"So, what do you go by?" Asked Sully, casually walking through the campus with Jacob tailing slightly behind him.
"Jacob" Jacob said in between gasped breaths. Their mad dash to escape may not have affected Sully, but he was still the unfit person he always was.
He had almost answered with his former nickname, Jax, but stopped himself at the last second. He figured he could finally shed his annoying nickname since no one knew him here.
This short interaction let Jacob get a better look at Sully.
His saviour had a stocky build. Clearly, he had spent a fair bit of time in the gym as he was practically bursting with muscle. His hair was a silver blue hue and was fairly unkept and long, nearly reaching his shoulders. His face seemed to keep the theme as it exuded a casual ruggedness as a light stubble graced his chin. One other thing Jaocb realised came from earlier when Sully had grabbed him. His hands had formed numerous callouses, the source of which Jaocb wasn't sure. The only thing that didn't seem to fit was his eyes. They were light blue and as innocent as a child on Christmas morning, not exactly in line with the general 'manly' vibe the rest of his appearance gave off.
"Pleased to meet ya, you can think of me as your friendly neighbourhood hero. Tho it's a shame you're not a hot chick. Never hurts to leave a good impression on the ladies after all. By the way are you all right? Vikky the pricky laid into you pretty good." Sully rapidly fired off nonsensical statements before finally asking a question.
Jacob's lack of breath made him a little slow to respond, but eventually, he managed.
"Yeah, I think I'm- Ugh." Jacob cut himself off, feeling a sharp pain in his side when he tried to stretch.
"Shit, lemme look." Sully said with a hint of concern.
A short examination later, Sully told him the damage. His ribs were the source of his pain. Unsurprising since his tormentor had focused many of his kicks there. Sully assured him they were only cracked and not broken.
"Well, since your new here, I take it you don't know where the infirmary is?" Sully asked.
"Uhhhh, actually, I kinda memorised the map of the place, although I'd love a protection detail from other asshats like him if your free" Jacob joked.
A short laugh later, one that regretfully hurt Jacob because of his injured ribs, Sully agreed to be Jacob's escort.
A couple of minutes later, he was in front of a standalone building. One which he was assured had people who could fix him right up. A building that Sully was barging into like he owned the place.
"Oi, Miss Alanna. I got a live one for ya!" He shouted to an empty room.
A second later, a heavyset woman walked in from what he could only assume was her office, making him realise he was in a waiting room.
"What a surprise, little Sully visiting me to heal someone other than himself. Good afternoon kiddo. I'm Alanna Azan, or as most kids call me, Miss Alanna." The woman introduced herself.
"Nice to meet you, Miss. Any chance you got some numbing cream or a more professional opinion than the moron escorting me?" Jacob joked.
"I may be a moron, but at least I didn't get my ass beat in front of an adorning audience" retorted Sully in the same tone.
The woman chuckled to herself at the boy's antics before saying.
"I'm guessing you're a new dreamer since you don't seem to realise what the last name Azan means. Lay down on the bed here." She said, gesturing to one of those uncomfortable examination beds that hospitals loved to use.
Jacob did as instructed and posed a question once he was lying down.
"So, what's this about the Azan name?" He questioned, wondering if he had been acting causally with a big shot by accident.
"It means I can do this" she said as she began mumbling and moving her hand in a circular motion above his waist, her eyes closed as she did so.
A moment later, a faint green glow emanated from her hand. He could 'feel' his bone mending. He got the feeling it should have been very painful. But it was like something was actively blocking the majority of the pain.
A few seconds later, the glow faded, and he couldn't even feel the dull throbbing pain anymore.
"Done, and I don't want to see you here for a long time kiddo" The woman said.
"Right…" Jacob responded dully. Still stunned at the ease and speed she had healed him.
He couldn't help but compare his own ability and hers. Imagine if he had this in the mansion. How many times did he almost die because of that bloody leg wound that made him limp everywhere?
"Right. Since I saved you from Vicky the pricky, I am now responsible for ensuring you know where everything on campus is. That's the rule after all." Sully stated solemnly.
"That seems like a very specific and odd rule." Responded Jacob suspiciously.
"Well, it's less of a rule and more the fact that I don't have anything to do today, so I'm bored." Sully admitted with a grin.
"Fair enough" Jacob responded, hopping down from the bed.
"I owe you one Miss Alanna, though I got to say I hope I don't need to see you again for a decent while." Jacob assured the nurse.
The nurse waved him away, assuring him that it was her job anyway and that there was no need to thank her
She was already turning as Jacob's eye twitched at her choice of words.
A few seconds later, they exited the building with a goodbye following them on the way out.
"Vickky the Pricky?" Questioned Jacob, wondering where such an… inventive nickname had come from.
"Came up with it myself, don't worry Jax I am the master nick-namer, anything I say catches on quick" Sully responded with a thumbs up and a million-dollar smile.
A part of Jacob wanted to shut him down before his old nickname was set in stone, but he figured with everything that had just happened he owed Sully and it seemed like his nickname was tied to him no matter how much he disliked it.
The next couple of hours were taken up as Jacob got a tour of the campus. The whole way, he and Sullivan kept making jokes and chatting casually. By the end of the tour, Jacob had a much better understanding of the university layout, and a new friend.
Or at least a helpful acquaintance. As normally as Jacob could present to others he still had trouble getting a proper read on other people's opinion of him. His ability told him that Sully had a positive impression of him so he had to be doing something right, but he also knew from experience that he could easily say the wrong thing and quickly end the budding friendship.
He was shown everything from the food court to the lecture rooms and library, even the combat grounds. Sully even gave him a few valuable tips on which cafeteria meals were best and when the best time to book training areas was.
The most important thing he was told was about his classes. It turned out that he would have two types of classes, the first type was nicknamed 'dreamer 101' by Sully'
Sully's reasoning was that these classes were basically what Jacob was here to learn, the basics of how to be a dreamer.
These classes were held every day all under three different names, the first was called 'ability studies', the second 'dreamer history', and the last was simply called 'general knowledge'. the last class was especially interesting to Jacob considering his lack of information.
He really didn't know anything about the dreamer world, its society, its culture, or even its laws.
He had no idea how much or how little they differed from what he grew up as a dreamless.
He had tried to get more information from Sullivan, but he had just responded that there was a lot to learn and it was best if he just took the classes than have him try, and most likely fail, to explain.
The other class type he had to worry about was his electives. Students were allowed to choose classes to participate in, even new dreamers like him.
He was told they offered everything from combat courses to the theology of the dream realm. At present he was more inclined to take the former considering the amount of times in the past 24 hours it would have come in handy.
He may not have been able to harm the spirits of the mansion but even some basic fitness would have made his life a LOT easier.
In fact, for the first time in his life, Jaocb had resolved to actually begin exercising in earnest.
He wasn't so far out of shape that it was a problem in everyday life but if he ever had to enter a situation like the haunted mansion again he at least wanted to be able to run for more than 5 minutes without being out of breath.
When he eventually parted ways with Sullivan, he learned that his new friend lived off campus and wasn't on the same course structure as him, meaning he only came in a couple of times a week.
Like most universities, the courses they offered usually only had classes a few times a week at most. the 'dreamer 101' course was an exception to the rule.
Eventually, Jacob ended up back outside his dorm room, sighing as he prepared to knock on the door.
But then he thought better of it.
He didn't want to have to knock to enter his own room for his entire stay here. It was his room as much as it was Shin's and if he just rolled over now and let the pretty boy have his way it would just continue that way all semester.
Plus, he already knew what to expect. He could dodge whatever came at him easily.
well not easily, but he could still do it!
Probably.
'I should just do it before I lose my last bit of confidence' Jacob thought.
So he opened the door.
Once again a leatherbound book hurtled at Jacob's head.
Thankfully he was prepared enough to dodge properly this time, smoothly sidestepping the projectile.
Shin had an annoyed look on his face as he quickly covered something on his desk.
"I told you to knock!" He hissed at Jacob.
"This is my room. I'm not going to knock every time I come back." Jacob retorted, trying to get a better look at what his roommate was hiding.
Which, of course, caused him to hide whatever he was ashamed of in a much bigger hurry.
But not before Jacob got a better look at it.
It honestly surprised him.
It was spelling practice.
Like basic-level English spelling for primary schoolers.
Not just teaching what letters were meant to sound like but also how to draw the shape of the letter.
"Wait, you can't read or write in English?" Jacob asked, slightly incredulous.
"I can speak it fine, but I can't write. What about it?" Shin answered spitefully looking at Jacob with annoyance.
After a few moments of stunned silence, Jacob spoke.
"You're a new dreamer aren't you, like me?" He asked.
"…yes" answered Shin quietly, like admitting that he wasn't all-knowing was the most humiliating thing he had ever experienced.
"How about this, I happen to have pretty much no idea what's happening in this place and I'd prefer to live with someone who owes me rather than someone who hates me, or at least someone who hates me but also owes me. So I'll help you with writing practice and keep it a secret and in exchange, you owe me one, deal?" Jacob proposed.
Shin looked up at him, the small man's features were even more delicate up close.
'Man I have to be careful, if any particularly aggressive women see me too close to him I'll probably end up as collateral damage.' Jacob thought to himself in annoyance.
He could already see scenes of women, hell maybe even some men, coming up to him to ask for his friend's number. He resolved to keep some notable distance between them In public.
"…Deal" Shin spoke after considering his offer.
A short handshake later, the pact was sealed.
Jacob now had one friend who knew what he was doing and another who owed him one.
Maybe he'd survive University after all.
"You could also stop throwing books at me when open the door" Jacob said jokingly.
"You could learn to knock" Shin replied in all seriousness.
Or maybe he wouldn't.