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The late August sun hung high and shined mercilessly, baking its heat into every stone and shingle of Blackthorn University’s campus. Students, staff, and parents dropping off their kids clogged the courtyards in a buzzing swarm; everyone was lugging boxes, squealing greetings and goodbyes, and dragging luggage across the cracked grey flagstones. A few dorm room windows were open with different songs blasting loudly from radios all at once; pop anthems, alternative rock, and oldies someone’s parents insisted were “classics.” A group of guys, athletes going by their letterman jackets, tossed a football dangerously in between the crowds. By the main fountain, a green haired Kirin in a brightly colored RA shirt stood perched on a bench, a megaphone in hand as she barked out instructions and directions with the kind of authority that came from at least three years of surviving move-in chaos. “Sign-in tables for clubs to your left! Keys and IDs pick-up to your right! Please don’t feed the geese! Seriously, they bite!” All in all, it was an average first day move in for college students, and while the atmosphere was chaotic, it was filled with obvious excitement.
And yet, to Nerissa Ravencroft, it was pure hell. She would know, she was born there.
She sighed and rubbed her temples, hoping it would help her growing headache. Nerissa may be a Demon of Sound, THE Demon of Sound if she wants to be technical, but she was not having fun, nor was she excited, at least not right now. She should be since her first day of college was a big moment and she was moving away from her home in Hell for the first time. And with the school being mixed with Fae and humans alike, she was thankfully able to be herself and didn't have to hide her appearance like she normally did in the Overworld. So, she should be relishing in the moment like everyone else. Unfortunately, even though she was normally good at controlling her power back home, due to one of her horns being broken because of an accident, it was harder for her to control the noise in the Overworld and situations like this. The noise that currently pressed in on her from every direction; loud laughter felt like knives, clashing music sounded like shattered glass, squeaking sneakers screaming like shrieks only she seemed cursed to hear. It was like nails on a chalkboard, if the nails were train spikes.
It was the reason she was attending, aside from a music degree, she wanted to hone and learn to wield her sound magic better. Currently, it was wild in nature, so she kept it under a tight lid as much as she possibly could. She’s had a few “incidents” that may have caused damage and wanted very much to put a stop to those. Her mother’s voice whispered in memory: “You’ll never be able to withstand it all dear. But you’ll learn to tolerate it, darling. It is the weight Sound Demons must bear.” Her father’s voice had countered with a dark chuckle: “Or you’ll at least learn to enjoy what screams the prettiest.”
Nerissa sighed again and adjusted her sunglasses against the glare of the sun and began to drag her black trunk up the dormitory stairs, her butler following with the rest of her things. She was grateful for him and his help in the moment and having a high-ranking Demon Lord as a father had its perks, like the fact that she gets a sound proofed room for herself. Which was probably a good thing, because if she had a roommate, they would've hated her, as she might've been a bit excited and overpacked. She trudged up the stairs, her trunk thudding onto the landing of the second floor as she ascended, the wood beneath it groaning. She paused to wipe her brow with her arm, not very used to physical labor of any kind, and scowled at the sight of cheerful families posing for photos and lingering in the hall. She wasn't jealous, her family wanted to come of course, but she didn't think she could handle them all and everything happening currently, so they stayed home while her and her butler made the trip. She continued moving towards her room, located on the third floor, a corner room thankfully, and as she neared the next flight of stairs a human girl with silver hair and dressed in a full black suit for some reason squealed in her ear as she passed when she spotted a friend, and Nerissa bared her teeth and nearly hissed out loud at the pitch.
“Mortals,” she muttered darkly, stopping and pressing her fingers to her temple again as the laughter echoed on. “Always so loud when they’re happy.”
That was when it happened.
Something large and heavy slammed into her from behind, jolting her forward so sharply that she had to brace against the wall, almost falling over at the impact.
“Oh, my good gosh-sorry! I didn’t-hold on-so, so sorry-”
Books burst out of a cardboard box in a tumbling avalanche, thudding against her trunk and scattering across the floor. One particularly heavy-looking tome almost slid all the way down the rest of the hallway, popping open to reveal diagrams of planetary alignments.
Nerissa straightened and turned slowly.
The girl responsible was already crouched, scrambling to collect the wide sprawl of books. She had a wolf cut down to her shoulders, split in two colors, half-white and half-black, and her pale skin was gleaming with sweat. She was wearing a faded t-shirt that read Wolves Don’t Need Sleep, and black ripped jeans paired with black laced up combat boots. She was also, Nerissa noticed, human. She muttered to herself as she quickly stacked the fallen hardcovers, juggling them precariously in her arms.
Nerissa pressed two fingers to her temple, and at this point she felt she was wearing holes in her head. “Are you somehow incapable of spatial awareness?”
The girl glanced up, sharp golden eyes wide in surprise, and then narrowed her gaze at Nerissa’s snappy tone. “I did say I was sorry. Twice.” She wrestled another volume into the box. “You try carrying thirty pounds of reference material in ninety-degree heat and see how graceful you look.” She continued throwing books into her box but not before Nerissa caught the look of judgement the girl shot towards her butler.
Nerissa tilted her head forward, sunglasses sliding just enough to reveal a faint glow in her wine-red irises. “Graceful is my natural state. Unlike yours.”
The girl’s mouth twitched, half amused and half irritated, and she lets out a scoff. “Oh, great. I get body-blocked by a discount Morticia Addams, and I’m the clumsy one?”
Nerissa’s lips parted in shock at her remark. “Excuse me?!”
But the girl was already hauling her box upright again, balancing it against her hip with a grunt. She gave Nerissa a last pointed look before trudging away from her, something about first impressions drifting back over her shoulder, too quiet to make out clearly, but biting all the same.
Nerissa stood there, momentarily stunned. People did not simply dismiss her. People did not throw insults at her and then walk away. People either ignored her altogether because of her father and her family status or watched her from afar with whispers, avoiding her and her usually off-putting completely done on purpose aura. And well, the accident didn’t help much with that, but still! Instead of lingering on it, she took a deep breath, picked her trunk back up, and motioned to her butler to follow. She’d feel better once she was in her room and settled in.
By the time Nerissa reached the third floor, her patience had been whittled down to a single, trembling thread, and her headache was almost a full-blown migraine. Luckily, she had noticed as she got closer to her room, it got blessedly quieter. The hallway stretched ahead in a haze of heat and fluorescent light, smelling faintly of fresh paint and the tinge of industrial cleaner. She pulled out and checked the slip of paper sent to her in the mail from her pocket - Ravencroft Hall, Floor C, Room 317 - and yes it was named after her family, before dropping her trunk with a dull, echoing thud that made the nearest door vibrate. Nerissa blinked once, slowly. Finally, she was home. Well, for the next school year anyways. Taking her key and sliding it into the lock, it slid in smoothly and when she heard the soft click, she turned the knob and swung the door open with gusto before walking in. Only to completely freeze in the doorway.
“No,” she said aloud, disbelief sharpening every syllable, her jaw dropping momentarily. “Oh, absolutely not,” Nerissa shrieked, dragging herself forward with renewed purpose and anger. As she walked quickly into her room, a strong scent hits her, one that completely silences her.
The faint bite of old magic, dusted with parchment ash and the faint sweetness of pressed flowers between pages long since dead. The undertone was unmistakable: ink-stained hands, candle wax, and the brittle musk of forgotten tomes.
Archiver.
Her nostrils flared as she steps into her room and makes eye contact with the girl who had so rudely bumped into her downstairs, who looks just as shocked and annoyed as she was.
Her day had officially sunk to shitty depths that even her friend Mio couldn't have predicted.
“This is a mistake, it has to be, you're not supposed to be here,” Nerissa said flatly. The girl slowly blinked, clutching a giant book to her chest like a shield. Her earlier shock and irritation were gone, replaced by wary confusion. “Uh, yeah,” she said slowly. “That’s what I was just thinking.”
Nerissa’s gaze flicked over the girl, taking her in properly this time: ink was smudged faintly across her fingers, and that scent - old knowledge, the sort of smell that clung to people who spent their lives breathing in libraries. Her stomach turned.
“You’re an Archiver,” Nerissa said, the word weighted, nearly a growl.
“Yeah, that's me! Shiori Novella, at your service!” She grinned, showing all teeth, and gave a little flourish with her hands, a book and quill quite literally, just appearing out of nowhere. “Who are you? Also why are you in my room?”
“You mean MY room,” she answered, clipped.
There was a long pause. Shiori blinked once, her golden eyes just staring at Nerissa, and then she laughed-bright and incredulous. “You’ve got to be kidding. They stuck us together? The universe must be bored.”
Nerissa’s jaw tightened. “I was promised a single,” she said, voice sharp enough to slice through Shiori’s laughter. “My father made sure of it. So, someone made a very big mistake.”
“Father?” Shiori chuckles, “I’m sorry but you sound a bit spoiled. Why would your father confirm your room? Aren't you a big girl now?” she asks sassily, giggling while going back to sorting her books, her intent to stay very clear.
Nerissa’s nostrils flare in annoyance. “Excuse you I am not spoiled. My father just happens to be a huge benefactor to the school.” Shiori looks up with an eyebrow arched, her point being proven. “Ugh whatever! You are not supposed to be here. This is my room; there must have been an error of some kind, I’ll handle this.”
As Nerissa stepped away into the hallway to make a call to her dad, her irritation carrying loud and clear into the room, Shiori unpacked with cheerful determination, humming tunelessly as she stacked towers of books and lined pens in rainbow order along her new desk. She was so absorbed into her task she didn't hear Nerissa walk back in and sit on the small couch, her butler beginning to transport her luggage and things to her room.
“It seems for now, that we are stuck together,” she explains quietly. Shiori startles and turns, knocking over a stack of books she had set on the desk. “Jeez, I was kidding about the whole Morticia thing! What are you a demon vampire or something?”
Nerissa flinches at the sound of the falling books, headache now officially a full roaring migraine. She was going to have to hide in her new room sooner than later before it became a problem. She could already feel her horn throbbing in pain from the day's events.
Nerissa brushed her skirt, picking off lint that didn't exist, her nerves showing. “Do you practice being insufferable, or does it come naturally?” she scoffs, rolling her eyes at Shiori’s question. “You of all people should know that's not a thing.”
“Natural talent,” Shiori said sweetly, sliding another book onto a shelf. “And I know, but you have to admit a demon vampire would be so cool,” she says, grinning like a fool at the thought. “By the way, you still haven't told me who you are. Or what you are. You figured me out quick, which I won't lie, tells me you're slightly higher in the hierarchy of things. Not easy sniffing out Archivers.”
The lamp on Shiori’s desk buzzed sharply, the bulb flickering with Nerissa’s growing migraine, and she could feel her magic beginning to leak from her broken horn. “Great,” she thinks to herself. “Just what I needed on my first day.” Shiori glanced at the lamp, then at Nerissa, then smirked. “Your temper comes with special effects?”
Nerissa gets up and unplugs the lamp, intent on walking to her room. “Keep talking, Novella, and I’ll show you what else my temper comes with.” She takes a deep breath, closing her eyes and attempting to calm herself by pinching the bridge of her nose and focuses on not making her pain worse. “My name is Nerissa, if you really must know. I’m a... Sound Demon. I'm also half raven,” she explains, ruffling her tucked in wings a bit to emphasize her point. Shiori’s grin falters a bit, a look of concern Nerissa doesn't see crossing her face.
“Okay well, hello again, Nerissa the Sound Demon. Is the whole magic spewing horn thing a cause for concern?”
Nerissa’s eyes snap open, slightly shocked at Shiori’s observance. She wasn't used to people paying attention, not outside of family anyways. She straightens up, and walks over to her trunk, picking it up and walking towards to her room. “It will be fine, I have it under control,” she explains brusquely. “I'll be in my room for the night, please don't bother me.” She heads in, closing the door after bidding farewell to her butler, who gives her well wishes on her studies, and proceeds to immediately close her curtains and dive into her bed. Soon enough, especially after the day's chaotic series of events, and with one last spare thought towards golden eyes, she was blissfully asleep.
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The first weeks of the semester had been… eventful, to say the least. She was stuck with Shiori unfortunately, her father had tried his best to fix the situation but due to a clerical error it was too late to do anything about it. So, she ignored Shiori for the most part, aside from a few snarky arguments here and there about who had to do chores and the like, and she continued to keep to herself and threw herself into her studies. She was top of her class and was obviously excelling at her music classes, but she had a bit of a reputation of being standoffish, tending to lock herself in her room or hole away on some part of the campus where it was quiet. She could hear the whispers and gossip about her from everyone when they spoke behind her back, but she just ignored them. Mostly. She was growing steadily stronger with her sound magic, but it was still difficult for her to control that aspect, and she was trying to avoid any accidents or another close call like her first day. She hated to admit it, but she also noticed that Shiori kept her noise levels to a minimum around Nerissa, and she wasn't sure how to truly feel about her.
It was during her lunch one day in the main courtyard that the first real test came. Nerissa had carefully chosen a quiet bench near the edge of the mermaid fountain, the sound of the running water soothing and helpful, her black hoodie and shades shielding her from the sun and prying eyes. She was reading an old composition journal, her music notes scribbled in perfect, looping handwriting, when a group of upperclassmen - a mix of Humans and Weres - decided her presence was an opportunity for some ill-conceived attention.
“Hey, check it out,” one of them whispered, nudging another. “That’s the one with the horn, right? The Demon of Sound or whatever?” The group snickered, coming closer to her and getting louder, and she sat there rigidly, still looking at her journal and pretending not to care, but as they approached her, unease slowly filled her gut. “Yeah, she’s a total Daddy’s Girl, spoiled by her family. He’s like a demon lord or something. Must be nice not having to you know... earn anything.” They all laughed, the noise grating on her, but she chose to continue ignoring them, wanting to study her journal in peace.
“She’s so weird dude, I wonder if the story about her is true. I heard she was visiting in the Overworld as a kid and started singing and she killed a bunch of humans because of it, so they smashed her horn!” Nerissa froze, clutching her book tightly and squeezing her eyes shut. Her breathes became quicker as she heard their laughter getting louder and louder and she felt the sting of tears in her eyes, the beginnings of a panic attack forming. She grabbed her stuff and started stuffing it quickly into her bag, getting ready to bolt when a familiar sharp voice cut through the yard.
“Is that what you think? That she’s spoiled? Is it because she doesn't hang out with losers like you?” Shiori scoffs. “You’re all morons. I’m pretty sure they wouldn't let killers attend college either.”
All heads turned, and the group noticed Shiori striding toward them, every step measured but confident, anger clear and showing in her glowing golden eyes. She waved her hand, her quill and book materializing. “Because let me tell you,” She continued, voice rising steadily to carry over all the courtyard chatter, “Nerissa doesn’t need your approval, and she certainly doesn’t need your assumptions. So, back off. Now.”
The group paused, exchanging uneasy glances as Shiori’s wide golden eyes swept over them, steady and unflinching, her quill poised and was that humming coming from it? “You want to make fun of her? Fine. Go ahead. But don’t be surprised when you walk away embarrassed, outsmarted, or both,” Shiori said, tilting her head and grinning evilly. “And yes - I will make sure of it. So please, make my day.”
For a moment, there was silence in the courtyard, anyone in the vicinity pausing what they were doing and watching what was unfolding, most of them curious as to what the Archiver would do. Even Nerissa was staring wide eyed, panic forgotten, wondering what would happen. The group shuffled back and away, muttering half-hearted threats that didn’t carry any real weight now that Shiori had made her intentions clear. Nerissa allowed herself a deep, slow, measured breath, the tension in her shoulders easing just a fraction. Shiori walked over, dropping onto the bench next to Nerissa, quill and book disappearing and she grinned cheekily at her. “Always have to be the center of attention huh?” Shiori teased, laughter showing in her eyes.
Nerissa scoffs and rolls her eyes, used to Shiori and her antics by now. Her voice was low, however, almost hesitant when she responds. “You didn’t have to do that,” she says as she tucks her hair behind her ear shyly, opening her journal to begin studying again. There was a quiet edge of gratitude she didn’t fully allow herself to show, but Shiori saw right though her and picked up on it anyways.
Shiori shrugged, grabbing an apple from her bag, which absolutely was not there a second ago, and leans her head onto Nerissa’s shoulder while taking a bite. “Maybe not. But someone had to. You shouldn’t have to deal with that alone, no one should. Plus, you’d do the same for me.”
A faint, reluctant smirk tugged at Nerissa’s lips, her face warming and her stomach fluttering at Shiori’s proximity. She laughs lightly, accepting and allowing the moment to linger. “I… appreciate it.” Maybe having a roommate wouldn't be so bad after all.