edge you later
Verona hadn't expected to be approached again so soon. After yesterday’s whirlwind of a meeting with Alluvia, she had assumed that her new slime friend would be the only one to really interact with her. But when she turned to gather her books after class, she found herself face to face with her zombie roommate.
The zombie girl shoved her remaining hand into the pocket of her oversized hoodie, her neon green striped leggings clashing wildly against her spiked black boots. She tilted her head slightly, the large screw in the side of her skull gleaming under the classroom’s lights. "Hey, you wanna grab coffee during break?" She gave a lopsided grin. "Name's Morgana, by the way. Figured we should probably, y'know, actually talk at some point."
Verona blinked, staring at her. They had three classes together? Since when? Had she really been so focused on adjusting to school and helping Alluvia that she hadn't even noticed?
She realized she had been quiet too long when Morgana raised an eyebrow. “You don’t have to, y’know.”
“N-No, I—I’d like to,” Verona said quickly, adjusting her sleeves. She had nothing better to do, and the thought of spending another break alone in the courtyard made her stomach twist. Plus, Morgana didn’t seem bad. Just… quiet. Like her. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.
As they walked across campus, Verona found herself zoning out. When she had first arrived at the university, she had been overwhelmed. Every school she had attended before had been exclusively for vampires—small, controlled environments where she didn’t have to worry about sticking out too much. But here? The sheer variety of creatures roaming the halls had been intimidating. Lamias, harpies, slimes, gorgons, demons, even a small handful of humans. It was more diversity than she had ever experienced, and it had been a lot to take in.
She had spent the first week in a constant state of tension, unsure of how to act, unsure if she even belonged here. But after meeting Alluvia—and now Morgana—maybe things weren’t as impossible as she’d thought. Maybe she was actually settling in.
“Yo. You good?”
Verona blinked rapidly, snapping back to reality. Morgana was watching her with a bemused expression, her dark-rimmed eyes studying her closely. Verona felt her face heat up slightly and quickly shook her head. “Y-Yeah, sorry. Just thinking.”
“Dangerous pastime,” Morgana said dryly, smirking as she shoved open the door to the café.
The café was cozy, dimly lit, and pleasantly quiet compared to the rest of campus. Verona exhaled slightly, relaxing as she stepped inside. The scent of roasted coffee beans mixed with something sweet—probably from whatever enchanted pastries were stocked behind the counter.
As they stood in line, Verona noticed a small group of humans sitting near the window. It wasn’t rare for some humans to attend the university, but they were few and far between. Seeing them still felt odd to her, a reminder of how much things had changed from what she was used to.
Morgana must have noticed them too because she suddenly asked, "So, how's human blood taste?"
Verona stiffened, her hands clenching slightly around her sleeves. She hesitated, then mumbled, "I… I’ve never actually had human blood before. I just drink animal blood."
Morgana blinked, then let out an amused huff. “Hah. That’s kinda funny.”
Verona frowned slightly. She wasn’t sure what was funny about it.
Morgana shrugged, moving up in line. “It’s fine. Human flesh isn’t all that, anyway.”
Verona stopped in her tracks. Her red eyes widened as she turned her head slowly to stare at her. “…What?”
Morgana glanced at her, then burst out laughing. “Oh, you should see your face.”
Verona continued to stare, unsure whether she should be concerned or not. Morgana just smirked, shaking her head. “Relax, I was mostly kidding. Mostly.”
Verona wasn’t sure how to respond to that, but when Morgana clapped her on the back (only a little too hard, causing Verona to stumble forward), she felt something unfamiliar but pleasant settle in her chest.
As they grabbed their drinks and sat down at a corner table, Morgana leaned back in her seat, stretching her one arm over the back of the chair. “So, you really just drink animal blood? That sounds kinda boring.”
Verona shifted uncomfortably. “I mean… it’s what I was raised on. My family never really encouraged drinking from humans. It’s… not necessary.”
Morgana tilted her head, considering. “Fair enough. Still, kinda weird to be a vampire and never try it. That’s like… I dunno, being a werewolf who never howls at the moon or something.”
Verona pursed her lips, unsure how to respond. She knew Morgana didn’t mean anything by it, but the conversation still made her self-conscious.
Noticing her discomfort, Morgana waved her hand dismissively. “Eh, don’t overthink it. I’m just messing with you. You do you.”
Verona nodded slightly, feeling a little relieved. The two of them sat in silence for a moment, sipping their drinks. It wasn’t awkward, though—just a comfortable quiet. Verona found herself relaxing more than she had expected.
Morgana broke the silence first. “So, how’s the whole ‘adjusting to a school full of non-vamps’ thing going?”
Verona hesitated before answering. “It’s… different. I was really hesitant to come here at first. I didn’t know if I’d fit in. Everything’s bigger, louder… there are so many different kinds of people. It’s a lot.”
Morgana hummed in understanding. “Yeah, I get that. First week here, I was sure I was gonna hate it. Thought everyone would just see me as some gross, rotting corpse. Turns out, nobody really cares. Everyone’s too busy doing their own thing.”
Verona nodded slowly. That was… comforting, in a way. Maybe she didn’t have to be so worried all the time.
Morgana took a long sip of her drink, then grinned. “But hey, if anyone does mess with you, just let me know. I’ll handle it.”
Verona raised an eyebrow. “With what? Your one arm?”
Morgana cackled. “Damn, Verona, you got jokes. I like it.” She gave her a playful nudge with her elbow. “See? You’re fitting in already.”
Verona, despite herself, smiled. Maybe she was.