23 Suns

--- Jon ---

Getting out of bed after everything, he rolled his shoulders, before audibly cracking his neck.

(Last night was a long night, but we did good work.) He told himself with a satisfied grin, before letting his attention drift towards Pix who had passed out on his pillow the night before. (Speaking of I should do something to thank her… and Wolf too.)

Nodding to himself he stood up and made his way towards the kitchen, while taking what little magic his amulet had managed to regather and pushing it into the contractor’s mark on his back.

After a moment the familiar cool warmth spread out of his back and down his arm as summoned Wolf next to him, earning a curious look from Brutus as the old dog sat up from his bed next to the couch.

“It’s fine Brutus, it’s just Wolf, you remember her from a couple weeks ago right?” He asked as he pet the greying german shepherd, earning a few licks to his hands before Brutus settled back down.

“Sorry about that.” He apologized as Wolf watched him curiously. “The old dog tends to get a bit protective around others.”

Wolf gave him a nod of understanding as she followed him into the kitchen.

“So anyway, I just wanted to ask you how you were doing after everything last night?” He explained, washing his hands so he could cook breakfast for all of them. “Since you were working distraction, and I was just about out of magic after healing Ms. Valentine, I didn’t get a chance to make sure you were alright after leaving the warehouse.”

Wolf seemed to puff up a bit and gave several canine sounds that he interpreted as her being alright and rather proud of herself as well for her efforts the evening prior.

“Yeah, I don’t think I would’ve gotten out of there in one piece without you.” He admitted, putting a pan on the stove top before pulling out the eggs and some fruit. (I mean Pix could’ve pieced me back together afterwards, but I’d still have probably been in more than a few by then.) “So thanks for all of your help with this whole mess.”

Wolf wagged her tail a bit before bumping her head against his leg in a ‘happy to help’ kind of way.

“Still…” He smiled before shaking his head. “You have breakfast yet, wherever I’m summoning you from?”

His canine companion seemed to think about it for a moment before shaking her head.

“Well, I’m making some eggs and some other stuff for Pix, you want any?”

---

“Alright, you little glutton it’s time to get up.” He told Pix, giving her a couple of pokes in the side at which point the little fairy simply rolled over and tugged her baby blanket over her head.

Rolling his eyes he gave the lazy fairy another poke. “No, Pix, sleeping time is over.”

Getting annoyed with him, the little fairy stuck a hand out from under her blanket before blindly zapping in the general direction of his voice.

“Ah, fine if you want to sleep then I’ll let you sleep.” He promised the little fairy, before smirking. “Though I guess that just means more breakfast for me and Wolf.”

Pix uncovered her head and openly glared at him.

“What you’re the one who was saying she didn’t want any of the four different kinds of muffin, fruits, or snack cakes I’ve got.” He reminded the little fairy. “Oh and let’s not forget those three different flavors of milk all ready for someone to drink this morning.”

Pix threw her blanket off before flying out of the room as fast as she could, pausing only to give him another low power zap merely causing him to laugh rather than causing any pain.

Shaking his head he followed Pix into the kitchen where Wolf was waiting on the two of them, before starting to make plates for his two magical companions as well as his family’s canine companion.

Setting the plates down in front of everyone at the various places they’d ended up sitting down or laying as they waited he couldn’t help but pause as he gave Pix and Wolf their plates.

“I know I’ve already said it to both of you at this point, but I just, I just want to thank the two of you one last time for all of the help you’ve given me with this whole thing with the Valentines. I couldn’t have done this without you, so… Thank you.”

Scene Consequences

-Grown a bit closer to Pix and Wolf.

---

Walking through the hospital he found that while the ‘hidden’ path was more scenic in a way, the path that visitors were expected to take was significantly faster and easier to move through than the one he’d taken the night prior.

Of course this lasted until he was actually on Ms. Valentine’s floor, where a pair of police officers decided to ask him why he was there and if he’d seen anything suspicious.

(I probably should’ve expected that the police would be interested in the fact that Kenneth showed up here in the middle of the night.) He admitted to himself at the very least.

“Jon.” His ma greeted, before turning to one of the officers blocking him. “Let him through he’s my son, and a friend of the Valentines.”

“Y-yes ma’am.” The officer nodded, shaking ever so slightly as his partner practically threw himself out of Jon’s way.

(I guess those muffins really didn’t do much to help my ma’s reputation.) He couldn’t help but note before giving that thought a dry laugh. (Though she probably prefers it that way all things considered.)

“So visiting Sarah?” His ma asked on the short distance to Ms. Valentine’s room.

“Yeah, figured she’d appreciate seeing a familiar face.” (And I wanted to make sure Kenneth was doing okay after everything.) “Why are the police here though? Is there news about Kenneth?”

“You could say that.” His ma nodded with a huff of amusement, without telling him Kenneth was here.

(Probably wants it to be a surprise.) He figured, glad that he’d gotten the reminder to act surprised when he saw Kenneth rather than just being glad to see him. He doubted Ms. Valentine would’ve caught it, (but there’s no doubt my ma would’ve.)

With that thought in mind he gave a slight gasp when he saw Kenneth in Ms. Valentine’s arms.

“Jon!” The toddler cried at him, and for a moment he was scared Pix’s spell hadn’t taken hold, at least until he said. “I’m back from daddy’s!”

Fighting down a face at that -something Ms. Valentine couldn’t- he instead focused on the fact that Pix seemed to have managed to pull off blurring Kenneth’s memory a bit. (Maybe she’s got more talent for mind magics than we thought…)

“It’s good to see that you’re back.” He told the toddler with an honest smile, before glancing at his ma as he said. “I don’t suppose your daddy was with you when you came back?”

“No.” Instead of his ma answering it was Kenneth who answered. “The nice man brought me back.”

“The nice man?” He repeated, feeling like he may’ve jinxed himself.

“Apparently a Mask with a grudge against the Dealers found him and brought him in.” His ma explained.

“A mask?” He asked with a frown, before continuing a bit more quietly. “Do you know which one?”

“No, Kenneth just remembers a man in a brown jacket with a black mask and a green scarf.” His ma told him. “Given how much evidence has been piling in the last few days we’re guessing this is the same one that has been giving the station information on Dealer locations. Such as the one we got last night.”

“You got another one?” He glanced at Ms. Valentine. “Should you be saying that here?”

He knew his ma had a tendency to bend the rules for him, as well as the fact that she had a little more wiggle room than most due to keeping the rest of the force in line, but he was pretty sure she could still get in trouble for telling someone else. (Especially with two other cops not even ten feet away.)

“Due to the likelihood of Ramirez having been there, it’s more like I’m updating Sarah on the status of her case.” His ma assured him, though she still spoke in a whisper. “After all she deserves to know that her assailant might be in the wind and looking for Kenneth again.”

“Right.” He nodded, agreeing whole heartedly. (Really should’ve done something about that when I had the chance.)

He couldn’t help but frown at that dark thought, not liking the fact that part of him could sound so bloodthirsty. (I let him go. I didn’t do anything permanent. Ma and the police will catch him eventually, I just have to give them a bit of time to find him.) (And if they don’t I’m sure I can.)

Shaking his head, he pushed those thoughts away and focused on the reunited Valentines, instead focusing on the fact that he helped reunite them.

(Yeah, so what if I slipped a bit… I saved Kenneth and that’s all that matters.)

Scene Consequences

-Grown a bit closer to the Valentines.

---

He couldn’t help but sigh as he saw the familiar table in front of him and wondered how hard he’d have to bash his skull against it to knock himself out in this world.

(“Significantly harder than you can manage with your leverage.”) The man in the mask admitted, sipping at the over-caffeinated abomination he was so fond of.

(“You’re going to hurt its feelings talking like that.”) The man in the mask pouted, holding its cup to its chest. (“Don’t worry daddy still loves you.”) The man in the mask proceeded to prove this by drinking every last drop of the dark concoction.

“What do you want now?” He sighed, taking his usual cup and inspecting which of the entities numerous drinks filled this one.

(“Death March variant twenty-three, with a pinch of lemon.”) The man in the mask answered his unasked question rather than the one he’d actually asked. (“Technically you did ask, just not verbally.”)

“You know it’s considered rude to read someone’s mind without permission.” He pointed out checking a different cup, before frowning. “Are all of these Death March variants?”

(“Yes, to both of those.”) The man in the mask nodded. (“Though if you don’t want me to overhear think quieter thoughts, I know you can if you try hard enough.”)

Pinching the bridge of his nose at the migraine that was most definitely from the entity in front of him, though whether due to actual brain damage or not he couldn’t tell, he asked. “My original question, what do you want?”

(“To see how you’re feeling after the first job since your vacation ended.”) The man in the mask answered.

“My ‘vacation’ isn’t over.” He frowned.

(“Don’t lie to yourself Jon.”) The man in the mask grinned from behind its hidden face. (“Now that you’ve solved one problem, you’re going to solve another, and another, and another after that. Especially since you’re not quite done.”)

“Saving Kenneth was a one time thing, and now that he’s back with his mom I am done.” He argued, perhaps a bit more forcefully than he’d intended.

(“You’re a ‘Guardian of Childhood’ Jon.”) The man in the mask laughed. (“So long as a child is in danger you’d hunt down the devil in hell or kill all the gods in heaven if that was what had to be done. I thought you realized that after Blackwell.”)

(The beast stared at him, black water dripping from its fanged maw as twisting antlers sprouted from its skull.)

“Stop that.” He told the thing in front of him. “Don’t push my memories around.”

(“Not my fault you can’t make yourself forget.”) The man in the mask smirked with a tilt of its head. (“That said, since you did save a child, I feel your deserving of a little reward.”)

“A reward?” He repeated, a sense of dread filling him.

(“Oh come now there’s nothing to be scared of.”) The thing across from him tried to assure him.

“The last time you gave me a reward I was unconscious for twenty four hours with a brain aneurysm.” He reminded the thing feeling fully justified by his reasoning.

(“Ugh, is it really my fault you couldn’t handle having your brain overclocked for a few minutes?”) The thing asked in exasperation. (“If it makes you feel better your brain should’ve more than adapted after all the magical, psionic, and madness induced brain damage.”)

“You’re not filling me with confidence, and I’d much rather you just let me leave.” He admitted, knowing that while the entity before him wouldn’t directly kill someone that held its interest, that didn’t stop it from accidentally crippling them.

(“Now you’re just being a baby about this.”) The entity told him, getting out of its chair at the exact moment he realized he couldn’t get out of his. (“You know the Death March would’ve really helped you avoid that problem.”)

He had the twisted feeling that was the exact reason the table had had nothing but Death March.

(“It was.”) The entity admitted next to him, before crouching down to eye level and putting a hand to his face. (“Now remember, as my Jacks like to say: Whatever you do, don’t blink.”)

And with that the entity's hand went through his head.

Scene Consequences

-Gained 1 Perk Point that can be spent on anything, please consult the perk menu for options.