/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>45270851
>[Aya] together with Momiji ambushes Kasen, not knowing it's Kasen; they get stomped
Hahaha... that was supposed to be a red (pink) herring for Aya to solve...
>>45255475
It was Aya who broke off the embrace first. Her stomach rumbled for food and drink. Momiji remained attached to Anon, indulging in her chance to relax. The doll joined, asleep on her living perch. The head chef indisposed, sous-chef Aya Shameimaru began preparing food and drink for the three—four—people in the living room.

While preparing ingredients, Aya was tempted by the medicine cabinet. The thought persisted in her mind: Someone before her used it. Aya herself found it by snooping. Nazrin apparently did the same. There was no doubt in Aya’s mind that Tsukasa was just as wily. If there was any proof for or against her taking his seed, it was in there.

Covered in fur, Anon stood outside the kitchen. Noticing his hesitance, the tengu chef called him out: “What’s the matter Anon, too hot in the kitchen for you?” She stretched one leg out, trying to strike an enticing pose without knocking anything over.

“Hot might have a little to do with it. But unless you want some extra fiber in your food, I’d better stay out of the way.” He punctuated words by patting his chest once, unleashing a cloud of Momiji’s fur.

“I-In that case, just lend me your new friend for a bit. I’ll be done soon.” While the mask hid her expression, the insinuation that Anon called her ‘hot’ clouded head. She hadn’t expected him to go along with it! Maybe he was starting to fall in love after her heartfelt confession! A whistling kettle broke her reverie: Tea was almost done.

Commanding ‘Dolly’ was more difficult than she expected. Aya knew that Alice had dolls to help her cook, but this one wasn’t nearly as fast or knowledgeable as she wanted. The automaton could only do small tasks by herself. Washing the dishes would too big a task for the diminutive girl. Once the crow was done cooking, Dolly set the table as best she could and carried tea cups for each of her giant friends. After plating meals for everyone, Aya still felt like something was missing… Heading back to the kitchen, she looked around the cabinets until she found a small wooden plate and cup, roughly made for the doll’s size. Finally serving a meal fit for four, Aya and Momiji quickly scarfed down their plates while Anon savored his, trying to analyze the tengu flavors.

Bellies stuffed, bedroom time was approaching. The three adults agreed for Anon to bathe first and the girls to go in second. Waiting for the second he entered the bathroom. Aya pulled Momiji into the kitchen. Raiding the medicine cabinet with precision, Aya found the pill bottle. She spilled them onto the counter and counted them all up. 27. One for mystery woman, one for Aya, one for Nazrin. A wave of relief washed over her. “Momiji, count these over for me. I need to be sure it’s 27 pills exact.”

“Alright, alright, stop tugging! You’re going to knot my fur and Anon got them all out!” One by one, Momiji overturned all 27 pills, reaffirming the crow. “Are we going to discuss our enemy, the hermit, now?”

“Hair buns, shackles, martial prowess, invisibility… it all just screams Kasen doesn’t it? That’s why it can’t be her. It’s too obvious.” Aya recounted the pills again and took a picture, making sure she could count them again later.

The wolf was confused. “It’s obvious, yes, but that doesn’t make it any less true.”

“Remember, this whole investigation started over a rumor that Kanako was visiting the HSE. Kanako doesn’t dress like an oni. Kanako doesn’t slice people up with a sword or turn invisible. If our suspect wants everyone to think Kanako is visiting the HSE, why wear Kasen’s accessories?” The crow finally looked away from the counter, facing Momiji dead-on.

“To draw attention away from themselves?” Sweat beaded on her neck under Aya’s scrutiny.

“It’s because the only thing more dramatic than a goddess visiting the HSE would be a Sage! If the rumor against the Moriyans failed, they could instead start a new rumor around Kasen! Plus, the cloak: The manacles and hair buns were sown into it. I couldn’t rip those off the hermit’s body if she were wearing them! Plus, Kasen probably would’ve destroyed the evidence and utterly crushed us to hide her own identity instead of cutting me once and leaving the cloak for us to keep. No, Tsukasa and her accomplice are piling lies on lies!”

“Wait, Tsukasa is involved?” She followed along well enough, but the kuda-gitsune’s name threw her for a loop.

Slamming the pill container down on the counter, Aya began in a low voice. “Momiji. Let me tell you how much I’ve come to hate Tsukasa since this morning. She—“

Momiji’s pupils shrank into dots as she read the label. “Aya. Why are you counting pregnancy pills?”
(Part 51)