▪︎ Chapter 130 ▪︎ “Because you’re cute!”

Lavinia woke to the sound of giggling.

It was a rather pleasant way to wake up, all things considered, although the fact that she could hear several different voices immediately told her something unusual had happened while she was sleeping.

Her empty red eyes opened, and for a moment, she simply stared at the ceiling. 

Then she tilted her head, looked toward the other side of the bed, and discovered that her room had apparently become a gathering place.

There were vampires everywhere.

Not literally everywhere, of course. The suite was spacious enough to accommodate quite a few people, but that hadn't stopped them from rearranging the furniture, occupying nearly every available seat, and making themselves thoroughly comfortable.

Gwendolyn sat cross-legged near the foot of the bed, happily munching on a piece of taffy. 

Cordelia and Evangeline had claimed the couch, while Rosaline occupied the chair beside the desk, scrolling through her phone with an expression that suggested she'd discovered something entertaining.

Adelaide was standing near the television. Celestine and Evelyn had settled together nearby, and Ophelia occupied an armchair with Diana sitting close enough that their shoulders occasionally touched.

Valerie, naturally, was still beside Lavinia.

At some point during her sleep, everyone had apparently decided to reorganize themselves around her.

Lavinia blinked slowly.

Was this what being a Royal Vampire meant?

She vaguely wondered whether the strange attraction other vampires felt toward her was something resembling mind control. 

The thought wasn't particularly pleasant, although she couldn't honestly say she'd noticed anyone behaving against their wishes.

They simply liked being around her, and she liked being around them. Whatever influence existed, it wasn't something she could switch off, so worrying about it seemed rather pointless.

Still, she could understand a little better why the Elves in that distant future had been so furious over the death of one of their Royals.

If their attachment was anything like what vampires experienced, losing someone who naturally drew their species together might feel considerably more personal than an ordinary political assassination.

“Look at that!” Evangeline exclaimed.

Lavinia's attention shifted toward the television.

Aerial footage showed an immense stretch of the Diverged Lands, with mountains rising above a sea of enormous trees. 

The camera swept across a broad valley before revealing a lake so large that its distant shore disappeared into the horizon.

Cordelia leaned forward. “That's beautiful. I wonder how deep it is.”

“Probably ridiculously deep,” Evangeline replied. “Everything out there is enormous.”

Valerie lifted her head from Lavinia's shoulder. “We've seen landscapes like that ourselves.”

Evangeline immediately bounced upright. “Yes, but some things look better on television!”

Lavinia snorted. “Isn't that saying supposed to be the complete opposite?”

Evangeline looked at her. “What saying?”

“That things look better in person.”

“Oh.” Evangeline considered that for a moment, then shrugged. “Well, sometimes they don't.”

Rosaline laughed from beside the desk. “I don't think she said anything wrong.”

Lavinia turned toward her. “You're just agreeing because you think it's funny.”

“Am I?” Rosaline didn't even bother concealing her smile.

Lavinia rolled her eyes and sat up, stretching her arms above her head. 

Valerie shifted to give her room, although she immediately leaned against Lavinia again once the golden-haired vampire settled against the pillows.

“Good afternoon,” Gwendolyn said cheerfully.

“Good afternoon.” Lavinia glanced toward the curtains, where the daylight remained safely blocked from entering the room. “How long have you all been here?”

“A while,” Gwendolyn replied, holding out her taffy. “Want some?”

Lavinia eyed the partially eaten candy. “Isn't that yours?”

“I can share.”

“How generous.”

Gwendolyn smiled brightly, and Lavinia leaned forward to bite off a small piece. The white-haired vampire looked delighted.

Adelaide approached the bed with her phone in hand. “Speaking of interesting things, we're famous now.”

Lavinia paused mid-chew. “Hm?”

Adelaide turned the screen toward her.

Several photographs were arranged across what appeared to be an online forum. Lavinia recognized a few of the faces immediately.

Gwendolyn. Cordelia. Valerie. Rosaline.

And...

“Oh.”

There was a photograph of Lavinia herself.

She leaned closer. “Where did they get that?”

“From the ceremony and interview broadcasts, apparently,” Adelaide replied. “Someone created a forum dedicated to supernatural species. People have been collecting pictures and discussing us.”

Lavinia accepted the phone.

The page was surprisingly elaborate. There were categories, individual profiles, discussion threads, and a constantly updating collection of images.

Some photographs depicted vampires she'd never met. Others showed familiar faces from Oakridge, including several stills taken during the ceremony and interview that had ended so abruptly when an explosion disrupted the event.

Lavinia recognized the setting immediately. The lighting, the arrangement of the stage, and even the expressions on some of the vampires' faces were familiar.

It was strange seeing those moments preserved online, particularly considering how everything had ended.

A few of the photographs were surprisingly clear.

Lavinia scrolled, then stopped.

Her lips twitched.

She read another comment, and her expression changed.

Then she looked toward the ceiling with an exasperated sigh.

“Oh, goodness.”

Rosaline glanced over. “Found something?”

Lavinia began giggling. “Rosaline, you have some very passionate fans.”

Rosaline crossed her arms. “I know.”

“You know?”

“Of course I know.” She smiled smugly. “People are like that.”

Lavinia looked back at the screen. “Some of these people are very enthusiastic.”

“Have you seen the comments about yourself?”

Lavinia froze.

Rosaline's smile widened, and Valerie immediately began giggling.

“Oh, Lavinia.”

Lavinia slowly turned toward her. “What?”

“People apparently like you.”

“That doesn't sound terrible.”

“Almost as much as I do.”

Valerie dissolved into laughter.

Lavinia stared at her. “I thought you were on my side.”

“I am!”

“You're laughing at me!”

“Because you're cute!”

Lavinia scoffed and looked down at the phone.

Fine. How bad could it possibly be?

She tapped her photograph, and the page opened. Lavinia scanned the first few comments, her smile gradually stiffening as she scrolled.

Then she promptly closed the page.

“Nope.”

Gwendolyn burst into laughter. “What did they say?”

“Nothing!”

“Lavinia!”

“Nothing worth repeating!”

Gwendolyn nearly dropped her taffy. “Give it a few days. I'm sure someone will start writing fanfiction about you too.”

Lavinia turned toward her with a mock glare. “Gwendolyn.”

“What?”

“Don't encourage them.”

“I didn't say I'd write it!”

“That wasn't reassuring!”

Gwendolyn laughed harder.

Celestine looked up from her own phone. “I checked the forum earlier. Honestly, it wasn't as negative as I expected.”

Lavinia glanced toward her. “Really?”

“Mhm. There are arguments, obviously, but a surprising number of people seem genuinely interested in us.”

Evelyn nodded beside her. “Some of them ask questions.”

“Some of them ask very strange questions,” Rosaline added.

Celestine smiled. “That too.”

Evangeline suddenly jumped up from the couch. “Oh! Lavinia, look!”

She hurried over, holding her phone out with both hands.

“The forum has verification!”

Lavinia blinked. “Verification?”

“For supernatural species!”

Evangeline sat on the edge of the bed and enthusiastically opened a menu. “See? You can select what species you are when you make an account, and if you're actually a vampire, they verify you!”

Lavinia leaned forward. “And then?”

“You get special access!”

“To what?”

“Things!”

Lavinia stared at her.

Evangeline grinned. “Private discussions, species-specific threads, and you can see some things ordinary accounts can't. It's really fun!”

“Have you been on there all afternoon?”

“Maybe.”

“Evangeline.”

“What? It's daytime! What else am I supposed to do?”

From across the room, Ophelia snorted. “People are remarkably brave when they're anonymous.”

Evangeline looked toward her.

Ophelia rested her cheek against one hand. “They'll write the most ridiculous things imaginable because they're hiding behind a screen. Put the vampire they're obsessing over directly in front of them, and they'd probably be too frightened to move.”

Diana shifted in her seat. “That's a little harsh.”

“It's accurate.”

Diana glanced at her phone. “Someone wrote something nice about you.”

Ophelia narrowed her eyes. “Don't.”

Diana smiled faintly. “They said they wanted to run their fingers through your flawless purple hair.”

Rosaline laughed, and Ophelia slowly turned toward Diana.

“Why would you read that aloud?”

“Because it was sweet.”

“It was creepy.”

“They complimented your hair.”

“They want to touch it!”

Diana glanced toward Ophelia's long dark-purple hair, which faded toward a lighter shade. “It is very pretty.”

Ophelia stared at her.

Diana smiled. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“Are you embarrassed?”

“No.”

“You look embarrassed.”

“Diana.”

“Yes?”

“Stop talking.”

Diana's smile widened.

Lavinia watched them with growing amusement.

She was beginning to understand their relationship.

Ophelia wasn't nearly as prickly with other vampires as she was with Diana. She could be sarcastic, certainly, but her remarks toward the blonde Thrall carried a particular sharpness that rarely appeared when she spoke to Lavinia or the others.

Yet there never seemed to be any genuine malice behind it. If anything, Diana appeared to enjoy provoking her.

Lavinia tilted her head.

Was Ophelia a tsundere?

The thought nearly made her laugh.

She decided not to say it aloud. Not yet, anyway.

Instead, she returned her attention to Adelaide's phone.

She was still using Adelaide's account, which explained the small symbol beside the username and the additional options available beneath certain posts.

Lavinia took a deep breath, then reopened her own profile.

She was going to read it properly this time.

The description was surprisingly ordinary.

[A golden-haired vampire with dark skin called Lavinia, who has been seen several times during live broadcasts from Oakridge, including the ceremony and interview. She was also among the vampires who actively aided in the city's defense during the Tide.]

Lavinia blinked. “That seems normal.”

Adelaide leaned over her shoulder. “What does?”

“The description.” Lavinia scrolled downward. “It's so basic and normal. How did the comments turn into people wanting me to step on them or scold them?”

Valerie began laughing again, Rosaline covered her mouth, and Gwendolyn made a strangled noise.

Lavinia looked around. “I'm serious!”

“Oh, we know,” Rosaline replied.

“That makes it funnier,” Evangeline added.

Lavinia frowned and continued reading.

[WinterDrought: am I wrong or doesn't she feel like a brat lolol?]

[ElfLover: You're only saying that because vampires appear petite. In the live videos she didn't feel bratty at all. But Elves are better than vampires.]

Lavinia stared at the screen, then slowly raised one finger and pointed toward herself.

“Me?”

Valerie glanced over. “What?”

“Am I a brat?”

“Yes,” Valerie answered immediately.

Lavinia turned toward her. “VALERIE!”

Valerie collapsed against her, laughing.

Gwendolyn tilted her head one way, then the other, her expression becoming genuinely thoughtful.

Lavinia looked toward her. “Gwendolyn?”

“Hmmm.”

“Don't think about it!”

Gwendolyn shook her head. “No, I don't think you're a brat.”

Lavinia exhaled. “Thank you.”

“Most of the time.”

“GWENDOLYN!”

The white-haired vampire squealed with laughter.

Lavinia threw her hands into the air. “I am not a brat! And the fact that none of you immediately said no tells me everything I need to know about how you see me!”

Rosaline smiled. “I got called a seductress and a temptress. Being called a brat isn't the worst thing in the world.”

Lavinia looked toward her. “Those descriptions suit you.”

Rosaline placed one hand against her chest. “Why, thank you.”

“That wasn't necessarily a compliment.”

“I'll take it as one.”

Celestine glanced toward Evelyn. “Apparently some people think Evelyn gives off little-sister energy.”

Evelyn blinked. “Do I?”

Gwendolyn immediately looked interested. “Oh! That's cute!”

Evelyn's cheeks colored faintly. “I don't know if that's a good thing.”

“It is,” Celestine assured her, smiling warmly.

Cordelia watched the discussion with obvious amusement.

Lavinia continued scrolling, occasionally stopping to read a particularly absurd comment before either laughing or making an expression of exaggerated disbelief.

After a while, she looked toward Adelaide. “Are there pages for the other species?”

Adelaide nodded. “Every species gets one.”

She climbed onto the bed beside Lavinia, settling comfortably against the pillows.

“Here, go back to the main page.”

Lavinia followed her instructions.

The forum's homepage displayed several large categories, each accompanied by a collage of photographs.

Vampires occupied one section, werewolves another, and Witches and Elves had their own pages too, although both appeared considerably smaller.

Lavinia swiped toward the werewolf section.

A collection of photographs appeared.

She recognized several faces from Oakridge, including a few werewolves she'd encountered during the Tide.

Then her attention settled on a photograph of a familiar white-haired woman.

“Oh!”

Adelaide leaned closer. “Know her?”

“That's Chloe.”

The Alpha werewolf's long white hair, pointed ears, and fluffy tail made her immediately recognizable. Even in a photograph, she stood out among the other werewolves.

Lavinia smiled. “She looks good.”

Valerie peered over her shoulder. “Chloe always looks good.”

“True.”

The photographs varied considerably. Some showed werewolves in their humanoid forms, while others depicted enormous wolves standing beside vehicles, buildings, or ordinary humans.

Several pictures had clearly been taken during the defense of Oakridge. Others appeared to be casual photographs uploaded by the werewolves themselves.

Lavinia noticed a discussion about the differences between vampires and werewolves.

She opened it briefly, then closed it.

“Oh, they're arguing.”

Rosaline looked up. “About?”

“Which species is better.”

Ophelia snorted. “Of course they are.”

Lavinia glanced toward the television, where another aerial recording of the Diverged Lands was playing.

“It's funny how quickly people start comparing everything.”

“People were comparing us before the Second Divergence,” Adelaide replied. “Now there are four supernatural species. I imagine it'll only get worse.”

Lavinia hummed thoughtfully, then swiped toward the Witch section.

The page was considerably less populated.

Adelaide leaned over. “Witches and Elves only appeared recently, so there isn't much information yet.”

Lavinia nodded.

There were photographs of several Witches, including one who appeared to be demonstrating a small magical effect for a crowd of curious humans.

Another image showed a woman with long dark hair and empty black eyes smiling at the camera.

Lavinia studied the photographs.

The Witches were beautiful. Not in quite the same way as vampires, though.

Their appearances varied more broadly, and while their empty black eyes gave them an unmistakably supernatural quality, their faces and figures didn't seem to follow the same narrow aesthetic that vampires shared.

She remembered Annelotte, Mirabelle, Tanselle, and Merrit. All four had been lovely in their own ways.

And very eager to experiment.

Lavinia giggled softly.

Hopefully they hadn't discovered anything too dangerous while she'd been sleeping.

She swiped again.

Elves.

The photographs were even more striking.

Tall figures with long pointed ears and beautiful green eyes appeared across the screen, their hair and skin varying considerably.

Some were women, some were men, and a few were difficult to distinguish at first glance.

Lavinia smiled when she spotted a photograph of a particularly pretty male Elf whose appearance reminded her of Saelorian.

The comments beneath it were already arguing about whether he was male.

“Oh, poor Sael.”

Valerie leaned closer. “What?”

“Nothing.”

Lavinia giggled.

She continued browsing.

Some Elves appeared to have willingly posed for photographs. 

Others clearly hadn't, judging by the irritated expressions they wore or the way their ears had angled backward.

One woman had apparently been photographed while trying to hide her face behind a shopping bag.

Lavinia frowned. “That seems rude.”

Adelaide glanced over. “Taking pictures without asking?”

“Mhm.”

“People have been doing that to us too.”

Lavinia sighed.

She supposed that was inevitable.

New supernatural species had appeared in the world, and every single member was extraordinarily attractive by human standards.

People were curious. Some were fascinated. Others were probably a little too fascinated.

She studied another photograph of a female Elf.

Beautiful green eyes, long flowing hair, and delicate features. An appearance that would have been extraordinarily difficult for an ordinary human to replicate.

Then Lavinia straightened slightly and puffed out her chest.

Of course, vampires were beautiful too.

Actually, a human trying to replicate vampire beauty would have just as much difficulty.

Perhaps more.

Lavinia smiled smugly.

Valerie noticed immediately. “What are you thinking?”

“Nothing.”

“You look pleased with yourself.”

“I'm allowed.”

Valerie giggled and leaned against her shoulder.

Lavinia swiped back toward the vampire section. The familiar collage of red-eyed women filled the screen again.

She looked at Adelaide. “Can you send me the link?”

Adelaide smiled. “Of course.”

Lavinia handed back the phone and retrieved her own.

A message appeared moments later, and she tapped it.

The forum loaded quickly.

Creating an account was straightforward enough. She entered a username, selected a few preferences, and eventually reached a section asking her to identify her species.

Human.

Vampire.

Werewolf.

Witch.

Elf.

Lavinia paused.

That was strange. Not necessarily bad. Just strange.

Before the Divergences, the word *race* had referred to different populations within humanity.

Now it could mean entirely separate kinds of people. People who possessed different bodies, different abilities, different lifespans, and in some cases entirely different ways of reproducing.

She stared at the options for a moment, then selected Vampire.

The website immediately requested verification.

Lavinia wasn't particularly surprised.

She was instructed to take a photograph of herself, followed by a brief sequence of facial movements to confirm that the image was genuine.

Lavinia raised her phone. Her empty red eyes stared back at her from the screen, and she smiled.

The photograph was taken, and she followed the remaining instructions.

A message appeared informing her that verification was pending.

Lavinia sighed. “Guess I'll have to wait.”

Adelaide looked over. “Did you use my invitation link?”

“Mhm.”

“Then it shouldn't take too long.”

Lavinia blinked. “Really?”

Before Adelaide could answer, the screen changed.

Verification complete.

A small bat symbol appeared beside Lavinia's username.

She stared. “That was fast.”

Adelaide laughed. “Less than a minute?”

“Yeah.”

“I waited three hours.”

Lavinia turned toward her. “Three hours?”

“Mhm. Apparently once you're verified, people who register through your invitation link get reviewed much faster.”

Adelaide leaned closer. “Otherwise, even with proof, you can wait several hours before someone confirms your account.”

Lavinia nodded slowly. “That makes sense, I guess.”

Valerie lifted her head. “Thanks to Adelaide, I got verified pretty quickly too.”

Lavinia glanced toward her. “And?”

Valerie smiled. “I spent almost an hour watching some very interesting things.”

Lavinia narrowed her eyes. “What kind of interesting things?”

Valerie's smile widened. “Very interesting things.”

“That sounds suspicious.”

Valerie suddenly leaned against her, draping herself across Lavinia's shoulder with exaggerated misery.

“Laviniaaaa.”

Lavinia blinked. “What?”

“People called me names.”

Her voice had become deliberately whiny and spoiled.

Lavinia laughed and raised one hand to pat her soft orange hair. “Then just be mean right back.”

Valerie giggled.

Ophelia snorted from across the room. “Terrible advice.”

Lavinia looked toward her. “Why?”

“Because verified vampire accounts have that little bat symbol beside their names.”

“Yes?”

Ophelia raised an eyebrow. “If someone is already obsessing over a vampire, do you really think being insulted by one will discourage them?”

Lavinia paused, then looked down at her newly verified account.

“Oh.”

Diana smiled. “She's right.”

Ophelia glanced toward her. “Obviously.”

Valerie began laughing again.

Lavinia considered the matter for a moment before smiling. “Actually, that's fair.”

She remembered arguing with people online before the First Divergence.

It had rarely mattered who was right. The important thing was being sufficiently stubborn.

Someone could present evidence, explain their reasoning, and patiently dismantle every argument the other person made.

And the other person could simply reply that they were wrong.

Sometimes that was enough to keep an argument going for hours.

“Online arguments are funny,” Lavinia remarked. “You don't even need to be right. You just need to refuse to admit you're wrong.”

Rosaline laughed. “That sounds familiar.”

Lavinia looked at her. “Don't.”

“I didn't say anything.”

“You were going to.”

“Perhaps.”

Lavinia rolled her eyes and returned to the forum.

Now that she possessed a verified account, several additional discussion threads had become available.

She browsed through them with growing interest.

Some contained practical questions about vampire abilities. Others discussed the Tide, the defense of Oakridge, and the unusual cooperation between humans and supernatural species.

There were also countless photographs.

Lavinia recognized Cordelia in one of them.

The blue-haired vampire stood beside several others during the earlier ceremony, her long hair falling neatly over her shoulders while she smiled at someone outside the frame.

Lavinia tapped the image.

The accompanying comments loaded.

Most were ordinary compliments, although a few were rather enthusiastic.

Then she spotted one that made her pause.

[MoonlitTea: Cordelia has some serious wife energy.]

Lavinia stared at it, then smiled.

“Cordelia?”

Cordelia looked over from the couch. “Yes?”

Lavinia tilted her phone toward her. “Apparently you have wife energy.”

Cordelia blinked. “Wife energy?”

Rosaline began laughing, and Gwendolyn leaned forward eagerly.

“What does that mean?”

Lavinia shrugged. “I have absolutely no idea.”

Cordelia studied the comment for a moment, then smiled.

“Well, I suppose that's rather flattering.”

“See?” Rosaline said. “Some of us receive respectable compliments.”

Lavinia turned toward her. “You were called a temptress.”

“And?”

“That's not exactly respectable.”

Rosaline smiled shamelessly. “I disagree.”

Valerie giggled against Lavinia's shoulder, while Gwendolyn reached for another piece of taffy.

Lavinia looked back at Cordelia's photograph.

Wife energy.

She wasn't entirely certain what the person meant, but Cordelia did look rather lovely in the picture.

Then again, Cordelia always looked lovely.

Lavinia tapped the comment section and began typing a reply.