A Life in Decline

NSL AU, unfortunately. We've read it all before: of squirrel mascots, bad luck, beaches, and more. Lincoln's mistreated and accused of being bad luck, runs away from home, falls out with his family, reconciles to an extent with that family, all that fun jazz. The bulk of that story has wrapped up. It's time to move on. Lincoln says he can, but being kicked out of his own house and exploited isn't easy to forgive, and he certainly won't forget. He may say he's forgiven his sisters, but this forgiveness is hollow and fleeting, and the community at large still distrusts the Louds. That's how the script is supposed to go.

But for the darkest Loud, something goes wrong. The brittle forgiveness offered to her sisters never comes to her. Instead, Lincoln shockingly refuses to forgive Lucy.

Five words and seven more trigger a downward spiral.

If you like your fics dark and mean-spirited, this one's going to be a real SOB.