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Quite! Only those with more mora than they can count can afford these machines back home. The rest of us wash our clothing the old fashioned way.

[an orphanage run by the Fatui is still an orphanage, so no one at the House of the Hearth has ever used a washing machine before. her second comment-- about wanting to try the machines out herself-- earns an amused smile from Lyney]

I'd suggest starting small. Perhaps you could wash your hat, too?

[Altria reaches up to touch her hat.

And then carefully pulls it off her head and holds it in her hands.

Hmmm. Hmmmmmm.]

... Well! If Muramasa made it, it should be able to handle whatever any strange machine can do to it!

[And so she chucks it into the wash.

and waits for it expectantly to start doing something. She does not know how to start a washing machine, obviously.]

[WHO IS MURAMASA. . . fortunately for her, Lyney has figured out how to use these machines through trial and error. and, with light amusement]

I believe you need to put soap in it first.

[brb he is looking for the detergent]

Oh, I see.

[Well! When he finds that, she looks at it, and then at the machine, and then, blessedly, reads the instructions instead of dumping the whole dang thing in there. She doesn't dump it into the right compartment but it's probably fine.

Then she looks at him with a blank smile.]

Done! Now what?

[damn, and here I was hoping they'd flood the laundromat in soap]

[but at least they are both too smart not to read the instructions! and Lyney gives an approving nod as he retrieves the detergent from her and places it aside]

Next I believe. . . [he reaches out and gently nudges the lid shut. it slams down with an impressive BANG] . . . we do this!

[why is he saying it so dramatically he's just closing the lid]

[i'm gomen maybe someday--

regardless, she jumps a little when he shuts it so definitively, and then nods eagerly.

!!!!!]

And then it starts?

Only after you push this button.

[he points to the start button]

[but doesn't press it]

[because it's her time]

[....!!!! Ooooohhhhh.

She looks at the button, and then at him. Back at the button. Back to him.

And then with great determination, she presses it.

And jumps when it starts, but with excitement, immediately pressing her face up against the glass to see.]

[WHOOSH! THERE'S SO MUCH WATER!!! the washing machine spins around and around and around, taking her now-soaked hat with it. Lyney can't help but chuckle]

I'm glad you can understand where my own fascination came from.

It's really amazing...! I wonder how all of this works?

[She finally pulls her face away from the window to look at him.]

Everyone says it's technology and not magecraft... and I do see the technology influence, it's just that I'm not very familiar with that sort of thing.

Are you?

[he folds his arms at that question, clearly pensive]

Only a little bit, and only with the sort of technology an average citizen would use.

. . . if my little brother were here, I'm certain he could explain the entire mechanism to us. Right down to the very last gear.

[...!!!

She looks at him, agape.]

Really? Wowwww... he must be incredibly smart!

He is!

[he speaks about his brother with the same sort of familial affection with which he spoke about Lynette, of course]

He's quiet and a bit introverted, but when Lynette broke the sink, he was able to fix the piping issues with no problem whatsoever.

[FREMINET, THE HOUSE OF THE HEARTH'S RESIDENT REPAIRMAN]

[what's a sink]

... Amazing!

[... also, it's so cute:]

You always sound so proud of them when you talk about your... siblings!

[girl you been having a sink for like a month now]

Of course I sound proud. It's because I am.

[he is being so sickeningly sincere. it's probably the only time he ever is]

Wouldn't anyone be proud of their family?

[don't perceive her.

Also that's... adorable, honestly.]

I guess so...! [what's a family--

no I joke.

But like, also, I'm mostly serious.]

It's really nice to hear about, to be honest... I like learning about your siblings.

[ONE DAY LYNEY WILL EXPLAIN TO HER WHAT A FAMILY IS. . . . . . . . . . in human terms]

Is that so. . . do you have any of your own, back home?

[he asks that question to continue the conversation, but also, because he has found himself talking about his family with her quite often. he doesn't want to be the only one spilling details about his personal life!]

[ONE DAY!!!

He asks it a little abruptly, enough so that she's taken off-guard; she blinks at him owlishly for a moment too long, and then turns her gaze back to the washing machine.]

Any... siblings, you mean?

[... Maybe that's easier than family. Maybe she can pretend she misunderstood.]

Nope, I don't have any! It's just me.

[A-NY-WAY.]

Wowww, look at your hat bounce around! It must be a really tough hat!

[he did mean siblings, yes! and if she had just said no without the strange pause, owlish blinking, and sudden change in subject, he would have just let it go. but because she is very bad at not seeming suspicious. . .]

Ahah! It's the toughest hat that ever existed. It has to be, to be a proper magician's tool.

[he folds his arms, one finger tapping against his skin]

I won't pry, by the way.

[but he is saying that to let her know he can tell there is more to her answer that she isn't saying]

[... Oof.

Altria pauses for a moment, and then she laughs sheepishly, tone light but weak.]

Sorry... it's just that Faerie Britain is really, really different from most of the places everywhere here is from.

We don't really have things like siblings or families. So I'm not really sure how to respond...

[ah. . . so that's why. . .]

[the dryer buzzes, and Lyney reaches out to open the front door, retrieving his hat in the process. it's so warm! and clean! and still in perfect condition]

I understand. . . it must be strange, when others talk so naturally about something you know nothing about.

[and he truly didn't mean to make her feel like she was weird]

Oh, it's okay!

[That much, at least, is both chipper and seemingly sincere.]

I don't mind hearing about it at all. I think people are really interesting, especially from other places.

And I guess sometimes faeries... make it up? Kind of? Having family, I mean. Like the queen has a "daughter", sort of... but it's just something she decided one day.

[... "had". Had a daughter.]

Edited 2023-12-17 22:02 (UTC)

[with a flourish, he replaces the top had onto his head, giving it a good rap with his knuckles juuuust in case. FIRST LAUNDRY. . . IS A SUCCESS]

[and as an orphan whose family is mostly adopted. . . something about Altria's words resonates with him]

Human families can be like that, too. For instance, my younger brother and I aren't related by blood.

We also decided one day that we were siblings, and that was that.

[Huh...!! His words... make her think of Percival. Right. He'd done that too, right? With Tam Lin Lancelot.

... How nice, to feel that strongly without any ties connecting them but circumstance.]

I see! So that's how it is everywhere...!

[She peers at his top hat, curious, but trying not to get too in his space.]

[oh, right! he takes his top hat off again and hands it to her, so she can examine it]

Indeed. A "family" can truly be what any individual makes of it.

So in that respect, your Faerie Britain-- [is that what she had called it?] -- isn't that odd.

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