A Marshmallow's Guide to Loving a Complete Idiot (Inanimate Insanity)(Marshple)

38. Laugh Together

Deductive reasoning. Ever since she began reading mystery novels, it was elementary, my dear friend, so to speak, to turn deductive reasoning into a vehicle for learning.

That big plastic tub perched on top of the library's door, for example. Because tubs did not generally wind up in high places on their own, she could deduct that someone had placed it here intentionally. It had a large, rusty fishing weight attached so it'd go down the right way, leading her to conclude that it was supposed to fall.

"You don't seem all that focused on knitting."

"I have no clue what you mean, Dough."

It wasn't even a deduction, because Marsh was staring at the tub while her hands moved robotically with the needles.

It was also through deductive reasoning that she could figure out that it was Bow's doing. Apple had never really been the prankster type (way too unsubtle), and Dough tended to hang with himself. Plus, the weight seemed like a clever touch that only Bow would come up with.

The question was of what was in there.

Dough followed her eyes to the tub, and explained, "Yeah, it's part of some prank. I'm not in on it."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Marsh fibbed, grabbing a golden paperweight from the table beside her.

"You seriously don't see that? All you have to do is look."

"I'm busy knitting..."

"Ugh, are you serious? You're not even holding a needle anymore."

She tossed the weight a few times experimentally to get a feel for how heavy it was. It was like a grapefruit weight-wise, but with the proportions of a perfectly-rounded orange. It was easy to hold and easier to throw.

She watched as a single glob of brown flew out of the tub when the weight flew in. She dove for it before it could get all over the century-old carpets, and sniffed.

Chocolate.

Not water.

"You just looked right at it! You are listening to me!" Dough exclaimed in surprise. Marsh ignored him as she tasted a tiny bit of the stuff.

Dark chocolate. Not milk chocolate.

'But that makes no sense,' she thought with a frown. 'We didn't have spare chocolate chips from the cookies, but even if we did, they were milk chocolate. That means... a special trip to Walmart.'

"Do you believe me yet?"

Marsh wished he'd stop talking so she could think, but did nod at him,

'Apple and Bow hate each other. If Bow suggested doing it, Apple would shoot her down, not make a special trip, I'd imagine... But Bow wouldn't possess Apple. She's learned her lesson.'

"Uh, Marshmallow. They're in the next room waiting."

'They're in the next room. Not she is in the next room. Oh my marsh. They really did work together.'

It took no detective to know that there was just one way to end this day.

Marsh grabbed the roll of paper towels that were luckily in there already, and scattered them all around the door, where she assumed that the chocolate would go.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Dough," Marsh lied, "They'd never do that." Playing dumb made her feel dumb. Still, she couldn't help a smirk as she stretched, yawned nonchalantly, and said loudly:

"Welp, would you look at the time. It's time for me to find Apple and give her a special vocabulary lesson. It'd be a shame if something interrupted it!"