Wednesday, July 04, 2018, 9:45 PM Norfolk, VA

  I got up after eight hours of sleep, and took stock of what I intended to make today, and decided that I should wait until I find out about the actual needs of the shelter before I start making anything. Since I had finished off the guns last night, I had today to work on something else. Rex had been very patient, and I could tell that he was itching to be able to fly more freely. Before Rex went off to fish and hide, I asked him whether he would prefer the ability to telekinetically lift light objects, at will, or do the effects of Prestidigitation. Rex chose Prestidigitation without a second thought.

  Rex grabbed another fish out of the Field Provision Box, and went to read, while I started the enchantment process on a mask for Rex. I decided that I could go with a modified Falconry hood, that will allow him to choose between a Great Blue Heron, A Bald Eagle, and an Osprey. The enchantment process, in addition to the fabrication, went very well and very quickly. The process went very quick. Extremely quickly, in fact, just under three hours for the whole thing.

  When I was done with it, I went to Rex and asked to bother him for a minute. He stopped reading for a minute and I helped him get the enchanted hood on him. When he did, I informed him of how it works, and of the different forms that he can take. Then I informed him of how to get the Prestidigitation functions to work. Rex got his way through the functions and how to make them work. Rex was pleased about the ability to change the flavor of his fish.

  Since I had a lot of time, I decided to drop a bunch of Unseen Craftsmen on working more on the armor and ensured that my Animated Tools were continuing to work on the alchemical preparation for the armor that I was working on. With that done I decided to go head out to the Norfolk Shelter with the Field Provision Box to see if they wanted another day’s worth of meals for thirteen people. I made my way there, and the same person was at the shelter this morning. I offered up thirteen full day meals with water for the food bank, with the understanding that they need to be used within 24 hours. The shelter worker told me that the meals were taken and people did apparently enjoy them, but it would probably be better to have more variety.

  I told them that I can work with that, and that I could probably make a setup where the items can make “copies” of a base item, and make five different ones so that you can have a variety, but they would be in thirty meal increments. The person was confused but seemed like they were willing to try this at least. I thanked them and told them that I would start work on them tomorrow, and I could probably get them done, one a day, in less than a week. The shelter worker told me that they would have to see it to believe it, and I told them that I would have something back for them either tomorrow or the weekend. I reminded them that they had twenty-four hours from when I pulled them out of the box to be consumed before I left.

  I went from there to pick up a couple of pizzas, put them in my handy haversack, and headed to the hospital to do another tour with the EMT’s. When I got there, the person that I had met the first day I was here was on duty, and I unloaded the pizzas into the common room for everyone working today, since I had remembered that it was a holiday today. David Williams, the EMT, was more than happy to tell me everything he could about the holiday, when I admitted that I was not from here and had a very limited knowledge of the background of the reason for the celebration. Apparently, less than two hundred and fifty years ago, this country was a vassal state of another country and fought for their independence, just like Kitargo in Ravounel back home. He told me that on this day, most EMT’s have to deal with injuries from fireworks and gunshots.

  I listened as David told me more and more about every aspect that he could. Before three PM, we got a call about a gunshot victim, and headed there directly. When we arrived, the victim had been in a SUV, and an apparent stray bullet had struck her windshield. I helped David with the processing, and then asked the woman if she wanted to be healed magically. The woman was very confused, but agreed. I got David’s agreement that the wound was clear of glass, and that the wound had been documented via pictures by the police, and then used Prestidigitation to make sure that the wound was completely clear, and then cast Cure Light Wounds to heal her.

  Her wound healed immediately, with a pulse of golden energy from my spell, and I looked at the windshield. I confirmed that the police had taken pictures of this as well, and then cast Mending on it to correct the break. After ten minutes, the damage was repaired. I then checked over the cab, and asked the police if they had gotten all of the pictures and evidence that they would need. The police officer said that they had, and I used my Prestidigitation to gather up all of the glass and then clean up any blood in the car.

  The cop whistled as he watched what I did, mentioning that I could have my own detailing business with a quality clean like that, especially if I included that repair job in with it. I laughed and said that I’d consider it, or maybe just train someone to do it if they wanted to learn how and had the capability. The cop looked at me with a little shock, and asked me if I had just said that people could learn this. I told him that I had, and that I didn’t have these magical spells before I went through the training that I did. The cop looked at me with interest and asked if I was looking to train people.

  I told the cop that I had given it some thought, and even Captain America had recommended that I start training others, to keep the capabilities going forward. The cop asked if I had any idea who I might be looking to train. I told him that I didn’t want to step on the toes of any existing magical schools in this world, but once that was worked out, both with those representatives and the city council representatives, I would probably be opening up a school for people after they attain the age of majority. I added that there would be screenings of course, but those screenings were more ability and morality than anything else. I added that I would be getting all of the specifics out when I am ready to start training people.

  I could tell that the cop was interested, but I had a worry about this current case. I asked the cop if he could take me back to the scene of the incident. I told David that I would be back soon, that if he could get the lady to the hospital for a full exam, I would meet him back there. When we got there, I asked him to give me a minute. He did so, waiting off to the side, and I cast Ears of the City, to get the lowdown of what happened and where the perps went.

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  After about a minute of listening to the rumors and events, I got a full description of those who did the deed, and even a hint to where they might have gone. I gave the cop the description and started heading that way. While he followed me, he asked me how I knew where we were going. I told him that I had a spell that allowed me to rapidly see what happens around an area and also listen in to rumors and people talking about the subject. I told him that it gave me a very rapid view of the events, but that I had it filtered down to those things related to what I am looking for. The cop seemed to be a bit impressed and told me that what it sounded like was the Grape Street Crips.

  I nodded as I walked in the direction that the gang members had gone. Rounding a corner, I found the three of them from the vision. The cop was right alongside me, and the Crips raised their guns to fire at us. Thinking quickly, I dropped into my Stance of Piercing Rays, partially shielding the cop with my own body, all three bullets from the Crips striking my armor but not penetrating. I didn’t have any of my defensive spells available, but at least I could body-block for the cop.

  I willed my pistol into my hand and fired at the criminals, invoking my Searing Break, hoping that I could take out at least two of them. Firing twice, I struck both of the ones that I aimed at, dropping both of them quickly. The remaining Crip looked at us and tried to fire at the cop. I quickly used Intercepting Strike and deflected the shot from striking the cop. The Cop yelled to the Crip to drop the gun as he pulled his own firearm.

  The Crip did not drop his gun as ordered. I sighed, and fired once at the Crip, who showed no inclination of stopping. I dropped him with that one shot and asked the cop if he was okay. The cop sputtered that I just killed three people. I sighed and told him that all of my rounds were non-lethal, entirely, and that, at worst, they would be fully healed within twenty-four hours, with no lasting effects.

  I asked him to go cuff them and check their pulses if he didn’t believe me. The cop did so, and called out over his radio that there were shots fired at police officers, and gave the address, noting that there were three assailants subdued. I asked the cop if he could get me a lift back to the hospital to help with any EMT calls. The cop told me that after the scene was cleared, he could probably get me a ride back. I thanked him and went about checking the area for any other criminals or dangers in the area. I used my Prestidigitation to collect all four of the rubber projectiles while doing so, and collected the three rounds that had lodged into my armor for the cop’s evidence.

  It took a little more than an hour for the scene to be fully inspected and the Crips to be booked. The cop finally admitted that it just looked like I had killed them, not that I actually had, so I had technically used non-lethal responses to a lethal conflict and effectively resolved the situation. When it was all said and done, the cop who I had encountered these three ruffians had volunteered to take me to the hospital, ostensibly to get me checked out, but actually, he wanted to talk to me. On the ride, he asked me what my life was like back where I was from, and I told him that, by the best I could infer, it was a LOT like the medieval time period from this world, but with actual magic and monsters. I added that I was actually a detective back there, and that I had ended up getting sent here by a spell that had been cast by a major villain.

  The cop listened intently, and asked me what my school was like, and I told him that it was basically a school to train me in the advanced combat that I had learned, and the theory and spells that I learned to access too. I offered up that there were ways to gain more knowledge, but it took a bit of study that I might not be able to provide, if it goes outside of the realms of what I actually know. The cop listened as I told him how the school went, and how it was actually taught by someone who had come from this world. I offered that this person had come from this actual world, and had developed magic there, so people here should be able to attain the ability to cast spells. The cop listened and asked if I was unique with using magic to assist in my detective role.

  I went about explaining the usual day that I would end up going through, like when I had to track down cultists of the god of murder, or when I caught the smugglers that had Rex. The cop listened fairly well, and asked some pointed questions. Then he asked me if I ever thought about being a police officer here. I asked him point blank if my methods and abilities would be approved as viable for this world’s investigations. The cop agreed that they would not, as we arrived at the hospital.

  I thanked him for getting me back to the hospital, and wished him luck on the rest of his shift. When I got back, David told me that the woman was released with no complications. I thanked him for letting me know about the results as we waited for the next call. David told me that the hospital was considering giving the ambulance crew some ability to let people drive themselves in, after I treat them, if we release them to do so. I asked him why it would matter, and David told me that it was more expensive for someone to ride in the ambulance, than for them to come on their own.

  I wasn’t the most mercantile or the most altruistic, but I wondered how they managed it if the ambulance had to drive out anyway, but left that for another time. The rest of the shift went fairly well, and towards the end of the shift, I got a text from Bob, telling me that he was glad that I was here for this holiday, and that he hoped that I got to see the fireworks tonight. I asked David about the fireworks, and he told me that he could get me a good seat on the top of the hospital roof to watch, as long as I could get some drinks or something. I thought about it for a minute, and since I had a first level spell left, I told him that I could probably convert thirty gallons of water to wine or mead, depending on the preference, as long as he could get it up there.

  David smiled and said that they could get the water up there, and I offered to order some pizzas, and get them delivered. David agreed and I placed an order for a hundred dollars in pizzas for the group and to have them delivered. I asked David if he was okay with me inviting two people, and he said that it should be fine this time. I texted Jonathan and asked him if he wanted to watch the fireworks from the roof of the Norfolk Hospital, and if he’d grab Cal for it as well. Jonathan texted back that he’d check with Cal, but that they’d respond back shortly if they were going to join us.

  When six, five gallon water jugs were brought up to the room, and pizzas were delivered, chairs were set up. Soon, a bunch of doctors, nurses, and other staff that were just going off duty. I offered to chill the drinks with Prestidigitation after I changed them to wine and mead, as the split required, and a few took me up on this offer. Jonathan and Cal were going to make it, and we all waited for the fireworks. The setup was pretty good, as other people brought up other things, and some of the hospital administrators came by to thank me for helping with the rescue squads.

  Once everything was ready, we all sat down and got good drinks and food (non-alcoholic drinks were also provided for by the on duty staff), had some very decent intellectual conversations surprising some, and waited for the fireworks. When it started, they were certainly some of the better fireworks that I had ever seen. Afterwards, Jonathan quietly pointed out to me that S.H.I.E.L.D. had done everything that they could, to make this a much better event all around the country, to try and get people’s minds off of the results of everyone disappearing. I thanked him for their work to make this more memorable, and Cal told me that this was fun. The hospital and EMT staff all went back to their jobs (those who had not had to go back for reasons beforehand), and I jumped off the edge of the hospital, using my Talisman of Blessed Winds to slow my descent.

  I went back to work with the on duty EMT’s for a little while longer, just to help with anyone who got hurt by trying to use their own fireworks or whatnot. Aside from those few calls, everything went pretty well. At the end of the night, close to nine thirty, I begged off and headed home. It was a fairly simple ride, with no real issues. I got back and Rex was humorously changing between the disguises proffered by the hood, and making changes via the Prestidigitation power. I laughed a little to myself, and got myself ready for bed.

  July 4th: Roll for three thugs in the third quarter of the day, so instead of the police not being able to find the criminals immediately as the news article mentioned, I had the character use his magic to get to the bottom and solve the crime.

  Magic Item:

  The Phantom Eagle Hood: Acts as Cap of Human Guise, except that it only allows three shapes: Bald Eagle, Blue Heron, and Osprey. Also allows the wearer (a familiar) to use the Prestidigitation spell at will.