CHAPTER 22: STOLEN THUNDER, PART 2
For the many cities that house their own superheroes, there is always one who is held higher than the rest; marked as the 'official' superhero of said town. For the city of Hillwood, it is the Green Eye; the one who had begun the legacy of superheroes in the United States. For Ocean Shores, it is the group of 4 known as Rocket Power, if they count as superheroes.
Once, the city of Royal Woods had claimed Ace Savvy as theirs. With a defeat of the fugitive known as Lars Rodriguez under his belt, it seems that his career as a superhero was only destined to get better. His success did not seem to last very long, however, as he quickly found the path of a superhero is harder to walk than one would think.
The boy under the mask, Lincoln Loud, understood that he was not entirely ready for the task he had taken, but all too late. His enthusiasm was high, but he was completely unprepared, and suffered the consequences. Having suffered some heavy defeats under supervillains like Nailbomb and Decibel, and failing to capture Icebreaker, his public opinion began to dwindle, leaving him to be vilified by the very people he was sworn to protect.
Now, after an extensive period of training provided by his sisters, Lincoln Loud was finally ready to take on the challenge of protecting the people of Royal Woods again. Unfortunately, due to his previous failed attempts, he found that it may have been all too late to save his reputation; the people turning their heads to him. On top of this, Lincoln had faced a totally new opposition: A rival superhero called the Silver Sentintel.
Having his most recent battle and win stolen from him by the aforementioned rival, Ace Savvy found the heart to continue his patrols gone; choosing to end the day by returning home. Shedding his costume and heading back inside his house, Lincoln opened the door to find a majority of his sisters greeting him to offer their sympathies over his stolen credit.
"Hey, bro, we heard about how that Silver Sentinel guy stole your kill. We're real sorry." Luna said.
"Yeah, don't worry, this day could have a silver lining. HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! Get it?" Luan asked.
"Luan, not now."
"Oh, right, sorry."
"I can't believe that they were all over him and not you. Do you have ANY idea how much work I put into that costume?!" Lola asked.
Luna gave Lola a disciplinary look, reminding her that their focus was meant to be on Lincoln.
"Er, and, uh, it sucks that they gave him all the credit, too." Lola said.
"You totally had those crazy women. Where'd this guy even come from?" Lynn asked.
"I've been doing shome exshtenshive reshearch on thish new shuperhero. It sheemsh that the Shilver Shentinel has made shomewhat of a name for himshelf in the shcity of Monopolish, but apparently deshcided to relocate here." Lisa said.
"But why? Wasn't there enough crime to fight there?" Lana asked.
"Not for long. From what I read, it sheems that he, like many other shuperheroesh, took to to proshpect of relocashtion after defeating all hish enemiesh. In other wordsh, onshce he beat all hish shupervillainsh, he went looking for new onesh, and it sheemsh that he picked here."
"But why here? Wouldn't he want to go somewhere where there's actual crime to fight?"
"He told me why he came here. Apparently, he thinks that I'm not good enough to do the job myself, so he's here to do it for me." Lincoln said.
"Really? Why would anyone think that about you? You're a great superhero!"
"Most of the bad guys I fought were idiots, and the ones that weren't beat me up. Before you guys gave me training, I sucked, and now it's coming back on me."
"But shurely you fashced no difficultiesh dishpatching the Third Wave?" Lisa asked.
"No. With you guys giving me pointers and training, I got a lot better, and I would've had it if he hadn't shown up."
"Then perhapsh the besht way to be rid of him ish to prove hish shentimentsh wrong. If the public sheesh that you are indeed capable of handling yourshelf, then perhapsh you will win them back."
"Maybe. Right now, though, I just want to get some rest. I'm real tired after all that work."
Lincoln prepared to make his way upstairs, hoping to rest off the large amount of stress accumulated from his efforts and sleep away his own troubles. Before making his way back to his room, Luna stopped him for one last note, pertraining to yet another trouble on his list.
"Hey, Lincoln, one more thing. Ronnie Anne called again asking for you. She said that she had something important to tell you." Luna said.
"Oh, uh... Right." Lincoln said.
"So... You're gonna call her, right?"
"Yeah, uh... Sometime later."
Trying to be as short and quick with his answers as possible, Lincoln continued his way up the stairs as discreetly as possible, hoping to avoid the topic as much as possible. The sisters, despite their best efforts, still could not reach Lincoln in trying to talk to him about Ronnie Anne, knowing that he would not speak to her for some unspecified reason.
"Is it me, or is he really avoidant of Ronnie Anne?" Lynn asked.
"No, it's not just you. I don't get why he's acting like this. Ever since he went out with Stella that one time, he's put all his focus on her and away from Ronnie Anne." Luna said.
"Perhapsh he no longer holdsh a romantic interesht in Ronnie Anne?" Lisa asked.
"Gee, I sure hope not. I mean, how's it all gonna work out when he hears that Ronnie Anne's-" Lana began to say.
Before Lana could finish her sentence, the collective of sisters all leaned in and shushed her, none wanting to reveal the secret too early. With a house with thin walls and poor maintenance, privacy is a hard thing to maintain, and any secrets that exist must be protected at all costs.
"Shh! Lana, we don't want to spoil it, remember? Ronnie Anne said that she wants to say it herself." Lynn said.
"Oh, yeah, right. I forgot." Lana said.
Meanwhile, Lincoln made his way up to his room, closing the door behind him and throwing his backpack on the bed, allowing the costume inside to spill out. Trying to put aside his troubles in another way, Lincoln turned to you, the reader/viewer, to try to vent out his problems.
"Figures that my big return turns out like this. I get myself back into shape, working so hard to get myself better, and I get upstaged by some shiny superman who only gets the all the attention because he looks handsome. What about me, huh? I put in my work, why aren't I seeing results from it?" Lincoln asked.
Contemplating all the events that had unfolded during his career as Ace Savvy, Lincoln looked to his costume as it laid out on the bed, thinking over where it was all going. After taking a look at the costume as it laid out, Lincoln leaped on his bed, landing on it face-first.
"And now, on top of all that, I'm still getting harped on by my sisters to talk to Ronnie Anne, and I... Look, you might not get it, but I just don't think it can work. I can't just keep talking with someone over a computer and hope it leads further. How much further can it get through a computer screen, and how could anything happen at all with my sisters, and, now, this crazy guy writing the story to force me into it? Well, at least I haven't heard from the writer or his self-insert in a while." Lincoln said.
"Did you call?" The Guy asked.
Startled from the sudden appearance of The Guy showing up on his bed, Lincoln gave a shout and jumped off his bed, landing on the floor. Having been forced to meet with the edgelord creation of the moron writing this crap based on a kid's show (A.K.A. me), Lincoln's fear quickly changed to a strong annoyance.
"Oh, great. What do you want?" Lincoln asked.
"Nothing. I just wanna talk. You probably could use a little dialogue to work out your character, right?" The Guy asked.
"Well... I guess so."
"Alright, then, lay it on me. What troubles you, my good friend?"
"Well, I don't know if I'd go so far as to call you a 'friend', considering what you forced me through with my sisters, but, if you're connected to the writer, then you know that what's troubling me is the new superhero you threw in the mix to steal my thunder. What's with that? Do you not want me to be a superhero?"
"Of course we do, but nobody can just wake up and be a hero. It's a lot of hard work. You think the other heroes in this shared universe like the Green Eye or Rocker Power got where they are by doing nothing?"
"I guess not."
"Yeah, of course not. It's about challenges and growth. Tell me, you familiar with evolution?"
"Kind of. Though the show never says, there's a good chance my family's canonically heavily religious, but I guess, if you're in charge, then that's not the case."
"Right you are, but that's not the point. Listen, you know what evolution is, right? A life form changing to survive and fit in its environment?"
"Yeah."
"Well, why do you think they change?"
"Because... if they don't, they die?"
"True, but what is it that makes them change?"
"Survival instinct?"
"Not quite. It's the environment that makes them change. A fish at sea level is suited to live in its environment; it lives in a moderate amount of sea pressure and it may not have that many predators, only just enough to keep it reproducing enough to retain its lineage. Now, imagine that this same fish goes deeper into the ocean depths. It's in a new environment now; heavier sea pressure, new and different predators, and a change in diet. It's somewhere completely new. From there, it has two options. The first option is to just give in and die. If it just says 'I can't make it' and quits, then it won't, and its lineage is over. The second option is to strive and adjust to its environment, to change its entire lifestyle to survive in its environment. And, eventually, when it starts reproducing, its offspring will take on a few new traits to survive in this environment, and they'll only get more and more suited with each generation."
"Is there a point to this pseudo-biology lesson?"
"There is. The point is, you're the fish, and, this whole get up the writer's making, that's the environment. He's trying to make you suited for the environment that he needs you to be suited for."
"But why is he doing this? Wasn't my show good enough; light-hearted humor, wholesome messages, a sense of family for those who have none? Why does it all need to be a superhero story?"
"Hell if I know. I might be his self-insert, but I ain't him. The guy's mind works at a million miles per hour, working out every possibility through his head and working out the solution he wants. Why he wants what he wants I don't know, but, if you just pull through this, you just might get to see what the plan is. So, for the sake the story, will ya stick around and see how it plays out?"
"Why not? It's not like I have a choice in the matter. After all, if I don't, you'll just make one of my sisters sexually torture me, right?"
"That's right, and I haven't even gotten to the baby yet."
"Lily?! Really?! You'd go that far?!"
"Maybe, maybe not. That all depends on how well you cooperate. Of course, I wouldn't be the only one, Blargsnarf and Garabatoz went that far. Interestingly, Shadman didn't. Wonder what it says about your morals when even Shadman won't go that far?"
"What?"
"Er, nothing. I just hope that whoever reads this doesn't go on an internet search after this. Anyways, I think I served my purpose, you've probably got it from here. I'm gonna go away now."
The Guy then disappeared; leaving no sign of his presence. While the character may have temporarily left the story, his words did not leave Lincoln, leaving him to linger on the concepts shared with him. Underneath his pragmatics and metaphors, Lincoln found some courage to continue on his path of being a superhero, dedicated once again to win the hearts of the people back.
While he may have his courage now, however, he does not yet feel ready to continue right at this moment, even though the hour still sat near noon. Needing to relax after the hard work put into his day, Lincoln sought to hang out with a friend to spend the remainder of his day. Taking out his cell phone, Lincoln looked through his contacts to find someone else to spend time with, but stopping upon seeing the amount of missed calls he had accumulated.
Just as his sisters had mentioned, Ronnie Anne had made numerous calls to him, as well as an assortment of repetitive texts and voicemails. Not having spoken to her in quite some time now, especially not after leaving the hospital, her persistence would only continue to grow, and her calls would have eventually have to be answered. For now, however, Lincoln chooses to ignore them again, still not having the heart to speak to her about his current status.
Instead, Lincoln elected to call the linchpin in what changed the affair, Stella, hoping to arrange another date. As much as he did enjoy their new dates, hoping that it would continue to lead to something higher, Lincoln still held his fear of how he was to share this infidelity with Ronnie Anne, if it indeed was. After all, with neither party particularly looking for new dates since their separation, it seemed that their relationship was still intact, albiet reduced to long-distance.
Putting this aside for now, Lincoln pressed the 'call' button, awaiting Stella's response. After a few seconds of waiting, the other line picked up, with Stella answering the call.
"Hey, Link, what's up?" Stella asked.
"Hey, Stella, you, uh, you wanna hang out?" Lincoln asked.
"Sure. I was just thinking about heading to the Burpin' Burger for some lunch, you wanna meet there?"
"Yeah, sure, that sounds great."
"Awesome. See you there, Link."
Hanging up the phone, Lincoln proceeded to make his way out the door, ready to meet with Stella at the Burpin' Burger for a shared lunch. The sisters, under the impression that Lincoln would be resting, found his actions quite strange.
"Uh, hey, Lincoln, didn't you say you were gonna rest?" Lynn asked.
"Not tired anymore. Got a date, see you later." Lincoln said.
With Lincoln heading out the door and out of their line of sight, the sisters began to question into the new relationship status between him and Stella; pondering where Ronnie Anne fit into this equation.
"You know, he's been spending a lot of time with Stella and brushing off Ronnie Anne lately. Do you think maybe he's-" Lola began to say.
Before Lola could finish her sentence, a light headache came over her, stopping her before she could complete her words and letting out a groan. While giving her temples a rub to try to relieve the pain, the others inquired her actions, not knowing the context behind her sudden display.
"Hey, Lola, what's wrong?" Lana asked.
"Ugh, I don't know. I just got a really bad headache, like I was supposed to remember something." Lola said.
"Oh, really? Was it, perhaps, a tea party with Hops and Izzy?"
Lana pulled the aforementioned pets, a frog and a lizard, respectively, preparing to place both on her twin sister. Less than interested in having a pair of slimy creatures lay on her pampered skin, Lola screamed and ran away, trying to avoid the touch of the animals.
"AHH! GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU GROSSHOG! Aw, where's Lori when you need her?!" Lola shouted.
In a slight detraction from the focus of the Louds, allow us to turn our attention from Royal Woods to Great Lakes City, where the aforementioned Lori Loud currently resides with her fiancee, Bobby Santiago. Where Lori may be away from her family following her graduation, she is not short of being part of any large or loud family, finding her stay with the Casagrandes much of the same ordeal.
However, at the current moment, all is quiet for the young woman, both in the area around her and in her own voice. Rather than speak her troubles aloud, Lori deals with an internal struggle on her own, not finding any drive to share it with others. Where she would spend a good amount of time texting or indulging in some other vapid means of entertainment, Lori finds the drive to do naught but lay on the couch; laying on her stomach.
In the midst of laying alone on the couch, Lori felt a foreign entity make its way on her back, slowly rolling its way up to her neck and eventually to her head. Not knowing what this strange object was, Lori watched in anxiety as this object made its way near her face, finally giving her a sight of what this object was. Seeing the object as it hung in front of her face, Lori instantly recognized what it was, more than familiar with her previous use of it. Seeing the pink shaft hang in front of her, Lori gave a hard blush, looking to see who would have found this private toy.
As Lori turned around to face who was holding her toy, she found Bobby standing over her, letting out a laugh as he caught a view of the expression she gave off after seeing him. While Bobby took pride in his own silly prank on his fiancee, Lori was not too amused, wishing that no one would ever find that particular item of hers again.
"Bobby, what are you doing with that?" Lori asked.
"I was looking for some clean underwear when I found this in with it. I'm flattered that you named it after me." Bobby said.
Too embarrassed to face her fiancee after seeing him hold that particular object, Lori laid back on her stomach again, facing away from the item.
"Damn it, I thought I threw that thing out." Lori said.
"What? Babe, I don't care if you have one of these, it's actually kind of hot." Bobby said.
"It's not that, Lincoln found it once and thought it was a lightsaber... and it resulted in my whole family finding out I had that. I can't even look at it without thinking about that day again."
"Oh, man, everybody found out about it?! Babe, you gotta tell me more, that's funny."
"No, Bobby, I don't want to talk about it."
"Oh, c'mon, babe, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up. Look, how about we forget about that and go get some deep dish pizza?"
"I'm not hungry right now, and that's not the problem."
"Then what's the problem? C'mon, talk to me, what's the problem?"
Lori buried her head against the cushioning of the couch, refusing to share what was troubling her. Acting as the concerned husband-to-be, Bobby began rubbing her shoulders, trying to elicit a few answers, but found his efforts unrewarded. Realizing that he would not find a result with this line of coaxing, Bobby tried for a more humorous approach to get answers.
Standing in front of the couch, Bobby turned on the toy, feeling it vibrating in his hand, pretending that it was indeed a lightsaber. To add to the illusion that the toy was a lightsaber, Bobby deepened his voice and began quoting a few famous lines from the movie in which lightsabers were conceived.
"I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner, now I am the master." Bobby said.
Despite how hard she resisted, Lori could not help but laugh at his antics, letting out a few chuckles and snickers. As Bobby continued in his play of lightsaber-fighting, Lori's repressed chuckles soon turned into full-out laughs, causing her to gasp for breath and hit the couch in hilarity.
"That's the kind of happy Lori I like to see. Now, tell me, what's bothering you?" Bobby asked.
"Well... it's just that I just miss my family. I mean, I do love being here, especially with you, but I'm just not used to being away from them for so long. I can't even imagine what it'll be like when we go to college. It's already been hard like this." Lori answered.
"Oh, babe, I know, I know. I might not have had my big family as long as you have, but I'm gonna miss them when we head off, too. If anything, we've always got each other, right?"
"Yeah, but still. It's just... growing up just happens to fast, you know?"
"You can say that again. I guess that's why Ronnie Anne and I get along so well together; it's like I get to be a kid a little longer when I'm with her."
"Hmm... Maybe we can make ourselves a situation where we can have a kid with us, if you know what I mean."
"Uh, I don't- Oh! Oh, you mean- Well, don't you wanna wait until after college first?"
"Just kidding... for now. After all, you and I were in big families for a while, maybe we ought to have a big one of our own."
"Well, that does sound like a pretty nice life, but we'd have to make sure we're financially good for it."
"Then how about you make an investment?"
Seeking some emotional comfort in the moment, Lori placed her lips against Bobby's, placing the two in a kiss. Allowing their kissing to elevate to something only slightly warmer, needing to keep their actions friendly to the family within, Bobby leaned back and let Lori lay over him, allowing the two to continue comfortably.
As the pair continued on their session, they were met with an unintended audience; the seating housing one disgusted Ronnie Anne. Having been gifted 4th-wall breaking abilities by Lincoln, Ronnie Anne sought to share her concerns with you, the reader/viewer, finding a listening ear to lay her troubles on through you.
"And here, we are in the presence the wild Lori and Bobby bears in their mating ritual, quite common to see in this portion of the woods. Seriously, though, it was bad enough watching these two call and text each other constantly, now I have to see something worse, and up close. Eh, sorry to drag my problems on you like this, but it's not like I have anyone else to talk to. I haven't even gotten a part in this story for, what, 20 chapters now? I really just wish that Lame-O would just answer my calls, I got a good surprise for him. Maybe these two know what's going on." Ronnie Anne said.
Looking for answers as to why Lincoln was not returning her calls and texts, Ronnie Anne made her approach to the two young people in their makeout session, giving their kissing and groping a premature stop; the only kind of premature stop appropriate for this situation. Seeing Ronnie Anne approach and give a signalling cough, Lori and Bobby ended their moment almost immediately, not wanting to display their private moment any further, especially not to someone too young to witness it.
"Oh, uh, hey, Ronnie Anne, what's up?" Bobby asked.
"From the way your pants look, you are. Do you mind getting that out of my sight?" Ronnie Anne asked.
Noticing the results of his private moment of Lori showing a rather embarrassing consequence, Bobby closed his legs together and readjusted his pants, hiding the display from his sister's sight.
"Eh, sorry. We thought we were alone." Bobby said.
"Yeah, whatever. Anyways, I don't suppose you guys know what's going on with Lincoln, do you?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"What do you mean? Is something wrong?" Lori asked.
"So it seems. He hasn't answered a single one of my calls or texts for over a month, not even doing our weekly web-chats. He didn't even call me to tell me he was alright after he got out of the hospital."
"Really?! Why wouldn't he call?"
"If I knew, I wouldn't be asking you."
"Well, did you try today?" Bobby asked.
"Like, half an hour ago. I've gotten nothing. I didn't get to tell him yet."
"Well, then, that does it. I'm getting him on the phone right now." Lori said.
Lori pulled out her cell phone and proceeded to dial up Lincoln, aiming to put an end to the lack of communication once and for all. Having a different idea to fix the problem, Bobby placed his hand over her phone, preventing her from finishing her dial.
"Hey, babe, wait, maybe we can turn this into something else. Ronnie Anne, you said you didn't tell him yet, right?" Bobby asked.
"Yeah?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"Well, then, why don't we just make the whole thing a surprise? Just picture how he'd look when he sees."
Finding Bobby's approach far more interesting, Ronnie Anne found her frustration turned to intrigue, changing her mindset to the issue. Liking her brother's idea far better, Ronnie Anne found herself agreeing to his plan, giving a nod after a moment of contemplation.
"Lori, put the phone down. I think I like his idea better." Ronnie Anne said.
"Are you sure? I don't like that he hasn't said a word to you this whole time, even from the hospital." Lori said.
"I can live with it for the sake of surprise, and I'll get him back later. Besides, you always value that stupid picture of me and Lame-O kissing at Jean Juan's, just imagine the picture you'd get when you see me and him again."
"O-M-G, that is literally the best idea ever! You're right, Ronnie Anne, I'll let it stay a surprise."
As Lori put her phone away, Ronnie Anne turned to you, the reader/viewer, for one last piece of exposition, sharing a few last thoughts on her mind.
"I bet you're probably really confused as to what's gonna happen next, but most of you put together that I'm coming back soon. When that happens, you can all rejoice when you see me and the Lame-O back again. I still love the guy, don't get me wrong, but I still love to mess with him. I guess I just do that to everybody I love." Ronnie Anne said.
Not familiar with Ronnie Anne's 4th wall breaking abilities, Bobby looked to Ronnie Anne's line of sight in confusion, hoping to find who she was speaking to. Alas, much like everyone else who tried to peer into the 4th wall with another, Bobby found nothing, feeling some concern over his sister's mental health.
"Uh... Who are you talking to?" Bobby asked.
"She gets it from Lincoln." Lori said.
Back in Royal Woods, moving back to our protagonist, Lincoln Loud sits at a small dining table with Stella, fulfilling the dinner date at Burpin' Burger as planned. Where Stella opted for a regular burger with simple toppings, Lincoln customized his to have buffalo sauce, a soft taco, an apple pie, and a scoop of chocolate ice cream.
"So, how far along are you?" Stella asked.
"Huh?" Lincoln asked.
"With the way you eat, people'd think you're a pregnant woman."
"Heh. Well, what can I say? I guess I just recently picked up a taste for weird food."
"Just recently? What caused it?"
"Puberty."
Realizing the disgusting turn that the conversation took as Lincoln gave his answer, he immediately retracted the comment, hoping to save the two some embarrassment.
"Uh, sorry. My, uh, dad recently gave me a talk about..." Lincoln trailed.
"Oh, 'the talk'?" Stella asked.
"Yeah, I can't get over it, especially how detailed my dad got. I'm guessing you had a similar talk?"
"Yeah. Believe me, it wasn't any easier, having my mom and dad explain all that to me."
"Blech, yeah. I hope I never see a vagina for the rest of my life."
"In a few more years, you'll say the complete opposite, trust me, you're a guy. Or, maybe you'll hope to see the other thing, if you know what I mean."
"What? Oh, no, no, no, I'm not gay, I-"
"I'm just kidding, Lincoln. We all have to go through a lot of crap as teenagers, and you're no exception."
"You say that like you're already one."
"Girls mature faster than guys, Linc. Remember, from biology class?"
"Oh, that's right."
"Yeah."
"Well, sorry I had to bring up that gross topic. Hope I didn't spoil your appetite."
"If I can watch you eat that thing somehow, then nothing'll spoil my appetite. Actually, I'm real glad that I got to see you today, there's a few things I wanted to talk to you about, if you don't mind."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah. A lot of your friends and family look to you for some advice, I was thinking you could help me out with something."
"Well, just to warn you, most of them come back at me in around the end of the 2nd act of the episode to make me fix it again, so, fair warning if it doesn't help."
Stella gave a chuckle to Lincoln's warning, perceiving his warning as another of his jokes.
"Okay, but, seriously, just can you please answer this for me?" Stella asked.
"Sure, ask away." Lincoln said.
"Alright. Well, going back to what we were just saying, it's about my dad, and growing up."
"Okay."
"You remember what I told you back when we first went for comics at the mall? How I told you about my dad being retired, and wanting me to follow in his footsteps?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, maybe 'retirement' wasn't exactly the right word. He was just sort of... out of work for a while, then found some again. But he still wants me to carry on the whole family tradition."
"What's the tradition?"
"It's a... It's a private thing, really. Talking to you about it is a little much. But, let's just say, my whole life, he's been training me for getting ready for 'my turn', and, well, I'm not completely sure that I want to do it. Like we were saying then, we're just kids, and we've got our own interests to finds."
"Right. Well, I don't know if it helps or not, but I... Let's say I found an interest of my own."
"Really? What is it?"
"It's, uh... It's also kind of a private thing. But it is really important to me."
"Fair enough. But, the point is, I'm not sure that I'm completely ready to take it on. There's... let's call it an 'heirloom' he wants to give to me, but I'm not sure that I want it. I just want to live my own life, you know?"
"I know exactly what you mean. This recent 'interest' of my own, I have a similar situation."
"You do?"
"Yeah. There's a lot of things that I want to do, but there are some... forces... that prevent me from doing some of them, trying to make me do what they want. I'm still able to pursue my own interest, but I still manage to balance it with that."
"So, you're saying that you still manage to work it all out?"
"I try to for sure. I've got a life of my own and all, but I still have my own responsibilities. Besides, I might not have anything important passed down like that to me from my own family, but it obviously sounds like something important. If your dad trusts you enough for that, then I guess he must love you a lot."
Feeling an elation in her own troubles with Lincoln's advice, Stella felt her heart warm, driving her to give Lincoln a kiss on the cheek, rewarding his efforts. Taking pride in receiving yet another display of affection from Stella, Lincoln felt a strong sense of accomplishment in his efforts, feeling his concentration leave him temporarily.
"Oh... Well... Have any other problems I can fix for you? I can take the same payment." Lincoln asked.
"Ha, you're always funny, Lincoln. Thanks again for the advice. I'm still kind of hungry, you up for a milkshake?" Stella asked.
"Sure."
"I'm getting strawberry, what kind do you want?"
"Maybe chocolate banana... with onions and peanut butter."
And, so, the lunch date between the two lingered on for some time longer, eventually coming to an end with both parties returning back home. For once, it had seemed that Lincoln had built himself a stable relationship, and found his next rest much more comfortable; his sleep just a bit easier.
However, with the prospect of Ronnie Anne returning, there still remains much for him to answer for, and an unfinished relationship to settle. Moreover, with the new introduction of the Silver Sentinel, his path to rise back to popularity will not be an easy one, and much lays on his mind to solve this problem.
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That's it for now. Go away. I'll have another chapter for you some other time.