Day 2

--- Jon ---

“You’re keeping up decently enough.” His mother commented as they continued their before-sunrise-run through the neighborhood. “Then again, running was one of the few things you never let get rusty.”

“Mm, yeah.” He agreed a little passively. “Honestly, keeping track of so many things around Camp had me running left and right helping the other counselors with everything.”

“So, I guess that whole CIT thing kept you busy this summer?” His Ma figured as they slowed for a stoplight to let the early morning traffic pass them by.

“More than I care to admit.” He nodded, scratching between Brutus’s ears as he sat next to them waiting for the light. “Next year will be even worse than this one if I become an actual counselor next year.” (Excluding the corrupted, and whatever crime syndicate decides to off De Sade next.) If he was lucky he wouldn’t have to deal with either of those.

“Hmm, so long as you get back up again, you’ll get the hang of it eventually.” His ma assured him without actually looking at him, as if it was as simple a detail as the weather.

(Which I guess, in a way it kind of is.)

Scene Consequences

-Gained 2XP to Mobility for training with Ma.

--Currently: Lv. 5 (8/12)

---

Stepping out of the shower he made his way back to his room where Pix was just waking up. “Sleep well?”

Pix gave him a so-so gesture as she yawned.

“I’m guessing the whole magic downgrade is hitting you pretty hard then, huh?” It was a phenomenon that had been fairly well recorded since the discovery of magic.

Different locations had different amounts of Anima floating around, typically measurable by the amount of life -whatever it may be- in the local area, as well as a number of factors that had to do with rifts, tears, bleeds and other interdimensional shenanigans that were way above his pay grade.

All of which essentially boiled down to the fact that the ambient magic of a city was significantly lower than that of a forest. Let alone a forest in a territory as mystically charged as Blackwell, where he was fairly sure the local land connected to at least three different nightmare dimensions.

Meaning that Pix -who’s species was natural in tune with both magic and nature- was likely suffering from a level of discomfort similar to someone who’d moved from a warm climate to a much colder one. Not necessarily dangerous, but not very comfortable either.

Pix gave him a tired nod before stretching her arms above her head.

“Regret coming with me?”

The little fairy glared at him before leaping into the air flying into his face so he could see just how unamused she was with his question. Very slowly without breaking eye contact Pix shook her head.

“Sorry, just… it’s not too late if you’d changed your mind about leaving.” He tried to explain, before giving her a soft smile. “Still, thanks for toughing it out.”

Pix rolled her eyes in way of, ‘was there ever really any doubt.’

“I know, I just…” He sighed before shaking his head. “Hey, I know you’re kind of handicapped by the lack of magic, but do you think you’ll be up for working on a couple of projects? I’m sure we could come up with something fun.”

The little fairy’s face scrunched up as she considered it before sticking her hand out in a ‘pay up’ kind of gesture.

“Hmm, how about some blueberry muffins?” He asked, knowing the key to getting the little glutton to do anything was through her stomach.

Pix crossed her arms.

“I’m sure I can scrounge up an apple pie in a day or two.” He threw out.

The little fairy licked her lips before shaking her head and looking away from him.

He couldn’t help but giving a huff of amusement, she was clearly interested even if she was still holding out for more. “Oh, and of course I can’t forget a pint of milk to wash it all down.”

Pix’s eyes shot to him before she began nodding vigorously.

(Yeah, I’ve yet to meet a fairy who dislikes milk.)

Scene Consequences

-Pix now has a Magic Assist each turn.

Assist Tutorial

-Assist AP is when another character helps complete or change a given task, of their specialty. In this case Pix can assist with any Magic task due to her ‘Magic Assistant’ ability.

-To have Pix assist with a task, have ‘–[]-Pix Assist’ as a sub-vote of the given task.

Ways This Can Be Used:

-If Pix assists with Enchanting, then we can use her concepts for said enchantment. Possibly unlocking new General Enchantments depending on what we use said concepts on.

-When performing a magic skill check (such as the Occult check when searching our books) this check will be boosted by a small amount based on Pix’s ‘Magic Assistant’ skill level.

-Grown a little closer to Pix.

---

“Huh, Ma forgot her lunch.” He noted spotting a bag on the kitchen counter when he went to start Pix’s treats. “Guess she’s used to dealing with lunch on her own again.”

The little fairy gave him a curious look.

“Since I’m not around to make her lunch over the summer, she always forgets I make her something to take to work when I get back.” He explained, taking the bag in hand. “I’m going to have to take this to her at the station.”

Pix gave him another look, this one more impatient than the last.

He rolled his eyes before moving to the living room and turning the TV on and setting it to something colorful and kid friendly. “Here’s TV, parents use it to babysit their children when their busy.” (Or mine did anyway.)

The moth-like fairy was instantly mesmerized as she began to gently hover towards the light of the screen. He actually had to physically pull her back when she’d started getting too close. “Uh, if you get too close it’ll start hurting your eyes.”

Pix didn’t respond to him, and he was mildly curious if leaving her like this was a bad decision. He then proceeded to remember what happened the last time he’d left her unsupervised for a prolonged period of time, and the fact that he’d had to skip sleeping to clean up her mess that night. (Still surprised she wasn’t caught with everything she did around camp… Then again I guess Ying and I did catch her…)

“Well, since you’re preoccupied…” He turned away from the hypnotized fairy and to the old dog laying lazily on the couch. “You mind keeping an eye on her, Brutus?”

Brutus wagged his tail as he gave him a happy bark.

“Good boy.” He praised scratching the dog’s head as he made his way out of the house.

The route from his house to the station wasn’t a particularly long one, or at least it wasn’t for someone who was more than used to both walking and running miles at a time for hours on end.

“Hey, if it isn’t the young Whitaker.” A voice stopped him after a mile or so.

Moving in a way that would keep the owner of the voice from seeing if he drew his knife, he turned his attention to a tall dark-haired man with colorful tattoos wrapped around and openly displayed on each of his muscular arms, before relaxing.

“Hey Chris.” He greeted back, recognizing the man walking up to him. “Surprised to see you out on the streets.”

“Yeah, just making my way to the crossing it’s about time to open up shop.” Chris explained. “So, I’m guessing you’re back from wherever you disappeared to for the summer.”

“Uh, yeah. I’m back from camp.” He nodded, not really knowing what else to say.

Christian Durand was the owner of Saint’s Crossing, a local bar that his mother and a few of her cop friends liked to hang out at to celebrate a successful case. The only reason Jon knew him as well as he did was because he went to school with the man’s younger brother, something both Chris and his Ma had tried to use to get the two boy’s to branch out with minimal success.

“Your mom mentioned something about that.” Chris nodded back. “Though I figured you were a bit old for summer camp…”

He ignored the twinge of irritation he felt at that. “I was a CIT.” (Though I still would’ve gone if I wasn’t.) And with everything he accomplished over the summer that was probably a good thing.

“Oh, so you were the one watching the rug rats run around then.” Christ noted with a snap of his fingers.

“Yeah, something like that…” He accepted not wanting this to drag out. “Um, not that isn’t nice to talk, but uh, I was kind of on my way to do something.”

“Right, and I need to get to the bar.” Chris agreed before resuming on his own way with a last call of. “And let your mom know I said hi.”

“Sure.” He waved more due to a country politeness than anything else as he shook his head and continued toward the station.

After another ten minutes of walking a siren blared from behind him causing him to jump and spin knife half drawn to (ram into the skull of whatever creep had managed to-)

He shook his head clear of that memory as he realized he wasn’t dealing with something that had slipped through the other side but rather a cop car with two officers he actually knew.

“Woo, you should’ve seen how high you jumped Whitaker.” A female cop with tanned skin laughed.

“I’m sure.” He laughed back, not wanting to think about what would’ve happened if the officer was actually in stabbing distance when he’d jumped. “So, uh, what’s up officer Garcia?”

“Come on, I told you to just call me by my name.” The officer he knew through his ma reminded him with a pout.

“Sure, thing Garcia.” He nodded happily.

Garcia glared at him before sighing. “You’re definitely your mother’s son.”

“It’s the eyes.” He admitted tapping next to his.

Garcia rolled hers before shaking her head. “So, what are you up to?”

“Oh, uh, ma forgot her lunch, so I’m taking it down to the station for her.” He explained showing her the thermal lunch bag in his hand.

“Aww, I wish my boys grow up to be as half as sweet as you!” Garcia cooed before throwing a thumb towards the passenger seat. “You want a lift? My patrol is just about over so I’m already heading that way.”

“Uh, sure.” He accepted, seeing no reason not to save himself another half hour of walking. Especially since he still had to make that same walk back afterwards.

“So, where you been all summer?” Garcia asked as she got the car moving once more.

“Uh, summer camp.” He answered, knowing he was going to have to go through this same song and dance with almost everyone who knew him.

“Oh, it nice place?”

(All of the campers gathered around a camp fire he’d set up, telling stories as they ate the food he helped Miss Edna put out, the other counselors putting on a big show as the monster) (screamed it’s claws digging through the earth, as blackened blood dripped from its hungry maw.)

He shook his head.

“Nice enough.” He told her, knowing it was only really him and Ying the last summer had kicked in the teeth. “How about you, anything interesting happen this summer?”

“Hmm, not much.” Garcia sighed before brightening up. “Oh, though we’ve got a new Mask in the neighborhood, an M.A.D. too.”

“Huh.” He hadn’t heard about that yet. “What’s their name?”

“She doesn’t have one yet.” Garcia shrugged. “From what I’ve figured out she’s only really been involved in two incidents so far. She seems like a nice kid though.”

“Kid?” He asked, as a protective instinct he’d developed after a year of protecting children from the corrupted of Blackwell flared at the word, and the danger inherently related to Masks.

“Yeah, she’s a kid about your age.” Garcia nodded, unknowingly easing his tension as he realized she wasn’t talking about a kid ‘kid’. “Probably too young to be doing that kind of thing, but I couldn’t really talk her out of it either. Real shame.”

“That sucks.” He agreed, knowing that if he’d had a choice and known about what he was getting himself into he never would’ve gone to camp that summer. (Even if it meant abandoning everyone to their fates?)

“Glad to see you’re smart enough to stay away from all of that mess.” Garcia admitted. “Most kids your age would think they have to throw themselves into danger the moment they get powers.”

“Yeah, no. That kind of life isn’t for me if I can help it.” He may’ve been dragged into that mess before he’d learned any magic and knew he didn’t want to be involved in any more mask nonsense if he could help it. Especially since the kind of magic he had learned didn’t really lend itself to throwing around fireballs, so much as it upgraded his gear a budget level.

“Good, I’m sure your mamá will sleep much easier knowing that.” Garcia nodded as she pulled up in front of the police station.

“Alright, here we are. You can go on ahead.” Garcia told him gesturing to the entrance. “They’ve got this whole thing about bringing people in through the side entrance and I still need to part the car in the lot.”

“Alright.” He nodded climbing out of the car. “Thanks for the lift.”

“No problem Jon, I’ll see you inside in a few minutes.” Garcia promised.

Scene Consequences

-Jon can now visit the Saint’s Crossing should the need arise.

-If Jon talks to Garcia she’ll inform Jon of any local dangers, with the intent of Jon avoiding them.

---

Walking into the police station, he couldn’t help but notice the bit of hustle and bustle as the numerous police officers moved around.

(Definitely more active than back in the country…) He still wasn’t entirely sure why his ma had transferred to a city station in the year before, but he’d learned this station was significantly more active than the one in his hometown. (Which explains why ma isn’t around as much.)

He shook his head at that bitter thought. (I’m old enough to watch myself now. And if she’s helping people than it doesn’t matter if I see her less.)

“Can I help you?” The officer manning the front desk asked.

“Oh, uh, I’m looking for my ma, err, I mean… Detective Whitaker?” He tried, stumbling over his words as he did so.

The officer gave him a flat look. “Do you have an ID?”

He blinked. “Uh, no…”

“Well, I’m sorry but unless you’re here to report I crime I can’t let you through.” The officer told him a droll tone, that said this was more to get rid of him than actual policy. Something he was fairly familiar with after a decade of his ma being a cop.

He felt his eye twitch, and briefly contemplated sneaking in through one of the numerous ways he’d picked up over the summer. “That won’t be a problem I’m here with Officer Garcia.”

“Yes, well-”

“Jon what’s the hold-up?” Said Garcia interrupted, walking up from the other side of the station. “I thought you had that thing for your mom?”

“I do, but…” He trailed off with a gesture towards the other officer.

“Oh, yeah. This is Jon, he’s Minerva’s kid.” Garcia explained seeing the problem. “He’s cool to come through whenever.”

“Right.” The officer nodded tersely. “Then sign-in and you can go ahead.”

“Mm-hmm.” He nodded wordlessly, doing just that.

“Just ignore him, he’s always been something of a hard ass.” Garcia told him once the were in the station proper. “It’s just bad luck he was on duty instead of anyone else.”

“Maybe…” (Still might just jump the parking lot fence and take the side entrance.) He was pretty sure that was only against the rules rather than outright illegal. “Either way, you know where ma’s desk is?”

“Oh, it’s right over there.” Garcia pointed through to a nearby desk covered in paperwork and next to a bin overflowing with coffee cups.

“Yeah…” He grimaced. “That looks like ma’s alright…”

Sighing he couldn’t help but shake his head, and wonder how a neat freak could be so messy in her own workspace. He pointedly did not think about the way his own workstations got mid-project.

“Any idea where she actually is?” He asked looking around and not seeing her anywhere, as he searched for the nearest coffee machine.

“Uh, no.” Garcia admitted as she looked around the station herself. “Since she’s a detective, we don’t really work the same cases.”

“Eh, it doesn’t matter.” He decided with a shrug. “I’ll just drop it off on her desk and head out if she’s not here in the next five, ten minutes.”

“Alright, well I’ve still got to fill out some paperwork about my patrol, so I’ll be seeing you around Jon.” Garcia told him as she started leaving. “And keep yourself out of any trouble.”

“I will.” He promised before making his way over to his mother’s desk. “Now let’s see where a pen is…”

He was about to start going through the desk drawers when a page that had slipped out of a folder caught his attention due to the picture of a ‘missing child’ poster.

(Well, what’s this about?)

He glanced around a bit to make sure no one was looking, before flipping the folder open and quickly skimming through the file of about a string of child disappearances over the last few weeks for some unknown reason.

“Jon?”

He turned around to find his ma standing behind him with a curious look on her passively serious face.

“Hey, ma. You forgot your lunch.” He explained holding the bag up, before glancing back at his ma’s desk. “Also, your desk is a mess. I can’t find a pen anywhere, and I’m honestly surprised this isn’t violating some policy about keeping your space clean.” He added as he stacked her files into something resembling order in the hopes of hiding the fact that he was looking through her cases. Something he knew was very much not allowed.

“You didn’t have to worry about any of that.” His mother told him as she took her files and slid them to the other side of the desk. “And you didn’t have to walk all the way here just to give me my lunch.”

He gave her a look. “Ma, you’ve been living on beer, coffee, and take out for the last two months. If I don’t switch you to real food quick, you’re going to drop on me regardless of how much exercise you get in.”

His ma rolled her eyes as she gave him a snort of amusement. “I appreciate the sentiment kid, but still given how much running we did this morning you really didn’t need to add another, what four, five miles today.”

“Don’t worry about it. I ran into officer Garcia and got her to give me a lift since her morning patrol was ending anyway.” He assured her. “And besides a few extra miles is nothing if it means I can keep you around for a few more years.”

His mother gave him a look, before gaining a smirk that filled him with dread. “You know what thanks kid. And while I’ve got you here there’s something you can help me out with.”

“And what’s that?” He asked since the woman before him raised no fool.

“Oh, nothing much.” His ma promised, wrapping an arm around his shoulder as she dragged him off. “I’m just going to show off how more caring and active my son is to all the other mother cops.”

“Oh… joy…”

Scene Consequences

-Some police will recognize Jon as Detective Whitaker’s son.

-Grown a little closer to ma.