Capturing The Moment (Sumiko)

It was a sunny, if chilly, afternoon in Kumogakure and Akari had chosen to go to a local cafe in order to sit down with a cup of hot cocoa and her drawings and work on some of her art for the afternoon. After that she would simply have to figure out how things went and see where the day took her. As it stood she entered the cafe wearing her usual attire. Almost uniform like in a red blazer and skirt. She looked around the cafe critically and noted that every table was taken and frowned pensively at that.

She moved through the cafe until she came across a booth with a white haired woman seated at it studying. What she was studying Akari could not tell from this angle but it was entirely possible for would be willing to share her booth if the puppet user was quiet and did not get in her way. Idly Akari moved toward her and spoke, her voice soft and polite. “Excuse me miss. I’m sorry to bother you. I’m simply trying to find a place to sit back and work on some of my art. Would you mind if I shared your booth? I promise I won’t take up much space. I’ll even buy your next cup of whatever you’re drinking in thanks.” She would say, her voice apologetic yet hopeful.

[1]

The cafe was usually the place one would find Sumiko if she was not at the library or at home. She sat in a booth in the back surrounded by various books and scrolls covering the subject of medical ninjutsu. She typically chose booths over tables because of the larger surface area she can use to study. The white-haired kunoichi was nose deep in a book, she paid no mind to the environment of the cafe around her. Only briefly letting one side of the book go to bring her hot tea to her lips for a sip before setting it back down on the only free side of the table left on her side of the booth.

Su would look up from her book only when she heard a voice much closer than the other chatter in the cafe. "Oh, um. Sure. Don't mind my reading material." Sumiko would move the books and scrolls to take up more space on her side of the table and closer to the wall so that the raven-haired woman could sit with her. She'd wave mindlessly to the seat across from her before burying her face back into the book she was holding.

At the acceptance of her presence Akari would smile at the woman before sitting down in the booth with her back to the wall on the side and setting her things down. Mostly just a stack of notebooks she drew in and proceeded to get comfortable. She organized her various pencil colors in her blazer breast pocket so she could quickly and easily access the color she needed at the time and then got out her notepad. First she needed to do what equated to a small ritual that she always did when she met someone new that she might find enjoyable company. She used just a regular pencil for this one and she looked up at Sumiko. She had been so caught up in her material that she hadn’t even introduced herself. Then again, neither had Akari. So she supposed that was simply fair enough.

The ritual she always did in regards to meeting new, possibly interesting people was simply to draw them. Then she would offer them the drawing. Most took the drawing, some did not for some reason or other. Those who did she intended to try to get to know better. The dark haired hair girl looked at Sumiko, studying hard and began to move. Her pencil flew across the notebook.

She took an artistic license or two. A pencil tucked behind an ear. A rebellious strand of white hair curling down absent-mindedly across her forehead. It all worked to make her look extremely focused and intent upon her studying. Glasses upon the eyes, a steaming up of some hot beverage next to her. Akari put in real effort into the drawing and her talent, as always, was evident and stunning to behold. When she finished she wordlessly tore the sheet put and offered it to the studying woman before finally speaking "My apologies, my name is Akari, and this is for you. What did you say you were drinking again?" She would ask idly. Sumiko hadn't said at all of course but Akari had offered to buy her another cup.

[2]

Sumiko glanced up and over the book she was reading and the rim of her glasses. Giving Akari a once over as she sat down, the long dark hair and light-colored skin were inverted of her own image. However, the two did share the same red eyes. Even their outfits were opposing colors, the woman across from her wearing primarily red and black, while Sumiko wore white and blue. She spotted the Kumogakure headband tied around the woman's arm. A shinobi. She would glance back down to her book and continue reading after the woman settled down into the seat across from her and began to draw.

She got quite a bit further in her book before she heard the woman speak again. Su sat the book down, placing a napkin within the pages to keep her place. "You're quite alright, I apologize for my rudeness. I'm Sumiko. Izashi, Sumiko." She responded simply, as she brought her cup of tea up to her lips to take a sip. A brow would raise in curiosity as the woman handed her a piece of paper. She took it from her and examined it, it was a drawing of herself. "Very nice..." she said admiring the work, "Oh, I'm drinking tea. But that's alright." Sumiko looked from the drawing to Akari and nodded, "Thank you, by the way." she mentioned lifting the drawing slightly.

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