[attr="class","uriah"]uriah chuckles, only slightly disbelieved at the type of people his dad chooses to work with. of course they'd share his work ethic.

"neither is sitting around taking names all day."

and then, a thought:

"have you even seen a movie?"

[attr="class","noodles"]Suzume Amemiya

"Of course I've seen a movie, do you think I live under a rock?"

Suzu gathers the paperwork she's collected to line it up straight again. She appears frustrated, doesn't look him in the eye.

"This is an effective use of my time, and it's what your father asked me to do. These people could become valuable assets for the company, useful investors. You would understand if you had any interest in all in the plans your father has."

Her thoughts drift to the fish movie with the father searching for his fish son. It brings conflicted memories. Various others drift to the surface of other irrelevant TV shows and movies that THEO BECKETT let play in the background. None of them were important.

URIAH BLACK

[attr="class","uriah"]whatever suzu says about the event goes unheard, unregistered, as he focuses on something else entirely.

"okay, what's the last movie you watched?"

[attr="class","noodles"]Suzume Amemiya

"I don't know, it had fish in it. One of them had a bum fin, or something. Lots of Wingull."

This is pointless information, why does he care?

URIAH BLACK

[attr="class","uriah"]"a bum fin?"

it takes him a second but he's laughing the moment realization hits.

"holy that's old. have you even seen a movie in a theater before?"

[attr="class","noodles"]Suzume Amemiya

"Are you laughing?"

Her pride stings and her glare is seething. The ugly scar across her face already makes her unapproachable, but the added glare makes her meaner.

"With hundreds of people? No, that sounds terrible."

URIAH BLACK

[attr="class","uriah"]her question goes unanswered. he seems to be unaffected by her glare; it simply bounces off him, not cutting as deep as it perhaps usually does.

"there aren't hundreds of people..."

his laugh trails off.

"i'll take you so you can see what you're missing out on."

[attr="class","noodles"]Suzume Amemiya

If there were more than twenty people, it might as well be hundreds. Suzu's frown cuts deeper.

"Why? Why do you think I'm missing out? Why do you care?"

URIAH BLACK

[attr="class","uriah"]"because it sounds like you don't do anything else but work."

he returns her frown, mirroring it in a teasing manner as he shrugs.

"just thought i'd show you how to enjoy things a little."

[attr="class","noodles"]Suzume Amemiya

He's right, but for her it isn't anything unusual. She's happy, honestly, working day in and day out.

His returning frown is meant to be teasing, but only encourages a warm, angry blush across her face. It agitates the sensitive, tight skin of her scar.

"I do know how to enjoy things."

Around them, the booths begin to close up and people start to leave.

URIAH BLACK

[attr="class","uriah"]"then prove it."

he begins closing up as well, clearing up what's left of the cookies. naturally, he keeps a few for himself.

"come watch this movie with me."

[attr="class","noodles"]Suzume Amemiya

"What?"

She blurts that out loud, a thought she'd preferred to keep to herself.

'Then prove it,' he said. He was challenging her, begging her to step up and fight. What was she supposed to do, back down? Let him win?

Absolutely not.

"Fine. You're buying."

He's busy cleaning up the cookies and she plucks from one of the ones he lifted, pressing nearer to him on her way past. She lifts the cookie to her mouth, hiding her flustered expression behind a mouthful of chocolate.

URIAH BLACK

[attr="class","uriah"]ugh.

"fine."

it's the least he could do, he supposes.

biting into a cookie, he looks over to her, smiling as he gestures.

"let's go."

[attr="class","noodles"]Suzume Amemiya