[attr="class","uriah"]he had been asked to do more than attend, but naturally, he shows resistance the only way he knows how: by not doing as told.

but he can only resist so much.

uriah shows up regardless, approaching the booth with a grin.

"hello, miss. where did you buy these?"

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

His face is a familiar one, though not one that she is exceptionally familiar with. The man's purposeful approach does lift her attention from the book she's reading behind the booth.

"From the mom n pops down the street."

Her tone is flat and uninviting. If he were trying to get a rise out of her - it's working - just not as crystal clear as he might prefer.

"You were supposed to be here three hours ago."

URIAH BLACK

[attr="class","uriah"]"i got busy with work."

a clear lie for those that truly know uriah — he works little, but surprisingly, he's started working more since they arrived in hoenn. still, that doesn't change the fact that he simply just didn't want to show up to this event.

with a sigh, knowing he can't get out of this without more repercussions, he slides into the seat next to her and joins her at the booth.

"did you do something with your hair, suzu? it looks good."

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

".. this is work."

What else had he been doing?

The thought occurs to her that the man likely has business elsewhere. Perhaps Gabriel had sent him on another errand ahead of this. She chooses to give him the benefit of the doubt because she honestly doesn't care.

Mr. Black had asked her to handle the fundraising event in his stead, so she was. Uriah was a piece to the puzzle she didn't need, just a spare part.

She's already reburied herself in her book, licking her thumb to swipe to the next page. But she glances up, warm brown eyes briefly meeting his before glancing down to the dark brown waves that rest against her shoulder and chest. She frowns.

"I.. recoloured it."

The woman glances up one more time, this time with an expression of suspicious scrutiny at his bold compliment and attention. todetail. Granted, it had been a stark recolouring from white to dark brown - but she'd done it almost immediately after being hired to work for his father. They'd only seen each other that one time, she's sure.

URIAH BLACK

[attr="class","uriah"]he glances over after her response to get a better look at her hair. his head tilts, indifferent to her scrutiny; he's handled worse before.

"i like this better. it suits you."

and then his attention's drawn away by someone approaching. he turns to humor them, putting on the fakest smile he could muster as he helps take down their information before handing them a cookie.

"enjoy!"

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

Awkwardly, and with a note of surprise, Suzu's hand raises to tug and twist the ends of her hair. She doesn't blush but in some ways, her reaction is akin to one.

"Uhh... thanks."

Her attention remains on him a moment longer, shifting away only after his uncomfortably forced smile starts to cause her physical pain. The woman says nothing as the stranger leaves, waiting until they're out of earshot to be blunt.

"Don't smile, you look like someone's holding you at gunpoint."

URIAH BLACK

[attr="class","uriah"]the smile quickly thins the moment they turn their backs to him. he settles back into the chair, leaning into it with a sigh.

"rude. i smile just fine; look."

to prove a point, but maybe not the one he intended to, he smiles, though this one's much less forced. it's thin, barely there besides the slight curve.

"but you're right maybe i shouldn't be the one talking to them."

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

Suzu looks him over with an unsettling degree of intensity. His lips pull back but she still frowns, unimpressed. Her attention is locked, fastened to the corner of his lip. Before he has a chance to truly finish his thought and shuffle the workload onto her, Suzu reaches forward.

Her finger pulls down on his lip, revealing white teeth.

"You're clenching your jaw behind your smile. I can see the muscles in your jaw jumping with the effort. Do you have jaw pain?"

As quickly as she's pulled his lip back, she lets it go and returns her hands to herself. Then the window closes abruptly as another stranger steps up to inquire. Suzu is convincing, offering a warm smile and an easygoing attitude. They sign papers, take a cookie and move along.

URIAH BLACK

[attr="class","uriah"]what the fuck?

caught off guard, uriah freezes under her touch and only comes to when she pulls away. he snaps his jaw after, bringing a hand up to rub at it.

his attention's pulled away for a moment, and he waits patiently until they leave before returning it to her.

"show me your smile."

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

His discomfort goes unnoticed as her actions weren't something she considered the least bit awkward.

She continues writing for a moment, filling out the remainder of the form or leaving a note or similar. Her pen slows and her attention shifts slowly back to Uriah, her expression nearly owlish. Suzume pointedly looks away immediately after, nudging the cookies closer to him.

"No."

It would have been ideal if someone had approached their booth then - but they don't. Suzu attempts to hide her discomfort, but doesn't manage well. She adjusts her hat so the brim casts a shadow on her face. It doesn't help much to hide the scar across her cheek and nose, but it's something.

URIAH BLACK

[attr="class","uriah"]"then how will i ever learn, suzu?"

he holds his gaze even as he reaches for a cookie. he takes a bite, crunching down on chocolate.

the sound of someone approaching the booth distracts him.

"alright. rate my smile again."

he turns then to greet them, this time flashing a smile that feels and looks more genuine. perhaps he's thinking of a memory, or perhaps he's just trying harder, but they soon leave.

"how's that?"

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

"I don't know, look in a magazine or something."

Suzu continues to pointedly avoid his gaze, discomfort at his attention presenting in raised hairs against the back of her neck. Her scar burns even if that isn't her focal point for where he focuses his attention.

But then he manages to catch her off-guard with a request. It causes her to blink and to turn her cheek to face him, observing his smile as he flashes one at the pretty woman who approached.

Said woman writes her information down, and then leaves.

"She liked it, apparently. Seems she made a point to leave you her number."

Suzume uses her finger and thumb to turn the sheet around to face him. She slides it toward him so he might see the flirty note attached.

URIAH BLACK

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

he peers down at the flirty note, smirking at it before roughly folding it into his pocket.

still, his attention lingers on suzu.

"did you like it?"

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