Alas, Ryu would have loved to hold Ishtar close in the fairly secluded portion of the beach they happened to be on, but the risk would have been too great hence the red haired student briefly mulled over the matter of having Lily tag along for the moment. It did not take long considering that there were one or two reasons to stick together and certainly making new friends was never a bad idea on Shokushu.

"Sure, I don't really see any problem with it. It might just help conceal Ishtar just a little better." She smiled, beckoning either of them to follow although Ishtar would have a say in the matter before they departed, of course. "Besides, we best let you know where to find Ishtar's room for when you make ammends for tearing up her top.", Ryu added jokingly, teasing the newcomer a bit as if there'd be trouble if she decided not to follow them.

But on their way from the beach, through a portion of the woods and toward the dorms, Ryu could not help but guide her attention back to the somewhat shy albeit talented young woman. "Hey, Lily? You're a freshman, right? Say, how long have you been living on the island?"

Ishtar wore her lover’s blouse closely as it appeared that they would all be heading back to dorms together. It was not a bad idea, given the number of creatures that inhabited the jungles and woods of Shokushu. Not that most girls on the island had any idea that were not alone on the island. For Ishtar, her amnesia ensured that she would be among the women who blissfully thought there was nothing dangerous surrounding the campus.

Being able to walk with tow other girls would make it easier for Ishtar to make her way back to the dorms. There would probably be less questions about the young woman wearing a blouse if she and the others explained she was a little cold. It would help the blue haired girl from getting lost, something she was quite prone to do is she was left to her own poor navigation skills. Thank you I appreciate it.

As they began to make their way to the dorms, Ryu began to ask some questions about the new freshmen they had to met on the beach. What do you think of Shokushu so far? she added.

¨a-about 4 months ive been here. t-the island u-um can be dangerous.¨lily shudders remembering the monsters she met.

Naturally Ryu had been aware of how easily Ishtar tended to get lost sometimes, for her amnesia impaired the blue haired vixen from time to time to varying degrees, but the red head never faulted her beloved for such blatant shortcomings. In truth, it only made Ryu feel all the more important as if committing herself to make up for them put her into the role of the knight in shining armor.

"Dangerous?" She blinked at that, somewhat surprised. In the back of her mind Ryu could tell that just one thing might be the cause for her concerns, but sought to play it down rather than admit that they, too, had encountered these foul creatures. "I have to admit, I'm not particularly fond of my classes and teachers either."

Ruby eyes flickered to Ishtar, hoping she'd catch the hint and try not to further invoke these vile memories, if the lovely princess could even remember any of them. "But hey .. If you have the right friends here, you can overcome almost anything. Four months are almost nothing to the years we've spent on the island, so who knows? Things might just turn around for the better."

Ishtar was fortunate that her ruby knight was here, Ryu always made sure that blue haired girl would make it back to her dorm every night. The blue haired student was always grateful for the redhead’s help. She just wished she could as much to help for her lover as Ryu had done for her over their time on Shokushu.

Lily explained that the island was dangerous, a bit shuttering on her part of that. Ishtar did not understand though she had been caught up in plenty of such things that Lily was remembering. Ummm, well if you stick close to campus the woods here is not so scary. But there isn’t anything to worry about.

Ishtar failed to catch on to what Ryu was trying to hint with pretty ruby eyes. Yes, it will be easier the more time you spend on the island. It can be hard being away from family. Ishtar smiled warmly, I sure you can make good memories here.

"family..........i never had any e-except the monk who raiseed me." lilys normallly bright eyes dim in sadness remebering the fire and how she couldnt save the temple they loved so much but glad they both made it.

It probably did not matter in the long run whatever Lily took away from their conversation and attempted cover ups of what truly lingered out there in the gloomy forests, both day and night. They all knew what they had to be afraid of and it was safe to say that over the years such events accumulated without them having any semblance of control over the whole affair.

Still, there was no mistaking the misery on Lily’s features. “Family is what you make of it.” She noted with a subtle glance bestowed unto Ishtar before flickering her eyes back to Lily. “I’m sure he cares for you immensely even if you’re not blood. To me, that’s a family worth keeping, however small or distant it may be.”

Despite that, Ryu hardly liked her own family for various reasons, but figured that such details didn’t truly matter at the moment. “Some of my closest friends feel like family to me and I’ve met all of them here, on the island.” Ishtar for one had been the closest to true family Ryu ever had, next to Aegir whose gentle nature had her seek him out in times of peril and need. More often than not he saved her from another, more menacing creature and for that the young red head was beyond grateful.

She exchanged a douchebag of a brother and strict parents for a family more suited to her personality, insane as that may sound. In a sense Ryu gained far more than she lost by coming here and never regretted a thing safe for losing her first time to one of the inhuman guests roaming across the campus.

"i-i guess i ust wished t-the fire hadnt have left the shrine in ruins i-i should have been able to save it and stop the fire,"lily bites her lip trying not to cry at her failure to protect her only home.

Even Ishtar really did not like to go out into the forests during the night, despite the official line that it was as safe as going around campus. The blue haired girl’s body remembered some of those encounters even if the young student mind had no memory of the incidents that she found herself caught up in.

You will make more friends on the island. And those can be really good friends that can be as good as family. Just like Ryu said. For Ishtar, Ryu was the best thing that ever happened to her and she would not trade her time on Shokushu for anything else if it meant leaving her red knight behind.

She had an older sister that she loves dearly, but they had not talked ever since Ishtar had gone to Shokushu. Her parents were loving to Ishtar, but she was not sure that they would understand her relationship with Ryu. Still it did not matter in the long run as the blue princess had found her life partner and anyone who would oppose it would simply just have to deal with it. Ishtar was going to stand by her fiancé side forever.