This was all going rather well she had to admit, despite her original apprehension after landing on the artist's doorstep with her invitation. While Alistair had seemed a touch reticent originally, it seemed the prospect of a warm, caffeinated beverage was more than enough to assuage any reservations he might have been harboring. That offer to wait for a moment inside his apartment was a rather intriguing bonus which she did not even consider rejecting as she padded into his home. His apartment was strikingly clean, a stark contrast to the rather comfortable "lived in mess" feel of her own, and while it could easily have been cold or unhospitable there was still a coziness to the atmosphere. Perhaps it was the smattering of art along the walls and shelves, or the light pouring in from the large warehouse-style windows that looked out over the city.

Regardless, the intriguing unexplored expanse of his flat called upon her curiosity to know even a little more about her enigmatic neighbor. Alistair's comment almost lost on her as he retreated down the hallway where the bedrooms were nestled. Instead, she eagerly pounced on the opportunity to innocently explore his living room. Her fingers running gently along the soft planes of the couch before she perused the well-organized desk, every pen and piece of paper sorted next to a slim closed laptop. A journal lay there bet that was one temptation she resisted, keeping her nose at least relatively clean from anything that wasn't laid out in the open. Rather those half-finished pieces pulled her towards the window, her turquoise eyes drinking in the various color and brush strokes that had been applied to each. His style similar enough to be seen between the two, but their subjects couldn't have appeared more different.

The sound of the dark hunters return tickled at her ears, his foot-falls easily audible atop the apartment's hardwood floors and yet Carolina made no attempt to hide how she had wandered. Even though the pair were still in the early stages of getting to know one another she doubted he would be surprised to find her exploring his home, after all that curiosity is what had led her to the beach on the cusp of a storm in the first place. The leopard only spun lightly on her heels, the movement as graceful as it was effortless as she watched him shrug on this jacket with as much interest as she had previously eyed his artwork. There was no doubt he had been either working out or picking up physical labor jobs in the last few months, not that he had been frail when they first met, but there was defined muscle now in the roll of his shoulders and visible down the cords of his arms. It suited him.

Luckily his questions of just where she intended to take him refocused her attentions more... appropriately while she pondered the choices for a moment. Thankfully she had just been down to the bookstore earlier this week and seen the "Now Open!" sign in the café window across the street, the old establishment having closed as so many had during the pandemic, but it was nice to see such vacancies being filled once more. Alistair seemingly finding her offer of something new acceptable as he voiced his assent before moving towards the door in clear indication that he was ready to depart.

The southerner couldn't resist one last look over her shoulder before they left however, drinking in the site of his work for just a moment longer. That question of what had prompted those pieces, for a client commission or if they were just pieces of his passion put on canvas mattered to her and had to be voiced before she moved to fall in beside him. She paused as he followed where her own gaze had so recently lingered, her own blue-green eyes lifting up to study his face as he considered the answer. Those pink lips quirking up slightly at the mention of a sister, the endearment of her nickname clear and the fact that she helped sell his work online somehow even more charming. "Well, I'm sure the one for charity will bring a sizeable donation and I hope you know I'll be stalking Etsy to find the other." The last words shifting her tone into a teasing manner, but she wasn't entirely joking.

Moving past him now she continued on to the door, catching the new and heavier scent of cologne wafting lightly on the air as she passed him. That soft smile pulling at her lips once more, knowing he must have applied the fragrance when he had left to get his jacket and shoes as well since she hadn't smelled it originally. Something about the fact that the had thought to do that for little more than getting coffee with her was touching. The thought was pushed from her mind however as he asked about her reading habits. "Oh yes, though if you looked at the shelves in my apartment you would know that reading books and buying them are two vastly different hobbies." A light chuckle following those words as he opened the door and they headed towards the stairs. "I don't get to read nearly as many as I would like, but there are just so many good stories out there waiting to be discovered."

The walls of her apartment housed three rather cheap 'Swedish Inspired' bookcases that were overfull with books of various genres, and she couldn't help taking a trip down to Westside Stories anytime a new recommendation popped up. "What about you, when you're not being brilliantly artistic what do you do for fun?" One thin eyebrow quirked in true curious fashion as she glanced over to her companion. Maybe whatever hobbies he had would explain the way his figure had filled out pleasingly over the last few months.

As they stepped outside Carolina drew her coat a bit closer around herself, the sun was bright but with the rain having so recently moved out there was a distinct chill in the air. It felt fresh outside though, clean in only the way the Pacific Northwest could and it was invigorating. Nodding down the road she set off with the dark haired artist at her side, the promise of hot coffee and baked good putting more than a little pep in her step.