Cass flipped through the pages of the ratty tome laid out on the desk. His apartment was on the 7th floor, so it gave him a great view of the dilapidated urban sprawl. Not today…outside the buildings looked like they had been buried in snow up to their 4th floors. The warning sirens had ended, leaving a serene sight to anyone unfamiliar with the dangers that lurked outside. The slums were often neglected…The rare exceptions were on days like these; if a beast spawned anywhere in the city it could lead to disaster. Blessed suited for long range combat along with Blessed gifted in detecting beasts hidden within the impenetrable Fog would team up to end any threat that appeared. Occasionally, Cass would see them leaping along the building tops, though he hadn't today. Fog could seep through doors and windows but it was generally slow enough that the exhaust fans could pump the majority out. Enough time for the maintenance teams to get the machines on again before it became a problem.
Damn, I bought all their groceries and forgot mine! I could just jump across and raid Tindra's fridge…
Cass laughed. He picked up the small stone cube and inspected it for the dozenth time. It easily fit in the palm of his hand. The surfaces looked like precision machining had been done on them.
Zero use! But hot damn! What a cube!
He set the cube on his window sill and headed for the roof. Landing on the roof of the Dogface Doxy, he made his way inside. Tindra's apartment was never as messy as Cass imagined it should be. He braced himself and listened.
Surely there are no clients today…Linas wouldn't come out in this anyway…right?
All he heard was the tv running.
"Hey! You here?"
Cass looked around the living room. An empty takeaway box with the remnants of grease and noodles and a dozen or so empty bottles on the table. The red carpet and green walls always made Cass's eyes hurt. He was surprised there were no holes in them. It'd been over 2 weeks since he patched up the last one she made. He scoured the fridge and freezer.
…Booze and frozen waffles…Well, it's more than I have. She even has some syrup.
A door creaked open behind him.
"Rrrready ta die…You Basht—CASHHHH!?"
"What!? Good grief! Put on some pants, woman!"
Before he could react, a terrifying red flash wearing nothing but a loose, pink tank top and underwear was upon him. In an instant she was crashing onto the couch with Cass tucked securely in her right arm; her maniacal giggling filling air. The apartment rattled as they came to a rest. Cass flopping on top, head tucked into her shoulder.
"Are you trying to kill me!? I'm not a burglar, you know!?"
Well…I did plan on absconding with the last of her waffles.
Her skin had a soft pink tone and her hair was damp.
She must've been in the shower.
Her giggling abruptly stopped; her face was blank. Her eyes cut over to Cass. Slowly they narrowed and a large smile crept onto her face.
"Were you trynna—*hic*...Peep on me!?"
She burst into laughter and slapped Cass's back forcing an odd noise to escape his lips.
"Are you nuts! How much did you drink!?"
"Don't worry! I won't tell!"
She lifted him up and swayed him back and forth, continuing her laughing fit.
Could I even survive this without my partial blessing?
Once she was satisfied, she pulled Cass into a tight embrace. He could hear her heart beating in the silence and felt her face press against the top of his head.
I guess she wasn't THAT rough.
"Yer a good kid, Cassh."
"You must be wasted if you're saying that."
His face was getting warm. It matched his whole body.
Her metabolism must be through the roof. Makes sense for a Blessed.
All the constant studying and running around of the past few days finally caught up with Cass. Her body was solid, yet strangely soft and comfortable. He listened to her breathing as he drifted to sleep. By the time he woke up it was dark out. Tindra was still fast asleep beneath him. She was surprisingly peaceful.
Huh, I expected her to sound like a chainsaw in her sleep.
He slowly got up, being careful no to wake her. He grabbed the frozen waffles out of the fridge and tossed them into the oven. On a pan, of course. He knew that much. While getting the plates out of the cupboards, a jolt of adrenaline shot through him, causing him to spin around. Two green eyes sparkled in the gloom; they were staring at him. They softened.
"Cass? What're you doing here?"
He relaxed.
"Raiding your fridge. Are you hungry?"
Cass and Tindra finished off the box of waffles and went downstairs. There was no mention of their nap together, so Cass thought it best not to bring it up. Daniella was already setting everything out for the night.
"Oh, I was just about to get you, madam."
"Don't be silly, girl. Have I ever been late?"
"Yes."
"That was sarcasm, baby. And call me Tindra!"
Daniella raised an eyebrow at Cass.
"Cass? What're you doing here?"
"He forgot to buy food again."
Tindra chuckled.
"Probably likes watchin' women sleep too!"
"Yeah yeah. If you spot any let me know. Has the Fog cleared?"
Daniella opened a curtain.
"It cleared up hours ago. They got the machines running before dark."
"Be lotsa pent up fellas! Hope you girls are ready!"
Daniella stared at her blankly.
"Obviously. It's our job."
"Girl…Bless your heart. No wonder you have so much free time during the night. We gotta get you a sense of humor one of these days."
Tindra was right, the bar was hopping. Cass scanned the lively party, as vigilant as ever. Workers from the docks were the main customers. Guys ranging from all ages and the occasional lady as well. For some it was purely transactional. Others would throw out horrible pickup lines and spin tales of their wild adventures in an attempt to woo the ladies…seemingly forgetting they were paying for it.
At least they seem to behave themselves now.
Once word spread that the Dogface Doxy had a competent bouncer, it was much more peaceful. The only thing Cass had to deal with these days were one or two sneaks who'd try to leave without paying their bar tab. That didn't mean suspicious characters didn't appear every now and then. Cass just learned to identify them and intervene before things escalated. In fact, he was watching one right now. A tall, thin man with a sallow complexion had entered and sat in the corner. He had long, baggy clothes and a large brown overcoat with a matching brimmed hat. Cass had made it a point to get a look at his face; he didn't recognize him. Daniella was his pick. They were currently sitting in silence and his drink was untouched. The girls were taught to keep conversation going and to keep the men drunk and happy. Daniella had never been the best at either…or even competent at them. Which is why she was relegated to cleaning and waitressing most of the time. But this guy didn't seem to mind.
Might as well check in to be safe.
Cass got up and walked to the silent corner. Daniella looked at him with wide eyes. Her posture was rigid, even for her.
"Tindra wants you in the back for a sec."
She shot up and ran off. She wasn't great at socializing, but the fact that she didn't excuse herself to the customer put Cass on alert.
"Hey, you alright? You seem a little out of sorts."
The man remained like a statue, silent and unmoving. Now that Cass was closer he noticed another odd thing: The man had stitching running down the exposed part of his chest.
Did he have surgery or something? Is that why he's so sickly looking?
He was even more gaunt than Cass had realized.
"Hey? You awake? You alive?"
He tapped the man's hand, resting on the table. It was ice cold.
Shit! Did he really die here!?
Cass went to lay the man down on the booth. As he did, the man shot up to his feet. All Cass saw were yellowed teeth, arranged with a vague semblance of order in his crazed grin, and two wild, yellowed eyes gazing into his. He ripped his clothes off with surprising ease. Cass was horrified. Long stretches of intricate runes lined every part of the man's ghastly body; some so small that Cass could barely make them out, even with his enhanced vision. They danced and slid with a frenetic speed. Before Cass could even make out the sorcery, he was jettisoning the man out the window.
Better safe than sorry!
Not even a second after the window shattered an explosion propelled a column of fire through the busted frame and crumbled the wall. The Dogface Doxy was ablaze.