Eldritch Guidance

The policeman stiffen up and started to walk awkwardly backward while staring at Lunar, who was growling at him. John just watched as Joe slowly walked backward with a terrified look.

“Must be scared of dogs.” John thought, explaining away the officers' otherwise odd actions.

The cop eventually made it to the front door and exited the store without saying a word.

Once the man was gone, Lunar stopped growling. The malamute then stared up at John wide-eyed with a loving look while panting with its tongue out. Expecting some sort of praise from John.

John: “Aww. You know when you make a face like that, I can’t help but pet you,” he said while aggressively petting the top of Lunar's head.

Lunar pushed himself into John’s hand while barking happily. The dog then rolled over to reveal his belly, expecting belly rubs. John then got on his knees and started to give the malamute belly rubs with both hands. A reward for scaring off that annoying cop.

The fur all over Lunar was soft and well-groomed. It was a pleasure to touch. In a way, petting Lunar was also a reward for John as well. It was stress relieving after John encountered a stressful situation.

John: “But really, I’ve been here for years and never seen a cop,” he mumbled to himself.

When John first came to this world, the police didn’t come around very often, even before the Nighthound took over the east end. But, now that the gang is in control of the area, cops never come around anymore. This was the primary reason why John had never seen any police.

John didn’t know that the Nighthounds were keeping police out of the area or that they were a criminal organization. He just thought they were some sort of massive conglomerate based out of the Red-light District. He's come across countless businesses owned by them. So, John never had a reason to be that suspicious of them.

It was a misconception about the Nighthounds that wasn't unique to John.

Many people didn’t know about the gang’s criminal activity, especially those who came from outside the city. On the surface, they look like massive corporation, but people who interacted with the Nighthounds from the old days knew what they really were like. They can be amenable, but ruthless when they have to be. The people who lived through the Bloody Days years ago knew exactly how violent the Nighthounds were.

John: “Ah, guess it was bound to meet one. But, man. That guy was annoying. I kept telling him I didn’t know anything, and he wouldn’t listen. Kept asking the same question over and over. Are all cops like that here? Nah, I’m pretty sure my hunch of him trying to set me up was correct," he said followed by a sigh. "Well, good job scaring off that asshole,” he said, praising Lunar.

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Lunar: “Woof!” he barked happily.

John kept petting Lunar until his arms got tired. He then stood back up sat back at his desk and started reading the manga from before Joe showed up.

“Well, let's hope no more assholes walk through that front door. This Joe guy wasn't the first to be sent packing, and likely won’t be the last.” John thought to himself while he read his manga.

Fifteen minutes went by before John heard the front door of the shop open.

John was worried that the annoying cop would come back. He looked up to see another familiar furry face.

The man who walked through the door was a mutant. Specifically, a bear mutant. His head had all the features you would expect to see on a bear. Round ears, brown fur, and a snout with a wet nose. Beyond that, the rest of his body was humanoid, with him wearing a nice-looking vest and a red tie. He literally almost looked like a bear stuffed into nice human clothing.

John: “OH! Grizz. It’s just you,” he said, pleased to see the bear mutant.

John was familiar with the mutant man. Grizz wasn't so much of a customer. He was someone who worked for one of John's regulars. A sort of butler. Every once in a while, coming into the shop to deliver a message to him.

Grizz: “Good afternoon to you as well Master Li,” he said with a well-spoken but gruff voice.

John: “You know you don’t have to be so formal. We’ve known each other for a while now. Just call me by my first name.”

Grizz: “If you say so, John. Anyways, is everything ok?”

John: “Yeah? Why do you ask?”

Grizz: “Oh, I saw a strange-looking fellow walk out of your shop while I was on the way to see you. I just wanted to make sure everything was fine.”

John: “Oh, that dude,” he said while thinking about his interaction with Joe. “Yeah, there was something of a disagreement between me and that guy. But, everything is fine now. Lunar sent him packing, so it was all good."

Grizz: “Oh, what was the disagreement, if you don’t mind me asking?”

John: “He wouldn’t listen and kept asking the same question over and over. It was annoying. So, I asked him to leave, and he wouldn’t. Then Lunar managed to scare him off.”

Grizz: “He was annoying you?” he said with a look of surprise.

Upon hearing that comment, the mutant bear man began to process what he heard. Similar to Scarlet, Luke, and many others before, he was adding a bunch more meaning to John’s words than there was.

John: “Yeah, but I think there is something more to it. He was a cop. Maybe trying to coax me into saying something that I shouldn’t say. Not sure, but I don’t trust cops. So if you see that guy again, I’d steer clear of him.”

Grizz: “I see,” he said while deeply contemplating John's words again. “I guess we’re similar in our opinion of the police.”

John: “You’re not a fan of the police either?”

Grizz: “No. They used to harass me and my friends all the time. Just for us being mutants.”

John: “Ah, I see. That sucks. Sorry to hear that,” he said, feeling sympathetic toward Grizz.

Grizz: “Thank you. I’m in a better place now. The police don’t bother me as much anymore since I started working for my lady. Speaking of which, my lady wishes to know if you are available three days from now. She wants to treat you to lunch again.”

John: “Oh, sure. Same place as before?” he said without hesitation.

Grizz just nodded.

John: “Then you can tell her I’ll be there three days from now at twelve.”

Grizz: “Very well. I’ll be sure to convey what you said to her.”

The bear mutant gave a quick bow before quietly departing the Mystic Emporium.

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