AN: Just a series of snippets to expand upon the relationships between Lincoln and the Grimwood Girls and setting the plot aside for this chapter. I plan to do the same with Zanya and the Loud Sisters in the next chapter, since I realized they haven't really hung out much outside of Lucy and Lana.


Bonding at Grimwood

Monday

With the last class for the afternoon over, Lincoln found himself being helped out of the library by Phantasma and Winnie. The spells they were learning were becoming more advanced and, though Lincoln had shown a lot of improvement in his spell casting, it was still taking a lot out of him. "You gotta pace yourself a bit, partner." Winnie told him as they set him in one of the chairs in the entry hall.

"Sorry...but I really wanted to learn this spell.." He admitted, breathing heavily. "Seriously..a spell that allows me to talk with animals, even if it's only insects and spiders at this level. Lana is gonna freak when she hears about this."

"That is kinda cool, but it's not worth hurting yourself so much over…" Phanty said, an uncharacteristically serious tone in her voice and look on her face..

"You're right. It's not." Lincoln agreed, which made Phanty smile again.

"Good. Then you sit right there and rest up." The ethereal lass gave him a small hug before she drifted down into the basement.

"So, what do you have planned for the day, Linc? Before science class, I mean." Winnie asked, leaning on the left arm of the chair Lincoln sat in.

"Well, I was gonna take care of my history homework, then I promised to meet Gosuki. She said she needed my help with something."

"Maybe she wants you to model for her?" The werewolf girl joked, the both of them laughing.

"Good one, Winnie. But whatever it is, I'll see what I can...huh?" Lincoln blinked as he noticed the helping hand float over to him, carrying a package. It places the parcel on Lincoln's lap before floating off.

"Huh. What's that?"

"I'm not sure, but it came from Lisa." The middle Loud said, pointing to the return address. "Must have to do with her idea to allow my family to see the big volleyball game from home." His furred friend's curiosity was piqued as he tore the paper off the package and opened the box. Inside was a remote control drone, along with its controller and a note. Lincoln pulled out the note for a closer look.

Lincoln,

Thank you so much for your prompt submission of our request to Miss Grimwood and equally prompt reply to us. Enclosed is a state of the art camera drone, with a few modifications I made. With this craft, we should be able to stream the event straight to our television. If your friends there wish, I can easily aid them in getting a similar stream to their families as well. You simply need to ask. Please do call again soon, dear brother.

Miss you deeply,

Lisa.

"This is so cool!" Winnie lifted the drone carefully out of the box, grinning widely. "Tell me we get to fly this."

"We get to fly it." Lincoln replied, smiling as he folded the note. "We'll need to practice flying and controlling the drone, because it's going to be the key to my family watching the match. She says she can set it up for your families to watch too if you like."

"Sounds cool, but most of our folks don't really have the tech to watch from anywhere. I think the only ones who really have a tv is Frankenteen Sr and The Phantom." Winnie said. "Our dads are pretty old school." The one son was a little surprised to hear that, but the more he thought about it, he did find it hard to imagine Dracula surfing the internet. He let the thought pass as he and Winnie went outside to test his drone out. Already outside were Tanis, Gila and Milly, the three of which were having a little outdoor study group. Lincoln waved to them, but only the young mummy saw him and waved back. Winnie set the drone onto the ground as the human boy pulled out the remote control.

"First flight is all yours, Linc." Winnie said, backing up to stand beside him.

"Pilot to co-pilot. Engaging the engines. Contact." Lincoln said as he turned on the control unit and the drone. Winnie giggled a bit before responding.

"Contact." The drone's four propellers started to spin. "And...lift off!" She cheered as the flying, camera mounted device slowly rose into the air. The buzz of the props and the excitement of the two children got the attention of the younger monster girls.

"I wonder what all the shouting it about." Gila wondered aloud.

"It looks like they're trying a new toy or something." Tanis responded, her eyes on the drone.

"Who cares? Silly earth entertainment is all it is. Now, let's return to-" Milly looked up from her book and, the moment she saw the drone hovering in the air, she found herself spellbound. Her eyes widened on their stalks as she rose to her feet and slowly meandered over to Winnie and Lincoln. After a little bit of flying the RC flyer around the sky, the white haired human handed the control to Winnie, who was really eager to try it out. She spent a minute or two getting a feel for how the device handled, then started to really fly it around; soaring around the sky, circling the tower, even performing a barrel roll.

"Nice flying, Winnie." Lincoln commented as he watched.

"Thanks, Linc." The lycan girl responded. At that moment, she flew the drone into a passing vulture. The shell shocked bird lost some feathers, but Winnie lost control of the drone. "Oh no!" She cried, desperately trying to regain control. Lincoln was panicking as he watched helpless, Tanis gasped, her hands going to her mouth, and even Milly looked worried. Before it could hit the ground, however, Winnie managed to pull the flyer out of its nosedive and restabilize it.

"Whew...that was close." Lincoln wiped the sweat from his forehead as he started breathing normally again. "Way to save it, Winnie."

"Thanks..but I think I'm done for a bit."

"Earthling….might I...take a turn with that?" Milly suddenly asked, surprising everyone involved.

"Uh...Sure Milly." Lincoln replied, handing the controller over to her. The little martian looked over at the drone as she carefully familiarized herself with how it worked. A smile started to grow on her face. In her mind, the drone reminded her a lot of a vehicle frequently used on Mars. The equivalent of an all terrain vehicle to the alien culture. She had always wanted to steer one herself, but her father unit and older siblings always told her she was too young. It always upset her. While the airborne camera contraption wasn't the exact same thing, it was close enough for her. She was doing what she always wanted to do, just on a smaller scale, and she couldn't be happier. "Wow, you're pretty good." Lincoln commented as he watched her pilot the drone like she had been doing it for years. "Must be those superior martian piloting skills I've heard of." He added, in an attempt to butter her up.

"But of course." Milly responded with pride, having a ball as she flew the machine all over the grounds. Lincoln smiled lightly at her. He knew it probably wasn't the best move to stroke her already over inflated ego, but he did want to try and improve the relationship between him and the martian girl. Even if he couldn't change her opinion of Earth people, he still wanted to at least try and become friendlier with her. M-149 flew the drone for a good, long while before she finally landed it in front of Lincoln and handed him the remote controller back. "Thank you, Earthling." She responded, curt yet polite, once more shocking everyone who knew her.

"You're welcome, Milly." He responded, simple yet equally polite. With that, Milly returned to her study group, looking noticeably happier and ready to tackle their math review.


Once Lincoln had repacked the drone and put it safely away in his room, he hurried through the halls to the catacombs below the school. It was down here where Tanis' room was located, and the room where Gosuki practiced whatever art tickled her fancy, the art classroom. When class wasn't in session, the room was usually empty, which made it perfect for working in peace. Lincoln dashed into the room just as Godzilla's daughter was setting up a small block of marble. "Oh! There you are Lincoln.I thought you might have forgotten."

"Sorry I took so long, Suki. I had something I needed to take care of real quick."

"It's ok, Lincoln. You're here now, and that's what matters." She said with a smile.

"So, what kind of help do you need?" He asked, looking at the little marble slab.

"I'd like you to model for me." she replied simply, gesturing to the space in front of her desk. The one son blinked, wondering if he heard her correct.

'She may have been joking, but looks like Winnie was right.' He thought to himself. "Are you sure you want ME to model for you?" He inquired. It's not like he wasn't used to being asked to be a model; Leni sometimes asked him to help her with her tailoring. But he never really saw himself as model worthy.

"Yep. I've done something for all of my friends here so far." She explained, directing his attention to a row of varying art pieces: a painting of Sibella, a wood carving of Elsa, a song in honor of Phantasma, a welded metal sculpture of Milly, a poem about Gila, and a little plush of Winnie. "The only ones I'm missing are you and Tanis."

"Wow. You must have spent a lot of time on these." Lincoln said as he looked over each tribute to Gosuki's friends.

"Yeah, but it was worth it. My way of remembering the friends I made here at Grimwood's." The human boy smiled over at the young reptilian girl, pleased that she thought of him as a friend. He walked over in front of her desk and turned to face her.

"So, what are you looking for? Something casual?" He asked, setting his hands on his hips. Suki looks at him with a critical eye.

"Good question...let's see….what would capture the real you?" She plods around the desk and over to him. "Maybe...something to show your thinky side." She picked him up and adjusted him into a thinker position before sitting him down.

"Ow! Ah! Careful, Suki…." Lincoln groaned, the process hurting him a little.

"Sorry. Um...maybe the time you cast your first spell." She stood him back up, pulling his arm up over his head like he were about to do the hand motion for the size change spell.

"Ow! Suki! That hurts!" He complained, more angrily than before.

"Sorry Lincoln…" She flinched a bit when she realized she was hurting him. "Ok Ok….maybe something more bold…" She gently prods him forward, trying to put him into forward leaning pose. Since he wasn't ready for this, he ended up falling over forward.

"Suki!" He yelled, getting quickly to his feet, his face going a little red. The kaiju girl backs away from him, holding her hands in front of her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"You keep saying that, but you keep right on doing it, even after I told you you were hurting me!" He scolded her with a raised voice, causing her to shrink back a bit. If he weren't so angry, he would have noticed how odd it was to have the daughter of the king of the monsters so fearful of him, Lincoln Loud. Gosuki's eyes were filling with tears.

"I...I'm really sorry, Lincoln...I really am." She whimpered. "I just wanted to remember you for your best...and I got over excited and...and…" She looked on the verge of crying, the sight of which was enough to quell some of Lincoln's anger.

"I understand that.." He started after a deep breath. "And I want to help you. But you can't be so rough. Most humans, like myself, aren't as tough as your friends and family on Monster Island or even our friends here. You need to be more mindful of your strength." He calmly continued, at a more even tone.

"I...promise I will be more careful, Lincoln..." She quietly said, lowering one hand and rubbing the tears from her eyes with the other. "...forgive me?"

"Of course, Gosuki." He answered, a small smile on his face. "Come over here." He held out his arms, offering her a hug. She took a few steps forward, then stops.

"Wait! Hold that pose!" She exclaimed, scooting back behind the desk. Lincoln was kind of taken aback by this, but held his position. He noticed she didn't have a chisel, but she was able to chip through the block easily with her claws. He had to hold the 'Give me a hug' pose for nearly two hours, his legs becoming quite sore. "And...finished!" She declared, giving the white haired loud the sign that he could relax. Suki had a big smile on her face as she turned the sculpture so he could see it.

"Suki...that's incredible." The awestruck boy said as he laid eyes on the little statue. The craftsmanship was remarkable. She was able to get little details like the collar of his trademark orange shirt and his chipped tooth.

"And I think it really captures the best of you..your heart." She explained, stepping back around the desk. She was about to give him a big hug, but paused just as she was about to wrap her large arms around him. Then, she gave him a more gentle hug, which he returned in kind. "Thank you so much for helping me Lincoln. And sorry again for being so careless."

"You're welcome, Suki, and don't worry about it. I know you didn't and wouldn't purposely hurt me." Lincoln said. "It's water under the bridge." The young kaiju brushed away a few newly formed tears of happiness before she let him go, smiling brightly at him.

"It's getting a little late. You head on up to dinner. I'll catch up in a moment." She said, turning carefully so's not to hit him with her tail.

"Ok. See you later, Gosuki." He replied, smiling back to her before he left the art classroom. Suki cautiously picked up her newly crafted statue and placed it beside the Winnie plush. All it needed was a coat of bronze and it would be perfect, she thought.


Tuesday

Midday on Tuesday meant one thing for the students of Grimwood's Finishing School: potions class. Lincoln had to admit to having mixed feelings about this class. While it was exciting to learn, and pretty useful to boot, it was also quite dangerous and required a lot of skill and care to get it right. Even the simplest potions can burst or turn into a toxin if improperly made. Usually, students would work independently on their own potions, but today was a group project. They were learning to make an elixir that could heal small cuts and bruises when applied to a wound. Lincoln ended up being paired with Elsa, sitting next to the table where Phanty and Gosuki were working together. "Ok, Lincoln. You finely chop the aloe and weigh out exactly 2 ounces, while I work on powdering the lizard teeth." Elsa instructed, taking a leadership role on this project. This was probably best for Lincoln, as she was pretty good with potions. It was practically chemistry after all.

"Got it. And after, I should measure the morning dew?"

"Yes, but carefully. We don't have much." Elsa nodded to him as she started crushing tiny lizard teeth with a mortar and pestle. Not a word was said between them as they focused on their tasks, Lincoln cutting aloe leaves as fine as he could. Once he had exactly two ounces prepped, he poured a small amount of water collected from the plants in the morning into a beaker. "That's perfect." The brilliant young Frankenteen commented as she turned on their bunsen burner and set the beaker upon it. After adding their prepped ingredients, they needed to let the mixture simmer for a while before they added the next items. "What's your home like?" Elsa suddenly asked, while she was collecting a bit of venom from a millipede. Lincoln looked up from the snail slime he collected with an eye dropper.

"Huh? Oh, well, Royal Woods is pretty nice." He said, holding the dropped up to his face to make sure he had enough. "It has everything my family and I could possibly need: good schools in walking distance, a mall full of stores for almost all of us, some really good fusion restaurants…"

"Fusion?" Elsa's concentration lapsed for a moment, which nearly got her pinched by the millipede she was handling.

"Whoa...sorry, Elsa."

"Don't worry, Lincoln. I'm not hurt and I shouldn't have lost my focus." She put the millipede back into its tank, as she was done with it anyway. "But what do you mean by fusion restaurant?"

"It's a restaurant that creates new food by combining two different kinds of cuisine." Lincoln explained, catching the young lady's attention. "It's really popular back home. My father even works as a chef in a hawaiian/russian restaurant."

"That sounds kinda strange, but intriguing." She said, smiling lightly.

"It kinda is. But it can be delicious. We also have Jean Juan's French/Mex Buffet, which combines Mexican and French cuisine. I've been there a few times, and I can definitely recommend it...provided you avoid the escargo enchiladas." Lincoln shuddered, remembering how the last time he ended up stuck in the bathroom for nearly a half hour after eating one. Elsa laughed softly, turning to the beaker to add the slime and venom.

"It sounds like something Da Da would like to try. He likes trying to put different things together." She joked, getting a chuckle from her friend. "Tell me more about Royal Woods."

"Well, like I was saying, we also have a nice arcade, a decent sized public library, and a few public parks that Lily loves to go to. There are also public pools in the summer, but...my family is banned from almost all of them...don't ask." Elsa blinked in surprise as she heard this, but didn't ask as he requested, quietly stirring the potion with a glass tube. "The weather is pretty moderate in the spring, summer and fall, but winter can be harsh, being as close as we are to the Great Lakes."

"So, lots of snow?"

"Yeah. What's next?" He asked as the mixture turned a disgusting green color, then a soft blue.

"We just need to add a pinch of sea salt, let it simmer for five minutes more, and it should be done." Elsa explained as she added a tiny portion of salt to the potion.

"Great." Lincoln replied as he started cleaning up. "How about your home?"

"Well, Da Da and I used to live in the old country, but it was pretty far from school, so we moved Frankenteen Castle over to the states when I got enrolled."

"Wait...the whole castle? How did you manage that?" The human boy inquired, completely puzzled.

"Slowly." She responded with a chuckle. "We couldn't use magic, the castle was too large, so we had to ship it piece by piece. But we found a nice location in the Appalachian Mountains to rebuild the castle; nice and private, where humans were unlikely to stumble upon it."

"Wow. Must have been quite a chore. But how do you get groceries, medicine and the like?"

"We made peaceful contact with a little town a couple miles from the castle. Ma Ma explained our situation to them and, after a while, they got used to us coming to town to get what we need." Elsa said, watching the bubbling potion carefully. "Some of them even became our friends after a while."

"That's great. But what about electricity?"

"That's easy. We get that the same way we always used to: by lightning rod." She said simply. "Whenever a storm rolls by, lightning strikes and charges a series of batteries in our basement, or powers whatever equipment we need for our experiments." She expanded upon when she saw Lincoln's confused look. "We've also been experimenting with wind power, since the winds can get pretty powerful in the mountains."

"That's pretty clever….and somewhat dangerous sounding." Lincoln commented. The silence returned as they waited for their potion to finish brewing, until a couple seconds later.

"That should do it." Elsa declared as she removed the beaker with a pair of tongs and poured the elixir into a flask. The liquid started to shine with a soft blue light. "Once it cools, we can test it out." Lincoln smiled as he looked at the glowing elixir, but he started to wonder how they were going to test their healing elixir.

"Uh oh." Came a voice from the next table over, where Phantasma and Gosuki's potion started to smoke and shake. "Duck and cover!" Phanty shouted, covering her face as her kaiju friend ducked her head. Elsa hid under the table, while Lincoln turned to the source of the sound. Their potion exploded, the force of which knocked Lincoln clear across the room, destroying the front of his orange shirt in the process.

"Goodness me! Is everyone alright?" Miss Grimwood asked as she swatted away the smoke.

"I think so…" Sibella coughed as she tried to fan the smoke away.

"We're ok over here." Winnie called from under a table.

"Shields active. No damage to report." Milly said, a shimmering shield surrounding herself and her partner, Gila.

"Lisa...I think you put too much nitro in that…" Lincoln groaned, his head feeling like it was spinning.

"Lincoln? Are you ok?" Elsa asked, running over to where he had hit the wall.

"...I think so…" The white haired lad said, after taking a moment to shake his head and clear it.

"Miss Grimwood! Lincoln got caught in the blast!" The reanimated teen called out, the middle aged headmistress, Sibella, Tanis, and Phantasma all hurrying over beside her.

"Oh no.." Sibella gasped. Lincoln didn't look too bad. He wasn't cut by the shattered glass, but his torso had gotten a little burned. She helped him up and pulled off the ratty remains of his signature shirt, noticing a nasty bruise on his back.

"I'm alright... I think.." He repeated, wincing. "I'm kinda used to explosions…living with Lisa."

"I don't like the look of that…" Elsa commented with a frown as she pointed at the bruise on his back, grabbing their healing potion from the table. "This is going to burn, but it'll help…"

"Thanks ElSAAAAH!" Lincoln nearly screamed as the potion was poured onto his back. She wasn't kidding; it burned like all Hades.

"I'm sorry, Lincoln...I overheated the mixture.." Phantasma apologized, her eyes filled with tears.

"Accidents...happen...Phanty." The middle loud said through gritted teeth. While his skin burned, the bruise was fading away as if by magic. After a few seconds, the burning ebbed away, but so did the pain in his back. "..that feels much better. Thanks, Elsa."

"You're welcome, partner." Elsa replied with a smile. "The potion works perfectly."

"Does it work on burns?" He looks down at his bright red chest and stomach.

"I'm afraid not, dear...but I can help there. Just hold still." Miss Grimwood gently placed her hand on his chest, making him grimace in pain. Her dark hair started to flow as if a torrent of wind was unleashed under her. The burned parts started to glow, then disappear. The magic left a tingling sensation on his skin, making Lincoln chuckle and giggle for a few seconds. "There we go. That should do it." She said with a smile as her hair soon set back in place, the burn completely gone.

"Thank you, Miss Grimwood."

"You're quite welcome, dear." She stepped back as Phanty, Tanis, and Winnie all rushed Lincoln, giving him a hug after hearing he was going to be alright along with Sibella and Elsa. Gosuki soon joined them, pulling them all into a big bear hug.


Later that evening, after lights out, Lincoln was already asleep in bed, holding Bun Bun close to him. He was having a wonderful dream of becoming a wise, powerful warlock, using his magic to help people like a superhero. He had just fixed a burst dam with the wave of his hand, watching from afar as the people sang praises to him. A woman stepped beside him to join him. He turned his head to see who it was when a knocking at the door brought him back into the real world. He grumbled a bit, but climbed out of bed to see who it was. "Hello…" He said groggily, looking out the door. Standing there was a terrified Tanis, tears in her eyes and sniffling. "Tanis?" he asked, his big brother instincts snapping him out of his drowsy state. "What's the matter?" He stepped aside to let her in, pulling over a chair for her to sit in.

"I...had a terrible nightmare…" She sobbed quietly, taking the seat he offered her.

"A nightmare?" The youngest of the girls nodded shakily.

"A….A bad man broke into Grimwood's...Miss Grimwood was nowhere to be found. He attacked us all….we tried to fight back, but he was too strong...it came down to the man and Sibella...he knocked her down and raised his hand to her...a sharp spike flew from his hand right at her….but you jumped in the way and…...and…." Tanis broke down crying, throwing her arms around his neck. Lincoln gently hugged her back, patting her back to help calm her. While some of the younger sisters of the Loud House usually went to Lori with problems right night terrors, Lincoln himself handled his fair share of bad dreams.

"Ssssshhhh. It's ok, Tanis. It was just a dream…" He said calmly, letting her cry into his shoulder. "No bad man can get in here. Miss Grimwood has the school grounds well secured. And even if they managed to get past that, she'll be alerted to his presence, and I don't think they could stand a chance against a witch like her." He continued.

"I know...but it felt so real…" Tanis said through her sobs. "He was trying to destroy us all...and you were killed trying to protect us…" Lincoln stood up and carried the distraught young mummy over to his bed.

"Some dreams do seem real, but in the end, they can't hurt you or anyone else...unless the guy in your dreams was wearing a striped sweater and a fedora." Tanis looked fearfully at him, causing Lincoln to hastily added. "It was a joke, Tanis. He doesn't exist. He's just a character in a movie." That seemed to calm her down a little. "Sorry about that…"

"It's ok, Lincoln." She replied quietly. "I'm just really shaken…"

"Would you like to stay here with me tonight?" He offered. Tanis slowly nodded. He smiled to her and set her head onto his pillow before handing her Bun Bun and tucking her in. He went and got a spare pillow and blanket after, setting himself up on the other side of the bed.

"Thank you, Lincoln…"

"What are friends for, Tanis?" He asked, leaning over to give her a soft kiss on the forehead. "Good night."

"Good night...big brother." She whispered as she closed her eyes. Lincoln blinks in surprise as he heard that, but then smiles warmly to her before making himself comfortable on his side of the bed.


Wednesday

Unlike most school days, the first class of Wednesday didn't start until nine, which gave the early risers like Lincoln a chance to get things together before class. After getting a shower and some breakfast, Lincoln was going over his report for history class; proofreading it specifically when he heard a knock at the door. "Lincoln…? Are you there?" It was Gila's voice.

"Yeah, I'm here. What's up?" He asked, putting his report back into his backpack.

"I'd...like to talk to you for a bit…" The fish girl replied nervously.

"Certainly. What's on your mind?" He sat down by the door, ready to listen.

"I'd..like to ask you about humans...and I'd like you to be honest." She explained, getting comfortable on the opposite side of the wall from him.

"I see. With regards to the stories you've heard?" She nodded, though he couldn't see this. He got the impression she had nodded, though.

"Do...humans all eat fish?" She asked nervously.

"Truth be told, not all humans, but the majority do, myself included." He answered. Gila shivered in fear, but she could tell he was being truthful. "Just like how not all humans fish."

"Not all humans fish?"

"No. In fact, there are those who are opposed to it, for varying reasons." He told her. "Some just don't like it, some opposed to what they call animal cruelty, the list goes on."

"What are other humans like?"

"Hmmm. That's a pretty broad topic. With as many different cultures, personality types, and what not there are on this planet, there are millions of different types of humans." He answered. "Some are good, some are bad, some kindly, some selfish, some bright, some dim."

"...how about your family? How would you describe them?" While she had overheard Lincoln when he described his sisters to the others, she didn't want him to know that.

"Well, in three words each: Lori, authoritative, responsible, angry. Leni, sweet, scatterbrained, empathetic. Luna, loud, nice, spirited. Luan, funny (sometimes), helpful, devious. Lynn, athletic, loyal, hot-headed. Lucy, spooky, creative, helpful. Lana, handy, dirty, caring. Lola, graceful, vindictive, caring. Lisa, brilliant, inventive, invasive. Lily, adorable, sweet, curious."

"I think I see what you mean...such a diverse group." Gila commented. "Does it ever cause problems?"

"All the time. Lola and Lana, for example, are always clashing. But even during their worst fights, they always find a way to make up."

"Do humans usually make up after a fight like they do?"

"I wish. I mean, some do, but unfortunately, there are many who hold grudges. They start a fight with others and never let it go. And some even enjoy starting fights with others."

"That's dreadful…" A horrified Gila said.

"I agree...but it is the truth." Lincoln said with a solemn nod.

"Are most humans honest?"

"Some, yes, though not perfectly honest. I myself have told some little white lies with my friends and family. I don't think anyone on this planet is perfectly honest. However, there are many who are perfectly dishonest, making their living lying to others, usually for their own exclusive benefit."

"Well...I appreciate the fact you're being honest to me." Gila told him. "Even if it's not helping my fear…"

"I'm sorry about that, Gila. But if there is anything I want you to really take away from what I'm saying…" he started to say, not noticing as his door creeped open. "...is that there are good humans in the world. Humans who would treat you with respect, honesty and kindness. Humans-"

"-like you?" Lincoln jumped a bit as he looked to his door, seeing Gila peeking her head through. She flinched a bit, but remained there.

"...wasn't really what I was going to say, but thanks." He said with a blush and a bit of a grin before continuing. "Humans who will treat you like an equal. But it's near impossible to tell good or bad humans apart without interacting with them. Could you get hurt sometimes? Yes. But you could also find friendships that could last a lifetime."

"...thank you Lincoln."

"Anytime. Now, may I ask you to tell me a little about yourself?" he asked, looking right at her. "I never really got to know you on the first day."

"Sorry about that…" Gila looked kind of regretful about her actions on the first day as she sat down in his doorway. She was still a little too scared to be in the same room with him. "Certainly. Well, first off, while I am afraid of humans...I do like their music, but only instrumental versions. I love the sound of musical instruments."

"Which ones do you like most?" Lincoln asked, feeling that having her in the door, looking him eye to eye and having a conversation, was a massive step for her.

"Hmmm. That is a tough one. Flutes, electric guitars, accordions, the kazoo in small doses, even triangles….I don't think I found an instrument I don't like listening to, played properly. Do you play?"

"Not professionally like my sister Luna, but she did teach me guitar, the flute and the drums, and she says I'm pretty good on the stand up bass. If you want, I could show you sometime. I think I saw some instruments with Phanty's harpsichord down in the basement."

"Maybe some time." She gave him a weak smile at his offer. "I'm also a practicing martial artist."

"Really? Awesome. Which style do you practice?"

"You probably haven't heard of it. It's an underwater style my father calls 'Eel Style', specializing in swift strikes from unexpected angles. It works decently well on land, but excels underwater."

"You're right. I haven't heard of it. But then, I don't much about martial arts outside of the movies." Lincoln admitted with a chuckle. "As you could probably tell from my performance on the volleyball court, I'm not great with sports."

"Yeah, I could see that...er...no offense."

"None taken." From there, Lincoln and Gila shared a little more small talk until the time for their first class drew near. Gila bid goodbye to the human and he waved back, feeling pleased she was willing and able to talk so casually with him. Not only that, but practically face to face too. He was proud of her progress so far.


Later that evening, in his room, Lincoln was reading through an Ace Savvy trade collection in his pajamas in his room. While he usually read his comics in his underwear at home, he thought better of it here. Especially with one girl who could appear at any time. But he wasn't thinking of that right now. Right now, his focus was on the savviest superhero's battle against the villainous dice themed villain, Snake Eyes. But perhaps he should have considered it. Then maybe he would have seen the ghostly hands creeping up through his bed. But Lincoln was completely unaware, until the hands wrapped themselves around his midsection. He gasped as he was pulled up into the air by the giggling Phantasma.

"Surprise tickle attack!" She declared, digging her fingers into his stomach. Lincoln was thrown into hysterics in seconds, laughing his head off.

"Phahahahahhanty!"

"That's me! Hehehehehe!" She was chortling almost as hard as Lincoln laughed. Her ticklish assault was relentless, tickling him everywhere she could reach: his belly, his sides, ribs, even snuck her fingers into his underarms while his arms flailed around. Lincoln thrashed in his grip, trying to wiggle free. He does manage to slip out of her grasp, but she caught hold of his ankle before he could fall too far. He looks up at her as she gave him a teasing grin, wiggling her fingers over his foot. He shook his head frantically, but that only made the giggly ghost nod before her fingers danced on his sole. "Tickle tickle, Linky!" She chirped.

"Hahahahahahaha! Ok! You win Phahhahahahahahahanty! I can't tahahahahahahake it!" Lincoln cried out amidst his unstoppable guffaws. It was then that she stopped tickling him and let him go. Before he hit his bed, she swooped down and pulled him into a twirling hug, setting him down gently on the bed. "Hehehe. Phanty, you're no ghost. You're a tickle monster."

"Guilty as charged." She replied cheerfully with a small bow. "And you're such a good sport. It's what I love most about you." She added, playfully mussing up his hair. This made the human boy blush deeply. She was so distracted with giggling at his red cheeks that she didn't notice him pulling off one of her boots.

"Thanks. But you forgot one thing…"

"I did? What's that?"

"What the flip is that!?" He suddenly exclaimed, pointing behind Phantasma. She hastily turned around to find nothing there. However, she did feel a strong tickling sensation on her one bare foot. She nearly screamed with laughter, falling backwards against Lincoln. He was surprised by this, but furthered his counter attack. Her scribbled his fingers against her sole, his spectral friend soon helpless with hysterical giggles. He doesn't tickle her for long, only a few seconds before he stopped. "You forgot that what's good for the goose is good for the ghostly gander." He added with a smirk. Phantasma didn't say a word, her head slowly rotating around. The smirk vanished from his face as he saw a glare on her face he would usually associate with a very displeased Lori. "P...Phanty?" He asked nervously as she turned her whole body to face. "What's wrAAAAH!" He was about to ask what was wrong, but Phanty lunged at him before he could finish. Lincoln expected he was about to receive a pounding for his little stunt. What he didn't expect was for the spirited soul to be hugging him tightly and giving him a big kiss on the cheek.

"Gotcha again." She gloated playfully. "But credit where credit is due. You got me good too."

"So...you aren't mad at me?" He asked, trying to make sure he understood the situation correctly.

"Heck no! I love to laugh and I can take prank as good as I give it. Sorry if I spooked you too much."

"Heh. Don't give it a second thought. Say, as long as you're here, want to read a few comics with me?" He offered, though he doubted she'd accept. Phanty took a quick glance at the open comic on his bed and considered his offer a moment.

"Sure." She answered simply, floating over to lay down beside Lincoln, smiling as she put an arm around him while they started to read the first few pages together.


Thursday

"That's it, Lincoln. Just like that." Winnie said with a smile as she watched Lincoln set the volleyball back over the net. With some free time after lunch till the next evening class, she decided to coach her friend in volleyball. She wanted him to have a chance to play in the big game with the rest of the team, but he needed a lot of training to get to that level. Right now, they were just volleying the ball back and forth, with the sporty werewolf occasionally making Lincoln chase after the ball to return it. "Keep moving. Keep up that hustle."

"Thanks….again Winnie…" Lincoln wheezed as he ran clear across the court to set the spheroid back. He was getting pretty exhausted, but as Lynn always said; no pain, no gain.

"Anytime, Linc." She responded cheerfully. "You got the set down, but that's the easy part. Next one is pretty easy too: the bump." When her opponent returned the ball, Winnie placed her arms and hands together to bounce it back with her forearms. Lincoln tried to imitate her motions, but when he swung his arms up to repel the attack, the ball bounced right into his face.

"Ow!" Lincoln stumbled back, rubbing his nose and face.

"You ok, buddy?"

"Yeah...just a little sore…" He grumbled as the pain subsided.

"Next time, don't swing your arms. Let the ball bump into your arms to bounce it back." She instructed him, catching the ball as he threw it to her. "Let's try that once more."

"Preferably with less volleyball in my face." Lincoln muttered under his breath. Winnie snickered inaudibly, her keen ears easily picking up his muttering. She takes a moment before she served again. This time, he kept his arms still like Winnie said, sending the ball back to her.

"Much better." She told him with a smile, starting to send him around the court again. Still pretty tired but determined to keep going, he continued to return whatever his friend send his way. At one point, he had to slide to bump the ball back. "Whoa, slow down buddy. We haven't covered digs yet."

"Speaking of...slowing down….can we?" Lincoln asked as he lay in the dirt. He was coated with sweat an he was breathing very heavily. Winnie ran over to him with a water bottle.

"You're really pushing yourself hard…" Winnie commented as she helped him take a drink. "Too hard…"

"I know...but my family is going to be watching the game." Lincoln explained. "And if I get a chance to play, I don't want to make a fool of myself and lose you all the game."

"If?"

"Well, I've seen you all practice. You have a lot of strong, solid players. I doubt you guys would even need to pull me off the bench. However, injuries could happen, so just in case, I want to be ready to play at least decent."

"Come on, Linc. Stop being so hard on yourself. You aren't that bad." She told him. Lincoln slowly looks at her. "Well, you aren't terrible..you've been improving."

"Thanks to your coaching, Winnie."

"Hey, you're doing your part too, pal. Putting in so much effort." She told him, giving him a playful punch in the shoulder.

"Now if only volleyballs would stop pelting me in the face." Lincoln said, glaring at the ball.

"They don't always hit you in the face." Winnie replied, picking up the ball and tossing it over her shoulder. The ball bounced off one of the posts, then bumped right into the human boy's face. It didn't hurt at all though. "...on second thought."

"Anything you can suggest about that?" He asked, brushing dust from the end of his nose.

"Maybe something to protect your face?" She suggested with a shrug, half as a joke, half because she couldn't really suggest anything else. Lincoln considered what she said for a moment, stroking his chin.

"Hmmmm. Maybe Lynn could loan me something for that." He commented quietly. "Couldn't use it in the actual game, but for practice, it would help out a lot." He nodded to himself, which kind of confused his lycan friend. "Well, I think that's enough rest for me. What's next?" He asked aloud, rubbing his hands together.

"Are you sure?" He nodded in reply, causing Winnie to shrug. "If you say so, partner." She responded, resuming her position on the opposite side of the net to continue the lesson.


As the sun set, Lincoln Loud ascended the tower to the gym. However, he wasn't going there for a workout: he had enough of a workout earlier that day. He was asked up there by Sibella. With his eagerness to learn about magic, the vampiress was only too happy to show him some of the more advanced elements of spell casting. That evening, she was going to show him how the stars could influence magic. She was standing by the window facing the Calloway school, gazing out at the rising moon when Lincoln arrived at the top of the tower. "Lincoln, you're a little early." She said as she heard him step onto the solid wood floor, smiling as she turned to face him.

"Hi Sibella." He greeted her. "Doing well tonight?"

"Simply fangtastic, Lincoln. I trust you are well?"

"Can't complain. Spent a good chunk of the afternoon practicing with Winnie."

"Hmmm. I can tell." Sibella smirked as she moved over to him, feeling the muscles on his arm (what there were of them). "You're getting more fit." Lincoln blushed quite a bit, making the vampiress giggle. "Anyway, I thought we would do something a little different tonight. As you may know, there are many factors that can contribute to the strength or weakness of certain schools of magic. Tonight, we will be exploring one of the most influential factors to spellcasting; the stars and planets." She escorts him to the window and points up to the starry night sky.

"The stars?" Lincoln sounded a little confused.

"The stars." Sibella repeated with a nod as she transformed into a bat.

"Sibella? Why did you change into a baaaaah!" He was caught completely flat footed as the ghoul girl took hold of his hand and pulled him out the window. Despite her size as a bat, she was pretty strong: more than enough to carry the scrawny Loud. It hardly made him feel better about being so high in the air though. She soon let him down upon the old roof of the tower before landing beside him and changing back in a glow of lavender light. "...a little warning next time, please Sibella…?"

"Sorry, Lincoln. But as you can see, this location does have the very best view of the stars." She laid on her back and gestured toward the sky. Lincoln slowly looked up and was amazed at the glittering splendor above him. He started to relax, laying back beside his spellcasting tutor and friend. "Ages past, when man and monster were first exploring the stars with nothing more than their eyes, a handful of clever warlocks and witches started to notice something strange regarding their magic. On certain days and certain months, certain spells seemed to have a greater effect, while others would have greatly diminished effects. At first, they thought jealous rivals were sabotaging them, but they eventually found a correlation between their spellcasting and the location of certain celestial bodies in the sky. For example, Orion the hunter." She directed his attention to the constellation just barely visible in the sky. "When he was present, offensive spells and spells of self defense were more powerful. It was an ideal time for dueling. But along with him came the star Betelgeuse, which had an influence on spells designed for guile, trickery and deceit."

"So sneak attacks were frequent during these times?" Lincoln inquired.

"Quite right. It got so bad that a code of honor and ethics needed to be established to prevent warlocks and witches from wiping each other, or the mortals, out during these times. However, if you will turn your attention to Venus…" They both gazed right above them, to the barely visible orb that was Venus. "...that planet actually cancels Orion, empowering enchantments, mind and mood altering spells instead."

"Mood altering spells?" Lincoln asked, glancing over to Sibella.

"Yes. Love spells in particular." She glanced back at him with a smirk. He hastily snapped his eyes back to the sky, his cheeks turning red again. "Hehehe. Oh, Lincoln, do you practice to be so adorable or does it come naturally?" His blush brightened even more, the vampiress delighted at his reaction.

"Er...what about the moon?" He asked quickly, pointing at the half moon peeking out over the horizon.

"Ah. The moon. Just like how it controls the tides, it can control the overall power behind a caster's spell. The full moon is when magic of all kinds are nearly at their most powerful, without the aid of other stars and planets. On the other side of the coin, a new moon brings spells to their weakest, which is when Miss Grimwood prefers to teach offensive spells. Reduces the risk of someone getting hurt. The phases in between have very little influence. However, there are three times when spells become most dangerous."

"When are those?" Lincoln asked, Sibella having his undivided attention.

"During a lunar and solar eclipse for one and two. It doesn't matter where the stars or planets are when these events take place; when an eclipse happens, spells go utterly haywire. Even the most powerful caster has trouble controlling the strength of their spells when the sun and moon meet. It's considered best to avoid using magic during these times. And finally, during a rare lunar event called the Blood Moon. During this time, all spells are at their most powerful, but it also affects the personalities of witches, warlocks and monsters alike. They become more aggressive, more hostile, lose inhibitions...in short, they become the very monsters that humans fear they are…" Sibella's smile vanished, a chill running down her spine at the thought. Usually, scary thoughts were something fun to consider, but this was a thought too frightening even for her. Lincoln noticed her look of concern and gently reached out to place his hand on hers. She snapped out of her somber musing, turning her eyes to his hand, then to the human lad beside her. Her surprise soon turned into a warm smile as she gently took hold of his hand, both of them blushing lightly. However, neither one released the hand of them other. Lincoln couldn't help but really notice the vampiress' beautiful features in the moonlight. Her long, soft hair, her smooth pale skin, her borderline hypnotic eyes...how had he not noticed them before? Perhaps the moonlight really brought them into focus. In turn, Sibella always considered Lincoln to be cute, what with his chipped tooth, those little freckles, and his shiny white hair. Not to mention how easily he blushed when she teased him. But here, in this moment, she started to notice something else. Something...enchanting.

The two stared into each others eyes for a few minutes before both realized they were staring and quickly looked back to the stars, a blush on their cheeks and a sheepish grin on their faces. After a moment of silence, Sibella glanced to Lincoln and shifted closer to him, until she was right next to him. He turned to look at her when he felt her arm touching his. They share another smile before she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Lincoln froze in place in surprise, except for one hand which slowly reached up to touch the spot where he was kissed. Sibella chortled sweetly at the look on his face before she rested her head on his shoulder, the rest of the private lesson forgotten. Instead the two simply enjoyed the night sky together on the roof of the tower.