Chapter 51: Moving Day
The following two weeks passed by quickly. The players of OP (One Problem), had all progressed into their mid-30s, while QJ regained the top spot on the server at 39. In GnG, after level 33, leveling up became exponentially harder.
Since OP took over the top score on the Doubler Canyon Raid, they were awarded 10 million credits, which were placed in the guild bank to pay for future armor repairs. Briar Rose's construction had been completed, and the hidden Casino beneath was finally finished.
Little Cale thrived in Ravenwood; Anna and Quinn seemed to share taking care of the child. The elder Quinn was unexpectedly good with babies.
Blaze and Onion had been tasked with hatching the Phoenix Egg, and after four days, a beautiful red bird was born. It immediately burst into flames and wandered around their yard, setting everything on fire. Then, after a few minutes, it took to the air. Luckily Leah had been close by, her red wings had attracted the Phoenix's attention, and she was able to coax him into landing. Blaze had spent every day since then training him. As a ranger, she had a natural friendship with all animals.
Helping Lotte in the pool had become a daily occurrence for QJ. He finally packed up his things and moved into his house next door. Tal had protested a bit, but Quinn managed to smooth things over. Breeze, Sato, Lotte, and Nina all moved in with him.
On moving day, the group of friends sat around the kitchen island of their new home. Piles of suitcases, bags, and trunks of all sizes littered the living room. QJ had rented a flatbed trailer for his dad's truck and drove to Flagstaff, where he picked up Breeze and Nina. On the way back, he stopped by Henderson and picked up Sato.
QJ handed everyone a beer and opened the pizza box they had ordered. "Before we start eating, let's iron out the details. There are two downstairs bedrooms and four upstairs. Lotte has dibs on one downstairs room."
"Me! I'll take the other one!" Nina was wearing a tie-dyed t-shirt and cut-off jeans. Her purple hair was tied up in a neat bun.
Sato shook his head, "gotta make a better case than that. I have asthma, so going up and down stairs all the time isn't healthy." He conveniently coughed; a blue bandanna covered his bright red hair, and he wore jeans with holes in both knees with flip-flops.
"If that's the best case, then I'll take it." QJ shrugged at the protests, "It's awfully close to Lotte's room. Let's give her the final say."
Breeze pumped her fist. "Yes, I'm in!"
Lotte smiled apologetically at her Chero friend, "QJ..."
QJ shrugged, "Sorry, Breeze. Okay, the bedrooms upstairs are first come, first serve. GO!"
Nina was up the stairs before the others even moved. The violet-haired third-year claimed the room straight off the stairs. The largest of all of them."
Lotte took a drink of her beer, "damn... she's quick."
Breeze and Sato were wrestling in the hallway. No surprise to anyone, she quickly pinned him. QJ handed Lotte a slice of pizza and then grabbed one for himself. "This could take a while."
Lotte was watching them with a smile on her face. Breeze seemed to keep changing her mind; wherever Sato went, she tackled him and claimed it. "She's bullying him, " Lotte laughed aloud.
Half an hour later, most of the pizza was gone. QJ was leaning back in his chair, watching Lotte. "How's your mom taking it?"
"Mom's fine. Jo was the one who seemed upset." Lotte shook her head in disbelief. "She barely says two words to me a week."
It was Friday night; they had taken the afternoon off from school to make the move. With no classes planned until Monday, the only thing on their weekend schedule was the Star Crossed ball.
"At least that racket finally quieted down. How long's that been going on for?" Sato was complaining about the noisy sound of construction in their development.
QJ shrugged helplessly. The pool/hot tub area was finished by Tal, Naomi, and her assistants. It had only been completed a few days before they started on the apartment complex. QJ had spent nearly an entire day marking up the blueprints for the general contractor. "This development has become privately owned; the homes on the south end have been removed to make room for an apartment building."
Nina stared at him, "I hear that you designed a VR building and that it's become your thesis under Dr. Gajendra."
Breeze didn't look surprised; she knew that QJ was smarter than just about everyone. "Is that why you've been spending so much time at the TAP Academy?"
"Not a thesis. Dr. Gajendra applied for me to be a Doctorate candidate under her supervision. If it had been approved, it may have become the basis of my thesis."
"Holy shit QJ." Sato snaked the last slice of pizza, "do you think it will be approved?"
"It was, but I turned them down." QJ laughed at their faces. Naomi and Tal had tried to pressure him into it; secretly, QJ was glad they had given up. "My current academic requirements have me busy enough."
Lotte gave him a small smile. "Doctor QJ has a nice ring to it."
"No way. How can I play GnG if my head's always in a book?"
Sato lifted his beer and toasted him. "Amen, brother!"
Breeze cracked open the last beer. "By the way, Sato, if I see you on Saturday, there's no way you are getting a tip."
Sato scowled at her. "Damn, you."
He was one of the few who didn't have a date for the Star Crossed Ball. The girls had all asked someone. According to the rules, he'd be working as a server.
"It's interesting, isn't it? That my teacher asked you?" Nina's pretty face was filled with curiosity.
QJ frowned at the memory. "Ambushed when I wasn't looking. It was Ringo's idea."
Sato hung his head on the table. "She could have asked me!"
Breeze threw an arm around QJ's shoulders and quickly changed topics. "Want to grind levels with me tonight?"
QJ shrugged noncommittedly, "I have a few last-minute things to take care of at Briar Rose." QJ had most of the pieces in place for the Casino opening; he had spent the last few days helping Ringo rid herself of the Vampire Curse.
After dinner, they cleaned up and started moving bags into their rooms. QJ helped Lotte move her things and then started on his. He left his door open so he could hear her.
Lotte slowly unpacked her things, carefully folding her clothes before putting them in the dresser. "Hey QJ, what are you wearing to the Star Crossed Ball?"
QJ looked up from his box of running shoes. "Actually, I'm not sure. I was fitted for an outfit a few weeks ago but haven't seen it yet."
Lotte laughed at him. "Really? That's brave..."
Aji was a Tailor and had taken it upon herself to make his clothes for the ball. She had also measured Kate, Alice, and the Silverleaf women. "Might end up naked if my Tailor isn't finished."
Lotte made a raspberry sound with her lips. "You have a Tailor?"
With the faction quests that One Problem (OP) had been doing, many of the members were close to being awarded titles. Lotte was probably the closest in faction points.
"Yep, it just so happens my MajorDomo is a tailor."
Lotte laughed from her room, "It's odd that you like saying that word so much."
All done up here, logging in, guys!" Breeze yelled down from her room; she had eventually settled in the room next to Nina's. That had left Sato all the way down the hallway.
[Welcome to Guns and Gore, the Phoenix Server.]
Location: One Problem Guild Keep.
Time: 1830 hours
Server Population: 44,565 Your current level is 39.
[Guild Message of the Day]
Experience Boosters are being sold at Morgan's Emporium for 1 thousand GCP.
[System Message] Mid-month profits from your stores have arrived (721,000 credits/ 2,200 wooden drachma).
QJ didn't read the guild message he had posted a week earlier. A thousand GCP was more than most OP members were willing to spend. However, since he and Ringo had nearly forty thousand GCP each, they were willing to pay for a double-xp boost that lasted four hours. His hud buzzed suddenly; he answered it as he turned toward the stables.
Ringo's face smiled back at him. "I assumed you got paid?"
QJ nodded. "I didn't realize we'd get a cut of the drachma."
"Me either," Ringo replied. "I guess we should have read the fine print."
"Right... From now on, we'll get Anna to read all the contracts." QJ paused next to Morgan's Emporium. "I'm crafting tonight. What about you?"
"Going to do the gypsy dailies," Ringo replied. "Catch you later, QJ."
QJ brought up the counter hud on Morgan's Emporium. The very valuable items could only be bought with a very large amount of drachma. He had found a pistol blueprint that he wanted to build, but the price was 12 thousand drachma. After picking up ten xp-boosters that he paid for with GCP, he headed toward his workshop.
[OP: Ringo] Morgan mentioned that the Liraraptor mounts will be available for sale next week.
[OP: QJ] I don't need a mount. I want that damn pistol blueprint.
[OP: Ringo] The one you are making for me?
[OP: QJ] That's the one. :P
A short while later, QJ was sitting in his workshop, putting the final touches on a gun he had been working on for a week. He had gone all in, meticulously engraving the outside of the barrel with the image of a Robin. Sweat trickled down his brow as he used a rough cloth to push away the metallic dust. He glanced over at the silver liquid boiling on one of his burners. He managed to find a reference to plating weapons in GnG. It really wasn't plating in the real sense; it actually changed the metallic properties of the outer surface to silver. It would lighten the gun a bit and make it nicer to look at. QJ wouldn't have bothered if it was for him.
QJ picked up the piece and looked at it carefully. He had purposely left the trigger housing unassembled. This is because the trigger needed to be coated separately, and he didn't want the gun to be finished by the production system.
A minute later, he had placed the unfinished gun and the trigger housing in the boiling liquid. According to the reference he had found, ten minutes would be enough. "If this ruins all my hard work, I'm gonna be pissed."
QJ opened the door between their offices and walked in. Robin was sitting at her desk using her hud. She looked up when he entered.
"Hey, hun. You're friend dropped by again." Robin hid her smile behind a hand.
QJ sighed, "I hope you didn't hurt him."
Robin pointed toward the hall, "usual spot."
QJ opened the door and found his thief. Two weeks ago, he had given Lonnie a mission. The poor thief had tried unsuccessfully on a dozen different occasions to steal the gun from Robin's desk. She caught him each time and then beat him up. Finally, after about the fifth time, Lonnie decided that Robin was the ultimate thief and should teach him everything she knows.
Lonnie was sitting in the hall, nursing a black eye. He looked up when QJ opened the door.
"You okay, Lonnie?"
The small thief nodded. "This is a gift from the Master, so of course, I will cherish it."
QJ looked back at Robin. "A punch in the eye is a gift? Please forget about my birthday this year."
Robin laughed from her desk but didn't look up. "As I remember, you really liked last year's present."
QJ sighed; the gift certificate for skinny dipping had definitely been something he wasn't expecting. "Just teach him something useful, Robs. I can't bear to watch him mope around."
Robin sighed heavily and put on a stern face. "Come in here, Larry."
Lonnie peeked in the door. "My name is Lonnie, Master."
Robin frowned at him. "Don't argue with me, Larry, or I'll make your eyes match." She handed him a hand-drawn map. "Memorize this, you and I are going somewhere tonight. I have to see what I'm working with."
"A job with the Master?" Lonnie was nodding so hard that he looked like a bobblehead.
"Yes, now sit there and study the map quietly." Robin looked back at QJ. "Happy now?"
QJ smiled and walked back into his shop. "Thanks, Robs."
The silver liquid continued its ominous boiling. QJ picked up a pair of surgical tongs and removed the small hideout gun and its remaining components.
"Hmm.. interesting." QJ used a small patch of silk to buff the parts. He had been worried that his engraving on the barrel would fade with the treatment; however, it had only made it stand out more.
He picked up the two blue jade squares that he had carefully cut and polished. The jade itself had been the size of his fist. QJ sighed heavily. It had been the most costly part of the weapon. The jade pieces had already been fitted; QJ had made it so they would snap in place. It created a smoother look and made it easier to disassemble.
"Shit... Almost forgot!"
[System Message] You have consumed an Experience Booster. All xp will be doubled for the next four hours.
"Last part." QJ assembled the trigger housing and then slid it into place, three small screws, and it was finished. He held it up in one hand and used a silk cloth to buff out his fingerprints.
With a heavy sigh, he sat it down on the bench. "Well... dunno what I expected but...
*Ding 40*
*Ding 41*
[Phoenix Server Announcement] Viscount Kingslayer QJ is the first player to reach level 40.
[System Message] You have received the Hard Charger Title: +2 to all stats.
[System Message] You have been awarded One Hundred Thousand Credits.
[System Message] Your World Reputation has increased by 5.
QJ laughed smugly. "That's more like it."
Robin appeared in the doorway. "Make something nice?"
[Guns and Gore Announcement: All Servers] A Magnum Opus has been created By Viscount Kingslayer QJ.
Please Name your Magnum Opus.
"Secret Lover." QJ felt his face turn red; he could feel Robin's eyes watching him.
[System Message] Your World Reputation has been increased by 50.
*Ding 42*
[Guns and Gore Announcement: All Servers] Bask in the Glory of a Magnum Opus.
[Secret Lover] Magnum Opus
Twin-Barreled, Silver-Plated Derringer
Description: Intricately Carved hideout
gun. A lovely caption of a beautiful Songbird
adorns both barrels. Blue jade inserts and custom
grips make this a personalized gun.
Additional Description: Crafted for silence
and accuracy. Both shots will score critical
hits according to the shooter's agility rating.
BR:12+
(Custom Weapon: Robin) Crafted by QJ.
QJ's hud started blinking crazily; a moment later, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see beautiful dark eyes. "So much for surprises." He handed her the weapon.
Robin turned the weapon over in her hand, carefully examining it with a trained eye. "Until now, I've always felt that guns were crude and ugly." She smiled gently, holding it in her hand. "It's beautiful, QJ. I love it."
QJ returned her smile. "Well... that's good then.
Robin peeked at his hud. "Looks like you're popular."
QJ shrugged. "Suppose so."
Robin smiled and took his hand in hers. "Let them wait a bit, hun."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
BotwaCazador
BotwaCazador Thanks for reading.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone