Michelle rolls her eyes. "Not the question I meant, but I can't deny that people do often ask that when they first get here. And booze is pretty easy to get your hands on, provided you make the right contacts. What I meant was asking me about the zombie thing."
"Fair enough," you say. "What about the zombie thing?"
Michelle grins. "Basically, I'm a zombie, albeit augmented to be a little more hard-wearing. I find it helps to be up-front about it, but I guess your priorities were a little different."
You nod. There's something about Michelle that seems reliably solid—besides her skin—and it's definitely the most human experience you've had since stepping onto the grounds. If it wasn't for the fact that her skin has a metallic sheen to it, you could be talking to the average person on the street.
"Well," you say, "I'm Kan. I'm a human."
"Yes, your arrival has been discussed," Michelle replies, her tone ironic. "I have to say, there were less politically fraught environments your parents could have sent you to. I'm assuming that family connections played a part."
"Pretty much," you admit.
"I suppose there have to be some benefits to being related to the mad old lady who runs the monster school." Michelle starts walking down the corridor, and you follow her. "I guess this isn't the worst place to spend a few months. Then again, I'm saying this as someone who can't have their blood sucked out or their flesh eaten, so I might not be the ideal reviewer."
She turns towards a staircase and is on the verge of walking down it when she suddenly stops, holding up a hand to stop you as well.
"Oh damn," she sighs. "Sounds like trouble down there."
Sure enough, from down the corridor at the bottom of the staircase, you can hear voices raised in anger.
You look at Michelle. "What's that?"
"That, new kid, is a vampire and a werewolf getting ready to start battering each other around the general area. Which, normally, I'd be open and accepting of, only they happen to be doing it in the same corridor I planned on walking through." She looks at you. "Any suggestions?"