KazAlkemi

Chicago After Hours

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Caden

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Location: Nero’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Caden grinned. ”Haven’t you heard of multi-tasking?” He ran a finger down the centre of Nero’s chest and torso. He hooked his finger into the front of their pants and tugged them close.

”I need to make sure I don’t take you against something that has good retail value,” he said, glancing around the room they stood in.

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Outside Chicago Med Emergency Department – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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”Don’t be sorry…I’m just glad you’re okay,” she said. She wrapped her arms around his neck, playing with his hair. ”Are you hungry? Or should we just grab a bottle of wine and head back to your place?”

Chicago After Hours

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Caden

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Location: Nero’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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”Good…That’s good.” Caden untucked Nero’s shirt once he had it unbuttoned and pulled it off of them before he helped Nero remove his own sweater.

”Do you want to show me your inventory? We can figure out what you should keep,” he said. He slid his hand along the back of Nero’s, tipping their head back to look at him.

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Outside Chicago Med Emergency Department – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Cassi grinned, standing to greet Nic. ”Surprised?” She looked up into his eyes, her grin fading a bit.

”You look tired,” she whispered. She brushed her thumb under his eyes, wishing she could take the shadows away. ”When eight thirty passed, I was getting worried something was going wrong.”

Chicago After Hours

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Caden

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Location: Nero’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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”Mmm, would you let me watch if they come before? I can shift into a mouse. No one will no,” he purred and nipped Nero’s neck. He slid his hands around Nero’s waist, finding the buttons of their shirt and started to pull them apart.

”How much more work do you have to do?”

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Outside Chicago Med Emergency Department – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Cassi sat on a cement bench outside the emergency department with her shopping bags on the ground next to her. She bounced her leg up and down and watched the sliding door open and close. She wasn't entirely sure if she was anxious to surprise Nic or nervous because of all the pain in the area. It could easily be a combination of both, but regardless, Cassi stayed rooted to the bench, afraid she would miss him if he moved.

Cassi’s phone buzzed in her pocket and she slipped it out to quickly scan the message. She grinned, glancing at the doors again before replying.

I just might be ;)

Chicago After Hours

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Caden

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Location: Nero’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Caden moved his trail of kisses up Nero’s neck to their ear. ”Good,” he whispered into their ear before nipping it. ”When do your little minions come back?”

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Shopping – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Go save lives <3 Be safe

Cassi slipped her phone away, knowing Nic wouldn’t be replying to her for a while. She finished her assault on the bookstore, finding a book on Scottish folklore that she felt Nic might enjoy before she exited the store and continued with her spree.

As she walked, she heard sirens and paused. Cassi turned her head and watched an ambulance speed by. She watched it until it disappeared around a corner and wondered if it was going to Chicago Med.

Someone brushed past Cassi, knocking her out of her thoughts. Taking a breath, she headed up the street. With Nic still heavy on her mind, she picked the next clothing store with purpose and intention. She poked around, sorting through all the different colours and fabrics for something bold but safe. She didn’t want to give the man a heart-attack the first time he saw Cassi in lingerie, but Cassi was often eventful and left a statement in the bedroom. She was sure it would be no different with Nic. Whenever they got to that point.

Chicago After Hours

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Caden

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Location: Nero’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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”Mmm, well, I’m sure it has that intended effect. Unfortunately for me, I found it way more of a turn-on,” Caden said, running his hands down their body.

Caden chuckled and pulled Nero back in after they started scanning him. ”I’m already healed. Although, I’ll need a new sweater. And yes, it was Cass. It happened while we were fighting the Redcaps. She said it was an accident but I have my suspicions. How about you? I was worried about you,” Caden mumbled, his lips finding their way to Nero’s neck.

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Shopping – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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I love that idea. And no, you don’t need to send me money. I can spoil myself too you know.

She picked up a book on Japanese culture and flipped through it before she decided to get it.

How is work?

She resumed her tour through the book store, finding a couple more fiction reads for herself before she started looking for something for Nic.

Chicago After Hours

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Caden

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Location: Nero’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Caden grinned, wrapping his arms around Nero in return. ”Wouldn’t be the first time today,” he said and kissed Nero. ”Your knife spinning was very intimidating, by the way. Do you do that often when you are ordering people around?”

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Shopping – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Cassi laughed, shaking her head when Nic figured out where she was.

I should have known. It’s one of mine, too. I can easily spend all day here.

Now that Cassi knows it’s one of Nic’s favourite places, she starts to look more diligently for books he might like as well as ones for her.

Chicago After Hours

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Caden

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Location: Nero’s House – Chicago, IL
Skills: Shapeshifting

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Caden’s eyes flicker to the knife as Nero effortlessly twirls it. It takes everything in Caden to look afraid rather than turned on.

”He said that the dragon man loves you…” Caden shifted back into his normal self and grinned down at Nero. ”And he’d like to take you for supper.”

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Cassi's House – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Cassi’s phone buzzes while she is in the book store, and she shifts her bags over to her left hand before pulling her phone out. She sees the message from Nic and mentally curses herself for not texting him.

I will gladly make you more. I’m glad you liked them. Sorry I didn’t message you…I got carried away.

She sends Nic the message along with a picture of her two clothing bags with the bookstore in the background.

Chicago After Hours

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Caden

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

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Caden had the foresight to keep looking concerned and scared when Nero held a knife. He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing before he opened his mouth to speak again.

”Please Mister Nero, the King of Hell… he sent me. He sent me with a message. Please.” Caden pushed the glasses up his nose. They had slid down because of his frantic movements. He looked at Nero, ready to start begging on his knees if he needed to.

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Cassi's House – Chicago, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Once Cassi was finished debriefing Costa, she still had time to kill before Nic got off work. She wanted to surprise him, but it would be a few more hours before he was done. She jumped on the bus and looked out the window, thinking about what she could do when she saw a clothing store she liked. Perfect, a little retail therapy. Cassi got off at the next stop and started her little shopping spree.

Chicago After Hours

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Caden & Cassiopeia

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Location: Docks - Old Warehouse --- Chicago, IL
Skills: Shapeshifting/Strength;Agility/Knife Throwing/Sorcery

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Caden drove to an abandoned seaport in Chicago. The buildings were mostly run-down, with some signs of homeless people living in them, but there was no one around currently.

Cassiopeia opened up her door and got out. She sniffed the air before wrinkling her nose and closed the car door. "They're here. Can you smell all the blood?"

Caden nodded, running a hand down the front of his green sweater. The strong scent of iron floated in the air, mixed with rotted fish, sewage and the sea.

"They're a long way from home," Caden noted, scanning the area for any signs of life or magic. He had a strong affinity for tracking down strong and trace magics. If the Redcaps had killed or transformed recently, Caden would be able to find them.

Cassi shrugged and joined Caden at the front of his car. "Aren't we all?" She double-checked that her phone was on silent before she strapped her backpack to her back. "We best start looking."

In the case file, the redcap population had grown to a staggering amount. Normally, Redcaps hunted solo and rarely gathered in groups. They were violent creatures and often fought each other for territory or simply because it was in their nature. However, they were being spotted in groups of three or more and were stalking humans and other supernatural creatures. Sometimes, they made their kill; other times, the police force drove them off, but their numbers kept increasing, which was why Costa finally called Cassiopeia in.

Cass had dealt with the Redcaps in Scotland time and time again. She had formed a shaky alliance with them to keep people safe, but it had been rocky at best. It was more of a, 'I'll send people your way if they are criminals and deserve to die'. The Redcaps likely loved Cassi at one point, but the relationship had fallen when she finally left that place.

After that, Cassi had only seen Redcaps during the world wars. The bloodthirsty gnomes lived off death, violence, and hatred. The wars had been a party to them.

So, for the Redcaps to be gathered in Chicago, there had to be some significant event occurring.

Cassiopeia and Caden wandered outside the buildings, peering in and looking around until they found a promising one. Cassi stepped inside first, guarding their front while Caden guarded their backs. Unfortunately, Cassi was looking straight ahead and up, rather than down.

She took a step forward and felt something tighten around her ankle. Freezing, she looked down and groaned. Caden joined her, looking down and smirking.

"Really Cassi? You're getting rusty in your old age."

Cassi flipped Caden the bird, along with a few choice Gaelic words. Caden just grinned and laughed when Cassi got pulled and flipped upside down. The rope around her ankle held her about ten feet off the ground. Caden slipped his hands into his pockets and looked up at her.

"And you told Nic you would be fine on your own," Caden said with a shake of his head and a click of his tongue.

"Would you just shut up and get me down from here?"

Caden chuckled and scanned the room. In the distance, he could hear chanting and metal boots clanging. The hair on the back of his neck started to crawl. He shifted his eyes to be able to see into the shadows of the building.

Cassiopeia wiggled around in the air, trying to get a better view of what was coming, but the rope was uncooperative, as was the dragon who left her to hang there.

One, then two, three, six, nine Redcaps walked into the room, sticking to their pattern of going in threes. They circled Caden and Cassi, their long, pointed teeth showing as they grinned madly at their captives. Each cap on their head looked wet and heavy, soaked with the blood of their most recent kills.

"Aegnor? You're still alive?" Cassi had finally managed to get herself rotated enough to take in all the redcaps. She didn't recognize any of them except one who remained in the shadows.

The dwarf grinned and stepped into the light, allowing Caden to get a better look at them. One half of the dwarf's face was mangled, which was a new addition to their already vicious looking nature.

"Aye. Fhathast beò, uamhasach tha fios agam." The Redcap chuckled eerily, and Cassi's skin crawled. She was shocked to see the old gnome from Scotland. Redcaps didn't have a long life expectancy, but here was Aegnor. Over two hundred years old.

"Dè tha thu a' dèanamh an seo?" Cassi demanded.

"Airson an fhuil, gu dearbh. Tha mòran strì ann am baile-mòr nan creutairean," Aegnor stated. The rest of the redcaps let out noises of pleasure and cheers. Cassi shuddered from the sounds and looked at Caden.

"A’ strì nach eil a’ cur dragh sam bith air a’ chaip dhearg agad," Caden declared. Aegnor turned their focus to Caden and grinned.

"Fear dragon. Is fhada bhon a tha sinn air a bhith air raon-catha."

Caden held Aegnor's gaze, which had the redcap grinning further before chuckling. They looked up at Cassi and sniffed the air.

"Bha thu a’ bleith o chionn ghoirid. Bha fuil dhraoidheil an-còmhnaidh na b’ fheàrr dhuinn. Dè mu dheidhinn blas?"

Cassi glared at the little goblin for a moment before her eyes widened. Of course. Magic. When redcaps killed a magical creature and soaked their cap in the blood of that kill, their hat was temporarily imbued with whatever magic that creature had. And Chicago was full of potential.

"Tha Chicago air a dhìon leam fhìn agus a 'bhana-bhuidseach stoirme. Tha thu air a dhol thairis air do fhàilte, a shìthiche," Caden informed them.

The redcap merely grinned and looked at his fellow companions. "Chì sinn." The red caps attacked.

"Caden! Cassi yelled, still stuck in the rope.

"A little busy, Cass. You have knives, do you not?"

Cassiopeia threw one of those iron knives into a Redcap that launched itself at Caden. It fell back onto the ground with a loud thud that didn't match its size. Iron wasn't enough to kill Redcaps, but it could stun them.

Cassi started to curse in Gaelic as she worked to see herself out of the rope. Meanwhile, Caden did his best to keep the Redcaps from getting to Cass or biting him. They kicked at Caden with their metal boots and snapped their fangs at him. It wasn't an easy task, and Caden wished his ability to expel fire as a dragon had extended to when he was a human, but he didn't have that ability.

A Redcap got past Caden and launched themselves at Cassi. She grunted and dropped her knife while she fought with the thing. She whispered words in Latin, and the Redcap started to scream. Cassi dropped the thing before it caught on fire. It would run around, screaming for help before eventually dying.

Cassi went back to cutting the rope, but whatever it was made of, it was not budging. Cassi screamed in frustration. She dangled there, looking back at the fight. She flipped her knife around and launched it, but Caden had shifted just before it could hit the Redcap. The knife embedded itself into Caden's shoulder, and Cassi gasped.

"I'm sorry!

Caden grunted and threw the Redcap before he reached for the knife in his shoulder. He pulled it out, and blood started to drip down Caden's back, creating a frenzy among the Redcaps.

"I think you did that on purpose," Caden declared, backing away from the seven remaining redcaps.

"Not like you didn't deserve it," Cassi muttered, staring at the creatures that continued to circle them.

As the Redcaps advanced again, Aegnor stopped and bent down. He removed his cap and ran it along the ground. Caden's eyes narrowed, and his hands shifted into talons.

"Cassi..."

"I'm working on it! She grabbed her backpack and found the vials of poppyseed dust that she had ground earlier with some other poisonous herbs. "Back up and cover your face," she ordered Caden.

The wind came to her quickly. Cassi uncorked her bottles, and the powder fell out. The wind quickly gathered it and wrapped around the redcaps. One by one, the Redcaps fell into a deep sleep. All except Aegnor, who had gained the strength and resistance to magic like Caden had thanks to the blood they added to their cap.

"Dè spòrs. Nam biodh fios agam gur ann mar seo a bhiodh e, cha bhithinn a-riamh air co-bhanntachd a chruthachadh riut air raon a’ bhlàir," they said before attacking.

Caden glared at the Redcap before they charged. Caden roared and shifted. He shrunk in size, becoming a mirror image of Aegnor. Aegnor paused, briefly confused by the change in Caden's appearance, giving Caden just enough time to tackle the Redcap to the ground.

Cassi hung in the air, unable to assist since the two creatures moved so quickly. She had already hit Caden once; she didn't need to do that again.

Caden tangled with the Redcap, shoving and clawing until Caden got thrown across the room. He blew through a wall before finally stopping. Dazed, he shook his head before standing up and charged back into the building.

Meanwhile, Aegnor looked up at Cassiopeia. It was difficult to get to her when she was suspended, so he cut the rope. Cassiopeia slammed into the ground before she rolled over, a knife already in her hand.

Aegnor looked at the storm witch with a grin. "Tha e air a bhith o chionn fhada, Banrigh nan speur. Am bu chòir dhomh boghadh fhathast?"

Cassi glared at the bloodthirsty creature. "Chan eil mi air a bhith na Banrigh bhon a dh’ fhàg mi Alba."

"Plàigh air an fhearann, tha mi cinnteach ach aon a bheir mi brath," he said before attacking Cassi.

Cassi threw her knife at the charging Redcap, but he easily flicked the weapon away and continued to charge her. Cassiopeia kept her limbs loose, and when Aegnor neared, she whirled herself around him so she was behind him rather than in front. The wind returned to her, and her eyes cracked with lightning energy.

Caden made it back into the room, standing in front of Aegnor but retaining his Redcap shape.

"I'll let you choose, Aegnor, for old times sake. Death... or a return to Scotland?" Aegnor grinned at Cassi's offer.

"'air ain't no choice," he said before he ran at Cassi. Cassi's eyes flared a brilliant blue before lightning shot from the sky, breaking a hole into the roof of the building and hitting Aegnor. Concrete exploded, and Cassi turned to cover her face. Looking back, she saw a shattered hole in the ground with nothing but red scrapes of Aegnor's red cap.

Cassi knelt, as did Caden, after he shifted back to normal. Together, they bowed their heads and said a death prayer for Aegnor. Afterwards, Cassi and Caden cut their palms and spread their blood onto the ground.

Despite the dwarf's attempts to kill them and others, Aegnor was a fierce comrade at one point and aided Caden and Cassi in fighting for others.

Cassiopeia sighed, stood, and gathered up her knives. Caden rummaged through Cassiopeia's bag for a strip of cloth to wrap her hand. Instead, he found a bandage he could use.

"What about you?" Cassi asked, sheathing her knives. Caden gave her a look.

"I'm already healed, Cass." He grabbed her hand and cleaned it before wrapping it. She would be healed by the morning, but keeping the wound covered until then was better.

"Well...That was fun. Now what?"

Cassiopeia smirked sadly and shook her head. "How about something to eat, for old-time's sake? Or am I too young for you now?"

Caden laughed and wrapped an arm around Cassi's shoulder. "Ha ha. Very funny," he said, but his eyes danced with humour as the two of them walked from the building.

Translations

Aegnor: Still alive, horrible, I know.
Cassi: What are you doing here?
Aegnor: For the blood, of course. There are many struggles in the city of creatures.
Caden: Struggle that doesn't bother your red cap.
Aegnor: Dragon man. It's been a long time since we've been on a battlefield.
Aegnor: You were bleeding recently. Magical blood was always better for us. What about taste?
Caden: Chicago is protected by me and the storm witch. You have overstayed your welcome, fairy.
Aegnor:We will see.

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Aegnor: What fun. If I had known it would be like this, I would never have formed an alliance with you on the battlefield.
Aegnor: It has been a long time, Queen of the sky. Should I still bow?
Cassi: I have not been Queen since I left Scotland.
Aegnor: Plague on the land, I'm sure only one I will take advantage of.

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Lunch and two bottles of wine later, Cassi had Caden drop her off at the police station. She had a report to file with Costa, and although Caden should also be there, Cassi could see Caden's mind was divided. So, with a hug and a kiss and a promise to call tomorrow, Cassi dismissed Caden from babysitting her.

Caden sat in his car, looking over Nero's message again, when a bit of inspiration hit him. He smiled and drove over to Nero's house, but he parked a couple of streets over. Caden shifted into a gangly white, twenty-something year old that Nero might likely overlook. His clothes changed as well. He no longer wore a green sweater but a cream turtle neck with black jeans and black-rimmed glasses.

Caden made his way to Nero's front door and quickly charged in, looking hazard and frantic. He ran from room to room while he called out for Nero.

"Mr Nero! Mr Nero!!! There's a problem!"

Chicago After Hours

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Avery Zain

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

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The sound of Kimiko's laughter is like the first rays of sunshine. It warmed Avery to his very core, sending gooseflesh across his skin from the contrasting sensations of cold to warm.

He stopped tickling her but only to plant a kiss on her lips. His hands moved away from her sides, one extended to hold himself up while the other brushed across her stomach.

Between the tickling and Kimiko's squirming, her shirt had shifted slightly and Avery was taking full advantage.

He broke off the kiss, following his instincts as much as his own desires, and shifted his weight back. He didn't stop or think to look at Kimiko before he pressed a kiss to her stomach. The soft, warm flesh caused Avery to sigh. He turned his head to brush his nose and cheek from the right side of her bellybutton to her hip. He placed another kiss on her side before he angled back across her stomach and up to her ribcage.

Avery couldn't get over how soft her skin was. His mind raced with how delicate and perfect it felt to him. It reminded him of the softness of her fur. His mind continued to spin with thoughts about how other parts of her body might feel, and Avery had to pull back after he had unconsciously pushed Kimiko's shirt up further in his quest to leave a trail of kisses along her body.

His lips brushed across the lower half of Kimiko's sternum, just below her breasts. He pulled back, shifted his weight off her, and sat beside her on the bed in a way that hid the lower half of his body.

He was feeling properly flushed and rubbed his warm cheeks and neck. He didn't know what to say. Part of him wanted Kimiko to tell him to keep going, but another part wanted food.

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Caden & Cassiopeia

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Location: Driving – Chicago, IL
Skills:.
Cassi’s Fit (middle) ; Caden’s Fit

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Trust me. He doesn't need to know how thankful you are. It'll only prove him right.
I'm doing okay… It's just…weird right now. You're done at 830 tonight, right? I can call you then.

She offered, not wanting to unload on him while he was at work, but also so she could concentrate on the hunt.

Caden started driving, following their suspicions to the more run down and abandoned places of Chicago.