Dungeon Withdrawal
With the weekend now behind them, everyone went back to their usual routines. That is to say...almost everyone did, save for one particular group; the Loud Sisters. After the ending their session on Sunday, Lori and the four who played beside her were quite confused.
How could they just...end everything when the game had only just begun? "The game isn't actually over, honey" Mrs. Loud said while sorting some laundry at home, "it's like we told you, we play the game every weekend until we've reached the end." Despite being told this explanation for the umpteenth time, the girls still appeared quite confused.
"So...what now, dudes" inquired Luna, "do we just go about the rest of the week like usual?" Without missing a beat, Lynn Sr. smiled at his daughters and gave them an "on the nose" gesture. "Just remember one thing" he said suddenly, "you can talk about the game amongst yourselves and fellow players, when you're alone...but not out in public!"
To elaborate on this, he said that no one was to speak about their game in public places; such as the mall or out in the neighborhood. "You're more than welcome to discuss matters about the game, when you're in your friends' homes" Rita stated, "but when you're out in crowds, keep those matters quiet." Despite this (for lack of better words) lengthy explanation, the Loud Sisters still felt quite confused.
"Forgive me if I sound ignorant, Mother and Father...which is rather absurd for me to say" Lisa murmured, "but this is a hobby enthusiast's game, might I ask why we can't discuss matters involving it in public?" As if sensing her confusion; both Loud Parents began to explain about certain "non-player groups" in the world. While D&D was a hobby open to many, there were those in the world who saw the game as something to mock or destroy.
Thus, these sort of outsiders would find it "funny" to find out where their playing and disrupt everything they've worked on. In terms of the latter, there were those who saw the game as "evil" and would want it shunned from the community. Sadly; despite these examples, it didn't look like either Mr. or Mrs. Loud was getting through to their daughters.
It was here that Lincoln decided to offer up another way to explain the situation. "Look at it this way, girls" he began, "imagine if...if you all wanted to have private date with your special someone, only for some idiot to come along and ruin everything...that wouldn't be cool, right?" Upon mentioning this example, the elder Loud Sisters suddenly became quite angry; warning everyone to not get any such ideas.
"Don't worry, girls; it's just a theoretical example" Rita called out defensively, "but you understand the point we're trying to make...right?" After a moment or two of silence (a few more for Leni,) the girls soon understood their parents' words and nodded. "To put it simply, you're all welcome to go about your usual routines the rest of the week" Rita stated, "but you can only speak about the game openly when you're in the homes of fellow players or on video chat sessions...as long as no one else is around."
With this explanation, all ten of the Loud Sisters now had a full understanding of things and promised to keep quiet. With that settled, everyone went off to their rooms; eager to begin the rest of their day. "I'm just literally glad it's Summer Break" Lori grumbled mentally, "I don't know if I can keep my sanity over the next few weeks, if we were all still in school."
Upon mentioning the word "school," she suddenly found herself thinking back to when this whole thing got started. Even now, she still found it hard to believe that his brother's teacher and principal were a part of this "geek fest." This led her to wonder if people like Coach Hutch, the head golf coach at Fairway University or any of her teachers from the high school played the game as well.
"I literally can't believe this is happening" she whispered, "has this whole world suddenly been brainwashed by nerds!?" Coincidentally, the other Loud Sisters found themselves equally flabbergasted by everything. They could not believe how many of their friends, family, neighbors and countless others were so deeply invested in such a "silly game."
How could something that involved throwing dice, doing improv, talking about fairy tale creatures and wearing weird outfits have influenced so many people? While all these questions and more buzzed around their minds still, one thing felt certain; they were happy that the game didn't affect any of them in that did they suspect however, that in the days ahead; certain circumstances would arise where Fate would test just how strong their convictions truly were.
(Scene Change: The Royal Woods Mall)
In the days that followed, each of the Loud Sisters decided to try and go about life as it was before. Be it going to the mall, performing household chores or just hanging out with their besties; things seemed to feel relatively normal again...at first. But then, there would come moments where each of them found themselves thinking back to their time Castle Greyhawk.
On one such occasion, it was Monday afternoon and Lori and Leni went out to the mall to take advantage of a new clothing sale that was just announced. As they browsed through the inventory, Leni soon spotted what she considered to be a "really cute raincoat." "Hey...I know this may sound weird" she murmured, "but the hoodie makes me think of what our parents and some of our friends were wearing back at the..."
Before Leni could finish her sentence, Lori squealed in alarm and firmly clasped her hand over her sister's mouth. "Keep your voice down about that" she whispered harshly, "we're in enough hot water for breaking one of Mom and Dad's rules...do you really want to risk breaking another one?" Despite being unable to talk, Leni still answered the question with a quick shake of the head.
Before deciding to let her go, Lori did a quick look around the area; to make certain no one overheard Leni's comment. Once she saw that the coast was clear, she decided to let go of her. "Sorry about that" Leni whispered softly, "I just thought the raincoat looked like something one of our friends was wearing the other day."
Upon giving the aforementioned garment a look for herself, Lori suddenly found herself thinking back to Bobby's elven cloak. Despite her overall shock towards seeing him play a "geek oriented" game, she couldn't deny the fact that he looked rather handsome in it. Suddenly, Lori realized what was happening and quickly tried to push the idea out of her head.
"Snap out of it, Loud; you're going crazy" she thought to herself, "look for something else...anything that won't make you think of that game!" With that thought in mind, Lori began scouring through every area of the store; desperate to find something, buy it and get out. But everywhere she went, the result was the same; fantasy-style clothing items.
"What in of all that's trendy is going on here" Lori shrieked in both annoyance and confusion, "where did all these weird outfits come from?!" As if on cue; Mrs. Carmichael, the store's manager and Leni's employer, arrived at the scene and decided to give the girls an in-depth explanation on the new line. "It's the latest idea by the designer, Fabian Le'Tool" she said with glee, "he calls it 'Medieval Chic.'"
Lori let out a mildly shrill "eee" in alarm, upon hearing this news; wondering if this was all just some sort of crazy dream she was in. Meanwhile, Leni was simply bouncing with glee at the new line; proclaiming it to be "adorably retro." There were hoodies that looked like monk robes, stylish Arabian-style sandals, semi-formal shirts that showed images of medieval stained glass imagery.
However, Leni was particularly awestruck by the "Medieval Chic" accessories that were also on display. From the faux leather pouches, the belts, the hooded cloaks; right up to all the varieties of jewelry for sale. "This is all so gorge, Mrs. C" gushed Leni, "I've heard of clothes that were chic before...but I've never heard of 'Medieval Chic' before."
Mrs. Carmichael smiled warmly at her employee, apparently pleased that she liked the new line. "Word on the street is Fabian got the idea from all the Ren Faires across the country" she murmured slyly, "other sources claim he got it from a supposed 'odd fascination' with a board game called Dungeons & Dragons." After doing everything she could to push down her initial shock, Lori let out a soft chuckle at the idea.
"Not to seem rude towards Fabian, I've literally been in love with his work for years" she murmured, "but why would someone like him be interested in such a game?" Mrs. Carmichael chuckled softly at Lori's comment and said that she also found it all quite absurd...at first. "But as you may have noticed, what was once considered 'geeky' is now beloved by many" she proclaimed, "even my husband has a fascination with the game."
This statement caused both Loud Sisters to suddenly stiffen up in alarm. Upon slightly recovering a few seconds later, Leni asked her employer if she ever played the game before. "With my schedule as it is, I don't have much time for such games" Mrs. Carmichael stated, "but...I do dabble in it once or twice a week."
From here, she explained how playing the game not only makes her husband and son feel happy; it also helped ease any work related stresses she might have. "We all need some form of escapism from the world from time to time, girls" Mrs. Carmichael stated, "some use smooth jazz, others like to read and there are those who find playing games to be an acceptable example as well." Upon hearing this, both Loud Sisters suddenly found themselves staring blankly at one another.
After giving Mrs. Carmichael's words some thought, they swiftly realized that she raised some good points. Furthermore; as she thought back to her first times playing the game, Lori remembered the small "thrill" she felt when she got her first "Nat 20" roll. When she heard her parents describe the perfect nature of her attack against the Owlbear, Lori actually felt awestruck.
However, in spite of all this; she still refused to allow herself to fall completely into the "geeky side." "This is getting ridiculous" she grumbled, "I just hope the others are doing any better at keeping themselves sane."
(Line Break)
As Lori "struggled" with confronting images of "geekdom" within her part of town; her other sisters would soon find themselves in similar situations. We first join up with Luan, who was currently on her way to visit Benny. "I tell ya, Mr. Coconuts; things have been feeling...a little too normal lately" she murmured to her ventriloquist dummy, "especially after what we did last weekend."
Through Mr. Coconuts, Luan urged herself not to worry so much about things. "'Maybe some time with your fella will cool you off, dollface'" the dummy "stated," "'a few yucks and chuckles with him will be just the trick to help take your mind off that silly game.'" Luan smiled warmly at her dummy, let out a deep sigh of relief and resumed her walk towards Benny's house.
In time, she reached her destination and was ready to knock on the door. But then, she heard the sounds of uproarious laughter coming from inside. Confused yet curious at the same time, Luan peered over towards the living room's bay window.
What she saw next surprised her so greatly, it made even Mr. Coconuts' jaw drop. Inside the living room was Benny, who appeared to still be dressed in his bard attire from the game. He was rolling about the living room floor and performing tricks for a small group of people (presumably his mother and some family friends.)
At first, Luan looked on with a sense of shock and confusion; wondering why Benny would still remain dressed this way in public. However, at the same time; she had seen him wear much "weirder" outfits before (his clown outfit, costumes for all manner of school plays and of course, his uniform for their Advanced Mime class at school being three such examples.) "Still, though; we're not playing the game until the weekend" Luan thought to herself, "why would he want to dress this way in public...or at least, in front of family?"
As she stood there, watching her boyfriend perform what she presumed to be his "Bardic abilities" from the D&D game, Luan suddenly felt her heart go "pitter-patter" like a drum. Perhaps it was how he looked dressed as a bard or how he was able to win over his audience with his tricks. Either way, she still found his antics rather...charming.
As he bowed before his audience inside the house, Benny suddenly glanced over at the window and spotted Luan staring at him. With a coy grin upon his face; the young performer cleared his throat softly, approached the front door, pushed it open and exclaimed "Lady Luan, my dearest love...come hither." But when he did so, his voice sounded soothing yet quite boastful; like that of a tenor opera singer.
Upon hearing this voice, Luan felt a sudden chill flow through her. Never before had she heard her beau address her so suavely before. Unfortunately; she was so awestruck by his antics, all Luan could say was the soft muttering of "ba...ba...ba."
"Do not fear me, little lamb" Benny said in a sultry voice, "come...join me in my humble home for a song and some refreshment." Soon after he said this, Benny brought out a lyre; the same one he used for his performance last Friday night. Then, he began to gently twang and strum each of the strings; creating an array of heavenly sounds in the process.
Within seconds, the young comedienne found herself becoming deeply enchanted by Benny's music. With a deep sigh and a squiggly smile upon her lovestruck face, Luan suddenly "floated" into Benny's home; eager to hear more of his musical skills.
(Line Break)
A day or so later, in another part of town; Luna and her bandmates were sitting themselves comfortably in Sam's living room. After learning about the odd situations that happened with two of her sisters, she hoped to find some semblance of "normalcy" among her own friends. Upon her arrival, Luna greeted the Sharp Family in the usual fashion.
She gave the parents a hearty hello, she playfully ruffled Simon's shaggy hair and gave Sam a quick kiss (much to her bandmates "disgust.") "Hey, ease up on the romance stuff you two" George said with a fake gagging sound, "I see enough of that from my folks at home!" Upon hearing this, the couple simply stuck their tongues out playfully and shared a hug before sitting down with everyone.
"I'm happy you could make it, Lunes" Sam said gleefully, "the guys and I recently made a new jam and I've been sorely anxious to share it with you." This news caused Luna to simply glow with excitement; during sessions, she always loved hearing her crew share original tunes. "Sure, Samurai; I'd love to hear it" she stated, "where can I plug in the guitars?"
Much to the Loud Girl's surprise, her bandmates shook their heads and said they wouldn't need their usual gear. Instead, George made his way over to a large case he brought with him. Mind you, it wasn't anything too big for him to handle but it was still quite heavy.
On top of this case, there was another much smaller one. Not wishing to strain herself, Luna chose to help carry over the latter case; while Ruth helped George with the larger one. As they moved these items towards the sofa, Luna couldn't help but wonder what her bandmates had inside of them.
She already deduced that the smaller case must've had something small inside; like an amp, a recording device, a computer or even a small instrument (like a French horn.) But when the case was finally opened, Luna was met with a surprising sight. The item in the case was an instrument...but it wasn't any of the ones she speculated on.
Instead, it was a small accordion; something she didn't quite recall seeing George play before (least of all, not in front of her.) When the larger case was opened, everyone pulled out a pair of really odd looking drums and a pair of drumsticks. The whole time she watched her friends set these items up, Luna wondered what sort of song her friends could make with just two instruments.
"Okay, Looney Tunes" Sam giggled, "just have a seat and get comfy; as we tell you a story of a town under threat...by a vicious monster!" No sooner had she said this, Simon suddenly popped in and started bouncing with glee. "OHMYGOSH! OHMYGOSH! Are you going to sing the song again, Sammy" he asked eagerly, "can I help sing along with you guys, pleeeeease?!"
At first, Simon expected his sister to immediately deny his request and was prepared to break out the classic "puppy-dog eyes" in retaliation. But surprisingly, much to Luna's confusion; Sam happily welcomed him to join in. "You remember what to do; right, Bro" she asked, "just clap along when I give you the cue."
Simon nodded enthusiastically and took his position on the couch beside Luna; ready to begin. With that done and after she made certain her voice was ready, Sam gave George a nod and he began to play the first notes of the song on his accordion. What Luna heard next was so hauntingly beautiful, it almost sounded like a siren's song.
(Sam)
Beware his maw, King of the Undertow
One who takes the strongest below
Tale of one who creates the thunder
One who brought me under too.
(George and Simon suddenly play a rhythmic drum beat)
Everyone except Luna: HEY!
(Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!)
(Sam)
I'll tell you the story from many years ago
Before we had taken this town for our own
Ruth, George & Simon: Hey!
(Sam)
A fearsome monster of the ocean was lurking
Upon the shores of our home
Our crewmen would leave and they'd seldom return
And those who did told of the beast who incurred
The wrath of the gods living beneath the sea
The one they only call the King
[Ruth, George, Simon, Mr. & Mrs. Sharp]
(Beware his maw, King of the Undertow)
(One who takes the strongest below)
(Tale of one who creates the thunder)
(Sam)
The one who took me under too
(Sam)
No one from that city would come to our aid
As our children would suffer day after day
Our supplies would soon drain, only there for their gain
Lack of supply made for a great pay
George, Ruth & Simon: HEY!
(Sam)
No longer could we wait for someone to arrive
We decided that we could no longer stand by
With the strongest of us, taking the boldest of us
We'd finally take down the King
All except Luna: YAH!
George, Ruth, Simon and the Sharp Parents: Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
All: Boom! Crash!
Sam: Went the raging storm
All: Boom! Crash!
Sam: As we faced down our foe
All: Boom! Crash!
Sam: Went the tail of the beast
But we are not easy to beat!
All: Boom! Crash!
Sam: As the battle wore on
All: Boom! Crash!
Sam: Our men remained so strong!
All: Boom! Crash!
Sam: But as we thought we'd won
The bastard, he breached and took one of us down!
(As the accordion music suddenly turns somber, Sam's demeanor becomes slightly grim for the next verse)
It was darker than night in the maw of the beast
All I could taste was my blood and the sea
But even as I knew the end of approaching
I knew he was waiting for me
(Sam gives Luna a knowing look and smiles)
Sam: You want to know what I did?
The others: So, what did you do?
Sam: You want to know what I did?!
Luna: Uh...What did you do?
Sam: I'll tell you what I did, I screamed louder than lightning; burned the King inside out!
All but Luna: YA!
(As the music picks up one final time, Sam and crew deliver a powerful finale for the song)
He-e-e-e-ey!
He-e-e-e-ey!
He-e-e-e-ey!
He-e-e-e-ey!
He-e-e-e-ey!
He-e-e-e-ey!
He-e-e-e-ey!
He-e-e-e-ey!
He-e-e-e-ey!
With that final note, the song had come to an end and...all was quiet. After taking a moment to catch their breath, all eyes swiftly fell upon Luna; who looked as though her own eyes were about ready to pop from her head. The band and Simon giggled softly at her, thinking that Luna's facial expression looked adorable (at least...Sam thought it was adorable.)
After a few moments of silence, everyone gave a quick snap of their fingers; which caused Luna to immediately come back to her senses. "So, Lunes...what did you think" Sam inquired breathlessly, "was it rockin'...or does it need a few tweaks?" After quickly shaking away the hearts in her eyes, the young Loud girl smiled goofily and gave her a thumbs up; all while muttering "luv...that was brilliant!"
This bit of positive feedback caused George, Ruth and Simon to burst into cheers of victory. Meanwhile, Sam rewarded Luna for her critique with a tight embrace and a light kiss upon the cheek. "Thanks so much for that, hon" she said gleefully, "we've worked so hard on the song, we thought we could use it for the game."
After hearing these words; in a matter of seconds, Luna's blissful state shattered and gave way to a look of uneasiness. When Sam caught sight of this, her own blissful demeanor softened a little and asked Luna to have a seat with her on the sofa; which she complied to.
"I just wanna start off by saying...thanks" she murmured, "thanks for...you know, joining us for the D&D session and all." From here; Sam added that while she knew the game wasn't really her thing, it still touched her heart knowing that Luna was still willing to give it a shot. "Of course, Samurai" the pixie cut rocker affirmed, "I learned my lesson from Astonishing Quest and I really do want to try new things with you...even if some of the stuff is nerdy."
This statement caused a mixed reaction from those present in the room. Mr. and Mrs. Sharp felt that Luna truly was an open-minded young lady, her bandmates smiled brightly at her while giving her the "rock on" goat horns gesture, Sam was tempted to simply tackle Luna to the couch and nuzzle her to death...but resisted and Simon (while in a playful manner) proclaimed that things were becoming "too sappy" for him. Choosing to ignore the last comment; Luna confessed that while she was willing to keep playing, she felt that she barely had the chance to do so.
"Don't you worry your pretty lil' head, Lunes" Sam assured, "we'll both get our time to shine, come next weekend." Intrigued by this sudden comment, Luna asked everyone how the next D&D session would involve her and/or Sam. "Sorry, missy; that's spoiler territory" George said firmly, "you'll just have to wait until Friday night."
While doing her best to appear indifferent on the outside; on the inside, Luna's psyche appeared ready to snap. She had to wait until Friday for the next part of the game...that was like, three days away; how could she last until then? "I will tell you one thing, though" Sam said coyly, "I'll bet you're wondering how my character burned 'the King' from the inside, right?"
Upon hearing this question, Luna suddenly felt oddly conflicted. On one hand, she did feel genuinely curious about how the figure in Sam's song (possibly) survived being swallowed up. But on the other hand, she didn't want to appear "too eager" to know the secret and did her best to appear nonchalant about it.
As if sensing her GF's "curiosity;" Sam walked over to the coffee table, came back with a D&D guidebook and opened up to a page that spoke of something called "Hellish Rebuke." "What the heck does that mean" questioned Luna, "I mean...from the name alone, I'm guessing it must mean something rather evil?" In response to this, Sam and her bandmates gave her a sort of "so-so" hand gesture.
"It all depends on who's using it, to be honest" Ruth stated, "but basically, it allows Tieflings (that's Sam's character) to surround any enemy who wounded her with powerful flames...all by just pointing a single finger." As if on cue; Sam raised her hand in a sort of handgun gesture and playfully said "bang" at Luna, leaving the aforementioned rocker speechless.
(Line Break)
As the week continued on, the rest of the Loud Sisters soon found themselves either subconsciously thinking about the game or seeing something in their surroundings that would remind them of it. On one such example, Lynn Jr. was out playing some football with a few of her friends. When one of them managed to score a touchdown, she trilled her tongue and ululated in a way that sounded like a warrior's victory cry.
At first, Lynn grew suspicious of this; thinking she might've been part of the craze too. But then, she started to realize it was nothing more than a coincidence. Then, during another point of the game; Lynn suddenly tackled one of her opponents...a bit more aggressively than normal.
This was soon followed up by her proclaiming "feel my wrath, manling!" In that moment; whether it was the odd looks both teams gave her, the ref's disapproving stare or her own mind screaming for her to wake up...Lynn suddenly realized what she'd said and suddenly blushed a deep shade of red. She had yet to play the game herself and yet, Lynn was now starting to talk just like the other "nerds" down at "Castle Greyhawk."
With all this in mind, she suddenly felt a shiver of disgust run through her; as if she had committed a dirty crime. Meanwhile, back at the Loud House; Lisa was in the middle of working on some random chemistry experiments in her room. While one of her beakers was cooling off, she got thirsty and went into the kitchen for some orange juice.
As she poured herself a glass, Lisa spotted one of her parents' D&D books on the table. "Hmm...Perhaps Mother and Father have forgotten to take this into their room" she murmured, "I will do so for them, as an act of good will." With that thought in mind, Lisa plucked the book off the table and proceeded to carry it back to the aforementioned bedroom.
But unfortunately; due to her stature and the book's size, it proved too heavy for her and she lost her balance. This resulted in her tripping over herself and dropping the book. "Drat it...I knew lugging such a large tome on my own would be impossible for me" Lisa muttered bitterly, "I hope it is undamaged."
Without pause, she rushed over to where the book fell and saw that it was still in one piece; much to her relief. At the same time, she saw that it had opened up on a chapter involving alchemy. Now, it didn't take someone with Lisa's IQ to know that the game wouldn't allow players to concoct real versions of the games potions and brews.
However, what she found on the page instead was something that she actually found quite interesting; "dice potion bottles." "According to this; I would require food coloring, a specific variety of the game's dice pieces, silver additive, twine, small tags and...Epoxy resin" Lisa muttered while reading the page, "I do believe I saw some resin in the garage...but I will need protective wear to use it." With that; she hurried into her room to collect some gloves, protective eyewear and a breathing mask.
Upon collecting these things, she went about gathering the items needed to make the potion bottles. "I don't know why it matters, to be quite frank" Lisa thought hopefully, "but...I hope everyone will welcome my contributions to the game." With that, she put on her protective gear and immediately began her work.
(Line Break)
As our story brings us to the younger members of the Loud Family; we find that, unlike their elder sisters, they were becoming sorely anxious to play the next round of Dungeons & Dragons. Their desire was so great, they were often tempted to act out their character roles at home during playtime. But then, they quickly remembered to keep this behavior strictly among themselves and not let any unwanted eyes notice.
Thus, anytime they wished to talk about the game; it would have to be done in the privacy of their home. On one such occasion, everyone saw Lana waving her hands strangely at the house pets and making all sorts of odd noises. "Uh...Sis, are you feeling okay" Lola inquired uneasily, "did you eat Cliff's rotten cat food again?"
The young grease monkey suddenly stopped her behavior, turned towards her sister and explained that she was pretending to be like her druid character by communicating with the pets. "I mean...I know that stuff's just in my imagination" Lana admitted, "but wouldn't it be cool if we could talk to animals like druids do?" While she couldn't deny that such abilities were impressive, Lola quickly retorted in saying that no one was as "into animals" as Lana was.
"What about you, sweetie" Rita asked, "wouldn't you like to be as sly, crafty and cunning as a rogue?" While still trying to be respectable, Lola rolled her eyes slightly at her mother and proclaimed "I think I do all that pretty well already." In response, Lynn Sr. said that while that was true; she didn't quite have the thieving skills of a rogue.
"If you did, you would be able to sneak around anywhere without anyone noticing" he stated, "not to mention expertly swipe anything you can get your hands on...like fresh cookies just out of the oven?" Confused by this example, Lola was moments away from asking her father why he used it. But then...she realized that he was referring to earlier that week, when he made fresh double chocolate chip cookies for dessert.
So tempted was she to try one that Lola, against her every urge not to, chose to sneak one of the cookies. However, Lynn Sr. made so many of them that she thought he wouldn't even notice. "If you're wondering how I came to notice you took the cookie honey, you left quite a few clues" Lynn Sr. said suddenly, "namely a couple of crumbs and some chocolate stains on your gloves."
After letting her father's words sink in, Lola suddenly realized what he was talking about. Earlier that week, he made such cookies for the family and she was extremely eager to have one. But the moment she claimed one, Lola didn't consider the idea of leaving the sort of clues her father mentioned behind.
"That's water under the bridge, though; hon" Lynn Sr. assured, "however, I'll be making a few things for this weekend's session for everyone and I don't want anyone pigging out on them...understood?" Without hesitation, the twins nodded their heads and vowed not to touch any of the food...unless they were taste testing. Suddenly, from out of nowhere; Lily came rushing into the living room.
Now, she was always known to be a fast crawler for her age. This time, however; she appeared to be running about the room on all fours. At the same time, Lily was also barking and growling softly wherever she went.
At first, everyone thought she was pretending to be Charles (which was something she often did.) But then; she crawled up on top of the sofa, eased herself back slightly and let out a small howl. "Wow, looks like Lily's pretending to be a wolf" Lana chuckled, "almost like how she did when we played the game."
Upon taking their daughter's words to heart and seeing what Lily was doing, the Loud Parents sniffled softly; feeling proud that some of their daughters were becoming so invested in something they themselves enjoyed. At the same time, they wished the rest of the girls would feel the same way. "Give them time, honey" Rita murmured sweetly, "remember how long it took for me to get into the game when we were young?"
(A flashback scene shows a younger Lynn Sr. playing D&D with some college friends. It also shows a younger Rita, who appears rather bored of the whole thing.)
(As the flashback shows another round of Lynn's session, he bashfully offers up the dice to Rita and asks her to join him. Against her better judgment; Rita accepts and throws the dice sloppily across the table. In the next scene, which takes place sometime father into the future, Rita appears to be sorely invested into the game.)
"You have neared the end of your trial, an old woman approaches from castle to congratulate you" a young Game Master Lynn Sr. explained, "when suddenly; A BLACK DRAGON APPEARS FROM BENEATH HER SHAWL!" The other players gasp in horror at this turn of events and pray that Rita will make a strong roll. After giving the dice a quick shake, she lets them fly and calls out the number "77."
"It does you no good, I'm afraid" sighed another player, "your sword's blade bounces off the dragon." Rather than be upset by this, Rita simply smiles at everyone and reaches into her purse. "With the aid of my Cloak of Power, my weapon gains a +7 to its strike" she said matter-of-factly, "which could give me just the boost I need to win."
Upon hearing her words, every player suddenly started typing away furiously at some calculators. After doing the math for thirty seconds, there was much cheering heard. "You are quite correct, Madame Paladin" Lynn chuckled with glee, "and factoring in your proximity to the castle then...THE BEAST IS VANQUISHED!"
After this, it was decreed that Rita had now mastered Level 9 of her character class. While she still didn't quite understand what it meant; Rita was still so overjoyed by this news, she leapt happily into Lynn Sr.'s arms with a jolly laugh. But this only lasted for a few brief seconds, before Rita and Lynn shyly pushed away from each other.
(Back to Reality)
Upon reflecting on this memory, Mr. and Mrs. Loud couldn't help but sigh blissfully in unison. "You see, honey; if I grew to love the game overtime, I'm sure the rest of our girls will too" Rita stated, "if not this weekend...maybe the next one." As Lynn took his wife's words to heart, he looked on towards his little ones; who were busily running about the floor while acting out their D&D character roles.
"Come little wolf cub" Lana called out to Lily, "Ursa is being pursued by a band of thieves, we must save her!" Lily responded to this with a soft yet fierce growl and ran outside into the yard. As they watched the children head out into the yard, Mr. and Mrs. Loud couldn't help but find the whole spectacle adorable.
Perhaps, in time; the rest of their daughters would be won over by the game.
(Line Break)
By Thursday Night, the Loud Sisters appeared to be at the end of their rope. Because of this, Lori called everyone for an Emergency Sibling Meeting in her room (or rather, Emergency Sister Meeting.) "We all know why we're here, right" Lori announced, "it's because that silly game keeps trying to literally creep its way into our lives!"
No sooner had she said this, the girls began to talk about all the "weird" stuff that had happened to them during the week. After hearing all the testimonies, everyone was now fully certain they were being "brainwashed." "It's a conspiracy, I tell ya" Lynn grumbled, "all those people out there are tryin' to turn us into uncool nerds with their stupid game!"
Upon hearing her older sister's comment; the twins, Lana and Lola, quickly stood in defense of it and decreed that it wasn't as bad as the others claimed. "It's easy for you two to say that, you're little kids" Lynn retorted, "you're supposed to love pretending...but us older ones are supposed to grow outta that stuff." No sooner had she said this, Luan broke out Mr. Coconuts and proclaimed "the folks probably didn't get the memo about that."
This comment caused Lynn to become slightly annoyed and she was prepared to let the dummy know that. But then, Lori slammed her shoe on the table slightly and called for order. "Focus, people...even if Lynn's right; we seem to be in the minority here" she grumbled, "no matter what we think, the world seems to be making geek culture the 'hot item' these days."
Before anything else could be said, Leni rose from her seat and proclaimed that she was happy that nerds were getting their time to shine. "When you think about it, this game allows our friends and family the chance to express themselves in ways people like us call 'socially unacceptable'" she explained, "I mean...did any of us know Benny could sing?"
Without a moment's pause, eight of the ten Loud Sisters sounded off with a soft, "no." Meanwhile; Luan, after being reminded of her beau serenading her, was moments away from fainting blissfully. But after touching her cheek with one of her shock buzzers, she quickly snapped back to her senses.
"Leni's got a point, dudes" Luna said suddenly, "just the other day, Sam played a jam for me with our bandmates...and it was rockin'." The moment everyone heard her say the last word, it almost sounded like Luna was swooning. "Okay...maybe she's got a point, maybe the game does show of sides of our friends we've never seen before" Lori confessed, "but still, we don't belong with them in that world."
From here, she tried to make it seem like the world of D&D was "too alien" for the likes of them. "I mean...I, personally don't do dungeon quests" Lori said firmly, "if Mom and Dad assigned me to make outfits for the players; then, that's fine." While a small part of her sided with Lori's reluctance in embracing the game fully, Lisa was quick to remind her of their parents' orders.
"Whether we like it or not, Sisters; we must endure the remainder of the game to the very end" she stated, "and that includes whatever temptations the world might use to 'convert us.'" As much as they didn't like to admit it, the girls knew Lisa spoke the truth. At the same time, they also believed that any further temptation to fully embrace the game might cause them to go crazy.
"All we can do now, girls is keep on playing until we either reach the end...or until our characters get killed off" Lori declared morbidly, "I mean...c'mon, the game's campaign can't be as long as our parents' claim, could it?" Rather than answer her outright, the other Loud Sisters looked at one another with worried expressions; wondering if their sister might be tempting the Fates with her words.
(First AN: It's official, the Loud Sisters are experiencing Dungeon Withdrawal; something I'm sure many first time players might've experienced. Will they be able to keep their sanity, as the game progresses and when will those who are still on the fence decide to fully embrace the love of D&D? Find out the answers to these questions and more, as D, D&D continues)
(Second AN: The designer's name, Fabian Le'Tool is actually based on a character from Disney's The Replacements. In said show; Fabian is a hair stylist, not a fashion designer. As for the "Medieval Chic" clothes Lori and Leni found; while they aren't in the same style this chapter describes, there is a real world brand of clothing made to look like Medieval fashion.
I thought the idea would be just the trick to try and tempt Lori into joining the "geek side")
(Third AN: For those who've not seen the Character Names and Fanon Voices "chapter" of this fic. Know that when he speaks in character, he sounds like the actor, Sam Riegel; who is known for voicing characters like Riven from Winx Club, Emperor Awesome from Wander Over Yonder, Donatello from the 2003 Ninja Turtles series and most importantly, Scanlan Shorthalt from the ever popular D&D internet series, Critical Role.
But when he sings; Benny's voice sounds like the famed Opera singer, Andrea Bocelli. I thought both voices would be a perfect fit for his role as a Bard)
(Fourth AN: Speaking of bards, Sam and Co.'s little musical number for Luna is based on the D&D inspired song entitled Maw of the King by Cami-Cat. I've listened to the song more times more times than I can count and loved it each time. Originally, I was planning on having Sam perform it during her introductory chapter of the story.
But at the moment, I'm stuck on how to properly implement it in such a way. Regardless, I'm happy that I've finally been able to put the song into the story)
(Fifth AN: I know the show has confirmed that Ruth is actually known as Mazzy and that George is known as Sully. But hear me out; the way I see it, those two names sound like surnames to me. What I mean is Sully is often short of Sullivan, which is the name of one of the two main characters from Monster's Inc.
Long story short; rather than call him James, everyone in the movie seems to mainly call him Sullivan/Sully. Thus, I thought that our Sully may be in the same boat. As for "Mazzy," I feel like that could be a nickname for her and that Ruth is her real name.
In any case; thanks to LunaLoudFan23 and her usage of the names George and Ruth, they've just stuck with me and that's what I've dubbed them in my own "headcanon." I hope everyone won't mind this minor change)
(Final AN: While it's unknown to me if players have actually attempted to make true herbal potions they've seen within the game. It is possible for people to make what are called "dice potion bottles" with the ingredients Lisa found. I got this idea from some "How To" videos from YouTube, while looking for information.
The two most common ones are Red Dice Bottles for Health and Blue Dice Bottles for Magic. Do not make these items without supervision or the proper safety gear, I IMPLORE YOU! As some of the videos warn, the materials used to make them are incredibly hazardous and could kill you)
