The friends hung out until dinner time talking, sparring and just enjoying the company. She prepared a meal which included the steaks for them then repeated the cleaning process, emptied the fridge, and hit the button to pack the kitchen. She smiled broadly then sat down to eat with the others.
"What do you guys think? Any feedback on it?" Minx asked.
Midas said, "I think you made friends with a very interesting person!"
Minx laughed. "I'd say more acquaintance. He's going to help me with some food research. He's a man of science, so of course there is a level to connect there."
She looked at the others.
"Well, you are the one who used it, but the function seems efficient and it packs up compact enough to carry." Raven responded.
"I love the fact it is an actual kitchen with all the appliances you need. Did you see that blender in the cabinet?"
Minx nodded with a smile. "He incorporated everything I had and the grain grinder he put in there is way better than that little thing I was using before. I do need to get a sauce maker for making jams, though. I have enough credits easily. I saw a nice one for 5 but wasn't sure it was compact enough. I think it would fit in the top part of the bag that he provided."
"Do you need to give it back?" Revlis asked.
"No. In fact he took all my old equipment to ensure the new one had everything I needed in it."
Minx laughed. "I just realized I folded up the kitchen without the dishes we just used to eat. Which also means it was out of water after the second cleaning and the test of the plumbing. I guess that's a good thing to know."
She opened the kitchen back up and placed all the dirty dishes in the sink. "Aqua, can you do the honors with water again?"
Aqua did as asked. She then pressed the button to initiate the cleaning process once more. The arms came out and washed everything that was in the sink and used hot air to dry them then placed them all in their proper places. With a huge smile on her face, she hit the button to reshape it into a cube once more and she packed it up in the bag, then packed the rest as she was able. The spare meat mostly fit in the top which meant the sauce maker would fit. The issue would then be that she could not store any food in there.
The friends all went back to the dorms together. On the way there, she messaged Logan that she had some feedback which she provided. He asked her to bring it by.
On the way there, she stopped by a particular room. As she had her hand up to knock, the door opened and there stood Quinn, a tad stunned as he did not expect anyone to be there.
"Hi Quinn, is Vord..." as the door swung open more and Vorden was at his side. She fidgeted a little but then she presented the pie and tart to Vorden.
"Thank you for your help. This is a blueberry pie and a strawberry tart. I'm hoping to open a market stall in 8 weeks, so I will be making more of this type of stuff to perfect my recipes."
She waited for Vorden to take them, smiled at Quinn then ran off.
Quinn looked at Vorden, "Why was she so uncomfortable and why does she keep running off like that? Is it me?"
Vorden sighed, "She doesn't think she is worthy to be in either of our presence."
He looked sad. He placed his treats by his bed to make sure Peter didn't eat them when he returned from wherever he was.
"Let's just go."
On the top floor, Logan made the adjustments. He incorporated a sauce maker which strains the seeds and skins from fruit. He altered the bag, so it was in sections. Since the sauce maker was now in the kitchen, she didn't need to buy one. He made the bag longer so she could carry more food in the top portion of the bag.
Minx then spent the next 8 weeks perfecting recipes in preparation and anticipation for opening her own stall.
While Minx was prepping for her business venture, the rest of the team was focusing on getting stronger and supporting her. Her daily lessons continued with Raten and Raven. Raven worked with Knight while Minx worked with Raten. The boys were working in the game and with each other. They all decided to use her area as it was safe, secluded and they would be able to trade pointers with each other.
Raven set up targets and asked Knight to work speed drills. His speed and precision increased. She placed things on the ground and hanging from the tree for Knight to grab and destroy with his beak or render with his claws. While he was a beast and such actions were natural for him, these drills made him a sharper and more precise killer. In addition, it increased their bond and Raven's confidence in her ability to control him. Knight would bring her shiny things he'd find once in a while. One time he gave her a beast crystal.
In Power Fighters, Revlis, Aqua and Midas all got beaten by a player that went by the moniker Blood Evolver. They didn't contest he was strong, though some thought he was a hacker. Midas realized quickly he may have been able to figure out one skill in the beginning by watching others, but he really needed the book to fully explain it before he could duplicate it. On the flip side, his hand-to-hand skills were improving. He'd often spar with the others.
The way the game was set up, a player could select their ability and use it against their opponent. You could follow others and send messages to one another. If you had beast gear, there was a way to scan it and have it included in the game as part of your gear. You were also able to customize your avatar.
Some visuals were free as part of the game but the best looking depictions were something the player would need to pay for. The three boys were quite happy using the free stuff since all their money from the school was being dumped into the game. The player would feel the hits but not as bad as they would have in an actual fight. There was also an option to invite people into a private space, which was also called the white space because it was white.
In here, one didn't get hurt or fatigued but players could learn from one another and practice moves away from the prying eyes of others. The only problem with it was they still only had their gaming pods for an hour. It was in these spaces that Revlis taught martial arts to the others, but not to the proficiency they would have gotten in class. It was enough to teach the moves. They would need to practice them in the actual game.
Aqua really wanted the next book, but he was willing to see what would happen to him in the game. One day he went against a strong earth user. He hoped using water would be beneficial here. The timer counted down and the fight began.
Aqua started by throwing a ball of water rather than getting close. His ball was blocked by an earth wall followed by an earth cylinder being fired from the hand of his opponent. Aqua was only a level 2 user, but he tried to muster a waterspout. He managed a small one which did nothing, but he was able to dodge the attack by moving aside.
He moved in using some of Leo's techniques, blocking an earth spear with his arm while throwing a kick toward his head. It contacted but it wasn't enough. He saw his opponent moving his fingers and hands preparing a new move and he let out a water spray as he jumped up.
He hit his opponent in the face with the water followed by a jump kick to the side of the head. He heard the sounds of his victory.
While this was just one of many fights in a game, Aqua knew at this moment, combining martial arts with his ability would make him much stronger. He was tired of being bullied. Having to be protected was embarrassing to him though he was quite thankful for it.
He came from a good family. His father was a water user as well and learned his ability from him, rather reluctantly. He held out for a long time looking for something that had a cool affect. Maybe something like prismatic light that also did damage. He thought water, though useful, was boring.
Now that he was working with Minx and Midas, though, he was far more appreciative of his ability. Somehow, he got lucky. His ability meshed well with them. He was useful without being bullied or having to cater to the demands of others as his father did.
His family weren't travelers. They were even able to afford to live in a tier-1 city on a Bree planet, but his father's company overworked him with his ability. He didn't see him enough and he, frankly, felt robbed of time with his father. He was an only child so he couldn't even practice his ability in that fashion and his mother died in the war. She left behind some insurance money and that was why they were able to stay.
So many others had to move off planet after the war when a parent died. He was grateful for what he had, though he often wondered if his father used the demands of his boss as an excuse to stay away. He thought his father deserved better and hoped one day he'd be able to give him that.