Lori's Weird Week
(The Real World)
The room echoed loudly with the thundering echoes of belches, which emanated from the players at the table. Each and every player assembled as patting their bellies with great satisfaction, after finishing a well-earned meal. This came a mere fifteen minutes after Lori's party had completed yet another chapter in their journey towards the Bloodstone keep.
Speaking of, some members within said group appeared rather eager to continue with the campaign. "So, Adventurers...where are we off to next" Lynn said excitedly, "after dealing with those Xorn, my axes are ready to bust n' slice some more heads!" Although they appreciated the enthusiasm from her, the Council of Game Masters kindly reminded Lynn to remain patient and let the rest of the session play out.
No sooner had this been said, however; Mrs. Bernardo suddenly entered the room with horn in hand. "ATTENTION, PLAYERS...ATTENTION" she cried, "the hour is now a quarter to Ten in the PM!" With her announcement made, Mrs. Bernardo raised her buisine to her lips and was prepared to sound it off; as she'd done many times before.
But before she could make even the smallest "toot" with it, Flip quickly shoved a mini turkey leg into the bell of the horn; thus muffling the noise. With an annoyed look on her face, Mrs. Bernardo realized her point had already been made and went to collect her bags for home. Meanwhile, everyone else took a moment to wish each other well until next week.
Goodbyes were said, laughs were heard, hugs were shared; just genuine good vibes all around. But while partaking in some of these gestures, some among the Loud Sisters complained they didn't want to go home yet. "I literally didn't get the chance to show off my magic" grumbled Lori, "all I did was summon light orbs!"
No sooner had she said this, Lincoln countered his sister's words by reminding her of the spell she and the others used to take down the biggest of the Xorn. Yet even with this in mind, Lori felt as though she had little to do throughout most of the campaign. "Don't you worry, Lori-Lou" chirped Lynn Sr while he packed away his robes, "you'll have plenty of chances to get involved next week."
While these words did little to perk Lori's interests; her younger sisters, on the other hand, were abuzz with curiosity. They soon started bombarding the Council with all sorts of questions, all of which were in regards to what their next session will hold in store. "Now, children; we must learn to be patient" Mrs. Johnson said firmly, "but...I suppose as a Game Mistress, I could share just a little something."
Just as she was about to do exactly that, she turned to the others and asked for their consent on the matter. Thankfully for the younger Loud Sisters; Huggins, their parents and even their Pop-Pop all agreed to let their comrade speak. As expected, this news not only made Lily quiver with excitement but Lana, Lola and even Leni as well.
"Without giving away too much, I will say this" decreed Mrs. Johnson in her Agathe voice, "your next adventure promises many unique experiences for...three members of your Party." Mere seconds later, Albert chimed in and added that another of their siblings will finally get their moment in the spotlight in the game.
This seemed to not make the little ones feel even more excited than before but even the elder sisters appeared mildly intrigued, Lori among them. But they had little time to think on that due to their parents politely urging them out the building and towards Vanzilla. During the drive home, their minds simply buzzed with thoughts wondering where the game will take them next week.
But Lori, as per usual, wasn't quite ready to openly admit to sharing in the excitement. "I don't know about you, girls...but I'm literally eager for some downtime" she murmured with a sigh, "maybe we can swing by the mall sometime, Leni." As if expecting this, Leni squealed with such joy that it almost rattled the walls.
But then, she remembered she had to work next Tuesday for Senior Shopping Day at Reininger's; which was one of the store's busiest work days. That's when she realized she could speak about their game experience with Fiona and Miguel during lunch break. The latter, upon hearing the suggestion, seemed more than eager to do exactly that...until he felt the sharp "thwack" of Fiona's hand slapping the back of his head.
"Remember the bylaws, Miguel" she asked with mild annoyance, "we're supposed to keep our stuff here private from unwanted eyes and ears." Upon hearing these words from her work bestie, Leni couldn't help but question why they couldn't share their gaming experiences with other besties like Jackee and Mandee. That's when she suddenly had an epiphany (or as someone other than Leni called it, an "Epic-Pony.")
Way back when this all started, she and her sisters caught wind of their family doing something without them. As a result, it led to them intruding somewhere they didn't belong and...well, you can tell the rest. After such memories rushed through her brain like a waterfall, Leni didn't want to see her other friends; no matter how much fun she was actually having.
"From that look on your face, Leni Boo; I can tell you get what Fiona's talking about" Miguel stated, "plus, it's sometimes fun to have a special secret between friends...isn't it?" Although she didn't much like the idea of keeping secrets, nor did she have the best history of actually keeping them, Leni saw the point her friends were making. Still, they weren't above discussing D related gossip amongst themselves during lunch or private time.
Meanwhile, Lucy felt her mind racing with thoughts on what lie ahead in the game's next chapter. Which three members of the group would it involve, what sort of surprises were in store for them and more importantly, would she be among the three? Sadly, she would need to wait until next Friday to find out the answers.
"At least we'll all have the rest of our Summer Break to enjoy" murmured Lucy with a light smile, "which reminds me...are you still up for our group viewing of Vampires of Melancholia, Haiku?" A small yet cheerful grin formed upon the young Goth's face, who had already begun switching out parts of her costume with her "VoM" attire. Not too far away, many other players were in the midst of their own conversations; which happened to consist of future campaign session ideas and summer activity plans.
Meanwhile, Lori looked ready to collapse on the spot from exhaustion. Maybe it was the overall "excitement" she felt during the session or the relief of finally being able to not remain in character for another week. Either way, she was eager to return home and experience some form of normalcy in her life.
(Line Break)
In the coming week, Lori went about her days in her usual way. On Monday, she visited Hole-in-Onederland to keep her golfing skills sharp for school. On Tuesday night, she joined a few of the Gal Pals over at Tranquil Springs Spa for some pampering. She had a rather lively video chat with Bobby on Wednesday.
Thursday, she and her family took a visit to Tall Timbers for some outdoor air and through it all; she seemed to be enjoying herself. But on each of these days, in some shape or form, Lori found herself thinking of or being faced with reminders of being back in costume at the "castle;" embarking on the next leg of the quest. On her Monday trip to the mini golf course, for instance, she noticed that a few holes had a sort of fantasy theme.
One such hole was shaped to resemble a dragon's head and golfers were attempting to hit their balls up along its tongue and into its open mouth. Another one was modeled after a medieval castle, one with a working drawbridge. Such sights caused Lori to perform quite the double-take, to say the least.
When Lori eventually made her way to the latter hole, her mind suddenly thought of Bloodstone Keep and her party standing just outside the gate. Each time the drawbridge opened, she swore she saw the mad queen Melaena pop out from the other side; armed with the Crimson Orb. But before she could make a sound, Lori heard the disgruntled jeers of several people standing behind her; all of whom were waiting in line to play the hole.
"Oh! Uh...heh. I'm literally sorry about this, everyone" she chuckled awkwardly with a blush, "I'll just...play on through." With that, she took a swing at her ball and it rolled halfway across the castle drawbridge. But at the very last second, the bridge pulled up and sent her ball flying high into the air.
Not wanting to risk losing it, Lori picked up her club and immediately gave chase after her ball. It sailed halfway across Hole in One-derland before it finally landed into someone's ice cream cup. When the poor girl finally arrived, she was already out of breath both from running and from the amount of "sorry's" she had been saying along the way.
"That was literally an accident, I swear" cried Lori, "I promise to repay you for whatever I...MR. GROUSE?!" In the past, she had often seen her usually disgruntled neighbor play a few rounds of mini golf. He claimed the semi-peaceful atmosphere was his "relief" from putting up with the Loud Family's usual shenanigans.
But every so often, at least one or two of them would end up finding themselves in an awkward position with him there...this was such a moment. Mildly irritated, Mr. Grouse briefly lamented the loss of his frozen treat and wiped away the creamy residue from his shirt. "Hang on, Mr. Grouse" Lori said suddenly, "this is literally my fault anyway...let me help!"
With that, she proceeded to awkwardly clean the stains off her neighbor's shirt despite his many vocal objections. Afterwards, Mr. Grouse begrudgingly returned Lori's ball to her and went off to by a replacement ice cream. "Ah, I'll let this lil' mishap slide this once, Loud" the old man grumbled softly, "but I'll make sure to remember it come Friday!"
It only took Lori five seconds to understand exactly what Mr. Grouse was implying but she couldn't tell if it was a joke or a threat.
(Line Break)
On the following night, Tuesday, Lori was in the midst of a rather soothing mud bath with Carol and the others. Under different circumstances, such a spot at Tranquil Springs would be more Lana's thing (what with her love for anything mud related.) But Carol could sense the stress practically radiating off of her and insisted she give it a shot.
Once again, she could feel voices in her head screaming for her to turn away. But her stressful thoughts were far louder than those and Lori ultimately agreed. When she dipped her legs into the thick juices of the mud, a wave of relief suddenly washed over her; causing Lori to sigh with delight.
"See! We told ya you'd like it" Whitney chirped, "I was the same way about these baths during one of my past visits here...luckily, I came prepared." Upon saying this, the young lady reached out of the bath and dipped her hand into a bag she kept beside her. After searching through it for a few seconds, she pulled out what looked like a shower cap.
Now, Lori was well-aware that Whit was rather fussy about her poofy locks. The biggest annoyance for her were finding combs strong enough to stroke them or evening and/or shower caps large enough to fit over her hair. Thankfully, this one appeared just the right size for her.
After securing the cap over her large poof, Whitney eased herself more comfortably into the mud bath; sighing blissfully. "Smart idea bringing that with you, girlfriend" Lori commented, "how long have you had it?" With a hearty chuckle, Whitney said she got it on sale at Reininger's Summer Sale back when Break first started.
She then went on to say that it helped her out of many hair related emergencies, especially with Overnight Bedhead. "I have to ask" inquired Dana, "have you been using that for when you put on your costume, by chance?" The moment this question reached her ears, Lori was so shaken that she almost submerged her head down into the mud. Thankfully, Carol was there to help pull her back out before she almost drowned.
The poor girl was in such a state that she was spitting out mud left and right, taking care not to accidentally hit any of the Gal Pals. Thinking quickly, Carol took Lori in her arms and did her best to calm her down again. "Don't worry, Lor...I gotcha" she murmured soothingly while cleaning off her bestie's face, "was it something one of us said that freaked you out?"
Maybe it was her mind still recovering from almost having drowned herself. But in that moment, Lori said nothing in reply; which gave the Gals the idea that maybe they should try somewhere else to unwind. "Let's go towel off quick and go get some Mani-Pedis" Dana suggested, "my fingernails have gotten so dirty from the last polishing job I did."
Lori couldn't help but chuckle at this, thinking that her bestie fussing about her nails felt like the most "normal" thing she'd seen all week. But before she could comment, Carol spoke first; proclaiming that Dana shouldn't have added so much black polish from last time. "Hold on! I literally don't remember Dana ever wearing black polish before" Lori interjected, "when did this happen?"
As she wrapped her towel around herself, Dana shot a confused look in Lori's direction; as if she heard her speaking gibberish. Seconds later, she proceeded to question how could forget about the color her nails were from four weeks ago; back when she was dressed as her D character. "Mom and Chaz told me to only put one coating of black polish on my nails, that night" she recounted with a chuckle, "but I thought a double coating would help it last through the weekend."
The other Gal Pals giggled at their bestie, all while telling her how they made near similar costume/cosmetic errors. The whole time they were laughing, however, Lori simply stared at them with a look of pure horror. Once again, she found herself being reminded of that game; this time by her friends.
But she couldn't bring herself to speak out against it, not even to them. Otherwise, they might either think she was being too stubborn (which even Lori admitted) or one of them might rat her out to her folks. Either way, Lori chose to keep quiet and make her way towards the Mani-Pedi Station.
"Just relax, girl...reeelax" she droned mentally, "tomorrow's another day."
(Line Break)
The next day, Lori was several minutes into one of her video chats with Bobby. As she recounted everything that happened up to now with him, the young man couldn't help but chuckle. "Wow, babe! That whole thing with Mr. G must've been real awkward" said Bobby with a smile, "but did you really imagine...you know who at the mini golf course?"
At first, she thought it strange to hear him speak the last part in such a hushed tone. But that's when she remembered one of the things the Casagrandes shared in common with her own family and that was their tendency to eavesdrop. Yet even with this in mind, Lori couldn't help but question Bobby on his desire for secrecy.
"I mean...both your mom and sister literally played with us not too long ago" she said matter-of-factly, "your relatives must be aware of what they've done during the past few weekends." Without missing a beat, Bobby chuckled lightly at Lori's words and proclaimed there were no worries there. He even claimed that Rosa intended on making more snacks for the table's next game session.
"Truth is...I'm actually more concerned with the neighbors listening in" Bobby stated, "except for the few who actually do know what we've been doing." With this tidbit of information revealed, Lori now had a full understanding of why Bobby was acting strange. The last thing either of them wanted was the possibility of more gatecrashers intruding on their game.
Yet throughout the remainder of their conversation, Lori couldn't help but joke about the possibility of some of Bobby's neighbors feeling eager to play D with them. "Tell me about it, babe" chuckled Bobby, "a few weeks ago, when Sid finally told her lil' sis, Adelaide about it; she was practically begging to come along with her this weekend." The couple laughed heartily at this for about a moment or two when Lori suddenly felt a wave of realization hit her.
"If things were different, I'd literally be laughing at everyone else for playing this game" Lori thought to herself, "instead...I'm talking about it like it's part of our usual dating banter." Under different circumstances, she'd be screaming at herself for the fact she was "betraying her principles." But after so many other past mental arguments over the summer, it all just sounded like white noise to her ears.
Lori was so lost in her own mind, she barely noticed Bobby calling out her name on the video chat. "Babe? Are you okay" questioned the young man, "babe...babe...LORI!" While trying not to be too loud, Bobby's shouting was just enough to snap his GF back to reality. With a sheepish chuckle, Lori apologized for unintentionally ignoring Bobby earlier and asked what he was talking about.
"Uh...I was just saying that I'm sorry you had such a weird day at the golf course" murmured Bobby, "maybe tomorrow will be a bit more easygoing for you." With these simple words, Lori felt a soft sense of relief wash over her. Tomorrow, at the behest of Lana and Lisa, the family planned on having a camping trip down at Tall Timbers Park together.
"There ya go, babe" cheered Bobby, "a night out in the great outdoors could be just the thing to get your mind off your post-campaign anxieties." While she knew her love meant well in his words, it took everything in her power to not counter them with the claim that she wasn't having any sort of anxieties.
Suddenly, she heard a knock outside her door; followed by a voice saying that dinner would be ready in just a minute. This signaled for Lori and Bobby to bring an end to their video chat session. "See ya again soon, babe" the young man said with a smile, "maybe you can tell me about the stuff you did during the campout."
With that, the couple shared a quick air kiss, said their goodbyes and turned off the video chat. Afterwards, Lori fell backwards onto her bed with a long sigh. While it was a huge relief to vent with her "Boo-Boo Bear," something in the back of her mind told her it was far from over.
(Line Break)
The next day, around suppertime, the family was in the midst of setting up their tents for a well-earned rest. Much to Lori's surprise, their hike through Tall Timbers seemed to go off without a hitch. There was nothing to remind her of the game; no owls to make her think of owlbears, no one was using sticks as weapons and she hadn't even heard Leni of all people mistake a piece of the forest as something out of their campaign.
"Ah! Yeah...today's been literally perfect" she whispered while rolling out her sleeping bag, "finally, things are starting to feel like normal with me and my family." Five minutes passed and the campsite was finished, Lincoln even helped his dad out with the campfire...by picking up some sticks, of course. No matter how many supposed "survival tips" he learned from Rip Hardcore, there was no way the family would let Lincoln make a fire; not until he was sixteen, at least.
Of course, Lynn Sr. didn't appear to be any better at it himself. Three times, he attempted to make a fire by smacking a pair of stones together and three times, he ended up smashing his thumb in the process. After a while, Junior was the one to save the day by using the method correctly.
"Okay! Now that the fire's finally lit, let's get the food set up" proclaimed Rita, "Lori, could you help get the frying pan out for us while I get the food?" Seeing this as another opportunity for "normalcy," Lori happily accepted the offer. Within the span of fifteen seconds; she got out the frying pan, marshmallows, chocolate, crackers and all other essential foods they needed for their campout.
After it was all properly spread out, Lynn decided to fry up some bacon on the fire first; claiming she needed her protein. "Hey! You know what...while the food's cooking, we should pass the time with a song" Rita suggested, "you up for that, Luna?" Despite the somewhat sudden nature of this request, the young lady in question couldn't help but agree.
Lucky for her (and the family in general) she packed her acoustic guitar along with her supplies. After taking it out and tuning it properly, everybody was already shouting out song requests to Luna; only to be politely silenced by her. "Actually, fam; I, uh...I'd like to do things a bit differently" she mumbled softly, "see...some time ago, the Moon Goats introduced this real cool jam to me and...I was hoping I could share my version with you guys.
Though mildly surprised by this revelation, at first; the family was no less curious about what Luna's song might be. Lori was especially eager the new ballad her rocker of a sister and her band had for them. After taking a moment to poke her marshmallow through her stick, Lori held it close to the fire and urged her sister to perform.
"Okay, brah...just a head's up, this is not like my usual material" Luna stated, "just...be cool and keep an open mind." Once that was said, she began to play the first notes of the song; which sounded simply divine to her family's ears. But it was her singing next that really sold the performance. As promised, the lyrics didn't sound like any kind of rock music Lori had ever heard and even her family agreed.
But in spite of it, they couldn't help but enjoy themselves.
(Luna)
No fortune found, nor fate divine,
Come close to toping the juice of the vine.
With cherry crew, we sip and sway,
Let's tip the tankard and waste the day.
Ree-raw! Well ye ken, our toils can wait for a time.
We saw the folly of men who rather than revel repine.
Ree-raw! Well ye ken, our toils can wait for a time.
We saw the folly of men who rather than revel repine.
The gift of song, the gift of life Is wasted on the spire of strife.
But fill your glass and join the frape, Get wasted on the sap of the grape.
Ree-raw! Well ye ken, our toils can wait for a time.
We saw the folly of men who rather than revel repine.
As Luna played the instrumental notes of her tune, she failed to notice her family swaying side-to-side along with them. The most surprising thing was the fact that Lori also found herself enchanted with her sister's performance. The real surprise, however came when the family joined Luna in on singing the final chorus.
(Luna)
Ambrosia that we've told was rare,
Is easily found without a care.
So come ye all, fair and true
And drink your fill from dusk 'till noon.
(The Family X2)
Ree-raw! Well ye ken, our toils can wait for a time.
We saw the folly of men who rather than revel repine.
Ree-raw! Well ye ken, our toils can wait for a time.
We saw the folly of men who rather than revel repine.
When the performance finally reached its end, everyone cheered for Luna; praising her performance. Even Lori couldn't help but share her own approval with the song. "Aww! Thanks, guys" Luna said with a blush, "can't wait to tell the band this was a hit." Sometime later, after hearing an encore performance of the song (at Lynn Sr.'s request,) everyone finally sat down for dinner.
After everyone had eaten her fill, the family split up around the camp to indulge in their own fun; making sure not to stray too far from the campsite. Only Lori chose to hang back, staring blankly at the moderately burning fire. She was so lost in her own thought that she barely noticed her dad taking a seat next to her on the log.
At first, Lynn Sr. did the respectable thing and tried to get Lori's attention a less invasive way with a light cough. But after doing exactly that three times over, she was still oblivious to his presence. That's when he decided to be more direct and gave Lori's shoulder the tiniest of taps.
This, however, was such a shock to her; the poor girl almost fell off her log with a yelp. But Lynn managed to grab hold of her before that could happen. "Sorry for spookin' you like that, honey" chuckled the Loud Patriarch awkwardly, "you looked a little down and...I wanted to make sure you were okay."
At first, Lori did nothing but stare at her father with the blankest of expressions. But then, she let out a heavy sigh and proclaimed that she was having a bit of a "crisis." Uh-oh! Is it serious...I feel like I might need some help" Lynn Sr. muttered worriedly, "wait here while I get your mother."
Upon hearing her father say all this, Lori tried to tell him not to bother but he had already gone too far out of earshot for him to hear her. Alone again, Lori went back to staring at the fire; lost in her own thoughts. "Maybe it's time I finally talk with Mom n' Dad about all this" she thought with an outward sigh, "it may not kick me out of the game...but it'll literally be a relief to get this thing off my back."
(Line Break)
A half hour passed by, the sun was setting and the rest of the Loud Kids were still indulging in their own activities. Leni was taking some selfies at some "hot spots" she found where birds were nesting, Luna was strumming away at her guitar, Luan was thinking up some nighttime jokes, Lynn was bench-pressing a fallen log, Lincoln was showing Lily and Lola some fireflies, Lucy used the nighttime sounds as "inspiration" for her next poetic piece and Lisa was studying some fungi she found near the lake. Lori, meanwhile was back at camp; catching her breath it looked like.
Apparently, she had spent the last thirty or so minutes completely unloading all her stresses regarding their weekend game nights. Through it all, neither Lynn nor Rita had spoken a word; preferring to let their daughter let out everything she was feeling. But by the time she finished, no one knew what else to say or do.
After a short while, though; Rita went with the best thing she turned to whenever her kids felt distressed. She scooted herself slightly over to Lori's side, leaned in close and held her in the most tender yet loving hug possible. "Oh, Lori...sweetie, we didn't know you were having such a hard time" she said sympathetically, "why didn't you ever tell us you weren't having fun with everybody?"
Lori let out a sudden gasp upon hearing her mother's words. Then, without even the slightest show of hesitation, she insisted that she and Lynn were getting the wrong idea about what she said. "That's just it, Mom and Dad; I think...I actually am having fun with you guys" she confessed, "playing D the past month with everybody has literally been...one of the most entertaining experiences I've ever had."
Both Loud Parents said nothing in reply, at first; all they did was stare and blink at her in confusion. Finally, Lynn Sr. gave a warm smile and hugged Lori with all the joy he could muster. "That's amazing to hear, Lori-Loo" he said with a light sniffle, "I just knew you'd get into the swing of things with us."
While she did appreciate the affection her dad was showing, Lori insisted her parents keep quiet about what she said; especially around the other siblings. "I still don't understand the problem, honey" Rita said in a baffled tone, "why don't you want everyone to know you enjoy playing our game, much less your siblings?" For a moment, Lori wasn't sure how to respond to her mother's question.
She thought of lying, at first; possibly using an excuse like she needed to stay behind to look after the house or practice her golf swing for Fairway in the fall. But Lori ultimately knew the idea would fail; considering that her parents were wise to every kind of fib, tall tale or white lie she and her siblings could think of in times like this. In the end, she decided to take the high road and tell them right out how she felt...no matter how petty it might sound.
"I just...I can't really explain it, Mom n' Dad" Lori said with a heavy sigh, "there's just these voices in my head that literally keep screaming at me; some tell me to keep playing, some tell me to just walk away and one voice told me I should've just shouted 'I'M GOING HOME' to both your faces at the start!" After this; she claimed that the more she kept playing D with everybody, the more she started to feel like she was "losing herself."
Lori then added that even though she was amongso many adults and fellow young adults she knew personally, she still felt out of place among them. Throughout the whole spiel, though; neither Lynn Sr. nor Rita dared to interrupt. They just sat there in silence, taking in every word she said. By the end of her tirade, not only did Lori look out of breath; her eyes were seconds away from bursting with tears.
Finally, Lori took a moment to use Lola's 4-7-8 Breathing Technique to help calm her nerves. After doing this three times over, she appeared calm enough for her folks to scoot over and to each give her a loving hug. Lori said nothing in response to this gesture, be it out of protest or appreciation.
She only smiled softly, gave a light hum of delight and held her parents' arms with her own. This went on for a few seconds before they finally broke apart, giving Lori the chance to breathe. "So...That's it, guys; that's what's literally been bothering me" she confessed, "please, don't be mad." Upon hearing this, both parents gasped at Lori in shock but she could tell from their tones of voices they were being dramatic; possibly channeling their "dramatic Game Master flair."
Both Lynn and Rita gazed down at their eldest child and questioned why she thought they would be mad at her. "Nothing you're feeling is your fault, sweetie" Rita assured, "you'd be surprised how many others have felt over the years." Feeling understandably confused by this, Lori gawked at her parents and asked for the meaning behind their words.
"Lori, Dungeons & Dragons has been around for fifty years" chuckled Lynn Sr, "that's older than my own father and in that time, you think you're the only one who's struggled with coming to grips with how much they enjoy the game?" Lori did't know how to respond to this, her mind was currently attempting to grasp the fact D was older than Gramps; possibly even Pop-Pop.
Yet in spite of this, the latter example was among the people playing alongside her; many of whom probably lived or knew people who lived in the 70s. So, her parents may have had a point; there may have been other people throughout that time who found themselves in the same position she was in now. The question remained, however...how could she get the voices to stop.
When she brought this to her parents' attention; they, much to her anguish, were unable to answer. "To be honest, Lori Lou, while your situation is common...there's no one singular way to get out of it" Lynn Sr. sighed heavily, "the best thing your mother and I can tell you is to try your best to ignore them." This answer didn't quite have the sort of effect he wanted with his daughter, unfortunately.
So, Lynn passed the baton over Rita's way; hoping she might have better luck. "Your father's right about one thing, your situation has happened with loads of other people who came into the game before you" she explained, "but while each of them found their own ways towards fully embracing the fun; for you, specifically...I think you should listen to whatever voice tells you to just cut loose and enjoy the ride."
After that, both parents each gave Lori a light peck on the forehead before calling out to the rest of the kids; telling them to start prepping for bedtime. As she watched her parents walk off towards their tent, Lori remained by the fire; staring at the fire with a seemingly blank gaze. That's when Lori saw it, an image of herself from her so-called "Awkward Stage" looking back at her.
Just as she did throughout the week; when she saw this vision, Lori came close to almost freaking out. But she seemed far too mentally exhausted to even let out a yelp. Thus, Lori kept her gaze upon the image for several more seconds. Then, all the sudden, the image smiled softly at her and began to speak.
"Our parents are right, Lori" it said in a young tone of voice, "why fight it...just enjoy the fun." As Lori watched the last few embers of the fire die out, the image's final words echoed softly into the wind; "just enjoy the fuuuuun."
(Line Break)
The sun gave way to nightfall and everyone was huddled together in their tents and sleeping bags; many of whom snored so loudly that even the animals were complaining. Lori, on the other had found herself lying wide awake in her own bag...or at least, partially awake. She tried to sleep twenty minutes ago but her mind was still ringing with what her parents said to her.
Maybe the time had finally come for her to stop fighting it and just embrace the truth, that she loved D and equally loved playing it with everyone. Yet even after this, Lori still fought with the idea of telling everyone else she enjoyed the game. "Just...get some sleep, Lor" she murmured to herself, "you *yawn* literally made progress by telling your parents the truth, you'll get the chance to tell your friends and siblings...eventually."
With that, she let out a great yawn, rested her head against her pillow and slowly drifted off to sleep. But while she slept, her siblings swore they could hear Lori singing a song in her sleep.
Ree-raw! Well ye ken, our toils can wait for a time.
We saw the folly of men who rather than revel repine.
Ree-raw! Well ye ken, our toils can wait for a time.
We saw the folly of men who rather than revel repine.
(First AN: And we have a BREAKTHROUGH, PEOPLE! After a rather surreal week, Lori is taking another big step towards fully becoming an official Dungeon Dweller like her friends and family. But the campaign is far from over, I'm afraid.
What sort of new challenges await Lori's party come the next Game Night? Will they get any closer to the Bloodstone Keep an more importantly, will Lori confess her enjoyment for the game to everyone else at Castle Greyhawk? Tune-in next time, to find out)
(Second AN: For this chapter, I thought it would be nice to...take the story outside of the D campaign for a bit and see what the characters have been doing the rest of Summer Break. To those curious, this story is more Lori's than anyone else's Throughout the series' run up to now, she always struck me as one of the first among the Loud Sisters to talk smack about "nerd culture," with Lola and Lisa coming close behind in second and third.
But here, those two are able to fully embrace the fun simply because of their respective ages. Lori, meanwhile is at a stage where some people her age claim "D is for losers." By the end, not only will she see how wrong she's been but so will the rest of the Sisters...knock on wood.)
(Third AN: In the past, I've received messages from people asking me for some stories or scenes were Lincoln's sisters interact with members of the Gal Pals crew. I hope what I provided here is sufficient enough until I come to write another story featuring the Gals in the future)
(Fourth AN: The song Luna sings at the campfire is an actual tune from the main D game itself. According to the main Wiki page, it's a drinking song known in Northwest Faerûn and is a popular tune sung among adventurers. It was also featured in the D film, Honor Among Thieves and thus, I hold ZERO ownership of it.
I hope my using it here won't come as a sort of violation of copyright)
(Final AN: Everything Lynn and Rita said to Lori, specifically about other players suffering what she's been dealing with, is 100% true. Sure, D started out as a game "solely" played by nerds in their parents' basements or the rec rooms of schools across the nation. But with so many cultural and social changes over the last fifty or so years, all that has changed.
At the same time; every parent, "cool kid" or jock has come into the fold for all manner of reasons and they've also found their own ways to block out whatever voices told them to back away. But whatever they were, it's certainly worked out in their favor. Let's hope Lori will have that same luck down the line)