The Fox Hole

Chapter 8: Crab

–Haru–

Cooking has always been my passion, but sometimes, you just need a break. This morning, I finally got to spend some time with my girlfriend, Aela, which made it all the better.

"So, how fared your hunt against the Silver… Fist?" I asked as we walked across the grassy plains of Whiterun. She was taking me to a nearby pond where, apparently, there were baby giant crabs. Even as babies, they were bigger than anything I'd seen on Earth. I was curious to try them before thinking about adding them to my menu.

"Silver Hand…" Aela corrected, her eyes scanning the horizon. Whiterun's wilds were filled with dangers—wolves, sabre cats, and worse. Only the most experienced warriors or hunters dared venture out with so few numbers. "...And it went well," she continued. "Agnar and I thought we'd broken their back after they killed the last Harbinger of the Companions, but it seems they've been trying to reorganize in secret, hiding nearby in Falkreath. We showed them that was unacceptable! In our werewolf forms, the two of us laid siege to their little hideout and feasted on their flesh!" She grinned darkly as she shared more grisly details.

I winced. The Silver Hand had been responsible for Skjor's death—Aela's brother in all but blood—so I understood her thirst for revenge. Still, the idea of werewolves needing to eat human hearts to grow stronger was hard to stomach.

Then again, my mother, Yasaka, had grown up in an era when many Yokai fed on humans. Thankfully, that was mostly a thing of the past. 

"Glad to hear it," I said, trying to change the subject as I looked up at the clear blue sky. "The weather's really nice today. Is it always like this in Skyrim?"

Aela snorted. "Gods, no. Skyrim's got the worst weather in all of Tamriel! Whenever we get a hailstorm, at least one person ends up dead or maimed. The ice comes down sharp as blades and the size of fists."

"That sounds… awful," I muttered, trying to picture it.

"Aye, I suppose it does sound horrible to someone not born here, but it's home," Aela said, chuckling darkly as she told me about an elf who got unlucky and took a chunk of hail straight through the eye just last week.

"Well, at least we picked a good day for our first date. I'm really glad we're finally spending time together," I said, smiling at her.

A faint pink flushed Aela's cheeks, her tough exterior cracking just a little. "Y–Yes. I'm glad to be out here with you too, Haru," she replied.

Since this was a date, I would've reached out to hold her hand, but in Skyrim, you always had to stay alert whenever you were outside the safe walls of a city. You never know what bad thing was nearby just waiting to ambush you.

Case in point: A massive fucking spider was creeping through the grass toward us. It probably thought it was being sneaky, but apparently forgot it was the size of a small pony!

I tried not to visibly shudder. Spiders should not get that big! I don't care if I'm an Ultimate-Class Yokai—a giant spider creeping up on me is still terrifying.

In one swift motion, Aela grabbed a glass-tipped arrow from her quiver, nocked it, and fired with deadly precision. The arrow buried itself in the spider's cluster of eyes, and the creature let out an awful screech as it lost its sight.

"I didn't know spiders had vocal cords," I said as Blue Foxfire flared to life in my offhand. With a flick of my wrist, I sent the flames spiraling toward the writhing creature. Blinded by an arrow and then set on fire—it was not having a good day.

If it had been screeching before, now it was wailing!

The spider thrashed around, desperate to put out the fire, but my flames, powered by my Youki, couldn't be extinguished by something as simple as rolling on the ground. The smell of burning flesh filled the air, and after a few moments, the spider went still.

I wrinkled my nose at the scent, then blinked. "Doesn't smell too bad, actually. Can we eat those?" It had been scary alive, but now it smelled… kind of delicious?

Aela shook her head, to my disappointment. "No. Every giant spider in Skyrim is deadly poisonous. They're just pests. Luckily for us, we won't need to clean up the corpse. They're cannibals—other spiders will come along and eat it soon enough."

"That's… hardcore," I muttered while shaking my head.

Aela smirked playfully. "That's Skyrim."

A short while later, we arrived at a pond a few miles from Whiterun's walls. Aela and I crouched in the brush, keeping low to avoid being spotted by our prey. Hunting might seem like an odd choice for a first date, but for a werewolf and a kitsune, it felt oddly fitting. We were both natural predators, and I had to admit, I was enjoying it.

At the water's edge, I spotted three baby giant crabs, their shells glinting in the afternoon sun as they chittered. I called them "babies," but each was over a foot tall. Their claws were busy tearing apart a fully grown doe, its blood staining the rocks beneath them. The poor creature must have wandered down for a drink and met an unfortunate end.

"These crabs aren't poisonous, are they?" I asked, realizing I probably should've checked that before we started hunting.

"No," Aela replied. "Giant crabs in Skyrim are perfectly edible. In fact, they're a delicacy—mostly because of how hard they are to catch. Their shells are tougher than iron; most arrows just bounce off. And those claws…" She paused. "They're quicker than most hunters think. Every year, a few unlucky souls get sliced up and eaten by these little beasts."

I watched the crabs for a moment, noting how efficiently they tore apart the doe. "Charming creatures," I muttered.

None of that was a problem for us, though. Aela, being a werewolf, was far stronger than any ordinary Nord. Her bow had a much higher draw weight, and her glass-tipped arrows—somehow stronger than steel in this world—were more than capable of piercing their armored shells.

As for me, I had options. I could transform my hands into claws that could easily slice through steel, depending on how much Youki I channeled. But that would get messy. Normally, I'd use my foxfire, but since these crabs were meant to be dinner, the last thing I wanted was to overcook them before we even got back to the kitchen.

Claws it was then…

…

The doors to my restaurant suddenly flew open, and a blonde blur rushed to the counter!

"Nii-chan? Why are you covered in blue monster blood?" Kunou asked, hopping onto a barstool just in time for lunch.

A few seconds later, the doors burst open again!

Tanya Degurechaff, now officially assigned as Kunou's primary bodyguard by Yasaka, climbed onto the seat next to her with a weary sigh. She looked exhausted, and I couldn't blame her—keeping up with a hyperactive ten-year-old Kitsune was no small feat. She nodded her thanks when I slid a steaming cup of coffee across the counter toward her. From the look on her face, she needed it. 

"I had to kill some crabs with my claws," I explained to Kunou, glancing down at my ruined white outfit, now splattered with blue crab blood. In hindsight, I should've worn darker colors for hunting.

Kunou's eyes lit up, her tails swishing eagerly behind her. "Crabs!? Is that what we're having for lunch? I love crabs!" she exclaimed, practically bouncing in her seat.

Tanya, after gulping down her coffee in a few swift sips, set the empty cup down with a contented sigh. "That sounds good. I haven't had decent seafood in a while," she added. But her cheerful tone quickly shifted as she turned to Kunou, looking weary. "Please don't run off like that, Kunou-sama! I'm not used to these streets yet and almost got lost trying to keep up. I really don't want to fail my job as your guard."

Kunou just gave Tanya a mischievous foxy grin in return. She had a bad habit of ditching her own guards, and we were hoping to break her of that habit by assigning Tanya to her since they were close to the same age. 

"Hi, Aela!" Kunou said cheerfully, finally noticing I wasn't alone in the kitchen. "How was your date with Nii-chan? Did you two have fun?"

"We did indeed," Aela said with a soft chuckle. "Haru was quite savage when he fought those crabs with his bare claws. I loved watching him hunt!"

I flinched as I suddenly felt her gentle hand at the base of my tails, her fingers lightly stroking the fur. I could sense her smirk without even looking. Apparently, watching me tear into those crabs had been a turn-on for her…

My werewolf girlfriend continued to shamelessly stroke the sensitive base of my tails while chatting with my little sister, making it difficult to focus on cooking.

"What did you do today, Kunou?" Aela asked, helping stir one of the bubbling pots on the stove with her other hand to not make it so obvious. 

"I had boring classes with my private tutor!" Kunou huffed, crossing her arms in frustration. "School is dumb. I wish I could go to magic school like Harry and Hermione!"

"Considering everything I've heard about that place, I would strongly advise against it," Tanya chimed in with a wry smile.

I nodded in agreement. "Honestly, who thought it was a good idea to host a death tournament for students? It's not like Hogwarts is even trying to attract more students—they're literally the only magic school in Britain."

Kunou pouted at us for shutting down her idea, but she was soon distracted by the mouthwatering smell filling the kitchen.

We'd made quite the haul from our hunt. After taking down the three baby crabs, their much larger parents had burst from the pond, seeking revenge. Each over three feet tall, they were packed with more meat than I expected. Now, five large pots were boiling on the stove, filled with succulent crab legs. In the oven, over two dozen crab cakes were baking to perfection, their scent mixing with the savory aromas from the stove. We were definitely going to have leftovers…

Kunou and Tanya wolfed down their meals quickly. Kunou had to get back to tutoring—much to her dismay—while Tanya needed a breather after chasing Kunou all day.

Once they left, I had a different problem. I'd been trying to keep a straight face the entire time, but Aela had been idly stroking my tails, sending tingles up my spine. When we were finally alone, I turned to her, locking eyes with the playful smirk on her lips.

"As a werewolf, you must know how sensitive that spot is," I muttered, barely hiding my frustration. Keeping my cool in front of Kunou and Tanya had been seriously tough.

Aela's eyes glinted mischievously. She licked her lips playfully before leaning in just enough to leave a teasing kiss on my own lips before pulling back with a chuckle. "Oh, I know," she said, her voice low and suggestive.

Then, with a wink, she turned and sauntered over to the stove. "I'm starving. I think I'll have some crab myself." she said while scooping herself a plate, leaving me standing there, half-annoyed, fully-aroused.

I had definitely learned something new about Aela today—she was a tease.

I let out a quiet sigh of mild disappointment but settled into one of the booths with Aela. It was essentially a continuation of our date, and with the restaurant all to ourselves, we could relax and talk. We swapped stories about our childhoods, learning more about each other with every tale.

Aela came from a long line of warrior women, all members of the Companions. However, her mother had been born sickly and never fulfilled that legacy, passing away when Aela was still young. Her father raised her in the wilderness, honing her archery skills during countless hunts. She became such a skilled shot that when she finally joined the Companions, she quickly earned the name Aela the Huntress. Not long after, she joined the inner circle and became a werewolf.

"Living in the city after spending years in the wilds was a big adjustment," Aela said thoughtfully. "The first time one of my roommates tried to wake me up, I punched her in the throat, thinking she was a wolf sneaking up on me while I slept. Nearly collapsed her windpipe," she added, shaking her head. "Luckily, the Temple of Kynareth was nearby, so they managed to heal her before any permanent damage. Still, she left a few weeks later. Too much of a milk-drinker to live a proper Nord life."

I chuckled at the bluntness. Harsh, maybe, but it took a certain mindset to survive in a world where monsters and death lurked at every corner. Aela had grown up in that world, and I couldn't fault her for having a tough mindset.

In return, I shared a bit about my own childhood. My stories weren't nearly as wild—my second life had only been in danger a few times, and most of those came later.

"Are you ashamed of your boyfriend for being so boring?" I teased.

Aela shook her head with a smile. "Not at all. You're a prince. I'm not surprised your mother kept you safe. The Jarl does the same with his sons. The difference is, you ventured into the wilderness with me today. Most noble fops wouldn't have the guts. Even grown up, it's rare for any of the Jarl's sons to leave the Cloud District." She snorted. "Can you believe one of those fools even tried to court me once!?"

I laughed when she went on to tell me how she'd spent a couple of nights in prison for beating up the eldest son of Whiterun's Jarl, who had thought he was man enough to win her over despite being a sissy little "Milk Drinker."

We spent the next hour swapping more stories and laughing over our food, enjoying the quiet moments together. It wasn't until the door to the restaurant creaked open that we realized we had a visitor.

"H–hello…" a girl stammered, peeking her head inside nervously. She had sandy blonde hair and looked about my age, though clearly malnourished, with shabby, worn clothes like something from a European period drama. Given that she was a European girl speaking fluent Japanese, it was hard not to assume she was from another dimension.

"Welcome to the Fox Hole," I said, standing up from the booth with Aela beside me.

The girl's eyes widened in shock when she saw me. "A b-beastman!?" she yelped, taking a few fearful steps back.

"Do not insult my man! He is no beast, girl!" Aela snapped before I could respond. "His name is Haru, and he's the owner of this establishment! He is a Yokai prince!" she added proudly.

"A p-prince!?" The girl's face went pale, and she started trembling. "I-I'm so sorry, my l-lord!"

"It's really not a big deal," I said with a wave, trying to calm her down. Her reaction was intense, but I couldn't blame her. In her world, 'beastmen' probably weren't seen in a positive light. "As Aela said, I'm Haru, and this is my restaurant, The Fox Hole. You're welcome to sit wherever you like."

"A restaurant?" Her eyes grew even wider, this time with amazement. "I've never been to one before..." she murmured, sounding awestruck. Given her shabby appearance, it was clear she wasn't used to luxuries like this. "How did your restaurant suddenly appear in our small village? Everyone's really scared because of it..."

"Sorry about that. My restaurant does that sometimes," I said with a sheepish shrug. She gave me a confused look, clearly puzzled by my poor explanation. I decided to switch topics. "What's your name? And are you hungry? We've got fresh crab today."

"Crab?" Her eyes lit up again. "That sounds like something only nobles eat... I don't have any money."

"You don't need to worry about that here," I reassured her, heading behind the counter. After putting our plates in the dishwasher and washing my hands, I prepared a generous portion of crab for her. "I only ask customers to pay if they can."

The girl hesitated for a moment but eventually took a seat at the counter beside Aela. "My name is Enri," she said softly. "How come your magic restaurant appeared in Carne Village?"

XXX

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