Baiting the trap
With their plan to reunite Lori and Lincoln firmly in their heads, Marisa, Ewan, and Raj set off for Coach Niblick's office to ask if they can arrange the sibling golf tournament they hope would bring the two estranged siblings back together. Each of them was thinking to themselves about how to sell the idea to Niblick. Most golf-related assessments were arranged well in advance, and with the Dean's approval. Another factor was convincing Niblick to tell Lori that the tournament was assessed and not just for funsies, to ensure her participation in the event. All of this planning was going through their heads until they ended up at Niblick's office. With a deep breath, Marisa knocked on the door, and Niblick answered.
"What can I do for you?" Niblick greeted.
"Coach Niblick, we're worried about Lori. We fear she may be cutting herself off from us with her intense studies," Marisa replied.
"So am I. Normally, I applaud such studiousness, but where Lori stands now, additional studies will not improve her scores. Quite the opposite; her golf scores are rising. If she realises this, she may isolate herself further, so the other staff and I have been keeping it under wraps as much as we can," Niblick explained.
"Coach, we have a plan which we hope can fix this," Ewan interjected.
"At this point, we should tell you that it is a hastily put together plan, and there is a considerable likelihood of failure," Raj added.
"Not helping," Marisa countered.
"Sorry, I just thought he should know," Raj said.
"I'll take anything I can get at this juncture. Come in and tell me everything," Niblick invited the three students into his office, and there they laid out their plan for the sibling golf tournament.
"I know it's very last minute, but we think this could help Lori and Lincoln repair their fractured relationship, and thus, get the Lori Loud we know and love back," Ewan summarised.
"It is Lincoln's resentment that is causing Lori's withdrawal. We deal with that, and Lori will return to us," Marisa added.
"First things first; I would appreciate it if you stopped implying that Lincoln is at fault for Lori's current state. The boy has every right to feel what he feels. Equally, Lori has the right, no, the need, to grieve for what was lost. What you are proposing is meddling in the natural healing process and could risk making things worse. Both parties need to process their emotions before any kind of reconciliation can begin. I feel for Lori, but I will not interfere in her family affairs, nor will I help others to do so. I am sorry, but the answer is no," Niblick counselled.
"We wouldn't force them together, if that's what you're worried about. All we'd be doing is giving them the ideal environment to talk things out. Communication is key to any relationship, after all," Marisa reasoned.
"And if those communications result in a shouting match? What then? You would risk Lori losing all contact with Lincoln with your plan?" Niblick cautioned.
"How about this; we extend the invitation to both Lori and Lincoln. If they both agree, would you do it?" Raj negotiated.
"Only if they both consent. I have no plans to deceive Lori into thinking this is necessary for her grade, and I don't want you doing so, either. I also want one thing made perfectly clear; if either of them says no, the discussion is over. Am I understood?" Niblick affirmed.
"Yes, Coach Niblick," Marisa, Ewan, and Raj all acknowledged at once.
"For what it's worth, I hope this plan of yours succeeds. Good luck," Niblick wished before showing Marisa, Ewan, and Raj out of his office. As they left, the three classmates discussed their next move.
"Not exactly what I was hoping for," Ewan stated.
"OK, here's the new plan; we convince Lori and Lincoln to participate, then once that's done, get Coach Niblick to arrange the tournament. They talk things out, then boom! Relationship repaired, and Lori's back to her old self," Marisa summarised.
"Coach Niblick is right about one thing. What if they get into it during the golf game?" Raj posed.
"That's where we come in. We can shut down any problematic conversations the two may have over the course of the game. Besides, from everything Lori's told us about Lincoln, he's not one to make public spectacles," Marisa answered.
"I'm more worried about Lori. Given her emotional state, can we guarantee she won't lose control at some point?" Ewan theorised.
"I'll be her emotional support. Trust me, we've got this," Marisa assured.
Elsewhere in the city, Riff and Aquarian arrived via orb portal to Great Lakes. Aquarian was thankful their holo-disguise held up, even if they did have to endure some looks from young women in their 20's and 30's. Aquarian did their best to ignore them as they and Riff got the lay of the land.
"Even with Lincoln's unique features, finding him in this densely packed city will be challenging," Riff posed.
"We could cover more ground if we split up. Lincoln is still a kid, and thus, obligated to spend at least eight hours a day at their school. Ronnie Anne goes to Chavez Academy, according to the profile that Dragon Guard Intelligence drew up. One of us should station ourselves there, and given that the school just posted a job opening for a pool lifeguard, I volunteer," Aquarian suggested.
"Excellent idea. I will link up with a friend of the Sentinels here in the city. She's a witch by the name of Rosa Casagrande. She heads up the Sisterhood of the Shining Light. They battled the Order before, sixty years ago, and again just a few weeks past. I believe she will be of great assistance to us," Riff hoped.
"Is that wise, though? Lincoln is technically under her charge when he's not at school. If she gets word that he's being targeted, she might keep him on lockdown. I don't want him deprived of a normal life simply because the Order has put a target on his back," Aquarian cautioned.
"I think the most she'll do is assign a Sister to watch him discreetly. Plus, he's always hanging around with Ronnie Anne. If anything happened to her, I'd be scared for the Order, because they'd have to face Rosa's wrath. To hear Chief Annie tell it, she could hold her own against the King of Nightmares himself," Riff dismissed.
"I also heard that she fought at Gravity Falls. Anyone that came back from that quagmire is formidable indeed. Still can't believe it's been a year already. I still remember fighting alongside the Atlanteans," Aquarian recalled. Aquarian thought back to when Chief Annie issued the call to arms. The Court of Ancients approved of a pre-emptive strike against Bill Cipher's Nightmare Hoard, after magic had been restored to the multi-verse. It was one of the only times where Aquarian travelled to the human realm as their genuine self, no disguises. The Atlanteans didn't care that they looked like a sea dweller, or that they could only communicate in clicks and whistles. In the heat of battle, words had no place, anyway. Aquarian still remembered using their trident to rip through Bill's forces. Not a fun time, but they had a duty to fulfil.
"I was helping the civilians evacuate. Getting them out of the battle zone. Bill had no reservations about attacking non-combatants. I don't think he cared. I still wish I could've been the one to destroy him," Riff recollected. He remembered all the screams from adults and children alike. It haunted him so much, he saw Freudian, the Dragon Guard counsellor, a few times to cope with the pain.
"Try not to think about it, man, just like I'm trying not to think about all these women staring at me," Aquarian pointed out that several women were giving them 'the eyes' and lamented the fact that they could not choose their own holo-disguise. Aquarian would have to have some serious talks with Morgan about this when they got back to the Sanctum.
"Ladies, they have a girlfriend!" Riff snapped at them, causing the women to sulk and retreat. Aquarian was startled by Riff's tone.
"You could've been gentler," Aquarian pressed.
"Sorry. I get a bit emotional whenever I think back to that day. I remember one of the evacuees being just a little girl, barely five years old. She got separated from her parents, screaming for her mum the whole time. I honestly thought, after that, we'd never have anything to worry about on that scale ever again. Now, we're dealing with the Malefic Order, and what they're threatening to unleash, should they succeed," Riff lamented.
"I know. Let's just…..do what we came here for and move on," Aquarian resolved.
"Agreed. Chavez Academy is that way. I'll link up with Rosa," Riff and Aquarian then went in different directions to carry out their assignment.
With her plan to ambush and assassinate Lincoln Loud firmly in her head, Tootie then used her orb to bring herself to War Leader's training room. War Leader was not there to greet her, so she thought she'd pass the time until he arrived by trialling a few different scenarios based on what she had in mind. Every time, she found herself at Fairway University, posing as the little sister of a student War Leader had disguised himself as. She had asked the training room to take Lincoln's resentment and Lori's guilt as factors to consider when developing these scenarios. One had Lincoln get so mad, he'd storm off on his own, leaving Tootie to pursue and deal the finishing blow when no-one was around. Another had Lincoln and Lori hug, cry, and make up. In this instance, Tootie waited until the two had separated before carrying out the deed. Other scenarios included bad weather delays, interferences from other rival schools, and even the antics of a particularly annoying parrot called Sergio.
"Why does he keep showing up?" Tootie scoffed.
"He's friends with the local pigeons, and often uses the golf courses as a getaway retreat, or so intel suggests," War Leader chose this moment to make his appearance.
"I had counted on human contact. Animals weren't in my assassination plan," Tootie replied.
"A plan I see that you have formulated, so tell me, why are you here?" War Leader inquired.
"I need assistance. As you have seen, my plan is to corner him at a sibling golf tournament Lori's friends are organising in the hopes that it will help the two reconcile. From what I've heard, though, Lori may be reluctant to participate, having chosen to isolate herself out of guilt. Lincoln may be the same way, though this is only a guess, as I did not want to risk direct contact with the target. However, I believe we can egg them on into playing. I also need an 'older brother' to come with me, if you get my meaning," Tootie explained.
"I do, and you're right. Lincoln is hesitant to even talk about his sisters. He may need some convincing if he is to go to Fairway. Same with Lori. Very well, I shall assist you," War Leader agreed. He then used his magic to disguise himself as a red-headed teenager about Lori's age, complete with matching golf uniform and human-looking ears.
"Looks good, but I am not going to tell people my big brother's name is 'War Leader'," Tootie remarked.
"Call me Darius. It was a name I had back in better days. I'll work on convincing Lori to participate; you do the same with Lincoln. Be sure to give a false name while you're speaking to him. He was at Timmy's funeral, so he must have heard about you from his friends at some point. Once we've got both their agreements, we'll return here and finalise the plan," War Leader instructed.
"Understood," Tootie acknowledged. War Leader then used his staff to bring him and Tootie to Great Lakes City.
At Chavez Academy, Aquarian, or Chad, as that was the name they gave to Coach Kernicky and Principal Valenzuela when they turned up at the school inquiring about the lifeguard position, was in the latter's office being interviewed for the job. So far, they liked what Aquarian was saying. Kernicky and Valenzuela noted their enthusiasm for swimming, the ocean, and Aquarian even dropped hints that he volunteered at their local pool when they were a teenager. In actuality, they helped supervise the young turtles of Sunny Beach when they were learning to swim, but Aquarian couldn't tell his interviewers that.
"I have to say, I'm very impressed. You remind me of my son, who is also a lifeguard. I think you'll fit in well here," Kernicky summarised.
"There is one more question. It's very standard, we ask this of everyone. What would you do if a student disclosed to you something they wished to keep confidential?" Valenzuela probed.
"Bear in mind, this is my first interview for a school position, but I have done the reading. I believe the correct procedure is to listen without judgment, never promise confidentiality, and should they tell me something that I believe poses a danger to either themselves, others, or both, to report to the Safeguarding Team, whether in person, or with paperwork," Aquarian answered.
"That is it exactly. Got it down to a T. The only other question I have is, how soon can you start?" Valenzuela invited Aquarian to join the Chavez Academy Staff.
"If you'll have me, I can start tomorrow," Aquarian eagerly accepted the post.
"Excellent. That would be great. Come with me and we'll go through the paperwork. Welcome to Chavez Academy, Chad," Kernicky then guided Aquarian to HR, where their employment papers were being sorted. The only hitch to this plan was that school had already finished for the day, so Aquarian couldn't keep an eye on Lincoln until he arrived for tomorrow's lessons. Still, they were in, and that's what mattered.
At the Casagrande building, Riff had made contact with Rosa Casagrande. Opting for the more direct approach, Riff displayed his Sentinel wings to Rosa when he was sure they were alone together. As expected, Rosa was not the least bit surprised. However, what did disturb Rosa was Riff's reason for being here in Great Lakes City. Rosa cared a great deal for Lincoln. She considered him another one of her grandsons. She even hoped that she would live long enough to see Lincoln and Ronnie Anne get married, or at the very least, get their own place one day.
"I still don't understand. Why would the Order target Lincoln? Is it not Leni that they're after?" Rosa asked.
"Believe me, we don't understand it, either, but the message was clear; protect the one with colourless hair. Who else could it be?" Riff reiterated.
"Ay dios mio. This is an unwinnable situation. Either we keep Lincoln here where he can heal from his family resentments, but leave him in the crosshairs of this assassin, or we send him back to Royal Woods to live with a family half of which he cannot speak to without feeling negative emotions, but also keep him safe," Rosa summarised.
"Which is why Aquarian and I are here. We can watch him from afar, and if this assassin, or War Leader himself, makes any moves, we'll be ready," Riff assured.
"I will tell the tenants you are my unpaid intern. That should throw off suspicion. But I will be informing the Sisterhood of potential Malefic activity in this city. They can help safeguard Lincoln where you and this 'Aquarian' cannot," Rosa insisted.
"As you wish. Bear in mind, according to Delilah, War Leader is more of a swordsman than a sorcerer. Expect close combat if they engage him," Riff advised.
"Hey, it's not just magic my Sisters are good at. Sister Agatha is a skilled fencer," Rosa bragged.
At Fairway University, Lori ventured out of her room to get some air. This was something Marisa, Ewan, and Raj saw, and they took the opportunity. They knew that, if they didn't catch Lori now, she wouldn't come out of her room again for hours. Lori was taking in the usual eighteen holes like she usually did when she had a lot on her mind. She found herself thinking back to all the times Lincoln caddied for her, both when she was trying out for Fairway, and again, when they hosted that retreat last year, right before the Michigan Flu outbreak. What she wouldn't give to have those times again with Lincoln. She hoped Lincoln would talk to her again sooner rather than later. So lost in thought she was, that she didn't notice her classmates come up beside her.
"I would ask a penny for your thoughts, but we students barely have enough of those to feed ourselves," Marisa joked.
"I was thinking about my brother again. No more than that," Lori replied.
"Jeez, Lori, you're talking about him like he's dead. You can still talk to him," Ewan reminded.
"Would he want me to, though? He…seems to be doing just fine without me, or my other sisters," Lori responded sadly.
"You have nothing to lose by trying. I still remember watching you and him ace your entrance exam. You made quite the team," Raj recalled.
"That we did," Lori agreed. Hearing this, and noting the longing tone Lori used, Marisa went on the attack.
"We're organising a sibling golf tournament. Would you be interested in participating?" Marisa invited. Lori gave this some thought. The thought of playing golf with her family was a warm one, and she did want to do it, but finding a sibling willing to do it with her that didn't have white hair was challenging. Leni was still hiding out in the Boiling Isles, and she doubted her doppelganger knew how to play. Luna would probably smash her golf clubs on the ground at every hole-in-one like she did her guitars. She didn't want to invite Luan because she didn't want to risk clashing with Luan's court-ordered community service and therapist visits. Lynn was out because Lori had heard she had run away from home and no-one knew where she was. The younger ones would probably be too impatient to play, in their minds, a boring slog of a game. A case could be made for Lucy, as she enjoyed the peace and quiet that came with golf, but like Leni, she too, was residing in the Isles, attending a witch school called Hexside, while also keeping Leni company. This left only one option, and she was beginning to see Marisa's true motive.
"You want me to invite Lincoln, don't you?" Lori guessed.
"Guilty. But Lori, this would be good for you. You often said golf was therapeutic. In a calm environment such as this, you two would be able to hash things out," Marisa urged. Now that Lori thought about it, Marisa had a point. Lori rarely saw anyone get mad on the holes. When Sergio wasn't throwing ragers on the greens or using the water hazards as a swimming pool, things were relatively peaceful. Plus, Fairway was neutral ground, so Lincoln wouldn't feel intimidated or outnumbered as he usually did in the Loud House. Maybe this could work. After all, how could things get worse. Still, Lori had doubts.
"What if…what if he doesn't want to hear from me? I let him down in the worst possible way. What if he still hasn't forgiven me? After all, I still haven't forgiven myself," Lori said remorsefully.
"You have nothing to lose by trying," came a voice from behind them. A red-haired golfer approached them. "Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear. The name's Darius. I had quite a sizeable family myself, once upon a time. Now, it's just me and my sister. Every year, we get older, and they stay the same," Darius pined.
"I am so sorry, Darius, was it? I guess having lost your family is way worse than having a brother who resents you," Lori sympathised.
"You never know. Deep down, Lincoln may want reconciliation himself. He just doesn't know how to reach out, or if he even should. Make the first move. You might even be thankful you did years down the line," Darius counselled.
"He's right, Lori. Fortune favours the bold," Ewan agreed. Lori thought some more before coming to a decision.
"Alright, I'll do it. When is this tournament?" Lori inquired.
"All the major players have agreed. We're just waiting on you and Lincoln. If he agrees, we can be ready tomorrow afternoon," Marisa answered.
"Perfect. I'll send him a text," Lori resolved. Darius gave a sinister smile when he saw Lori messaging Lincoln. He had done his part. Now it was up to Tootie to do hers.
Lincoln, Ronnie Anne, and Sid were in the park, going over possible after-school clubs for Lincoln to potentially join. He had submitted a request to not only join some clubs, but also start the Great Lakes version of the Action News Team. Having heard how much of a success it was from Principal Ramirez, Valenzuela eagerly gave the go-ahead. With the friend group roles in this team decided, all was left was for Lincoln to join clubs he was interested in.
"I hear the Swim club has hired a new lifeguard for the pool. To hear Kernicky tell it, they looked like a beach professional, plus they had the looks to boot," Sid informed.
"Athletics are fine, but I could stand to work on my crafting skills. I've heard good things about pottery and robotics," Lincoln responded.
"Both good choices. You should come along to Robo Lucha Libre and watch a few matches," Ronnie Anne suggested. Lincoln chuckled a little at that thought.
"Zach tried starting a robot fighting club at Royal Woods. The results were not pretty. There was a lot of screaming, running for the exits, and electrical sparks flying everywhere. If that wasn't bad enough, Chandler brought in his creation, complete with flamethrowers. Some say you can still see the scorch marks on the walls of the gym," Lincoln recalled.
"We limit our creations to blunt weapons. No chance of injury. Plus, I inspect every robot before battle. No chance of malfunction, even with the mandated emergency shut-off switch," Sid assured.
"Whatever you decide, be sure to include us. It's more fun when we do things together," Ronnie Anne requested.
"Especially if it involves the Swim club. I wouldn't want my bestie denied the sight of you without a shirt on, Lincoln," Sid teased. This made the coupling go bright red.
"You are incorrigible, sometimes. You know that," Ronnie Anne rebutted.
"Ronnie Anne and Lincoln, alone in the pool. Swimming together after school. She sneaks in a feel with her fingertip. Will they be brave enough to skinny-dip?" Sid continued her teasing with her improvised schoolyard song, causing Ronnie Anne to chase after her.
"I have to wonder what goes through her mind," Lincoln said to himself. He then got a text from Lori. This he was not expecting. Lincoln had made it clear that he needed space from his sisters while he healed. Contact only for emergencies. It would seem that not only did Lori disregard this missive, but from the content of the message, it wasn't even anything that urgent. Against his better judgment, Lincoln read on, partly because he wanted to distract himself from the thoughts that Sid put in his head, which were causing his jeans to become tighter than usual. The message read as follows:
Hi, Lincoln. I know you wanted space, and I totally get why, but I had an idea. When I want to sort things out in my mind, I play the eighteen holes at Fairway. It works wonders. Anyway, the university is holding a sibling tournament, and I thought this would be a good environment for us to talk things out, and maybe get back to where we should be. It is totally cool if you say 'no'. It was just an idea. I miss you, little brother. I know what we did to you was unforgivable, but I still hold out hope that we can move on from what happened. No need to rush your answer. Take the time you need. Lori.
Lincoln must've read the message three times while contemplating his response. Part of him wanted to flat out refuse. Lori was right about one thing; what the family did to him was unforgivable. But if he genuinely thought that, why did he show mercy when the opportunity to exact revenge was literally handed to him on a silver platter? Why did he agree to keep it all a secret, when in all rights, he should've told the world? Why would he risk his life to keep the secret hidden, when the family that wronged him were all too willing to face the consequences of their past actions to keep him safe? It was then that he was approached by an unknown figure; a girl around his age, with black hair and pigtails. Tootie chose this moment to engage, but not with the assassination. That would come later.
"Are those two going to be OK?" Tootie asked, pointing at Ronnie Anne still chasing Sid around the park.
"Who, them? Yeah, they'll be fine. Just some playful teasing about us swimming together. The one in purple is my girlfriend and the one in blue has absolutely no filter," Lincoln answered.
"OK, I'm not going to ask. Just curious. I couldn't help but notice, you've been staring at your phone for five minutes and haven't typed a single character. Can't think of what to say?" Tootie probed.
"It's complicated. It's my sister. She's asked me to some golf tourney at her college, but why? I told her I resented her, and that I needed space. Why me? Can't she ask Luna or Luan to caddy for her?" Lincoln ranted.
"Sounds to me like she wants to reconcile. I don't know what she did to you to earn your resentment, but she seems regretful about it. Maybe you should give her a break. This could be a chance to talk about what happened, your feelings on the matter, and start mending the bond that has been broken. After all, there must've been some good along with the bad," Tootie counselled. Lincoln thought this girl had a point. There were good memories of Lori and Lincoln's times together. Lori was the one who fed him his first ice cream when he was a baby. Lori was the one who gave him dating tips when he and Ronnie Anne hooked up; tips that helped him out a lot over the course of their relationship. Lori was the one who invited him to his first 'Spin the Bottle' game, one he enjoyed so much, he wanted to do it again. Maybe he should give Lori a chance. What did he have to lose?
"I'll do that. Thanks, you've given me a lot to think about. Sorry, I don't think I got your name. Mine's Lincoln," Lincoln replied.
"I'm Kate. Pleasure. I should get going. Hope to see you again, Lincoln," Tootie said and took off, leaving Lincoln to deal with Ronnie Anne, who had chased Sid up a tree. While Lincoln was defusing the situation, Riff had watched the entire scene play out and was immediately on the orb comms to Aquarian.
"Aquarian, we have a problem," Riff notified.
Author's note: Now that the distractions are out of the way, I return you to your regularly scheduled programming. By now, a lot of you reading this would've heard about Hailey getting canned and thought back to my review on the show. I stand by what I said before. It was a show that had squandered potential and heavily weighed down by the problems of other shows it was trying to imitate. Because of such, we now have a major cliffhanger with no official resolution, and that really grinds my gears. Do not mistake me. I'm not going to lead the charge to get another season like I tried to with Milo. Like Sheldon Cooper, I have a compulsive need for closure, and if I don't get it, I usually fill the gaps in myself. Maybe I'll do that, maybe I won't. We'll see. The usual disclaimers, I own nothing. All properties belong to their respective owners. Enjoy.