June 08, 2024.
Hi guys!
We have reached the penultimate story, focused on Lisa Loud. I confess that I didn't know exactly what to write, and I didn't want to simply repeat the plot of the fanfic Irrational Fear, which, in fact, was the inspiration for me to create Loud Vents (see later in my favorite list). So I decided to watch Making The Grade, which makes up the triad of Lisa's main episodes, along with Friend or Faux? and The Mad Scientist. I had a different perspective on the events of Making The Grade (even writing about it on TV Tropes, as I always do) and decided to have Lisa vent about what really happened in that episode, according to my vision. If you disagree, that's okay, you can say it in the comments. This is a democratic space, as long as there is no swearing.
Saccharine Melody: Thanks!
Conrad Ogilvy: Special thanks!
TheBlazzore: I liked your idea and partially used it in this chapter. But no, rap is not better than science.
Seanrudin: This is definitely not a compliment… FYI, the chapter of Lola is not a Loudcest, but a deconstruction of the topic. In fact, Lincoln dating (briefly) a 21-year-old woman is something much closer to JaviSuzumiya…
Your Saving Grace is Here: Well, in a fanfic where we discuss issues of the human mind, it was almost inevitable that Loudcest would come to the fore. Anything can be addressed in a fiction work, as long as it is done with due respect and seriousness.
Enjoy!
Chapter 09:
Lisa
Knock Knock Knock Knock!
"Who is?"
"Lisa."
"Just 1 minute."
Lisa (4 years) puts her ear to the door and hears her brother getting dressed and zipping up his pants.
Soon after, she hears the sound of the key in the lock.
The door opens and she is faced with her younger brother, Lincoln (11 years), wearing his trusty orange shirt and blue jeans.
"Go in and close the door."
After entering and closing the door behind her, Lisa looks around the room.
Everything normal.
Then Lisa, the shortest member of the family (excluding Lily, who is just a baby), looks scared at Lincoln, who, depending on her perspective, may seem like a giant in her eyes.
She swallows hard.
"Lisa? Some problem?"
Lisa, visibly distressed, rolls her eyes, scratches the back of her left hand and begins to explain:
"G-G-Greetings, geek fraternal unit, also known as big brother Lincoln Loud."
"And by 'Turkey Tail', 'Walking Cone', 'Roof of Narnia'... Choose anyone," He lists, good-naturedly, trying to relax her.
"Let's keep it simple," Lisa decides. "Lincoln, I need to vent about a serious matter."
"Personal or professional?"
"Personal. Well, it involves me and you too."
"Xiii..." Lincoln rolls his eyes, clearly remembering his previous session with Lola.
"What does that hissing mean?"
"Huh, nothing. Feel free. Whatever we say will die here."
Lisa takes a long sigh as she looks at the floor.
"Just promise me one thing, big brother," She says in a pleading tone, slowly raising her head to him. "You will not be filled with anger or fight with me because of what I will reveal to you."
Lincoln kneels down, to be at his little sister's level:
"Lisa, you don't need to be afraid of me," He smiles, stroking her artificial hair. "Actually, I'm the one who should be afraid of you, with all the scientific experiments you run on us."
"This is another pressing issue to address," Lisa notes. "But for now, transport me to your bed, since it's too high for me to reach."
"Of course," Lincoln grabs Lisa by the arms and raises his voice: "Doctor Loud is ready to see you now."
Without wasting time, he places her on his bed, right in front of the pillow.
"I appreciate, brother," Lisa admits, without smiling.
Lincoln sits in the chair.
Lisa kicks off her shoes, exposing her 11 toes: 5 on her left foot and 6 on her right.
Then she removes her glasses and places them beside her.
"Are you going to keep the wig?" Lincoln asks, mockingly.
"Let's say it keeps my skull at the ideal temperature," Lisa explains, closing her eyes and clasping her hands together.
"Okay. Now say everything and hide nothing."
Lisa breathes deeply, using one of the relaxation techniques she learned from practicing yoga.
"So..." She begins her story. "Do you remember when I moved to your 6th year of school?"
"I remember," Lincoln replies.
"I had the expectation of achieving a more competitive learning environment than kindergarten. Something at the intellectual level of a gifted child unit like me, with a 90% chance of having Asperger's Syndrome. But no one there truly enjoyed studying like I did, and I began to feel like a castaway on a deserted island. Not to mention that primary education does not provide 45-minute naps for its students, which, to me, seems quite unfair."
"I see," Lincoln muses. "It's not true that no one there likes to study. It's just that no one has your breath, Lisa."
"But so I don't lose focus: I wasn't 100% honest with you, Lincoln."
"Yes, I know," He admits. "You said you had eye surgery to seem less nerd, but in reality, you were wearing contacts the whole time."
"This is nonsense. I have omitted from you the actually relevant parts."
"Then say. What else do I need to know?"
Lisa gives another strong sigh and continues:
"I soon realized that no one there felt comfortable with my presence, starting with you. All the children are just there to joke, bully and discuss reality television shows, instead of being interested in debating the mysteries and dilemmas of our planetary ecosystem and developing truly constructive knowledge."
"I think your view are a bit extreme…" Lincoln disagrees.
"This topic isn't crucial right now," Lisa insists, without moving or opening her eyes. "So I decided to do a little social experiment, as is my usual practice, to find out to what extent an individual is capable of achieving popularity by acting like a perfect jerk. I had already decided to do this before you complained to me about losing your friends."
Lincoln rubs his chin.
"Serious?"
Lisa squeezes her eyes closed and continues, in a slight tone of revolt:
"You arbitrarily blamed me for them breaking off their friendship with you, as if I had given them the idea of you going to eat alone at the 'Sticky Table', also jokingly known as the 'Table of Outcasts'. I was there, feeling rejected and despised by everyone, and you only cared about your reputation."
Lincoln is silent.
She continues:
"Your fake friends only 'accepted' you again when I had already molded myself into your image and likeness, exchanging my scientific and philosophical ramblings for stupid jokes and food fights. It's like you guys are happier to see me retired from science, which led me to part 2 of my experiment."
"But I never told you to retire from science," Lincoln says. "You misinterpreted what I said. You didn't need to deny yourself because of what I…"
"I NEVER DENIED SCIENCE!" Lisa finally explodes.
She stands up on the bed and starts shaking, with fear and anger.
Lincoln is amazed, while Lisa continues:
"I pretended to have lost my interest in science to see how far you would be willing to accept the fake version of your nerd fraternal unit. And I didn't make any misinterpretations. I PURPOSELY LIED TO OUR FAMILY, SAYING THAT YOU HAD TOLD ME TO QUIT SCIENCE! I LIED WITH THE CLEAR INTENTION OF HARMING YOU!"
...
Lincoln falls out of his chair.
PEIM!
Lincoln is lying on his bed and Lisa is sitting in the chair.
"And before you ask why I would want to harm you, I answer: I did it so you could learn that there are much more valuable things in life than false friendships of convenience! I needed to know if you were willing to maintain your popularity at school at the cost of your image within our family unit! And apparently, the answer is no!"
Lincoln is back in his chair and Lisa lies back on the bed.
Face down, to hide the shame.
And the tears.
"Go ahead!" She encourages him. "Tell me I'm a horror! A monster disguised as a human being! The worst unit in our dysfunctional family!"
She cries silently.
When she realizes, she is wrapped in the arms of Lincoln, who climbs onto the bed to support her.
"I forgive you," He assures, softly.
"Huh? But why?" She wants to understand.
"I was much more idiot than you. I should have defended you, regardless of how much it would cost my image." He raises the tone of revolt in his voice. "And I should also have refused to go to 'Sticky Table', or rather, I should have sent everyone to that dirty and slimy table, so you and I can sit alone at our table of honor."
"It would be fun," Lisa smiles lightly. "The law of the weakest, like Jerry and Woody Woodpecker."
"But I don't judge my friends that harshly," Lincoln mitigates. "In fact, they quickly realized their mistake when the kindergarten children needed your help with that pharyngitis attack. And they apologized to us for that."
"But the summary is…" Lisa pauses to wipe her eyes, sitting on Lincoln's lap. "I have no one to call a friend or partner or accomplice. At most, I only have Darcy and my science buddy David. I know Darcy almost never understands anything I say, but at least she won't make fun of me for being who I am. School exists not only to acquire knowledge, but also to learn how to live in society, and maybe you and the sisters think that I don't care about creating connections with people, but I really want to meet people. But how is this possible if no one is at the same level as me? There are no Mensa branches or gifted schools in Royal Woods, and I feel like a nautical vessel adrift in the Atlantic Ocean. The best I could do was spend time as an intern at Dr. J's Scientific Institute."
"When?" Lincoln frowns. "I don't remember."
Lisa swallows hard.
Why did she have to talk about this?
"Well…" She scratches her head. "Let's just say I erased all of your memories."
"Oh… Okay," Lincoln shrugs.
How could Lisa explain that she took time travel to erase her unhappy stay at the Institute? Until today she wonders if she really made amends for the past or if she is now living in an alternate reality while she is reported missing or dead in the original timeline (not that it matters much, as it is impossible to determine that all the episodes of cartoon take place in the same universe).
She resumes:
"The truth is that even there, with many intelligent brains, I felt out of place, since no one liked the same things as me. And I really missed the most precious thing in my life, which is my family. And I can say this, because I am an atheist. I spent a lot of time conducting dangerous experiments on you all, as if you were nothing more than guinea pigs in my service, but after my stay at the Institute, it's as if I came to my senses and realized the true importance you all have in my life. "
She starts crying again, and has no shame in staining Lincoln's orange shirt.
Lincoln thinks and concludes:
"Lisa, my dear sister, you are not alone."
"No?"
"The fact that you care about your family is a huge testament to that. You have 12 allies in this house."
"But you all stay away from me," Lisa complains, looking at Lincoln. "You yourself said a while ago that you should be afraid of me. It's like I sound like a big threat to you."
"Oh, I don't mince my words…" Lincoln rolls his eyes. "Well, you contributed to that too."
"Yes, I know," Lisa acknowledges. "But I've already stopped using you as guinea pigs. And after the 'House of Lies' incident, you made me promise not to violate everyone's privacy anymore. But no one here seems to corroborate my changes in attitude."
"You need to go further, Lisa," Lincoln reasons. "Of course we should show more interest in the things you like. But at the same time, you need to be interested in us."
"In what sense?"
"You often dismiss our hobbies and interests as intellectually impoverishing."
"Because they really are!" Lisa insists. "And if you don't accept the truth, that's your problem! I'm not going to pretend to like something just to please others! I may have done that in my school experiment, but it's over!"
Lincoln sighs:
"Lisa, your snobbish attitude hurts you too. You don't have to like nothing. But you don't need to dump everything on us either. Of course you have the right to give your dissenting opinion, but if you don't know how to measure your words, perhaps it's best to remain silent. And you don't have to pretend, but you can try it to see if it's as bad as you think. Remember that in the beginning, you also disdained Dream Boat?"
"Yes," Lisa confirms. "I thought it was just a bunch of frivolous emotions, and I wasn't completely wrong. But over time, I was able to observe that each character in the soap opera has their own psychological structure, and I started watching it as an exercise in anthropology, just like those reality shows that strive to extract the most rotten reactions from the participants. It's trashy, but I find it fascinating to observe human ugliness."
"WOW," Lincoln marvels.
"Anyway, you might be right," Lisa agrees. "Maybe I should spend quality time with you all to restore your trust in me. And also so I don't feel helpless anymore. We are all a group of atoms, which, if kept together, generate a splendid and LOUD life!"
Silence.
Lincoln and Lisa laugh out loud.
Lisa gives him a big hug.
"Thank you so much, big brother, for knowing how to listen me. And also for knowing how to forgive me."
"Anytime, Little Marie Curie!"
"Little no!" She complains, good-naturedly.
"But it's the truth!"
"And no Peck Kiss! For me, it remains a very cringe gesture."
"As you wish."
Lisa gets off her brother's lap and crawls onto the pillow to retrieve her glasses.
She puts them on, after wiping her eyes.
"Well, I think you can let me down now."
"Of course."
Lincoln grabs his sister by the arms and puts her on the ground again.
"We need to do something together as soon as possible, brother," Lisa proposes, putting on her shoes. "Maybe play one of your mediocre video games."
"Perhaps tomorrow," Lincoln suggests. "When we are more rested."
"Well thought."
Lincoln opens the bedroom door.
When Lisa is about to leave...
"Wait. There's one more thing."
"Speak."
Lisa looks back at her brother:
"You know about my interest in rap music. And I would really like to release my own rap album on the internet. I always improvise some lyrics while I work on my scientific research. Maybe I could use music to teach science to children. I still don't know. For now, it's just an embryonic project."
"Great idea!" Lincoln approves.
"But the problem is that I don't have time. 90% of my day is dedicated to science and innovation."
"I was thinking about that…" Lincoln rubs his chin. "And I think it's time to get your lab out of here."
"What?"
"Having your room and your lab in the same place forces you to think about your work all the time. Now, if we move your laboratory to the garage, you can separate your personal life from professional life and thus relax more, gaining more time to think about new ideas. Furthermore, our sisters will have a greater sense of security and will be able to get even closer to you."
"Two great points, big brother," Lisa agrees, smiling. "You never cease to surprise me. Well, it's something to think about. I love you and I'm going for it."
"I love you too."
After leaving the door, Lisa takes one last look at her brother:
"Revenge of the nerds!"
"Revenge of the nerds!"
BLAM!
Since then, Lisa has moved her laboratory to the garage and dedicated herself to making more time for her family.
She compensates Lincoln by hacking the game Total Trash Takedown and creating an avatar of him. He thinks it's great, and says that if she creates other avatars for her sisters, maybe they'll be inspired to play too. Lisa smiles hugely and instantly thinks about creating a series of themed games for each of her sisters. Lincoln applauds, but warns her not to go too fast.
One day, Lisa gathers her family and announces the production of her first rap album, where she and Darcy sing about science and citizenship. Luna gets excited and says that this could be the beginning of a successful artistic career for Lisa, in parallel with her scientific career. Everyone agrees and gives Lisa a group hug.
Here it is! Lisa now makes concrete efforts to expand and improve her social connections with her family and friends.
Potty Mouth revealed that Lisa's brown hair is a wig, as she is bald, and that she has an extra toe on her right foot. Two side effects of his crazy experiments.
Health Kicked reports that Lisa practices Tai Chi Chuan. It's plausible that she does Yoga too.
The Mad Scientist shows Lisa leaving the Loud House to go live at Dr. J's Scientific Institute. Just like when she moved up to the 6th year school, it wasn't the best experience for her either.
Darcy is the best friend that Lisa found in Friend or Faux?. David is her science colleague (and crush) in L Is For Love.
House Of Lies shows Lisa trying to fix her family by force. Obviously, it couldn't work. And considering that she monitored her parents and siblings while eating popcorn, it's not hard to see that she loves reality shows like "Big Brother".
"Total Trash Takedown" is the game Lincoln plays in Game Off.
It may sound strange for Lisa to be afraid of Lincoln, since she terrorizes everyone in the house, but she actually expresses fear in some episodes, such as Game Off, where she runs away from Lincoln (but not necessarily afraid of being beaten by him, since Lynn Jr. strangely also runs away from him); April Fool Rules, where she imposes a list of conditions on her parents to let them enter the bunker with her, as if she had done something bad the day before; and The Mad Scientist, where she has a nightmare at night and wants to run into her parents' bed, a clear sign that she does this occasionally, like any small child.
And if you think it's unlikely that Lisa would do such dissimulation in Making The Grade, it's because you haven't watched Snow Bored, where she pretends to be obsessed with snow to the point of having a snowball fight to terrorize her siblings and force them to go to school.
The last chapter is coming, and it will focus on Lincoln.
Fave, follow, review, criticize, suggest... Your contribution is very welcome!
See you soon!