#debukefarmhold

"Yes!" She laughs, triumphant. "It worked!" She scoops up a ✨ clean plate ✨

The dishes are clean, the pots are clean, the walls? the wall are clean.

"Oh, yes Hearth, I think I need to adjust the water pressure a bit..."

"A bit? YOUNG lady ,I..." then bhe blinks and picks up a pot "I do not understand... how... this actually needed de rusting before."

"The Dishwash-a-tron 3000 is a full service automated dishwashing system... ma'am..."

"Huh" SHe looks around "Well... I'm afraid I can't use that until you get that thing to keep it's waters and bubbles IN itself...but I must admit, the pick up aside, haven't seen it this kitchen this clean in weeks"

Even the Hearth's dress? Clean

"well, uh... there's a few kinks. But I can fix'em! Please?"

Hearth Agnes says "Darling you can't expect me to... "But then someone else comes in. Pearletta's mother

"My baby nearly drowned" she says

"Your daughter is fine" Agnes says looking back

"Pearletta's too tall to drown." She mutters, under her breath.

"Well, hearth, what if that had gone the other way to the dining area and put out the balefire? What then? Why this girl might have nearly destroyed the hold!"

"You can't put out a furkin' Balefire with water!" A pause. "Right?"

"YOu cannot," Agnes says then looks over at Pearletta's mother "Ursula Gretchen Wompler DeBuke! If our hold is going to be defeated by a Dishwasher, it may not deserve to exist. We've faced Banal corporations, hungry sidhe overlords, and THALLIAN invasions... and you think a little water is going to put out our fire? Mmmph" in a most disdainful tone "Talk.Sense." Then "Better yet, since you seem to be done with tasks at home, why don't you go tend to the laundry lines for the refugees. "

THe middle aged kinain's mouth falls open. But she IS being talked to by one who knew her very young

"Time's a wastin" The hearth taps her foot.

And Ursuala Gretchen Wompler DeBuke turns and goes off

Agnes watches her go, "Someone spoiled her too much as a child." Then she looks to Mara, "Mara, are you okay?"

"Oh, mad as a wet hen about missing an overflow drain... gotta fix it, gonna fix it... just you wait, it'll be perfect..."

"Okay, for now just make sure it's off... nothing wrong with using our hands. If you ever get it working again, then it's working again, but don't you let this occupy your thoughts too much when you got other matters to mind" Her great great ..geez how old is she? grand aunt says "Now.. .this is a learning period, for you? AND us. So we'll all be patient and let things happen all right? "

"Nothing wrong, but this could be better!"

"We'll make do when we have to" Agnes says not sure she understands this girl at all, but loving her the same in her hard faced way "And I do thank you for getting that grout out of the walls"

A prim nod

"Sure. So this means I can fix it?"

"Ma'am!" Hastily, as she remembers.

Agnes looks her over, then "When we're not busy in the kitchen, and we are a lot, you can fix it."

"Alright! Thank you, Hearth! Just you wait, it'll be amazing!"

"I'd settle for working but youre welcome" The old woman nods .

The next half hour will ahve a lot of folks tracking down wayward silver ware and dishes

And Mara doesn't complain one bit about mopping up excess water... though she does contemplate improvements on that process. "What if...?"

Agnes gives her a long pained look

"Just.. keep mopping for now, hon" Agnes ponders taking a bottle of the 'remedy' later tonight

"Yes'm!" And she whistles, her mind whirring along with new ideas and plans...

It does seem to make the work go faster, knowing that soon she'll make things BETTER

(end scene)