Another day, another day's worth of reports, memos, records, and demerits to go through. It would come to no surprise that Vera Matsumoto was sitting at her desk, hard at work. But today was different. It was troublesome enough dealing with so many students and Shokushu specific matters. This time though, Vera's hands were folded infront of her as she gazed at one record in particular. Occasionally, student records came with notes and warnings to inform the staff of possible variables that can cause issues to current operations. Some students had access to magic or telepathic abilities for example which can lead to harming of the island's 'guests' or a student getting hold of information that she should not know. There was many defenses and precautions that prevent these things from becoming an issue. But this file was different.

Asao Yumi's student record came with notes, warnings, and even a sensitive attachment. The student in question had been on the island for a time now but only recently has the file come under Vera's possession. With the other Head Girls retired, back on Earth, or otherwise removed from duty, majority of the students of Shokushu were now her responsibility. The woman's jaw clenched in slight annoyance. What were they thinking of letting someone like this through without further research?

This was not exactly a new thing. A Head Girl's sister had enrolled here in Shokushu and they allowed that to come through despite the history of the Head Girl in question. But this woman could know much more than even a Head Girl knows and that was disturbing. Vera could come up with a few ideas of why this was let through. The staff were lazy or incompetent. Humans like her were known to make mistakes but there were far too many details provided for this to be a simple slip up of paper work. It is possible Dr. Yumi was allowed in as a student because it really did not matter in the end. It was possible Dr. Yumi may have a fail safe inside her body like the Head Girls that would prevent her from every telling any secrets. Even if there was not such a precaution, who would believe this woman who keeps to herself? Once graduation comes, Dr. Yumi would either be sold into slavery or taken in by NICE labs. Knowing that, Vera had to question Asao's intentions if she knew what fate awaited her.

This was either a game played by the Headmasters or this woman still held some sort of use for Shokushu and NICE labs. With this woman who could be Dr. Yumi on campus, there would be no escape for her. If need be, they can make her disappear or make a deal when the time comes. Hmph! They could just ask her or brainwash her to talk. But no, they want her to look into the matter. Vera could not even ask directly for fear of her heart suddenly stopping.

The Head Girl sighed and leaned back in her chair. Though it was troublesome, the silver haired woman found the matter curious. This woman experienced in more ways than one and her flaws were noted clearly on the file. Someone of authority is all it would take to keep her docile and putting that intellect towards promoting Shokushu. It was time to pay this Doctor a visit.

---

Usually when Vera had to contact or deal with a student, she would have a message sent to the student leading them to either her suite or the basement. This matter required a more personal touch she thought. Long silver hair trailed in the Head Girl's wake as she walked the halls of the dorms. Students were quick to get out of her way if not out of her sight the moment they spotted the light blue sash hanging loosely around her hips. Doors nearly slammed shut as any plans a student had were put on hold to hide from the Head Girl and wait for her to pass. Matters in the dorms were usually left to Prefects, not a Head Girl.

The woman stopped infront of Asao's room and knocked lightly three times. As always, the Head Girl was dressed in uniform with not a flaw in her attire. As a leader with more power than the student council, Vera always believed in leading by example and ensured she maintained appearances. Assuming her records were correct, Asao should be done with her classes at this time and hopefully present to answer the door. Already, Vera's empathic senses were reaching out to sense the emotions of this potential doctor of science before her. It was time to learn what Asao Yumi was hoping to gain by coming to Shokushu.

Asao had indeed completed her classes for the day and had retired to her room, where she wasted no time in shedding the hated uniform, pulling on a lighter and more comfy yukata, forgoing both juban under clothing as well as any other from of under undergarments. Part of this was out of habit, and part was due to her being alone in the room.

A the moment she was standing on bare feet near the wall on the opposite side of the room, where she had pinned up campus map she had been given on arrival. It was hardly to scale but it was good enough for what she needed. There were several read X's dotting the map, looking for all the world like a particularly one-sided game of tic-tac-toe had continued unabated since she stepped of the plane. Her full attention was on the map, a red marker spinning between the fingers of her left hand as she tried to consider places she had overlooked, her frustration growing at each point her eyes scanned, only to find an X there.

Her frustration turned inward to become a flash of self-hate as she relaized she was officially out of places to look. She had failed. Again.

As fast as the flash had come, it faded away, replaced by a deep irrational longing. Where are you Eve? she wondered silently.

There was a knock on her door then. She jumped a little in place. She didn't usually get visitors; she tried not to get to close to the other students. The guilt was too much to bare. She padded across the room on her bare feet, more puzzled than anything. Of course there was always the possibility that it wasn't a who so much as a what on the other side of the door, but Asao doubted that the monster on the island would bother with something so polite as knocking before they threw her down and raped her.

So, her guard was thoughly down when she opened the door with a smile and a greeting on her lips... which promptly died there.

It was Vera. The Head Girl.

For a single, terrified second Asao eyes widened, and her jaw dropped ever so slightly. This was it. They had figured it all out, who she was, what she was doing here. There would be a trip to the labs or the Basement or worse in her future, if they didn't just strap her to a rocket and dump her at the frist slave market they could find.

The second passed, and Asao remembered herself enough to close her mouth and force her expression into something that looked a little less panicked. She briefly considered slamming the door in Vera's face, but that would do more harm than good. No, politeness was they way to go. For all she knew this was a social call. It could happen. Right?

"Oh!" she said brightly. Hopefully not to brightly. "Hello, Ms. Matsumoto. Can I help you?"

Vera was greeted by a shorter girl in eastern attire. The yukata hugged the woman's figure perfectly and accentuated her well developed assets. Despite the young, petite appearance, the Head Girl could tell this studnet was a rather developed woman. This of course was one of the reasons this student was allowed to enroll here afterall. Her choice to come here personally certainly paid off as she was able to measure Asao's reaction to her presence. Calling her to the basement or her suite would have given the student time to prepare and steel herself from such mistakes. The question was, what did this reaction mean?

It was not enough evidence to prove exactly what she was looking for. Ms. Yumi could very well be a model student and this reaction was out of fear she broke a rule she was not aware of though Vera found that very unlikely. Every student had their secrets, their own little minor thing they choose to go against in this school. The other possibility is that this woman was guilty of something and she thought she had been caught. Whether that was the whole secret of being Dr. Yumi or not, Vera could not say beyond a gut feeling.

The student managed to recover and greet the Head Girl finally. "You look as if you just saw death at your door, Dr. Yumi," Vera said calmly. The reaction from before was too good to ignore. Vera's voice would remain perfectly calm, dropping the title casually as if nothing were wrong. If this was an ordinary student, she would react with perhaps shock and try to correct the woman though being flattered may also be a possibility. Vera had already read terror in the woman's aura. It could very well be her rumored reputation preceding her. The Head Girl would analyze this one's reaction carefully. Even if the student reacted appropriately as someone not aware of this island's secrets, it would provide her a topic of conversation as things move along.

"May I come in?" she asked, "I apologize for not contacting you ahead of time but I happened to be in the area and wished to take care of this on my way back to the tower." The Head Girl did not need to ask. If she wished, she could barge right through this open door and begin inspecting the student's room. But she was more polite than that. With how timid this one seemed, Asao would slip up soon enough.

Dr. Yumi? Crap, crap, oh crap...

Asao hoped the smile on her face didn't look as fake as it felt when she replied. "Just surprised is all, Ms. Matsumoto. I dont get a lot of visitors, and, well, you're Head Girl. Oh, and I dont have my doctorate yet. So its just Yumi. Or Asao if you prefer. But thank you for the vote of confidence!"

With that Asao opened the door wider and steeped out of the way to allow Vera into her room, silently congratulating herself for refraining to keep a diary or any processable way of recording her thoughts or searches. Aside from the map of course, but that was easy enough to explain away. Her room was well kept, lived-in but not messy, with no visible contraband. If anything stood out in it at all it was the absence of personal touches. There were plenty of books and notebooks, her closet was filled to bursting with uniforms and kimonos, but there were no pictures, either of her life before coming to the school or of any friends she may of made here. No posters proclaiming interest in some random band or celebrity heartthrob or movie.

After Vera passed by her into the room proper, Asao closed the door and took a second to think. Okay, so she was not being dragged kicking and screaming to the basement. That was good. But at the same time, it raised further questions. Vera had called hr Dr. Yumi. So clearly she knew or suspected. Yet she was being perfectly cordial to her for now. Was she like Linnis, trapped by the secert and seeking out companionship from someone else in the know? The thought caused a flutter of hope to take shape in her mind... but still, best to treat the situation carefully.

Asao turned from the door. "Well, I'll help anyway I can," she offered politely . "Can I get you anything? Some water? Or tea, perhaps?"

Ms. Yumi took the small verbal jab rather well. If it were not for the brief flare of panic that came up in the woman's aura, she would have truly thought this was perhaps a different person. But her empathic abilities would not be enough to nail this student. It was possible that the theory was incorrect but too many things just a bit too convenient, a gut feeling one would call it.

Still, Asao did treat her with the respect expected towards a Head Girl. Naturally, Vera's eyes scanned the room for possible violations and other clues. The room was simple but that was not uncommon. There were no distractions on the walls, allowing this student to study without hinderance. The only thing of note was the map of campus on the wall. That was generally not something students would put up as decoration or even study. Vera made note of the locations marked which were numerous to say the least.

Without looking, she could feel the student behind her calming down. Perhaps the woman thought she may be out of the woods. Whether this was truly a former researcher of NICE labs did not change much if one thought about it for a bit. It would only update the woman's student file. It was not as if Shokushu needed a reason to remove a student from campus. But Vera would take the job as seriously as possible to satisfy her own curiousity. Besides with Asao's possible talents, this student could be very useful for her own experiments.

"Tea would be wonderful, Ms. Yumi," Vera said calmly as she remained standing, "I do hope I did not come at a bad time. I would have come to see you sooner but you were under another Head Girl's jurisdiction. With most of the work falling upon myself now, I could not help but notice your impressive file. With grades such as yours, a doctorate may very well be within your reach. Hmm? Is this map for a directed study of some sort?" Her arms crossed infront of her chest as she waited for tea to be ready. She could have taken her own seat but she would wait politely to be offered one first. May as well learn minor things about Asao Yumi as well while she was here.

"Coming right up," Asao said pleasantly. "Have a seat! Make your self at home."

Ok, so far so good. The visit was shaping up to be nothing more than an over-worked student official catching up on some neglected paperwork. Asao allowed herself to relax just a bit. Some small talk over tea about my classes, a stern reminder not to break any rules. She'll be gone by the top of the hour. Stay cool, Asao...

Asao produced a small bottle of water from her mini-fridge, opened it an poured the contents it into her electric kettle. "The map?" she repeated casually, grateful that her back was to Vera so she couldn't see the way her hand shook at the question. "Nothing so fancy as directed study, I'm afraid. I just like to go for walks. Long walks. Clears my head, you know? Helps me think. I use the map to keep track of where I've been. There are some truly breathtaking vistas on the island... but as you've been here for sometime, I'm sure you know that already..." The best part if the explanation was that it was roughly half true: Asao did like going for walks and it did help her think. She wasn't about to volunteer that she was also looking for Eve on these walks.

Asao trialed off. The kettle was plunged in and already working on bring the water inside to a boil; it would only take around five minuets or so. She grabbed two travel presses, basically a cross between a traditional cup and a thermos, from where they were drying on the counter. "I hope these are okay for your tea? I never got around to getting a proper tea set."

Investigators and psychologists would know about the various tells that a body gives when a person is lying. There was machines that measured this as well, keeping track of things like motion and sweating. Things that as minor as where a person's eyes go can reveal if a person is lying or not. Vera of course had other ways to read tells, allowing her to cheat a bit. She did not have to look directly at the person she was talking to. Asao's aura gave of a sensation based on the emotions she felt at that moment. Being a empath gave Vera a significant edge when it came to negotiation and interogation.

Vera would say that Ms. Yumi was a pro though she did not see the shaking hand as the woman came up with an answer. That sensation of fear and panic flickered like a flame before calming once more. The explanation seemed off though Yumi was a unique individual. The thing that bothered her was the amount of X's on the map and some of the locations were hardly breathtaking vistas as Asao put it. The one sided tic tac toe made it look like the woman was picking a spot and circling outwards. Depending on the time these walks were made, there was a great risk of being noticed by the island's inhabitants. But Vera would not know the time without asking unfortunately.

As offered, the silver haired woman took a seat at the table. "It will be fine, Ms. Yumi," Vera replied, "I did come here unannounced." Her hands neatly fold on the table as she waited for Asao to finish what she was doing. From what was gathered from her empathic abilities, this woman was either hiding something or someone who was easily panicked or excited. Now, it was up to a one on one interview to learn anything further. Cheap tricks will not be enough to break this case open.

The Head Girl would accept the offered tea when it is ready, sipping it lightly before starting. "According to your records, you have been here for at least a year now, correct?" Vera said calmly, "You also are working towards a rather specific pair of majors involving the latest technological advances. With such focus, I do hope you are going to consider a Masters and Doctorate. Especially with grades such as yours. Can you tell me a bit more about your experience here in Shokushu, please? Feel free to include your own thoughts and opinions about your time here as well as your own personal studies in your field of choice, Miss Yumi. We here would like to ensure our gifted prodigies are given the proper stimulation to excel in their given fields of study." Vera did not come with any folders or papers. Any information given was from memory of reading the files before coming here. The Head Girl would look at the student's eyes as she patiently waits for her replies.

Ah, now this was something Asao could go on all day about, with all most all of it being truthful. Once the tea was ready she carefully poured some in both their cups before sitting across from Vera a the table.

"Well, I dont know if I'd call myself a prodigy..." Asao said trying to appear modest, "though I certainly try my best. I happened to believe, quite firmly, that the future of mankind lies in biotechology specifically married with nanotech. I mean, lets face it: Our bodies suck. As an achievement caused purely by random chance and the trail and error of evolution they are impressive to be sure. But when compared to what is possible with a little intelligent design -- true intelligent desgin , mind, not religious double speak for Creation Myths -- The possibilities are limit less. Simply stated: We could be so much more."

Asao shook her head, and reminded herself to reign in her enthusiasm. It was that kind of hopefulness, -- if not outright naivete -- that got her into The Project the frist place. "I'm sorry," she added, embarrassed. "That's not what you asked."

"My experience here at Shokushu have been eye opening to say the least. I thought I knew quite a bit before -- actually I was the lead in my field she added silently -- but I know know i really only know enough to get myself into trouble. On a more personal note, I've noticed that my eagerness for academia has ostracized me from my peers somewhat. They seem to think I'm 'stuck up know it all'. Unfortunate , but I'm used to it.

"I have noticed that the literature available in the library for my fields is limited, perhaps owing to the newness of the sciences, but It does make independent study difficult. Ideally access to regular lap space for experimentation and hands-on research would be ideal, but ..." she waved her hand idly, and took a sip from her tea.

"That is certainly a high goal, Miss Yumi," Vera replied, "But, I believe you are a bit too negative about your body. Though some flaws are certainly unnecessary such as the appendix and wisdom teeth, other flaws help accentuate the beauty and benefit of the rest of the body. The body you have wrapped in that yukata certainly does not suck as you say." Though it may do so literally depending on what you run into on this island. But this woman may already know that for all she knew.

"You need not concern yourself about the other students," she added, "They are merely jealous of your growth and capability. It is only natural for them to lash out and try to lower someone to their level or lower through verbal means. But if anyone does hinder your ability to study and research, there are Prefects and Head Girls if you wish to speak with someone. The school will not tolerate such underachievers trying to bring others down with them."

What Vera said was the truth. As long as the student remained in good standing, she would help them in their given field. Of course, she would also educate and teach them more 'important' skills to make their futures a bit easier but that was another matter entirely. The Head Girl only knew so much about NICE labs as such things tend to be on a need to know basis. Do the female scientists have to kneel before a man or woman in servitude?

These questions being not threatening at all, Asao was answering them willingly and easily. There was no reason to doubt her answers. The suggestion was fair though probably not something most undergrads would care to ask. "You are correct that there is not much in bio or nano technology in our local library. Being a new and possibly dangerous science, such information tends to be considered rather sensitive. But learning more and your request for lab space could be granted. NICE labs tends to study the latest technology and they are always looking for volunteers to help their research. If you like, I can see about giving you a tour of the labs. I am certain it will have more than enough resources to stimulate your needs. You may even have options of future employment there if you make friends with the right people."

There were machines at the labs that would read the woman's dna that could reveal the truth. In any case, it will keep Asao Yumi close and put more pressure on the woman if she was truly the Dr. Yumi. If not, well having an intelligent woman working in the labs one way or another always had its perks.

The casual compliment threw Asao off guard more than anything else Vera had said that afternoon. "Ah, thank you?" she replied, unsure of what the correct response should be. No one had offered her compliment based on her body before, aside from the Pixies (who were so oversexed that she wasn't sure it counted). The usual descriptor she heard in reference to her figure has varied between 'pudgy' and outright 'fat'.

Feeling suddenly self-conscious, Asao pushed on. "B-but what I mean by 'sucks' is that we've gone as far as we can with simple biological evolution. The next step will have to be one we construct ourselves. And it needs to be done sooner than Darwinian Process will allow."

She stopped abruptly there, less Vera ask what the 'rush' was, and let the head girl continue. The conversation soon turned to NICE labs, and Asao nibbled her lower lip a bit.

If Eve was looking for a way to fix herself -- and Asao was sure she was -- NICE labs would be where she could access the tech to do so. So if she could get her foot in the door, Asao might be able to find more information in her. On the flip side, she knew calling the labs 'NICE' was a bit of a misnomer. Things happened there to students. She didn't know all the details (The Project had a strict need-to-know policy), but considering where she was, it couldn't be good.

Still, how many leads could sh afford to turn down?

So in the end the decision was made, and she offered Vera a warm, grateful smile. "Thank you Ms. Matsumoto! A tour would be very welcome! And any leg-up on job placemnt is always a good idea. You can never start to prepare too soon, after all."

"Evolution takes time, Miss Yumi. We did not evolve from cave people within a few years. Such things will adjust based on the changing environment and technology. I am uncertain why you wish to tamper with such processes directly. The purpose of evolution is to ensure the survival of a species. You make it sound like the human race is in some sort of danger. Rushing such things can be considered something other than evolution but rather something one could call unnatural." Vera could take a few leaps to guess what sort of things Asao was hinting at but it was not anything solid enough to lash out with. The Project was supposedly something that would make Shokushu obsolete. Having a place of power like this though, the Head Girl was uncertain how the staff would take such news.

But having experienced what happens on this island numerous times, Vera could not believe that such a project could save the human race better than Shokushu's operations. Yes, having an infinite supply of created sex toys may satisfy some species. But for many aliens and monsters, it was more than just pure sexual desire. It was about breaking someone and molding them against their feeble wills. Some do not want sex toys but rather human sex toys, real human sex slaves.

Besides the compliment creating some level of shock, Asao had relaxed a bit. The young woman was certainly the shy and timid type. Hard to believe someone like this could be a lead scientist for a top secret project. But the fact Miss Yumi was eager to see NICE labs rather than shy away did reveal this one's determination. This was good. If Asao was willing to come to NICE labs, there would be plenty of opportunities to draw information from her or catch her in a mistake. "That is good to hear, Miss Yumi," Vera replied, "If you are not busy, we can head over there now. Our sudden visit may limit some of the areas we can go through but there should still be plenty for you to see and study. On our way there, you can tell me more about what you have been working on."

If they were in agreement, Vera would rise to her feet. She thanked the woman for the tea and waited for Asao to do any preparations before heading out the door. "It is a bit of a walk unfortunately," Vera admitted as they started making their way in the direction of NICE labs. NICE was on an offshore platform so they would have to take a boat there. With the Head Girl there, the staff should be more than willing to take them over to the labs. Once docked, they took an elevator up to lobby where Vera would speak to the front desk. "Is there any field in particular you would like to look at first, Miss Yumi?" she called back.

Asao wondered, briefly, if there was a word that described the combination of hope and abject terror she felt at the offer to visit NICE that very day. Eve would go there, she was sure of it. Going there herself was one step closer to finding her lost creation. If there was even the slightest chance it gain information... a curios experiment report... and innocent eyewitness sighting...anything was better than she had now, which was nothing.

On the other hand, Vera, thought perfectly cordial and professional clearly has suspicions about who she really was. Once in the facility itself, she would be vulnerable to any number of methods and beings needed to draw the truth out of her. But even so, to refuse now would send up more red flags that it would to accept. Plus, it wasn't like Vera couldn't have her taken by force whenever she choose anyway. They best way to throw of suspicion at this point would be to not act suspicious.

Asao ran through these alternatives quickly, and replied with almsot no hesitation. "That would be great! Ah..." she looked down at herself, feeling suddenly under-dressed in her yukata. ''...if i could just have a quick moment to change. This yukata is hardly professional enough for a frist impression."

Excusing herslef, Asao headed for her closet, the door of which she used a make-shift privacy screen between herslef and Vera as she hurriedly stripped and re-dressed in a proper kimono, dark blue-to-black with a silvery world tree embroidered on it. She has just finished tieing the wide belt into place when she relaized that habit had struck again and she had not putt one any underwear. Too late now.

The process took perhaps five minutes, and Asao stepped out from behind closet door, feeling much more confident now that she was adequately covered. "All set Ms. Matsumoto. As for what I have worked on so far," she went on as she opened the door for them to leave, talking only a small handbag with her student ID and room key, "well most of it has been purely theoretical, you understand, trying to get the math down. Avoid the dreaded 'grey-goo apocalypse ' that sci-fi books area always dreading. While that exact scenario is virtually impossible, there are concerns about nano-tech, such as..."

Asao kept a frequent if someone limited commentary on what she has been working on thus far. Actually most if not all the problems she set forth in her hypothetical description had been solved by Project Noave Eve ages ago, but she played the part of the enthusiastic student on the fore front of a new technology to a T. Even including a few intentional mistakes in her math that could only be discovered and solved though experimentation. Talking about the science up until the boat finally arrived at the islands that housed the labs, also calmed her down tremendously.

Once they had arrived, Asao suddenly felt like she was in her element, as foolish as that may be. But there was something pure about a laboratory environment even here, on this distant world. No egos to get in the way. No office politics or social mores to cloud judgement. There was just the Science, and what you could make it do. She stood a little straighter, walked with a bit more purpose, responded to Vera's occasional question with more authority and confidence.

"Biotechnology." she responded without hesitation. "Particularly focused on the blending of the organic with the technological. All the progress with nano-tech wont mean anything if we cant get it to properly interface with living tissue, after all."

And its the source of Eve's defect, and where she would start to look for a cure, she added silently.

The clean sterile environment of NICE labs can be off putting for some. Vera was of course rather familiar with this place though most of the more secretive details were strictly on a need to know basis. This was where she was operated on upon becoming a Head Girl, giving her the fail safe device on her heart to ensure she did not betray Shokushu. She had scheduled visits to the labs so they could study her arcane ability and learn more about the science behind her powers. There were also a few other operations that were specifically designed to make the Headmaster's pet as beautiful and appealing as possible. Here, Vera could not help but feel more like a piece of meat being tested than a person.

A student uniform would have been a bit more appropriate than a kimono in a place such as this. But, the silver haired woman did not seem to mind. Even here, Vera walked with authority eventhough she had no real power here. Her silver hair trailed behind her in her wake. She walked only slightly ahead of Asao, leading the way while also listening to the various projects and explanations given. If Vera noticed any flaws, she did not mention them or correct them. She just let Asao talk as she continued to read the woman's aura.

After speaking to the front desk, Vera returned with a clipboard with a few forms for Asao to read over and sign. It asked for some personal information and medical history. Going to a lab like this, knowing things like allegies and possible experiences with viruses and bacteria was important. There was also a place to sign mentioning a few dangerous machinery and chemicals that were used in the labs and that signing here meant the student recognized these dangers and would comply with the lab staff for safety reasons.

Biotechnology would certainly fall under the fields required for the projects that Dr. Yumi took part in. Asao was even very specific about this particular field which caused more red flags to come up in Vera's head. "I am uncertain that anything that specific is being worked on here, Ms. Yumi," Vera replied, "But, perhaps you will find things of interest nonetheless. Come..."

With the papers signed, Vera led the way deeper into the labs. There were numerous sections making up the entire facility. It would take a long time to go through them all, especially if they explored in detail. "Here in NICE labs, they pride themselves for having access to some of the highest end technology available on the planet," Vera explained, "I think they may be exaggerating but, it would be difficult to find a college that had access to as much as Shokushu. I am certain that you will find what you need here for any of your current and future projects here, Ms. Yumi."

She led Asao into one of the many doors available in the hallway. Inside was a sort of greenhouse environment with numerous forms of plantlife and crops in controlled plots of soil. "This is one of our current projects," Vera stated simply, "A bit standard as you have probably heard about the whole altering plants to bear larger fruits and vegetables. The usual promise to end world hunger. Some of these plants were altered during their existence as mere seeds while others were altered after already sprouting from the earth." As both of them could see, there were larger forms of just about every fruit and vegetable available with a few exceptions (rice was always a pain to get into a proper environment).

A light buzzing could be heard as if there were insects flying in the air. "Tch..." Vera swats the air with hand, "Unfortunately, working on food has a tendency to attract a few unwanted unknowns. Lets get out of here." Asao would feel something buzz against her ear while another stung her neck. It was only a light prick and did not seem to cause much irritation. The Head Girl lead the woman out the door and let out a soft sigh. "Sorry about that," the Head Girl apologized, "But, I figured your focus on such a particular field would warrant a look in there. Let me know if you have any questions. I brought you here to help you in your studies after all."