Liberty Quiet

>The sky was aleady dark when Lincoln and Liberty arrived to her home.
>It wasn't the first time he went to a girl's house, but this time was different.
>When he first met Liberty he thought to be watching through a magical mirror. A white haired girl, completely immersed in reading her manga, slouched on the bench at the park.
>She was him, but as a girl.
>Curiosity had the best of him and he approached her.
>When their eyes meet he knew she felt the same sensation.
>Her name was Liberty. The more they talked the greater their similarities grew.
>She too was from a numerous family, but she was the only girl among eleven children and from the description of her brothers Lincoln could trace obvious similarities with his sisters.
>Lucy would have called all of this "spooky".
>But he didn't care.
>Liberty made him feel strange.
>Meeting her was like discovering a long lost twin.
>He wanted to know more about her.

>Lincoln looked at the home of her new friend like the protagonist of one of his horror comics when faced with the prospect of entering an haunted house.
>The similariy with his own was striking, even for the color.
>Liberty turned the key in the lock, causing it to click.
>"I'm back!" she shouted, but no one answered.
>"Come in Linc, no one's home."
>Lincoln crossed the doorstep looking around.
>His friend went right to the kitchen while he took his time to scan his suroundings.
>Even the interior was a carbon copy of the house he shared  with his sisters. On the wall near the stairs he could spot pictures of the famous brothers.
>They didn't strike him as odd, but more he looked at them and more similarities with the girls became evident.
>"Do you want anything to eat?"
>The voice of Liberty interrupted his thoughts. She was looking at him with a brick of juice in hand.
>"Sure." he followed her to the kitchen and grabbed a drink for himself.
>"Are you sure your parents are okay for me to come here?"
>Liberty nodded, still sipping her juice.
>"Mom and Dad always bother me to go out and get some friends. They say my hair will become green for the moss if I stay too much in my room with my animu and mangos."
>"Even if we're home alone?"
>Lincoln didn't know this detail when he asked his parents, but they were too happy to see him finally bond with a member of the gentle sex to care.
>He assured them they were only friends to be sure, anyway.
>She nodded again.
>"When my brothers are home I rarely get out of my room. Now that they're out we can relax and have all the house to hourself."
>"What d you want to do?"
>Liberty grinned.
>"What a girl and a boy do home alone, obviously: read comics in the living room!"
>After saying so she ran to the sofa, trying to occupy as much of the space for herself.
>Linc smiled and followed her.

>One thing Lincoln shared with Liberty was the passion for comics.
>While he preferred american capes and mistery stories she was an avid reader of manga.
>When he met her for the first time she was reading a copy of Fullmetal Alchemist, what she calls "the best manga of all times" and her gushing on how awesome the protagonist was occupied a good ten minutes of their first conversation.
>He wasn't very fond of reading backward, but liked when they sat together and Libery narrated him the events of her last purchase.
>In exchange she listened to him gushing on Ace Savvy. On how intriguing was each story and how he loved to recreate his favourite scenes with his friend Clyde.
>"You're lucky to have a friend that do these things with you Linc."
>At first he was embarassed to admit to a girl that he liked to dress in a costume and play the superhero, but that comment made him realize that maybe she wanted do similar things too, but didn't have her own Clyde (Claudia?)
>"Why don't you try cosplaying?"
>"I'm not good with making costumes. Also I'm not pretty enough."
>"I'm sure my sister Leni would be really happy to help you with that. And you're pretty."
>Liberty smiled before giving him a weak punch.
>"Your sisters sound cool."
>Lincoln knew he had highs and lows with them, but he loved all of them very much.
>"What about your brothers?"
>Liberty smile disappeared.
>Lincoln saw that and decided to stop pressing the issue.
>"Do you want to tell me about the last anime you saw?"
>Her eyes lightened up again.
>"Sure. The protagonists remind me of us in a way."
>"Really?"
>"It's called "Yosuga no Sora."
>"I'm joking." she added, but Lincoln simply looked at her perplexed.

>It was a hot summer day.
>Lincoln and Liberty were reading comics sitting on her bed.
>A few weeks had passed since they started hanging out and the two felt like they were childhood friends.
>They even shared the hobby of reading in their underwear.
>Lincoln was wearing his victory undies and Liberty her new sport bra and panties.
>At first he was a bit embarassed about sharing this activity with a girl that wasn't part of his family, but without air conditioning that was the only way they could avoid liquefaction.
>This bra is new. Do you like it?"
>Lincoln found himself staring at her chest.
>Under the fabric he could notice a bit of a curve forming, but caughing himself staring at her chest Lincoln stuttered an "It's cute..." and diverted his gaze.
>"I think your undies are cute too." she replied.
>The girl was amazed by the tale of how he got the pants, about the bet with his sisters and how the little princess Lola in the end decided to give him that gift.
>She wished those were the kind of stories she could tell about her brothers.
>The white haired boy learned soon enough that her family wasn't a matter she was willing to discuss.
>This was probably the reason why he was allowed to come to her house only when no one was around.
>Lincoln invited her many times to his home, but to no avail.
>She always made up excuses and he decided to not bother her. Maybe she would change her mind in the future.
>Hours passed without them noticing, too immersed in their comics and happy to share that quiet together.
>Liberty was covered in sweat and her skin started to itch, but she was strangely fine with that pain.
>She lifted an eye from the last chapter of "My Hero Academia" to look over at her guest.
>He looked cute, so concentrated on trying to uncover the last mistery that faced his hero.
>The white haired girl felt something shift in her belly.
>She hoped it wasn't the lasagne she had for lunch.
>"It's so hot." Lincoln closed his copy of Ace Savvy and used it to move some air.
>"I have some popsicles in the freezer. I'll go get them."
>Liberty lifted herself leaving behind a dark silhouette on the sheets.
>"I love you Liberty" Said Lincoln falling back on the bed smiling.
>She giggled before leaving the room.
>She loved him too.

>This was a very important day for Liberty Quiet.
>She finally mustered the courage to pay Lincoln a visit.
>He was the one that always came to her during the rare days in which her brothers were out for their activities and they could have the place all for themselves.
>They always had a lot of fun together.
>She would have never let them see him.
>The simple thought made her skin crawl.
>Her parents never asked her what she did home alone.
>The other ten children came first in their priorities, or at least this was what she always thought.
>She was almost like a ghost.
>Her white bangs mimicking the candid sheets of a specter.
>She came there on her half-broken bike, under the hitting sun, only to see him.
>To show him that she cared to pass time together, even when her home was full.
>She couldn't back away.
>She would have to wait until nightime to come back, anyway.
>Liberty rang the doorbell.
>A buzzing sound too similar to her hown filled her ears.
>She was scared.
>There was a reason she always refused to come to his house.
>His sisters.
>From the stories Lincoln told her she could trace some parallels with her brothers.
>She was scared of what they could have seen in her.
>But most of all she was scared of what she coud have seen in them.
>The buzz filled the air again.
>Lincoln was becoming more and more important to her, she couldn't avoid his family forever.
>He always talked well of them. Surely they had hight and lows but she could feel the love in his words.
>She wished she could feel at least a drop of that love for her brothers.
>"I'M COMING!"
>A woman's voice. She sounded angry.
>Liberty gulped as the door opened.

>A blonde girl stared down at her with a perplexed look.
>She was holding the doorknoob in one hand and a phone in the other.
>A flash crossed her mind.
>This was a bad idea.
>This was a TERRIBLE idea.
>"Who are you?"
>Her voice was perplexed, but not angry.
>Liberty was petrified.
>She looked at the sister for a second.
>This must be Lori, the oldest one.
>The Quiet girl concentrated on a single thought.
>She's not HIM.
>"I'm Liberty...is Lincoln home?"
>The Loud sister looked surprised.
>She moved aside and gestured her to come in.
>"He'll be home soon. Do you want something to drink?"
>Liberty nodded.
>Lori probably saw that she was about to collapse.
>Liberty sheeply put a foot inside.
>Lincoln didn't lie when he talked about the similarities between their houses.
>She fastly eyed the wall near the stairs to see if her presentiment was right.
>She could only steal a rapid glare of the pictures hanged there.
>The blonde guided her to the kitchen, eyes glued to the phone.
>"Just to be clear..." Lori spoke up.
>"You're not one of Lisa experiments, aren't you?"
>Liberty frowned.
>That must be the name of the family Linneus, she could bet on it.
>"No. Is Lisa on of the sisters?"
>"Yes. The family genius. Sorry to bother you, but you have no idea of what I have to face, literally every day in this house."
>Oh, she knew.
>She wondered what Lincoln thought of her scar.
>He didn't ask about it when they were reading comics.
>Maybe he didn't want to be indiscrete.
>The white haired girl sat at the table while Lori poured her a glass of water.
>"So you're a friend of Lincoln, he'll be there in an hour or so. Had to do extra school stuff for a project or something."
>Liberty sipped from her glass.
>The more she looked at Lori and more similarities she could see with Gregory.
>Their hair, their eyes, the way they hold their phone.
>She was starting to wonder if their parents weren't related in some obscure way.
>She tried to not thing about it. About Gregory.

>"How did you two meet?" Lori spoke again, lifting her head from the phone to look at her.
>Liberty was starting to ease herself.
>The glass of water really helped clearing her throat.
>"At the park." she began "I was reading a manga and he asked me what it was. We started talking and decided to meet again."
>Lori smiled. Even if she was still a bit weirded out by the eerie similarity between her brother and the girl she was happy that little twerp was making new friends, expecially of the gentle sex.
>"And how long have you been hanging out?"
>Now she was genuinely curious.
>"A month I think? Maybe a bit more."
>Liberty could see from her expression that she didn't know about them meeting. Maybe Lincoln was hiding their relationship?
>Why did she tought about relationship?
>Friendship.
>Maybe he had a reason to do it?
>Maybe coming there was a bad idea.
>Lori catched on immediately that talking about Lincoln was making her unconfortable.
>She saw how Liberty stance changed slightly after her answer.
>"Ah, young love..." she thought, her first hawkard meeting with Bobby came to her mind."Better change argument..."
>"How's your family."
>Liberty's eyes shot wide, before she caught herself and returned to a more relaxed expression.
>"Oh shit, oh shit..." Lori could recognize that expression. Red allarm, red allarm...
>"Well... I'm too from a numerous family"
>The white haired girl sipped again from her glass.
>"I'm the only daugther among eleven children."
>"Are you sure you're not Lincoln's reflection?" asked Lori jokingly.
>Liberty smiled and the blonde hoped that helped reduce the tension.
>"Where are the other sisters?"
>Actually the house was really quiet.
>Too quiet.
>Only Leni, Luna and Lynn where home with her.
>The second oldest was probably reading one of her fashion magazines in their shared room.
>Lynn was studying, for once.
>She saw her really preoccupied for this math text, but Lisa helped her all week.
>Usually the musician's guitar was enought to shake the basis of the building.
>She remembered that Lisa wanted to test her new sound absorbing panels and her room was the obvious choice.
>They were working.
>The sound of a door opening broke the silence.
>Steps, then knocking.
>"Luna, have you se..." the voice of Lynn reached them from upstairs.
>The sound of another door opening.
>"Cover your ears." said Lori with a worried expression.
>Liberty knew what was coming.
>With a powerful guitar solo another sister came tumbling down from the stairs.

>"Lynn are you okay!?!"
>Liberty followed Lori to see if the fallen girl was still all in one piece.
>"Yes, I'm fine, I think." said Lynn, massaging her butt.
>She reminded Liberty of her brother Fynn, the sporty type.
>The music ceased as another sister rand down from upstairs.
>"Sorry Lynn!" she reached out to help her sister stand.
>"It takes more than that to break my bones." said her taking the hand and beaming Luna a huge smile.
>As soon as their fingers touched a discharge of pain rose through her harm, crossing her whole body.
>"But I think I'll go lay down on the couch for a moment."
>Luna and Leni helped her stand up while the white haired girl stood there concerned.
>Fynn too was accustomed to that kind of incidents, but usually her brothers would leave him in pain or unconscious on the spot.
>When she was finally upright both her and Luna's attention where captured by their new guest.
>Their eyes zigzaged between their sister and Liberty.
>"She's Liberty, a friend of Lincoln." said Lori.
>Liberty simply waved with an hand, following them to the couch.
>Lynn yelped when her sisters dropped her on the sofa.
>"Are you sure you don't have anything broken?" asked Lori.
>"No I'm fi...maybe something." responded Lynn, massaging her fingers.
>"I'll get some ice!" said Luna running to the kitchen.
>"Can I help?" asked sheeply Liberty.
>Lynn lifted her gaze to look at the girl. She really reminded her of Lincoln. Was her brother into that kind of stuff?
>"Sorry you had to see this. Usually I get out in better shape." she muttered.
>"Let's not talk about last month." added Lori, who was already back on her phone.
>"HOW COULD I KNOW THAT THING WOULDN'T HAVE HOLD?!?" exclaimed Lynn, exasperated.
>Liberty never thought that Lincoln's sisters could be this funny.
>She was really starting to like them.
>"Here's the ice!" said Luna, dropping the freezing bags directly on her hurt sister.
>Lynn simply jerked onward, falling on the floor among the concerned looks of the bystanders.

<Sorry sis!> exclaimed Luna, watching her sister spasm and fall on the floor.
Lynn was rolling over in pain and the white haired girl thought that if she hadn't broken anything before now she surely looked like her bones had lost the battle against the ground.
Lori moved away the bags of ice while Luna and Liberty helped her to climb on the couch again.
After a few minutes the living room was quiet again, with a relaxed Lynn happy to have her pain dulled by the cold while watching sports on TV.
Luna offered to make some british tea so the other two followed her back in the kitchen.
Lori now was completely immersed in chatting with Bobby, narrating every detail of her meeting with Liberty and the last incident of Lynn while never moving her eyes from the screen of her cellphone, leaving basically Luna and Liberty alone.
<So... you're "friend" with Lincoln?>
Liberty didn't like how she said the word "friend", but maybe it was the fault of her odd accent. She simply nodded.
Luna now was boiling with excitement, almost like the pot behind her.
<Oh luv, I'm so happy for you! Is he a good kisser?>
The realization of what she meant made Liberty's cheeks burn.
She thought about them, kissing.
Her heart started to fasten its pace, but she soon returned to reality.
<We're...only friends.>
Luna's enthusiasm died a little, but she catched something from the way she said it.
Pouring the hot liquid in three cups she sat near her guest.
<Listen Liberty, my bro is a simple man. Be honest about your feelings and everything will work out.>
The white haired girl took the cup and sipped from it, almost scorching her tongue.
The tea was hot and bitter, but she really liked it.
Luna was looking at her with a smile before taking a sip of her favourite drink.
She could see Lori still messaging, the sound of her fingers tapping on the screen filling the air while the cries from the game (and Lynn) reached them from the living room.
Maybe it was the effect of the hot summer sun, maybe it was the scalding tea or maybe she was still immagining what it would be to kiss her friend Lincoln, but Liberty felt a kind of warmness arise from inside her.
<WAAAAAIT!> another voice came from upstairs.
After the sound steeps hastly coming down the stairs a new sister joined them in the kitchen.
<I heard strange noises coming from the hallway. Did something happen?>
Lori lifted her head from the phone just to stare at her for a second before falling again onto the screen while Luna was giggling, making her sign to sit down with them while she passed her Lori's ignored cup.
<I kinda made Lynn fall down the stairs but now everything it's alright.>
<I'M NOT AL...GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLL!" screamed Lynn from the other room.
Leni let out a sigh of relief.
<I'm so happy everyone is fine. I, like, feared it could have been a giant spider.>
Liberty thought that she must be the equivalent of her not so brillant brother, Hodor.
Now Leni was looking at her with a puzzled look.
<Nice haircut Lincoln!> she exclaimed before taking a sip from the cup Luna had passed her.
<This coffee tastes strange.>