“Ah, well I do hope that was a happy ending” Cracking my neck, back and then lower body, I love out of my bed. Sheesh haven’t moved for a good 8 hours.

Hmm, should get some sleep too since it’s barely past lunch time…

Mah, not planning for a late night anyways so off to do something for the day!

I do first grab some nice food though; boil some rice and cut up some chicked, dragging it through chutney because it’s just so tasty.

Yum yum, uni life is the best.

Munching that down, I do open up my computer to check up on any possible forums.

Nope as clean as ever…sheesh talk about a really secretive company.

They want to keep all the details quiet for now it seems, probably because it’s still only the first week.

However with a little searching (mostly Youtube…glad it’s still going) I do find a small number of videos…one of them being me…

Half-excited as to what they are I click on the top one and immediately know why.

This camera man deserves an award for both perviness and impeccable footage.

Literally it’s a video of the recorder strolling around getting normal and close-up shots of all the females playing, as well as a few of the more muscular males (no idea why they’d ruin such a good video with that though).

This video really makes you appreciate boob physics.

Anyways, that is literally the whole video...and it didn’t give anything useful really (apart from the fact that there are a ton of races), so that might be why it’s still up.

Though…I’ve never seen a single person in that video before

…

..

.

Hmm, that is quite interesting.

Ah finished my food, let’s get this body working.

Putting on some combat trousers and a loose fitting green top along with black boxers and dark brown shoes, meh that’ll do.

Jogging out my door, I start down the main street, reaching the river within minutes.

Skirting around it, I head into the small still standing forest and follow a decently unused trail.

Reaching an outcropping

“492….493…494…”

Oh there’s someone else here already?

Hanging by the arms off of one of the rails is a man with large muscular shoulders and muscle riding down his entire exposed back.

His arms clench into stone as he pulls himself up to his chin before slowly going back down.

“495” a deep voice rumbles, strained from effort and I spot the veins pumping in the side of his sweating neck. “496”

I shouldn’t announce my presence or he’d get distracted…

“497”

So apart from his godly muscles and that really good groove going down the center of his back, “498” he wears combat trousers like me and has shirt spiked up golden hair, not quite buzzcut.

“499…500” Dropping to the ground, feet planting on the dirt his body starts pulsating and radiating sweat.

“You’ve got to tell me what gym you went to” I ask from behind, but he doesn’t suddenly turn around in shock like I thought he would, what a shame.

“I went to Hell 3 times over” Won’t actually doubt that.

He stands up and begins stretching, I do the same.

“So never seen you around here” I try to goad some sort of personal information out of him.

“Haven’t been here long, just transferred in”

Transferred? That’s quite the odd word to use…is he a Uni student?

I mean yes there are mature students so it is a possibility.

Hopping onto a low rail, I begin walking, hands half in pockets as I jump up to the next level of rails.

“So you’re a uni student” just slightly disbelieving here

“Odd I know” At least I’m not the only one thinking that “But I always wanted to get a degree so here I am” He gives a light chuckle before jumping up to the rial, grabbing it and sliding his feet above it, now upside down back of his knees keeping him aloft.

Not the first time I’ve heard of that reason.

I hop onto the top rails, walking towards his feet and squatting by them, wobbling slightly.

“Jack” I offer a hand.

He drags his 8 pack, massive rock like pecks body up towards me and clasps my hand with a granite palm.

Now that I get a look at his face, I’d say he’s going 40 mostly from the growing number of wrinkles on his face. That and because he sports a most fantastic stubble, the kind you wish for; a perfect doorknob.

His face is square, big, thick jaw, bent out of shape nose and normal brown eyes.

I’d say he looks rather American rather rare for this day and age.

“Dallas” Oh definitely American…

“Born and Raised?”

“Just born and it is my name before you start confusing yourself”

“Gotcha” I begin doing rail squats, getting used to the slightly unbalanced feeling I get every time I go down.

“So what’s your Unit?” Dallas asks mid sit up.

Unit? Wait this guy’s a Bonafide army man. Oh I feel dirty wearing this camo around him.

“War’s not my playground”

He snorts “Thought so; you don’t seem like the type”

“What type?”

He stops at his 50th sit up, making eye contact “A killer”

Brr, that was a scary feeling going down my spine there…

Breaking eye contact he continues his situps.

“How many?”

“Does it matter? The only time it matters is the first time”

Seems like Dallas’ seen quite a few things in his day.

Moving on quickly away from this cold cold conversation!

“So what are you studying?”

He stops momentarily giving me a smirk as I change the topic of conversation.

“Automechanical engineering” Didn’t expect that, wow that’s a time killer of a course “You?”

“Art” He snorts once again at me; apparently my life decisions and personality are quite funny to him.

“A kid like you shouldn’t be playing up high, it’s dangerous”

Seriously, just because I do are and wear camo trousers for fun means I’m a kid.

I stand up, looking rather surly towards him.

He raises up, hand knocking my feet off the rail.

AHH!

Hands out, touch the floor, bring them in, landing on right shoulder rolling across back to left hip and to feet.

“WHAT was that for?”

“Just checking to see whether you’re really a kid”

Wait, you purposely tripped me to fall like 3 metres to the ground because you think kids will hurt themselves in that situation?

Most people would hurt themselves in such a situation!

“If you’re going to try kill me, I rather you didn’t because I enjoy living”

“That’s always a good mindset but-” He lets go, landing on his hands into a still handstand “-we live in a dangerous world” He pushes off to his feet.

Glistening with sweat he offers me a hand.

Hmm, not sure I should take it since it’s probably a ruse to try break my arm or something

…

..

.

But it’s rude not to.

Clasping his hand immediately he twists, taking my arm to tmy back and I quickly jump with it, turning and keeping my arm not a weird angle.

He stops abruptly and I’m force to grab his chiseled forearm with my free hand, stopping the momentum from twisting my first arm.

“SERIOUSLY, STOP THAT!” What kind of person starts trying to break random strangers’ arms?!

“Heh sorry, just fooling around” I know you are! If you were real with me you’d have half twisted and suddenly changed direction ripping my arm out…

He lets go of my hand, gives a short salute and then sprints away.

Gah if this is what all the Americans in our army are like; thank god I haven’t joined...

Right, back to actually having some fun without my life being attempted upon for no reason whatever…

“Hey Brother I found it!” Oh great, more distractions! Seriously, what does one guy need to do to be alone in the forest with the somehow still quite nicely maintained parkour park?! (Well it’s really just lots of rails and a few slabs of stone for vaults and runs and whatnot else).

Turning towards the voice, I see a young teenager, probably only halfway through puberty, with shoulderlength brown hair and beady eyes, pointing towards the park. Dammit now there’s ACTUAL kids coming to play.

Appearing from behind the little guy is another, with the same hair, beady brown eyes and thin face, albeit slightly taller and a horribly wispy chin beard growing.

“Sweet, you found it!” He jumps into the air excitably.

Both wear blue shirts and shorts along with dark blue trainers…all covered in quite a bit of mud…just what kind of trek did they do to get here?

“Phew we’re alive” A more cynical voice follows behind, sounding rather tired unlike the two excitable counterparts.

Coming from the bushes (yes not the trail, the bushes) is a third, somehow almost twinlike visage of the younger brothers yet older and slightly taller.

His face is clean shaven but the way he carries himself and the intelligent look in his eyes shows him to be older than the other two.

“Next time we’re not taking that way” His body is covered in mud, from head to toe and he looks rather unhappy about the trip.

“I will find a better way Brother!” The youngest calls out to which the eldest pats his head.

“You know there is a trail” I call out from a small distance, watching the eldest’s face rise happily as he hears there’s a safe way.

“Why hello there friend, could you please give us those sought out for directions?”

I point to the slightly visible trail, partially hidden by bushes.

“Ah, you’re most welcome” He marches up to me, wiping his muddy hand as best as he can before offering it.

“Zoid”

…..

….

….

..

.

You have got to be shitting me.

“Zoid…”

“Apparently I’m named after this lobster doctor from an old famous program” He chuckles but I swear I see his eyes glinting with the sense that he’s caught onto something.

Oh my, what naming sense his parents had…

“Zoidberg, really?” Yes I confess to have watched those…a long long time agi. Hey practically raised on it. Sadly show finished before my teen years.

“So you are old”

Wow Zoid….wow. I really have to teach you things you just cannot say, like you’re old. It’s hurtful to my youthful self.

“Hey, it was still popular when I was a kid”

“Alright. So who are you?”

Ah right, didn’t say my name.

“Jack. And who are the two excitable fools on the way to death” I point and what I’m going to reasonably assume are Zzand and Zzard, both trying to jump onto the rails and I can almost feel them screwing up painfully sometime soon.

“Zard and Zand”

Those parents…not sure if they have apparently good naming sense or just weren’t bothered after their first child…probably the latter.

“Yo” I raise my hand to them and the wave back.

“Alright you two, stop fooling around” Zoid claps his hands, getting them to turn and focus on him. “All 3 of us died in that battle because we were weak, we were too slow and thus we need to train”

“Ay ay Brother” Both mock salute him.

“We’re going to train our balance first, so everyone onto this rail” He points at a rail, literally a few inches off the ground.

The all step on and begin flailing in the air balanceless for a few moments before tripping off.

This is just mildly painful to watch.

“Ok ok, please don’t do that”

“But why not? We need to train” Zand looks up at me confused.

“Yeah and who are you to tell us to stop” Fair point Zard, fair point.

“Brothers, let the man speak” Zoid thank you for being so good at reading the situation (at most times).

“Zand, Jump up” I point to the rail and watch him jump, swerving madly.

I poke his stomach and he falls back onto the ground, landing on his feet.

Now I stand on the rail, completely still, well seemingly.

“Poke my stomach”

“Wah it’s like a rock”

Oh thank you for the compliment, I do workout. Ahem.

“Balance comes with two things; your core and your feet. Your core is used to keep you upright and stiff, so your center of gravity doesn’t move”

To show the point I stop clenching my core, letting my back droop slightly and center of gravity shift slightly back, unbalancing me.

Clenching once again I gain control of my center and stand upright once more.

Seems like they understand somewhat.

“Now my feet aren’t moving because I’m perfectly balanced, but if I unbalance myself, watch what my feet do”

Because I’m slightly unbalanced, I use my feet to move the direction my center of gravity is falling first with minute seesawing feet motions, which slowly get bigger as the momentum increases.

Tense core and straighten back up after a little work.

“But why do you need to do that if you can just stand normally on it?” Zard asks confused.

“Because when he’s moving and if he’s moving fast, his center of gravity is going to be changing position” Zoid answers the question for me. Good he gets it.

If I were to run up the rails, I can’t expect to be 100% stable using my core so my feet will help change the direction I’m slowly falling to keep myself upright essentially…a nifty little trick I picked up a while back.

“Alright so everyone tense for me” I opek them all in the stomach and oddly enough they actually have some sort of muscle. Guess working out’s pretty normal for teenagers.

“Right so tense your core once you’re on the rail”

The get on but are still all over the place. All except for Zoid; he’s standing mostly still, apart from his feet seesawing back and forth in increasing pace.

“Brothers, you’ve got to stand on the ball of your foot” Zoid tells them as he falls off rather ungracefully.

He is right; the balls of the feet give you the best motion even if it isn’t the most stable at first. It’s why professionals can squat heels in the air and remain perfectly still; because they’re used to standing like that.

It’s oddly enough why women are surpisingly good at this (heels all those heels helping with balance).

Though most people do what is better known as slav squatting since it’s simpler to learn and a lot more comfortable in all honesty.

I give them all quick instructions on balancing on the balls of their feet and watch them get slightly better.

“Ow Zard stop slapping me”

“I’m giving you brotherly love”

‘Well if you’re giving me some then I’ll have to give more back”

The two kids start play slapping eachother.

Ah they’re a good breath of fresh air.

As they jump onto the rails to try balance for 10 seconds (I gave them the challenge), I hop up and begin catwalking. Not going to bother jumping today, too much effort for my tired self.

Though after a bit of catwalking and moonwalking I do decide to do a bit of jumping…for kicks.

Diving to the floor, I roll safely and get to the start of the little course I made up.

First running jump to a low wall and then jump to a higher wall a distance away, swan it and leap to the next wall, grabbing the ledge with my fingers, feet planted on the wall. Kicking up, I push myself to grab the top of the wall and then haul myself up.

Ooh now for the fun bit.

Jogging across the rail at first, I turn at a right angle and speed up, turn again, speed up, do a 180, sliding dangerously for a moment before half sprinting till I’m parallel to a wall.

Jumping off to the wall I kick it and grab the rail I was standing on moments earlier, swinging myself to land on a lower rail and sticking the wahhh, rol-ouch!

Ayayay that’s probably a bruise…no that’s definitely a bruise…

“You alright Jack?” Zoid asks as he looks down at me from the rail, surprisingly lasting more than 5 seconds.

“Yea, just didn’t stick the landing” Standing back up, I shake myself off. Much better.

Right, back up there.

Walking a small distance away from the wall I run up to it getting two steps off before grabbing the ledge, hoisting myself up.

Jumping onto the side, I kick off towards the rail and let go mid swing, this time balls of my feet hitting the edge of the rail, sliding upright as I stick the landing.

Phew, that’s way more trouble than it’s worth.

Jumping down to the next rail, I land perpendicular to Zoid, as he jumps onto the rail once again looking rather fresh but I know better.

“You’ve been doing this for a while then eh?”

“Couple of years” Yeah when I first started it was not pretty.

I squat down on the balls of my feet, slightly wobbly but I can deal with it.

Watching the almost triplet like brothers for a while really helps the time go by.

Though after an hour they’re pretty knackered even if they still look pretty fresh…It has a lot more effect on your body than one thinks.

“Brothers we should call it for today” Zoid perceptive as freaking ever looks down at his legs, rubbing them, probably because they’re numb.

All agree and I help them find the path back.

I walk back too because I’m actually decently tired and should get a kip before tonight’s party.

“So why did you 3 have a sudden want to train?” I ask them as I guide them back.

“Well we’re testing for Aria and we all died in the middle of an event” I understand Zoid dying, but the other two? How’d that happen?

“So you’re trying to train so you don’t die again?”

“Partially, we also need to get out the house of the parents are going to freak out about our health” He gives a little oh well gesture.

I chuckle lightly. Ah parents, always looking out to make sure you somehow live a healthy lifestyle no matter what.

“I wonder what’s for dinner?” Zand asks Zard in the background.

“Probably vegetables…since mum’s on the new diet and all”

“Eugh again? Please don’t be a soup diet”

“Hey don’t complain, Soups good for you” Zoid retorts, laughing at the downcast face of Zand who obviously does not relish the thought of having soup for tea.

Waving them goodbye I head up town while they cross the bridge to go to the western section of town.

Well that was a most odd situation…seeing those 3 RL. Can’t believe that’s their actual names though, hehehe.

Anyways, got to get to bed because man a day and a half without sleep is really tiring!

God I must be getting old…

I decide to grab a kip till 9 (because let’s face it, haven’t slept in a day++).

Ah getting into bed all nice and cosy, man I love double beds.

…

“If you don’t pick up the god damned phone, I will shove my fist so far up you’re a-”

“Helloo” Quickly picking up my phone still half asleep I get a most excited voice batter me from the other end. “Hey calm down and repeat everything you’ve said since the start, brain hasn’t woken up yet”

“Typical response Jack, Typ-ical”

“Derek this is you right?”

“No who else could it be?”

Mr sarcastic you’ve interrupted my beauty sleep, this should be important.

“Cut to the chase my man, this one is power napping”

“Right, you busybody, how’s the art going?”

Ah right, everyone thinks that I’m doing some strange solo art project (well technically I am). Surprisingly everyone’s actually been cool leaving me alone to do it so haha social status maintained!

“Lonely” Yeah would be fantastic to have a student…

“Well do I have some good news for you; what do you say to a honey packed house with tight babes and some rocking music. Oh and don’t forget everyone’s in costumes…and I’m hoping some nurses give me a special checkup tonight, yehahh!”

Ah Halloween…it’s finally arrived.

Actually almost forgot about this! All this Aria shenanigans playing with my life schedule.

Gah what was my Oh! Right, lecturer…man I have to wear a suit…

“That sounds….like some much needed R and R” I do actually need something that isn’t a wave of gore and hard work for one night…

“Why if you mean Raunchy Romping then damn right” Man forgot just how sexual uni students are! God how cringy was I in this stage?

“Dude, if I get on the dance floor it’ll be Ravishing” Might as well play along

“Wahaha, well party’s at Legacy’s starting at good old 10 in the night”

“Wait wait, wasn’t it supposed to be at your place?”

“It was but when I’ve got close to 100 women coming…word kind of got out to the right people” How was he going to fit 100 women and all the rugby lads++ in his house??

“Damn” Legacy’s is THE party house…though no one actually lives in it…weirdly enough.

Something about it being a drug house a couple of years back caused it to be evacuated and bought out by the University to keep its renown, something or rather.

And one party animal of a Seniour man SOMEHOW convinced the University to reopen the house as a rental place for socials.

I’ve heard a lot of fantastic stories about THE Legacy house…

“You done with fantasizing about the place?”

“Yup, dude I am impressed with you” Getting keys to Legacy house is like top notch you’ve blown the Seniour man to get it kind of thing.

I’ve read stories about that happening too (oddly enough more than one would think).

“Ah praise me more, silly fresher” He laughs boisterously on the other side of the phone.

“Right O lord of party, now let me get some rest”

“Not planning to get any sleep tonight eh? oh atta boy”

Rolling my eyes I end the call.

Well better get to sleep, seems like this party is going to be literal hell (or heaven, depending on who you are).

“Wake up Mother F-”

Wow really got to change my ringtones; seriously those are like 15 years old now…

Ok time to get a…suit on. Eugh, can’t believe I have to wear one of those.

Opening up my wardrobe, to the side are 5 different suits…which I did get for this job but thankfully haven’t ever had to use.

Let’s go with black…nah let’s go with my orange suit (what happened to my colour sense that day…).

Yeah way too gaudy but damn with a black shirt, pants and dress shoes…Oh it actually brings some tears in my eyes (partially from the way too orange suit top but still some faith restored in my colour sense).

Plus I found a beautiful matt orange tie...

Ok maybe I’ll enjoy…euh no…it’s just so uncomfortable.

Ah well it’s only for one night so I’ll roll with it. Also the colours are halloweeny so perfect!

Combing my hair to the side, a professional look, I begin shaving my growing beard to a light stubble…but not as lovely as Dallas’ doorknob…

Now for the final piece to make me truly a teacher…the spectacles.

Round, owl-eyed spectacles…ah truly feeling the vibe of a lecturer.

*Clap*

“Let us go lecture those foolish whippersnappers!”

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Right everyone, sorry but I'll be away for 2 weeks without internet so chapter posting probably a no no (might drag my computer down to a cafe or something to post the HALLOWEEN chapter (the final final one which is the end of this strange halloween/harroween hell arc huehuehue))

-TRUE NORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRD