The Divergence

───

The seven vampires continued wandering beneath the moonlit streets, the earlier encounter already becoming another amusing memory between them.

Lavinia still found herself unconsciously touching her wrist every so often.

Not because she'd been injured.

But because she kept comparing the feeling to when Gwendolyn had bitten her.

She had finally understood why vampires preferred feeding directly from people.

It wasn't merely the taste.

It was...

Everything.

Celestine quietly walked beside her for several moments before speaking.

"Lavinia..."

"Hm?"

"How did it taste?"

Lavinia blinked.

Celestine looked genuinely curious.

"...And..."

She hesitated.

"...Did it feel strange?"

The others immediately became quieter.

Six pairs of crimson eyes settled on Lavinia.

She rubbed the back of her neck.

"...It was really good."

Valerie nodded knowingly.

"I figured."

"No..."

Lavinia shook her head.

"I mean really good."

"I don't think there's any food I can compare it to."

She searched for words.

"The blood bags were nice."

"But..."

She frowned thoughtfully.

"Fresh blood is..."

She sighed.

"I honestly don't know."

"There isn't a comparison."

Everyone listened quietly.

"It wasn't just the taste either."

Lavinia looked toward the moon for a moment.

"It felt..."

She searched again.

"...Weirdly intimate."

Rosaline tilted her head.

"Intimate?"

Lavinia nodded.

"I've slept beside all of you."

She pointed around the group.

"I've literally been buried underneath everyone before."

Gwendolyn smiled proudly.

"Best sleep ever."

Lavinia ignored the interruption.

"But feeding..."

She shook her head.

"I became much more aware."

"Of tension."

"Of how close we were."

"My attention narrowed."

"It wasn't uncomfortable."

"It was just..."

She smiled awkwardly.

"...Different."

Celestine nodded slowly.

"I see."

Valerie folded her arms dramatically before turning her head away.

"Lavinia."

"What?"

"You're being a pervert."

Lavinia immediately groaned.

"I am not!"

"You just said biting someone's neck felt intimate."

"You asked me!"

Lavinia pointed accusingly toward Celestine.

"She asked!"

Celestine blinked innocently.

"I did."

Valerie remained unconvinced.

"Mhm."

Rosaline suddenly slipped beside Lavinia and wrapped both hands around one of her arms.

She looked up with exaggerated sadness.

"Weren't we enough for you?"

Lavinia stared.

Rosaline's voice became even more pitiful.

"You had to go bite a human..."

The performance was so dramatic that Adelaide had to look away to stop herself laughing.

Lavinia sighed theatrically.

"Rosaline."

"Yes?"

Without warning, Lavinia wrapped one arm around Rosaline's waist.

Rosaline blinked.

Lavinia puffed out her tiny chest with all the confidence she could muster.

"My harem is definitely enough for me."

Silence.

Then absolute chaos.

Valerie doubled over laughing so hard she nearly stumbled into Gwendolyn.

Rosaline herself buried her face against Lavinia's shoulder while laughing helplessly.

Adelaide shook one fist dramatically.

"You can't just declare that!"

Gwendolyn covered her face with both hands, her shoulders trembling from suppressed giggles.

Celestine looked away entirely, unsuccessfully trying to maintain her composed expression.

Even Evelyn smiled strangely as she looked between everyone.

"I..."

She laughed quietly.

"...Didn't expect that."

Lavinia looked around proudly.

"What?"

Valerie recovered enough to place one hand on Lavinia's shoulder.

She still struggled to breathe normally.

"Who's..."

She laughed again.

"...Who's in whose harem..."

"...hasn't been decided."

Lavinia puffed out her chest even further.

"They're all mine."

Rosaline laughed so hard she nearly slid out of Lavinia's arm.

Gwendolyn slowly lowered her hands.

"Oh?"

She smiled sweetly.

"I think..."

She pointed toward herself.

"Lavinia belongs to me."

Then she pointed around the group.

"And everyone else belongs to me too."

Lavinia froze.

She slowly released Rosaline.

Then clutched dramatically at her own chest.

"How..."

She looked at everyone with utter betrayal.

"...How could all of you cheat on me..."

"...with Gwendolyn?"

Gwendolyn burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"I didn't even do anything!"

"You stole my entire harem!"

"It wasn't yours!"

"It absolutely was!"

Rosaline nodded with complete seriousness despite barely suppressing another smile.

"I agree."

Lavinia looked hopefully toward Rosaline.

Then Rosaline continued.

"Gwendolyn's right."

Lavinia gasped.

"Even you?"

"I've been converted."

Lavinia looked toward Adelaide.

"You?"

Adelaide folded her arms.

"I decline to comment."

"You've already betrayed me."

"I have not."

"You thought about it."

"I absolutely did."

The laughter returned immediately.

Pedestrians glanced toward the noisy group before quickly recognizing what they were looking at.

Several people quietly stepped aside to let the vampires pass.

None of the seven paid them much attention.

They had become completely absorbed in teasing one another.

Lavinia folded her arms stubbornly.

"You all underestimate me."

Valerie raised one eyebrow.

"Do we?"

"I am..."

Lavinia straightened.

"...Super masculine."

Six synchronized eye rolls greeted the declaration.

Rosaline even groaned dramatically.

"Oh no."

"I don't see it."

Adelaide pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Lavinia."

"You are five feet tall."

"So?"

"You wear a black dress."

"So?"

"You look like a porcelain doll."

"So?"

"You've spent the past five minutes talking about your imaginary harem."

Lavinia nodded.

"Exactly."

Valerie looked toward the sky.

"There is no saving her."

Lavinia pointed triumphantly.

"Masculinity isn't about appearance."

"What is it about?"

"It's..."

Lavinia hesitated.

"...Confidence."

Rosaline leaned toward Evelyn.

"I think she's making it up."

"I think so too."

Lavinia huffed.

"You'll all see."

Celestine, who had finally regained her composure, spoke quietly.

"If you want to prove something..."

Everyone looked at her.

"...We could go to the sports field."

Lavinia's eyes immediately lit up.

"Perfect!"

She pointed dramatically ahead.

"I shall prove through action..."

She paused.

"...that I am still..."

Another pause.

"...a masculine..."

She frowned.

"...Vampire..."

The word itself sounded so strange coming from her mouth that nobody managed to hold back anymore.

Valerie laughed first.

Then Rosaline.

Adelaide leaned against Gwendolyn as she laughed.

Even Celestine lowered her head, smiling behind one hand.

Evelyn's quiet laughter joined theirs a heartbeat later.

Lavinia looked around indignantly.

"What?"

Valerie wiped tears from one eye.

"'Masculine vampire' doesn't even sound right."

"It sounds perfectly fine."

"It really doesn't."

Rosaline nodded enthusiastically.

"It sounds impossible."

Lavinia folded her arms once more.

"I'll prove it."

"How?"

"I don't know yet."

Valerie smiled.

"Excellent plan."

"It'll come to me."

"I'm sure it will."

Gwendolyn reached over and gently patted Lavinia's shoulder.

"We believe in you."

"You absolutely don't."

"We believe you'll try."

"...That's somehow worse."

Still laughing among themselves, the seven vampires changed direction toward a nearby sports park, their dresses fluttering softly around their legs as they disappeared farther into the cool night, with Lavinia continuing to insist that before the evening ended, everyone would finally acknowledge just how "masculine" she really was.

...

Lavinia stretched both arms over her head as she looked across the broad sports field.

Moonlight washed over the trimmed grass, giving everything a faint silver hue.

Spread around the field stood six vampires.

Rosaline idly rocked back and forth on her heels.

Valerie wore the relaxed smile she always seemed to possess.

Gwendolyn waved cheerfully.

Celestine stood quietly with perfect posture.

Evelyn clasped her hands behind her back.

Adelaide simply smiled.

Lavinia sighed.

"...This feels unfair."

The rules had been simple.

If Lavinia defeated everyone else...

She'd proven her "masculinity."

At the time she'd agreed.

Now...

Standing nearly a hundred feet away from six equally strong, equally fast vampires...

She wanted to cry.

"I was joking..."

She muttered.

"I was just joking..."

A few chuckles drifted across the field.

Rosaline cupped her hands around her mouth.

"No backing out now!"

Lavinia groaned loudly.

"I didn't understand what I agreed to!"

"You already agreed."

"I know!"

"You accepted."

"I know!"

She pointed accusingly toward the others.

"There are six of you!"

Valerie shrugged.

"Correct."

"I'm by myself!"

"Also correct."

Lavinia looked skyward dramatically.

"Who allowed this?"

Gwendolyn raised one hand.

"I did."

"You don't count!"

Rosaline laughed.

"Lavi."

"What?"

"You looked very confident five minutes ago."

"I was lying!"

More laughter echoed across the field.

Lavinia dragged both hands through her golden hair before finally straightening.

"...Fine."

She pointed toward them.

"I'm definitely hitting all of you hard."

"Otherwise I'll lose immediately."

Valerie smiled.

"We'll hit you just as hard."

Rosaline nodded.

"No holding back."

Lavinia groaned again.

"...I regret everything."

She shook out her arms before planting her feet.

Unlike humans...

None of them assumed elaborate fighting stances.

No raised fists.

No crouching.

They simply stood naturally.

Rosaline smiled.

"Ready?"

Lavinia inhaled deeply.

"...No."

"Good."

Rosaline grinned.

"Start."

The world exploded into motion.

Lavinia barely saw the blur before instinct took over.

She bent backward.

An arm swept through the space her torso had occupied a heartbeat earlier, seeking to flip her immediately.

Before she could recover...

Gwendolyn's hands caught one of her wrists.

She spun.

The sudden rotation ripped Lavinia from the ground.

"Wai...!"

She flew nearly twenty feet.

The grass rushed beneath her.

Unfortunately...

Three waiting vampires occupied exactly where she'd been thrown.

"...You're kidding!"

She landed.

Immediately blocked.

A fist.

An elbow.

A kick.

Muted but heavy impacts echoed one after another as forearms, palms and knees collided.

Every strike carried tremendous force.

Lavinia knew with complete certainty...

If a human had stood where she was now...

One clean hit would've shattered bones.

Several would've been fatal.

She finally created enough room.

Her foot slammed into Gwendolyn's stomach.

Thump.

Gwendolyn flew backward laughing.

Rosaline's punch immediately followed.

Lavinia caught her wrist.

Twisted.

Rosaline's feet left the ground.

She flipped gracefully through the air before landing lightly nearly twenty feet away.

"Ha!"

Lavinia grinned.

"I'm amazing..."

Something crashed into her side.

"...Ow!"

Adelaide had simply launched herself bodily into Lavinia.

The two tumbled across the grass together before separating.

Lavinia rolled onto one knee.

Celestine was already there.

Her foot drew backward with perfect balance.

Then swept toward Lavinia's chest.

Lavinia crossed both forearms.

The impact still launched her several feet backward.

Her arms tingled.

Thankfully she'd blocked.

Taking that kick directly would've rattled everything inside her.

The sound of rushing air came from above.

Lavinia looked up just in time.

"Evel...!"

Evelyn's dropkick landed squarely against her upper body.

Lavinia tumbled through the grass yet again.

She lifted her head to complain.

A foot descended toward her chest.

She reacted instinctively.

Her hand caught Adelaide's ankle.

A sharp crack sounded as momentum twisted the joint.

Lavinia immediately grabbed Adelaide's leg.

"Sorry!"

She swung.

Adelaide flew sideways before rolling back to her feet with a grin.

Two punches arrived simultaneously.

Lavinia blocked both.

Her elbow drove into Valerie's stomach.

Valerie skated backward across the grass several meters before laughing.

"Nice one."

Something slammed heavily into Lavinia's back.

Pain bloomed.

Before she consciously decided...

Her nails extended.

She slashed backward.

Fabric tore.

Blood sprayed lightly.

The sweet scent of roses and caramel suddenly thickened the air.

Gwendolyn looked down at the shallow cuts across her arm.

"...Ow."

Then smiled.

"My turn."

She caught Lavinia's arm.

Trying to lock the joint.

Lavinia struck first.

Her palm impacted Gwendolyn's stomach.

The grip loosened.

She escaped.

Only for both legs to vanish beneath her.

Someone had swept them.

The ground rushed upward.

Thud.

Before she recovered...

Evelyn raised one foot.

Then drove it downward.

Boom.

The grass compressed beneath Lavinia as Evelyn's kick pinned her into the ground.

The jolt briefly left stars dancing through Lavinia's vision.

Another foot descended toward her neck.

Her hands moved automatically.

Knocking it aside.

She rolled.

Then kicked upward.

Her heel buried itself into Gwendolyn's stomach.

Gwendolyn flew nearly five meters before landing laughing.

"I keep getting kicked."

Lavinia sprang upward.

Only for fingers to close around her throat.

Evelyn.

"Oh no you don't."

Lavinia laughed despite the grip.

Her nails raked lightly across Evelyn's forearm.

Thin crimson lines appeared immediately.

The scent of vanilla and chai joined Evelyn's own sweet fragrance.

Lavinia grabbed the arm.

Turned.

Flipped Evelyn cleanly over her shoulder.

Thud.

A quick kick sent Evelyn rolling safely away before she recovered effortlessly.

"You're all impossible!"

Celestine appeared next.

For perhaps the first time...

She looked genuinely excited.

She reached toward Lavinia's neck.

Her fingers closed.

Not tightly enough to crush.

Just enough that several nails pierced skin.

Warm blood immediately trickled down Lavinia's neck and the scent of pine and berries thickened.

Lavinia knocked the hand aside before more than shallow cuts formed.

The wet sensation running beneath her collar felt strangely distracting.

Adelaide arrived almost immediately.

Her foot struck Lavinia's side.

Lavinia twisted with the blow.

Her shoulder slammed into Rosaline instead.

Rosaline spun away.

The fabric around her midriff tore slightly.

Perfect skin beneath was already healing where a shallow scratch had opened.

Valerie chose the simplest approach.

She punched.

Her fist struck Lavinia squarely in the chest.

The force alone sent Lavinia skidding backward across the grass.

Durability prevented serious injury.

Momentum did not.

She continued sliding.

Until—

Boom.

Evelyn's foot pinned one arm.

The ground itself dipped slightly beneath the impact.

Lavinia stopped moving entirely.

She swung with her free arm.

Celestine intercepted.

One kick redirected it harmlessly away.

Then she spun.

Evelyn simultaneously locked Lavinia's trapped arm.

Celestine's foot crashed into Lavinia's chest.

Several things happened together.

A crisp crack echoed.

Lavinia's wrist finally gave way beneath Evelyn's restraint and the impact.

Pain flashed brightly.

Then dulled almost immediately as regeneration began.

She flew backward again.

Rolling repeatedly before managing to rise.

"...Ow."

She flexed her damaged wrist.

It already started straightening.

Not fast enough.

Gwendolyn was waiting.

A kick drove into Lavinia's neck.

Another punch struck her thigh.

Lavinia staggered.

She blocked three more strikes.

Deflected another.

With only one fully functioning wrist...

Keeping up against six vampires became increasingly difficult.

Something hit her back.

A knee.

The impact launched her forward.

Directly beneath another descending kick.

She blocked partially.

Still...

The force drove her onto one knee.

Celestine immediately caught her good arm.

Twisted behind her.

Pinned.

Lavinia struggled.

"...Wait..."

Celestine leaned forward.

Then gently bit into Lavinia's upper arm.

"...Huh?"

Warm pressure.

Sharp fangs.

Lavinia blinked.

Another mouth settled against her shoulder.

Then another.

"What are you..."

A bite landed against the opposite arm.

Someone nipped lightly at her neck.

Another at her side.

Lavinia froze.

"...Oi!"

She twisted helplessly.

"They're biting me!"

Rosaline giggled around one bite before releasing.

Gwendolyn laughed openly.

Valerie had apparently decided this counted as victory celebrations.

Even Adelaide joined in, laughing while taking a playful bite at Lavinia's shoulder.

Evelyn stepped back first.

Trying very hard not to laugh.

It failed.

Lavinia looked around in disbelief.

"I'm being teamed up on!"

She tried pulling free.

Celestine still held one arm.

"It isn't fair!"

Rosaline stepped back just long enough to answer.

"There are six of us."

"Exactly!"

"That sounds fair."

"It absolutely isn't!"

Gwendolyn hugged Lavinia from behind before taking another playful nip near her shoulder.

"You said you were masculine."

"I did!"

"This is the consequence."

"What kind of consequence is biting me?"

"The fun kind."

Valerie nodded sagely.

"I agree."

Lavinia looked around desperately.

"Someone reasonable!"

Evelyn raised one hand timidly.

"I..."

Hope returned to Lavinia's face.

"...think..."

Evelyn smiled apologetically.

"...they're right."

Lavinia stared.

"...Traitors."

The field erupted into laughter once again as the seven vampires collapsed into an untidy group on the grass, Lavinia continuing to complain loudly that six-on-one had never been a fair contest in the first place, while the others unanimously declared that her defeat proved, once and for all, that she still had a long way to go before convincing anyone she was the group's "masculine vampire."