isn't like that." She tried to assure her, but Lyra's expression remain unconvinced. "Look, a long time ago it wasn't allowed to smoke the stuff I do-"

"Good." Lyra nodded firmly.

Luna ignored that. "But after it was allowed a lot of people tried to sell it, and because everyone wanted to get more customers they made some really strong and dangerous kind of stuff that can hurt people really badly. That's what the T.V. is warning you about. But I don't smoke that kind of stuff okay?"

Lyra's face twitched, but she looked away.

"I mean it," Luna insisted. "I smoke stuff that's practically just leaves compared to what these guys do- really light stuff!"

Lyra muttered something, and Luna leaned forward to hear it.

"… Should stop anyway…"

Luna sighed. "Okay kid," Lyra perked up- but Luna quickly shut her down again, "I'll cut down a bit just for you- while we're down here anyway."

Lyra's face turned as sceptical as a toddler's could.

It was actually kind of funny.

"And," Luna bit back some laughter. "If I start getting sick, I'll stop completely forever and get Auntie Lisa to help me get better okay?"

Lyra's eyes widened, and she pulled herself towards Luna a little. "You promise?"

Luna reached over and ruffled her hair. "I promise- and I promise that me an' Sam'll try to be here more often- really here and not sleeping off something so we can be together okay?"

Lyra squirmed out of the hair ruffle, but her dour body language was gone so Luna risked it and her hands darted forward to snatch up the little girl. Her eyes widened again and she issued a surprised- but happy little squeak as she was pulled into her Mother's body, squeezed into a hug with tickly fingers digging into her vulnerable little tummy.

A tired, and slightly bruised from shenanigans Lincoln limped down the stairs a few minutes later, and found mother and daughter seated together. A red faced but happy Lyra sitting in her mother's lap.

A/N:

For the record, Luna's position and her parents' positions are their own.

The only thing of my own perspective on that issue that went into the story was the assumption that upon full legalisation (for better or worse) there would probably be companies that would make more dangerous versions of the drug for profit and in turn cause groups to form against said abuse who would run PSAs.