#debukefarmhold

"...Time-eth?"

MJ snerks at that, and a chuff, which is , Amity has learned, a troll laugh

"OH. Time-eth-ee. I knew that skinny boy was a sluagh in secret..."

"If anyone is going to keep their kithain nature secret even from other kithain, it' a sluagh. We have Mr. DeVere. Sometimes the Corruptor comes by but.. I avoid her."

"The Corruptor?"

"I know, right? I'm having an X astienticail crisis, whch as you know is the Homo Superior form of a crisis, about my place in the great tapestry and someone dubbed the CORRUPTER comes through ? NO thank you. Too young to wear swirling dark dresses showing too much wilder lumps. I do not have nor do I particularly WANT Wilder lumps, but if I did have them, I would still not go villainess. It gets COLD in Iowa winters."

"Being a villainess could be fun, though!"

"If you went, like, snow queen, you could wear fancy white furs."

"I don't want to hurt people and they tend to," She frowns, "YEs, their wardrobe is smashing... and you're right, the furs WOULD be nice in Iowa Winters."

"You could dress like a villain but be a villain to bad people."

"Oh," She ponders "Vigilatiaism does have appeal. That's not a bad idea. I am doomed, but what if I bring doom to those that deserve it? I could tell them 'what I have is a particular set of Da'an... stop doing bad or I will seek you, I will find you, and I will doom you, or at least lead to a rough day'." SHe ponders this "I could call myself Doom Girl."

Amity brightens, bobbing her head and cooing in approval.

"I like it. I need to hone my skills, of course. THank you, Amity. I feel a bit better." She says "Shall i stop dwelling on the macabre for a bit and tell you more about our beltaine prep? This is only part of it you know" She gestures "The wilders will be acting ESPECIALLY stupid... inviting any one of the oppposite sex who is their age and NOT a relation in hopes of kissy face."

She blows a raspberry.

A nod exactly.

"What do the childlings get to do?"

At THAT, she smiles, really smiles, "Oh that's actually nice. See, Beltaine is magical, and around here that magic provides something rare ... Critter Callilng. ANy childling can call to the land and a critter may walk up and I don't mean cows and things you expect on a farm. If you're very lucky you can tame one and make a forever friend... but mostly they stop by and say hello, you pet em, like a petting zoo. Now we have dances and fancy face paints and head dresses too. But the wild chimera coming to join us is most folks favorite of us kids. Oh, and the food, the food is GOOD, even by our standards, see we give other places our corn and such, and they bring fancier stuff. On the farm, well, it's a treat to try different things sometimes. LIke, I've never tried Indian food .. the Hindi type, not the Native American type... and guess what, this year we've got a whole lot of Indian food coming in. The Hearth believes we should learn about the world by trying things."

She bobs her head along, listening intently.

"Sometimes the Corn Maiden shows up ,she's an old powerful Native American myth... but we're on good teerms with her. Her story is actually pretty grizzly, but she's lovely."

"More Corn?"

"I know, what can I say? Oh, we also watch the Music Man on the big screen in the house for those who arein't tired of it yet."

"What's that?" So, so earnest.

A blink, "The music man? It's... well, uhm.. it's a really OLD movie based on a really OLD play, but it's about a guy who comes to Iowa and..oh I can't believe I might give spoilers on something this old. It's ... got good music and... you want to see it? We have a DVD of it."

"Why watch an old movie over and over again? Is there something special about it?"

"I suppose to us, there is," She admits, "It mentions Iowa, so few things do. DeBukes are tall, but we worked so hard for a time to be not noticed that it worked too well. So when we see something like this done about Iowa with humor and love and so on, it sticks with us."

She blushes "I guess that sounds silly to a city girl. "

"Des Moines isn't in Iowa?"

She laughs "Got me there... how did you miss Music Man growing up here?"

"Oh, I never watch old movies with my dad."

"Well, tell you what, how would you like to see our DVD collection, you pick one, say "I Hate this" and we try whateever that one is?" MJ is not a genius when it comes to Pooka, but she is pretty bright.

She promises "They are not ALL music man."

She hums, considering. "Is there one you especially hate? I'd want to watch something you loathe."

"Well... superhero movies even if some think they're over done... "A pause "DO NOT watch Watership Down. Folks thought it was for childlings... it is NOT." Alarmed look, then she goes on "I also like movies where smart girls like us get into trouble because adults don't listen, but the girl solves the crime or saves the day and everyone praises her after and apologizes for not listening to her in the first place."

"Never seen a movie like that."

"They DEFINITELY need more of them," She says "Come on, I'll show you." She helps her off the tree if she wants, and they go to look.

Adventure!

INDEED! And yes, there will be at least one movie they BOTH like. Da'an is not so cruel as to deny this.

(Fade to movie)

Egon races along. One of the extroverts of the family he has made LOTS of friends here, lots.. like 4 or more even. That said, it is slowly sinking into him that maybe the farm is not ... perfect. Folks expect you to work here! Even little kids like him!

Okay, not much work, but geezopetes, this is like... Child labor!

He eyes the chicken whose egg he is supposed to take. The chicken eyes him, "I just want the eggs." He explains "They say I'm supposed to put them into the basket."

The chicken eyes him back. Like Spartan glory shines in her eye as if she would say 'Come and take them!' and she fluffs angrily

Now Egon has a protective mitt of sorts. But he's only done this a few times.

He reaches, and she lunges, hitting the glove hard enough that while it doesn't cut him, he feels the blunted poke! "AHHHH!" And he runs away with great speed. Who then, is the chicken now?

It is possible that the Novaks might enjoy some parts of a farm, they're just not Farm Folk.

However, Mr. Novak blends in well, but that's the Piskey knack, not to stand out but to join in. Of course he is much too short to be DeBuke

But the man works hard and knows at little about every job so the DeBukes grow to respect him

Even if they do have to ask him if he's seen a tool or item now and then. He always returns it.

But the fellow doesn't add trouble, and mostly has an upbeat look on life. He still is a dad though.

And Dads, the good ones, try to think ahead of where there is a lack and fill it. And his kids need a home.