KazAlkemi

Chicago After Hours -- Paused (indefinitely)

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Caden

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Location: Caden's House – Chicago, IL
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I smile as I continue to brush their hair. ”That’s okay. I don’t mind.” I brush through their knots and tangles, ensuring I don’t pull on their hair too much. Once I’m finished, I put everything away and smile at them. ”Okay, now can I play music for you?”

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Cassi’s Home – Chicago, IL
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I’m crawling into bed when Nic messages me again. Wayland merps and crawls up in between me and my phone. He automatically starts purring, staring at the phone.

Nic, don’t worry about me. I’m fine. There are other things you should be worrying about, I say. I scratch Waylands head and kiss his fluffyness. Wayland says hi. It amazed me still, even though my cats had an intense knowing that Wayland knew when I was talking to Nic.

Chicago After Hours -- Paused (indefinitely)

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Caden

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Location: Caden's House – Chicago, IL
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I grin at them and hop off the counter. I take the comb and put it back. ”Have you never brushed your hair?” My tone is teasing, but I am genuinely curious now.

I poke around the drawers and pull out some detangler and a paddle brush. I spray the detangler along the mid portion of their hair before I start tackling the tangles, working from the bottom up.

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Cassi’s Home – Chicago, IL
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I sigh when I read Nic’s next message. It would be so much easier if he didn’t notice things. I pull the hair tie out of my hair and the decorative hair piece out and toss both things onto the counter.

Ya… Just tired. A lot of emotion for an empathic introvert today. It’s not a complete lie. There was a lot of emotion today, and I am drained from experiencing a lot of different emotions today.

Chicago After Hours -- Paused (indefinitely)

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Caden

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Location: Caden's House – Chicago, IL
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”You could be one of my groupies,” I tease them. I take their left hand and lead them out of the room, into the guest room, then the bathroom. I open up a few of the drawers so they can find what they need. I pop a seat on the counter and watch them.

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Mystic Dreams – Chicago, IL
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I had just finished feeding the cats when my phone buzzed. It’s Nic. I sigh and look at Wayland. Sorry, just got home. I grab my sketchbook from the coffee table, flip open the page, and take a picture to send to Nic.

I looked up some Chinese symbols and have the anti-possession tattoo on one half of the Yin and Yang; the second is unformed, as I don’t know what should go on that side. There are wide lines and swirls like tribal water, but I noticed it was used with koi fish tattoos and liked it. A couple of rune symbols were buried in the work, but I always blended those well, so they went nearly unnoticed.

Chicago After Hours -- Paused (indefinitely)

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Caden

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Location: Caden's House – Chicago, IL
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I pull on loose joggers and a long sleeved shirt. I push the sleeves up and look at Nero when they walk in. I walk over, placing my hands on their arms.

”Come with me to the music room,” I say. I run my hands down their arms and kiss their hands. ”Please?”

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Mystic Dreams ---› Walking – Chicago, IL
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I always liked the park outside my house. It was small but it was full of trees and a little pond. It had every feature I needed to help ground myself. Once I stepped onto the grass, I moved my shoes so I really felt the earth around me. The wind seemed to pick up briefly after, like it was greeting me.

A smile comes to my face and I walk through the park, feeling like a little girl again. I take my time, getting home a little later than planned and to a house full of angry kitties.

Chicago After Hours -- Paused (indefinitely)

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Caden

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Location: Caden's House – Chicago, IL
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I laugh fully, pulling away from Nero because of it. ”Get up, my cuddly imp. We are wasting precious time.” I slide out of bed and stretch. I'm only wearing my briefs as I stripped out of my clothes after putting Nero to bed. I saunter over to the closest to pull out some lounge clothes to wear.

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Mystic Dreams – Chicago, IL
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Sure thing, I text back lamely. I set my phone aside and get to work cleaning the front of my shop. I swap some of the tinctures I have on display in the front window, rotating some of the plants as well, so they aren't growing heavy on one side.

In the end I spend another hour in my shop before I leave. It was pretty quiet with no customers at the point on account of it being later at night.

I lock up and decide to walk home rather than take the bus. It means it'll be another hour before I'm home, but I need to take a walk through the park and ground myself.

Chicago After Hours -- Paused (indefinitely)

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Caden

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Location: Caden's House – Chicago, IL
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I grin and nuzzle them so I’m close to their ear. ”I’ll meet you in the pool,” I whisper.

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Mystic Dreams – Chicago, IL
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I’m in the back for a while, having fallen down a rabbit hole of reorganizing and checking inventory. I wouldn’t call myself an avoider, but I definitely am right now.

I had only known Nic for a couple of days now, yet I had become irrevocably wrapped up with him. He wanted us to train him, to help him protect humans caught in the supernatural crosshairs. I’m supposed to tattoo him and his father. And probably his girlfriend. Why the hell didn’t he say anything to me? Why the hell did he kiss me? Probably in an open relationship. I was in one of those once. It was way too much of a headache. It was fun in the beginning, but it got complicated really quickly — no way I was doing that again.

I’ve aggressively cleaned and reorganized the entire back room while my brain went off on several different lines of tangents. I come back up to the front nearly forty-five minutes later to another text from Nic.

I don’t have my sketchbook on me right now. I’m at work.

Chicago After Hours -- Paused (indefinitely)

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Caden

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Location: Caden's House – Chicago, IL
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I chuckle as they nuzzle back into me. I curl around them, kissing the top of Nero’s head. ”Mmm, I did. I think I’m going to have to start calling you my cuddly little imp. I didn’t think demons were so cuddly,” I tease Nero.

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Mystic Dreams – Chicago, IL
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Ya, that should be easy enough. If you come across something specific, send it to me. I text him. I set my phone down and head into the back to bring up some supplies and check on the plants.

Chicago After Hours -- Paused (indefinitely)

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Caden

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Location: Caden's House – Chicago, IL
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I must have fallen asleep shortly after Nero, because the next thing I know I hear their sleepy voice. I shift my arms around them as I stir. I yawn and stretch my legs, not ready to release Nero from my hold. ”Sleep okay?” I ask them.

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Mystic Dreams – Chicago, IL
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I keep odd hours at my shop. I don’t even have a regular open sign that tells you when the place is open because I never know when I’ll be here or for how long. It makes for an interesting business but it is oddly on brand for a place like Mystic Dreams.

I’m still at the shop when I get another text from Nic. I look at it and sigh right. I have to give him and his father a tattoo. I wonder if I’m going to have to tattoo Nic’s little friend now as well. I set the phone aside to finish grinding some herbs for a client. I make another couple of sales before I pick up my phone to message Nic back.

That’ll depend on size and style of the tattoo. I send.

Chicago After Hours -- Paused (indefinitely)

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Caden

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Location: Caden's House – Chicago, IL
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”Nap first. After, I’ll take you to the music room. I’ll play something for you.” I crawl out of bed, carrying Nero with me into the closet. I find a sweater they can wear and gently undress Nero. I wrap them up in the sweater before taking them back to bed. I lay them down on the dry side of the bed while I strip off my wet clothes. I crawl in quickly beside them, pulling them in tight and rubbing their back until they fall asleep.

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Mystic Dreams – Chicago, IL
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There’s a lull in customers, and I sit at my table in the front. I cross my legs, squishing myself onto the chair and start shuffling my oracle deck of cards. I glance at my phone, staring at the open text message from Nic. It’s been a while since he sent it. There’s really no point in replying. I shut my phone off and tuck it away to concentrate on something more important.

I light candles in the area around me and burn a bit of incense. I inhale the soothing smell and begin my reading on myself. Like usual, there are things I don’t want to hear but need to hear. I sigh. ”I hear you. I just need to look elsewhere.” I continue to shuffle cards until another customer comes in, and I help them with what they need. The mundane task of work helps to clear and settle my mind.

Chicago After Hours -- Paused (indefinitely)

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Caden

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Location: Caden's House – Chicago, IL
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It nearly breaks me to see Nero in so much pain. I wipe the tears away as best I can. I rest their scared hand on my cheek, holding Nero’s face in my hands after. ”What would you like me to do? I can distract you or I can call Cassi to put the block back up, but my darling, I know from experience that once the door opens, it’s more difficult to keep it closed after.”