Chapter 2 – The Batty Panties

Seraphine materialized beside him like a vengeful apparition. Gabriel, still trying to process the backpack chaos, shrank further into his chair. The scornful gazes of the other students burned into the back of his neck. But before he could completely sink into his despair, he felt a solid presence beside him.

"Relax, human." Greta's, the orc's, deep voice sounded like a muffled thunderclap. "She's just… showing off."

Gabriel looked up. Greta was standing next to his desk, her muscular arms crossed over her chest, her gaze fixed on Seraphine. Lyra, in her portable aquarium miraculously balanced on a stack of books, undulated gently, her turquoise scales shimmering under the classroom light.

"It's an intimidation tactic, you know?" Lyra explained, in her melodious voice. "Vampires… love drama."

"You know, Gabriel," Seraphine's voice, a velvety whisper, dangerously close, made Gabriel shrink again. He smelled roses and something else… rust? "I can hardly wait to suck your blood. I imagine it must be delicious… maybe even sweet, like you."

She bit her lower lip, her fangs flashing briefly, and winked at him with those molten ruby eyes.

"Ew!" Greta grimaced, wrinkling her nose. "Gross, Sera! Do you have to talk about that nasty stuff at lunchtime?"

"Lunchtime?" Lyra tilted her head, confused. "But it's not even ten in the morning…"

"It's a figure of speech, you distracted mermaid!" Greta rolled her eyes, impatient.

Gabriel took advantage of the distraction to try, discreetly, to move away from Seraphine. Mission Impossible. She moved with him, graceful and predatory, maintaining the proximity.

"S-Se-Seraphine!" he stammered, adjusting his glasses. "P-Please stop it! You're making me… uh… very uncomfortable!"

"Uncomfortable?" She feigned surprise, but a mischievous glint danced in her eyes. "But why? I'm just being honest! Besides, you should feel honored, my human. It's not every day that a noble vampire like myself decides to devote all her attention to someone so… adorably fragile."

She crossed her legs, the dark velvet dress rustling like bat wings.

"Looks more like a scarecrow in that dress…" murmured Greta, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Lyra let out a sharp laugh, which sounded like the tinkling of crystals. "Fancy scarecrow, Greta! Fancy scarecrow!"

Seraphine shot a withering glare at the two friends, but before she could respond, she stood up with a speed that defied physics.

"Oh, I need to go to the bathroom," she announced, with a voice that tried to sound casual but failed miserably. "Don't go anywhere, Gabriel. When I get back, we'll continue our conversation… perhaps in a more private place."

And then, she left. Or, at least, she tried to leave.

Seraphine walked down the center aisle of the classroom with the posture of a queen, chin lifted, nose in the air, dress flowing. But royalty, apparently, wasn't immune to… dragons.

The same young dragon from the previous incident, still clumsy with his size, was trying discreetly (and failing miserably) to pick up his notebook from the floor. His tail, a fire hose with scales, blocked the way.

"Watch out, Sera!" Greta shouted, too late.

Seraphine, in her glorious march, didn't see.

CRASH!

Adding Onomatopoeia, consistent with the webnovel/anime style.

The fall was spectacular. A clumsy choreography of panicked hands, flowing dress, and… unexpected revelations. The impact made Seraphine's dress fly up, revealing the most unexpected undergarment possible: panties printed with bats. But they weren't gothic or realistic bats. They were cartoonish, cute, and… lively.

Gabriel blinked, twice. It couldn't be. The bats were moving.

"They… they're dancing!" Lyra exclaimed, pointing a trembling finger at Seraphine's panties.

Small cotton creatures, with wide eyes and toothless smiles, the little bats were performing a macabre and hilarious dance on the fabric. A little step to the right, a twirl (a bit crooked), a… conga line? It was as if the panties had a life of their own, or as if a fifth-rate animation spell had gone wrong.

"So tacky, Sera!" Greta commented, with a grimace. "You urgently need to update your underwear wardrobe!"

The silence in the classroom, previously tense, was now punctuated by Lyra's giggles and Greta's grunts of disapproval.

Seraphine, realizing the disaster, turned with an expression of pure terror. Her face, normally pale as the moon, was now red as hell (or, at least, as the polish on her nails). She pulled the dress down with the speed of lightning, muttering something incomprehensible.

"Ah-ha-ha-haaa!" She attempted a forced, pathetic laugh, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Y-you… human… perverrrt!" Her eyes, moist, cast a sidelong glance at Gabriel, silently accusing him.

"It wasn't me who chose the animated panties!" Gabriel defended himself, in a whisper.

"Shut up, human!" Seraphine snarled between her teeth.

"Give it a rest, Seraphine!" Greta said in a harsh tone.

She stood up, staggering, and tried to flee. But the escape, like everything in Seraphine, had to be dramatic. And clumsy.

She spun on her heels, ready for a triumphant exit, but… she forgot about the door. Or, more precisely, she forgot that the door was only ajar.

BANG!

Adding Onomatopoeia, consistent with the webnovel/anime style.

The sound of the vampire colliding with the wood echoed through the room.

"Not again…" Lyra groaned, covering her eyes with her hands.

Greta let out a guffaw, which sounded more like a roar.

Seraphine froze. The silence, previously tense, now shattered into a thousand pieces of laughter. Elves fell from their chairs. The orc roared with laughter (even more). Even Gabriel couldn't hold back a nervous laugh.

She finally opened the door (with unnecessary force) and ran, her high heels clattering on the floor like horse hooves. Before disappearing, she cast one last look at Gabriel, a mixture of feigned anger, genuine shame, and… something else.

"You'll pay for this, human…" She whispered, her voice fading down the corridor.

The laughter started again.

Gabriel just sighed, sinking into his chair. Would he ever have a normal day in Faytheria?