Surprise Guests
(The Real World)
"You stand before the main door for what feels like ages" Lynn Sr said while speaking ominously in character, "both in fear of what you may meet within the walls of Drigmore and in awe of the building itself." Following this, Rita chimed in; addressing that the building in question is but one of many found within the area. That was the signal for someone to place the newest diorama upon the table.
"Hold your horses there, Loud" grumbled Mr. Grouse softly while he dug through a nearby box, "it's a miracle we can find anything in this...AHA!" With that triumphant outcry, the old man in Dragonborn's clothing brought out a magnificent looking model of what looked like Drigmore Academy. Although it was small in design, there was good reason for it; as Lori and her sisters would soon see.
At the center of the diorama was a building with gold brickwork, marine-blue roofs and towers stationed in three specific spots of the school; the tallest one standing atop the entrance building. But just when everyone thought they'd seen it all, Mrs. Johnson pointed out all the other buildings stationed around the area; some large and others small. "HOLY SCHMOLEY" cried Lynn Jr., "you tellin' us all those buildings are part of the school?!"
Before any of the Game Masters could answer this question, Lola presented another one; namely who built such a complex model. In response, Mrs. Johnson rose from her seat and proclaimed that she and her colleagues had a "special surprise" for everyone. "OOOH! A surprise...What kind of surprise" questioned Leni, "is it new versions of our costumes?"
The Council all shook their heads in unison, which caused Leni to almost deflate with disappointment. But before her despair could sink in, she heard her father say that they had not one, not two but three "special guests" dropping by for the session. "We'll give you a hint, everybody" Rita said with a light giggle, "the first of these guests loves this game so much, making models such as this and others we've used throughout our campaign is one of their ways of indulging in it."
The Loud Sisters racked their brains tirelessly for what felt like hours. Yet no matter how hard they tried, none of them could think of an answer, not even Lisa (much to even her surprise.) Sure, they've seen Lincoln and some of his friends piece together models before but they were more for school.
What they saw here, though was made from plastic building blocks...and quite a lot of them. Finally, after feeling the stings of headaches coming on, the girls each groaned in defeat before slumping in their chairs. "Er...I regret to say that none of us can reach a conclusion on your inquiry" Lisa surmised, "in short, we are collectively stumped."
Although everyone thought her statement sounded somewhat...longwinded, Lisa's admission was ultimately accepted in the end by the Council and the rest of the table. "How about we give you a hint on our second guest" Principal Huggins suggested, "she once visited our town from another school...one far from the borders of Michigan." Despite the pronoun change for the next hint, the Sisters were still stumped...albeit slightly.
They vaguely remembered a teacher and her students visiting Royal Woods, long ago. But unfortunately, they struggled to remember what her name was. Finally, for the final hint, the Council mentioned Ronnie Anne's name; adding that this person was very close to her. "OOH! OOH! I TOTES KNOW THIS FOR SURE" exclaimed Leni, "is it...her mom or abuela, Mrs. Casagrande?"
Despite however close the young lady's answer was, the Council still proclaimed she was incorrect; much to the annoyed disappointment of her other sisters. Just then, everyone at the table suddenly heard an odd humming sound from somewhere nearby. At the same time, Lily claimed she'd seen a "pretty light" somewhere.
This caused everyone at the table to move their heads about frantically, searching for the source of the odd light and sound. That's when Lucy caught sight of something on a bookshelf on the eastside of the room. It was a crystal ball, a rather decorative one and it appeared to be flashing on and off with an odd blue light. "That's what got ya so jumpy, Lily" Lynn scoffed, "it's just a cheap shelf decoration...one of those book stopper things."
Almost immediately, the rest of the Loud Sisters were prepared to agree with Lynn's assumption. But then, just as the ball's light shined much more brightly, everyone suddenly heard a voice cry out to them. "CHEAP?! Young lady, it took three weeks and some of my best spell work to craft this gift for your parents" the voice exclaimed sternly, "it is not mere store-bought fodder!"
The tone of the voice, coupled with the suddenness of the statement, had scared the Sisters strong enough to make them leap out their chairs in alarm. It was especially surprising to see Lucy do this and not her father for once, even though the speaking crystal ball did spook him a smidge. "Okay...is this someone's idea of a prank" Lori demanded, "'cause I'm literally not laughing!"
Straightaway, Luan spoke up in defense and assured everyone she was not involved with whatever was happening. Lisa and Lucy also proclaimed their innocence, the latter of whom added that her own trick crystal ball was stored at home in the attic amongst the Halloween decorations. "This is no mere trick, dear girl" the voice said through the ball, "think of it as...an alternative version to using video calling, if you will."
Upon hearing the voice speak again, Lucy sensed something nurturing and...almost familiar in its tone. But before she or anyone else could speak up, the crystal started glowing yet again; only this time, it was much brighter and near blinding. At the same time, the humming sound that came from the crystal ball was so deafening it almost blew out both Albert and Mr. Grouse's hearing aids.
Finally, Lucy parted her bangs just enough to see three beams of light fire from the ball and hit the floor. The result of this created such a plume of smoke that everyone in the room coughed loudly, even Flip (despite being much farther away from the blast. When the smoke finally cleared, everyone saw what looked like three hooded figures standing before them; one tall and lanky, the second short and slightly hunched and the third appearing around as tall as a preteen child.
"What the hey...This really must be some kind of stunt here" Lana stated, "still impressive, though." The elder Loud Sisters couldn't help but agree with the rather theatrical display that had unfolded before them. Lori herself was particularly impressed, asking who was behind such amazing special effects?
"This is no parlor trick, young Elf Mage" said the lanky figure in a soft voice, "this is all quite real." With startled gasps, the Loud Sisters all backed away from the three strangers and held up their weapons defensively; forgetting the fact they were made of wood, plastic and foam. After taking some time to steady herself, Lori pointed her staff towards the trio and demanded they reveal themselves.
"Can we do it now, please" said the small figure in a female voice, "my robe's starting to itch...and I gotta use the bathroom!" The sound of these words not only caused Lincoln to gasp but also the Gal Pals as well. Then, they watched as the figure drew down her hood to reveal her true face; the face of one Sid Chang. Naturally, this revelation caused the friend group to squeal with joy while also shouting the name "SIDDO" at the top of their lungs before storming towards her.
Within seconds, Sid found herself surrounded in a multi-sided group hug attack. "HA-HA-HA! GREAT TO SEE YOU TOO, GANG" she chuckled loudly, "betcha you'd never expected to see me here, huh?" Whitney was the first to admit she wasn't expecting to see her at their game.
But she claimed it was only because none of the Gal Pals nor Lincoln thought Sid was aware of it to begin with. "I found out about it through Ronnie Anne, when I visited her room a few weeks ago" the young lady explained, "of course, that's...when I caught her changing into her character outfit." Upon hearing all of this, everyone suddenly exclaimed with shock even the Loud Sisters.
Far too often, many of them have had moments of having someone accidentally walk in on them; whether it happened in the bedroom, bathroom or anywhere else. Following this reveal, Sid openly apologized for what happened to everyone; all while referencing the group's bylaws. "Be not nervous nor ashamed, child" Mrs. Johnson said kindly in her Agathe voice, "what happened was purely accidental."
In addition, Huggins/Fastred reminded that the Loud Sisters were only punished for purposefully intruding upon their gathering. "Yes! Yes! I do believe we established that point quite some time ago" Lisa interjected, "this has yet to explain how Miss Chang came to be here?!" Her usual exuberance returning; Sid smiled brightly and explained that after finding out about Ronnie Anne's weekend outings, she practically begged to join in.
"Truth is...I just love dressing up in cool costumes" Sid exclaimed, "after playing Make-Believe with my sister, Adelaide for so long and after Ronnie Anne got me into Lucha Libre; I jump at any chance to do it!" After this, she explained how she made her entire costume herself with old clothes and Halloween stuff her family had from their old house before moving to Great Lakes City. When someone (namely Lori) finally decided to ask what her character was, Sid looked ready to burst with excitement (and possibly pee.)
"Hold on just a sec" she replied while stifling a giggle, "I gotta...I gotta do the thing first." Before anyone else had the chance to question what Sid meant by "do the thing," they saw her perform a set of familiar breathing exercises...the same ones Lynn used when her character was first introduced. That's when everything started coming together for Lori and her sisters, who wondered what sort of "madness" was in store for them next.
After letting out one final exhale, Sid gripped ahold of her cloak and tossed it off; revealing her costume for all to see. Her usual long, brown hair had been done up into a braid, her outfit resembled that of a female Viking, she had intricated face paint designs smeared on her cheeks and forehead and pouches hanging off her belt. In her left hand, she held a staff with a topper carved in the shape of a bird and in her right hand, she held what looked like some sort of wooden mask.
But the most noticeable aspect of Sid's costume was her choice of footwear. "Uh...Excuse me, Sid; I don't want to seem rude or anything" Lola spoke suddenly, "but why are you wearing such tacky platform shoes?" Much to nearly everyone's surprise, Sid did not respond to this inquiry accordingly.
Instead, she simply gawked at Lola with such confusion that it looked as though she had trouble understanding her. When she finally spoke up; Sid, much like everyone else, used a most unusual accent in her dialect. "Begging your pardon, thief...but I don't know of any 'Sid' you speak of" she said in a sort of breathy/guttural Gaelic tone, "my name is Katrina Storm-Weaver, Warlock Druid of the Blood Horn Clan."
Upon hearing the girl's class, a full-faced grin suddenly formed on Lana; who looked pleased to find a fellow "Child of the Wilds." But she couldn't help but question the "Warlock" side of Sid's class, at the same time. "Er...Could you hold that thought for a bit? I really gotta pee right now" the young lady murmured in her usual voice, "where's the bathroom in this place?"
Without missing a beat, each one of the Game Masters pointed towards the door and murmured in unison "through the gate, go to your left, four doors down." Sid thanked everyone with a quick bow, placed her gear on the table and made an immediate beeline through the gate. This caused everyone, even the Loud Sisters themselves, to suddenly burst with giggles.
When all the laughter died down, everyone slowly turned their attention back towards the remaining cloaked figures; whose identities had yet to be revealed. "Okay...we literally know the first person was Ronnie Anne's BFF" Lori surmised, "but who are you two supposed to be?" In response to this, the short figure gave a light chuckle and questioned how someone could forget the likes of her; adding that she visited the town just last Fall.
"But that's impossible" murmured Lucy, "the only other person to have visited us back then was..." The young Goth's train of thought suddenly halted, as all the pieces finally started coming together. First the teleportation trick with the crystal ball, then the familiar voice and with the visit as her last clue; Lucy looked like she had it figured out.
But before she could say anything, a cloud of pink and red smoke suddenly washed over her; along with everyone else. "COUGH! COUGH! COUGH" Lucy said aloud, "how about a warning before you decide to..." The moment the dust cleared away and she saw the figure's face, the Goth girl's train of thought yet again came to a halt.
Standing before her was a woman dressed in a hooded robe with vividly prismatic colors, pointed shoulder-blades, long, flowing sleeves and odd runic designs sewn along the cuffs of the sleeves. However, while the woman's attire was eye-catching, it was her face that truly captured everyone's attention. From her long, white hair to her oddly dark skin tone, it was obvious to everyone this woman was playing a Dark Elf-type character.
But Lucy could see some slight differences between this player's look and that of Silas' own. For one thing, this elf was dressed in wizard-type clothing and her skin was more purplish in tone than shadowy black; almost like lilac. The woman's most astonishing features yet, however, were her ears; which looked more realistic than Silas' or even Lori's.
"Grrrreetings to you, younglings" the woman said with a dramatic roll of her tongue, "I am Khasandra Duskryn, grand archmage of Semora and Headmistress of Drigmore Academy." Although it took them all a few seconds to place the voice; the moment they heard this woman speak and refer to herself as a "headmistress," the Loud Sisters all came to the same conclusion. Standing before them was none other than Miss Agatha Grimwood, head of Grimwood's Finishing School for Ghouls.
(Line Break)
For what felt like ages, the girls stared at Miss G in utter shock. It had only been a year since she and her students first visited Royal Woods but it was a visit none of them forgot. One question till remained in the Sisters' collective minds, however...why was she here and why was she dressed up in costume like her parents? "Oh, my dears; the answer is rather simple" chirped Miss Grimwood, "I was asked to come participate in your game by your parents."
Following this, Rita proclaimed that they didn't have enough adults to play every role; even those of brief characters. So, they called up anyone who might be interested in joining them on the campaign. Sadly, a lot of the people they knew were already busy with their own summer plans. But then, Lynn remembered Miss Grimwood and her students and wondered if any of them would want to play.
"For those wondering...I became familiar with the game of Dungeons & Dragons through stories my student, Zanya would share from her former school" Miss G explained, "this was, of course before her...accident occurred." Straightaway, everyone knew exactly what she meant but still felt rather shocked, nonetheless. After that, Miss G told everyone of how often Zanya would play D with a few of her classmates or her parents.
"Being an agent, Detective Talon was already accustomed to the idea of assuming other roles" she stated, "which made the sessions she and his daughter had together all the more immersive." While everyone agreed this was all rather informative, it did little to explain her presence here. To which, Miss Grimwood replied in saying she spent much of Winter playing with Zanya, Shaggy and even the Doos at the finishing school,
"Those days were all quite fun, to say the least" chuckled the cheery witch, "and when your father told me you would all be playing a campaign, I happily accepted the invitation!" With that said, everyone (mostly Lori and her sisters) seemed to have a sound understanding of how things got to this point. But then, Lincoln raised his hand and questioned if playing would interfere in prepping for the upcoming new school year.
"OH-HO-HO! Certainly not, my dear" chortled Miss G, "we're more than prepared...we even have a space set for you, when the first day of school begins." This bit of news came as a surprise to not only Lori and her sisters but Lincoln's friends as well (mostly Clyde.) But before anyone could discuss the matter any further, the third hooded figure urged for everybody to focus; proclaiming they'd yet to take their cloak off.
"OH, YES! We're so sorry about that, young man" Albert murmured apologetically, "remove your hood and make your presence known to us!" Not needing to be told twice, the final hooded guest gripped the hem of their hood and drew it back slowly for "dramatic affect." That's when Lily happened to see what looked like a red nose gleaming slightly from under the figure's hood.
"I see it, too" Lana exclaimed, "it looks almost like Tippy the Cow's nose...but smaller and flatter." Before pulling back their hood completely, the figure scoffed lightly at this comment and proclaimed, "Tippy wishes she'd look this cool!" With that, they finally revealed their identity to everyone in the room.
It was a young boy, possibly fourteen or fifteen years old and he looked like he had a sort of odd half-boy/half-cow kind of face; complete with round, spoon-shaped ears. Underneath his cloak, the young man sported a chest plate that seemed a mix of fake leather and fake animal hide. He had a pair of matching black bracers on his wrists, a belt with a small pouch hanging on the side, white pants and what seemed to be a pair of rather normal looking work boots.
Lastly, the lad's hair seemed to be either gelled or roughly combed down in such a way to make it appear slightly long. Sadly, due to how thick it was, he didn't seem to have much luck either way. Overall, the Loud Sisters were rather taken aback by his look. "Uh...Nice costume, brah" Luna murmured softly, "but what exactly are you supposed to be?"
Almost immediately, Lori added to this by questioning who this boy was; proclaiming that she had never seen him before in her life. "You may have seen me with a different look, dudette" murmured the teen boy, "not to mention a completely different crowd." Rather than have him make the reveal himself, Lincoln rose from his seat and revealed the new player's identity himself; Mordecai Burns, AKA "Mohawk Kid."
"You're the creep who made our brother's first day of Middle School a nightmare" growled Lynn intensely, "you got some nerve showing your face here!" Upon hearing such talk from his daughter, Lynn Sr was prepared to scorn her accordingly, but Mordecai stopped him. With a heavy sigh; he admitted that everyone had every right not to trust him, after everything he did with Biff and his former crew.
"Not a day goes by when I don't look back at what I've done in school and wonder...where did I go wrong" grumbled Mordecai, "why did I let Biff use me the way he did?" For a moment; the likes of Lola, Lisa, Lynn and even Lori (despite being older than him) felt like echoing Mordo's exact words. But when they saw the genuine anguish on the kid's face, they each felt a painful ache in their chests.
Meanwhile, Lincoln and Clyde approached Mordecai and shared with him their iconic friendship handshake; which he openly welcomed. This sight was so wholesome, it made even Huggins shed a tear of joy; though he urged his fellow Game Masters to forget they saw it. Just then, Lily hopped out of her seat and ran towards Mordecai on all fours like her character; all while yowling and barking happily.
"Look who came to say 'hello'" chuckled Lincoln while scooping up his baby sister, "you wanna give Mordo a hug, Lily?" With gusto, the littlest Loud nodded her head vigorously and hugged her tiny arms against Mordecai's chest; causing the boy to freeze up. When he saw the look of kindness in Lily's eyes, his heart melted and he returned the embrace.
"If I may offer, might we take a moment to ease our minds and fill our bellies" Miss Grimwood offered, "teleportation left me feeling rather peckish." While everyone else sounded off loudly in agreement to this, Sid and Mordecai answered with a soft yet enthusiastic "we could eat."
(Line Break)
"OH, YEAH! That is so good" exclaimed Mordecai with cheeks full of food, "Mr. L, these poppers of yours are amazing!" With a bashful look on his face, Lynn Sr thanked the young man for his praise while claiming his snack was "small stuff" compared to his main course meals. "No! For real, Mr. Loud...this stuff is amazing" Sid said also with a mouth full of food, "I especially like those 'Basilisk Wing' things you helped make."
The whole time the duo delved into the snacks, the Loud Sisters couldn't help but stare; not because of how they ate but because a former bully of their brother's was eating with them. Meanwhile, Miss Grimwood sampled on a small cup containing Flip's "Fairy Ale" with the same level of delight as the children had with the food. "All of this is quite delightful" hummed the witch happily, "I simply must get one of your recipes, Lynn...that is, if you don't mind me sharing it with the cafeteria staff?"
When asked for the reasoning behind this; Miss Grimwood said that with the arrival of the school's first human student (namely Lincoln) set to happen in the Fall, there needed to be some cafeteria selections that are...appropriate for his palate to digest. "Of course, I'd be happy to" Lynn said gleefully, "I'll share it at the end of tonight's session." Upon mentioning this, Mr. Grouse irritably reminded Lynn to remain focused or else they'd be stuck in the game room all night.
"In due course, sir! In due course" Miss G replied, "but first...I wish to understand Master Mordecai a bit more." The instant this was said, Mordo immediately stopped eating and swallowed whatever remained in his mouth in the slowest way possible. Soon, all eyes fixed themselves upon him; which made the poor guy so nervous that he feared he might sweat his face paint off.
"I'm also curious about your presence here, Mr. Burns" Lisa murmured suspiciously, "how did you come to make such a sudden change of heart, after spending so much time oppressing other students?" Now...most people in town, both young and old, would've felt confused by such a collection of "big words" coming out of one as young as Lisa. But Mordo, thanks to Lincoln, was well-aware of her genius brain and seemed prepared for such a question.
Yet at the same time, he found himself hesitating in how he should respond. It wasn't just the fact he feared no one would believe him but also, he dreaded the idea of reopening such deep emotional scars. It was then he felt the gentle pat of a hand on his left shoulder. He turned slightly and saw Lincoln, giving him a soft yet encouraging smile.
"It'll be okay, Mord...no one's gonna judge you here" Lincoln assured, "just remember the mantra I shared with you during Spring Break way back." After taking a moment to swipe a stray tear away, Mordecai sat up straight and joined Lincoln in on reciting a short yet effective mantra
Lincoln Mordecai: "I am strong here." *Lincoln points to Mordo's bicep* "I am strong here." *Both boys point to their heads, as Mordecai slowly calms down* "And I'm strong here." *They to their hearts*
After takinga few deep, cleansingbreaths; Mordecai let out a sigh and gave a small yet content smile. "Sorry about falling apart like that, dudes" he said apologetically, "and thanks for the save there, Linc." The two boys chuckled, shared a quick high-five and then, Mordecai was ready to share his story with everyone.
Much to their surprise, the boy revealed that his uncle (the lawyer, Jackson Burns) didn't always look after him. "Long ago, I lived with my folks, Jeremy Burns and Penelope Farthing" Mordo explained, "we lived together on the coast of Wisconsin for the first eight years of my life." Upon hearing this, the Loud Sisters and Gal Pals both felt rather confused.
If Mordecai lived out of state, when did he end up moving to Royal Woods and what caused the move to happen to begin with? But no one felt the urge to question him on this just yet, after seeing Mordo's emotional meltdown earlier. They waited until he calmed himself with the last drops of his Fairy Ale to do so.
"To make a long story short, I'm a divorce kid" Mordecai said bluntly, "my mom...she was an eccentric artist, a free spirit and I always used to love playing together." With these words, Mordecai revealed that it was his mother who first got him interested into "Nerd Culture" with things like D , the Dinosaur Ninja series, Space Shire 7, Planetary Protection Patrol and other such media. But his father, on the other hand, was strictly a "man of business."
"If I can think of a way to describe him, he's a lot like my Uncle Jack" Mordo explained, "firm, often tough as a cinderblock and rarely smiled...the only difference was my old man had a ponytail while Uncle Jack had his muttonchops." At first, the idea of a man wearing a ponytail by choice seemed like a laughable sight to the likes of Lynn, Rusty and others. But after taking Mr. Burns'overall personalitytraits into consideration, theyfeared he mighthave their heads if he heard anyone mocking him.
Needless to say, it didn't take long for everyone to deduce what happened next. Due to the contrast in personalities between Mr. Burns and Miss Farthing, it was clear the latter decided to leave and Mordo openly confirmed it. "On the night before she left, she came to my room" he murmured sadly, "she told me...'I...I'm sorry, darling but Mummy has to leave and...I fear I won't see you again.'"
Not long after this was said, Mordecai put on his best "child's voice" (presumably to mimic his younger self) and asked why they couldn't see each other again. Surely enough, many at the table found themselves asking the exact same question. In response, Mordecai revealed that it was all part of an "arrangement" that was made when his parents got married.
"'Arrangement...'What the heck do you mean 'arrangement'" exclaimed Lynn, "this isn't the 14th Century and your parents ain't a pair of hoity toity royals!" While everyone fully empathized with the young lady's outrage, many players and even her parents still openly reminded Lynn to be mindful of what she said; stressing that the memory was no happier for Mordo either. Within seconds; the young jock swiftly realized her mistake, took in some deep breathes and calmed down enough to offer up a sincere apology.
"No harm, no foul dude" Mordecai assured, "and you're right, you'd think people would give up the whole arranged relationships thing...but not my old man!" After that, the stories seemed to only get worse from there with Mordo revealinghowhis "tough as a cinderblock" fathereventually crackedafter the divorce. As it turned out,the arrangement he and Penny had did give him custody of his son; just as Mordecai said.
But at the same time, the split also took a great chunk out of Jeremy's overall fortune; which many adults believed it was all for alimony. After only half a year, the divorce ended up costing Jeremy Burns a whopping 40% of his funds. "My old man was still pretty loaded, regardless" Mordecai assured, "I'm talkin' High Middle Class...kinda like you, Girl Jordan."
The young lady in question nodded slightly in understanding, revealing to everyone that she and her family were rather well-off; financially speaking. This was to be expected, of course due to the extravagant pool parties her family would throw. But as Mordecai soon revealed, it wasn't the financial loses alone that led to his father's downfall.
"Dude...this is some pretty heavy stuff I'm hearin'" Luna murmured, "and it's all legit?" Jackson Burns' misfortune not only led to him becoming a drunk, it also made him abusive towards Mordecai. "To...T-To make matters worse; the whole time he spiraled, my old man blamed his losses on Mom and me" wept Mordecai, "one night, after a bad day at the office, he even struck me in the face!"
After making this reveal, the young teen soon noticed all the looks of shock and disbelief everyone was giving him. With a sad look in his eyes, Mordo gave the slightest of nods and pulled out his cellphone. Everyone found themselves wondering what he planned on showing them next, after everything the young man revealed.
Eventually, he looked up a photo on his phone that seemed so horrific that everyone swore they almost saw him ralph. With all the effort he could muster, he placed the phone on the table and slid it to the closest person on his left; Kat. "Okay, dude" she murmured with uncertainty, "I dunno what this is about but I'll give you...GOOD GOLLY ALMIGHTY!"
Upon hearing their friend's outburst, the other Gal Pals asked what was wrong. That's when they, too took a glance at the phone and saw the picture for themselves. It was Mordecai, about nine years old or so, and his right eye appeared to be severely swollen. "WHAT THE HEY" exclaimed Albert after he saw the photo next, "who did that to..."
In an instant, the old man's words died out halfway through his sentence; his mind suddenly buzzing with realization. It wasn't long until everyone else realized the truth as well. "Okay, guys...I officially take back all the stuff I thought about Mordo last year" Zach proclaimed, "this more than explains why he acted the way he did!"
Everyone else found themselves agreeing with the boy, all while sharing their sympathies with Mordecai for everything he went through. But as much as he hated to admit it, he confessed that the black eye was just a "warning of things to come." "Sometime after the divorce, my old man started takin' his bad mojo with him to the office" he explained, "lashing out at people, breakin' things at his desk, walking around with a scowl on his face...it was like he radiated negativity everywhere he went!"
The whole time they listened to Mordecai; Lynn, Lucy and especially Lori felt a twinge or a chill of realization hit them. Hearing the teen speak so vividly about his father's emotional downfall brought back many memories, namely the ones where they, too acted similarly to Mr. Burns. But seeing as how there more than enough reminders of that had been, the girls kept their silence and continued listening to Mordecai.
"Eventually,news of this behavior soon found its way to the ears of Pop's superiors" the young man stated, "this coupled with how much money they had to pay for him breaking stuff and his outbursts madethem pretty dang angry and soon, he found himself demoted!" Everyone softly winced at this reveal, realizing just how much of a huge blow this must've been to the man's ego. Sadly, things only got worse from there and in his stress, Jeremy Burns made the mistake of turning to drinking.
"The pic of me with the shiner I showed you...that was after just his first three bottles" Mordecai grumbled, "and he took the term Angry Drunk to a completely new level, after that!" Everyone at the table, young and old, cried out in horror at this while the elder Loud Sisters hugged their younger siblings protectively. This reveal was so shocking to everyone that many questioned if this story was real or some kind of crazy backstory for Mordecai's character.
As if sensing their disbelief, the young man asked for Kat to hand him his phone; which she agreed. Afterwards, Mordecai did a quick web search and brought up a news article; which a title that read "Corporate Controller K.O.'s Kid" in bold headlines! This reveal was such as bombshell that not even Luan dared to make a joke about the title (which surprised even her.)
"I can tell you guys are probably thinking I'm makin' this stuff up...right" he asked, earning more than a few hesitant murmurs from the table, "well, how's this for proof?!" Taking care to not ruin his hairstyle job, Mordecai lifted one tuft of his hair slightly; revealing a set of stitch lines on the left side of his head. He revealed that despite the article's title, the slap his dad gave him wasn't what knocked him out.
Rather, it was him hitting one end of the coffee table in his house that led to that and the stitches. "My dad, while still drunk, got worried about me and called 911" Mordo murmured sadly, "of course...he made the mistake of tellin' the paramedics that he was the one who hit me." While Lori and her siblings still held their disagreements from time to time, their feelings towards D being one example, they all agreed Mr. Jeremy Burns was both stupid and abusive.
"Just in case any of you are confused...the headline pic and the stitches happened when I was eleven" Mordecai explained, "whereas the one of me with the shiner happened when I was younger." While everyone seemed to have a full understanding of the context, it was clear that the young man had certainly been through a , Lincoln found himself thinking Mordo had it worse than he did back during the..."Family Incident" as the town called it.
As the story reached its end, Mordecai revealed that his "accident" not only costhis father his job but also any further custody he had over him. As a result, his uncle came in and took Mordo under his wing as his ward from then on. "I'm guessing that's what brought you to Royal Woods, then" inquired Lana, earning a small nod from Mordecai in response; "but...what about your mom?"
With a heavy and weary heart, Mordo revealed how his mother returned to the U.K. after the divorce was finalized. Since then, he hadn't seen, spoken to or heard from her for years. But he tried his best to remember his mother's kindness and spirit. "That's why I'm here, dudes" he stated, "playing this game again helps bring me back to the lil' guy I used to be."
While no one could deny the former punk boy's desires, one element of his story appeared unresolved; his uncle. "Make no mistake, some parts of my dad can be seen in Uncle Jack" said Mordecai bluntly, "particularly the parts where he said people needed to 'play less and focus more on the future.'" With these simple words, the eyes of several young players soon fell upon Huggins; as did those of his fellow Game Masters.
When he decided to ask everyone why they were looking at him weirdly, Mrs. Johnson proclaimed, "I've heard similar words come outta you before." "Now, hold on...hold on, everybody" Lynn Sr, interjected, "I imagine Mr. Burns...that is, Mr. Jack Burns, isn't quite that bad." At first, Mordecai felt libel to shoot down Mr. Loud's idea; coming close to remind him about the days of the Loud Family Trial.
However, he soon realized making such a comment would make him feel like what he used to be. Moreover, it also sounded like something Biff would've said, and he wanted to cut that part of his life out like an ugly wart. So, instead; Mordecai revealed that his uncle had...mellowed out after taking him in.
"Sure, I got on his bad side a few times like all the incidents that happened back when I was part of Packard's old crew" he admitted, "but...Uncle Jack realized that my old man's strict Type A attitude was what led to him spiraling down so bad in the first place." Once again, everyone found themselves agreeing with the boy's words; even the Loud Sisters. "So, Unc decided to let me indulge in my hobbies; especially now" he proclaimed, "believe it or not, playin' D and making all the models has really helped me through my emotions."
Upon hearing mention of the models, it all became clear to the Loud Sisters now. Every campaign set piece they used so far must've been built by Mordecai...or at least, designed by him. When someone decided to ask him about the matter, Mordecai revealed that all the models they've been using were inspired by ones he built himself out of toy building blocks.
"I've been making custom builds since I was ten" he said gleefully, "and after I got outta Biff's inner circle, I started makin' 'How To' videos and posting them online." Surprised gasps aplenty were heard at the table and soon, everyone whipped out their phones and went about doing feverish internet searches. Surely enough, they found Mordo's profile...but they had trouble telling it was him.
Between his poofy red hair, his glasses and the adorable freckles they saw on his small cheeks; this kid was a shocking contrast to the punk rock looking teen they remembered from last Fall. It was here that Lincoln remembered the stories Mordo shared in school, back in Mr. Matthews' class. Specifically, he remembered how Mordo changed himself to look "cool enough" to be in Biff's crowd.
"That's...half the truth, my dude" Mordecai mumbled, "the whole punk rock look I had on, it was actually a sort of 'rebel phase' I was in when I was about halfway into 6th Grade." Upon hearing the words "rebel phase" and taking the rest of the boy's story into account, it was clear to the Game Masters exactly why Mordecai made such a decision.
Thankfully, they saw that the only thing Mordo chose to do with his hair this time around was purely for the sake of fun. On the matter of the game models, though; it was later revealed that Mordecai's creations caught the eyes of the company behind the biggest TTRPGs in the world. "One day; Miss Baldur, my uncle's partner in the law firm, told me one company offered to make my building models into real game creations" he exclaimed, "and, well...yo!"
With a flourish, Mordecai showed off the model for Zemora on the table; all while waving his hands about like a hand model on a home shopping channel. Not a single word was uttered or spoken, after that due to the overall shock everyone felt from the story. Though, no one could decide which was more mind-blowing; Mordo's tragic childhood story or the fact he was secretly a savant in building stuff. Finally, the moment came when someone decided to ask what kind of character he was playing; some kind of cow?
"You're...kinda right there" Mordecai stated, "see, I'm what the game calls a 'firbolg.'" As expected, the first reactions upon hearing the teen boy's character were head tilts and a resounding "uh" from all ten of the Sisters. Even Lincoln and his parents had difficulty remembering exactly what type of character a "firbolg" was.
"He sure doesn't look like a bug, much less any one with fur" Leni muttered confusedly, "he looks like a weird cow guy...you sure you're not a minotaur?" Rather than be offended by the inquiry or the lack of insight everyone had about his character, Mordecai simply laughed and offered up his best explanation. Using the creature guide for reference, he revealed that Firbolgs were a race of half-giant folk that shared a deep connection with nature.
"As for why I have cow features like the nose and ears, I got the idea from the web" Mordecai stated, "specifically from several D video channels online." He went on to explain that while most Firbolgs simply looked like ten-foot Vikings, his version was one who'd been exposed to "fey magic." Surprisingly, Lucy of all people deduced that "fey" was an alternative term for "faerie/fairy."
"He sure don't look like no fairy to me" Lola commented, "and believe me, I know my fairies." With a hearty chuckle, Mordecai shook his head and reiterated that Firbolgs weren't actual fairies; just beings who were "touched" by them. "Lemme put it this way...you guys remember that Midsummer Night's Dream play at the Middle School" he asked, "and do you remember how Nick Bottom got his head turned into a donkey...it's kinda like that with Firbolgs."
With this explanation; the Loud Sisters, their parents and even Albert all got a fair idea of what Mordecai's character was all about. The only other questions left to ask was what name did Mordecai go by and whatsort of class he chose for his Firbolg? "Oh...I'm a Druid, which kinda fits with their overall love for nature and stuff" he replied, "as for my name, you may call me Norven Moonvale."
At first, it was expected that some of the players would laugh at Mordo's name choice. Some even thought the Loud Sisters would be among them. But while there were a few snickers and muffled giggles, everyone was surprisingly respectful. Still, Mordecai could practically feel their confusion and did his best to explain things.
"See...Firbolgs are kinda like the 'hippies' of the D world" he stated, "so, like some of them, they have hippie-style names for each other." Upon taking this explanation to heart, the Loud Sisters suddenly thought of Miss April Rains at and the Gibbons Siblings; both of whom perfectly embodied the hippie persona. With this thought in mind, their collective imaginations suddenly started adding cow-like features on each of their faces.
"I, uh *ahem* I do believe we have a fair assumption on your character description, Mr. Burns" Lisa stated, "but you've yet to give us an explanation for your name choice." With a chuckle, Mordecai explained that Firbolg names weren't like those of humans. Instead of typical last names, they chose to go by nicknames...or rather, descriptive names that reflect certain aspects of them.
"My name, for example is based on the fact my tribe hails from forestlands far in the north" Mordecai said in a soft tone, "and the name Moonvale means that my character was birthed in a valley near his family home, one that was bathed under the pristine light of a full moon." He went on to explain how Norven's mother, while searching the forests, found herself beset by a Sabre-Fang; a species of saber-toothed wolves.
Using only her druid staff, she managed to hold her own against the beast long enough for her people to reach her. But her natural fighting prowess was hindered because she was "expecting." "Expecting...Expecting what" questioned Leni, "unless she expected her people to come and save her, I don't see how..."
The young lady's train of thought halted, when she suddenly felt something roughly jab at her arm. She turned to see Lynn, who was giving her a soft yet bothered look. Then, almost ten seconds later, Leni felt the wheels in her head turning and it all became clear to her.
"You mean...Norven's mother was pregnant" she gasped, "with you?!" With great care, Mordecai tapped his finger against his nose while also nodding slightly. This led to many players both young and old to feel a sudden sense of discomfort flow through them, particularly among the ladies. Being pregnant was arduous enough but to fend off a savage beast while carrying a bun in the oven, that was a different level.
"Thankfully, the rest of the clan came just in the nick of time to save Norven's mother" Mordecai proclaimed, "they manage to drive the Sabre-Fang away...but afterwards, Norven's mother suddenly felt the labor pains kicking in." Following this, he described how the village helped Norven's mother give birth right on the very glade she stood in. Surprisingly, he spoke with such passion and flair that everyone found themselves hanging on his every word.
By the end of his story, Mordo was surprised to see the vast number of gaping mouths and wide eyes around him. "Whoops! Heh...I think I broke you guys" he chuckled, "sorry." After snapping out of their daze, everyone quickly assured Mordecai they were fine; just a bit...overwhelmed. "Well...After that, I only have one last thing to say" Lana said bluntly while approaching the teen, "nice to meet a fellow druid, dude."
Mordecai chuckled heartly while sharing a high five with the little lady, which made a few people coo softly at how wholesome they looked. Meanwhile, Lori couldn't help but nitpick at the fact two other people among them were playing the same class; which she claimed was against the game's rules. "Uh...Actually, Lori; there's no such rule in the manual that says multiple players can't be the same class" Lucy said suddenly, "plus, there's no one type of druid anyway."
No sooner had he heard his daughter say this, Lynn Sr confirmed her words and revealed there were seven different subclasses of Druid within Dungeons & Dragons. "Right you are, Game Master" Mordo interjected, "me, I'm what's known as a Circle of the Shepard Druid...which basically makes me the game's version of Dr. Doolittle and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective meshed into one dude!"
Feeling curious, Lana wasted no time what made Mordecai's class of druid so special? Without missing a beat, he went on to explain how Circle of the ShepardDruids had the strongest connection with nature and animals. This meant that if any such beasts were close by and sensed that Mordo was in danger, everything from an army of spiders to giant dinosaurs would immediately come to his rescue.
Needless to say, Lana's interests were beyond piqued with such a description. "Dudette...I haven't even told you about Wild Shape yet" laughed Mordecai, "it may be a common skill among druids but it still rocks!" From here, the teen explained how Wild Shape was basically a fancy name for shapeshifting; which meant druidsof all kindscould turn into any animal they wanted.
"Not only that but at a certain level, I can even use magic while in Wild Shape" he chuckled, "pretty rad, huh?" Not only did these words leave Lana breathless but even her sisters were rather impressed. Her mind was already thinking of the possibilities of what Ezra could do in the game. Then, seconds later; Sid threw her hat into the ring and revealed how her character, Katrina, was a Circle of the Moon Druid; which fit well with the Warlock part of her class.
When Lana asked what made this particular kind of druid so special, she could see a Grinch-esque grin slowly forming on the girl's face. This either meant she was going to love or hate what she was about to hear. "Brah...To be fair, all us druids are kinda OP in our own rights" Mordecai stated, "but the Circle of the Moon ones are insane!"
(Line Break)
"HOLD ON! REWIND AND REMIX HERE" exclaimed Luna, "I can handle druid dudes with that wild shape biz or havin' control over funguses...but what's this about bein' able to cast magic while still in animal form?!" Everyone at the table guffawed heartily at the young rocker/bard's outburst, as if they knew she would react this way. Afterward, Mordecai opened one of the manuals up and showed Luna the page on Circle of the Moon subclass for Druids.
Surely enough, there it all was in black-and-white and yet, Luna still had difficulty believing her own eyes. "You think that's OP" chuckled Haiku, "just wait until such a druid changes you into a mouse, turns themself into an eagle, grabs you in their talons and drops you into the nearest volcano or pit." Due to the young Goth's monotone voice, it was unclear whether or not she was joking.
But to Luna, something about the look Haiku gave in her eyes seemed to tell her she was very serious. "Just you wait, kids" chuckled Rita naughtily, "this may be Summer Break...but your characters are about to get schooled!"
(First AN: By the bristled beard of Gygax, that was a lot...and we haven't even gone into the magic school yet! What kind of secrets will Lori's party learn at Drigmore? what sort of knowledge will they gain to help them on their quest and more importantly, what will these new additions bring to the table?! Tune in next time, to find out)
(Second AN: I know this chapter didn't have any story progression in terms of the campaign. But in regards to the story, the new elements are very important; I assure you. Not only does Miss Grimwood's appearance here provide yet another hint to my potential Loud House x Ghoul School crossover fic, it also brings back a blast from the past...the Gal Pals' past, that is; namely Sid.
This chapter also gives the Loud Sisters a glimpse at another important aspect for D players. As surprising as it may sound, many find playing the game and watchingD content creators to be rather therapeutic for emotional and psychological issues. Don't believe me? Just look up the numerous charities established or sponsored by the likes of Critical Role that revolve around such things.
Bear in mind, though; DMs and their players are not professional experts in psychology or mental health issues. In the words of Matt Mercer; should you be experiencing the kind of problems Mordecai or others might be, seek out help however you can)
(Third AN: Speaking of, Mordo's version of a Firbolg is loosely based off the Critical Role version rather than the main 5e one. The main difference is the Monster Manual doesn't quite give a clear idea as to what Firbolgs are. It just refers to them as half-giant folk that have been "fey touched."
To prevent any infringements of copyright, I had Mordecai use the moment from A Midsummer Night's Dream to give context on his Firbolg. I hope it will make sense to all of you)
(Fourth AN: All the stuff mentioned here about the different druid types is legit, straight from the dragon's mouth. I just didn't consider what type of druid characters like Lana's should be until now)
(Fifth AN: The mantra Lincoln and Mordecai use together comes from the Loud House special, Twas the Fight Before Christmas; which was used between Lance and his wife Sharon. I've watched the episode/special countless times and thought "Linc would totally benefit from that, whenever he has an episode.")
(Final AN: Another thing that's legit is Mordecai talking about building D setting models out of play blocks...or as we call them in the real world, Legos. Sadly, no such name for a toy like that exists in-universe for Loud House. So, I tried to do the best I can with Mordo's explanation behind his skills.
Regardless, if your work does get noticed well enough online; there's a chance it could lead to big surprises. In any case, Mordo was never able to do this kind of thing while in Biff's inner circle. But now that he left that part of his past behind, he's becoming like his old self again)