Suzu remains quiet and observant as the man next to her continues his story. At the mention of its name, the giant Pyroar lifts its massive head. The yawn is a warning, she knows; a reminder.

"Indeed, neither of which are a trait you now possess, I'm sure, sir."

But where Gabriel appeared to wear his scars with pride, Suzu feels discomfort trickle down the back of her neck from the unwanted attention.

His made him look the noble, brave hero. Hers made her look like the damsel in distress, the unfortunate fool, the weak to be pitied.

GABRIEL BLACK

"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

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

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

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

".. 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

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