Finally got this chapter done, writer's block hit me HARD a week or so ago.
Breakfast back at the Loud House was usually chaotic, and almost always a mad dash for the food before anyone else could get it. Lincoln especially had to always plan ahead to get to the table first usually.
But now they lived in a large castle where there was enough culinary resources to last them ages. Breakfast was less like a battle, and more like a... Well, a normal meal.
"Wow, I think this is one of the first times I've actually been able to eat breakfast without having to fight Lynn over it..." Lucy remarked, enjoying an omelet.
"Hey, if you're slow, you don't get to chow." Lynn shrugged, eating more of her sausage.
"That doesn't even rhyme." Luna flatly pointed out.
"Whatever." Lynn rolled her eyes, trying to reach over and grab a sausage from Lola's plate... Only for her hand to be slapped away."Next time, I stick a fork in it." Lola threatened, not even looking up from her plate.
Lynn quickly stuck to her own plate, moving onto the bacon.
"I gotta say, I have gotten used to this food quick!" Luna remarked, swallowing a bite of pancakes.
"Indeed, it is quite delicious" Lisa agreed, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
Lincoln smiled. He was happy to see everyone in the family was happy with life in the castle. It was a win-win in the boy's eyes. His sisters and parents got to live a comfortable life here in Loch Loud, and Lincoln got to be special and have the spotlight he's desired for so long. Everything had really seemed like it worked out in the end...
His thoughts were interrupted when Lincoln noticed Angus walk into the dining room as everyone was finishing up their breakfast.
"Oh, good morning Angus! How's my favorite caretaker doing?" He smiled.
Angus smiled back, "I'm doing wonderful, lad." he answered.
"How are things in town?" Lori asked, finishing her plate of breakfast, stifling a belch as she did.
"Everything in town seems to finally be back to normal, all the buildings and such have been repaired, and everyone is settled back in." Angus said.
"Oh, that's good to hear!" Rita replied. "Guess things are going to be nice and simple today."
"Well... Not quite." Angus piped up.
"What do you mean by that, Angus?" Lana asked, curious.
"There is a small matter to attend to... The messes that are strewn across the castle." Angus remarked. "They've gotten somewhat out of hand as of recent."
"Oh please." Lynn scoffed, "How bad could the messes be?"
"WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED HERE?!" Lynn exclaimed, shocked at the state of the halls.
Said halls were a complete mess. Stains on the floors and walls, various items belonging to the Loud siblings throw about, and even some sewing fabric hanging from lights on the ceiling.
"I'm gonna take a random guess and say WE happened here..." Lincoln remarked, kicking away a nearby soccer ball (Or was it football, considering where they were?).
"Geez, looks like a tornado rolled through the halls..." Luan murmured.
"Angus, I thought you've been keeping the castle clean!" Rita exclaimed, shocked by how the halls looked as well.
"Well, I do help clean the castle at times... But I mostly have been out in town, helping those there." Angus explained.
"Then who the heck was cleaning the castle before?" Lola asked, annoyed. "Let's just get whoever was doing that back!"
Angus was silent, before clicking his tongue. "There's an issue with that, lass."
"And what's that?" Lynn asked.
"The person who kept the castle so clean attempted to murder us all a few days ago, and she is now banished from the Loch for said crimes." Angus explained.
The Louds' eyes widened in realization.
"Oh right, kinda forgot Morag was the caretaker." Lana flatly remarked.
"She was?" Leni asked, surprised. "I thought she just enjoyed visiting the castle."
"Well, that's just great!" Lola complained, "Since our maid was a lunatic, we don't have anyone to clean this stuff up!"
"We could just clean it up ourselves-" Luna began, only to be stopped by Lola dragging her to her level by the shirt collar.
"I just spent THREE DAYS helping rebuild the town, getting dirty and gross while doing it... I am NOT doing anymore cleaning for a long time!" Lola growled, and Luna shuddered.
"Y-Yeah, okay... Fair enough." Luna rapidly nodded, as Lola let go of her collar.
"Well guys, I don't see any other option we really have other than to buckle down and clean it ourselves..." Lincoln reasoned.
"Well... We could get her back?" Leni suggested, absentmindedly. "Then she could clean everything up."
Everyone else looked at her like she was crazy.
"Leni... SHE LITERALLY TRIED TO KILL US!" Lori exclaimed.
"We'd just be asking for trouble if we got her back!" Lynn added.
"Who's to say she won't try again?!" Luna finished.
"Because she wouldn't be able to try anything with our eyes on her."
Everyone yelped, and turned to see the Loud Ancestors had appeared next to them.
"Geez, you guys are worse than Lucy!" Luan claimed, as she caught her breath.
"What do you mean?" Lucy asked, unfazed by her ancestors' sudden appearance. "You would be willing to risk allowing her back?"
"Now that we have finally returned to our home after centuries of being "exiled", we have no desire to leave anytime in the near future." Lynnie explained.
"So, we all came up with an idea that would work mostly in our favor, while still allowing Morag to pay for her and her family's crimes." Lolette added.
The present day Louds seemed to consider this, looking at each other.
"It's up to you if we do this or not... We will not force this decision on you." Lochland said, to ease the clear tension.
The Louds faced each other in a huddle, and spoke for a couple minutes. After a while, they unhuddled and faced their ancestors once more.
"...Alright. It's worth a shot." Lincoln finally decided, which his family members hesitantly nodded in agreement to.
"Very well. Come along, Angus... Let's go fetch our new Groundskeeper." Lochland remarked.
"Right behind you, former Duke." Angus replied with a faint smile, following the ghosts down the hall.
Three days. Three days Morag had spent on the rocky outcrops. With nothing to eat or drink aside from the fish remains the seals that were here left behind, and the salt water that surrounded her for miles.
Said seals hadn't bothered to leave the rocks as of now, and how remained there with her. Barking all through the days, and mostly through the nights as well.
She'd ask the heavens what she did to deserve this, but she couldn't do that with a straight face. Morag knew this was some sort of sick karma for her actions. A punishment befitting her crimes in her attempt to rid herself of the Loud family.
That's why Morag was taken by surprise when she spotted a familiar man rowing up to the rocky outcrop she was on in a wooden rowboat.
"Oh lord, what are you doing here?" Morag groaned, as Angus stopped rowing and allowed the boat to float next to the rocks.
"Wonderful to see you again too." Angus flatly replied, ignoring her tone.
"Are you here to give me a speech on what I did was wrong, and how horrible of a person I am?" Morag deadpanned. "Because I'd really rather skip that, and get to the part where you row away."
"I'm not here to scold you, Morag." Angus refuted (subtly tossing away a crumpled piece of paper that he had written a speech on), "I'm actually here with the opportunity for you make up for your crimes."
"Oh? And what would that entail? Me at the end of a noose?" Morag sarcastically asked, though was curious on where Angus was going with this.
"No, you holding a broom actually."
The Loud Ancestors appeared, hovering over Angus as they looked down at the ex-caretaker.
"Oh wonderful, the rest of you are here now..." Morag exhaled in annoyance at the sight of the ancestors.
"Indeed we are, McLaughlin..." Lolette sneered down at her.
"And we're here to offer you a way off this rocky outcrop, and back into service to us..." Lunake added.
Morag scoffed at the idea. "And what makes you think I'd want to do that?" She questioned.
"Well, one, I doubt you like it out here in this outcrop." Lynnie remarked.
"Two, think of this as your way to make up for the things you and your ancestor did to our bloodline... By becoming a servant to us for the rest of eternity as a Groundskeeper!" Lisabeth grinned.
Morag thought it over. As much as she hated to admit it, being on this outcrop for the last few days had been a rather horrible experience... But so had being in the Louds' presence for a week.
Though, the fact the latter fate at least allowed her to take those relaxing baths she liked, and gave her proper food along with clean water outweighed the annoyance. Morag did have ONE complaint about the arrangement though...
"Do I HAVE to be a measly groundskeeper of all things?" Morag complained, seemingly hesitant to take such a low position.
"Nope! You could always serve your sentence inside the belly of a dragon." Lanelle grinned, a hint of evilness to it.
There was a moment of silence as Morag considered her options, glancing around for a second.
"...Fine. Take me back to the damn castle." She finally decided, albeit reluctantly.
Angus held out his hand to her, and Morag took it as she stepped into the boat. Angus took the oars, and began to row back to shore.
"I'm not helping you row." Morag deadpanned.
"I did not ask you to." Angus flatly replied, not bothering to look back up at her.
Trivia:
-The names of the Loud Ancestors were actually created by JTom09, he also writes Loud House fanfics, so go check him out!
The next couple chapters are going to focus more on the Louds settling into the castle, introducing the pets, and a surprise appearance from another familiar character.
Remember to leave a favorite and review if you enjoyed! Love reading your thoughts on my fics, it gives me life force to feed off of.