Mochi Helper

"Well, I can pound mochi," a tall, mamoo-printed woman hums as she rolls a pin out over small bits of pre-prepared mochi dough. "But I find it much more efficient to buy the dough prepared for me already by Dan. It saves my hands. You understand, mm?" 

Val, propped up on her kitchen counter with a hand tucked under her chin and her mouth trying not to drop with water, nods. "Luxury... I get it, yeah. Like having your boyfriend bring you home a pie from the bake sale instead of making one yourself at home."

Moochi giggles. "I suppose so..." When the circles of mochi are rolled out and ready to be filled, she scoops them up and moves them to the side, making a stack of them. They're dusted with starch so they don't stick to one another and make a second, equally useless dough ball, but still manage to look fluffy and perfect for sinking your teeth into. It's no wonder how Moochi herself got her punny name. The extra scraps of mochi are pulled together, pressed down, rerolled and cut again and again until only tiny bites remain. Mochi rolls those bites together, stretches her arm across the kitchen counter, and dips the ball into a bowl of sugar she has set aside. She offers the extra dough to Val with a silent question in her eyes. 

Val isn't stupid, of course. She snaps the morsel up with a delighted chuckle in return - and a sigh as the chewy delicacy melts in her mouth. Moochi pauses long enough to dust her hands off on her apron so she can get Val the pat between the horns she deserves. After an approving noise from the doll praised just for the act of enjoying, Moochi moves on with her confections. She spins around to the freezer, apron and skirt and bow-tipped tail spinning along with her, and retrieves a tray of milky cubes. She holds them up, proud. 

"Milk custard!" she sings, lifting a heel to toe the freezer door closed. The tray is placed down on the table, a frozen cube is plucked up in the fingertips of one hand, a circle of dough in the other, and she combines them by rolling the mochi around the custard and then between her two palms until it's an even, fluffy circle. She holds it up with pride. "When the milk unfreezes, which it will shortly, you'll bite into that chewy chewy mochi and get a burst of cold, sweet cream in your mouth. I think most people little sweet cream in their mouths~" 

"Hell yeah," Val agrees. 

"And there's no one better to taste a mouthful of cream than you yourself, don't you think, Val?" Moochi coos. Val blushes, lifts her hand, and tsks her teeth while trying to pretend like she is not, in fact, the most perfect person to taste test the euphemistic mochi. Moochi goes through the steps of preparing the large batch. Folding, tucking, rolling, and trying not to melt the pieces of milk custard with her warm hands. She entertains Val as she does, singing her songs and telling stories about how milk extractions from the milkweed works and letting her lick drips of custard from the tips of her fingers, each one rewarded with a kiss on the cheek. The first kiss leaves a pink lipstick mark on Val's skin.

When a plate is made for friends and a box is elegantly decorated and arranged for Allocer, Moochi finally turns toward Val. She places the first soft mochi in her palm, now significantly wobbly and squishier from the thawed custard inside. She gestures two fingers forward. "Come here, prettybun. It's your turn." 

Val mumbles something unintelligible, probably a failed protests, and stands from his chair to come over to Moochi. Moochi extends her opposite hand. Val obediently places his chin against her fingers. She brushes her fingers side to side over her lips. "Aahh there you go. Pretty girl... Say aahh~" 

When Val complies, Moochi brings the mochi to her lips, allows her to take a bite, and watches as the pink doll absolutely melts from the burst of goodness in her mouth. "Hmhmngn ish perfeck-" Val moans.

Moochi kisses the tip of her nose.