[IC] Chicago After Hours

[Donut Look Now]

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Kimiko “Kiki” Voss

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Location: Caden’s Home - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Kiki can’t even celebrate her triumph - between the nose kiss and the nickname, she’s now a strawberry herself with her flushed face and ears. She nuzzles her face into Avery’s chest in an attempt to hide. “Thank you.” She mumbles into his shirt.

“Our shirts match.” She observes.

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Nero

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Location: Gershwin Theatre – New York City, New York
Skills:
Fit

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Nero looks up at Caden, almost not realizing that the lights were back on. They still have half of their drink left too. “I think I’m okay - do you need anything?” They tilt their head as they ask, the last song replaying in their head.

[KazAlkemi]

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Avery Zain

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Location: Caden’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit: Teal v-necked T-Shirt with black pants

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Avery rubbed Kimiko’s arm as she buried her head into his side. He saw how red she hot gotten after his kiss to her nose. At least she chose to be embarrassed with him rather than run away from him. Avery wasn’t totally sure how not to embarrass her tease her, but he was sure she would say something if she didn’t like it.

”You just noticed?” Avery laughed and squeezed Kimiko closer before loosening his hold. ”I was going to make a comment on it earlier but decided against it.”

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Caden

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Location: Gershwin Theatre – New York City, New York
Skills:
Fit

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Caden’s drink is empty, but he has no real reason to go. ”No, I can stay. Unless you would like some time to yourself to process the first act.” He gently brushed his fingers over Nero’s head, not wanting to mess their hair up too much but also wanting to comfort them. From the way they were acting, they were enjoying the show on a deep, personal level.

[Donut Look Now]

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Kimiko “Kiki” Voss

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Location: Caden’s Home - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Kiki’s ears burn. So much for being ‘observant’. She thinks to herself, exasperated. “I don’t appreciate your tone.” She mumbles before turning her face to watch the movie. She does think about how much she had liked Avery having a tight hold on her though.

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Nero

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Location: Gershwin Theatre – New York City, New York
Skills:
Fit

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Nero’s eyes close at the gentle touch, smiling like a cat. “I like processing things more with you around.” They say before opening their eyes again. “I’m sure there’s some deeper meaning why I’m enjoying this so far, but the music is really good and has me enthralled with it.” They’re also glad that nothing’s triggered a memory yet, wanting to be able to enjoy it.

[KazAlkemi]

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Avery Zain

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Location: Caden’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit: Teal v-necked T-Shirt with black pants

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”Alors, quel ton préféreriez-vous que j'utilise?” Avery asked, his Perisan accent perfect.”[/i][/color]

Translations

So, what tone would you prefer for me to use?

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Caden

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Location: Gershwin Theatre – New York City, New York
Skills:
Fit

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Caden shifted his touch from Nero’s head, trailing his hand down their neck and arm to take their gloved hand in his. ”The music is fantastic, isn’t it?” He held Nero’s hand in his, relaxing in his seat.

[Donut Look Now]

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Kimiko “Kiki” Voss

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Location: Caden’s Home - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Kiki shifts her head so she can look up at Avery. “Au fait, où avez-vous appris le Français? Votre accent est impeccable.” He really could sound like he was raised in France himself. The change of subject is also important so Kimiko doesn’t end up a mushy mess again. Avery asking that question in French is entirely unfair.

Translations

Where did you learn French by the way? Your accent is impeccable.

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Nero

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Location: Gershwin Theatre – New York City, New York
Skills:
Fit

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Nero peeks around before hopping into his lap and smiling brightly at Caden. “It is! I really like it.” They chirp. “Honestly, I’m enjoying all of it.” They bob their head back and forth in a happy little dance.

[KazAlkemi]

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Avery Zain

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Location: Caden’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit: Teal v-necked T-Shirt with black pants

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”Ma grand-mère était française. Caden passe ensuite quelques années en Europe. Nous avons passé du temps en France, mais chaque fois que j'avais du temps libre, je prenais le train pour rentrer.” Avery took a sip of his wine, memories of France coming to him as he spoke about it.

”Où avez-vous appris?”

Translations

My grandmother was French. Caden then spent a few years in Europe. We spent some time in France, but whenever I had free time, I took the train home.//Where did you learn?

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Caden

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Location: Gershwin Theatre – New York City, New York
Skills:
Fit

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Caden chuckled, shifting again so Nero could sit in his lap comfortably. He rested his arm behind Nero, lazily tracing circles into their hip.

”Good, I’m glad. I thought you would like this one. If not for the story, then for all the green,” Caden said, using his other hand to fiddle with the hem of Nero’s dress.

[Donut Look Now]

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Kimiko “Kiki” Voss

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Location: Caden’s Home - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Kimiko listens to Avery talk, completely enraptured by him in that moment. “J'ai fréquenté un internat en France jusqu'à l'âge de treize ans.” She tells him. The all-girls school was one the Men of Letters their hands in and made it easy for Kiki’s da to travel as needed for work since she was being taken care of. Then, of course, she came home for some break or holiday and that’s when the fires started. Then it was homeschool with someone Caden had recommended who could help with her education and her help with controlling her powers.

“Comment était votre mère?”

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Translations

I went to a boarding school in France until I was thirteen // What was your mother like?

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Nero

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Location: Gershwin Theatre – New York City, New York
Skills:
Fit

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“Oh you must have loved it when I chose a green dress then, huh?” Nero asks with a smirk before fiddling with the dragon necklace. They try not to focus on the tracing Caden is doing on their hip or the way he plays with their hem. Okay, so maybe we’re both overindulgent. Nero thinks to themselves.

“Is there a reason you like the color so much?”

[KazAlkemi]

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Avery Zain

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Location: Caden’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit: Teal v-necked T-Shirt with black pants

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”Internat? Comment c’était?” Avery asked her, wanting to know more about her before he had to divulge more about himself; especially on a topic that wasn’t easy on him.

Avery finished his glass of wine and shifted. He reached for the bottle and poured himself another glass. Avery rarely indulged in alcohol, but he was making an exception today, even before the conversation shifted.

He swirled the liquid in his glass as fond memories popped into his head. [color=#B0C4DE]”Tout,”[/color he said simply. ”Elle était tout..”

Translations

Boarding school? How was it?//Tout.//She was everything.

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Caden

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Location: Gershwin Theatre – New York City, New York
Skills:
Fit

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Caden smiled, looking from Nero’s eyes to his hand on their dress. ”Aside from how good I look in it?” he joked. ”What do you know about chakras?” Caden asked curiously, looking into Nero’s eyes.

[Donut Look Now]

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Kimiko “Kiki” Voss

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Location: Caden’s Home - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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“Vraiment ? Plein d'enfants et de professeurs snobinards.” Kiki says with a laugh. The movie ends, but Kiki really only paid attention to half of it.

When Avery starts to talk about his grandmother, the fox feels like she might have stepped on something fragile. She pulls her head out of his shirt completely, the arm that’s wrapped around him moving to rest her hand over his heart. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” She tells him.

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My Hider

Honestly? Full of snotty kids and snooty teachers

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Nero

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Location: Gershwin Theatre – New York City, New York
Skills:
Fit

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“Not very much.” Nero answers honestly, tugging on one of their earlobes for a moment before looking into Caden’s eyes. “But I’m sure you’ll tell me.” They say the second part in a lightly teasing tone.

[KazAlkemi]

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Avery Zain

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Location: Caden’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit: Teal v-necked T-Shirt with black pants

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Avery chuckled half-heartedly at the first part. He imagined Kimiko was the troublemaker at boarding school.

She shifted, her attention fully on him now, and Avery met her gaze. He smiled, wrapping his hand around hers as it rested on his chest. ”Thank you. I’d rather keep tonight happy if you don’t mind terribly. I’ll tell you about them soon,” he promised.

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Caden

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Location: Gershwin Theatre – New York City, New York
Skills:
Fit

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Caden chuckled and nodded. ”The chakras are said to be power centres within the body. They are rather important aspects to holistic workers, in some religious practices as well as sorcerers. The heart chakra is represented by the colour green. People who are connected with this chakra tend to be more compassionate, observant, and in-tune with their emotions. I’ve always made a point to lead with my heart when it comes to matters. I confess I am not always perfect, but I try. I like the colour green because I am drawn to it due to this connection. I wear it often for that purpose as well.”

[Donut Look Now]

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Kimiko “Kiki” Voss

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Location: Caden’s Home - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Kiki nods, not blaming him at all for wanting to keep the night devoid of hard subjects. It does make her curious though. “So, I might have to watch this movie when I’m not distracted by my boyfriend.” She says in an attempt to change the topic. She looks at Avery and tilts her head as if she’s considering something. “Which might prove to be difficult; you’re very distracting.”

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Nero

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Location: Gershwin Theatre – New York City, New York
Skills:
Fit

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Nero listens with a smile. “You’re perfect to me.” They say, kissing Caden’s nose. “But I think I’ve heard about that before… maybe… Something about using green in hospitals being soothing or something… Is there a red chakra?” They play with the buttons on his jacket as they listen.

[KazAlkemi]

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Avery Zain

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Location: Caden’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit: Teal v-necked T-Shirt with black pants

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Avery is still drifting in and out of his memories — until Kimiko calls him her boyfriend. Avery turned his head to look at her, a huge grin spreading across his face.

”What are you talking about? I’ve been innocently sitting here.” he said, itching to ask her to call him her boyfriend again.

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Caden

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Location: Gershwin Theatre – New York City, New York
Skills:
Fit

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”There is,” Caden said with a nod. ”That is your root chakra. It’s located at the base of your spine. Most people will rest their hands over their pelvic bone when connecting to their root. A rather sensual chakra, but it is also where everything begins. It’s the foundation for everything.”

[Donut Look Now]

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Kimiko “Kiki” Voss

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Location: Caden’s Home - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Kiki narrows her eyes, suspicious of why Avery is grinning. “Yeah and that’s distracting.” She retorts in a huff, but her eyes glance down at his lips before refocusing on his eyes. Her nose and cheeks warm as she thinks Very distracting.

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Nero

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Location: Gershwin Theatre – New York City, New York
Skills:
Fit

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Nero tilts their head as they consider all that he said. The sensual part makes the most obvious sense with how the two of them go on, but the other parts makes Nero ponder. “So… would that be where my humanity would be found, maybe?” Nero looks down at their lap, more questions popping into their head.

[KazAlkemi]

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Avery Zain

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Location: Caden’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit: Teal v-necked T-Shirt with black pants

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The grin remained on Avery's face as he responded. ”Well, my apologies, little fox, but I take my duties as your boyfriend very seriously. And a couple of those responsibilities are being adorable and distracting,” Avery said, his eyes flicking to Kimiko’s lips and back in a deliberative motion.

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Caden

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Location: Gershwin Theatre – New York City, New York
Skills:
Fit

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Caden nodded in agreement, his hand coming to rest over theirs. ”It would make sense. The root chakra is where you go to ground, to feel connected to the earth. You seem full of life and wanting to taste more of it. But if you are out of balance, it is also responsible for anxious and insecure feelings.”

[Donut Look Now]

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Kimiko “Kiki” Voss

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Location: Caden’s Home - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Kiki narrows her eyes at him in mild annoyance, not missing the way his eyes shifted. “Oh, just shut up and kiss me already, smartass.” She grabs Avery’s face and plants her lips on his, tired of this game of kiss chicken already somehow.

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Nero

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Location: Gershwin Theatre – New York City, New York
Skills:
Fit

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Nero turns their hand and squeezes Caden’s, a halfhearted chuckle leaving their lips. “I’m never insecure, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” They say with a small smirk. “Maybe I should seek out a chakra expert or something.” They’re mostly joking, but it doesn’t feel like the worst idea either.

[KazAlkemi]

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Avery Zain

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Location: Caden’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit: Teal v-necked T-Shirt with black pants

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Avery chuckled on Kimiko’s lips before he kissed her back. His arm slid back around her, pulling her in closer while her hands held onto his face. She tasted like the wine and spices from the meal. It suited Avery just fine, and he decided to run his tongue along her bottom lip.

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Caden

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Location: Gershwin Theatre – New York City, New York
Skills:
Fit

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Caden smiled softly, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on Nero’s cheeks. ”We all feel lost sometimes,” he informed them. He settled back in his seat, looking down at Nero’s hands. He debated on if he should say anything, but ultimately decided he had to.

”Honestly, Cassi is the best one I know for it. She can see them in her mind’s eye and clears them quite often for her clients.”

[Donut Look Now]

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Kimiko “Kiki” Voss

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Location: Caden’s Home - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Kiki’s tempted to slap Avery upside the head for his chuckling but decides against it when he actually kisses her back. She smiles as he pulls her closer and one of her hands go back to resting on his chest. When she feels his tongue on her lips, she opens her own with a sigh.

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Nero

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Location: Gershwin Theatre – New York City, New York
Skills:
Fit

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Nero fidgets in Caden’s lap, wringing their fingers after he mentions Cassi. “I wish I knew what I could do… I don’t like being the reason you don’t have you best friend by your side.” Nero looks up and kisses Caden’s cheek.

“I know you’re going to say something about it not being my fault or some similar words, but it’s what I feel like right now.”

[KazAlkemi]

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Avery Zain

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Location: Caden’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit: Teal v-necked T-Shirt with black pants

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Kimiko’s sigh seemed to envelop Avery, and he grateful brushed her lip with his tongue again before he wrapped it around hers. Avery moved to set his wine glass down on the table, not breaking the kiss, and rested his now free hand on Kimiko’s cheek while they kissed.

Memories of the sound of her voice, her eyes, and her smile drifted through Avery’s mind while he kissed Kimiko. He never wanted to go a day without seeing her smile or hearing her laugh.

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Caden

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Location: Gershwin Theatre – New York City, New York
Skills:
Fit

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”Mindreading,” Caden teased gently. Caden looked down at Nero’s fidgeting and captured their fingers. He placed them to his lips and kissed every one of Nero’s fingers through the veiled gloves.

”She’s mourning again. I can hardly blame her for how she grieves. We’ve been looking for answers for so long about her family. We still don’t know why they were attacked. If there was a deal made or what…” Caden looked at Nero and placed a hand on their cheek. ”That doesn’t mean I want you putting yourself through that again to try and uncover why you were there. We already know you were sent to do someone else’s bidding. We will figure out the rest later by some other means.”

[Donut Look Now]

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Kimiko “Kiki” Voss

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Location: Caden’s Home - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Kimiko could feel her heart start to beat a little faster and she grabbed Avery’s t-shirt under her hand, the fabric bunching up between her fingers. She lets the kiss go one for a couple of more minutes before her mind tries to convince her to climb into Avery’s lap and straddle him. She breaks the kiss, feeling both breathless and lightheaded. She wants to continue the kiss but once again finds herself not wanting to push this relationship too fast.

“See?” Kiki whispers on Avery’s lips. “So distracting.”

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Nero

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Location: Gershwin Theatre – New York City, New York
Skills:
Fit

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Nero frowns a little, wishing they could still do something to help. “And that’s why we took this weekend away from it all.” Nero concludes. They’re still convinced that finding those answers will help start repairs on the friendship between the two at the very least. Nero leans their cheek into Caden’s hand and closes their eyes.

[KazAlkemi]

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Avery Zain

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Location: Caden’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit: Teal v-necked T-Shirt with black pants

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The way Kimiko grabbed Avery’s shirt had him moments away from pulling it off. He could think of nothing he’d want more than her to run her hands over his chest and torso, but before he could, she pulled back from him. In hindsight, Avery supposed that it was probably better.

Avery chuckled again from her comment. ”Maybe, but the sound of your heart tells me you didn’t mind the distraction,” Avery said. He pecked her lips before pulling back. He removed his hand from her cheek, resting it on his leg and relaxed his hold on her once more.

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Caden

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Location: Gershwin Theatre – New York City, New York
Skills:
Fit

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”Precicesly, my little imp.” Once Nero leaned into Caden’s touch, he rubbed his thumb along their cheek. He smiled to himself, memorizing the way Nero looked at him at that moment. The lights in the theatre started to flash and dim once more. Caden took the moment to lean in and tenderly kiss Nero’s eyelids and then their lips before he pulled back.