For Want of a Roommate

There was something oddly suspicious or just plain strange about the Academy. The feeling was not a sinister one by any means, though there were times when it could be a little disconcerting. No. The feeling mostly stemmed from the rather laid back and casual attitude the Academy as a whole put off, both in terms of the student body and how it was officially run. Considering the composition of the student body, most people would assume that there would be layers upon layers of security measures or frequent use of magical spells and wards to keep the students and faculty from accidentally or purposely misusing their powers. But nope. The students were generally expected to just be on their best behavior and supernatural limitations would not come until it was really needed. In a way, it was liberating and respectful.

On the other hand, without the presence of magical wards or pocket dimensions in the dorms, it meant that anyone with burglar-like skills or sufficient resources could just get into a locked dorm. Such was the case with Orion, whom peered over the back of the sofa like a curious cat or gnome at the resting girl.

He was quiet and stealthy, a far cry from his usual rambunctious self. Even as he stood up from behind the couch to get a better look at her, he was as silent as a mouse but no less curious. The look on his face said it all. He meant no harm, intentionally anyway. Orion was but a curious young man with the resrouces and know how to both feed that curiosty and annoy people with his lack of social graces. Social graces like don't pick locks on locked dorms just so he could poke around at everything.

Just before Paige opened her eyes and sat up from the couch, there was the tiniest whiff of air across her nose. It was a movement so small she probably just lumped it together with the movement of wind as she sat up. But of course that was not the case. Orion had just been about to tap the tip of her nose with his finger before she roused herself, and when she did he retreated back behind the safety of the couch and away from her view. The unintentional game of hide and seek carried too much an allure to end so quickly, so he let himself drag it out a little bit longer.

By now a master in the art of rolling around the ground, Orion kept himself from discovery by moving along the ground around the sofa, expertly keeping the piece of furniture between him and Paige. It was as if a Marine had taken Ninja lessons.

When he watched her disappear into an adjoining room, he could not help his curiosity and peeked in from around the door frame. To anyone else, it would have been a mundane show. She was unpacking her clothes, nothing special. Hell, even the prospect of seeing Paige pack away her unmentionables never even crossed his mind. He was just a curious little bugger.

But it was right back behind the couch when she turned to leave after finishing her unpacking. He sensed that anything of any real consequence had come and gone, and the time had come to introduce himself. So after straightening out his outfit--the usual pants/vest combo with no undershirt--Orion stood up and walked right up behind Paige and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hello! You waitin' for someone?"

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<div class="taggi3">tag: PAIGE & ORION</div></div>
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Ollie had only just stepped out and away from her dorm room- it was laundry day after all and her unmentionables weren't going to wash themselves. As well as laundry day, it was the start of the new quarter and that meant it was the day for new arrivals and she was excited. Ollie had only been attending the school for one quarter, but during those few months she had been without a roommate; no matter how many times she asked the woman at the front desk downstairs, the answer was always the same:
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"Wait until next quarter."
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Well, next quarter had come and today was the day that Ollie would be receiving her roommate. To her, that meant a study partner- a confidant- a friend- and above all else, a guinea pig to practice her dream walking with. Stepping through the hallway, as crowded as it was with the new arrivals, she pondered on what type of person her new companion was going to be.
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Would they be nice?
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Would they allow her to practice dream walking on them while they sleep?
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Would they-
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Stopping outside her room, she stared in through the now open door at the distracting scene within her suite's common room.
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"What're you doin' in here? You ain't my roommate-"
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For a moment, Ollie's mind went blank as her eyes darted back and forth between the bare chested male and the short, tired looking female. As the wheels turned in her mind, instinct took over and she dropped her satchel- causing all of her freshly folded clothes to dump out onto the ground outside the door. Practically diving into the room, she raised her arm into the air, pointed her index finger swiftly at the vest-wearing male, or somewhere in the air around him, and uttered the first thing that came to mind strongly and gutterally:
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"In brightest day, in blackest night- ah, nngh, I mean- bind thy enemies within my sight!"
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As quickly as the proper hex lifted off of her tongue, she rushed forward and, without really looking to see if the spell had even made contact with it's supposed target, grabbed the young girl's arm and pulled her away from the vicinity of the intruder.
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"Oh- oh, are you alright, dear?" Ollie fussed over the girl's arms and face, patting her down as if she were made of sand and would, at any moment, fall apart. Her hands finally settled on the girl's face, as she brushed a stray strand out from in front of her eyes, "You aren't injured, are you?"
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With worry in her eyes, she gave the girl one more once over to make sure she really was okay- too busy thinking about how she could have been alone for another quarter if something really had happened to her possible roommate, the idea never even crossed her mind that she had somehow misunderstood what had been transpiring in the common room before she arrived.
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At least the girl was safe.
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((Feel free to dodge, Crit- her hex only works if she words it correctly.))

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To most people, Paige's rigid and anxious reaction would have been a clear indicator to give the girl some room or to reassure her that no harm was meant. Also, most people would not have sneaked into someone else's room, unannounced, just to poke around and surprise them.

<div align=right>"Well, I-I-I... I guess so?"</div>

"Oh, cool! Who are you waiting for? Boyfriend? Sibling? The mail?"

<div align=right>"What're you doin' in here? You ain't my roommate,"</div>

"Ah. A roommate! That was going to be my next guess. Can I wait with you?"

It never seemed to enter Orion's mind once that Paige might be just a little put off with finding a stranger in her room that had been present without her consent or notice. Orion just kept up his smile and acted like it was the most normal situation in the world. As if he had been the one to approach from the door to greet his new dorm neighbor. But he was not even living in the dorms. He had a place on the beach, and he was just in the dorms to be curious and annoying.

But their "meeting" was swiftly interrupted by the sudden appearance of another girl. Paige might have been surprised, but the only reaction Ollie got out of Orion was a raised eyebrow and a curious stare. As her finger rose to point, he went cross-eyed and looked directly at the tip, then followed it up her arm and to her eyes.

<div align=right>"In brightest day, in blackest night- ah, nngh, I mean- bind thy enemies within my sight!"</div>

".... Oh! I've heard that before! Ohoh! My turn! Um.... Thundercats! HOOO--!"

Orion was only able to get to the second O of HOOOO when he suddenly felt his body seize and tighten. Which was unfortunate, because he had struck an imitation pose with his arm and finger raised high above his ahead. So he was stuck with his legs forcibly clamped together, his arm clinging to his side, and his raised arm unable to be lowered. With his balance cut off, he fell to the ground with an OOF.

"Wha? What's going on?! This is not consistent with the canon of either of these reference series!"

He was able to rock back and forth on his back in protest though.