#rivervale_lodge

But then, Tove hasn't made Okra since the gumbo incident.

No Okra

only recognizable green things

As it should be.

When the girls finish up, Jaymes says "Dagmar, show her where we put dishes. Then you two play Skyrim"

"Okay. Bets, you wanna wash or dry?"

"Uh..wash " She says rolling up her pj sleeves

"Cool. This'll be way faster with two." She sets to it with the Nocker.

The nocker is not afraid of hard work, and does talk..about music she's behind on and stuff "Is Adele still hot? or she shot?"

"Adele's okay but not, like, the coolest."

"what d oyou like?"

"Um. Old stuff. Loud stuff."

"Do you know Imagine Dragons?"

"Oh, you're retro. Well, so am I now, jst not by choice"

"Nope. I think I heard of them but...never 'heard' them" she says

"Oh! I'll play them later! And yeah, I like, like, classic rock too. Like Zeppelin."

"Zep's cool" SHe says "You know heavy metal partially got it's sound because a guy lost his fingers? Forced him to change his positioning"

"No way! That's cool."

"Totally boss" A grin "I'm not like, a musicatician? but some cool stories on how sounds got stumbled on. Heck, there's this really OOOOOLLD song called Tequila? Wasn't meant to be a song. Has one furking word. Guess what that word is?"

"... Not tequila? Yes tequila?"

"TEQUILA!" She says

"Yes tequila!"

"It's so dumb but fun.. and they didn't know it was recording ..and it was like a number one. Folks are furking weird, right?"

"Totally. We'll have to listen to THAT too..."

"Fair trade" SHe nods "And Done"

Dishes are finished

"Skyrim!" Dishes are put away a bit hastily, and the silverware drawer is left open...

And gone... up the stairs to take turns playing and each advising the other

Tove goes into the kitchen, and closes the silverware drawer. She needs to talk to Kerri about something.

(End scene)

Kerri is happy to be Hearth again...she finds her duties are still in demand as an advisor. Tove came over, ostensibly to drop some food off... but definitely to talk.

In the kitchen, Kerri peruses what Tove brought. "Oh, perfect...and perfect timing, thank you, Tove." She sorts things away. "But you seem upset about something?"

"Or...maybe concerned?"

"It's Braunsbedra... Betty. She's a nocker girl from the rescue?" She sighs "She's been a sweet heart, some language and all... but there's one thing that seems to be a sorepoint and I don't understand"

"Oh? Well...nockers tend to be surly, in my experience." She pours Tove her preference of coffee or tea and sets out a few cookies for nibbling. "But you mean something specific?"

"Oh yes. She's refusing to talk about her crafts."

" I Mean, I thought that was one thing they talked about a lot"

Kerri frowns. "That's....odd...."

"Did she say anything about them?"

"That's what I thought. Apparently Dagmar tried too at dinner when I asked Dagmar shook her head as if to warn me. And no. Oh she comments on this or that, but when I offered to get her tools if she need them. Nix. She enjoys video games...at least one of them..skyrim? And she's not afraid of working at the house but not crafting? Not even talking about crafting?"

"Hm. Does she seem particularly banal?"

"No, her seeming is strong. Though if she keeps denying creativity I worry banality might be the result. I thought maybe something in the mines or at that..dreadful fleshpit... might have somehow soured her craft for her...but I'm not sure how"

"It's....possible." Kerri thinks quietly for a few moments, wiping down the counters. "It could be guilt, if something she built ended up hurting somebody she cared for. Or...oh...I know some nockers have a talent with, ah, various sexual devices. Given that place, maybe it has something to do with that."

"Something she built? Or.. oh my. I have no idea how to fidn out the truth of the problem. What do I do to find out?"

"Well...I suppose Vali could scry...or...it might take some gentle wheedling...." A pause. "Hm. There's also the chance that she's being blackmailed about something, and is afraid to speak or act on her craft."

"I could try to talk with her, see if I can get anywhere...."

"If you have an idea how ,I'd appreciate it"

"Well...a quiet chat while working together always seemed to get Dagmar to open up. Maybe it's the same with Betty?"

"So next time I should do dishes with her? Instead of having Dagmar do it?"

"Hm. Don't want to make Dagmar feel shoved aside or replaced, though...." She taps a finger on the counter.