[IC] Chicago After Hours

[KazAlkemi]

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Caden

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Location: Caden’s Home – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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”Hast du geschlafen?” I asked curiously. I brush their hair back and kiss their temple, unable to resist. I shut my eyes again for the time being, enjoying Nero’s presence and the quiet morning. I know I’ll have to get up soon to get ready to leave. I suddenly wonder if Nero will come with me or what they will do if they don’t.

[Donut Look Now]

Nero

Location: Caden’s Mansion - Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I think over his question; I remember closing my eyes and relaxing as the big spoon… And the next thing I know, I’m suddenly the little spoon and waking up to Caden’s perfect German. ”Ich glaube, das habe ich tatsächlich getan. Ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass das möglich ist.” Despite that though, I still feel very relaxed. I snuggle my way deeper into Caden’s embrace and close my eyes again.

Translations

I think I did actually. I didn’t think that was possible.

[KazAlkemi]

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Caden

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Location: Caden’s Home – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I smile at that, happy Nero found some semblance of peace here. With me. I keep them close until I feel myself starting to doze again. I yawn, open my eyes back up, and focus on the wall to keep from falling asleep again.
”Willst du mit Cass und mir zur Polizeiwache kommen?”

Translations

Do you want to come to the police station with Cass and me?

[Donut Look Now]

Nero

Location: Caden’s Mansion - Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I find myself echoing Caden’s yawn before I manage to wiggle and roll over to face Caden while still in his arms. “Ich schätze, ich sollte wahrscheinlich einen Auftritt machen.” I sigh dramatically but I beam brightly at him. “Gut, dass ich hier schon schöne, saubere Kleidung zum Anziehen habe.”

Translations

I guess I should make an appearance / It’s a good thing I have nice clean clothes to wear already here

[KazAlkemi]

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Caden

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Location: Caden’s Home – Chicago, IL
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”Mmm, das ist praktisch, nicht wahr?” I kiss their nose. ”Möchtest du Frühstück?” I ask, kissing their forehead next.

Translations

That’s convenient isn’t it.
Would you like breakfast?

[Donut Look Now]

Nero

Location: Caden’s Mansion - Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I scrunch my nose as he kisses it and laugh lightly when he moves to my forehead next. ”I’m never going to want to get out of this bed if you keep speaking German and kissing me.” I tell him honestly. “Das Frühstück hört sich aber gut an.”

Translations

Breakfast does sound good though

[KazAlkemi]

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Caden

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Location: Caden’s Home – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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”But I can’t help it.” I wiggle closer to them, bury my head into their neck and kiss Nero there several times before I pull away, grinning. ”Alright, I’ll have Henry send us up something.” I left myself over Nero and flopped onto the other side of them. I grab my phone and quickly message the kitchen staff to have two plates brought up. I look at Nero.

”If you need, you can shower in the guestroom. Or you can join me in mine if you think you can survive it,” I tempt. I know I certainly wouldn’t be able to if they showered with me.

[Donut Look Now]

Nero

Location: Caden’s Mansion - Chicago, IL
Skills:

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Already flustered from the neck kissing, I grab and throw a pillow at him, blushing. “I don’t even think you could survive it.” I say with a playful glare directed at him. I wrestle the sheets off of me, wiggling out of the covers to free myself. I’m already too hot from Caden to need any additional help from bedding. “Are we showering before or after breakfast?” I ask.

[KazAlkemi]

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Caden

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Location: Caden’s Home – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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”I was going to shower now,” I informed them. ”You could wait or go now. We have two hours before we have to leave. Everything you might need is in the guest bathroom.” I pick up my phone when it buzzes and look to see who is trying to get a hold of me.

I confirm with Detective Costa on meeting at the station before I message Cassi to inform her we’ll be collecting her in two hours. Nero is coming, play nice. I text before setting my phone down.

[Donut Look Now]

Nero

Location: Caden’s Mansion - Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I tilt my head, trying to decide if I want to stick around for the chance to see Caden fresh out of the shower. “Okay, I’ll shower now too.” I say with a nod. I do a quick dive to kiss Caden on the nose before launching myself out of bed. ”Last one out is a rotten egg.” I yell behind me as I race to grab my clothes from his office before I use the shower.

[KazAlkemi]

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Cassi’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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After showering, I play music from my TV and dance around the house as I get ready. I’m trying not to let Nero coming along dampen my mood. I had a feeling they were still in the house while Nic and I were over. So, apparently, demons are Caden’s latest taste. I sigh to myself in the mirror.

”You’ve known Caden all your life. You know he wouldn’t pick someone to be close with if they weren’t a decent creature. You saw yourself them fall into their humanity from time to time.” Max sits on the counter, watching me through the mirror. His tail flicks back and forth while he watches me. I smile at him and scratch his head.

”I know; trust my intuition.” I finish my skincare routine and apply some mascara just for something. Intuition. I lean back from the mirror and glance down at my phone. Trust and intuition. I hover my hand over my phone, debating before I shake my head.

”Not today. One life-altering thing at a time. Come on, Max, it's time for me to eat.” I shut the bathroom light off and go to the kitchen for something to eat.

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Caden

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Location: Caden’s Home – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I laugh, shaking my head as they run off. I wondered if demons knew they smelt like sulphur. Surprisingly, Nero’s was faint enough that I didn’t notice. Maybe that was a perk of being a white-eyed demon. I mull it over while I’m in the shower. As I clean off, I think about needing to take Nero to their place so they can either gather more clothes or get what they need done. Mildly, I wonder if Nero would consider getting a second wardrobe, but I let the thought flow from my head. It was perhaps too soon to shower Nero with gifts.

I get out of the shower and wrap a towel around myself before entering the closet. The smell of syrup, bacon, and fresh coffee greets me as I examine my suits. I’m torn between grey or simple black, so I leave to fetch a cup of coffee.

[Donut Look Now]

Nic Wu

Location: Nic’s Apartment - Chicago, IL
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After eating and cleaning up the kitchen, my dad and I go over some of the details for the service for my mother. We ultimately decide to go with a closed casket instead of cremation, but only because we want to bury my mom next to my sister. Once getting everything set up, I send a gif thru text to Cass of a cat saying ‘Good morning!’ I want to at least say hello before I send the details about my mom’s burial.

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Nero

Location: Caden’s Mansion - Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I don’t take long in the shower mostly because I did want to beat Caden back to his bedroom. I’m wearing the white corset bustier top and black slacks that I had on the day before, my suit coat hung over my arm as I enter his room. It’s nice not to worry about covering my back while at Caden’s, if I’m honest. It looks like the staff already dropped off the food and it all smells delicious. I prance over to his bed to grab the book I was reading before sleeping last night when I hear Caden enter the room. I turn to make a joke but stop short when he’s only in a towel, the words dying in my throat.

[KazAlkemi]

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Cassi’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I pull my toaster waffles out and toss them onto the plate before coating them in syrup and icing sugar and strawberries for colour. Waffles are a staple in this house. My phone chimes, and I pick it up only after I’ve taken the initial bite. I expect it’s a text from Caden, but it's from Nic. I panic and toss my phone.

Calypso and Wayland scatter from the noise as my phone hits the table. Maximilian just gives me a look. I frown. ”I thought I was the psychic,” I grumble and eat more of my waffle while I stare at my phone.

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Caden

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Location: Caden’s Home – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I take a sip when the door opens, and Nero walks in. They don’t notice me quite yet until they do. I smirk. ”Du hättest mit mir duschen sollen,” I tease them.

I look away from them and nod at the table. ”Your breakfast is here. There is coffee or orange juice if you prefer.”

Translations

You should have showered with me.

[Donut Look Now]

Nic Wu

Location: Nic’s Apartment - Chicago, IL
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Waiting for a response, I send out a text to a few friends who had known my mom, letting them know that a date for the service had been set. My dad is busy reaching out to family friends at the same time. Traditionally, there is a lot more that goes into a traditional Chinese funeral, but between an actual monster kidnapping my dad and all of the other events of the week, we decide to forego most of it. Besides, we didn’t have any actual family here. My dad does intend to stay in mourning the full forty-nine daysm but outside of that, life needed to go on. There’s a lot of buzzing as I start receiving texts back. My dad steps into another room to make some more calls.

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Nero

Location: Caden’s Mansion - Chicago, IL
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I give him a playful glare at his teasing. “Ich wäre nicht in der Lage gewesen, wirklich zu duschen, wenn ich es getan hätte.” I tell him truthfully, doing another once over of him before I finally move at his mention of food. I snatch a couple pieces of bacon, enjoying the deliciously greasy strips of meat while staring at Caden. Okay, maybe I should have showered with him…

Translations

I wouldn’t have been able to actually shower if I had

[KazAlkemi]

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Caden

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Location: Caden’s Home – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I chuckle and take another sip of coffee to let Nero take another look. The tattoo sleeve on my right arm is in full glory. It was designed and done by Cassiopeia. It contains the anti-demon-possessing pentagram, but it’s interwoven with a mountain-scape that climbs my upper arm to where the dragon's head peeks over. My forearm is filled with various runes, but they shift and flow to create another scene of fire and destruction. The tattoos on my right fingers look like talons nearly but have the shape of daggers. A bleeding rose covers the back of my right hand, while my left hand has a small weeping woman, curled in on herself. The tattoo on my left upper arm is an adaptation of the death tarot card that Cassi once pulled for me. The symbol of change.

I refill my coffee cup and wink at Nero before I return to the closet. The full dragon takes up the right side of my back, wings spreading out over the left, making it look like the dragon is climbing or flying up the right side of my body. The wings seem to pop, but only because they cover lash marks from the 17th and 18th century slave trade.

I close the closet door behind me to prevent Nero from getting an even more tempting look. I decide on the grey suit and change relatively quickly.

[Donut Look Now]

Nero

Location: Caden’s Mansion - Chicago, IL
Skills:

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Unable to keep from staring, my eyes follow Caden as he leaves to go change. I can’t help but notice that underneath part of the tattoo on his back, that he shared similar scars to my back. Before I have the chance to think on it anymore, he goes into his closet and closes the door behind him. I nibble on the last bit of my bacon and grab a cup of coffee for myself, deep in thought.

I flip open the book where I had last left off, setting it down safely away from the food so I could read and still eat. The book is just moving into how towns had begun adopting laws against crimes and punishment for those who broke them.

[KazAlkemi]

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Cassi’s House – Chicago, IL
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After fully ignoring Nic’s text for fifteen minutes, I was compelled by some annoying creatures to pick up the phone. ”All of you are horrible. Come here Wayland. You can be a part of this madness.” Wayland flopped over on the floor and peered up at me. I snapped a picture before sending it to Nic.

Good morning.

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Caden

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Location: Caden’s Home – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I walk back out of the closet, securing a watch to my left wrist before fixing the sleeves of my shirt. I walk to the table and kiss Nero’s head before I sit down next to them.

”After we dealt with the detective, I was thinking I could take you back to your place. You can check on your cats, and maybe I can convince you to pack a bag,” I say and help myself to a couple pancakes with syrup and bacon.

[Donut Look Now]

Nic Wu

Location: Nic’s Apartment - Chicago, IL
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With all the other messages pertaining to the service, I’m almost confused with Cass’s until I open it and remember I had sent a gif to her. In response, she also said Good morning, but hers is accompanied with a picture of Wayland. It’s a welcome distraction in the midst of all the funeral madness. He looks like he might be missing me, should I come by and steal him?

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Nero

Location: Caden’s Mansion - Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I look up and beam at Caden as he sits down, abandoning my reading to pay more attention to him. I tilt my head at his suggestion and smile. “I’d like that.” I say, grabbing a pancake and eating it like a cookie. ”Plus you can look at my collection to see if anything catches your eye.” I stop chewing for a moment, narrowing my eyes in concentration before I ask, ”You’d probably prefer if the other demons aren’t there, right?” I won’t blame him if he prefers it - the only reason I keep them around is to feed the cats and make sure my possessions don’t end up stolen while I’m away.

[KazAlkemi]

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Cassi’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I scratch Wayland’s head while I read over Nic’s message. I smile a little, looking down at him. He was such an easygoing, fluffy guy. He was one of my best employees.

I don’t know. He’s already used up most of his vacation time and is my best employee.

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Caden

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Location: Caden’s Home – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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My eating slows when Nero mentions having other demons in their house. I suddenly feel like Cassiopeia, having a few questions I want answered, specifically what ranking they really did have in order to command other demons. I resumed my regular eating.

”I’m fine if they are there. We’ll take Cassiopeia back home before we go,” I tell Nero. She had a harder time with them than I did.

[Donut Look Now]

Nic Wu

Location: Nic’s Apartment - Chicago, IL
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I smile, chuckling silently at Cass’ joke. I guess that means I’ll just have to visit your shop to see him then. I’m only partially joking. After sending the text, I respond to some of the other messages I received regarding my mom’s services. The texts were slowing down now that I had gotten responses from almost everyone now.

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Nero

Location: Caden’s Mansion - Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I watch Caden’s reaction carefully. “Du siehst gerade aus wie ein kleines Kätzchen.” I tell him, shaking my head. ”You can ask me questions and I’ll answer honestly, I promise.” I reach out to hold his hand. I know he’s been holding back questions, I mean, who wouldn’t? As much as I danced around Cass’ inquiries the other day, I didn’t want to do that with Caden.

Translations

You look like the little kitten right now