Well, I did it. I did a suggestion. To the guest and SomeBloke420, I did your suggestion. And for the people in the know, the title should give it away. Though to the guests, do any of you guys have accounts?
Anyways, here we go.
"Was it just me, or did breakfast taste even better than usual?" Lynn Jr asked as the rest of the sisters sat themselves back in front of the machine. It had been a while since the group had been able to sit down and come together due to their busy schedules.
"Well, Lincoln's been helping dad with the meals on occasion." Lori responded. "I think Dad and Lincoln are actually getting closer doing that."
"Really, Lincoln has been helping with the meals lately?!" Lynn Jr couldn't help drooling. "Man, if he gets as good as his chef version, imagine a meatball grinder made by him… Oh man, someone hand me a paper towel…"
"Seriously?!" Lola exclaimed as Lana got out a rag from her pockets and handed it to Lynn Jr. Lynn Jr looked over it a bit before using to wipe her drool away. "If Lincoln ever gets that good at cooking, you want him to make you A SANDWICH?!"
"What can I say?" Lynn Jr shrugged. "A girl likes what she likes."
"Alright, quiet on the set!" Luan called out as Lisa turned on the machine, the screen shifting to another world.
The night sky loomed overhead a field of green. Off in the distance, a slightly run down church stood, functional yet clearly having lost some of its luster. It was here that three figures walked across the plains.
The first was a young blonde blue eyed woman, wearing modern clothing: boots, stockings, a skirt, a blue waistcoat over a red top, and a red scarf. The other notable thing about her was the clip in her hair that resembled a lily.
The second person, carrying a suitcase, was a bit more of a anomaly. His clothing, consisting of a plain brown tweed jacket with elbow patches, a checkered dress shirt, a red bow tie, braces, rolled up navy-blue trousers and black tan loafers, looked worn and used. The other notable thing about him was his white hair and the slightly chipped teeth poking through his lips.
"There's Lincoln!" Lana pointed like she was playing a game of Where's Waldo.
"What exactly is he wearing?" Lola asked, looking a bit disquieted.
"I know." Leni agreed. "This Lincoln like totally needs a wardrobe update."
"I don't know, dudes. I think he looks pretty spiffy." Luna said, defending this Lincoln's choice in clothing.
"Have to agree with Luna!" Luan said, nodding her head. "Don't know about the rest of the stuff, but that bowtie of his sure looks good on him!"
Lori rubbed her chin, looking at the female. "Guys, is it me, or does the girl look kinda familiar?"
Lisa looked at the screen and the third person before her eyebrow raised up a little. "Lori, I think that more importantly, you should see who the third person is."
The third person was a red haired man carrying an easel. His clothing by contrast of his companions looked a lot more rustic. He had a straw hat, a brown long coat over a beaten brown vest and dusty black pants, with a pair of plain brown shoes.
"OH MY GOD! THAT'S VINCENT VAN GOKH! EEEEEE!"
Everyone turned to the person that just fangirled.
"Leni, did you just nerd out?" Lori asked with a raised eyebrow.
Leni looked around, clearly looking insulted. "What? I can't appreciate how Mr. Van Gokh paints the prettiest pictures?"
"Frankly, I think we're just surprised that you even know who he is." Luan admitted.
"By the way," Lynn Jr interjected. "Why are you saying his name like that? I thought it was Van Gogh."
"Actually," Lisa said as she adjusted her glasses. "Leni is actually saying it correctly. Well, as correctly as an native english speaker can speak the dutch pronunciation."
The trio stopped a distance away from the abandoned church, the now identified Vincent van Gogh, setting down his equipment. As he got out his paints, he looked to Lincoln. "Are you certain this will work?"
Before Lincoln could speak up, the blonde woman spoke up. "Yes, the painting you're going to make of that building was where you painted that creature. Since it is invisible, we're going to need your help."
Vincent stared at her a bit, before nodding. "Okay."
"So...They need Vincent van Gogh to help them track down an invisible monster? ...That's new." Lola commented.
"Lincoln and that lady are definitely time travelers." Lana replied.
"Seriously, that lady seems familiar. I just can't put my finger on it." Lori said, staring hard at the blonde woman on the screen."
With that, the painter got out his paints and began to paint.
He would look at the building, the environment surrounding it, before selecting the right shade to describe it on the easel. He applied the color in broad strokes, or tiny dips. His view switched from easel to subject regularly, the painting on the easel starting to take form.
All this took hours…
At least assuming this while Lisa fast forwarded the footage.
"Lisa! I was watching a master at work!" Leni complained, looking utterly annoyed at the genius.
"No offense, Leni, but as much as your appreciation for van Gogh's artistic process is astonishing, I doubt that there is much we can actually observe from the process."
"UMM!"
Lisa sighed. "That frankly wouldn't bore the rest of us."
Finally, Vincent van Gogh looked at the easel, then at the building. More specifically, at one window of the building. "There."
Lincoln and the woman quickly went over, looking over Vincent's shoulder at the window, before looking back on the painting. There, a black blot was at the window.
"Alright then," Lincoln said as he picked up his briefcase. "I'm going in."
Vincent stood up from his seat. "I'm coming too."
Lincoln looked utterly aghast. "What? NO! You're Vincent van Gogh! No."
Vincent quickly looked over Lincoln's person, an incredulous expression now on his face. "You have no weapons! You're not armed!"
Lincoln simply smiled. "Of course I am!"
"With what?" Vincent asked sarcastically.
"Overconfidence, this bag, and a small screwdriver."
"That's strange. Lincoln would probably have had a better plan than that." Lucy remarked.
Luan nodded. "I know, like he would have been…"
The comedian cleared her throat, before speaking in a eleven year old boy's voice. "Alright, guys, to catch this monster, I'm going to need 12 sticks, about two feet of rope, and a piece of cheese, okay? Operation: lure-the-monster-with-cheese-into-a-trap-and-come-up-with-a-shorter-name-for-this-operation is a go!"
Lynn Jr guffawed. "You definitely channeled our Lincoln there!"
"Far as I'm concerned, I'm sorted. I just need to find the right prozactic setting and stun him. Sonic never fails."
"Definitely time travelers." Lana nodded her head.
"Wonder what they mean by that?" Lisa mused to herself, getting out her observation notebook.
Vincent fell silent as he stared at Lincoln. Lincoln ignored the painter as he turned to the blonde woman.
"Okay, here's the plan. Lily, Rory-"
"LILY?!" Everyone reacted, their eyes bugging open. Lisa dropped her notebook, Lori her phone.
"Wow, so that's Lily when she gets older?" Leni held a hand to her lips. "My gosh, she looks beautiful!"
"Hello?" Luna said, lightly rapping on Leni's head with her knuckles. "Are you forgetting about the fact that this Lincoln just brought Lily to an area with a MONSTER IN IT?!"
"Oh… that's bad."
"...Who's Rory?!" Lori asked, feeling a bit of protectiveness over this older Lily.
"Who?" Lily asked, looking confused.
"Right, sorry. Lily, Vincent-"
"Yes?" "Yeah?"
Lincoln pursed his lips.
"Okay, I admit that I really don't have a plan for this. The only definite one I have is that I'm definitely using this screwdriver for screwing in screws in the future… Wish me luck."
"...Are we sure this is a Lincoln?" Lucy couldn't help asking.
With that, Lincoln entered the church. A few moments later, Vincent and Lily looked at each other.
"We're not letting the Doctor go alone, are we, Lily?"
Lily looked back at the painter, before mischievously grinning.
"Absolutely not." She said as she started for the door. Vincent stared at her, before snapping out of it, taking the painting off his easel and following after the blonde.
"NO, GET OUT OF THE CHURCH AND LET LINCOLN HANDLE IT LILY! DON'T PUT VINCENT VAN GOGH IN DANGER!" Lori shouted.
"Sheesh, Lori, we're still here." Lola said, rubbing her ears.
Meanwhile, inside the ruins, Lincoln was looking around, his suitcase now gone and a strange metal stick in his hand.
"Here, Mr. Creature… Where are you?"
"Doctor!"
Lincoln turned to see Lily and Vincent appear around a corner.
"Didn't I tell not to bring Vincent here?"
Before Lily could answer, Vincent's eyes widened.
"DOCTOR, IT'S ON YOUR LEFT!"
The Doctor nodded, quickly pointing at the space with his metal stick.
"Wait, how can Vincent van Gogh see an invisible monster anyway?" Lana asked.
"Well…" Leni said as she rubbed her chin. "If I remember correctly, his head was very sick at times, and some people thought that was ho he had such a way with painting. So maybe what's making him headsick is also allowing him to see the monster…"
Lisa stared at her, feeling her role as the scientist being diminished. "Yes...what she said. Mind you, I would say it a bit more advanced."
"Alright, how do you like this?"
Lincoln pushed the button, and the stick began to emit a strange noise.
Vincent looked confused.
"Doctor...I think it likes it."
Lincoln looked back. "I beg your pardon?"
"Whatever you're doing, is the creature supposed to like it?"
"...Huh."
"...That is way too much information." Luan remarked, her tongue out in disgust.
With that, Lincoln stopped his noise, grabbed a piece of wood, threw it in the creature's general direction, then immediately ran back to Lily and Vincent.
"Retreat, retreat for now!"
As Lincoln and Lily began to leave, Vincent stared at the creature.
"Vincent! Come on!" Lily called out, with Lincoln looking back as well. The white haired man came over and clasped Vincent's shoulder.
"Vincent, are you okay?"
The painter looked at Lincoln.
"There's something strange about this creature. I need to see it a bit more!"
Lincoln stared at him, before quickly looking around.
"Everyone, to the confessional!"
The three ran into the broken down confessional, packing into it like sardines in a tin, and closing the door behind them.
"Well, this is quite the situation we're in." Lincoln commented.
"Truthfully, I remember worse." Lily replied.
"You mean these two were on more adventures beside 'invisible monster hunting with Vincent van Gogh?'" Lynn Jr. asked, one of her eyebrows raised.
"It's van Gokh." Leni corrected Lynn Jr.
The athlete stared at her, her mouth hanging open.
Vincent van Gogh didn't say anything as he peered through the door, observing the creature.
"Doctor, there is something strange about this creature." Vincent commented.
Lincoln nodded. "Yes, I figured that much. If I remember correctly, a krafeyis are pack animals. So where is its pack?"
"Ah, a chance to study another alien species." Lisa couldn't help but grin as she took her notebook up.
Vincent and Lily looked at him a little confused before Vincent continued. "That's not all. There is something strange about the way that this creature moves, how it acts with the world around it. I mean, there honestly seems to be no rhyme or reason for its actions. A creature that would be lashing out at the world would have more blood on its hands than just one girl. Yet, this creature seems like it doesn't perceive the world around it..."
Like that, a lightbulb went off in Lincoln's head.
"Doctor?" Vincent van Gogh asked. Lily looked at Lincoln weirdly. There was a strange light in the doctor's eyes.
"I have another idea."
"I doubt the monster is actually going to let you get the cheese, Lincoln." Lola snarked.
With that, Lincoln walked out of the confessional, into a large space. Both Vincent and Lily looked at each other, wondering what Lincoln was trying to do. He looked around, as if looking harder would allow him to perceive the creature. Then he spoke.
"Listen… I don't know if you can understand me right now, but I know that I understand you. I know you must be scared, that you don't know what to do without your pack. I...I also don't belong on this planet. I am also alone. If you trust me, then maybe you can come to some kind of, you know, understanding. And then… who knows…"
Silence loomed over the church, before it was shattered by a roar. Lincoln was immediately swatted, flying through the air before landing in front of the confessional. Lily and Vincent immediately left the safety of the confessional, both immediately at Lincoln's side. Looking back, Vincent saw the creature pouncing at them.
"NO!" Vincent shouted, quickly stepping in front of Lily and Lincoln.
A moment later, the invisible creature crashed into Vincent, sending him sprawling to the ground. The painter held up his hands, a desperate last gesture born of ingrained survival tendencies to stave off the sure death that awaited him. A few moments later, he opened his eyes, wondering why the creature hadn't moved to disembowel him.
The krafeyis slumped to the side, impaled by Vincent's easel.
"..." The girls stared at the carnage that had just happened.
"What a way to go…" Luna grimaced.
Lynn Jr noticed Lucy a bit more stiller than she usually was.
"Hey, Lucy, are you alright?"
"How unbearably tragic…" Lucy whispered.
"Huh?"
Lincoln immediately went to the creature's side, placing a hand, before shaking his head. "The wound, it's too great…"
Lily came over and held out a hand to Vincent. "Vincent, are you alright?"
Vincent didn't pay attention as he got a good look at the creature, staring into its eyes.
Its unseeing eyes.
"He...He wasn't without mercy. He was without sight. I didn't mean for that to happen. Maybe wound, but…"
The Krafeyis began to make sounds. Lincoln's eyebrows furrowed.
"He's saying something."
Vincent looked up. "What is he saying?"
"I'm...I'm scared. I'm scared."
"Oh no...Poor Krayfish…" Lana couldn't help but feel pity.
On any other day, the rest of the sisters would have reminded that the 'krayfish' had killed someone. Yet, that last line really did tug on their heartstrings.
Vincent looked back down at the Krayefis before laying his hands on him.
"He's scared, and he lashes out. Like humans, they lash out when they scared too."
Lily came over and pu her own hands on the creature. Lincoln looked downcast.
"Don't worry. You're not alone. You're not alone…"
They stayed with the creature until he took his last breath.
"Bros...That was heavy." Luna couldn't help saying.
"Yeah." "Yep." "Definitely."
"So, should we go ahead and stop this?" Lisa said as she reached for the power button.
"WAIT!" Leni said.
Lori looked at her sister. "Leni, what is it?"
"I don't know. I just have this feeling."
The next day, Vincent van Gogh watched as Lincoln and Lily put away their things in a blue phone booth, the walls giving nothing away to what's inside. Finally, the two shook hands with the painter.
"Well, Vincent. It was quite an eventful time that we have spent with you. But we do have to get going."
Vincent nodded. "I will miss you terribly. Both of you...especially you, Miss Lily."
Lily shyly smiled back. "If we have the time, we'll come back!"
Everyone's jaw dropped.
Lori spoke up. "...D-Does Vincent van Gogh-"
"van Gokh."
"Thank you, Leni! If you mind, as I was saying...Does Vincent van Gogh have a crush on Lily?"
Everyone looked at each other.
"I think it's cute." Leni said, drawing disgusted glances from the rest of her sisters.
"Lily's a baby!" Lynn Jr reacted.
"Our Lily, not that Lily." Leni replied.
"..."
Lola looked between Lynn Jr and Leni. "Did she just correct you twice...correctly?"
"..."
Lincoln nodded. "Yes, try not to get into any trouble while we're gone, okay?"
Vincent's smile dimmed a bit. "Doctor my friend, we have fought monsters together and we have won. I fear I will not do so well on my own."
"A stark reminder of his fate." Lucy sighed.
Luan groaned. "Come on, Lucy. No depressing stuff."
As Vincent van Gogh turned his back and began to leave, Lily turned to look at Lincoln.
"Doctor…" Lily said, her tone clearly begging. Lincoln looked between Lily and the departing van Gogh, clearly looking like he was wrestling with himself over the issue. Finally, the internal debate ended, and he gave a small smile to Lily as he ran over to Vincent. Hearing the sudden footsteps behind him, the painter turned around.
"Yes?"
"Wait, are they going to…"
"That...doesn't seem possible." Lisa said as she thought about the hypotheticals. "I mean, if you take Vincent van Gokh, and yes I said it correctly, Leni, out of the timeline, doesn't that mean that Vincent van Gokh never had any influence on the timeline, and the future won't be the desired one that they wish to show him…"
"Vincent…" Lincoln started as he thought to himself of how to broach the subject. Finally, he decided to just go ahead and ask. "Before we go, if you like, there is a certain place we plan on going that we are certain that you rather enjoy, and that is why I'm inviting you to come with us. Would you like that?"
Vincent stared at him, before smiling and nodding. "It's alright. Not like I have anything right now that demands my attention."
Lincoln smiled back as he took Vincent by the shoulders, and the two began to walk back to the blue phone booth and Lily. As Lily saw them approach, she opened the doors, the interior of the phonebooth clearly more than what it should have been. Vincent van Gogh looked a bit apprehensive at first, before a gentle squeeze on the shoulder made him turn around to face Lincoln, who looked a little sheepish.
"Yeah, should have mentioned that. It's a little bigger on the inside."
Vincent van Gogh slightly chuckled before entering the phonebooth, followed by Lincoln and Lily.
Inside, Vincent van Gogh looked around, his eyes wide as he observed the interior of Lincoln's machine. He wasn't lying when he said that the interior was bigger. Even now, he was trying to wrap his head around the idea that the outside hid such a space. He could lay down and still have more than enough room.
"...That's is just a violation of physics." Lisa couldn't help but remark.
Nonetheless, the rest of the sisters couldn't help but drool at the idea of more space contained in a smaller area.
"A bigger closet…" Lori, Leni and Lola couldn't help dreaming.
"You think if I was there, that Lincoln would let me poke around?" Lana absentmindedly asked.
However, his full attention was focused on Lincoln standing in front of a pillar in the middle, manipulating the levers and buttons on it with the same adroitness of a skilled painter. Just as he was about to pull one last lever, he turned to look at Vincent.
"I would suggest holding onto something!" With that, he pulled the lever, and the interior shook.
Suddenly, in the middle of an alleyway, Lincoln's machine appeared. The door opened, and the three stepped out into the city. Vincent van Gogh's eyes went wide as his head practically went around on a swivel.
"W-Where are we?" He asked with the wonderment of a child in a new place.
Lincoln and Lily turned to face him.
"Paris, 2010 AD." Lincoln said as he pointed to a specific building. "And that is the Musee d'Orsay. Home to the greatest paintings ever created!"
Vincent van Gogh smiled, though his eyes had a flash of melancholy. "Oh, that's wonderful!"
Then the painter's eyes were drawn to a passerby's cellphone as the person passed by, his eyes stuck on the screen.
"Wow, look up from your phones for a bit, and you could have seen someone famous." Lori remarked, shaking her head.
'Must resist...Must resist…' All of the sisters mentally chanted to themselves.
"Oh, ignore that. Come on!" Lincoln said, gesturing to the museum. Lily went over and tugged on Vincent's arm, the painter allowing her to pull him along.
Inside, Vincent looked absolutely starstruck, his hat in his hands as his eyes practically drank in all the sights and sounds. Paintings and statues adorned the walls and hallways, and people stared at these sights in awe and wonder. More than once, Lincoln or Lil had to tug on his arm or his sleeve to make him continue moving. All the while, both Lincoln and Lily looked like they were visibly holding themselves to walks.
Finally, the trio came to another wing of the museum, yet there was something different about this specific wing. It was smaller, yet a lot more people seemed to hang around in it, pointing and staring at the paintings within. Vincent van Gogh noticed that both Lincoln and Lily were slowing their walks, turning around to face him. They must have wanted him to see this particular wing.
Why?
"Oh my god, they're really going to do it!" Leni couldn't help smiling.
"But it just doesn't seem possible…" Lisa remarked.
Walking into the area proper, he stopped. His mind paused while his feet continued moving, remnants of a command from his brain to keep moving, like a rock rolling downhill and still having momentum. Finally, he stopped in the middle of the room, allowing his brain to truly comprehend what he was seeing, his mouth slightly hanging open.
Paintings were here, his paintings.
Vincent van Gogh stood there, holding his hat in his hands, as he turned around, just trying to get it through his head, to accept the reality that he was seeing. His paintings, rubbish as far as he thought, were hanging in a personal wing of a prestigious museum, with people from all walks of life came near and far to see them. It was...unbelievable, indescribable, as Vincent looked back to Lincoln and Lily, who clearly waited for his reaction.
Over his shoulder, Lincoln spotted someone familiar and walked over to a man in a suit, who were talking to a group of children, probably a teacher teaching his class of pupils.
"Mr. Black!" Lincoln called out to the man, bringing him out of the lecture as he grasped his shoulders, making excuses to the children over his shoulder. Lily came over and turned Vincent around, making his back face the two men.
"We met a few days ago, when I asked about 'The Church at Auyers'."
"Where's Auyers?" Lynn Jr. couldn't help asking.
"Oh, that's in France, I believe…" Leni spoke up.
The now identified Mr. Black nodded, speaking with crisp professionalism. "Oh yes, glad to be of help. You were nice about my tie."
Lincoln nodded, gesturing to the man's tie. "Yes, and let me say, today's tie is just spiffy, but let's go ahead and put that aside for now. Mr. Black, I couldn't help but have this burning question for you."
Mr. Black shifted his position, looking like he was ready to answer any question. "Well, if it is in my ability, I will do my best to answer."
"Excellent! Here's my question: between you and me, in around a hundred words, where do you think Van Gogh rates in the history of art?"
Vincent van Gogh clearly had to resist the urge to turn around. Even so, he clearly listened intently. What did the future think?
Mr. Black, unaware of the man behind him, looked absolutely caught off guard. "Oh...g-good question. Um, hundred words is...quite frankly, not enough, I feel. Still, I cannot speak for every art perspective out there."
The man, however, leaned in a bit closer as a bit of a fire slowly lit itself in his eyes. "To me, that man is the finest painter in the world."
"..."
At that, the painter himself turned halfway, his mouth back to hanging slightly open.
"Certainly the most popular and great painter of all time…"
His Adam's Apple moved, as his eyes started to get moist.
"The most beloved, his command of color most magnificent."
He dared not make a sound, not trusting himself to speak.
"He transformed the pain of his tormented life into ecstatic beauty."
The painter began to look around again, seeing his paintings in a new light as his chest started to shudder under the weight of the feelings he felt.
"Pain is easy to portray, but to take your passion and pain and use it to portray the ecstasy and joy and magnificence of our world… No one had ever done it before, perhaps no one ever will again. To my mind, that strange wild man who roamed the fields of Provence, was not only the world's greatest artist, but also one of the greatest men who ever lived."
By the end, not one eye was dry.
"That's...so beautiful…" Leni whispered.
Lori grabbed a nearby tissue box and blew her nose.
"It is quite a flight of fancy…" Lisa mused as she dried her glasses with her shirt. "How many great minds of science died not knowing of their place of history…"
"There's certainly a few people I would like to do that for…" Luna smiled.
"Same here." Luan nodded.
Lynn Jr noticed Lucy acting strangely. "Hey, Lucy. You alright?"
"I-I'm fine."
Lynn Jr immediately saw right through her. "It's okay, sis. I'm crying too…"
"Weep...weep."
Lola and Lana looked at each other, before hugging each other and crying their hearts out.
At that, the internal dam that held back the deluge of emotion inside Vincent van Gogh finally broke. He quickly covered his mouth, trying not to make a scene. Lincoln and Lily noticed this and quickly went over to Vincent's side.
"Vincent, are you okay? I'm sorry if this is all too much for you…" Lincoln tried his best to comfort the painter, unmindful of everyone around him.
Meanwhile, Mr. Black craned his neck, noticing the red-haired man and his particular style of clothing.
"N-No, I'm fine!" Vincent van Gogh smiled up at the two, tears still flowing down his cheeks. "These are tears of joy! I'm crying joyfully!"
"Umm...Pardon me?" Mr. Black said as he came closer. "Are you alright, sir? Do you need some assistance?"
Vincent looked at the man and shook his head. Staring at him, he smiled before wrapping his arms around Mr. Black, embracing him like one would to a new best friend. Mr. Black simply stood there, his hand hovering over the strange man's frame. Giving a strong pat, Vincent leaned back from Mr. Black, the museum curator looking curiously at him.
"Well, thank you for your time, Mr. Black! But I'm afraid we must get going!" Lincoln said, pulling Lily and Vincent van Gogh away. The painter himself gave one last nod before he disappeared around the corner.
Mr. Black began to turn back to the group that he was teaching, before he turned his head again, looking at the space where Vincent was, his eyes completely uncertain.
Finally, he looked forward, shaking his head as he walked back to his lesson.
"I think…" Lisa took a moment to compose herself. "It's about right we took a break."
"I think we should stop here." Lucy said after a moment. "As grand a gesture that was, I doubt it was enough to help Vincent van Gokh conquer his darkness."
"...Wow, way to ruin the mood, Lucy." Lynn Jr remarked.
Author's Notes:
I'm so sorry. This was a slog. As much as I liked the last moment, the set up was...hard.
Also, look up 'how to pronounce van Gogh' and you get so many answers. Geez…
Well, hope that this still satisfies...