Sumire Winters

You really don't see too many ladies on the street fighting circuit, which makes Sumire a bit of an anomaly. Upon meeting this smiling and pleasant young woman, you probably wouldn't expect her to be capable of breaking a stack of cinderblocks with a single punch. She carries that air confidence about her, but she's the furthest thing from being arrogant. As the saying goes, it's not bragging if you can back it up.

[Sumire Winters is one of TC's characters from ULTRA.]

[Sumire's one to always take care of herself, and it seems as if she's glowing today. She's a lot more casual than I've seen her in the past; instead of the standard ring attire that I had grown accustomed to seeing, she's wearing a light blue Chinese silk dress, with what appears to be a purple lotus flower embroidered across her chest. She's in phenomenal shape, as the dress seems to just glide along her slender form. Yeah, I'm jealous. She greets me with a warm smile as she extends her hand. Sumire's right on time, yet she still apologizes for running behind.]

NF: So Ms. Winters, how are you feeling today?
"I am on top of the world, Nat, thanks for asking."

[She really is in great spirits today, as she hasn't stopped smiling since she's been here. It's very infectious.]
 
NF: Well I guess the big thing with you right now is your gig on ULTRA. How's that working out for you?
"Well, ULTRA, is like the UFC on steroids. Just a bunch of fighters from pretty much around the world competing to be the best. I have a pretty good solo record, but my tag team record needs a bit of ironing out. It's all good though. I am truly at home there & I've made some cool friends."
 
NF: I've heard that the nightlife in Tokyo can be quite... interesting. Any wild tales from you hanging out with the girls? 
"Well, I am one of those girls who likes to fight hard and party harder. I have been known to do a bit of table dancing after having some "Silly Juice". There was also the time when Tsubu, my sensei, and Sen Tora had to literally pull me out of the club. If they hadn't arrived when they did, I probably would have been doing a bit of adult rated dancing in the club."

[Much to the dismay of mankind everywhere, I'm certain.]
 
NF: So tell us something about yourself that we probably didn't know.
"Despite the English translation of my name (Sumire means violet in English, the color of my hair, and the color of my outfit that I wear to the ring), my favorite color is really silver."

NF: Now, street fighting isn't exactly the career choice that a lot of people go for. How'd you fall into that?
"Well, as you can see, I am Japanese-American. What some don't know is how literal that is. You see, I was born in Japan & moved to The States when I was about 7. Anyways, my father & grandfather used to run a dojo out there. I have been training in the martial arts since before I could walk. Well, when I moved out to San Diego, some boys were trying to bully me. Some kids can be so cruel because a person can barely speak their language. Oh, well, this one kid tried to help me out. "

NF: *smirk* Cain?
"Yeah, it was Cain. The thing is the bullies were too much for him alone. We teamed up for the first time & whupped ass. I can say 'ass' can't I?"

NF: 'Ass'? This is Club Ninja... hell yeah, you can say 'ass'.
"After that, Cain started training with my dad and we started sneaking out of the house at night to go fight. We thought that by getting into street fights, we would someday get to fight and meet legends like Ryu & Sagat."

NF: On a World-Warrior scale here, who would you love to have a match with?
"Well, I've seen Sagat fighting and I don't think I am ready for that type of brutality. I would one day like to have a fight with the self-proclaimed "Strongest Woman in the World", Chun-Li, or maybe even my new friend, Sakura."

[She seems to be settling in and getting comfortable. Good.]

NF: So, woman to woman here... what's the deal with you and Cain?

[Is that a blush I see? Sumire casually brushes back a strand of her hair and smiles.]

"That's a complicated one.......ummmm......let's see. We started out as best friends, but just recently I found myself falling in love with the big oaf. Then he let himself get turned evil. I forgave him for that. Now there seems to be a rift between us, but if he doesn't get his act together I do have a suitable replacement in mind."

[She follows up with the evil grin to end all evil grins. Wow.]

NF: Ooooh... care to elaborate?
"Well, I like my men one of two ways. Big and dumb, kinda like Cain, or Strong and Silent. Like my newest friend and fellow Tsubu disciple, Ashikara."

[While I haven't met Ashikara, I have seen him in action in ULTRA. Also, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that he and Cain do not like each other. Respect, maybe, but like? No way.]

NF: If you weren't street fighting, what do you see yourself doing? What other desires lurk in the heart of Sumire Winters?
"Well, I would probably be into the X-treme scene. I have always liked having some risk in life. Yeah, either that or I would try to get into the movies or modeling."

[At that point, there's a knock at the door. We turn around and see a familiar blonde-haired young man poking his head inside. It's Cain. At that point we both turn back around and immediately go into a fit of laughter. We beckon for him to come on inside, but he's already got that deer-in-the-headlights look about him. "I... I'll just wait outside," he quickly stammers before hurrying out of the room.

The resulting bout of laughter could only be described as uproarious.]