Chapel Orahamm

Spilling the entire contents of my backpack across the floor in front of the university founder’s statue was not my idea of the best first day ever. Not when an entire table of nymphs and sylphs were there to capture it on their phones. I groaned. It would be on every social media guru’s lips by the time I made it to the history building.

It shouldn’t matter. This was a different region. I was an international student who knew no one. It shouldn’t affect me. But it was going to. Networking. Making friends. Or at the very least finding some anime fans to enjoy talking shows with.

I quickly jammed everything back into my bag and pulled the tab off my zipper in my haste to get away from the staring eyes.

History of Southwest cryptid geography proved my suspicions right. Half the fae circle and a handful of yokai had seen my blunder in all its glory. The professor called the class to attention, but that did little to stop the side eyes and chuckles.

Thankfully it was my last class on Mondays. I made a beeline for the backside of the building where most students didn’t walk. It was a longer trek, but I wasn’t in the mood to handle my recent celebrity status. At least a new bag was going to be waiting at my dorm in a few days. That much I had successfully got done while his professor covered the new semester syllabus.

“Hey, Krampus, your Glamour’s pretty good.” A large hand had me pushed up against the history building wall before I could yelp. A blonde jock with crystal blue eyes brought me up short.

“Woah! The hell, dude?” I pushed the jock to get off before patting at my skin to check my Glamour.

“You should probably keep away from Sidhe Kirk. She’s got a following a mile wide and you’re trending now as the fifth highest-“

“Do I even care to know who the hell you are?” I cut off the jock.

The blonde scoffed, a broad smile revealing gleaming white teeth. Backing off, he bowed slightly as if to doff a hat. “The only Clause on campus. Name’s Jeremy. And you’re the only Krampus, Mr.?”

“Von. Why’d you push me? Got a problem with Krampus?” I hissed.

“I’ve been trying to get your attention since we walked out of history class. Tapped your shoulder and everything. Reason I realized you had a Glamour on. That thing’s pretty robust, but you should probably fine-tune it so you can still feel someone tap you at least. Had to push past it and kinda overdid it.”

I glowered, brows furrowing. ” That your apology then for pushing me?”

Jeremy tried for an endearing smile. “Yes?”

I sighed, getting the feeling Jeremy didn’t mean anything cruel in his actions. “So, you have my attention. What do you want?”

“Well, I was going to see if you were maybe datable, but I doubt that’s an option after…” Jeremy’s face fell at his realization.

“You don’t quite think through what you’re about to say until it falls out of your face, do you?” I grumbled.

Jeremy nodded, before brightening. “That wasn’t a no?”

I scowled. “You want a date from someone wearing a Glamour whose only quality you know of currently is being a clutz?”

Jeremy thought for a second before nodding slowly.

“Look, golden retriever energy, you said it yourself. You know what I am. Folk don’t date me.”

“Why not? Clauses’ have worked with Krampus for years. Not like I haven’t met my share at my dad’s Christmas parties.”

I slipped a hand across my face in an effort to banish a building headache.

“Worked with. Not dated. And did you meet any of the unGlamoured?”

Jeremy dug the toe of his high tops against the sidewalk.

I clapped a hand on the Clause’s shoulder. “Dude, there’s a reason the school lets us horror mythics wear Glamours on campus. Let’s just pretend this never happened. I’m going to go sleep.” I made to leave. Jeremy kept up with his pace. “What are you doing?” I growled.

“Heading back to my dorm. Figured we could walk and talk on the way. That’s probably where I went wrong. We should have gotten to know each other first before I asked you out. So, my clan’s up in the New England area, but I wanted a change of scenery and now I’m down here. I’m getting my degree in International Cryptid Geography.”

I blinked at the man. “I- that’s not. Alright. Came here for the Southwest Lore Anthropology. We hosted a Windigo for three years and I learned a lot from them. Wanted to do more with the stories.”

“Dude! That’s epic. My folks only ever host alfr and brownies. Not sure why, other than mom’s more comfortable with speaking Swedish and German, so she tends to host from the regions.” Jeremy’s features couldn’t hold on to frustration any longer than a cup with a hole holding water.

Turning at the edge of Dorm Row, I flicked a thumb at the first towering building. “Well, it was interesting meeting you, Jeremy. This is me.”

“Oh cool! We’re in the same dorm. We should grab breakfast tomorrow.” Jeremy’s broad smile was the epitome of clueless puppy.

“Um, yeah, maybe.” I shifted my broken backpack to press the elevator button.

“Here, what’s your number?” Jeremy offered when we both got in.

I pulled out my key card to check the number printed on it. “Eight? Yeah, eight.”

“Neat.”

“Neat?”

“Oh, yeah, we’re on the same floor. I wonder. Is this a freshman dorm? That would make sense.”

“Make sense for what?” My voice cracked.

“Why we’re in the same building and floor.”

The bell dinged and the doors opened with a shudder.

“I doubt it. One of the other international students I met at orientation is my neighbour and he’s getting his master’s.”

Jeremy pulled out his key card to tap on the door handle at the same time I went to tap mine.

We stared at our cards for a minute. “You’re my roommate?” I asked.

“Sweet! I hadn’t met you yet. I spent the night over at Rachel’s for the last week. Kinda rolled out of bed and showed up to class.” Jeremy opened the door to the shared communal space, ran his key card on his door and tossed his bookbag in his door.

I dropped my own bag on the floor, contents pooling around my feet. “We’re roommates?”

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