While walking back to the GnG platform, QJ brought up One Problem's roster and studied it.
[Slingers]
Ringo Level 4
Lotte Level 4
Drax Level 3
Potshot Level 4
[Riders]
Junzo Level 3
Maric Level 3
Dunnie Level 3
[Tracker]
Riker Level 3
Dusk Level 2
Wisk Level 2
[Braves]
Mika Level 3
Solo Level 3
[Chero]
Breeze Level 4
Bungee Level 3
[Cav]
Knotty Level 2
Ty Level 2
Lil Jack Level 2
[Medic]
Leeta Level 2
Travoli Level 2
Niche Level 2
[Shammy]
Shonie Level 2
Shell Level 2
Rox Level 2
[Scout]
Sato Level 2
Plush Level 2
[Wrangler]
QJ Level 2
[Gambler]
Luca Level 2
Nightrain Level 2
[Raider
Nexxus Level 2
Bolo Level 3
QJ did the math in his head and came up with 2.5. "Why is our average level listed on the server as 3.3?" He had only gone a few steps before he snapped his fingers. "Server stats include decimals. So if you are halfway thru level three, you'd be listed as 3.5."
The stable was quiet when QJ arrived a few minutes later. He entered Scorch's stall and patted the horse's shoulder. "Let's pamper you a bit, fattie."
Lotte peeked over the stall wall when he heard him speaking. "I should say thank you."
QJ had a handful of straw in his hand and started rubbing down Scorch. "You standing on a hay bale or something?"
Lotte had moved her new horse into the stall next to Scorch. It was a sleek-looking black filly; although a bit small, it looked fast.
"Huh? What's that mean?"
QJ kept a straight face, "just that you're short... ya know, half pint, shrimp boat, itty bitty."
Lotte glared, but her hand covering a laugh ruined the effect. "Very funny." She tossed hay at him and then disappeared. "What should I name her?"
QJ started scratching Scorch's ears, a practice that the big horse loved. "How about Viento?"
The top of Lotte's head popped up over the stable wall again.
"Viento? What's that mean?"
"It's Spanish for Wind." QJ finished up with Scorch and secured the stable gate. "Oh, and thank me for what?"
Lotte met him in the front of the stalls, "Tal got my mom a job interview at the Fora Academy."
"Really? That has nothing to do with me." QJ frowned when he noticed Maya and Nina walking toward them. "What department?"
"Applied Science, I think." She chased after QJ, who had started walking away.
"Your mom must be smart." He smiled when he heard the department. "That's Naomi Gajendra's department; she's brilliant.
"I know you had a hand in it." Lotte favored him with a bright smile. "How else could we stay in that house for free."
QJ shrugged slightly. "Mom said using the place as a contract incentive made sense."
Nina's voice called out to them. "QJ! Wait up a sec!"
The two freshmen turned to see the third years closing in on them. Lotte raised an eyebrow, "run?"
"Yep!" QJ sprinted for the Academy entrance with Lotte on his heels. Shouts of protest followed them as they raced down the hallway and made it safely to their homeroom. They both entered the room laughing; no one had arrived yet.
"Very funny!" Maya arrived at the open doorway a moment later; an out-of-breath Nina was shaking her fist at QJ.
QJ laughed. "Only teasing. What's up, guys?"
Maya walked in and stood before QJ's desk, her pale face blushing. "I want you to watch my most recent attempt at 12 bells."
QJ shrugged. He had watched it a few times before planning his attempt. "I've seen it already; you were close."
"...." Maya.
"What could she do to improve, smarty pants?" Nina crossed her arms, her pretty face scowling.
QJ gave her a deadpan expression. "Um... go faster."
Maya bowed her head slightly, "please advise me, Quinn."
QJ felt his face twitching; she had pulled out his first name. "On the last two turns, you controlled her too much."
Maya nodded in agreement. "She was drifting wide."
QJ shook his head. "She was accelerating."
Nina slammed her hand down on QJ's desk. "Is this sound advice, QJ?"
"I think so. Trust your horse Maya, and she'll bring you home."
"You two ladies lost?" Ringo walked in; her usually serious face bore the remnants of a smile.
"Sorry, Miss Chi, we were just getting advice from QJ."
"Call me, Ringo, please." She watched them leave the room and then turned toward her students. "What did those two want?"
"Maya wants to squeeze out a few more seconds in her 12-bell run." QJ stared at the twin holsters his teacher was sporting, "Navy Colts? Are they a matched pair?"
Ringo's face broke into a broad smile. "You are very observant, QJ."
"Sweet guns... if a bit heavy." QJ smiled innocently at her.
Ringo had her thumbs looped in her belt. "Oh? Want to try me again, QJ?"
QJ shook his head. "Not really, but my dad thought he'd come in and give you a go."
Ringo's face turned red, and her mouth opened and closed without speaking. No one had to remind her that Exodus's fastest quickdraw didn't belong to a slinger but rather the NPC Assassin. "No fair..."
QJ shrugged at her without sympathy. "You were bullying me."
Ringo rolled her blue eyes at him. "Fine, we'll forget this."
Of course... but I did win last." QJ felt he had to point it out.
The next few hours seemed to drag by. QJ busied himself with his schoolwork while keeping a close eye on the time. When the end of the day finally arrived, he left quickly without speaking to anyone.
When he entered the Songbird a few minutes later, his gear was spread out on the bar.
[Advanced Sawed-Off Shotgun]
Drum-Fed
Special Effect: Chance to Stun.
+ 10 to Stamina
Battle Rating 7.4
[Advanced Kevlar Armor]
Medium Armor
Interwoven Kevlar fabric
and Durasteel plates.
+10 Strength
Battle Rating 7.2
[Extended Range Pistol]
Six-inch Barrel Extension
Chamber Modified to accept
Carbine Rifle bullets. Special
Effect: Increased Accuracy.
+5 Perception
Battle Rating 8
"Are you kidding me? Now we are talking!" QJ hugged Tal and Remmy at the same time. Battle Rating (BR) for the advanced starter kit was 5. It was based on a scale from 1 to 12.
Tal's blue eyes sparkled. "That gear was too crappy for my baby."
Remmy nodded in agreement. "Yep, too crappy for our baby."
QJ grinned at the two engineers. "Thank you."
"Oh, and try this on." Tal handed him two holsters; neither had belts or straps.
QJ studied them for a moment before glancing up. One was for the shotgun, and the other for the pistol. "How do I put it on?"
"Your armor is slotted on both sides." Remmy grabbed the Shotgun holster and, with a 'click,' locked it into place over his left shoulder.
QJ slid the shotgun into place; the handle stuck over his left shoulder. "Wow, that is really slick. I love it."
Tal took the other holster and locked it into place on the right side. "We collaborated on the design; it worked out nicely."
QJ holstered the pistol over his right hip, then pulled it out smoothly. "Yeah, that's going to work well. Easy to carry and won't get in my way."
Remmy clapped her hands, her face beaming. "As you get new gear, we'll keep at it!"
"You're spoiling me, but I'll accept it." QJ put everything back in his inventory.
"Oh hey, Gella (Hard G) was looking for you." Tal had put her tools away and was getting ready to leave.
"She was?" Gella was actually Ella Riley. As a toddler, QJ couldn't say Grandma Ella; eventually, he settled on Gella. It had stuck through his childhood QJ had grown up with a virtual grandma who couldn't hug or hold him. When QJ turned five and was finally allowed to use a virtual headset, he latched onto her throughout the next day, refusing to let go. The incident had caused the two to forge a special bond.
"Yep, she and Gus had to attend a virtual conference in Geneva. She said she'd catch up with you later." Tal kissed her son on the cheek and then hugged Remmy. "Your father is taking me out to dinner, so there's money on the island for take-out or pizza."
"Thanks, mom. Have fun." He waved as the two engineers walked out of the Songbird.
A few minutes later, QJ walked into 'The Painted Lady Tattoo Parlor,' the sweet smell of incense tickled his nostrils. "That smells like Oatmeal Raisin Cookies."
A laugh from the back room caused him to turn. "It takes the characteristic of whatever your favorite scent is."
Jezi entered through the beaded doorway. She was wearing a red silk robe that hung down to her knees. It was loosely tied, exposing a generous amount of smooth skin.
QJ did a decent job of not staring. "Getting ready for bed?" She was barefoot; her shiny black hair hung down to her waist.
"Have a seat, QJ. Then, we can discuss our options." Jezi motioned for him to sit in the customer's chair; her expression was strictly professional.
QJ took a seat, letting his body sink into the comfortable chair. "Wow, I need one of these."
She held up two bottles, one in each hand. Both bottles contained liquid; one was black, and the other gold. "These are both dragon blood. The gold blood is much more effective than the black, although the black is very good too."
"Which one are you going to use?" QJ had to concentrate on maintaining eye contact; the top of her robe slid open a bit when she held up the bottles.
"That all depends on you. The Gold blood has to fuse directly with your blood. To be effective, you have to be extremely agitated." She gave QJ a friendly smile and sat the black bottle down.
"Define agitated."
"Take your pick, anger, despair, rage, passion." She flipped a switch on the wall, and the room's lights dimmed, but the one over the chair brightened substantially. QJ Could feel the heat of the lamp on his face.
"That's rather vague."
"I've used the whip on customers, hot candle wax, open flames. It doesn't have to hurt, though; I have many other methods."
Jezi gave a discontented sigh when QJ stood up and walked to the door. "You don't have to leave. We can just forget it and use the black bottle."
QJ locked the door and resumed his place in the customer's chair. "The gold is fine. Show me what you have in mind."
Jezi pulled out a sketch of a Draconian thief; when she shifted the drawing, the Draconian faded away. "It's something I've never attempted. The better the fusion process..."
"The better the result?" QJ stared at the sketch; the eyes seemed to follow him.
She nodded and slipped off her robe. "You are a young, healthy male, so let's try the basics." Her skin was soft and smooth, brushing against him as she straddled his legs. The reptilian tattoos on her chest squirmed, her hard nipples pushed against his chest. She bent her head and touched her lips to his. "Hmm. We have to do a little better; bear with me a bit."
She reached behind him and pulled a small box from the counter. "You had to have heard the story about this."
[Mask of Fortune]
Disguise: Unique
The wearer can change their
appearance and voice.
She placed it on her face, and it blended in perfectly without changing anything. "Let's start, shall we?
QJ nodded. According to his dad, the Mask of Fortune had disappeared some time ago.
"There were quite a few people at your afterparty the other night. How about this one?"
QJ shook his head as her face changed to match Anna's. "Definitely not Anna."
"No? I thought you liked older women. This one, then?" Her image shifted into a blonde-hair woman with spiked hair.
Again QJ shook his head. "Kora? I don't think I could live with myself."
"Oh, I know. I did notice this one glancing your way." Jezi's face changed again. Her black hair shifted to purple, causing QJ's eyes to widen in surprise.
"No?" Jezi leaned forward, letting a soft hand trace down his stomach to his waist. "Wait a sec. It appears we have a winner."
QJ kissed her soft lips while her hands easily removed his clothes. Their tongues tasted each other as she pushed her hips against him.
Jezi nodded to herself and reached between them, guiding him into her suddenly, causing them both to gasp in pleasure. She moved slowly, gyrating her hips while moaning softly. "Okay, slow it down." She leaned past him and removed the cap from the bottle; from somewhere, she produced a tattoo iron and filled the reservoir carefully.
QJ leaned back in the chair, keeping a firm grip on her waist so she wouldn't slide off.
Jezi placed a hand on his chest and leaned forward. She started to move her hips slowly in small circular motions. "Okay, I'm going to start."
The entire process took an hour, when she had finished the tattoo, she carefully sealed it with red wax. Then, she nodded in satisfaction and started moving faster, quickly taking them both to the point of no return.
Afterward, she lay against him, breathing heavily. She had removed the mask and once again appeared as herself. She usually would rush the customer out at this point, but instead, they talked quietly without constraint. She slyly kissed him before getting up.
"Do you think it worked?" QJ buttoned his shirt, careful not to disturb the wax seal.
She wrapped the robe around her waist and tied it up. "Without a doubt, I've never seen the Gold Blood fuse so strongly."
QJ scratched his head, finally starting to feel a little embarrassed. "Thank you, Jezi."
"No payment will be accepted, of course. I only require your confidentiality." She tied her long hair in a bun while she talked; grabbing his hand, she walked him to the door.
"Of course." He bent and kissed her lips, causing her to smile in surprise. "Goodnight, Jezi."
"Night QJ."
QJ sat at the kitchen island, sharing a pizza with Anna. He had invited Lotte over, but she was already playing GnG.
"Were you able to find anything out about Dixie?"
Anna shook her head. "It's odd. There is a small write-up concerning who she is and where she works but no mention of her ever offering a quest."
"Makes sense, I suppose." QJ had difficulty looking her in the face; technically, he had seen her naked for a few moments before Jezi had changed 'channels.'
"How's that?" Anna grabbed a slice of pizza and bit into it.
"It's a starter town. What are the odds of a new player having platinum dice? That may be the trigger for a unique quest. QJ walked over to the fridge and grabbed two beers, handing her one before resuming his seat.
"Right. I should research dice quests then." Anna took a long drink of her beer. "Thanks. Hey, I sent a bunch of maps and quests to your hud. It should update when you log on."
"Thanks, Nan." He leaned back and stared at the pizza. "Maybe just one more."
"Sure... because four pieces of deep-dish pizza aren't enough."
Anna's cute smile reminded him of the tattoo parlor; he felt his face heating up.
"I'll wait a few minutes and see how I feel."
"You okay there, QJ?" Anna's pretty face showed her concern. She was one of those women who seemed ageless; her lightly tanned face was without wrinkles.
"Yep." QJ threw caution to the wind and grabbed another slice. "Hey Nan, you ever regret coming here?"
"I was mad as hell at your dad at first." Anna smiled at the memory. Quinn had tricked her. Then she got to know them. "I absolutely cherish this place, this family, and this home. Your mom is like a sister to me."
QJ laughed. "Maybe dad saw that you'd fit, and that's why he tricked you."
Anna nodded, "I wouldn't be surprised. I did learn a valuable lesson from it."
"Never bet with dad?"
"Never bet with your dad," she agreed.
The two finished eating and then cleaned up the kitchen in companionable silence.
"Night, Nan." QJ headed to his room, pausing outside his doorway.
Anna was sitting on the couch; she had multiple huds open. "Night, hun. I will contact you in the game if I receive any good tips."
"Love you, Nan."
Anna's pretty face lit up in a blinding smile. "This girl loves hearing that! Love you too, QJ."