QJ swung Robin high into the air and then set her down lightly as they spun and danced to the rhythmic beat of drums and Romani-stringed instruments. At the midway point, his new partner became Lark; she had a natural grace that made dancing look easy.
Assorted players, dark elves, Romani, and a few young archers from the Basara continent formed two long lines with males on one side and females on the other. Two red squares had been drawn on the courtyard's cobblestones at the approximate center of each line. The last couple on one end would dance toward the middle, spinning and leaping like a square dance performed by a caffeinated mongoose. When the dancers arrived in the middle, whoever was standing on one of the red squares would replace the dancer of their gender, alternating red squares and starting ends with each round.
The music was loud, and the dancing was fast-paced and easy to remember. Over thirty minutes, QJ danced with Robin, Lark, Dessi, Lotte, Morgan, Nina, and Leeta. Finally, QJ was forced to take a break. The constant clapping was making his hands sting.
Stepping away from the line, he spotted a familiar face sitting on one of the benches near some tall shrubs. QJ approached the spymaster with a broad smile and sat beside her without commenting.
"Your place is beautiful, QJ." Annabelle smiled when he sat down; purposefully, she slid closer until their legs touched. She had put away the accouterments of court in favor of something more practical. If the spymaster felt uncomfortable wearing her black leather operative gear, she didn't show it.
"I'm still not used to it," QJ admitted. "Where will you be staying?"
"Maybe here with you," Annabelle leaned closer. "That place is too big for just one person."
QJ shook his head. "I don't mind if you stay here, but it wouldn't be the two of us. My majordomo stays in the cottage; Chancellor Ivy has moved in, and there are a few other temporary guests and staff."
Annabelle glanced toward the dancers, her sharp eyes looking for an orange-haired rogue. "What about Robin?"
"What about me?" Robin dropped stealth directly before them, smiling prettily at the spymaster. "Trying to take QJ from me?"
Annabelle nodded, not bothering to deny it. "Yes. Unfortunately, he seems quite taken with you."
Robin grabbed QJ's hand and pulled him to his feet. "Can you blame him?" The orange-haired Songbird kissed the side of his face. "You promised to take me riding."
QJ nodded and smiled apologetically at Annabelle. "Let's talk in a few days after things settle down."
"Okay, QJ." Annabelle smiled at the couple. "Cya, Robin."
"Good night," Robin replied, pausing long enough to return her smile.
QJ summoned Scorch, swung into the saddle, and gave Robin a hand she didn't need. Although the Songbird had her own horse, she preferred riding double in these instances.
QJ relaxed the reins, letting the big, red horse wander through the orchard. In the aftermath of the Main Event quest, the peace of the evening seemed out of place. "How's Larry doing?"
Robin chuckled, leaning back when he wrapped an arm around her waist. "He's very likable. I've never seen a better pickpocket."
*Pickpocket*
[Failure]
[Your intended target (Robin) is aware of your actions.]
Robin's laughter carried pleasantly on the night air. "And you're probably the worst."
"What? How dare you?"
*Pickpocket*
[Failure]
[Your intended target (Robin) is aware of your actions.]
[Your pickpocketing skill has increased to 18]
"You logging off?" Robin smiled at his antics, enjoying his teasing.
"Yep. Going to workout and then head over to mom and dads for supper." QJ used his free hand to push her hair to one side before kissing the back of her neck.
"We should go camping tonight," Robin suggested. "At our spot."
QJ nodded in agreement. Their spot was where she had chased him with her jetpack. She returned later and cleared away the undergrowth before planting flowers where he had crashed into the ground. "Sounds good. I won't be too late."
After a relaxing ride through Briar Rose's orchard, QJ logged off with the idea of a quick workout. An hour later, he stopped outside his parent's driveway and sat on the curb to catch his breath. It was 1800 hours; he had gone for a run.
"Everything okay, hun?" Tal was standing in the doorway, her face showing concern.
"Yep, just finished my run here by habit." He stood and walked toward her, "I'm not above a quick visit if you'll feed me!"
Tal laughed at the face he made. "Come in. We are having pasta."
QJ walked into a familiar setting. His dad and Anna sat at the island while Lara Sy was on the couch holding Cale. "Is that my little bro?"
Anna stood up and hugged QJ before he could sit down. "He's doing so well; he eats all the time."
"Oi... we didn't make enough for you, freeloader. Go back to your own place."
Quinn frowned at his son while eyeing the pasta Tal was dishing out.
"Mom invited me." QJ made a face at his dad and sat down anyway. "I'll just take a bit of your portion."
"Be nice, Quinn." Tal smiled at her two men, they loved to antagonize each other, but the reality was they were very close.
"You sure look nice holding a baby, Lara." QJ deliberately jumped into the deep water.
Lara smiled sweetly, "I do?"
Anna and Tal both nodded while Quinn carefully kept his face expressionless.
They sat down together and joined hands. "Thank you for the food."
"And God Bless Quinn." Tal squeezed her husband's hand.
"So, I hear we have an Assassin waiting for us in TAP." Quinn had heard the general situation from Serli.
QJ nodded his head. "Yes, a Legends NPC coming to the Phoenix Server."
Lara looked up from little Cale, who was chewing on her finger. "He was powerful and skilled."
QJ scowled when he remembered Benzo killing several of his guildmates. "These big guilds try to establish powerbases on every Server. They've been unable to do so on the Phoenix Server because of OP."
Tal frowned while she ate her food. She had already contacted Naomi regarding the server jumping. "Righteous Hand went out of their way to send an Assassin across servers. To do that, they would have to kill the assassin on the other servers first."
"I'm not letting him go, QJ." Quinn talked between mouthfuls of pasta as he wolfed down his food.
"It's not as simple as that anymore, Quinn. Since he's the only version of himself, he could develop into an LAI." Tal picked up the pasta dish and split the remaining between QJ and her husband.
"He came after us. I don't care what he is." Quinn shrugged like he was talking about cutting vegetables. "Have that Soma guy limit him to the Legends server."
Tal didn't comment, although she agreed with the idea. Something had to be done with GnG. Adding the Phoenix server could have far-reaching effects on the LAI community.
A few minutes later, QJ walked back to his house through his parent's backyard. The place was mostly quiet when he entered; Wu sat on the couch with his hud open.
"Heya Wu." QJ walked through the living room; he smelled the distinct aroma of take-out. "You guys already eat?"
Wu nodded and closed his hud. "Your roomies are hardcore, they logged off just long enough to eat, and then they were back at it."
QJ grinned and grabbed a beer before sitting down at the island. "I don't blame them. They are trying to keep up. I'll slow things down a bit."
"So... I went through your event and quest logs. Fascinating stuff. Let's talk a bit about the Dunjai."
"Dunjai? Sure, that's an interesting place. A Raja oversees the Eleven Tribes of the Basara Continent. Lots of things going on there."
Wu nodded, "Let's start there first of all. Here's the pattern we saw on the other GnG servers." He got up and took a seat at the kitchen island so he could use its hud. "Burning Horse joins the Raja faction and eventually betrays them to try and take over all of the Basara Continent. This civil war is still going on in the other GnG servers."
QJ studied the graph line comparing the first nine servers with Phoenix. "Hmm, Sandhealer Faction joined the Raja on Phoenix, with most of Burning Horse eliminated."
"Yes, a peaceful faction that is capable of strengthening the Raja. They were eliminated early on the other servers. You've changed everything once again." Wu shook his head; everything QJ touched was instantly turned inside out and upside down. Like the epicenter of a Hurricane, affecting everything around him while he remained relatively peaceful.
"Does this mean there won't be a civil war?" QJ thought suddenly of Dara, the Ghost who he taught to sign. She would definitely have a better life as part of the Sandhealer Faction.
"Most likely, there won't be a war. Although peaceful, the Sandhealer Faction is well respected with solid roots. We should also touch base on your titles."
QJ pursed his lips as he brought up a 3D map of the Basara continent. "It's a huge landmass, the largest in GnG; too bad it's so barren."
"You're the Water King. Do you know what that means?"
QJ shook his head. "I received it after finishing the Quest for Ra."
"I can find no reference for it on any other servers. So it must be something you did during the quest."
"We activated an old Water Station; I guess they are related." But, unfortunately, QJ couldn't find any stat changes or benefits associated with the title, so he had yet to give it much thought.
A sly smile crossed Wu's face. "You know what the friendship ceremony is among the Dunjai?"
"No clue. I was only there for a day."
Wu held out his hand as if cupping water. "It's straightforward, you place your hands against each other and say, 'Let's hold the water together.' "
"Right, I did that. Simple and direct." QJ hadn't given Ra much thought since he had left the Dunjai. She was a remarkable woman.
"It bears a remarkable resemblance to the Sandhealer marriage ceremony. In that instance, the two people actually hold water in their hands and then combine them. Care to guess what's next?" Wu loved these moments; he could see QJ's high-powered brain sifting through the information.
"Oh god... don't tell me they drink it" QJ felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach.
"Gold star for QJ. There's the last part, of course, the actual vow. 'I will share my water with you until it is all gone.' "
"Holy crap..." QJ held his head in both hands. "Tell me your kidding."
Wu finally couldn't hold it any longer and shamelessly began laughing at QJ. "Dude... Doesn't that sound like til death do us part?"
QJ put his head down on the counter. "I'm so boned," he mumbled.
"I'm not sure why she made you Sandhealer Faction Leader. There is no precedent there. But, on the other hand, it may have something to do with your Water King title.
"Stop talking, Wu." QJ sat up, holding his head in his hands. "My parents are going to freak out."
Wu laughed again. "Yeah... don't forget about your girlfriend."
"....." QJ.
An hour later, QJ was sitting next to a campfire in the deep woods of Northern Ravenwood. He had his whip out and flicked it at the sparks escaping into the air. Every few minutes, the skill would increase. He looked down at the whip in his hand; QJ had borrowed it from the teamster station at the stable. He flicked it again, smiling as it snapped loudly in the darkness.
"Hmm... deep in thought, QJ?" A familiar voice carried from the darkness. He lifted his head as Robin sauntered toward him.
QJ smiled when he saw her. "Any trouble finding me?"
Robin shook her head. "No, of course not. This is our spot, and it's the only fire for miles around." She noticed his hair was damp and the slight noise of running water from a nearby stream. "You take a swim?"
"Yep."
"You seem troubled." She sat beside him and slid a hand through his arm. "Whatever is bothering you, we can figure it out."
QJ nodded and spilled everything. First, he told her everything that happened during his time in the Dunjai. Then he explained the facts as Wu had presented them. The orange-haired Songbird listened intently, her dark eyes never leaving his.
She didn't frown or even look the slightest bit upset. "Any consummation?"
"Consummation? Do you mean did we? Of course not."
"How binding would it be then? She more than likely knew that you stumbled into it by accident; instead of telling you, she went through with it." Robin smiled at him. "I would have done the same thing if I met you in those circumstances."
QJ didn't feel like smiling. "Really?"
Robin nodded, "Gotta say, though. I didn't think some foreign woman would sink her claws in you when I wasn't around."
"I'm not my dad; it isn't my intent to settle down when I'm twenty." QJ kissed the top of her head, listening to the night sounds of Ravenwood. "A nice cabin back here in the woods, far away from everyone, would be nice, though."
"With me?"
QJ nodded. "Yep."
QJ's hud blinked at him; he answered it and found himself looking at an old man with long white hair. Both his hair and beard were braided; a black eye patch made him look like an old pirate.
"You are Sandhealer Faction Leader, QJ?" The old man's voice sounded smooth and deep, like an aging lounge singer. "I am Minotauro Velez of the Velez Affiliate."
"I'm QJ, Vice Commander of OP. This is the first I've heard of the Velez Affiliate. What can I do for you, sir?"
"Our Capitol city of Vavri is hosting a Leadership Summit in two weeks. As someone whose reputation has grown quite impressive, we would like to invite you to join us."
QJ brought up his map. It took him a moment to find the city. It was located far to the North, on the continent of Fraezi, just inside the Arctic zone. "How many others have you invited?"
The old man's ice-blue eyes stared at him, "Two dozen in all. Will you attend?"
QJ glanced and Robin, who nodded at him. "Yes."
"Very well. I will send you the information you will need." The old man closed comm without saying anything further.
[System Message] You have been invited to the World Leader Summit.
QJ used a bucket near his seat to put out the fire. "Shall we head back?"
Robin shook her head, a smile on her face as she started disrobing. "Perhaps a swim first?"
QJ nodded. "Sure."
Robin grabbed his hand and pulled him along. "We can share the water together."
QJ frowned at her, "Very funny."
Robin's laughter was cut off when she dived cleanly into the stream. She surfaced and slicked back her hair. "Don't be shy, QJ."
An hour later, QJ and Robin approached the Keep. There had been a general message saying that the changes to the OP Keep would start at midnight and take it offline for a few hours. Ringo and Lotte rode up just as they approached. Robin gave him a quick kiss and excused herself.
QJ waved at them. "You guys feel like a trip? I've been invited to a Summit of sorts. I'm thinking about bringing all of OP with me."
"A Summit? Where?" Ringo's eyes lit up with interest.
"On the Fraezi Continent."
Lotte made a face at him; she knew where Fraezi was. "Damn, first the desert, and now the ice cap? Don't you feel like visiting someplace nicer?"
"Hey... we can make snowmen and stuff." QJ grinned at Ringo; he pictured hitting her with a snowball.
"Guild trip? Sounds like a great idea QJ." Ringo narrowed her eyes at him. "What's with that evil smile?"
"Oh.. nothing, really."
QJ headed up to his Workshop. He was concerned about what changes would be made to his workspace when the Keep upgraded to a City Fort. He took two small boxes out of his inventory and sat them on his table. QJ had asked Wren to pick up some items for Robin since he was clueless about women's clothes. He had also picked her up something on his own. She glanced up when he opened the connecting door between their areas. "Busy Robs?"
She shook her head and leaned back in her chair. "Presents?"
"No, not really. I would like you to go somewhere with me. Consider this your disguise." He handed her the two boxes from Wren.
Robin peeked inside both. "Hmmm... how did you know my sizes?"
"Wren picked them out, actually." QJ shrugged and handed her an item he wrapped himself. "This one is from me, though."
Robin sat the two boxes down and picked up the paper-wrapped object. A moment later, she was holding a small stuffed animal in her hands. "What kind of animal is this?"
"It's a platypus." QJ watched her squeeze it and hold it up to her face.
"You're messing with me. Right? There's no such thing.
QJ brought up his hud and quickly searched before finding a video of one. "It's a real animal from my world."
Robin smiled widely while watching the video; she held the stuffed animal to her chest, stroking it like it was real. "So cute..."
"How long will it take you to get ready?"
Robin smiled sweetly. "How long until we have to leave?"
QJ glanced at his hud. "Maybe an hour and a half."
"That should be enough time." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him before shooing him out.
"Okay, Robs... I'll just wait in my shop. Come in when you are ready."
"Okay. Thanks for the Platypus."