Donut Look Now

Chicago After Hours

Nicholas “Nic” Wu

Location: Hindu Temple - Cary, IL
Skills:
Fit

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“It sounds like something our Mr. Singh would have noticed, but Mr. Scott wouldn’t.” I say with a nod, watching as she flips between the photos. Standing back up, I look around at the floor like I will find this missing stone just laying there.

“I wonder if maybe while the contractor was draining the fountain that it could’ve been sucked up by the pump he would use to do so.”

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Kimiko “Kiki” Voss

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

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I stop playing when I see Caden enter and try to keep my expression neutral when I see Avery’s joined as well. “You asked a demon to move in with you??” I whisper in a hiss, not wanting to yell it. Setting the cello down, I put my hands on my hips as I stand.

“Do you know they have demons that answer to them? Nero isn’t some low rank nobody, Caden.” I wait for an answer, not wanting to assume he’s a complete idiot. I’m just worried for him.

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Nero

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

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So, you’re already home then? I wait a bit before I carefully climb out of the bed, picking up the cats as I go. I guess I deserve him teasing me with all the pranks I pull on him.

Chicago After Hours

Nicholas “Nic” Wu

Location: Hindu Temple - Cary, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Glaring playfully, I muss up her hair. “One day they might find a cure for blindness.” I tease, booping her on the nose.

“So, what’s next? Were you able to notice any differences?”

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Nero

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

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I grin at his response. Almost home?

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Kimiko “Kiki” Voss

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

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Completing my warm ups, I was now on to playing some of the more complicated pieces I knew, which were a bit aggressive on the bow strokes, but I wanted to release some tension in myself. I have so many questions that I want answers to, but one person refused to talk to me about it, literally ran away from me, and the other person loved them.

Chicago After Hours

Nicholas “Nic” Wu

Location: Hindu Temple - Cary, IL
Skills:
Fit

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I grin back. “I asked if Mr. Singh might have any knowledge regarding Chinese fountains and since they didn’t know if he did, they gave me Mr. Scott’s just in case.” I say, pretty proud that I managed this.

“You see, I’m really charming.” I wink at Cass before I send her the contacts through a text message.

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Nero

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

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One of the videos I find says something silly about couple goals or something. I send the clip to Caden with a simple message of us? Before I go back to my scrolling.

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Kimiko “Kiki” Voss

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

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Oh, yeah, everything’s fine, was just wondering when you two would regale us with your presence again. XX

Instead of choosing to wait in the living room, I head back to Caden’s side of the house and to his music room to pick up the cello again.

Chicago After Hours

Nicholas “Nic” Wu

Location: Hindu Temple - Cary, IL
Skills:
Fit

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Resisting the urge to ask how ‘my little tomato’ is feeling when Cass blushes, I kiss her head. Then I focus on what she has to say, entranced just by the sound of her voice. Nodding along, I’m happy to hear that we both learned about the repairs. I move to sit by Cass when she finishes talking.

Pulling up my notes on my phone, I go over what I was able to learn. “I heard about the repairs as well. Apparently they usually have the fountain repairs done by Nadin Singh - a craftsman that studied in India before moving to the states, but he wasn’t available this time and they were worried about the fountain going into disarray. So they hired this general contractor, John Scott. Some of the workers here at the temple are concerned that since they hired someone not familiar with the customs of everything that something could have happened during the repairs. I got both Mr Singh and Mr Scott’s phone numbers if we wanted to follow up with them.”

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Kimiko “Kiki” Voss

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

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Over pacing in my room, I head out to Caden’s living room to wait for him and Avery to get home. I even message Caden to see how much longer it’ll be. Hey, when are you getting back? XX I hope it’s just a misunderstanding, but I’m pretty sure Nero is stronger than we know and I want to make sure Caden is aptly warned.

Chicago After Hours

Nicholas “Nic” Wu

Location: Hindu Temple - Cary, IL
Skills:
Fit

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I let out a bark of laughter, not expecting that answer. “You know, I was a little hurt he didn’t come out to greet us during lunch.” I say with a grin, glad that her reaction went this well and I once again had not been cursed by this woman.

I glance down at her phone, seeing photos of the fountain pulled up. I let my hands fall to her shoulders and squeeze them gently, massaging them a little before just resting them there. “Looks like you might have found something though?” I ask.

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Nero

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

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Don’t tempt me I reply before taking the time to go through the phone and find things I can do with it. When Caden stops replying, I decide to download something called TikTok and get sucked into watching clips without end.

Chicago After Hours

Nicholas “Nic” Wu

Location: Hindu Temple - Cary, IL
Skills:
Fit

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The works give me the number and name of both the expert craftsman and the one they had to use as a last resort. The one they had used for repairs this time around wasn’t a specialty craftsman nor did he have the experience from India that Mr Singh has.

I thank both of them for the information before I make my way back to the fountain. I don’t know where Cass is, but logically it makes sense to head to the fountain since it’s what we’re investigating. I grin lopsidedly when I find Cass on a bench near it.

Hoping she won’t attack me, I creep up behind her while she’s focused on her phone and place my hands over her eyes. “Guess who?”

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Nero

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

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I smile and shake my head. Avery sure could pack it away, that’s for sure. We should have a contest to see who could eat the most before the other one gives up. I send. It’s probably the lack of soul, but I’m a bottomless pit when it comes to food and drink. I just don’t particularly see the need to eat if it’s unnecessary.

In my mind, I can just see large banquet tables full of food as Avery and I race to finish. The imagery makes me laugh as I go back into my cocoon. I hear some mews and peek out long enough to let Luci and Mika under the blanket with me. Both are purring and I suspect they might have missed me.

Chicago After Hours

Nicholas “Nic” Wu

Location: Hindu Temple - Cary, IL
Skills:
Fit

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While on my way to ask some more questions, I overhear a couple workers chatting about the recent repairs. “I don’t know what exactly it is, but the fountain hasn’t felt the same since.”

“We haven’t received many worshippers lately either.”

“You guys had repairs recently?” I ask, invading their conversation with a sheepish smile. “Sorry to interrupt, I just heard stories about this temple before I visited today and am curious.”

One of them shakes their head. “It’s no problem! We recently had some repairs done that included the fountain, but we used a new contractor since our usual didn’t have a free schedule to come by this time.”

“Mr. Singh is an expert craftsman that visits a lot of temples like ours specifically to repair the fountains and recently there’s been a lot of places that have asked him for help.”

“Were you able to find another craftsman?” They both shake their heads.

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Nero

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

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I giggle at Caden’s simple response of ‘tease’, choosing to just laugh react it rather than replying. I’ll make sure that the next time I do one, I’m wearing a skirt c;< His last message gives me pause, not because of how the pup was being fed, but the three little words at the end of it.

I peek out from under the blankets so that there’s some light on my face so I can take a selfie. I make a funny face and snap the picture before I send it. I miss you too

Chicago After Hours

Nero

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

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I peek around the room before I fully emerge from my cocoon and tiptoe into the bedroom next to Caden’s. I grin when I see the shopping goods have been placed in here already. Rubbing my hands mischievously, I go to find one of the paper bags holding the items from the intimates store we went to and send a picture of me just holding it to Caden.

There’s your sneak peek ;) I send with the picture before I go back into his room to burrow again. Once I’m enveloped by his scent again, I read his next text.

I hope you passed on my love for the detective - next time you should do a handstand and see how he reacts c:<

Chicago After Hours

Nicholas “Nic” Wu

Location: Hindu Temple - Cary, IL
Skills:
Fit

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I watch her leave with a smile and shake of my head. Because trying to discover why a fountain lost its connection is ‘fun’. It might be lucky that I’m using a fanny pack as a sling bag. I switch it around so that it’s around my hips instead before I go off in the opposite direction of Cass.

It doesn’t take me long to find someone who works at the temple. I give my best impression of an innocent tourist with a ravenous appetite for knowledge, even throwing a little Chinese accent in there to sell it. I ask how the temple compares to some of the temples or shrines back in China and Japan, what kind of customs they do, and more that follow a smooth flow of a conversation. Once I sense this person is tired of me, I go looking for someone else to play pop quiz with.

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Nero

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

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I roll over under the blanket onto my back when Caden texts back. I have a surprise for you when you get home ;) I send, hoping to tease Caden into thinking of something else when really I meant the cats.

How did everything go with the lead you got from the puppies? I peek out from under the blankets to see Luci and Mika still running around exploring Caden’s room. Hopefully he doesn’t mind.

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Kimiko “Kiki” Voss

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

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I wrote down information I currently have on Nero and what some of my guesses are for what they’re hiding. As much as I want to text or call Caden, I force myself to be patient until he’s home. It doesn’t need to be right away, but I definitely want to talk to him about the trust he has in his little imp.

Part of me might be upset that Nero was accepted by Avery while he continues to give me shit, but I banish that thought to the back of my mind. I’m concerned for someone in my life who is important to me, that’s all.

Chicago After Hours

Nicholas “Nic” Wu

Location: Hindu Temple - Cary, IL
Skills:
Fit

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I smile as she leads the two of us back to the temple and explains how we should go about the next steps. “So, be myself but with a splash of airhead. Got it.” I’m curious by nature anyway, so some of the questions might even end up being ones I’m genuinely interested in.

“Are we splitting up to do this or are we that tourist couple?” I ask Cass, holding onto her hand for now. I’ve never felt this close to someone outside my family before - even with Jane. She’s just very observant and picked up on details naturally. It both thrills me and excites me that I’m able to be honest with her and Cass is honest with me. I smile again, silently hoping for the success in our relationship to last.

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Nero

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

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When we pull into the driveway of Caden’s place, I’m itching to leave the car. The tense silence since I refused to go into more details with Kiki had been deafening and I want to just go hide in Caden’s bed, enveloped by his scent, until he comes home. I’m tempted to use telekinesis to try and get the haul from the shopping trip into the house, but I didn’t want to rustle Kiki’s feathers any further. I don’t know if the servants will unpack the vehicle for us, but I’m going to count on it now.

Without so much as a word, I jump out, leaving Luci and Mika in the front seat for a moment so I could grab the tote full of their stuff from the backseat before I pull them back into my arms again. Kiki looks ready to start asking more questions, so I scramble off to Caden’s room to hide before she can. I can hear her frustrated groan as I do so.

Once I’m burrowed under the blanket with the cats, I check my phone and see I missed a message from Caden.

Just got home - are you still safe or are there hands I need to break?

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Kimiko “Kiki” Voss

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

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The little imp gives me no time to try and discover their secrets as they go running off with their cats in tow. I know I need to trust that Caden has his reasons for even letting a demon this close to him, so he would certainly have very good reasons to want to live with them. I still don’t like it though; my intuition told me there’s things buried deep that maybe even Nero doesn’t know that could threaten my oldest and most trusted friend.

I leave it be for now, knowing Caden would certainly not enjoy me invading his bedroom just to interrogate his partner. I quickly change back into my comfortable sweatshirt and leggings, grabbing a notebook from my room and a pencil to go spend some time in Caden’s library.