[IC] Chicago After Hours

[KazAlkemi]

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Caden&Nero's House – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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Cassi knows it is not even close to the right time or place, but the way Nic tightened his arm around her when Crowley commented and looked at her, made her a little weak in the knees. She was so used to being the powerhouse or one of the strongest things in the room. It was nice to have someone else who wanted to protect and care for her.

She took his strength, and her own desires to protect and keep him safe to answer Crowley.

”How about nothing? Since we had to take care of your little Chimera problem for you. No a bheil thu airson faicinn cò as urrainn barrachd òl na am fear eile?”

translations

Or do you want to see who can drink more than the other?

[Donut Look Now]

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Nero

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Location: Remote Location - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Nero gets about every other word of what Cassi says in response to Crowley who chuckles and shakes his head. “No, no need for that today, Storm Witch.” The demon says with a smirk as he turns to face her again. “However, I already gave an award for that chimera debacle. Darling Nero claimed their boon soon after the beastie was sent back to hell.”

“Well, what about the loss of the peons I sent to investigate that? The ones who are now lost and vanished? It could be a favorable compensation rather than having to give me some of yours.” Nero states defiantly.

Crowley glances at Nero with a raised brow. “You could always give me an ‘IOU’, cait-sith.” His eyes practically sparkle at the idea that the imp could owe a favor to him.

[KazAlkemi]

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Caden&Nero's House – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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Cassiopeia glared at Crowley, her body tensing even underneath Nic’s hold. Maybe she should remind Crowley why she bore the title Storm Witch.

”I think we will pass on Nero owing you anything. Clearly, they’ve done more for you than you have for them. How is the throne of Hell treating you, by the way? Anyone threaten to take it away lately?” Caden crooned.

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Caden

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Location: Caden&Nero’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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Crowley’s attention shifted to Caden’s, a mixture of anger and fear in his eyes. Rather than answer Caden, he looked the dragon shifter up and down before grinning.

”And what do you have to offer me, black panther?” The demon asked.

”Many things. If you ask nicely,” Caden countered before he shifted to the animal in question.

Caden took large steps with giant black paws to Nero’s side. The sleek panther slunk around Nero’s body before sitting down next to them. Caden looked into Crowley’s eyes with his own green-blue ones, sizing the imp up from where he sat.

”Ah, you have been busy,” Crowley mused. He looked from Caden to Nero once more. ”When were you going to tell me? I thought we were friends?” Crowley said, sounding disappointed.

[Donut Look Now]

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Nero

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Location: Remote Location - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Nero watches as Nic tries to stay unfazed by Crowley but they can see that Cassi is tense, as if ready to strike the demon down. Nic’s thumb rubs a circle into Cassi’s shoulder in an attempt to help. In any other situation, Nero might have snorted at the reaction Caden was able to elicit from the King of Hell. While Crowley goes on dramatically about their friendship, Nero pats Caden’s soft panther head before shrugging at the other demon.

“I thought you knew since you warned me about certain rumors.” Nero says casually, pretending to be bored before meeting Crowley’s eyes. “Speaking of rumors, I wanted to follow-up with you, my friend, on the little warning you gave me yesterday.”

Crowley heaves a sigh but ultimately shrugs himself. “My darling, you know that’s now how this works. If there’s nothing in it for me, why should I even consider it?”

“Fine,” Nero says with an immense lack of enthusiasm in their tone. The hand on Caden’s head pets in a comforting way to let him know that this is okay. “I will owe you a favor but it will have to be something exclusively topside and does not involve killing.” On the outside, Nero comes off as unperturbed and casual, but anyone with enhanced hearing could probably tell exactly what their racing heart rate is.

[KazAlkemi]

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Caden

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Location: Caden&Nero’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills: Shapeshifting;
Fit

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Caden remained glued to Nero’s side, their touch comforting him even though Caden wanted to protest Nero’s offer. Instead his eyes remained on Crowley while he weighed Nero’s offer.

”One favour for two questions? Do you think that fair?

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Caden&Nero's House – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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Caden's little shapeshifting act had Cassi rolling her eyes slightly. He was such a show off.

The soothing motion of Nic’s thumb worked to ease Cassi’s tension, but she still didn’t like the way the conversation was going. She breathed through her nose, feeling her frustration with the game Crowley was playing build.

”Just tell us what you want. You know what we want,” she said. She wasn’t leaving here without a way to save Nic’s dad.

[Donut Look Now]

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Nicholas “Nic” Wu

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Location: Remote Location - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Crowley turns to Cassi with an indulging smile. “I’ll help you with both queries if the Storm Witch would also offer a favor owed.” Nic tenses, his soothing motion pausing as he tried to push down the panic. She’s perfectly capable of making her own decisions. Nic reminds himself even though every part of him wants to punch Crowley in the face.

Comparing them to the King of Hell, Nero appears more like an angel than a demon in this moment. If all demons are more like Crowley, Nic can understand Cassi’s distaste for them. Clenching his other hand into a tight fist, Nic starts to rub Cassi’s shoulder again.

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Nero

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Location: Remote Location - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Nero sighs heavily; of course Crowley would want one of the most powerful people there owe him. While the demon plays with his food by Cassi and Nic, Nero crouches by Caden’s ear. “Sorry I didn’t ask you first, but I hope you’ll forgive me for offering myself.” They whisper before petting his head again.

“Also, you are very soft right now and I think I’ll want to cuddle a panther in bed now.”

[KazAlkemi]

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Caden&Nero's House – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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Cassiopeia’s face shifted from annoyance to rage. Her own hands clenched into fists, and if Nic hadn’t been grounding her, she would have spat in Crowley’s face. How dare he ask a favour of her! But this was for Nic, for someone she cared about.

She felt her grandmother's words tickle in the back of her ear, and Nero’s memories resurfaced. She glanced at Nero, wondering if she was any better than her grandmother now.

”I’m not killing anyone or hunting anyone down for you to kill or enslave later, and you don’t get mine or anyone’s soul out of our deal.” Cassiopeia’s skin crawled as she made a deal with the King of the Crossroads, the King of Hell. Her stomach rolled, and she felt close to vomiting.

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Caden

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Location: Caden&Nero’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills: Shapeshifting;
Fit

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Caden's purring from Nero's apology turned into a rumble that could have been a chuckle. He nudged Nero's hand but kept his eyes trained on Crowley while he propositioned Cassi.

Caden knew Cassi would make the deal. There was no way she wouldn’t, but he could sense what that cost her after everything she learned today. Caden empathized with her, wishing it didn’t have to be this way.

[Donut Look Now]

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Nicholas “Nic” Wu

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Location: Remote Location - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Crowley flashes a tight-lipped smirk and reaches out a hand towards Cassi. “My, my. You and the cait-sith sure are picky for beggars.” His eyes glow red as he and Cassi shake hands, causing Nic to clench his jaw. She knows what she’s doing. He reminds himself again.

“Ren Wu’s contract belongs to Rarkoth. Foul little thing, that one, but here’s how to summon him.” Crowley seemingly pulls a roll of parchment out of thin air and hands it to Cassi. “I’ll let you know when you can repay the favor, darling.”

Nic’s jaw feathers as his fist clenches tighter, having to concentrate to avoid attacking the demon. He knows he stands no chance against him. “Thank you.” He says through gritted teeth.

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Nero

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Location: Remote Location - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Nero busies themself with petting Caden, not wanting to watch the exchange Cassi had been cornered into. They try their best to keep their fidgeting to a minimum, not wanting to alert Crowley of their nerves. It’s when Nero hears the raspy Scottish drawl near them that they look up.

“Do I need to shake your hand too?” Crowley asks.

Nero rolls their eyes, choosing to instead boop the demon’s nose with the tip of their forefinger as their eyes flash white. “Now tell me whether or not you were just toying with me yesterday or if there’s actually something for me to worry about.”

The King of Hell raises both eyebrows at Nero. “What has you so spooked?”

“I caught someone spying on me at my house soon after your visit - was it one of your underlings?”

[KazAlkemi]

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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Cassi walked back into Nic’s arms and handed him the scroll. She noticed then how much tension he was holding onto. Cassi threaded her fingers into his, making Nic look at her. She didn’t say anything or kiss him, just made him look at her.

She gave him a small smile, willing him to believe that everything would be okay. Cassi turned around after a moment, placing her back against Nic’s chest and watched Nero deal with Crowley now.

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Caden

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Location: – Chicago, IL
Skills: Shapeshifting;
Fit

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Caden shifted back into his normal self. He stood behind Nero, towering over both them and Crowley. His eyebrows quirked from Crowley’s inquiry, but he remained silent.

”No, cait-sith. You know how much I enjoy the pleasure of your company. If I wanted to stalk you, I’d do it myself.”

[Donut Look Now]

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Nicholas “Nic” Wu

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Location: Remote Location - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Nic moves his sight off of Crowley to look down at Cassi and feels much of his stress ebb away just from her small smile. When she presses her back against his chest, Nic immediately wraps his arms around her and kisses her head as they watch Crowley shift his focus to Nero.

“Are you okay?” He asks in a low whisper. He knows the answer is probably no, but he still wants to make sure.

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Nero

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Location: Remote Location - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Nero glares at Crowley, growing more impatient by the minute, especially when he calls them by their new nickname from him. “Yes, yes, all well and good. Who were you warning me against then?” They ask before noticing the annoying look in the King of Hell’s eyes that said he was going to toy with them more.

“Just tell me if it’s Mundus - if he’s still alive. Is he still alive?”

Crowley isn’t one to usually be shocked, let alone show it, but he eyes the little imp with a surprised expression. “You little minx! That’s what you’ve been doing up here! Reclaiming your memories and humanity.” Nero’s entire body tenses up. He knows… of course he knows and not only is he aware of Nero’s past, he now knows about the little imp’s attempt to regain a sense of themself again.

[KazAlkemi]

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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Cassi did her best to swallow the lump in her throat that formed when Nic asked about her well-being. She squeezed his hand in an effort to reassure him and calm herself down.

”We’ll talk later.” There was nothing that could be done now, and Cassi couldn’t lose it here.

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Caden

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Location: – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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”Answer the question, Kobold,” Caden said, growing impatient with Crowley. He also didn’t appreciate the judging tone that seemed to come across from Nero trying to reclaim themselves.

[Donut Look Now]

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Nicholas “Nic” Wu

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Location: Remote Location - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Nic nods, even if Cassi doesn’t see it, before kissing her head again. “I can’t punch him and live, right?” He jokes softly in an effort to help them both relax, even if it’s marginal.

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Nero

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Location: Remote Location - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Crowley dismisses Caden with a lazy wave of his hand, concentrating on Nero and even crouching slightly to be eye-level with them. “How much have you remembered? I was only King of the Crossroads back then, but I still remember the shock when he fell.”

“I remember enough.” Nero snarls as they take a step back from the demon and feel Caden behind them. Just recognizing his presence helps ground Nero. “Did he die that day? What happened?”

With a delighted smirk, Crowley straightens. “Oh, you know those Morningstars - hard to kill but easier to entrap. Your prince was in a cage, last I saw.” He peeks at Caden and shrugs. “I doubt he’s the one stalking you, but there were plenty that enjoyed his rule that might have it out for you.”

[KazAlkemi]

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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Cassi smirked and squeezed Nic’s hand. ”If he wants me to keep his deal, he’ll keep you alive,” Cassi said. She tilted her head back to kiss his chin before refocusing on Nero and Caden.

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Caden

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Location: – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Caden resisted the urge to wrap his arm around Nero and pull them behind him. He kept his hands to himself, letting Nero present the front they needed, but he was glad when the imp stepped back, and Caden could feel them against his body.

”We assumed it would be one of Mundus’ minions. Clearly, you know nothing about their hold on Hell if they are sending people up to do their bidding. Are you sure you have as much control over Hell as you think?” Caden was playing on Crowley’s ego, hoping the pint-sized demon would give more information than he had intended.

[Donut Look Now]

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Nero

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Location: Remote Location - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Nero watches as Crowley’s face contorts into rage for a moment before he schools it. “It certainly doesn’t affect me to let him play his little games.” His eyes shift to Nero pointedly before looking back up at Caden. “The rumors I was referencing have been swirling around the cait-sith and what their next move will be.”

“Who cares what I do? I’ve barely done anything for the past couple of centuries.”

The King of Hell raises his eyebrows with an expression that makes Nero feel dumb for asking. “Exactly. You’re the least ambitious of the white-eyes and your time spent up here hasn’t gone unnoticed. There’s talk of you recruiting allies to usurp my throne.” He takes a moment to laugh. “Clearly, no one knows you well enough to figure out that you abhor taking leadership roles.”

Nero remains quiet as they watch Crowley strut before them, finishing his cocktail before ceremoniously tossing the empty glass at Nero, who catches it deftly. “Even though I’ve answered your question, I will give you a tiny favor. I’ll check on the cages and see who’s still rotting away and let you know straightaway if something is amiss.”

With a snap, the demon and his red fog disappear back into the ground. Nero pinches the bridge of their nose with their free hand. “I really fucking hate that guy… also what the fuck is a ’cait-sith’?” They catch Nic nodding his head in agreement to hating Crowley before they look up at Caden.

[KazAlkemi]

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Caden

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Location: – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Caden automatically wrapped his arms around Nero as soon as the King of Hell disappeared. Crowley’s words weren’t comforting, and they left a bitter taste in Caden’s mouth.

There had been a very strong possibility that demons were after Nero, but the rumours about them wanting to take over weren’t comforting. That meant competition and sides to be chosen. But if Crowley was able to find something more, that would be helpful in narrowing down who might be looking for Nero.

Caden looked down at the imp and smirked at their outrage about their nickname. ”A cait-sith is a feline apparition seen in the Highlands of Scotland. They are considered to be demon-like smoke creatures that cause chaos and destruction.”

”It’s the perfect nickname for you,” Cassi said honestly.

[Donut Look Now]

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Nicholas “Nic” Wu

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Location: Remote Location - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Nic snorts before clapping a hand over his mouth. It really is the perfect nickname for the imp. He lets out a breath he doesn’t realize he was holding and visibly relaxes as he kisses Cassi’s head once more before taking the scroll and unfurling it to glance over.

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Nero

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Location: Caden & Nero’s House - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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With a pout, Nero crosses their arms over their chest. “Thanks, I hate it.” They say with pursed lips before glancing down at everything left of the summoning. “Let’s go home so we can all laugh at Avery’s new look instead of some stupid nickname.” They hate that Cassi is right - it really does suite them.

[KazAlkemi]

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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Cassi grinned and looked up at Nic before she turned in his arms to look at the scroll. ”What does it say we need?”

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Caden

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Location: – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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”Nein, das tust du nicht. Es gefällt dir nur nicht, dass er dich so nennt.” Caden brushed his lips across Nero’s forehead.

”How long do you think it will take before Crowley finds the information we want? He won’t be able to find you if you remain at our house,” Caden explained.

[Donut Look Now]

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Nicholas “Nic” Wu

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Location: - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Nic chuckles despite the situation and moves so Cassi can look over the list. “To be honest, it looks like a lot of these are herbs that you are probably more familiar with.” He says before wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly.

“I’m with Nero on this one - I did not like that guy.” Nic. Says loudly enough for the other two to hear.

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Nero

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Location: - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Nero’s ears turn red and they turn their glare onto Caden for pointing it out. “I’m sure he’ll get my ‘demonic phone number’ from one of the minions. If not, we can have another go at summoning the bastard.” They huff before hugging Caden tightly.

“Or I’ll get his number and bug him incessantly. Either way, we’ll get the answer hopefully within the week.”

[KazAlkemi]

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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”Good, then we can go back to my place,” Cassi said, hugging Nic back tightly before she released him and tucked the scroll into her bag.

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Caden

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Location: – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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”He can be a lot,” Caden agreed with Nic. ”But he’s not the worst.”

Caden took Nero’s hand and kissed the back of it before leading them all back to the SUV. He opened up the passenger side door and helped Nero in.

”Wie geht es dir?” Caden had determined that the meeting with Crowley had gone well, even with the back and forth and the deal Cassi ended up making. They got the answers they needed, plus more on the way.

[Donut Look Now]

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Nicholas “Nic” Wu

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Location: - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Nic nods at Caden in agreement, sure that he’s right before he turns his attention back to Cassi. “Itching to leave already?” He teases in a soft murmur, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they follow the others back to the SUV. He opens the door for her to climb in.

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Nero

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Location: - Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Nero nods, letting themselves smile and relax a little now that everything has turned out alright. “Ich finde es nicht gut, dass Mundus noch lebt, aber hoffentlich finden wir heraus, dass es nur ein Fanboy ist, der die Sache anheizen will.” They answer honestly before the turn and kiss Caden’s cheek.

“Thank you for your help… All of you.” Nero makes sure to say so Nic and Cassi can hear.

Translations

I don’t like that Mundus is still alive, but hopefully we find out it’s just some fanboy trying to stir the pot