TV Multiverse 110 (Patreon)

“Wow,” Alex muttered, looking out the window, taking in the sight. “This is incredibly beautiful.”

He hummed in approval, though he was only half interested. He was more interested in the sense of awareness at the back of his head as he made first contact with the security system. One that didn’t rely on technology.

It was an interesting sensation. For one, he could identify the location of every single person on his estate, which was convenient for two hundred acre land that was covered with grapevines, orchards, and other beautiful objects that would have given an intruder a lot of problems.

… not that he expected that to be a lot of problems. As he examined the security system, as much as he could through the vague connection, he could feel that there were other features to it. Features like that discouraged the entrance of any uninvited guests significantly. It was not the only feature of the security system, as he could feel there were other gimmicks that might reveal themselves in emergencies, but even without it, it was worth the expense.

Apparently, it would be enough to keep anyone without steely determination away, meaning he wouldn’t have to worry about burglars, squatters, or bored tourists that felt cheeky enough to invade someone else’s territory, giving him better privacy than a fully fledged security team could achieve.

It was valuable, because while he could afford a security team, that was a serious management challenge. The same went for the automatic maintenance effect. He examined the wineries and the orchards, all trimmed to perfection.

Amusingly, the maintenance effect even included gathering and processing the grapes for making wine. His new land wasn’t exactly prime location for premium wines, but he had a feeling that, with his Chemistry, Mixology, and Cooking combined, he could come up with some interesting combinations.

Later.

As he connected the maintenance, and security layers, he realized he had underestimated them. If he tried to replicate the service they were offering by hiring people, he would have to pay a few million dollars every year for an inferior version, and add the hassle of dealing with a hundred people in his space.

Since the whole point was to have private land, he could relax and decompress; it would have been very inconvenient.

He hummed, turning his attention to the picturesque landscape, well-maintained, yet with just enough wild growth to prevent it from looking too artificial.

He didn’t drive directly to the main residence, but instead took a wide swing, checking Lake Cachuma. Lake Cachuma was a beautiful lake, but nothing exceptional. That didn’t apply to the shore that fell into his estate. White sand at the immediate shore, followed by thick grass, and the edges were given partial coverage by giant Willow trees, granting the perfect cover for the winter.

Even the water was cleaner.

Alex gasped. “I can see why you bought this place. It’s beautiful.”

“Is it worth being kidnapped?” he teased.

She tried to frown at that, but failed. “Don’t even talk about it. It’s already going viral in the school forums.”

“It’s being expected. I did kidnap the most popular girl in the department.”

That made her scoff. “I’m not the most popular girl in the department. I barely have any friends.”

He laughed. “Alex, sweetie. That’s not because you’re not popular. It’s because you’re intimidating,” he said.

That surprised her. “I’m not intimidating … am I?”

He laughed. “Alex, you’re both smart and beautiful, which is already an intimidating factor, but there’s a bigger problem. Not everyone has the same communication method as your family, and uses biting personal insults and sarcasm as their love language.”

Alex blushed. “Fine, you have a point. I’ll try to be more careful—“

He chuckled and leaned in for a kiss. “You don’t need to change for me. I find your sexy porcupine thing very fetching,” he teased.

She pushed him back despite her blush. “Road, watch the road,” she panicked. He pulled back only after another kiss, enjoying her annoyed frown. She looked surprisingly sexy with that expression.

He chuckled and continued driving. Soon, he was at the house. It looked nothing like the decrecipt old house from the pictures. Admittedly, having a whole second floor would have made it look different in any case.

It was built on a hill, allowing a direct view of the lake and the winery from almost every window. It was larger than he would have ordinarily preferred, but since he planned to give a room to any lady in his life that requested one, he had a feeling that the extra rooms were a necessity.

Frankly, there was a chance he would end up adding more rooms.

"This place is huge," Alex said. “Isn’t it going to be too much?”

He smiled. “Oh, I’m sure I have some semi-permanent guests, like a robotics expert who wants to retreat from the city to work on an invention.”

Then, she pointed at the empty stables, some distance away, but still visible. “And, apparently, you plan to raise horses,” she said, her voice filled with distaste.

“Not a fan of horses?” he asked. The stable was currently empty, but he did consider buying a few horses eventually, mostly out of curiosity. They would be a fun distraction.

“Certainly not,” she said, shuddering.

He helped Alex out. “So, when did you buy it?” Alex asked.

“A while ago,” he said, not committing to a date. Luckily, she was used to him answering questions in a mysterious manner, so she didn’t even comment on it, instead looking at the greenhouse, the edges filled with flowers while the inside was filled with off-season vegatables.

He couldn’t wait to use them for his cooking.

“Welcome, master,” a voice called from behind, making Alex jump in shock. He turned, finally looking at Georgina. He wanted to see if she was alarmed in any way, considering the building spurted a whole new floor while she was inside, but that seemed not to be a problem.

And, once confirmed that Georgina wasn’t dealing with an existential crisis, he turned his attention to her outfit. Fitted jean shorts, flannel shirts, boots, and even a cowboy hat. She was dressed as a farmhand.

Well, a sexy version, more fitting to a strip club than an actual field, but he wasn’t exactly complaining.

“Howdy,” Georgina drawled with a mocking, exaggerated accent. “And who’s this boring little lady?”

“Boring little lady, really?” Alex responded. “Coming from someone that dresses from strippers’r’us, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You should. It’s better than a nerd with a fatal fashion allergy,” Georgina responded immediately.

“Better a nerd than a part-time hooker who gets cheated because she can’t read,” Alex said.

That made Georgina flinch. She turned to him. “I can’t believe you told her about my dyslexia. I trusted you,” she said, her eyes wide, glistening with tears. She was pitiful.

It was also completely fake.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Alex responded immediately, looking shocked. “I didn’t know you were…” Alex started, and Georgina smirked. “… gullible enough to think that I would buy that terrible acting.” Georgina’s eyes widened, and Alex smirked. “I mean, that’s the best you can do?” Alex asked with a smirk.

Georgina, naturally, retaliated with another insult, and Alex responded. Georgina had a sharp tongue, but Alex could easily keep up. Sarcasm and insults were a love language in the Dunphy household, after all.

Ultimately, Georgina was essentially Haley, but meaner.

“You’re a nightmare,” Georgina said after they shared insults for almost five minutes, which somehow got friendlier than their insults got sharper. “A horribly dressed one for an escapade.”

“Not my fault,” Alex said. “This bastard kidnapped me from the classroom. I didn’t have the opportunity to change, or even pick spare clothes.”

“No,” Georgina gasped with theatrical intensity, and suddenly, he found himself being stared down by the unholy combination of Alex and Georgina. A weaker man would have trembled.

He just smirked.

“Come, Alex,” Georgina said, hooking her arms. “Let’s teach him a lesson about how to treat a lady.”

He decided not to follow. For one, he felt that Alex and Georgina would get along surprisingly well, and both of them desperately needed more friends.

Meanwhile, he walked to the lakeside. At the same time, giving a mental order to build a small cottage near the lake. A dedicated studio, one that came with both calligraphy and painting supplies.

He had been looking forward to testing his newest master skill, which had been delayed when he came across Gloria. However, not the calligraphy aspect, because there was not much mystery to it. Master skill meant it came fully formed.

He was more interested in testing his painting. He had connected skills, like Art Appreciation and Calligraphy, the former gave him an understanding of art history, and the latter allowed him to use a brush with precision. Not to mention, both Cinematography and Photography gave him a very strong artistic comprehension and understanding of light.

However, he actually knew nothing about painting. He hummed, stopping by the newly constructed painting studio, set an easel, picked up a set of paints, brushes, and about a dozen empty canvases.

He had a feeling he would run through the first few just by experimenting with the different paints.

Those dozen canvases, he didn’t try to draw anything real, just playing around with brushes and paint, testing various combinations. He couldn’t help but smile as he wasted a dozen canvases, and a criminal amount of expensive paint.

Being rich was fun.

Admittedly, calling it a waste was a bit of an exaggeration. Spending twenty minutes wildly painting taught him more than most people would have learned in a year of studying.

“Now, it’s time for a real attempt,” he said, grabbed the easel, three canvases, and other supplies, ready for his first real attempt.

As he prepared his setup, he took the view. It was truly beautiful: hawks flying, a few flocks of ducks lingering on the shore, and the warm glow of the afternoon sun turned everything into new colors.

Thankfully, it was still warm despite it being mid-fall.

The view was beautiful, but he wasn’t tempted to take a picture of it. He loved photography, but sometimes, it wasn’t enough. He wasn’t exactly a big fan of nature photography. While the camera could capture beauty in unexpected areas, sometimes it wasn’t enough.

That was why he loved people. Photography helped to reveal their truth. The photographer was the editor of the reality, compiling the story with the angle, lighting, and everything else. But, ultimately, a photographer was limited to what the environment could give.

It was why he paid great attention to the personality of the models, even for fashion photoshoots.

Nature didn’t lie.

Painting was different. Photography was ultimately about the subject.

Painting, when done correctly, reflected the soul of a painter.

It would be a lie he didn’t miss the nervousness of trying new things as well. He had some supporting skills, but ultimately, the core nature would have to come from himself.

The first canvas, he didn’t try anything complicated. He just tried to paint what he saw, no real effort for imposing a theme, no feeling, just his best to replicate what his eyes capture.

What he got was a mess, mostly because when he reached halfway, he was already bored with it. From a technical sense, it was a good painting, the kind others would require years of dedicated training.

But then, they didn’t have the eyes of a master photographer and the brush of a master calligrapher. That was not enough.

He threw the first one on the ground. The second painting was different. It was better. Sharp details, realistic lighting and shadows, bright and alive colors. It was also warm and gentle.

“Perfect motel art,” he said with a sigh. It was objectively beautiful, but it was not what he wanted.

Then, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes to focus, and drew it again. This time, it wasn’t just about copying the view, but reflecting what he was feeling as he looked at the lake. He delved deeper into his Art Appreciation, focusing on what he knew about Impressionist paintings.

After all, Impressionism was about capturing the transient, shifting effects of natural light and color to evoke emotions.

He stayed focused for a moment, trying to ignore everything except the artistic conception he wanted to reflect. He took a deep breath, calming down.

He had to admit, it helped that he felt at home. Truly at home. It was the first time visiting, but for some reason, it felt even more like home than his houses in Los Angeles and New York. Maybe it was the isolated nature, away from the bustle of the city, or maybe it was just having space to move freely, but he felt truly free.

His brush danced, creating a distorted reflection of the lake, but each distortion was intentional, imbuing the painting with the same sensation of being at home.

He lost himself at the moment, his brush dancing feverishly. He focused fully on the canvas, ignoring everything else. When he finally stopped painting, he found himself breathing hard… it had been an intense feeling.

He took a step back to examine it. “Wow,” a voice called from behind, and he tensed, turning as his brush spun in his hand, before he recognized the voice and turned back.

Alex and Georgina were several feet away, looking at him with fascination. “Sorry to scare you,” Georgina still said mockingly.

“Really?” he asked, but he smiled. Even Alex was giggling.

“Hey. This is the first time I saw you actually surprised, let us enjoy it,” Alex said.

“Good point,” he admitted. Then, he noticed their outfits. They had changed into swimsuits, devastatingly sexy ones that covered almost nothing. “Sorry about neglecting you, girls. I was in the zone,” he said, gesturing them to get closer.

“It’s beautiful,” Georgina muttered.

“It is,” Alex said, fascinated as she looked at him. “I always say to myself that I’m not going to be surprised by you, but…”

Georgina sighed. “Let it go. I haven’t known him as long as you, but after watching him drop like a bomb into Manhattan’s upper crust, breaking every rule, yet ending up richer rather than getting erased… Just roll with it.”

He chuckled. “What can I say? I like seeing you frustrated. It makes you sexier,” he said.

“It’s not like I need help for that,” Georgina said mockingly, caressing her side to show off her mostly naked body.

Alex chuckled, but her gaze stayed on the painting. “This is fascinating. I wouldn’t expect impressionism from you. Almost reminding me of Monet, but … sharper,” Alex said. “Why not realism?”

“Because I don’t see the point of realism in painting,” he said. “There’s a reason all the respectable realist painters lived before the invention of photography.”

Alex shrugged. “What about…” Alex said, which triggered a surprisingly deep talk about painting. Alex was always a fan of classic arts, and Georgina had received a classical training as the heiress of an old-money family, making the debate surprisingly heated.

So much that, he was happy to pull back, letting both argue about the value of cubism. He was happy to be in the audience, mostly because it was genuinely insightful.

It helped that they were debating in their extremely skimpy swimsuits, any exaggerated action enhancing the view perfectly.

[Achievement complete. Impress Alex and Georgina by flexing your art skills.

Challenge: Daring]

[+25 Any Stat

1 Platinum Skill Upgrade

1 Platinum Reward Upgrade]

He picked the reward upgrade, but he kept it in reserve. He was tempted to use it on the social media website, but after some consideration, he decided against it. At least for the moment.

Maybe if he actually decided to make a business out of it. It was important, but not as important as the passionate debate that was going on in front of him. They were somehow completely lost in their debate, so much so that Alex didn’t even notice her top was no longer able to contain her incredible breasts due to her aggressive gestures.

“Fine,” Alex finally declared. “We’ll ask Ethan. He’s the painter.”

“Nope,” he refused immediately.

“Why not?” Georgina said.

“It’s never fair for the creator to talk about his work,” he teased them. “That’s the whole point of art. If I have to talk about it to explain, I failed.”

“At least give us who the winner is.”

He thought. “Well, you were both wrong, about equally, so you both lost. Meaning, you need to be punished.”

With that, he easily put both of them on his shoulders and walked to the shore.

“No, you can’t be serious!” Georgina said. “The water is freezing.”

“Hey, he can handle, we can handle it ,” Alex said, always ready to take a challenge, but when he jumped into the water with them, she changed her mind. “Or not. It’s freezing. Get out.”

“Don’t worry, I run hot,” he said with a chuckle, pulling both close.

“You have a point,” Georgina admitted, her hands already wandering. “But, first, let’s get rid of these,” she said, and tugged his shirt.

It was a good start for his housewarming party; he decided…