The Divergence

───

Lavinia rested one elbow on the desk, lightly tapping a fingernail against the wooden surface as she stared at the phone lying in front of her.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Valerie's number remained open on the screen.

"..."

She tapped the table again.

"...You know."

A smile slowly crept onto her face.

"I played that game almost every day."

Another tap.

"Not once..."

She leaned back in her chair.

"...Not once did a cute girl ask if she wanted to be friends with me."

She let the sentence hang in the air for a moment before pointing accusingly at absolutely nothing.

"...Former me."

She clicked her tongue dramatically.

"You were so pitiful."

Silence.

Then she blinked.

"..."

Lavinia slowly raised a finger and rested it against her cheek.

"...That's a little cruel."

She looked away from the phone, her expression softening.

"...You did your best."

She nodded once.

"You really did."

Being human hadn't exactly been miserable.

Lonely, perhaps.

A little repetitive.

Work.

Home.

Games.

Sleep.

Repeat.

She hadn't hated it.

Nor had she really done anything to change it.

"...Besides."

A quiet chuckle escaped her.

"You weren't exactly looking for anyone either."

She certainly hadn't been.

She'd been perfectly content living quietly.

Sure, having someone to spend time with would've been nice.

But she'd never actively gone searching.

"...So."

She smiled faintly.

"I guess I can't really blame you."

Her eyes drifted back toward Valerie's number.

The smile returned almost immediately.

Absentmindedly, she rested a hand against her chest.

"..."

Another gentle pat.

"I'm definitely still into women."

The conclusion came with surprising confidence.

Not because Valerie had been especially flirtatious.

Quite the opposite.

She'd been blunt.

Direct.

Almost confrontational.

Yet...

Lavinia smiled to herself.

"I liked her voice."

She tilted her head thoughtfully.

"...Not like that."

At least...

She didn't think so.

"It wasn't..."

She searched for the right word.

"...Lust."

No.

Definitely not.

It was simply...

Fun.

Valerie had sounded energetic.

Confident.

Like someone who laughed loudly and probably got into arguments for entertainment.

There'd been a spark in her voice.

Something fiery.

Something wonderfully straightforward.

Lavinia hugged one knee against her chest.

"...I don't know."

She laughed quietly.

"I just feel like she'd be fun to be around."

The certainty surprised her.

She'd spoken to Valerie for...

What?

Maybe a minute?

Yet somewhere inside...

She simply knew they'd probably get along.

"...Well."

She picked up her phone.

"Only one way to find out."

As she unlocked the screen, another notification slid down from the top.

She frowned.

"...Hm?"

Opening it, she found herself staring at an official message from the game's moderation team.

After review, unusual gameplay has been detected on your account.

Your account has been temporarily placed into a shadow matchmaking pool while further investigation is conducted.

Lavinia blinked.

"...Excuse me?"

She read it again.

Then a third time.

"..."

Her brows slowly knitted together.

"I didn't cheat."

She pointed accusingly at the phone.

"Not once."

She huffed.

"Being a vampire isn't cheating."

A pause.

"...Actually..."

She considered that for a second.

"...Okay, maybe it is."

She shook her head immediately afterward.

"No."

"It absolutely isn't."

"They never said I couldn't become a vampire."

That sounded perfectly reasonable to her.

She nodded decisively.

"Exactly."

Then she frowned again.

"...Still rude."

She pushed herself out of the chair, still quietly grumbling beneath her breath.

"I didn't download anything."

"I didn't install anything."

"I didn't even change my settings."

She wandered toward her bedroom.

"I simply evolved."

That sounded much more dignified.

"...Naturally."

Another huff.

"I feel like that should count for something."

Reaching the bed, she placed one knee onto the mattress before crawling the rest of the way up without much thought.

The soft blankets dipped beneath her weight.

Lavinia flopped onto her side with a content little sigh.

Her impossibly long golden hair spread across the bed around her like a shimmering blanket of its own, pooling beneath her shoulders and trailing beyond her waist.

"...Much better."

She tucked one arm beneath the pillow.

The other held her phone above her face.

Valerie's number remained open.

Lavinia looked at it for another few quiet seconds.

"...Well."

"I've already been accused of cheating."

She smiled.

"I may as well make a friend too."

Her thumb hovered over the call button.

"...Here goes."

She pressed it.

The phone lifted to her ear as the call began to ring.

Lavinia waited, idly twirling a loose strand of golden hair around one finger as she listened to the ringtone, wondering what sort of person Valerie really was beyond the fiery voice she'd heard through a headset only a little while ago.

The phone rang once.

Twice.

Three times.

A quiet click sounded through the speaker.

"...Hello?"

The voice was immediately familiar.

It carried the same naturally lilting cadence as hers, yet where Lavinia sounded softer and more playful, Valerie's voice had a fiery, almost challenging edge to it.

"...Who's this?"

Lavinia smiled to herself.

She immediately put on the most pitiful voice she could manage.

"...It's the defeated opponent."

She sniffled dramatically.

"...I've come to ask why you had to be so mean to me."

Silence.

For a full second...

Nothing.

Then Valerie burst into laughter.

It wasn't a polite laugh.

It was wholehearted, loud, and completely unrestrained.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

She was still laughing.

"I only won because you charged straight out of cover and got yourself killed like a fool!"

Lavinia gasped.

"I did not!"

"You absolutely did."

"I was advancing."

"You were volunteering."

"I was making a tactical decision."

"You made a tactical obituary."

Lavinia huffed dramatically.

"I was stomping everyone."

"Mmhm."

"I'd spent the last hour deleting entire lobbies."

Another laugh came from Valerie.

"So how was I supposed to know I'd get shot the second I left cover?"

"...Because I was aiming at the place you were about to leave?"

Lavinia clicked her tongue.

"...Details."

Valerie giggled again.

The easy back-and-forth surprised Lavinia.

They'd barely spoken before now, yet talking to Valerie already felt oddly comfortable.

"You know," Lavinia continued, "I figured out why everyone kept reporting me."

"Oh?"

"It felt unbelievably anger-inducing."

Valerie laughed again.

"I'd probably report you too."

"I would."

"You would report yourself?"

"Oh, absolutely."

Lavinia nodded despite Valerie being unable to see her.

"If I ran into someone doing what I was doing..."

She let out a sympathetic sigh.

"...I'd be furious."

Valerie's laughter softened into another amused giggle.

"...Fair."

There was a comfortable pause.

"Oh."

Lavinia smiled.

"I never actually introduced myself."

"I'm Lavinia."

"...Pretty name."

"Thanks."

"I'm Valerie."

"I know."

"You know?"

"You sent me your number."

Another short silence.

"...Right."

Valerie laughed at herself.

"I forgot I did that."

Lavinia rested comfortably against her pillow.

"...I knew you were definitely a vampire."

"Oh?"

"Even if we'd never spoken after the match."

Valerie sounded genuinely curious.

"How?"

"It's your voice."

"My voice?"

"It rises and falls."

Lavinia smiled.

"So does mine."

"When you were talking."

"When you laughed."

"When you giggled."

"It all has the same rhythm."

Valerie hummed thoughtfully.

"...Hang on."

She said another sentence almost experimentally.

Then laughed.

"...You're right."

"I didn't even notice."

"I don't think we're supposed to."

"It just happens."

"...That's weird."

Lavinia laughed softly.

"I think weird became normal this morning."

Valerie chuckled.

"...Yeah."

"I guess it did."

A brief silence settled between them before Valerie spoke again.

"So."

"Have you met any other vampires?"

"...Or wolves?"

"No."

Lavinia shook her head before remembering Valerie couldn't see it.

"You're the first."

"The sun's still up."

"I didn't really want to leave my apartment."

"...Makes sense."

Valerie sighed.

"The wolves are getting all the attention."

Lavinia smiled.

"Hm?"

"They're everywhere online."

"Ears."

"Tails."

"People taking pictures."

"Videos."

"Meanwhile we're barely being talked about."

Lavinia glanced toward the drawn curtains.

"...Well."

"It is daytime."

"I doubt many vampires are volunteering to go sightseeing."

There was another pause.

"...Actually."

Valerie laughed.

"That's... a really good point."

"We're probably all hiding inside."

"Exactly."

"I guess tonight's our turn."

"I think so."

The conversation drifted naturally after that.

Valerie asked about her life before the Divergence.

"So what did you do before all this?"

Lavinia smiled faintly.

"Nothing especially exciting."

"I worked."

"Came home."

"Played games."

"Went to bed."

"Repeated the process."

"...Comfortable."

"Very."

"What about you?"

Valerie laughed quietly.

"Oh, nothing glamorous."

"I had a normal job."

"Paid the bills."

"Went home."

"So..."

"We were both pretty ordinary."

"Looks that way."

Another easy silence followed.

Then Valerie asked,

"So... where do you live?"

Lavinia answered without much thought.

"Oakridge."

Silence.

"...No way."

"What?"

"...You're kidding."

"I'm not."

"...You're in Oakridge?"

"...Yeah."

Valerie laughed in disbelief.

"So am I."

Lavinia blinked.

"...Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"...Well."

Valerie sounded noticeably brighter now.

"We should meet tonight."

Lavinia smiled immediately.

"I'd like that."

"I want to see another vampire."

"I've only seen pictures."

"I want to know what another one actually looks like."

Valerie laughed.

"I was thinking exactly the same thing."

Lavinia smiled at the ceiling.

"...Honestly."

"I didn't think the others could top my beauty."

Valerie scoffed.

"You're definitely a narcissist."

"I am not!"

Lavinia shot upright on the bed, mock offense filling every word.

"I am simply confident!"

Valerie burst into laughter again.

"Oh, that's even worse!"

"It is not!"

"It absolutely is!"

Lavinia folded her arms dramatically despite Valerie being unable to see her.

"I am confidently acknowledging objective reality."

"Oh my God."

Valerie could barely get the words out between laughs.

"Listen to yourself."

Lavinia couldn't hold the act any longer.

She started laughing too.

"...Okay."

"Maybe that sounded a little bad."

"A little?"

"...Fine."

"A lot."

Valerie finally caught her breath.

"...Lavinia."

"Hm?"

"I think we're going to get along really well."

Lavinia smiled warmly.

"...Yeah."

"I was thinking the same thing."

"...Seriously."

Valerie laughed again.

"I am."

"I can't wait."

Lavinia smiled to herself, still lying comfortably on her side.

"I know."

"I'm looking forward to meeting another vampire."

"No."

Valerie corrected immediately.

"I'm looking forward to meeting you."

Lavinia blinked.

Then grinned.

"I know."

A second passed.

"I know."

Another.

"I know."

She rested a hand dramatically against her chest.

"I'm just that irresistible after all."

There was complete silence.

Then Valerie burst into another fit of laughter.

"Oh my God."

"You really are full of yourself."

Lavinia gasped.

"I prefer the term 'accurate.'"

Valerie laughed even harder.

"You are impossible."

"And yet..."

Lavinia smiled innocently.

"You still want to meet me."

"...Shut up."

"You can't deny it."

"I absolutely can."

"You've failed so far."

Valerie sighed dramatically.

"...Fine."

"I'll see you tonight."

"You'd better."

Lavinia's smile softened.

"I'll be there."

"...Good."

There was a brief pause.

Then Valerie spoke again, quieter this time.

"...I'm really looking forward to it."

"So am I."

Another small silence settled between them.

"...See you tonight, Lavinia."

"See you tonight, Valerie."

The call ended with a soft click.

Lavinia lowered the phone onto the mattress beside her.

The bedroom became quiet once more.

Well...

Quiet for a vampire.

She lay on her back, her long golden hair spreading across the bed in shimmering waves beneath her.

Her crimson eyes drifted toward the ceiling.

She'd lived in this apartment for years.

She'd never noticed the subtle ridges left behind in the paint.

Now they stretched across the ceiling in faint, uneven patterns, each catching the daylight filtering through the curtains just enough to cast delicate little shadows.

They weren't particularly beautiful.

Just...

Interesting.

She watched them in silence.

Beyond the apartment walls, life continued.

Someone was talking outside.

A child laughed somewhere farther down the street.

A television played faintly in another apartment.

Footsteps crossed the hallway beyond her front door.

A siren wailed in the distance.

Another answered it from somewhere farther away.

The city felt...

Alive.

She listened without really trying.

Everything settled naturally into place inside her mind.

Near.

Far.

Moving.

Still.

The information simply arrived.

"..."

Lavinia smiled faintly.

"...I wasn't like this."

Her voice barely rose above a whisper.

"...Not as a human."

She stared quietly at the ceiling.

Back then...

She'd been...

Ordinary.

Comfortable.

Content enough.

But...

Reserved.

She hadn't been especially confident.

She hadn't spoken to strangers so easily.

She certainly wouldn't have joked around with someone she'd only met an hour earlier.

"...I wasn't this playful."

Her smile widened ever so slightly.

"...Or this confident."

She raised one hand toward the ceiling, spreading her fingers as though trying to grasp the sunlight hidden beyond it.

The flawless warm brown skin looked almost luminous against the white ceiling above.

She turned her hand slowly.

Watching it.

"...Or this free."

The thought lingered with her.

She'd changed.

Not just physically.

Something inside her had shifted too.

She still remembered everything.

She still remembered being human.

She still cared about the same things.

Yet...

She approached them differently.

The world no longer felt like something she had to carefully navigate.

Instead...

It almost felt like something waiting to be explored.

Lavinia slowly lowered her hand until it rested lightly against her chest.

"...If I had to choose..."

She considered it only briefly.

"...I'd choose this."

There wasn't much hesitation.

She wasn't rejecting who she'd been.

That person had gotten her this far.

Worked.

Lived quietly.

Done the best he could.

She smiled gently.

"...Thank you."

The words escaped almost unconsciously.

Then she looked back toward the ceiling.

"...But..."

"I think I like who I am now."

She laughed softly to herself.

It wasn't because she was beautiful.

Or strong.

Or a vampire.

Not entirely.

It was because...

She trusted herself.

If something unexpected happened tomorrow...

She didn't think she'd freeze.

She didn't think she'd panic.

Somehow...

She felt like Lavinia would simply deal with it.

Step by step.

The certainty was comforting.

She let out a long, content sigh before folding both hands comfortably across her stomach.

Her eyes slowly drifted shut.

"...It doesn't really matter anymore."

The words were almost sleepy.

"I can be whoever I want."

A quiet smile remained on her face.

After all...

She opened one eye again.

"...I'm already a vampire."

She chuckled softly at her own joke before closing it once more.

"...Might as well enjoy it."

Outside, another distant siren echoed through Oakridge.

Inside...

Lavinia simply lay there, smiling to herself, as though the impossible had somehow become the most natural thing in the world.