Roman groaned, face pushed flat against the table, as Neo finished the laborious process of eating her breakfast. Her spoon scraped painfully around the rim of her bowl. She then lifted it to her mouth and slowly licked it. "Do ya have to eat that so… disgustingly Neo?" moaned Roman, propping his head up with his elbows. Neo slowly stuck her tongue, still covered with ice cream, out at him. He muttered something and stood up, dumping his bowl and spoon into the sink. There was the sound of something shattering. Roman suddenly burst into a stream of curse words, kicking out at the table in his rage. His foot swung wide, setting him off balance and then crashing down onto the table. Neo neatly removed her bowl and spoon, as the ash tray went flying. She put the spoon in her mouth, uninterested, as said ash tray went crashing down over her partner's head. From his vantage point on the floor, Roman watched as Neo hopped off her stool and placed her bowl neatly on the countertop. Then she walked over to Roman and bent over and kissed him on the forehead, while handing him her white board. He watched as she disappeared out of the door. Groaning, he propped himself up again and looked at the whiteboard.

Poor sweet baby.

"Who am I?" he muttered, tossing the offending object over his shoulder. "Charlie Brown?"

After disposing of the broken dishes, Roman decided to head back to bed. He passed Neo on his way to the bedroom. She was fully dressed, with her parasol slung jauntily over her shoulder. "Going somewhere?" he asked, as she saluted him cheerfully. There was a pause as Neo rummaged in her pocket and pulled out another, smaller whiteboard.

I'm disposing of the scroll you broke before Cinder sees. This really isn't your day, is it?

Roman rolled his eyes. "Well thank you for noticing." Neo wiped the board clean and glared at him.
"Ok, sorry Neo. I am sorry that I am taking it out on you. It is not your fault. You are not to blame in any way. You're a special little snowflake. Happy now?" he spurted. Neo thwacked him in the shins with her parasol.
"Fine. Be like that then. When will you be back?"
Neo shrugged and slung her weapon back over her shoulder. Roman crouched down as she stood up on her tiptoes and gave him a quick peck on the mouth. Then she was gone, swinging a plastic carrier back with the broken scroll inside it.
"Don't get arrested or killed…" he shouted after her. She paused in the doorway and blew him a kiss.
"Oh yeah," he muttered, as she disappeared. "Stupid request."

His head had barely hit the pillow when there was a sharp rap landing short of his ear. "Torchwick!" belted a feminine voice. He slowly opened his eyes and groaned, yet again.
"Hello Cinder," he said, forcing a smile.
Cinder stood, towering above him, with her hands on her hips.
"I am very disappointed," she growled, clapping her hands. Emerald and the other one, Saturn? Venus? No. Mercury. Emerald and Mercury appeared immediately at her shoulders. "I expect to return to a neatly managed lair, but what do I find?"
"Too much ice cream?" answered Roman, raising an eyebrow. He propped himself further up in the bed.
"It was a rhetorical question!" spat Cinder. Behind her Mercury smirked. Roman glowered in return.
"But yes," Cinder continued. "That Neo brat has done a runner, all the food is gone and you haven't even gotten out of bed!"
"Now hang on a minute…" protested Roman, fumbling for his cane before realizing that Neo had knocked it over and that it was on the other side of the room, "Neo isn't a brat. She's about the same age as you, well obviously younger…"
Cinder's eyes narrowed and she folded her arms.
"…but she's not a brat."
"What were you planning on doing today, Roman?" oozed Cinder, sweetly. Roman folded his arms, guardedly. "Catch up on some much needed sleep. Why?"
"Well since your little girlfriend has cleared the place out, we need some more food. You're on shopping duty." She pressed a paper list into his hands and spun around. Emerald and Mercury waited till she had sashayed past them before following suit.
"Hang on a moment," called Roman, momentarily stopping Cinder in her tracks. "This will mean having to go into Vale. I have a criminal record! I l can't step into a bustling market place! I'll be… be… arrested!"
"You're a 'master criminal' Roman, as you are constantly reminding us, I'm sure you'll think of something." With that she was gone, her henchmen after her. Mercury paused to slam the door behind him.
"Well this is just brilliant," groaned Roman, eyeing the list up and down. "Coming up with a disguise when I have not slept a wink and all I have had for sustenance is a bowl of ice cream? What's going to happen next? Ruby Red Hood Rose herself bursts in and gives me her laundry list?"
Suddenly, the door swung open.