Lemy strolled through the music store, his fingers tapping against his thigh in rhythm with the tunes blasting from the demo headphones. The familiar melodies were a welcome distraction from the absolute kerfuffle that was his current situation. He still couldn't believe he had ended up in a timeline where his father was roughly the same age as him. A timeline where his mother was still trying to get her foot in the door. A timeline where the two didn't get together. at least not yet. He wondered just how likely that was to happen in this timeline. Aunt Lisa's explanation had been a whirlwind of scientific jargon that made Lemy's head spin. All that mattered was; they were stuck in the past, and their parents couldn't know the nature behind their existence or else all hell would break loose.
At least he wasn't alone. Lyra had ended up here with him, which was... well, it wasn't ideal. She was always trying to keep him in line, lecturing him about responsibility, god and all that jazz. But hey, better than nothing. Still, he wondered where the rest of his siblings were. they were all near him when the watch started malfunctioning. Lemy didn't have the watch with him now. Aunt Lisa was still trying to figure out how to repair it. She was reportedly contacting several versions of herself for that. Lemy couldn't help but pinch the bridge of his nose. this whole situation was technically his fault. why did he think it was a good idea to go digging through aunt Lisa's stuff?
Not wanting to think about it too hard, Lemy's attention turned back to the music. He was currently jamming out to some classic Mick Swagger tunes - the same ones his mom used to blast at full volume back home. She had pretty good taste in music. it wasn't like the metal he preferred, but it wasn't a bad listen.
"I can't get no... satisfaction... I can't get no... girly action..."
He chuckled to himself. If his mom could hear him now, she'd probably high-five him before Lyra reminded her she was supposed to be the responsible parent. Though, from what Lemy had seen in this timeline, it seems that aspect of her character has been around since her teenage years. Wandering through the Royal Woods Mall, Lemy stopped in his tracks as his eyes landed on a familiar figure. Orange polo, white hair, a body significantly shorter than what he was used to, but unmistakable all the same.
It was his da-
er, Uncle Lin-
...Lincoln. Just Lincoln. Lemy had to keep reminding himself of that.
But once he was past that mental Faux Pas, he took notice of how his future father was sitting. He was alone, sipping on a Flippee with a dejected look on his face. Lemy's eyebrow subconsciously raised. What could've possibly soured his mood like this? Normally, Lemy wasn't one to get involved in his old man's problems. Back home, their interactions usually followed a predictable pattern. Lincoln would try to give him some fatherly advice, Lemy would roll his eyes and pretend not to listen, and they'd both walk away frustrated. a constant back and forth that left them both exhausted. But this wasn't his dad...or well...it was..but it was different. This version of his dad was a kid, not much older than Lemy himself. And something about seeing him so down tugged at Lemy's heartstrings in a way he wasn't prepared for.
"Hey, Lin- uh, dude! What's got you looking so bummed?"
Lincoln looked up, surprised to see the rocker head approaching him like this. He was a lot more ruff and tumble when they first met.
"Oh, hey Lemy. It's nothing, really. Don't worry about it." Lincoln said with smile.
Bullshit.
"Come on, Snow cone. Spill the beans. What's eating you?" Lemy said. Lincoln hesitated, eyeing Lemy warily.
"It's stupid. You'll just think I'm being a baby about it." Lemy was about to retort with something among the lines of it being too late to worry about that. But he had some restraint. Lemy sat down and leaned back, crossing his arms.
"Try me. I've got a handful younger sisters back home. Trust me, I've heard it all." he said. Lincoln sighed, realizing Lemy wasn't going to let this go.
"Well, if you must know," Lincoln said, his voice tinged with frustration, "I've been saving up for weeks to buy the latest issue of David Steele. It's a special edition, with a holographic cover and everything. I finally had enough money, and I rushed here as soon as the mall opened."
Lemy couldn't help but chuckle internally. God he was such a nerd. But regardless, Lemy nodded, encouraging him to continue.
"But just as I was about to buy it, Chandler and his friends showed up. They overheard me talking about it and decided it would be hilarious to buy the last copy right in front of me. Just to be jerks." Lincoln finished. Lemy's face scrunched as he thought of the name. Chandler. Chandler Mccann. Father of Hayden Mccann. Both his father and his son were complete assholes back where he was from. Unfortunately, that seemed to ring true here.
"Wow. What assholes." Lemy exclaimed. But he then looked at Lincoln with a quizzical look. "So what are you gonna do about it?"
Lincoln shrugged. "Not much I can do. I'll just have to wait for them to restock, I guess. Maybe in a few weeks..." Lemy's eyes widened in disbelief. Yup. his father was still as much of a wimp here.
"Are you kidding me? You're just gonna let them get away with that crap?" Lemy asked. so amped that he got up from the seat.
"What else can I do?" Lincoln asked, defeated. Lemy knew the answer to that question. But why answer with words when he could show?
"Where are they now?"
Lincoln blinked, caught off guard by Lemy's intensity. "I..don't know? somewhere in the mall? they couldn't have gone that far..but why-"
"Because I'm gonna do what you're too weak to do." Lemy declared, cracking his knuckles. Lincoln's eyes widened in alarm.
"Wait, what? Lemy, no! You can't just-" Lincoln panicked. But Lemy was already storming off, leaving Lincoln scrambling to catch up.
Lemy ignored him, marching towards the center of the mall with purpose. Ignoring the pleas of Lincoln. Sure enough, there was Chandler and his cronies, laughing it up as they flipped through the coveted David Steele issue.
"Man, this is so corny. I can't believe Lincoln Lame actually likes this stuff!" Chandler commented. Lemy clenched his fists. He was no stranger to macho-ing up when he saw his siblings getting bullied and he was about to once again about to strangle a Mccann.
"Hey!" Lemy shouted, causing the group to look up in surprise. "You the jerks who stole my friend's comic?" He said while slamming his fists together. Chandler looked up, his smug grin faltering for a moment before returning full force. God he looked so much like his soon here, punchable face and all.
"Wow. Look at Lincoln Lame. Dude had to ask a complete stranger to help him retrieve his comic. What a baby!" Chandler taunted, his friends snickering in response.
"His last name is 's..." Lemy hesitated, but continued. "he's my friend. Got a problem with that?" He continued to crack his fists. Lincoln finally caught up, panting heavily.
"Lemy, please, let's just go. It's not worth it!" He said, trying to pull Lemy back. But he wasn't budging.
"Alright, Punks! I'm gonna show you what happens when you mess with my fam!" He boasted.
There was a moment of tense silence, broken only by Lincoln's panicked whispers urging Lemy to back down. Then, with a roar of anger, Lemy lunged forward. The two began throwing punches and tackling each other while Lincoln could only watch nervously.
A mix of electric guitar and violin filled the air of the recently bought home. Lyra's fingers slid across the strings of her violin, her eyes closed in concentration as she matched Luna's energetic strumming. As the final notes faded away, Luna let out an appreciative whistle.
"Dude, that was rockin'! You've got some serious skills on that fiddle." She complimented. Lyra blushed and rubbed her face.
"Thank you. I learned from my mother and father. She's an incredible musician. My father can be pretty good to when he wants to be." Lyra added. It's true her father wasn't the most musically inclined, but he had a handful of instruments he was pretty good with.
"She must be! I'd love to meet her someday. Bet we could jam out something wicked together!" Luna expressed, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. Lyra's smile faltered for a moment as she glanced around nervously.
"Ah, yes, well... perhaps someday." Lyra muttered. her eyes began drifting around the house. Supposedly it used to belong to the Santiagos. A name she recognized from a woman her father used to go out with. She wondered if they were currently together now. Thanks to Lisa's behind-the-scenes machinations. She had managed to secure the house for her time-displaced niece and nephew. Of course, only Lyra and Lemy knew the truth behind their living situation, and they were under strict instructions to keep it that way. Luna, oblivious to Lyra's reaction, continued chatting.
"You know, it's kinda weird. You remind me a lot of myself when i was younger." Luna said, eyeing Lyra up and down.
"Oh? How so?" Lyra said. Clutching her cross. praying that she wouldn't suddenly put two and two together.
"Just the way you carry yourself, I guess..." Luna mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Plus, you've got that same spark when you play.."
Luna sat down and giggled.
"I was still trying to find my calling back when i was around Lucy's and the twin's age. I tried everything. Violins, cellos, all that fancy stuff. But then..." She paused dramatically, a grin spreading across her face.
"Then I went to my first Mick Swagger concert. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before, dude. The energy, the crowd, the way Mick commanded the stage... it was like a religious experience, you know? The moment he started playing, it was like... BAM!" She mimed an explosion with her hands.
"My whole world changed. I knew right then and there that rock and roll was my calling. i still do a bit of everything, but Rock and Roll? That's what i know i can always fall back on, dude!"
Lyra listened to the story intently. She had heard this story before. But that was from an older version of Luna. one that, while she still performed, had to pull back on her career in order to look after the kids. Something she had to do doubly so because of the nature of the kids birth. If anyone were to ever find out...well. this version of Luna. She didn't have to worry about any of that. at least not yet. She wondered if that was gonna last in this timeline.
"What about you?" Luna asked, snapping Lyra out of her thoughts. "How'd you get into music?" Lyra went silent for a moment, her hand instinctively went to the silver crucifix hanging around her neck.
"For me, it was through the church, I found my calling thanks to God." She thought back to her own moment of revelation, It wasn't that much different from Luna. It had been during a Sunday service. As the congregation's voices rose in unison, Lyra had felt something stir within her soul. The beauty of the music, combined with the power of faith, had touched her in a way nothing else ever had.
"From that day on, I dedicated myself to using my music to spread gods will to the best of my abilities. I always try to do things the way he'd want to. Even with all the hardships." Lyra softly said.
"That's rad, dude. God's definitely smiling down on you with those skills." Luna patted her on the shoulder. Luna excused herself. that performance left her feeling thirsty. As she went to grab a drink from the fridge, Lyra found herself lost in thought. Even here, in this past version of Royal Woods, she could see that faith played little role in the Loud family's life. It made her heart ache a little. For a moment, Lyra entertained the idea of trying to change that. Maybe she could introduce them to the joy she'd found in her faith. But Lisa's warning came to mind. Luna returned, two sodas in hand. She passed one to Lyra with a grin.
"How about a toast? To rockin' tunes and awesome new friends!"
With a clink of their cans, the two music-inclined Louds took gentle sips from their cans. Luna once again began to eye the purple woman in front of her. So similar to her. she looks like what would've happened if Luna hadn't attended that Mick Swagger concert. Luna felt something so familiar about her, but she couldn't pinpoint what. Maybe she was reading to much into it.
Luna's face lit up with an idea.
"Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from heaven above..."
Lyra lowered her can, her mouth hanging a bit open in surprise. Earning a giggle from Luna. Lyra's mild surprise was quickly evaporated and she couldn't help but smile. and she began to sing along.
"...With Wisdom, power and Love..."
The two grabbed their instrument and played another song. this one slower and more gentle.
"...Our god is an awesome god..."
Their fingers strung along their instruments. both of them smiling as they enjoyed each other's company with the music.
...Our God is an awesome God...
...He reigns from heaven above...
...With wisdom, power, and love...
...Our God is an awesome God...
Their singing session was abruptly interrupted as the front door burst open. Lincoln stumbled in, supporting a battered and bruised Lemy.
"Can you guys point me to your medkit?" Lincoln said with an exasperated tone. Lyra's eyes widened in shock and dismay.
"Lemy! What in the world happened to you?" She exclaimed. Luna was already rushing to help Lincoln support the injured boy.
"Dude, Who did this to you?" Luna asked with concern.
"Start talking," Lyra demanded, her voice stern but tinged with worry. "What did you do?"
"Nothing! I just decided to teach a couple of punks what happens when you try and mess with the Louds!" He chuckled, but then winced in pain.
"I tried to get him to stop." Lincoln added. Lyra clicked her tongue. If it was anything like how things were back where they were from...
"Hey! I still won! and I did it so that you could get your dumb comic book back! You should be thanking me!" Lemy retorted. Lyra glanced at Lincoln's hand. A copy of a recent David Steele issue in his hand. she recalls seeing that in his office underneath a pile of old comics.
...A sinking feeling went through her mind. Hopefully Lemy's interference wasn't gonna have any long term effects. She'd have to check back with Aunt Lisa. Lyra pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on.
"Lemy, we've talked about this. Violence isn't the answer."
"Yeah, well, sometimes it's the only language bullies understand!" Lemy muttered. Lyra let out an exasperated groan.
"The medical supplies are in the bathroom cabinet. Lincoln, can you help him?" Lyra asked.
"Sure thing," Lincoln nodded, guiding Lemy towards the bathroom. Lemy grumbled the whole way, insisting he could walk on his own. As the boys disappeared down the hall, Luna slid up to Lyra with a bemused expression.
"Little Brothers, am I right?" She smirked.
Lyra couldn't help but chuckle. "You have no idea."
In the bathroom, Lincoln rummaged through the cabinet, pulling out antiseptic wipes, bandages, and painkillers. Lemy perched on the edge of the bathtub, hissing and complaining with every dab of the wipes.
"Ow! Easy there!" He hissed again. Lincoln apologized. But continued to treat him. As he did, he couldn't help but look at the bathroom. He never thought he'd be back in this house again after Ronnie Anne moved out.
"Ahh! Hey! Earth to Loud!"
Lincoln snapped out of his thoughts and turned to the annoyed metal head.
"Sorry. i was just.." Lincoln stammered.
"You were just...?" Lemy asked with a raised eyebrow. As Lincoln worked his magic, his eyes continued to dart around the familiar bathroom.
"i did tell you this house used to belong to a friend of mine, Right? Ronnie Anne Santiago." Lincoln said. Lemy called Ronnie Anne and smirked.
"Heh...friends...ok..." He muttered. Lincoln's brow furrowed.
"Sorry, what? i didn't hear that."
"Nothing, nothing," Lemy backpedaled quickly. Lincoln looked skeptical but didn't push. As he finished patching up Lemy, Luna's voice echoed from the living room.
"Hey, dudes! How about a sing-along to lift our spirits?"
Lemy groaned, loudly enough for the girls to hear.
"It's not gonna be another one of Lyra's boring gospel songs, right?" He asked annoyed. Lyra's exasperated "Lemy!" overlapped with Luna's laughter.
"Nah, bro." Luna called back. "I was thinking something a little more... rockin'."
As Lemy and Lincoln made their way back to the living room, Lincoln's face lit up.
"Oh! How about some SMOOCH?" Lincoln asked. Luna snapped her fingers, grinning.
"Now you're speaking my language, little bro!" Luna winked. Lyra looked hesitant, but seeing the enthusiasm on everyone else's faces, she relented.
"Alright, I suppose a little rock music won't hurt." She said. Luna grabbed her guitar, strumming a few chords before launching into the opening riffs of SMOOCH's "Grab Life by the Lips."
...Grab life by the lips and kiss it hard...
...Don't let a single moment pass you by...
...Live each day like it's your last...
...Reach for the stars and touch the sky...
Their voices blended together, filling the old house with energy. But as they continued into the second verse, one voice began to stand out. Lyra was the first to notice, her eyes widening in surprise. She nudged Luna, who stopped playing to look. Lemy, too, fell silent, staring at Lincoln in disbelief. Lincoln, lost in the music, kept singing for several more lines before he realized everyone had stopped. He turned around, his voice trailing off as he saw everyone staring at him.
"What?" he asked, his cheeks reddening. Luna had a huge grin spreading across her face.
"Dang bro! You're really going into it. Not that i'm complaining!" She said with a smile.
Lyra and Lemy kept their slack-jawed stares. She'd always known her father had a good voice - The constant Karaoke nights with their mom proved that. Not to mention the times she asked him to sing along in church. But hearing his voice at this age. It was...dare she say it...somewhat angelic. Lemy, meanwhile, was having similar thoughts. He leaned over to Lyra.
"Dude, is this how he won Mom over?"