Exodus: Guns & Gore

The group of friends sat around the kitchen island. Piles of suitcases, bags, and trunks of all sizes littered the living room.

QJ handed everyone a beer and opened the pizza box they had ordered. "Before we start eating, let's iron out 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, his bright red hair was covered by a blue bandanna, he wore jeans with holes in both knees and 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, to be honest, 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 agreed, the noise during the day was bothersome. "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 denied." QJ laughed at their faces. Naomi and Tal had pushed him into it, secretly QJ was glad that calmer heads prevailed. "My current academic achievements don't warrant a candidacy."

Lotte gave him a small smile. "You didn't want it to go through."

"No way. How can I play GnG if my head's in a book all the time?"

Sato lifted up 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 opening of the casino, 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 really sure. I was fitted for an outfit a few weeks ago, 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, 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 on the room next to Nina's. That had left Sato all the way down the hallway.

***********

A short while later QJ was sitting in his workshop putting the final touches on a gun he had been working on for weeks. 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. 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, "hope you didn't hurt him."

Robin pointed toward the hall, "usual spot."

QJ opened the door and found his thief. Three 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. 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 years 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 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 pearl squares that he had carefully cut and polished. The pearl itself had been the size of his fist. QJ sighed heavily, it had been the most costly part of the weapon. The pearl 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.

"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 the silk square to buff out his fingerprints.

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, "see? 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 hide-out

gun. A lovely caption of a beautiful Songbird

adorns both barrels. Pearl handled 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+

Person Specific: Robin

QJ's hud starting 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 nodded, "well... that's good then.

Robin peeked at his hud. "Looks like you are popular."

QJ shrugged. "Suppose so."

Robin smiled and took his hand in hers. "Let them wait a bit hun."