Of Thieves and Mayhem (Private: Lani & Sniper --- T)

His shoulders tensed up for a moment by the sudden question, then he relaxed them. he chuckled then took a glance at her and grinned. "trying to get a little personal are we? We haven't even had dinner together yet."

She raised a brow, amusement reached as she turned to walking backwards in front of him, Randy guiding her. "You seem far from the type to not kiss and tell, Ceri. I don't see where the issue lays."

At the turn to our block. Be careful on the stairs.

I know, Randy. Thank you.

Amused by her comment, he move his face closer to hers making sure not to break eye contact. "As true as that may be, especially for a cute lass such as your self, you must understand I've only just met you. Maybe after i know you a bit more, you'll know me a bit more. Deal?" Then he looked over to randy with a cocky smile because he knew that that comment had to annoy him if even just a little.

Randy's dark brown eyes narrowed just the slightest amount, but no sort of response came from him otherwise, even towards Leila. Still, the girl's eyes were sparkling, face lit up with the gentle thrill of a challenge laced in adrenaline and fluttering her soft, strong heart. "Maybe." She said simply, smiling wide at him, a single dimple showing in the crookedness of it.

Here.

I know.

She nodded behind her as she continued to walk, "Up the stairs, here. We're on the third floor."

He followed her up the stairs, keeping eye contact with her as she walked up backwards. "So do you always walk upstairs backwards or do you just not trust me?" His cocky smile resurfacing. "Or maybe you just find me that attractive?"

She smirked, leaning forward, arms behind her as she used the weight of the groceries to balance, "Oh, what makes you think that you're attractive, pickpocket?" Randy looked like he would growl, should he have the ability, but he took the bags from her as he passed by, sliding the house key into her hand as he guided her around the second story landing and over to the second-third story stairs.

He chuckled "I'm more than just a simple pickpocket, lass." For a moment he stopped, his face looking lost in thought, but quickly regained his cocky smile. Quickly he ran up to where the duo was duo. "a lot more then you could handle i assure you."

Randy's grip on her loosened as she turned around, and she clenched her hands to find them empty. Dark eyes narrowed, she held her hand out towards him, though her own keys were hooked on her belt loop. "Give."

With a grin and look of triumph in his eyes he handed the key back to her.

She took it as though he had handed her a small gift, taking no anger or fury out, no slight hint of either in her gaze. Instead, she stepped passed them both, turning the key in the lock and pushing the door out. Kneeling, she retrieved the mail from the floor before hanging their keys on the door-side pegs. At the top of the stairs, an old, brown, black, white, and orange tabby stared down at them, kinked tail wagging irritably as it let out a single, ornery yowl. "I know, Tommy,"

Thomas. You know he doesn't respond to nicknames.

"Just a minute, baby." She was already heading up the stairs, not heading Randy's comment even as she did so. The cat's eyes had narrowed, but she cared not. Ignoring his claws and struggling --- resulting in several fresh scratches and cuts on her hands and arms, she lifted the old cat up until he rested on her head. At this point he, strangely, settled easily, sitting perched amidst her hair as she turned to look at them, smiling, "Welcome to the Thorton-Karimi abode!"

He just stood there not knowing how to respond to what he just witnessed.

Leila grinned, turning around and heading towards her room, her confidence adding more of a swing and bounce to her step as she did so. Randy sighed, pressing his hand against the back of Ceri's arm and nodding towards the stairs, indicating for him to head up, first.

Understanding what randy wanted him to do, Ceri headed up the stairs. He looked back at randy expecting him to direct him where he should go next. "so where should i wait for dinner or do you trust me enough to just wonder around here for a bit?"

"Feel free to wander," Leila called back from somewhere off to the right --- her bedroom, specifically. "If you like fish, the tank is up in the loft. Ask Randy for anything and he will show you."

Must I always be volunteered-?

"Love you, Ran-Ran."

Mildly affectionate towards you as well, crazy.

He wandered around their home for a few min ending his own little tour at the fish tank. He started to head back down towards Leila's room as he asked loud enough that she could hear him, "so whens dinner?"

"After I can cook," she said simply, stepping from her room just as he reached the bathroom-bedroom hallway stretch. She had changed from her white, graphic tee and denim capris into a pair of short workout shorts and a slightly too big t-shirt that had clearly been warn to paint the house. Her hair was pulled back into a perfectly messy bun, and the cat atop her head had been replaced with an albino python scarf. "The TV is in the living room, along with a few gaming consoles and a VCR. Take your pick. Randy also has some board and card games in the cupboard." Her fingers slid along the pythons scales as she smiled and introduced the pet, "This is Imohtep." As if on cue, the end of his tail moved in a sort of wave, her smile never faltering as the snake studied him.

His Gaze was fixated on her and her peculiar scarf, unable to quite decided what he should make of the scene. He walked towards the living room saying, "yeah i'll do one of those things," as he walked away.

As he arrived in the living room he looked towards the TV then the cupboard, thinking to himself what he should do to pass the time. "Hey randy Do you guys have chess"

The mute's eyes seem to light up as he looked up from his reading, a grin on his face in less than a heartbeat. A nod followed. From the other room, Leila was laughing, setting Imohtep on the refurbished coat rack they used for him while she was cooking. "Good luck there, sneak thief." Even still, she said not another word as Randy removed himself from his chair and set about gathering their more basic chess set.

"Im going to say you've played once or twice," Ceri said sarcastically, helping randy set the game up, "I quiet enjoy the game myself." Ceri smiled at him, "you may make the first move."

They played until dinner was ready

Thomas had returned from hiding by the time she had begun plating the food, sitting quietly on the floor, eyes intent on her, tail flicking occasionally. She made no motion like she noticed him, or the snake now sunbathing in the sink. Instead, she was humming and singing as she danced about, plating roast beef, carrots, potatoes, rolls, and gravy, a sweet smell wafting through the apartment from the again-occupied oven. Her smile and humming had not ceased when she walked over to them, trailed after by the cat, handmade apron untouched despite the couple hours she had spent cooking (and apparently baking) already. "Honey-glazed, I hope you don't mind." She set the plates near each of them, utensils wrapped up as though from a restaurant and laid down besides the platters. There was an easy, calm, and natural pride to her over the cooking --- nothing that she would brag about, but clearly something that she found a simple joy in. "In retrospect, I should have asked if you had any allergies. I'm sorry..." Her grin had turned sheepish, her tanned face flushing slightly as she rubbed at the back of her neck.

After finishing one last game he walk over to the table to enjoy the free meal that he'd been waiting for. He sat down and examined the delicious meal that laid before him. It had been awhile since he had a home cooked meal and roast beef was his favorite, though he wasn't going to tell her that. He could feel eyes watching him causing him to look down on the ground, there was Thomas. "you hungry there...uh...Tom was it. Here have a bit." He gave a small slice of his roast to Thomas.

The cat easily caught the bit in his mouth, chewing it only slightly before swallowing, his eyes clearly demanding more. "...Enjoy," Leila said, voice falling in tone just the slightest bit as she went off to make her own plate, checking the dessert in the oven while she did so.

He's feeding the cat. You know what-

"Randy will be upset if I don't tell you that Thomas will beg increasingly more often the more you feed him."

"True, but a cat will be a cat," he replied as he gave the cat another slice despite the warning.

"I feel like this is a warning." She repeated, moving over to the table with her own plate and curling her feet into her chair as she sat. Almost immediately, Thomas relocated to the area directly in front of her beneath the table. "Have you even eaten any of it, yet, Ceri?"

"I am now lass." He began to eat the home cooked meal before him, sampling every bit of it and enjoying every last bite. He took a bite out of his roll then smeared the roll against some grvy that was lonly on his plate and finished it. "Man, you'll be quite a wife someday with this kind of cooking."