PERCEPTIONS

SYNOPSIS: Lincoln learns something that changes the way he views himself.

Published on: July 13th, 2017

Word Count: 2,807

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE LOUD HOUSE AND MAKE NO PROFIT FROM THE PRODUCTION OF THIS PROSE.

Lincoln's outfit is based on /a/1b0eM if the link doesn't show, it's on imgur /a/1b0eM

"Lincoln Loud, Male Model"

"Alright everyone," called Lincoln from behind the curtain. "How's this look?" Lincoln stepped out of the fitting room, giving everyone a shy smile. He wore brown winter boots, and dark wash denim jeans. Above his waist we wore a burnt orange, form fitting shirt (something no one in his family had been able to break him out of), and over that he wore a gray pea coat, which was left open, exposing his shirt. Hanging across his neck was a navy blue scarf, and the entire outfit was topped off by a black beanie.

It wasn't often that Lincoln got a new wardrobe, especially not brand new clothes. However, he recently went through a growth spurt, and his parents decided that simply giving him his sister's old clothes wasn't going to cut it anymore. So, they decided on an early birthday gift and decided to splurge a little on their boy. This, of course, turned into a family outing with everyone demanding some input on their brother's new wardrobe. So far, he had selected some casual wear with Lori and Luan's help, some "rockin" outfits with Luna, a couple workout clothes with Lynn and Lana, some black clothes with Lucy, and finally, Leni and Lola were putting together "fashionable" outfits for him. Lisa had no interest, and Lily, of course, was a baby.

The current outfit was put together by Leni and Lola, and it was, apparently, a winner.

"Wow Lincoln, lookin' good!"

"Paige will love this look for sure!"

There was more, but it was drowned out by too many voices, and wolf whistles, and hollers from everyone present. He tucked his hands in his pockets and toed the floor with his winter boots, shyly staring at the polished tile floor. Ever since his little heart to heart with his sisters, he had been a little more self-conscious about his looks. No matter how often they told him, he really couldn't believe that he was handsome by any stretch of the imagination. Sure, he wasn't ugly, but handsome? That's a little out there, right?

"Excuse me," a feminine voice called out to the large family. Turning, they saw a middle-aged, black woman walking towards them. She had on an expensive looking pantsuit, and around her neck she had a bright badge that clearly read "manager" in bold, capital letters. Lincoln, anticipating trouble, immediately jumped into action, hoping to divert it.

"I'm sorry, were we too loud?" Smiling down at him, the woman shook her head.

"Not at all, we love your energy," she encouraged. "I'm Margaret." She shook their parent's hands. "I'm the manager today, and I couldn't help but notice this handsome young man," she gestured to Lincoln. He blushed brightly, and turned his head shyly.

"He's got his father's looks, after all," Lynn Sr. proudly exclaimed. In his middle age, he had certainly let himself go. His hairline was receding, and had a slight beer gut, but it was easy to tell he had been a lady-killer at one point.

"That he does," chuckled Margaret. She hoped through flattery, they would be easily convinced to what she was about to propose. "Tell me…" she cocked her head curiously. "I'm sorry, I never asked your name, did I?"

"I'm Lincoln," the boy introduced himself. "Lincoln Loud." He shook her hand politely.

"It's nice to meet you, Lincoln," she said cordially. "Tell me, have you ever considered letting your boy model?" That caused everyone to go silent instantly. Lynn Sr. and Rita looked at each other, not really knowing what to say.

"Y-you want me to be a model!?" Lincoln sputtered. "Why?"

"Like I said, Lincoln," she began. "You're a very handsome young man. We're actually looking for some models right now. I'd offer you all a part if I could, you have very beautiful children Mister and Mrs. Loud," she continued her flattery. "But all of our spots have been filled at this time. We're only looking for young male models right now."

All of Lincoln's sisters crowded him, urging him to take the woman's offer. Leni and Lola were the most vocal, which didn't surprise anyone.

"W-well, um," he stuttered, still reeling from the offer. "Assuming my mom and dad said okay, what would I have to do?"

"Nothing much," Margaret said nonchalantly. "You just show up for the photoshoot, which your family is absolutely welcome to, and we take pictures." She made it sound simple. "I won't lie to you, it'll take a few hours, and you'll likely take a few hundred pictures. You'll have to change into various outfits, and our photographer can be very…strict. He's a bit of a perfectionist," she commented wryly. "But, not only will you be compensated for your modeling time, you and your family will also be welcome to the catering. Also, on top of your modeling compensation, you will also receive a commission for each picture of you is used for the catalogue."

Lincoln looked down, thinking over the woman's words. Seeing that her son was considering the offer, Rita voiced her own concerns.

"This would be a onetime deal, right? I don't want to our son to be legally obligated to work for you if he decides he doesn't enjoy the experience," she asked. Margaret shook her head.

"Not at all," she assuaged. "It'll be a standard, one-session contract. No future obligations will be asked from him. It'll just be the standard paperwork to ensure he gets his paycheck."

"C'mon, Linky," urged Leni.

"Go for it, dude," Luna encouraged.

"I'll let you wear my tiara if you say yes!" Of course, Lola went with bribery.

Lincoln lifted his head, looking at his parents, silently seeking their approval.

"It's up to you, son," said his father.

"We're behind you, no matter what you choose," said his mother.

Lincoln looked at the store manager, and nodded.

"I'm in," he said, shaking the woman's hand. Around them, his sisters cheered.

Lincoln Loud, Male Model

The first shoot was summer themed. One of the sets was filled with beach sand, and the backdrop was that of a beautiful beach.

Lincoln stood on set, waiting for the Photographer. All he knew was that he was a perfectionist and his name was Genju Shashinya. He watched as people milled about, moving sets and flash umbrellas. Some of the other models were either getting ready for their own shoots, or having a snack break at the catering table. He saw his own family near the table, snacking and talking amongst themselves. He saw Leni waving her phone around, talking animatedly; livestreaming everything no doubt.

"So, you're Lincoln Loud, huh," asked a stern voice. Lincoln turned and saw young man, probably in his mid-twenties, dressed neatly in form fitting clothes. He had an expensive looking camera hanging around his neck by its strap. Lincoln was immediately intimidated, but he did his best not to let it show.

"Yeah, and you're Genju, right?" He presented his hand politely. Genju shook it.

"You ever modeled before, kid?"

"Nope."

"Great," he scoffed. He stepped towards the front of the set and placed his camera on a tripod. "Well kid, hope you're ready, 'cause it's nothing like the movies." Behind him, the Louds gathered around, ready to watch the photographer do his work. He peered through the camera, taking care to observe the lighting and angles, and also his subject. "Hm, healthy skin tone, lean, light musculature, hmm," he paused his observation. He turned and looked at Lynn and Rita Loud. "You let your son dye his hair white?" The parent's shook their heads.

"Lincoln has Follicular Albinism," said Rita.

"Basically, his hair follicles don't produce the melanin to color his hair, so it ends up growing out white," finished Lynn.

"Interesting," Genju commented. "Well, kid, first up is gonna be from the summer catalogue. You're already in just the swim trunks, so we'll do those first before we move on to other summer clothes." Reaching into his pocket, Genju fished out a small remote and clicked a button. Immediately, the set was filled with a bright, fast-paced pop song. Luna scowled at the choice of music. "All right kid, just relax, have fun, and do whatever I tell you," and immediately bright flashes of light filled the set.

Not really knowing how to model, Lincoln simply imitated various superhero poses for the camera, which Genju did not like.

"C'mon, give me something, kid," demanded Genju. "You're just pretending; trying to be something you're not. I need you, kid," he continued. "How does Lincoln have fun in the sun," he asked.

This time Lincoln imagined himself at the beach with his family. He smiled the way he thought he would, surrounded by his family.

"Kid, you suck," said Genju roughly. He stopped taking pictures, and removed the film from the camera. The family watched with a scowl as he collected a new roll of film and loaded it into the camera. Genju gave a defeated sigh, and gave Lincoln a 'let's just get this over with' look. Before he could call action, Luan stepped beside him. He looked at her with a scowl, but Luan wasn't looking at him.

"Hey Link," she called to her brother. "What did one ocean say to the other? Nothing! They just waved," she laughed. "Get it?"

Lincoln couldn't stop the snort that escaped him at the terrible joke.

"That's awful, Luan," he said with a laugh. While he laughed, Genju took several pictures.

"That's what I'm looking for, kid," he cried. "Keep it up, girl," he said to Luan.

"What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fsh!"

Lincoln couldn't stop the giggles from escaping him. The flashes kept going off, signaling that Genju was still taking pictures.

"Hey Link! Catch," Lynn's voice cried out. Looking towards his sister's voice, he saw a beach ball traveling towards him in a high arc. He jumped in the air, catching the beach ball in his hands, all while the camera kept going off.

"I don't normally use props, but that was too good a shot to not take," he said. "Keep it up kid!"

Behind him, the Loud family watched as Lincoln had fun in front of the camera.

Lincoln Loud, Male Model

It had been a couple weeks since the photo shoot, and the family had enjoyed the extra income that Lincoln's modeling job gave them. The majority of which went to Lincoln, but he insisted on helping the family out.

"You guys," cried Lori. "It's here!"

The entire family joined them in the living room as Lori held up the newest catalogue from the store. Lori flipped through the pages until coming across the boys section, which she then scoured, looking for her brother.

"There he is," declared Leni.

Indeed, there he was. It was a summer picture, with Lincoln showing off his orange and blue swim trunks. In his hands was the beach ball, which he held over his head, mid-catch, with a smile on his face. Lori turned the page, resulting in more casual summer themed images. This time, there was Lincoln in a pair of black board shorts, an orange tank top, and brown leather thong sandals. He was looking off to the side, and looked to be in mid conversation. A great picture, all-in-all.

"All right kids," said their father. "We all want to look through this catalogue, but we all have to be at work and school, so let's get going."

Their parents went their separate ways in their own cars, while the kids all loaded up into Vanzilla.

"So, Lincoln, how's it feel to be a male model," Lori asked.

"Well, I don't feel that different," he admitted. "I guess I'm surprised."

"Like, with what," asked Leni.

"Well, with all those other really attractive people there, I never really thought they would pick any of my pictures to use for the catalogue."

"Not dish again," groaned Lisa.

"Why is it so hard for you to accept that you're a good-looking guy, Lincoln," demanded Lola. Her sisters murmured in agreement.

"It's just weird, okay," he said. "When I think of myself, I just don't see myself like any of those other guys we saw at the photoshoot."

"Maybe that's the problem," said Lynn. "You're comparing yourself to other guys, but you're you. All attractive people look different, otherwise they'd all look identical. When you see yourself you focus on what's different from those good-looking dudes, but you can't compare yourself like that."

"That's…actually rather insightful," Lucy said monotonously. Everyone stared at Lynn in shock.

"Hey! I can be smart sometimes too!"

"Neverthelesh, she ish right, Lincoln," Lisa agreed. "You won't shee yourshelf ash handshome becuashe you don't look how you think you should. But you don't have to look like that to be handshome."

All of his sisters agreed with Lisa's assessment, and even Lincoln had to admit she might be on to something.

"All right! Royal Woods Elementary!" Lincoln and all of his younger sisters stepped off of Vanzilla and waved goodbye to their older siblings.

Eventually, they all split up and went their separate ways to find their own groups of friends.

As Lincoln made his way into the fifth graders area, he was suddenly stopped by Paige, who was followed by a large group of girls in their class.

"Hey Lincoln," greeted Paige. The gaggle of girls behind her all burst into a fit of giggles. Lincoln was suddenly reminded of his own sister's reaction towards Hugh.

"Oh, uh, hey Paige," he greeted her. "And, um, everyone else," he tried to greet them politely, which only earned him another bout of giggles. "Can I help you girls with something?" The girls all squealed.

"He's so nice!"

"So thoughtful!"

"Guys, be cool," Paige growled at her friends. "Anyway, Lincoln, we all just noticed that you happen to be in the latest Always Fashionable catalogue," she said nonchalantly. "And we were just wondering-"

"Would you sign our copies," one of the girls shrieked, darting forward with her magazine. It was opened up to the beach picture he had taken. "We should go to the pool together this summer, you look really great without a shirt on," she said in, what she believed was, an enticing voice.

"Hey, no fair, you can't just jump ahead like that!" A faceless girl in the crowd said.

"You snooze you lose!"

Suddenly, the crowd of girls became a mob, all screaming at each other.

"Girls, girls," Lincoln tried to get a word in, hoping he could calm the situation.

"And what, exactly, is going on here," said a stern, authoritative voice. Everyone looked up and saw Ms. Johnson. She looked disappointed at the scene.

"Really girls? Fighting on school grounds? I thought better of you all," she said in a disappointed tone. Everyone had a chastised look on their face. "Lincoln, what exactly did you do to set these girls off? It's not like you to instigate fights."

"It wasn't his fault, Ms. Johnson!" The fact that multiple girls said this simultaneously forced Agnes Johnson to quirk an eyebrow.

"Yeah," said Paige. "It was us bothering Lincoln," she lifted her copy of Always Fashionable to show Ms. Johnson. "We just wanted to get his autograph."

Agnes lifted the magazine, observing her snow-capped student within its pages. She turned the glossy magazine pages, seeing Lincoln in practically every theme; summer, winter, fall. She then turned and observed the group of girls, who were all watching Lincoln and sighing at random intervals. She also observed Lincoln, who was blushing hotly, and constantly averting his eyes, too shy to make eye contact with any of the girls.

The rest of this year is going to be very interesting, she thought. Agnes returned the magazine to Paige. "Please try to keep yourselves under control," she pleaded. "Despite Lincoln's new…celebrity status," she said this with pause. "He is still your classmate, and you owe him the same basic respect as everyone else. No ganging up on him, no badgering him for autographs, and definitely no bothering him in class!"

"Yes Ms. Johnson," the group of girls chorused. Agnes nodded to them, and turned and faced Lincoln.

"And Lincoln," she addressed him. "If you ever have any issues with anyone in school for your new part-time job, you come straight to me, understood?" Lincoln nodded to her, which she accepted. "Good. Now I better not hear anymore disturbances coming from any of you." With that she turned and walked back towards her classroom.

Lincoln looked at the group of girls, who still looked at him expectedly despite the talking to they just received.

Well, he thought. Might as well get this over with. "So, what do you want me to say," he asked Paige as he took her magazine copy from her.

Lincoln Loud, Male Model

A/N: I really didn't plan on continuing this, it just kind of happened. It's probably why it seems a bit rushed. This time we actually got to see Lincoln as a Male Model. The story will remain marked as Completed, but I may find myself occasionally posting a one-shot chapter dealing in the same Universe.

I completely made up "Follicular Albinism." It's just a fancy way of saying "White Hair," and not an actual medical condition, as far I can tell. I tried looking up Albinism, and seeing if any variant only affected the hair, but I didn't find one.

If any of you guys are fans of my story "Velocity," I am working on it, it's just coming along very slowly. Sorry. There's just some stuff I need to figure out moving forward.

Peace.