Ringo was talking with Dessi in the Guild Hall. They both looked up when the door opened.
QJ noticed that Ringo looked decided pale. "Could you come with me for a moment, Ringo? It's fairly urgent."
"Sure. Has to be quick, though; we are meeting in three minutes."
"Yep, fast, fast." He glanced at Lotte, "back in a bit."
Ringo followed QJ to the room he had made into his workshop, they entered, and he shut the door behind them.
"Wow, this is starting to look like a real workshop." Ringo's eyes stopped on the door that had been added. "Ya know.
You could leave the hallway and go through Rob's office that way."
QJ nodded in agreement. "Yep, I could do that." He rolled up his sleeve and approached. "From now on, let's take care of this before the morning meeting."
Ringo sighed and nodded. "Thank you, QJ. I was really starting to feel the hunger." Then, without another word, she sunk her teeth into his arm and drank her fill.
When she was finished, QJ rolled down his sleeve and headed toward the door. Ringo stopped him by grabbing his wrist.
"Thank you, QJ; you're as reliable a person as I've ever known."
Dessi was chatting with Lotte and Breeze when Ringo and QJ returned. QJ walked directly toward them and stopped in front of Dessi.
QJ smiled pleasantly. "So, about your request for purchasing land from the Guild Keep."
Dessi crossed her arms in front of her. "Yes?"
"Denied." QJ hadn't noticed that Nina and Maya had entered the Keep.
Nina scowled at him. "Don't be such a bastard QJ!"
Maya frowned at her and then turned her gaze to the freshman. "Please, QJ..."
"That being said." QJ brought up his hud and zoomed in on the valley west of his house. "There are thirty acres here that include a Rock Quarry. You could build there; the Quarry would help you keep construction costs down."
Dessi leaned closer to the map. "Is this land on your estate?"
QJ nodded. "If you find it acceptable, you can do some research and make an offer."
Ringo frowned slightly. "My estate is mostly lake, although it's quite beautiful. It's nowhere near the size of yours. How big is the house?"
"Well... Sixteen bedrooms, eighteen bathrooms, two dining rooms, a kitchen, living room, three offices, and a workshop." He glanced at Lotte, "I'm probably forgetting something?"
Lotte nodded. "A small cottage, stable, and two other buildings we didn't go in. Oh, and don't forget the casino."
"...." Ringo.
Dessi laughed aloud. "She has a nice six-bedroom cottage and hot springs."
"Crap... I'm the poor cousin." Ringo walked to the front of the room with QJ close behind. "Somewhere down the line, I'll have to consider how to develop it further."
"Be back at the Academy at Noon. We'll meet up at the Stables at 1300. We will have special instructors there after everyone finishes their extra duties." She glanced at QJ, "anything else?"
QJ shook his head. "Nope, everyone's dismissed."
Suzie and Taylor were like church mice. The pretty twins were peeking through the shutters of their oldest sister's room. They had been watching QJ and Lotte since they had entered the pool.
"They look really nice, right? Comfortable together." Suzie was grinning when she spoke of the two; she was feisty. If you wanted a fight, she'd give you one.
Taylor nodded, "really comfortable."
Suzie crossed her fingers. "She's got her arm around his neck, but she has to be more confident."
"A bit more confidence," Taylor agreed. "You can tell by his face he likes her."
"Yep. He likes her," Suzie replied.
"Take a breather, Lotte." QJ wrapped an arm around Lotte's waist to support her while she leaned against him. He could feel her heart racing from the effort. "Great job, you are really working hard."
Lotte smiled breathlessly. "You always say the right thing." Her feet kicked slowly while she rested her arms on his shoulders. His face was right there, with clear blue eyes and an easy smile. "I used to be really pretty before my accident."
"What's that even mean? You are beautiful, current tense." QJ trod water while she rested against him.
"You know what I mean, my scars are hideous." She pushed away from him and started treading water again; he was easy to talk to.
QJ watched as she worked, "I really don't see them," he said truthfully.
Lotte blushed slightly but didn't say anything else. She was starting to struggle when the two minutes finally elapsed. She clung to his shoulders, her heart racing again. "Are you blind? They are hard to miss at this distance." She stared at him, her face only a few inches away. "What are you thinking about?"
QJ shrugged, "your breasts, of course."
Lotte looked down; she was pressed up against him. "Rascal..." She was too tired to move away. "Well, they're scarred too."
"Hmm... I don't believe it." He smiled innocently at her.
Lotte laughed. "Want to see?"
QJ nodded, "yes."
"Hey, guys!" Rana Hall walked out the kitchen door holding a tray with drinks and sandwiches. "You guys are really working hard."
"Yep." Lotta swam quickly to the shallow end and started walking back and forth.
QJ continued to tread water. Until she was done, he helped her into her wheelchair and pushed her to the patio table. Her mom had sat down and was working on her hud.
"How are things at the Academy, Rana?" QJ grabbed a sandwich off the plate and took a big bite.
Rana looked up from her hud. It was self-evident why all of her daughters were pretty. She was a beautiful woman.
"It's great; everyone is so nice to me." She studied QJ with a slight smile; his name came up regularly at the Academy.
"I'm glad it's working out; our class wouldn't be the same without Lotte." QJ leaned back in his chair while he sipped his coke.
Rana felt her smile widen. It was clear to her that Lotte was thriving at the Exodus Academy. She suspected that it was due in part to this boy. "Better move it along, you two; almost time to get back."
QJ quickly finished lunch and, after saying goodbye head headed back. Anna and Tal were sitting at the kitchen island when he returned. "Looking good, Nan. Hey, mom."
He hugged his mom and messed up Anna's hair.
"Hey, don't do that to women my age." Anna patted her hair down, but it didn't stay.
"Right, sorry, Nan." He grinned at her and headed for his bedroom; pausing in the doorway, he looked back. "Are those Red Dome Tents you used to have Exodus compliant?"
Tal nodded. "Yes. Want to borrow one?"
"Yes, if that's okay."
"I'll have Nuna send you one right away."
"Great, thanks, mom." QJ stepped into his room and closed the door.
QJ logged into the Exodus platform and walked past the Songbird; Lark was out front chatting with Ren as they worked the door. "Heya, guys!"
Ren hugged her brother. "On the way to the Academy?"
QJ nodded, "yep, lots to do."
Lark waited until they were done then she kissed him on the cheek. "I heard you are stealing Songbirds to come work at your Keep. Don't forget about me if you need someone else!"
QJ laughed, "I'll let you know."
Jali and Bali were waiting patiently for QJ next to the gaming hub. He had literally begged Mojo and Leah to reinstate them as his guards. They bound toward him when he came into view. He entered the Academy and headed toward the stables; Ringo awaited him.
"Head to the office first, QJ." Ringo smiled when she said it. She knew QJ wanted nothing to do with the Administration.
"If I'm the Dean, why must I listen to you?" QJ stomped off, leaving his teacher alone in the stables. A few minutes later, he walked into the Deans office.
Rachel Brenner was sitting at the assistant's desk.
"Good Afternoon Miss Brenner."
Rachel looked up from her desk like a fish in the water. There were multiple huds open as she jumped back into the fray. "Please call me Rachel. I've sent several documents to your office. Unfortunately, they require the acting Dean's signature."
"Hasn't this mess been ironed out yet? I'm just a student, you know." QJ frowned at her and opened the office door, he paused for a moment and looked back. Rachel wore a dark blue business suit, and her dark hair was spiked slightly.
"You look really nice today, Rachel."
"Thank you, QJ." She favored him with a smile, "let me know if you have any questions."
QJ spent the afternoon working with Rachel; he didn't imagine the Dean working so hard. "Are you sure I have to do all this?"
Rachel nodded, "apparently, Dean Tomas let quite a few problems stack up."
QJ looked at his hud; the whole day was shot. "When is the Board going to select a new Dean?" QJ had been told by his dad that they had agreed and that a new Dean would be selected soon.
"I don't really know QJ." Rachel felt bad for the small lie. The Board was more than willing to let QJ sit in the Dean's seat until things cooled down. They figured the Rileys were less likely to burn it to the ground when QJ was the acting Dean.
Ringo and Dessi walked into his office a few minutes later. Ringo gave him a sympathetic look. "Keep you working all day?"
QJ nodded. He waved the two teachers in and closed all his huds. "Rachel said if we knocked it all out today, I could be with the class the rest of the week."
"That's good," Ringo replied. "We will spend the next two days working on Captured with the third years."
Ringo and Dessi waited while he wrapped up the last few items. Finally, the three of them walked out of the office together. Three people were waiting for them.
QJ waved at his classmates. "What's up, guys?"
Junzo, Maric, and Dunnie were the three Riders in the freshmen class. They had finished the Doubler Canyon Raid primarily due to these three shooters and QJ.
Junzo seemed to have been elected speaker. "Think we can build a sniper nest at the Keep?"
QJ had yet to give Keep defense much, though; eventually, someone would try and take it away from them. "Great idea; perhaps the central tower would work. Coordinate with Robin and tell her it was approved."
Ringo nodded in agreement, "I like it. Excellent job, guys. You should include Chainy in these discussions; we want her to feel welcomed."
Dessi stared as the three Riders left at a run. "How the hell did you guys land four shooters like that? If I had even one of them."
Ringo smirked at her friend. "Don't forget about Chainy. She's grinding those levels as we speak."
"Crap... Can she shoot a rifle? Everyone knows she's one of the top slingers ever." Dessi looked depressed as they exited the Academy.
Ringo shrugged. "Not sure, but is it likely that she'd be bad?"
"I have something that will cheer you up; you'll have to hang out with me tonight, though." QJ opened his hud, and a moment later, Anna's face smiled back at him.
"Heya, handsome."
"Hey Nan, can you order some takeout? I'm going to eat quick and then get some stuff done in GnG."
Anna nodded. "It's just you and me tonight, so we'll eat early."
"Something for me?" Dessi let her frown fade. "I was planning on checking out the land you mentioned."
"Give me an hour, and I'll give you the personal tour."
Anna sat the takeout bag on the island and headed toward the fridge. The shower in QJ's room had shut off a few minutes earlier, so she grabbed a six-pack from the refrigerator and waited.
QJ walked out of his room wearing a white t-shirt and jeans. His dark hair was still damp from the shower. "Looks like my timing is great!"
Anna nodded. "It's pretty good, but remember that I coordinated things. Dang...you really look like your dad."
QJ sat down, and they joined hands. "What brought that on?"
"Thank you for the food."
"I've been thinking about having a baby." Anna watched for his reaction.
QJ grinned at her. "Really? You'd be an awesome mom." Anna was in her late forties, but with advances in medicine and extended life spans, it wasn't uncommon for women her age to start families.
"That's what your dad said." Anna smiled back at him and helped herself to the fried rice.
"I bet mom cried, right?"
Anna nodded, "yep."
"Thinking about an anonymous donor?"
"Of course, who could I ask for that. What would I even say? Excuse me, could I borrow your seed?" Anna's pretty face turned red and she covered her face. "This girl is embarrassed."
QJ helped himself to the orange chicken. "Going to use the old fashion method? Or involve Science?"
"...." Anna.
QJ laughed, "Sorry, Nan, I said too much."
QJ donned the VR suit an hour later and stepped into the chamber.
[Welcome to Guns and Gore, the Phoenix Server.]
Location: One Problem Guild Keep
Time: 1702 hours
Server Population: 31,302 Your current level is 22
[System Message] You have a package waiting.
QJ logged into the Keep Hall, but no one was around yet. So he accessed his mail and received the package. It was from Nuna, the Fora Quartermaster.
[Deed: Nomadic Red Dome]
Unique: Temporary
Description: Can only be set up on
unclaimed Lands in TAP territory.
[Exodus Compliant]
Additional Description: May only be
used on private property when in non-TAP
worlds.
"Perfect." QJ trotted up the stairs and headed to his workshop. He froze in place when he opened the door. The entire space had been transformed. Nearly everything from Briar Rose had been relocated. "Now, this is a shop."
He walked toward the side door and opened it slowly. Robin was sitting at her desk studying area maps. She looked up when he stepped in.
Robin smiled slightly, watching as he walked over and leaned against her desk. "Do you like your shop?"
QJ nodded, "love it Robs, thank you." He grabbed her hand and pulled her back into his shop. He stopped at his workbench and then rummaged through the drawers until he found a small wax block.
"What's that for?" Robin looked curious; she often used wax blocks to make keys.
"Grip it comfortably, then squeeze until your hand sinks in." QJ watched as she did what he asked. Then, he took it from her and held it up.
"Going to make me gloves or something?"
QJ did his best to look mysterious. "The first rule of hideout guns is that they must fit perfectly."
Robin laughed at his expression. "Is there a second rule?"
"Yes, it must be carefully hidden. Where no one can see it." QJ let his eyes wander down Robin's slim figure.
A knock sounded at the door before it was slowly pushed open. A slim medic with pale blonde hair waved at him.
"Hey, guys!" Dessi hid her smile; she could tell she had interrupted something interesting.
"I want to check out a few things at Briar Rose, Robs. I'll be back later." QJ waved and headed toward the door.
"Okay, QJ, let me know if you need anything." Robin watched as he left with Dessi. She waited for a moment and then took the door back to her office.
When QJ and Dessi arrived at the Keep Courtyard, two third years were waiting for them.
Dessi introduced the pair. "QJ, this is Umber and Til."
Umber was a big man. He had a huge body and a bald head. He reminded QJ of Onion. He extended a giant paw of a hand. "Umber, level 18 Cav. Shotguns and Sword."
The second person was QJ's height but was frighteningly thin. His light brown hair was shoulder length and tied into a topknot.
"Til, level 18 Raider. Sixguns and Dagger."
"Nice to meet both of you, QJ, level 21 Wrangler, Shotguns, and pistol."
All four of them mounted up and rode toward Briar Rose.
Umber's horse was the biggest horse QJ had ever seen in GnG.
"What's the plan, QJ?" Dessi brought up her hud as they rode; she was looking at the Quarry. If they hire some masons, they could save quite a bit of credits.
"We'll head toward the land I showed you. There is a nice Quarry, and west of that is a couple of dozen acres of fields." QJ took them past his house, and all three stared in disbelief.
Dessi shook her head. "I heard you describe it to Ringo, but damn, QJ."
They rode through the Quarry and stopped in the fields. Someone had once planted clover, but it had long since been overgrown. QJ turned south and rode briefly before dismounting next to the river.
"A water source is nice, building supplies. We could hire a few farmers to plant some crops if we wanted. Not a bad location, really." Dessi glanced at QJ. "What's the price?"
"There's no market now, so how can I sell? I'll give you a five-year free lease. At that time, you can pay whatever price the Maelstrom Housing and Development Office puts on it."
Umber looked up from the river; he had taken off his boots and waded in. "Five years will give us plenty of time to raise capital."
Dessi sighed. She really wanted to take the deal. QJ was being more than fair. Unfortunately, the cost of building a keep would take up credits and playtime. It would significantly hamper the growth of her third years.
"I understand your concerns Dessi, which is why I brought you this." QJ handed her the deed to the Red Dome Tent.
[Deed: Nomadic Red Dome]
Unique: Temporary
Description: Can only be set up on
unclaimed Lands in TAP territory.
[Exodus Compliant]
Additional Description: May only be
used on private property when in non-TAP
worlds.
Dessi stared at the deed in her hand. "How big are these?"
"Pick a spot and see, although I must activate it since it's my land."
Dessi moved toward her horse. "Right. Let's get away from the river a bit more." She grabbed her horse and walked toward a level area about a hundred meters away. "What do you think of this spot, QJ?"
"Close to the Quarry and the water source." QJ shrugged, "we can always move it later if you want to."
"Okay," Dessi motioned for her two students to join her. "Place it for us, please."
QJ nodded and activated the deed.
[System Message] You have chosen to activate the Nomadic Red Dome Tent on Briar Rose. Is this correct?"
"Yes."
A moment later, a giant Red Dome Tent appeared before them. QJ didn't even get a chance to speak before all three of his companions raced inside.
He followed behind them; the Silverleaf Women still had one in Ravenwood. They had the option to build homes, but many of them decided to stay in tents.
The inside was mostly empty. There were a few dozen spots for cookfires, and each location had long wooden tables next to them. The third years would have to buy smaller tents, which would make an ideal place for them. There were bathing areas on the far side of the tent.
Dessi walked up to one of the long tables and activated its hud. "Wow, the hud is huge." She walked back toward QJ while her students headed toward the bathing area to check it out. "Thank you again, QJ."
"You're my date for the Star Crossed Ball. So I have to treat you nice, right?"
Dessi's smile widened, "that's right."
"I'm going to head back to Briar Rose. Let's meet up later, Dessi."
Dessi watched him walk off. "Call if you need anything."