[i]I wish I could believe it was coincidence, Mari...I really do.[/i]
Ray just smiled, glad to have some friendly, familiar faces here, even if a good fifty percent of the faculty gave him chills.  
"Heh, yeah this place can be a bit of a maze.  It took me a while to figure it out, but give it time and it will become second nature to you."
It had been a long time since Ray had been able to just fall into easy banter like this, and it did a lot to lift his spirits.  Without even realizing it his shoulders slackened, releasing some of that constant tension he carried like a stone.  It almost made him forget about what a complete fucking train wreck his life had become.  

"I was just heading back to my quarters now, I can help you find yours if you'd like."  Ray himself had gotten lost too many times when he first arrived, and eventually learned his way there through trial and error.  The one time he had sheepishly asked for directions he made the mistake of asking Maeve.  Her stony silence and diamond scowl set the tone for the rest of her and Ray's interaction thus far, and it was something he found hard to forget.