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[SUZIE'S POV]
I need to head outside to think. Von Sweetsville's air is tinged with sickeningly sweetly artificial fruits and flowers and I just can't stand it.
So I wonder into Graphite Forest. The scent is of petrichor is much more light and soothing. Eh, I've wanted to move from von Sweetsville for as long as I can remember. Though I catch another smell, faint and smoky. What dimwit was training fire doodles out here?
Ah. A woman perched in a tree, black-gold kimono, a red-white doodle at their side, mask resembling the fox covering her face. Must've been a kitsen, members of ShadowClan were known for having them. The pair must've been taking a break from training, the woman lying almost like a bird.
It'd be fun to join them, even if I didn't have any doodles of my own. Plus, who didn't want to help out.
So I climbed the tree with a significant lack of grace, the woman's kitsen prodding them awake. She immediately drew their weapon (a katana) and pointed it at me.
"Woah, woah, chill! I just wanted to ask if I could train with you!" I explained in a hurry. "ImeanIdon'thaveanydoodlesbutI'dalwayswanttohelpatrainerinneedy'know?"
The woman narrowed her eyes. "Fine. You shall call me "Inari"." Inari had a strange accent I hadn't heard before. They climbed down from the tree quickly, offering a hand to help me.
"Thanks, Inari!" I happily thanked her.
"Don't mention it." They definitely averted her eyes under their mask.
Training whirred by, helping Inari's kitsen build up his confidence and reaction time by ducking and making quick, unexpected movements, even healing him against the wild doodles.
"Thank you." She thanked me, placing a hand in mine.
"Of course! Can I meet you again?" I asked. I liked Inari, they were cool, interesting, pretty—
"Tomorrow at noon." She stated. "Wait in that tree. Make sure to come alone."
Maybe I was there a smidgen early, it was 11:30 now, bringing sandwiches! I mean, food was awesome, and I was usually hungry about 1-ish.
Inari peered around briefly, waving a dismissive hand to another masked person they had come with, before climbing to sit beside me, adjusting her mask.
"I brought food!" I offered Inari one of my sandwiches.
"Thank you." They seemed surprised, but grateful, turning away to hide her face as they took a bite.
"No problem! We're friends now, right?" I asked, looking at her like an excited puppy.
"Tabun (多分)." They replied.
"Is that a yes?" I gazed curiously at her.
"I suppose."
"Yay!" I leaned forward, placing my hands on their thigh before realizing how close I was and backing away, apologetic for getting in their personal space. "Sorry..." I mumbled.
"It's fine." She reassured me, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Inari! Doki ni iru no? (お稲荷さん！どこにいるんですか？)"
"Sorry, I must leave now." They explained, hopping down from the tree. "Is it okay if I call you Ai (愛)?"
"Yeah, of course!" I happily accepted the nickname with no clue what it meant.
"Mienai no? Watashi wa koko ni iru you (見えないの？私はここにいるよ)."
I waited by the tree the next day. And the next. And the next. And like for the next few months. I'd bring her things—sandwiches, trinkets, stuff for their doodles, chocolates (the non-addictive ones), and anything else I could reasonably acquire to share.
They shared things, too. Stories and small bits of food from her clan. Even let me hold their katana!
Today was a chilly winter day, breeze blowing the last snowflakes.
Inari climbed up the tree beside me, her hair unusually tied up.
"Inari!" I happily greeted them, though she seemed quieter than usual, placing a parcel in my hand. "Is everything okay?"
"Please read this if anything happens to me, Ai." They explained.
"Are you okay?" I asked again, concerned.
She slowly nodded.
"You seem sad. Do you wanna share what's bothering you?" I pushed a little harder, handing half of the sandwich I'd brought.
"No, I can't. Saiaku no jitai ga okori-sōda to shinpai shite imasu (最悪の事態が起こりそうだと心配しています。)" They explained in Japanese.
"What you mean?"
"I... DoodleCo is trying to destroy my clan. I don't know what to do." She explained, taking off their mask for once. Her silver eyes glittered with unshed tears, pooling like the rivulets that formed after rainfall across their face.
"I'm so sorry, Inari."
"I think I should give you my real name..." they explained. "Tamamizu."
"Tamamizu..." I repeated. "That's a beautiful name. Though, I'm sorry Tamamizu."
"May I please stay with you, Ai?" She asked, a look of desperation in their eyes.
"Of course." I led her back through Graphite Forest to von Sweetsville, dead grass crunching underfoot. My apartment still was scented of saccharine sweets (something that was basically embedded into your essence if you live here), but comfortable and had enough space for the both of us.
A bookshelf sat, decorated with mementos, bracelets, pictures and definitely not overdue library books. Small kitchen, customary jar of taffy that I'd never touched, box of cereal (yes it is Kellogg's red berries with 50% more red berries*, it's my favorite :D), a dresser sectioning off my bedroom, and a couch with a strawberry rug.
"Ai, soreha hakike ga suru hodo amai nioi ga suru. Naze son'na? (愛、それは吐き気がするほど甘い匂いがする。なぜそんな？)" Tamamizu questioned, shifting her kitsen-like mask back over their face.
"Pardon?" I asked.
"It smells of fine sugar." She explained, tracing a hand over a book about insect-type doodles.
"Yeah, that's just part of living here." I laughed.