[b][center]COLLABORATIVE POST Between World Traveler & Avanhelsing[/center][/b] Like clockwork Devin woke up at the strike of 0500 hours. Having grown up with a military father Devin was raised with a morning regiment starting at the age of 8. After he woke up the young man left the warmth of his bed and took to changing into his workout clothes. A simple thermal under armor thermal top and bottom along with some basketball shorts. He paired it with a ragged pair of running shoes and was off. Once he made his way to the ground floor he started to do some morning stretching. [hr] Jack usually was not the type to wake up so early, but the night before had changed his mine on all of that. He had spent most of the night awake in his own world thinking about everything. The world was basically on his shoulder to succeed. He needed to show the world that he was more than his father’s illegitimate child. So around 500 hours Jack just gave up and decided to go out for a run. It would be a good way for him to go for an early run. He pulled on his running shorts and a simple black t-shirt. As he went down the stairs noticing the young man from before. Jack nodded his head to the guy. “So, are you going for a run then? Mind if I join you? Never did catch your name.” Jack said stretching his arms as he waited for the other kid. [hr] Devin was a little surprised to hear other students up at the same time as him. Back home everyone just looked like he had escaped an insane asylum when he mentioned his normal wake up time. Still considering he was going to a military academy on steroids he shouldn't be surprised there were other early morning people sharing a dorm with him. The student he first saw was Jack. They hadn't shared more than a few words last night, but he seemed level headed enough. "Devin. You are Jack right?" Devin met his arm for a handshake. "Yea every morning. A run is sort of ingrained into my life at this point. Doesn't feel right without it. Wouldn't mind some company. Keep pace with 7 minute?" [hr] Jack raised an eybrow at Devin. He had honestly expected to the the only person who was awake at this god awful hour. Most people would be still in bed but Jack needed the time to focus his thoughts. This run was the perfect way to do that. This was his usual time to think alone. Now he had someone to run with him and he wasn't going to turn it down. Sure this had been the same kid who had walked right past him the night before but the bygones were exactly that. "Pleasure to finally meet you, Devin. I must admit I thought I would be alone. I can keep up with a Seven pace. My best is somewhere around 6:30 but that was a fluke." He said as he motioned for them to start. "So Devin, what brought you to this island? Family?" He asked to test the waters with the other kid. [hr] Keeping himself limber while Jack caught up to his stretching the conversation was kept light. "Treat to meet you too... I'm not likely to be the one pushing you past your best. Especially on my first day back since traveling to get here." Devin said. He then got somewhat uncomfortable when Jack brought up the reasons for him attending the school. "Well it was a debate between my parents. Mom wants this dad wants something else. They said it was up to me." Devin gave a shrug and the two started towards the exit with Jack. "Now it feels like it is a damned if I do and damned if I don't sort of deal." Devin was able to collect himself and carry himself out of the building with a ready for action pop in his step. "Weather will be what we are running away from more than the hour so I figure we keep it sharp on the pace. I'll round us to a 8 for the first two and see if we can go to 7:30 for the next few?" Devin jumped high a few times to get ready and then set off with Jack. [hr] Jack didn't exactly want to press the issue but something bothered him about this kid. Cheerful people always scared him but Devin seemed decent enough. He was going to file his worries away for a later day. "I am not going to use my first day run as some dick measuring contest. I am not that kind of guy." He said as he waited for Devin to be ready for the run. "Hmmm... Interesting. Father always told me that 'The Fletchers have been here since the founding and so shall you.'" Jack said mimicking a rather decent upper class English accent. "So here I am." He said shifting back to the more neutral American accent. Jack nodded his head. "I know how that is. I have to get through this place or else I am basically ending the family line. " He mused as they started running. "I'll just follow your pace for this. I need something to clear my mind and I figure that a run will do it." He said as he kept pace with Devin. "So what do you think about our fellow students?" He asked to deal with the silence of the run. [hr] Devin stalled his questions for Jack after hearing he had a legacy family connection. He figured he finally found someone who could answer his questions, but again the run wasn't the place to do it. When the conversation finally started up again Devin figured he could focus on it and the run. "Seem fine. Though considering one is already on the out who knows." Devin saw they were reaching the outer gate of the campus and so they turned left to follow the wall along the outside. He saw the ocean again and enjoyed the smell of morning dew and sea salt. "That Sunny person seems a bit odd." At this point Devin tried to give a shrug only it looked like he was running silly for a moment. " I only really had the energy to talk to a few and it ended up being Nikki and Kat. I may not have had the longest flight to get here, but the travel damage was done." Devin figured the conversation could continue as they hadn't matched their first mile yet. "What about you?" [hr] Jack had always tried his best to hide his connection to the school. It was not that big of a deal if he really thought about it. Still, he did not want anyone to think that he was up to something or was getting some sort of free treament. He didn't want anyone to think since he was a legacy that the school was going to be easy for him. "I have no idea what I was thinking about them. I spoke to about... One of them since they were oddly silent with me. I mean I talked to one of them and it was very short. " He said as he kept up with Devin. It felt like this was normal for once in his life. "I spent a short ride and no flight. Father wanted to give me the "Family Name " lecture before we got going. " Jack said trusting that Devin would help them keep pace. [hr] "Well count me as jealous." Devin said falling in behind Jack. He had a few things he was going to say so he figured it would be easier to speak forward and follow. "The yacht may have showed the school doesn't spare any expense, but my folks didn't check the flight details. I ended up stuck at JFK for about four hours." The two then shifted as the walls came back around and they continued. "Considering the one who traveled the furthest was the most energetic it may be a lame duck reason, but I had to force myself to come back down just to cook top ramen for dinner. Plus you missed most of the whole deal before the french toast BS. Count yourself lucky on that." Devin checked their time. "Pace up." he said as he figured the two could continued to run at a 7:30 pace. "I know most of the team was also measuring everyone else up." Devin couldn't help but give a snicker. "Sounds obvious but I think a lot of people at this school are always playing poker if you know what I mean." He then passed Jack and set his speed to the 7:30 mile to give him a chance to talk without having to turn his head. [hr] "It was not all that great. My father basically gave me the speech to keep me in the school. I wish that I could be a normal kid but that is next to impossible with me." Jack complained as he kept pace with Devin. It felt nice to be running with someone. This pace felt nice and he figured that the pair of them could keep this pace up if they tried. He figured that this run would keep his mind off the stress in his life. Jack ran up to keep next to Devin. He didn't want to fall behind since he truly did not know where the island was set up. It all felt so new right now. "I heard that thing about the toast... Why would anyone not say that it is French. It is in the name..." He mused as he looked towards the sea as they ran. This was going to be an interesting day. The run was just the start of the very interesting day.