Animalians weren't just going to WSA as the school year began. After all, there were plenty that were in their senior year when they were converted and have thus graduated. There were many who simply started looking for full-time jobs right after graduation. Human or not, the country's tuition fees were still extraordinarily high and many students felt that it wasn't worth getting a degree if it meant having to spend years paying off debt whether or not they got a successful job. There were some graduates, like Simon, who had already been accepted into academies even before they finished high school. And there were those whose university plans were not changed even after becoming Animalians.
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas wasn't as prestigious as colleges such as Harvard or Yale, but it wasn't bottom tier either. There was certainly little to complain about the campus. Of course, since it was only a few minutes away from the famous Las Vegas Strip, no one could say that it was set in the boring part of the city (if there even is such a part). It was also a rather large research university, several of the scientists who worked at Horizon Labs having graduated from there and occasionally used the university's facilities for experimentation.
Tiffany had been planning on going to UNLV before the Outbreak ever happened. Her family was already pretty well-off, but Tiffany was planning on getting a business degree to make her fortune even bigger. The Animalian Virus did little to change anything. The biggest differences was that Tiffany would be arriving at the campus as an anthropomorphic poodle and Princess would be coming along as her sister.
The only hard part about driving to the campus was the traffic. Tiffany had no trouble driving with her digitigrade legs, as long as she had enough leg room. Getting a parking permit at UNLV was particularly tough for a freshman, but Tiffany's parents had enough connections to make that happen. They were a little anxious about her and Princess living on-campus and not just because they worried about their daughters being by themselves. Las Vegas has always been welcoming to Animalia and has done a lot of business with it, but that doesn't necessarily mean everyone at college wouldn't be nasty to them. Heather's attack raised their concerns even more, but Tiffany and Princess weren't about to chicken out now.
The two of them still had a lot of stuff to take to their new dorm. Being double-dosers made the burdens a lot lighter, but there was still only so much they could carry at a time. As the two of them walked across the campus, they spotted several other students waving at them. "Well, at least they're not scared of us," said Princess.
"We wouldn't give them much reason to be scared. We are French Poodles," said Tiffany. Princess gave her a slightly annoyed look at that. "I mean, as dogs go, we're far from the most intimidating. It's not like we're Rottweilers."
"Speaking of Rottweilers, you going to sneak Riley onto campus for some doggy fun?" asked Princess teasingly.
"Not out in the open," hissed Tiffany. Having visitors from off-campus came with a lot of regulations, not least of which is no sexual intercourse. Not that students didn't break this rule all the time, but it was not a wise thing to mention it where others might hear you. And with Animalians more noticeable here, it might be wiser to head back home for a little mating action.
It hadn't been particularly hard to get Riley as a boyfriend. Part of it was because he was on the rebound of losing Jamie to Trevor, even if it was for the right reasons. But Tiffany had plenty of time to refine her seduction. The queen bee hadn't been a virgin before the Outbreak happened and had slept with a few converted jocks, even though they had already become non-canine species. It turned out that Riley was not only a devoting dog, but he was also a pretty fantastic lover.
Tiffany pushed those thoughts aside as she and Princess got to their dorm building. Pretty soon, they were up the stairs and in the student lounge. And sitting there were the poodle girls' new neighbors.
"I could carry some of those boxes, you know," said Maddie. Being a dancer at the Meat Market was fun, but the cowgirl wanted to do more with her life. Inspired by the Greek myths she often portrayed with her mate Theseus, Maddie was currently pursuing an anthropology degree.
"We're fine," said Princess, "Not too many left."
"You should have packed lighter," said Sylvia. The rattlesnake was actually attending the William S. Boyd School of Law, but that was also on the same campus as UNLV.
"We've got everything we need," said Tiffany.
"You guys know when the tryouts for the volleyball team are?" asked Princess. Of the four of them, Princess was the only one undecided about what she wanted to do. The volleyball team was her biggest goal here.
"It might be a bit late for that," said Maddie, "They've already started playing this season." Princess gave a sad whine at that.
"Don't worry, there'll be next year," said Tiffany comfortingly.
"If they let you on," said Maddie, "No offense, but you would give the team an unfair advantage in the tournaments."
"That may change eventually," said Sylvia, "You know, we ought to try and join a sorority while we're here."
"Or we could start our own," said Princess.
"I'm not sure if you can really start your own sorority just like that," said Maddie.
"It'll be great," said Princess, "We could be Pi Etta Tau!"
"P.E.T.? Really?" asked Sylvia in an annoyed tone.
"Yeah, we could be our Animal House," said Princess cheerfully.
The other girls let out a collective groan at that. Tiffany picked up a magazine, rolled it up, and then used it to gently rap Princess on the muzzle. "No, bad girl, bad girl. No bad jokes. Bad girl," said Tiffany in the exact same tone she used when Princess made messes as a puppy.
The sight of that quickly made Maddie start laughing uproariously. Sylvia wasn't able to contain herself for very long either and started laughing. Tiffany was soon cracking up herself and even Princess joined in.