June 17, 2024.

Hi guys!

After 2 months, we have reached the end of Loud Vents! With 34 faves and 32 follows, this is a truly successful fanfic! It seems that I managed to get the tone right, with Lincoln having frank and reserved conversations with his sisters, making them solve their problems without tragedies or revenge, something saturated when it comes to LH fanfics.

Here Lincoln addresses 3 embarrassing topics about himself. The first was Mountain Man's idea (in his review of Chapter 5); the second was the ending I planned from the beginning; and the third involves one of Lincoln's first selfish acts in the cartoon, which I'm going to write a new fanfic about soon.

EdwardRydzSmigly: Do you find it unsettling that Leni pretends to be stupid for self-preservation? So I reached my goal!

nicholassims857: Hello PatMoXCosRick (that's your name on DeviantArt). In fact, both Lincoln and the Loud sisters were wrong in Making The Grade: Lincoln, by blaming Lisa for the loss of his "friends" and not accepting that she is genius (no, he doesn't accept it, otherwise he wouldn't have frowned at Lisa right after she joins his class); and the Loud sisters, for not accepting Lisa "abandoning" science (since they are all dependent on her, because they are all 4 years old and she is 18) and condemning Lincoln instantly, without asking him what really happened, since Lisa is totally incapable of lying (and the guy doesn't even dare to defend himself, because he's masochist). And it's perplexing (okay, when it comes to this cartoon, not much) the fact that Lincoln's "friends" disown him because his sister is in their class, since it wasn't his idea. You might expect Chandler McCann to send Lincoln to "Sticky Table", but not a real friend. And the most bizarre is that Lincoln promptly goes to Sticky Table, without question. So if someone tells him to go to the guillotine, I bet he'll polish the blade before sticking his head underneath…

Your Saving Grace is Here: It seems that part of the viewers DEMAND that the characters never change, as they appreciate that characters always maintain the same flaws forever. As if we could never find other particularities and nuances in the characters to explore.

Kineo Infernal View: No.

Seanrudin: There will be a lot to discuss after the fanfic ends.

Enjoy!

Chapter 10:
Lincoln

Lincoln, sitting on the couch, says:
"One thing I've been noticing a lot lately is that most of my plans fail due to lack of dialogue."
"How does this happen?" Dr. Lopez asks, sitting in her chair, taking notes in her notepad.

"You see, sometimes I break something or hurt someone, and instead of confessing my mistake right away, I try to cover it up and fix it on my own, like all cartoon characters do. My sisters have also done this to me; for example, when they threw away all my video game progress."
"That's not healthy," Dr. Lopez muses. "Honesty is crucial in relationships, especially in family. Honesty is also a form of love."

"It also often happens that I am ready to do something that I like, but then my sisters ask me to do something else that they like and I go there to help them, without hesitation. And with 10 sisters at home, there's always something left for me to do."
"I understand that you like to be kind and helpful, Lincoln. But you also need to be generous with yourself. Learn to use more the word 'no'. And with 10 sisters, it's always possible to redistribute tasks between them."

"And the worst is when I judge my sisters hastily. For example, when Lori dropped my VR headset on the bathroom floor by accident, causing it to stop working. As much as I knew it was just an accident, I recorded a WhatsApp audio calling her several ugly adjectives."
"How bold. I know that VR glasses cost a lot. What if she broke something cheaper, like a toy car or an action figure? Would you curse her with the same vehemence?"
"I don't think so."
"And how did she react to your insults?"
"She didn't react. She bought me another VR headset and I deleted the audio before she heard it."
Dr. Lopez frowns.
"Why did you delete the audio?"
"Because I was wrong about her. I thought she was a monster indifferent to my feelings. But then I saw that she really cares about me."

"What if she bought you a lollipop instead of another VR headset? Would you still forgive her?"
Lincoln reflects.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because for me she would have to pay in the same coin. Like when I broke her wristwatch and she made me buy another one. And if I broke the television, my parents would give me a huge punishment too."
"But do you have money to buy another TV?"
"No."
"What if your sister didn't have the money to buy another VR headset?"
"Then she would have to save up until she bought me another one."
"What if your Father or a friend of yours bought you another VR headset? Would you continue fighting with her? Or would you give her a friendly pat on the back and forget everything?"
Lincoln is silent.
"What if months passed before she was able to buy another VR headset? Would you still be bad with her all this time? Or would your hatred weaken as time passed?"
Lincoln is amazed.

"Do you see how silly it's to lose your temper over this?" Dr. Lopez opens his eyes. "If you were more patient and understanding, you could reduce your conflicts at home."
"True," Lincoln acknowledges. "If only Lori and I sat down to talk and get to know our points of view... But even she didn't like to open up to us. So to me, she sounded like a monster."

"But now you and your sisters talk more about your problems," Dr. Lopez points out.
"Yeah," Lincoln smiles, sitting down on the couch. "I kind of became the 'psychologist' of the house. Whenever they have a problem to solve, they come to me to ask for guidance. After all, I have been learning a lot from you."
"I appreciate the compliment," Dr. Lopez drinks a glass of water. "But why don't they look for their Father and Mother? Why would they prefer to talk to you?"
"Well, firstly because my parents almost never have time for us, and having 11 children to look after doesn't help either. Secondly, because I'm still the 'Jack Of All Trades' of the family. If I always helped them with everything... And thirdly, because maybe they don't trust my parents at that point either."
"I can understand," Dr. Lopez reasons. "From what you've told me about your parents, I feel like they need therapy too. But be careful not to overload yourself with this too. You are just an 11 years child and you have no responsibility to replace your parents."

"I know. But my sisters have been collaborating with me. They always reciprocate my help by taking me to do something I like. It shows that they support me too."
"I'm glad to hear this."
"And perhaps now I will feel the courage to confront them with a request of my own."
"What request is this?"
"I'm not going to tell you because it's something very intimate. But for me to do what I want, I need everyone to feel comfortable with it."

After dinner, Lincoln gathers his entire family in the living room.
Lori, Leni, Luna, and Luan squeeze into the middle of the couch, with Lynn Jr. and Lucy perching on the left arm. Lana, Lola and Lisa sit on the rug, while Baby Lily plays on the small glass table. The parents remain standing.
"The show is all yours, Lincoln!" Luan announces.
"In your own words: say everything and hide nothing!" Lynn Jr. reminds him, opening her arms.
"It's up to you, champ!" Lynn Sr. encourages him. "You got top marks in the class with your group work!"
"We are so proud of you!" Rita continues. "So you can ask whatever you want for your family!"

"So…" Lincoln scratches his head, a little embarrassed. "I just wish everyone in this house to be happy at the same time. Therefore, I need to consult everyone."

"Don't be afraid, Linky," Leni soothes him, smiling. "We will not mock or intimidate you."
"If your request is very unusual, we will all discuss it civilly," Luna assures.
"That's it," Lori agrees. "We've laughed at you so much that our quotas have been exhausted."
Leni and Luna give Lori hard looks.
"That's what I'm saying: you can talk without fear," Lori insists, a little embarrassed.

"Okay," Lincoln tugs nervously at the collar of his shirt. "Anyway, you know I've been locking my bedroom door more often."
Everyone nods.
"And why am I doing this?"
The sisters look at each other.

"So as not to always be interrupted?" Lucy suggests.
"To read your comics in underwear?" Lynn Jr. continues.
"To win priv... priv..." Lola gets stuck, wearing a white tank top and pink shorts.
"Privacy," Lisa adds.
"Yeah. To feel more comfortable?" Lana explains, wearing a black shirt and blue jeans.

"You're all right," Lincoln admits. "But the main reason is…"
He swallows hard.
"...I stay naked in my room."

Silence.

Lynn Sr., Rita and the sisters' eyes widen.
Except Baby Lily, who points to her brother and lets out a hearty laugh.

"Wow, are you serious?" Leni continues to smile, to exorcise any bad mood in the room. "Tell more about that."
"Okay," Lincoln follows. "I only locked the door because I didn't want you to scream in horror every time you broke into my room. After all, I was always the 'cringe' of the family."
"You never were," Lucy refutes. "I'm the real cringe. But what do you do when you're naked?"
"What I always did," Lincoln reassures. "Reading comics, doing homework, drawing, surfing the web, assembling model airplanes... But when I have to talk to Ronnie Anne in Zoom, then I have to get dressed. Not that I think she minds, but everyone has their space." He lowers his head. "I'm very sorry."

"Oh dude, you don't need to be embarrassed," Luna assures, also smiling. "Luan is already used to this. Tell him."
"Well, yes, of course..." Luan passes the hand over her face. "I mean, Luna and I are roommates. And she also likes to be naked in the bedroom, while I prefer to be clothed. But this is her privacy. Why do you think I'm almost always the one answering the door?"
"I just don't want to embarrass anyone," Luna clarifies. "I'm already pretty settled with myself."
"That's not what I'm thinking..." Lola becomes anxious.

Lynn Sr. anticipates:
"So basically, you want to be free to be naked?"
"Anytime and anywhere in the house?" Rita follows the reasoning.
"Watch television, eat breakfast, play with your sisters, wash clothes in the basement, etc.?" Lori adds.

Lincoln nods.

"Well, I don't see any problem," Lynn Sr. assures.
"Me neither," Rita agrees, rubbing her chin. "But like you said, we need to know what your sisters think of this."
"This is what I feared," Lola laments, hitting her forehead with a clenched fist.

Lisa wants to know:
"First of all, what advantages do you see in your alternative lifestyle?"
"Well, I feel more free," Lincoln enumerates. "More independent, more empowered... I would even say I feel stronger. And with no one watching and judging me, it's also like I demand less from myself and can be happier in the imperfect way I am."
"Interesting," Lisa mutters, as she writes it down on her notepad. "Maybe I should try it."
"But now everyone here is going to watch you," Lynn Jr. points out.
"True," Lincoln admits. "But when I emerge from the cocoon of my room, I will be able to feel even happier and more confident, especially if you all can support me. Besides, I'm not doing anything inappropriate, so I shouldn't force myself to continue doing things hidden from you."

Lori smiles:
"You're right, brother. I corroborate everything you say. And I think we can give you a vote of confidence."
Lynn Jr. reasons:
"Well, after all, what is really shameful: you going without clothes or wearing a squirrel costume?"
Everyone stays silent.
"Was this supposed to be a joke?" Luan asks.
"Not necessarily," Lynn Jr. informs.

Lucy takes a shortcut:
"I guess what we're saying, Lincoln, is that after you've helped us so much with your therapy sessions, we now have a duty to cut you some slack."

Lori: "Yes, you made me put down my smartphone and know how to value what really matters."
Leni: "You encouraged me to act more seriously with everyone."
Luna: "You taught me to... be more cautious."
Luan: "You convinced me to be more responsible and even inspired me to date Maggie."
Lynn Jr.: "You accepted me as I am and still made me accept myself."
Lucy: "You supported me in my love for Princess Pony and encouraged me to join classical ballet school."
Lana: "You helped me come out as non-binary and agreed with the idea of me becoming a boy's clothing model."
Lisa: "You forgave me for the 6th Grade incident and made me renew family ties, as well as helping me move my laboratory to the garage and gain more time to produce my rap album."
Lily: "INKY MAX!"

Lincoln, more animated, decrees:
"No, Lily. You and my sisters are the maximum!"

"UHU!" All the sisters scream with euphoria, except Lucy and Lola!
"And you, Lola?" Lana insists. "How did Lincoln help you?"
Lola, visibly embarrassed, stutters:
"Well... Lincoln... convinced me to take a break from pageants and dedicate myself to other projects."

Lisa notes:
"I see, pink fraternal unit, that you are ashamed to see your brother naked."
"Yes I am," Lola confesses. "Not that I think it's disgusting, but... I don't think I'm ready for it."
"Oh, come on, Lola," Lana disagrees. "You were the first to defend Lincoln's right to wear his underwear in the room."
"And it's not like he's keeping some big secret from us," Luan concludes, at a bad time.

Lincoln frowns!

"What was?" Luan doesn't understand. "AH!" Suddenly, she realizes and covers her face, embarrassed. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Sorry, it wasn't intentional! Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Seriously, it wasn't! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
Luan lays her head on Luna's lap while she dies laughing.
Rita, likewise, puts the hand over her mouth to stifle her own laughter, under Lynn Sr.'s hard gaze.
"What's funny?" Lucy doesn't understand.
"Better forget," Lynn Jr. rolls her eyes.

Lori explains:
"I speak for Luan: we, the 5 older sisters, have known Lincoln since he was a baby. We always changed his diapers, we always bathed him..."
"And we share our baths with him until today," Leni recalls.
"We're going to the pool together," Luna continues.
"We read comics in our underwear together," Lynn Jr. continues.
"And all of this also applies to Lucy, Lana, Lola, Lisa and Lily," Lori resumes.
"In other words: if you had a little brother, Lola, you would think it was normal too," Lynn Jr. assures.
"Maybe," Lola remains looking at the ceiling.

"Well, we can do a test," Lynn Sr. proposes. "Lincoln spends 1 week without clothes. Then you decide whether he can continue or not."
"It's a very reasonable proposal," Rita agrees.
"Whoever agrees, raise your hand."

Lori raises her arm.

Leni raises her arm.

Luna raises her arm.

Luan raises her arm.

Lynn Jr. raises her arm.

Lucy lifts her leg.

Lana raises both arms.

Lisa raises her arm.

Baby Lily sleeps on the table.

Lola finally raises her arm, without enthusiasm.

"Thank you," Lincoln thanks.

"Now, what are you waiting for?" Luna questions.
"What?"
"Time to proclaim your freedom," Lori calls, clapping hands.

Lincoln looks at his parents, who wave happily.

"Okay... Just 1 minute."

Lincoln walks to the television and hides behind it.

"What are you doing, Lincoln?" Lana doesn't understand.
"I don't want to look like an exhibitionist," He explains.
"Oh, sure," Leni agrees.

After 1 minute, he reappears.

In his natural form.

He kicks off his white sneakers and hands his orange shirt, his blue jeans and his red underwear to his Mother.
"Put it in the wash."
"Sure darling."
"Well, we're going," Lynn Sr. announces. "Enjoy your night, champ."
"Thanks, Dad. Thanks, Mom," He nods gratefully.

The parents leave there.

Lola gets up from the carpet, approaches Lincoln and looks him up and down for 10 seconds.

And she finally smiles.

"You will always be my brother," She repeats the previous promise.
"And you will always be my sisters," Lincoln reassures.

All the other sisters also get off the couch and approach Lincoln.

"Let me understand," Lucy asks. "Are you still going to wear clothes inside the house?"
"Of course I will," Lincoln replies. "I just want to have the freedom to walk how I want."
"And now you do," Lynn Jr. assures. "You can even wear your underwear in the garden."
"And… don't any of you think it's strange?" Lincoln puts the hands behind his head.

Leni takes the lead again:
"It looks like you still don't trust us, Lincoln. How about we show you that it's okay?"
"Huh?" He doesn't understand.

Without ceremony, Leni removes her green dress, leaving her in lingerie.
"What about?" She smile.
Everyone opens their mouths, amazed.

But Luna wastes no time and also removes her purple skull-print shirt, revealing her lilac top.
"That's it, dude," She throws the shirt on the floor and steps on it. "No secrets between us."

Lynn Jr. removes her white and red blouse and is once again without her sports bra.
"I also like to breathe every now and then," She informs, crunching her toned belly.

Lana rips off her blue jeans, exposing her own white boy's underwear.
"LONG LIVE PANTIES!"

Lola, irritated, anticipates:
"Okay, okay! This all sounds very fun, but I'm still fully clothed!"
"And me too," Lucy crosses her arms.
"And me," Luan puts her hands on hips.

"As you wish," Lori decides, removing her cyan blouse and white shorts, so she can also be in lingerie. "No one here should feel embarrassed."

"You don't have to do that," Lincoln warns, a bit confused.
"But we want, big brother," Lisa assures, after also removing all of her clothes. "Furthermore, it's the beginning of a new social experiment. I won't miss this chance."

"Alright then," Lincoln decides. "If this is how you want to show me support, then so be it."
"You are free, Dr. Loud," Lori empowers him, kicking off her shoes. "Just remember to wear clothes when Clyde comes to visit you. Otherwise he will want to imitate your fashion in front of me."
Soft laughter.
"Less, Lori, less..." Lincoln mitigates, good-naturedly.

"Can we still... hug you?" Lucy wants to know.

"Of course," Lincoln authorizes. "But there's one more thing I wanted to ask of you."

"And what would it be?" Lori crosses her arms.

Lincoln rubs his left arm:
"I really wanted to make peace with Cristina. I was a complete idiot making that embarrassing video about her."
"Then do it," Luan supports him.
"But I don't think she will listen to me so easily. I need something impactful, that makes her understand that I have really changed."
"And what do you suggest?" Lola wants to know.

"I want to destroy the trophy you made for me. Break it on the floor, into a thousand pieces, before her eyes."

All the sisters look at each other.

"Are you sure?" Leni is distressed.
"But that was the first trophy you ever won," Lynn insists.
"That trophy doesn't represent Lincoln," Luna decides. "Awarding him at the expense of Cristina's suffering was very stupid of us."
"Go ahead, brother," Lori decides. "The trophy is yours and you can do what you want with it."
"Yeah, and you already have other trophies that are much better than that," Lisa reminds him.
"As a matter of fact, we all owe Cristina an apology," Lucy admits.
"But you should know that she is now dating Cookie," Lana informs. "I mean, maybe she likes boys too, but…"

"I don't care if she has a girlfriend," Lincoln sums up. "I just want to form a good friendship with her. In fact, she may have 1 girl now, but I, on the other hand, have 10 girls!"

All the sisters laugh.

"You were never our type, Lincoln!" Luna teases him, good-naturedly.
"We are Tristan Team!" Lori punches the air.

All the sisters give Lincoln a super big hug!

THE END!

And we're coming to the end of Loud Vents! Dialogue can always solve everything!

Lana accidentally threw away all of Lincoln's progress in the game "Total Trask Takedown" in Game Off, and all the sisters came together to distract him while Lana played everything again, as if he had a vocation to terrorize the sisters all the time, and not the opposite.

Lori broke Lincoln's VR Headset in Get The Message and Lincoln broke her wristwatch in One Of The Boys.

Lincoln, it never hurts to remember, was forced by his family to wear a squirrel costume in No Such Luck.

Lola convinced the sisters to accept Lincoln wearing only underwear in the living room in Undie Pressure.

Lincoln offended Cristina in Making The Case.

Vampire Tristan is Lori and Leni's crush in the series "Vampires of Melancholia", as seen on Fandom Pains.

I'm already planning other anthological fanfics with the same structure: Lincoln dedicating time to each of his sisters. If you want to suggest something within this idea, feel free.

Fave, review, criticize, suggest... Your contribution is very welcome!

Goodbye!

Post-Credits Scene:

After spending this new liberating night watching a good movie together, the Loud sisters go to the kitchen to eat and drink something.
Lincoln takes the opportunity to go up the stairs and use the bathroom.
Upon returning, he notices Lola sitting alone on the top step of the stairs, still dressed, rubbing her arms nervously.

Already knowing what ails her, Lincoln finishes going down the stairs and sits on the same step, on her left side.
"It was an amazing night," He comments.
"It was," She agrees, watching the floor, not daring to look up at her brother's naked body.
"Tell me what torments you," He puts his hand on her back. "Dr. Loud is all ears."

Lola speaks in a low voice:
"And to think that not long ago, I wanted to date you. Now, it's like you messed everything up, making me rekindle my unhealthy feelings."
"Are you mad at me?" He wants to know.
"No, not with you," Lola assures, not knowing if it's the truth or if she's just being polite. "I... I just feel like... it's like you belong to all of us now, and not just mine. It's my selfishness coming out, you know?"

"Forget, Lola," Lincoln comforts her. "It's like Winston: you spent weeks in love with him. After he rejected you, your passion faded, until you saw him as just one boy among many. The same will be true for me: after 1 week, you will see my nudity as the same as yours. Something pure and natural, devoid of malice."
"I think you're right," Lola smiles slightly. "But do you think I should also be naked like you?"
"It's your decision, Lola," Lincoln responds. "If it makes you stronger and more comfortable, go for it. I mean, if that doesn't make you even more bossy and blackmailing..."
"Hey, I'm already getting better," Lola guarantees, looking at her brother next. "But you will never be just one boy among so many."

She gets up.
"You will always be my brother Lincoln Loud."
She hugs him very tightly.
"The best boy in the world."
They both smile.

"AAAWWW!" The sisters sigh, watching the scene, shortly after returning from the kitchen.

Lola and Lincoln are scared.
But they soon smile again.

Lincoln stands and lifts his sister up.
Hugging her even tighter.
"I love you, brother!" Lola whispers.
"I love you too, sister!" Lincoln reaffirms.

The Loud sisters exclaim:

"WE ALL LOVE EACH OTHER!"