Chapter 10: New Beginnings
Three years passed by in what seemed like an instant. QJ fulfilled his parent's stipulation of attending TAP Academy and finishing first in his graduating class. As agreed, they enrolled him in the Exodus GnG Academy's first-year class.
The two Quinns stared at each other across the kitchen island.
Elder Quinn scowled menacingly."Pfft... this is it, son. I'm so tired of those good looks, the sky-blue eyes, and the super brain."
QJ frowned, "you've had this coming for a long time Dad. So tall and famous, the great Q Assassin. It's time someone put you in your place."
The older Quinn nodded. "I'm sure... L4."
QJ hung his head in despair, "dang it... you've sunk my Battleship."
Ren materialized by the front door, causing them both to look up. She was using her Rogue Avatar, which looked around 14; her actual age was 31. She had blossomed into a stunning beauty, a slender and shorter version of her mom.
Ren smiled at her two favorite men. "QJ, don't play Battleship with glasses on. Your dad can see the pieces reflected in the lenses."
QJ crossed his arms in front of him and scowled at his dad, "oh, I see... You are cheating your only son!"
Quinn threw a gray battleship at Ren; it passed through her since it was her virtual avatar, "you turncoat!"
She walked over and mimicked, kissing the older Quinn on the cheek. "QJ can see your ships from the reflection on the fridge HUD screen."
Quinn shot his son a disgusted look, "come to challenge the older generation with sneaky tricks?"
"Ren! Gutted by my big sister..." QJ made a run for the stairs, falling short when he was tackled onto the carpet by his dad.
Ren laughed as the two wrestled on the floor. "Mom's coming!!"
Both men stopped what they were doing and quickly assumed sitting positions on the couch while looking up the stairs. After a minute, they both stared at Ren, who gave them an innocent look.
"Hey... I thought I heard mom," she smirked at the pair, "Robin says hello, QJ." Ren waved as she logged back into Exodus and disappeared.
Quinn threw an arm around his son's shoulder, "so... Robin pretty much says hi every time Ren comes to the house."
QJ pursed his lips, "yeah... she's a bit older; nothing wrong with that, though."
[Ravenwood Stables]
QJ sat on the top rail of the corral watching as Jacob rubbed down one of the workhorses. Jacob's long curly hair fell into his face as he worked. "Aren't you bored watching me, QJ?"
QJ shook his head, "wanna watch the horse races at Bizzaro's when you get done?"
Jacob's face broke into a sly grin as he wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve, "can you get some of the Silverleaf girls to go with us?"
QJ gave him a depressed look, "last time I went over there, they wouldn't let me leave."
"Should I feel sorry for you? I want your life!" Jacob laughed at his friend.
Qj nodded reluctantly, "I'll set it up. Hey, how's Old Mo doing?"
Mo was the Stablemaster in Talon. He was also Jacob's Grandfather.
"Same as always. I'll get cleaned up and meet you at the Songbird later."
**********
QJ walked out of his room and into the kitchen. He had taken over Ren's room when she had moved in with Em next door.
"Hey, hun, lunch will be ready in a bit. Want something to eat?"
Tal had an engineering book out and was paging through it. Unlike the rest of the world, she still used real books.
"No thanks, I already ate." QJ took the chair next to hers and activated the table hud.
Tal's pretty blue eyes were sympathetic, "still can't find it?"
QJ shook his head; the resemblance to his father was uncanny. "Does dad really know?"
Tal nodded, "he knows."
For a horse to race in Exodus, it had to comply with the rules.
Super horses weren't allowed; each horse had to be based on a real horse, an exact match right down to the digital DNA. Quinn had promised his son that he'd give him Scorch to take to the Exodus Academy if he could figure out who he was based on.
"There just aren't any big red stallions in the past 50 years that were anything special."
Tal glanced casually toward the upstairs bedroom, "go back a bit further, hun."
"Further? Oh god... I don't want some caveman's horse. Is Scorch even fast?" QJ gave his mom a quick kiss on the cheek and then walked back toward his room.
Tal's lips curved in a smile as she watched him leave, "oh, he's fast, hun."
Quinn slid down the railing and skidded across the floor. He looked up at his wife, who was shaking her head. "Not my best effort."
Anna trotted down the stairs behind him; her short black hair was sticking straight up. She had returned really late from a trip to see her family and had been gone for three weeks. She hugged Quinn from behind. "Did you miss me?"
Quinn shot Tal a deadpan look, "did Nanna go somewhere?"
"Attack!" Anna jumped on Quinn's back, causing Tal to laugh from the island.
"After the third day, he started asking, "When's Nanna coming back?"
Tal ignored the frown that Quinn gave her.
"You did?" Anna mumbled against his back. She happily accepted a ride to the island and then jumped down. "I missed you guys too!"
Anna helped Tal with lunch while Quinn poured them iced tea. The three of them sat down together.
Quinn glanced at QJ's room, "QJ not eating?"
Tal shook her head as they joined hands, "he already ate."
"Thank you for the meal."
"And God bless Quinn," Tal added softly.
********
Two teenage girls were splashing each other in the shallow water of Raven River. "You two better get a move on; your moms are going to be mad if you are late."
The pretty red-haired teen frowned at the Dryad. "Ten more minutes Aunty Ro-Ro?"
Her sidekick, a white-haired half-dark elf, smiled at Ro-Ro. "Is our big brother coming today?"
"I'm sure he is since his grandpa is becoming a permanent resident of TAP." Rhapsody handed each of the girls their towels.
"Does it hurt when you die in the hero world, Auntie? The white-haired girl looked like her dark elf mother, but she definitely had her dad's charm.
"Pops has been sick for a while now; we are fortunate to be in a position to continue seeing him."
Rhapsody grasped each of their hands as they walked towards the house. The members of Raven were all wealthy. The technology that HYLO invented had been improved and offered to the public by Orion Media. However, it was costly, and there were lots of rules involved.
By the time they were climbing the hill to the house, the girls could see Leah and Mojo standing on the porch.
"Oh, crap," the one called Sara hung her head in defeat. "We're doomed."
As they approached, the redhead girl slowed her steps. "We can't be that late, right?"
"Sasha Riley, you better hurry up here!" Leah crossed her arms in front of her as she scolded her daughter. "You're going to grow fins if you spend too much time in the water!"
The door opened, and Quinn stepped out. He smiled when he saw his daughters. "My girls were swimming again?"
"Daddy!" They both spoke simultaneously and raced toward him; they knew sanctuary when they saw it.
Quinn laughed when the two girls ran into him; they kissed him several times, making sure to keep away from their moms.
"Dad, Dad! Guess what?" Sara clung to his waist as she looked up at him.
Quinn scratched his chin. "Guess? You have a boyfriend now?"
Sara made a face, "Nope. I found the cutest snake down by the river."
Quinn's face lit up as he caught on to the joke, "really? You should show your mom then."
Sara nodded and reached into her pocket, "look, mom!"
Both Leah and Mojo screeched and leaped from the porch. Sara was dangling a piece of swamp grass in her hand.
Quinn didn't bother to hide his laughter; the daughter of a dark elf inexplicably had a wicked sense of humor. He nudged Sara toward the door. "Better run now, Hun."
Sara ran into the house before Mojo could say anything further. Sasha looked around and realized she was the only culprit left for punishment; quickly, she ducked behind her dad and followed her sister.
Mojo glared at Quinn. "You spoil our daughters too much."
Leah stood beside her, nodding," a bit too much, Quinn."
Quinn's smile dropped from his face. "You're right. They are lucky girls. I was on my own when I was their age." Quinn's face suddenly looked sad, as if remembering those times.
"Hey...Quinn, I didn't..." Mojo looked downward, "it's fine, right? They were having fun. We overreacted."
"Yeah, it's just some fun." Leah hugged Quinn, "let's go inside and see Pops."
Quinn held the door for Mojo and Leah as they entered the house. He waited for Ro-Ro, who was trailing a few steps behind. The sad expression he had worn a moment before faded into an innocent one.
Ro-Ro winked at him, "you are so shameless, Quinn."
Pops was sitting at the kitchen Island drinking brandy that Mike Obreen had poured. Mike and Louise were already permanent Ravenwood residents. Louise had died of cancer ten years earlier, and Mike, who had been relatively healthy for a man his age, died of a broken heart a few weeks later.
Mike and Louise appeared to be a couple in their twenties. The transfer procedure put you in an avatar identical to how you looked when you died. This gave you and the people you loved time to adapt. Slowly over about five years, your avatar would age backward until it reached the age you wanted to appear.
Tal smiled when she saw him; she took his hand and pulled him toward the island. "What age do you think dad chose as his target?" She was sure the old man had asked Quinn.
"Sixteen, I think," Quinn said with a serious face.
"...." Talia.
Quinn laughed at her face. "Twenty-five."
"What age do you think I should go with when it's time?" Tal leaned closer, kissing his cheek as she whispered.
"You get more beautiful each day I see you, whatever you like." Quinn left his arm around her waist.
"Quinn...," she said softly as she leaned against him.
Quinn cleared his throat, "but of course, if I were forced to pick, I'd go with twenty."
Tal smiled against his neck as she pinched his side. "Rascal."
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