KazAlkemi

Chicago After Hours -- Paused (indefinitely)

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Avery Zain

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Location: Garden of The Gods – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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”Yes,” I say with a grin and flick a pebble back at her. I like this. I like the back-and-forth banter with no real meaning or end goal in mind. I like just talking with no real focus or intention. It’s a nice change of pace from always having to answer questions or give something of myself to someone else.

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Mr Scott’s Home – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I go to step down the stairs, but Nic sneaks in front of me to go first. I blush, unable to help myself after he does that. Only the best for my little tomato. I hear his words from earlier play over in my head, and I can’t help but think Nic would hand me the world on a gold platter if I asked him to.

”Oh, um, ya, sure,” I say and give my head a shake, so I can focus. I put one hand on Nic’s shoulder, the other in loose at my side in case we come across anything unsavoury.

Like Mr Scott’s office, this place makes me uneasy. The only different is Mr Scott’s office was cold, whereas his home is full of pain.

We reach the bottom step, and I find a light to turn on. There are tools all over the place, along with blueprints and maps, a computer, and, in the corner, a safe.

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Caden

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

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I smile, shutting my eyes after they kiss my nose. I continued to rub my thumb along Nero’s leg, concentrating on the sensation. Nero placed their head back on my chest, and I hummed happily. However, it’s short-lived.

My eyes snap open and I’m certain my heart stopped beating before it started to pound. The dragon stirs inside me, coming awake at the sound of Nero wanting to claim me.

”What?” I stutter. ”I mean, are you sure? It’s only been a day… You don’t have to make this decision right away.”

Chicago After Hours -- Paused (indefinitely)

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Avery Zain

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Location: Garden of The Gods – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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”Mmm, usually, but this is the twenty-first century. Women can want things now, too,” I counter.

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Mr Scott’s Home – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I go in the opposite direction, looking for locked doors or something. I eventually find a door, but I think it leads to the basement. ”Nic, over here,” I call. I scrounge through my bag until I find my lock pick set. I kneeled down, placed the instruments into the lock, and finessed the tools until the door unlocked.

I stood back up, putting my tools away before I opened the door.

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Caden

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

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I grinned when Nero effortlessly hopped into my lap. I rest one of my hands on Nero’s legs, rubbing my thumb along their smooth skin. ”I’m happy I make you so curious.”

I was genuinely glad I could. It validated the feelings Nero brought out within me. I knew we didn’t make sense as a pair. A demon and a part shapeshifter, part dragon, and my friends were concerned, but I knew how Nero made me feel and how I made them feel. I couldn’t explain that to them, but I didn’t need to. All I needed was to know Nero loved me as I loved them.

Chicago After Hours -- Paused (indefinitely)

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Avery Zain

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Location: Garden of The Gods – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I laugh, thinking about the straws, but I shake my head. ”No, never even looked. I figured if you don’t want to see me wet, you’ll return them to the pool,” I teased her in return. I couldn’t wait until she discovered the straws were missing.

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Mr Scott’s Home – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I snorted, placed the container back into my bag, and scanned the room we were in. [color=#DB7093]”Well, if I didn’t keep it on my person, I’d want to keep it as close as possible but in a place where no one else would see it or be able to go. So, in a locked room in a safe would be my best guess.

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Caden

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

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I smiled, brushed some of the old cobwebs away and lifted up the bench to pull out some cushions. I examined them, impressed they still looked decent. ”I suppose you are right.”

I set the cushions out and sit down. I watched Nero prance around, looking at the different plants and flowers. I smiled as I watched them, amused and enchanted by the way they were fascinated by the simplest things.

”For someone who has seen so much and been around so much death, how is it possible that you still look at the world with such wonder?” I find myself asking them.

Chicago After Hours -- Paused (indefinitely)

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Avery Zain

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Location: Garden of The Gods – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I smirk as she starts to compliment me. Some of the things she says I expect, some of the other things she says I don’t. All in all, it serves to render me speechless.

”Wow. I should have recorded that. No one is going to believe you complimented me,” I declare. I rub the back of my neck and turn my head away from Kimiko, feeling oddly uplifted by all her compliments.

It wasn’t that I didn’t know I was desired by people or oggled. It just sounded different coming from Kimiko. They were forward compliments, but I could also see nothing happening between us. Like Cassiopeia and I. Despite my initial crush on her. Unfortunately, she never reciprocated the feelings. We now had a rather strong brother/sister relationship that I treasured.

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Mr Scott’s Home – Chicago, IL
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”Oh, thank you so much!” Nic and I step in. I look at Nic and nod before I pop the container open and blow a little of the powder into Mrs Scott’s face. Her eyes roll back, and she instantly passes out, falling backwards. I close the front door quickly, hoping Nic’s reflexes are quick.

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Caden

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

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I chuckled when Nero looked back at me, probably for the tenth time. ”I rarely make it out here anymore. It’s nearly overgrown,” I noted.

I walked across the bridge, removing some dried-out vines and tossed them into the water before I started cleaning up the gazebo.

X-Men: Cosmic Crusades 👽

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Antoinette McCarthy

Location: Outside – X-Mansion
Skills: Running

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Antoinette laughed when Guin suggested they needed to start charging. It wasn’t a terrible idea, but of course, it would defeat the entire purpose of the X-Men. ”Just imagine if we had one of those hot shot services. We could have a van with our faces painted on the side of it,” she joked.

Truthfully, it would be nice if the Asgardians were just stopping by for a visit. After all, they had been on several missions together and had all grown close in their own way.

Antoinette started to feel her legs burn as they ran. She had already been running before Guin and Pietro joined her, but she didn’t mind the longer run. It felt good to stretch her legs and be outside for longer.

Chicago After Hours -- Paused (indefinitely)

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Avery Zain

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Location: Garden of The Gods – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I rock my feet from side to side again, smiling as I watch them and process Kimiko’s statements. ”I guess I don’t understand why you find me so interesting. Surely, you’ve met more exciting people in your travels.”

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Driving —> Mr Scott’s Home – Chicago, IL
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Keeping up the act for now, I hang off of Nic’s arm, the powder in a container in my hand. It takes a while, but the door eventually opens, and I smile wildly at the woman on the other side. She smiles shakily, looking like a wounded bird. Maybe we should set up a meeting with Mr Scott, so I can teach him a few things about women and how they should actually be treated.

”Hi there! Our vehicle just broke down, and we were wondering if we could borrow a phone to call for a tow. We’re from out of town and, of course, didn’t spring for the international cell phone plan,” I said, laughing.

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Caden

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

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”I can’t wait to show you all of them,” I said, beaming from the joy that they want to see all my places and travel with me. ”Ah, not through the whole property, but the majority of it. I had the creek extended for the wolves and for other animals, so they had something to hunt safely,” I explained to Nero.

I push back a few low-hanging branches and encourage Nero to walk ahead of me. On the other side laid a secret garden of sorts. I bridge went over the creek, leading to a gazebo that was surrounded by flowers and trees. Seating lined the inside perimeter of the gazebo with a small fire table in the centre and string lights through the roof of the gazebo.

Chicago After Hours -- Paused (indefinitely)

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Avery Zain

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Location: Garden of The Gods – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I nod in agreement. Hearing that she went through another similar experience that I had, it definitely seems like she wouldn’t be one to perpetuate the cycle. I lean back on my hands and look up at the sky.

”It’s just that you ask a lot of questions,” I inform her.

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Driving – Chicago, IL
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I glance at the house when we stop in front of it. ”Ya, by you ringing the doorbell,” I say. I look at Nic and grin before I open the door and hop out of the car. ”If she opens the door, I have a powder I can blow in her face that’ll put her to sleep. You just have to catch her so she doesn’t hurt her head,” I tell him.

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Caden

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

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”I do with the one in Scotland and one other. My other properties are not as extensive,” I told Nero as we walked along the path into the woods. I lean Nero into the trees and along the tree line. In the distance the sound of water can be heard as we near the little creek that runs through my property.

Chicago After Hours -- Paused (indefinitely)

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Avery Zain

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Location: Garden of The Gods – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I laugh and nod my head from side to side. I definitely deserved that comment. ”So I don’t need to train you anymore?”

I listen to her story about her experience with people only wanting to get close to her father. We really were similar. ”Ya. It’s been like that for me with the Marrok and then with Caden.”

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Driving – Chicago, IL
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I smile and squeeze Nic’s hand in return. ”Thank goodness for people like you, Jane, and Kat then.”

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Caden

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

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I grin and take Nero’s hand. ”Let’s go,” I said. I lead them down the hallway to the upstairs patio and outside. ”When I first bought this place, I wanted to get horses. The property is big enough for it, but when Bran asked me to keep an eye on the Chicago werewolf pack, I couldn’t. However, that did allow me to plant a bigger garden for the kitchen and do some other things,” I said, leading them across the backyard.

Chicago After Hours -- Paused (indefinitely)

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Avery Zain

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Location: Garden of The Gods – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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”Flirting is just my default,” I tell her truthfully. I rock my feet from side to side, hitting the toes of my shoes together. ”I’ll probably end up screaming into the void with or without your help. I’ve been a shitty person to you, and you don’t deserve it. I just have a problem with being asked a lot of questions. People always end up wanting something from me when they find out who I am or who I know. I find when I’m being asked a lot of questions, it’s not me they actually want to know. It’s what I can give or do for them that they want.”

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Driving – Chicago, IL
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”Vigilantly work,” I note and nod my head. ”That’s good. Sometimes, I feel like the treaty has failed the supernatural community, but I also know what it’s like outside of Chicago.”

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Caden

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

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I smile, watching them run off. I rub the back of my head and glance around my room before I head for the door to wait for Nero. Suddenly I feel nervous about showing Nero more of my place, and I’m not entirely sure why.

Chicago After Hours -- Paused (indefinitely)

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Avery Zain

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Location: Garden of The Gods – Chicago, IL
Skills:

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I laugh at the simple way Kimiko asks me that question. ”No, but I have a feeling this is going to keep you up at night unless I tell you. Well, maybe I won’t just so you stay up at night thinking about me,” I teased and found a place to sit on the ground as well. Leather really doesn’t move easily, so I am certain it is quite the show as I try to kneel, and they stretch out.

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Cassiopeia Claire Alistair

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Location: Driving – Chicago, IL
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”Please tell me you were corrupted before I met you,” I say, intertwining our fingers like before.

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Caden

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

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”A walk might be nice. You haven’t seen the full grounds yet,” I declared.