Culinary class was more or less an elective. It was a blow-off course that nonetheless students took to meet their credit hour requirements. Vanessa was one of many who took up the course. Between classes and athletics, she didn't have any time to cook. So, why not take a class on it? And that's what Vanessa did. The classroom was lined up with kitchen counters instead of desks. Each student was assigned a partner, and they would be tasked with cooking together for the semester. Vanessa stood behind one of the counters, casually curling her hair between her fingertips. The classroom was filled with the chatter of students- many of whom had signed up together. Sadly for the crimson-haired girl, she didn't sign up with anybody. Spots began to fill up fast, and she wondered if she would have a partner at all. She sat behind her seat, attempting to hide her worry by blankly staring at the whiteboard.

Culinary class was likely a class I could have taught considering my background, but I needed the hours and an easy grade was never something to turn down or so I'd been told in my high school years. thus I found myself taking the class just a bit surprised to learn I'd need a partner for the semester. I was still quite new to attending these classes, as such I found myself in the situation of not knowing a soul in the room. not that I knew many in the school to begin with, much of my time was spent alone in my dormitory. it seemed many had signed up with their potential partners in advance at that. Thus I was brought to the conclusion I'd have to pick between the one or two free students in the room. I decided to pick entirely by how they were carrying themselves
Confident yet uncertain, a bit of a chivalrous air about her. probably the best choice for a proper lady at anyrate. won't bloody do if I pick the girl whose skirt is obviously two inches shorter than regulation anyway. I'll be carrying the grade, that one looks like she'd at least appreciate and offer thanks.
I decided as I'd walk up to her counter and offer a curtsy to the crimson haired girl.
"Good day miss. I do hope it is no trouble, but are you without partner or are they tardy? if it is the former I'd like to offer myself to fulfill such a role as you seem the most courteous free student of the few options."
there was no reason to hide my intent or reasoning, being upfront about it wasn't rude either, it wasn't as though I was commenting on her appearance or for selfish reasons.

The crimson-haired girl turned around. Her heart raced for a second, though she was later ashamed at how excited she became just because she wanted a partner. "I'd love to be your partner." Vanessa said, gently bowing. This woman had a 'proper' air around her. This much, the knight could tell. Perhaps culinary class wasn't going to be too bad? She scooted aside and made room for her partner. The professor came in shortly afterwards and explained everything on the class syllabus. After that was done, the students were to already begin preparing their own meal. And what more appropriate meal in an all-girl school than a Caesar salad? The ingredients were laid out in front of each desk, though they weren't cut, nor were they given in the exact amounts that students needed to use. It was up to them to measure and figure out how much of each was needed by measuring them and by looking at the recipe provided.

Vanessa washed her hands in hot water, before grabbing a knife and began to work on cutting the lettuce. "Strange, I haven't see you around before, Miss...?" The crimson-haired girl was decently acquainted with a large amount of students. Though she had never seen Laele before. "I'm Vanessa, by the way. Vanessa Crowell. Sort of pride myself in protecting girls against lecherous guys. Though since we're on this island, we have other things to worry about." The redhead lightly giggled. Of course, she was referring to monsters, but doubted someone like Laele knew of their existence. Not many did...

I gave the crimson haired girl a faint smile as I took the seat beside her and awaited the instruction. I hadn't expected much but a caesar salad was below even my expectations; still I suppose it was meant to be a basic lesson on cutting and measuring. I was even less impressed by the recipe provided and the ingredients.
“no Worcestershire sauce or pepper flakes, and they want anchovies nun ja, a sub par dressing it shall be then.”
I tried to keep my voice low so the professor wouldn't hear my disappointment or comments, I didn't need to get in trouble over it but, that didn't mean I would follow the recipe exactly. I'd go about mincing the garlic and anchovies with a bit of salt after sanitizing of course.
“I'm rather new to this school, it's no surprise you've not seen me before. I am Laele Azure Zazel it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Vanessa.” Her pride in protecting girls brought a bit of a smile to my face.
“Oh yes, other things to worry about than lecherous men indeed such as studies; Though I am sure I've seen a professor or two with wandering eyes and perhaps wandering hands as well. Then of course there are lecherous peers aplenty. A college that is essentially a very strict boarding school, four years on an island of nothing, but pretty girls, it is like men at sea with nothing but other men. Wills will break and things shall happen and will not always match up.”
of course I had no idea about things such as monsters on this island, as far as I was aware it was just a man made tropical island or at least man altered.

The crimson-haired girl bowed her head. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well." She smiled softly. Though she doubted Laele knew of monsters, she nonetheless tested the gentlewoman. In many cases, victims would outright spill the existence of monsters to Vanessa at the mere hint of it. Perhaps this one was more cunning than the rest. Or... perhaps she was innocent. In that case, Vanessa would be able to enjoy the normal school life she was supposed to have. The knight held a fist over her lips to hide a small laugh. "Yes, like studying!" She began to grate the Parmesan cheese into smaller bits. "That was very insightful of you, Laele. Perceptive, even. Girls get lonely and they need to satisfy their needs somehow. It makes me wonder how much protection they really need." She giggled.

Vanessa cracked some eggs into a bowl, whisking in some freshly squeezed lemon and dijon mustard. "So, what made you want to come to Shokushu? Surely, you have some grander scheme for coming here?"

"Thank you, though many need more protection than you'd think, some aren't likely to want the advances of their peers. no less dangerous than lecherous men really."
I offered a bit further insight as I'd finish with pasting the anchovy garlic and salt. I went to look at her whisking and did my best to not seem rude.
"Do hate to say this, but you forgot to separate the yolks, it'll not get the proper consistency if you use the whites too Vanessa. as for what brought me to Shokushu? hmmm"
I'd think on that for a few moments while I let her decide if she wanted to start over with her whisking or not. I really didn't have a good reason for here rather than another school. I'd look at the bread and go about tearing it up into small bits to put into the sorry excuse for a stove we were supplied with.
"Well, I suppose I'm here for a change of scenery as much as it was so I could learn a different trade. I wasn't wealthy enough to attend a university in the Americas and I didn't feel those in the UK or Germany were quite fitting. this school had a wealth of different courses and not having any men seemed like a nice change of pace as did the tropical island atmosphere."

"Hmm... perhaps. Just with how lonely it is on this island, is anything that happens between girls... really non-consensual?" Vanessa stuck out her tongue. "Just joking!" The knight looked down after Laele pointed out her mistake. She pursed her lips and poured out the ingredients. "Ahh... sorry!" She blushed, and immediately went to remake it. Either way, it wouldn't take more than a minute or two. "Fair enough," the redhead nodded. "I came to Shokushu because I believed the prestige here would open a lot of doors for me. A school entirely focused on producing proper people sounds nice, doesn't it? And like you said, not having to deal with guys is a relief."

All that was left was to wait for the croutons to finish. Their salad would be done and they'd probably be able to get out of lecture in no time. "Are you doing anything after class? We could stop by my dorm and try out our... masterpiece." Vanessa wasn't shy on inviting friends over to her dorm. Ever since her old roommate, Hilda, moved to another dorm, the crimson-haired girl had the entire room to herself.

I couldn't held but chuckle a bit at the way Vanessa toyed with the idea she'd set forth. I'd been about to retort before she'd professed to be joking. When she went about remaking the dressing I smiled, quite glad to have a partner willing to adapt to the situation and correct mistakes.
“Prestige, I hadn't honestly heard that part of the school though I did understand it was strict. I suppose that was a bit of a draw as well.”

I had to admit it was true, I always preferred people behaving properly to the norm at schools. I'd check on the croutons for a moment before Vanessa asked if I was doing anything after this. I quirked a brow and shook my head.
“Well, I was going to take a look around the island, perhaps go to my dorm and play something to wind down. It would be nice to have company however instead. I'd be glad to join you and try this recipe. Though it pales in comparison to much of what I've made before. If I could get the ingredients myself I'd make a wonderful leek and spinach Cannelloni... or at least a proper Caeser salad”
I tried to keep my knowledge of cooking down below the professors notice, I didn't need them knowing I was already a professional in that field. I was doing this for the easy boost to my GPA after all. With that said I'd take out the croutons from the oven and toss them in with the lettuce and add my paste to the dressing she'd whisked together.
“Is best to mix it with your hands in my personal experience.”

Vanessa was glad she met someone with the same amount of decency as her. Well, excluding monsters, of course. That was something the redhead would rather not think about, and was glad because she hadn't been attacked by a monster in a long time. She placed her index finger over her lips and winked. "Call it a bet. I believe that in four or five years, Shokushu will look brilliant on my resume." The crimson-haired girl went to wash her hands shorter afterwards. "Oh, you play music? What do you play?" She leaned in, curious.

Once everything was practically ready, Vanessa volunteered to mix the salad. The ingredients were added together, and she began to toss the salad with her hands. "You should make me food sometime, then." She said half-jokingly. The meal prep was complete, and the girls were allowed to take them to their dorms in small plastic containers.

The crimson-haired girl walked beside Laele. As they walked towards her dorm, Vanessa showed her friend some points of interest - where the pool was, the quickest way to get to the cafeteria - all that sort. When they arrived at her dorm room, Vanessa clicked the door open. Half of the room was empty, evident that her roommate moved out. The other half was neatly organized. Stacks of books sat next to the lamp, indicating that Vanessa had some late night studying. The blankets were folded without a single crease, and the pillow was properly fluffed. Everything was neat and proper. The redhead blushed, rubbing the back of her head. "I used to be a clean freak, but under the tutelage of Head Girl Vera, I've gotten a little excessive."

She gestured over to the seat next to her desk. "Come, sit down." Vanessa went through her supplies and gave Laele a plastic fork. She sat down on what used to be her roommate's chair, salad in hand.

I gave a simple smile at that.
“Well I would hope so at anyrate. It does seem to be such a wonderful school. as for what I play, I play violin actually, mostly modern and I prefer electric violin to acoustic.”
with that I'd take the croutons from the oven and let Vanessa mix them when she was ready. Once it was graded and the class was over I'd let her carry it and follow beside her out of the classroom towards the dorms. I let her show me around of course, point things out.
When we arrived in her dorm I took a look around. Everything quite neat and tidy, well organized and quite to my liking actually.
“so you're alone in here then? Hmm suppose they just don't feel like assigning just anyone together.” I commented as she spoke of the head girl under whom she was taught. “that's an honor, must be proud to have someone with such a high position take you under their wing. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with being a neat freak. far better to know where your things actually are.”
I'd settle when she gestured to the chair near her desk and took the fork when offered.
“So then, we should at least try this recipe I suppose, I expect it to lack quite a bit of flavor honestly. But it should be pleasant at least.”
perhaps I wasn't the best suited to conversation at all times, honestly keeping one going was never my strongsuit.

"Hm... maybe you could serenade me sometime." Vanessa playfully teased.

She poked a crouton with her fork before eating it. The knight chewed her food before she spoke. "Well, I had a roommate at first. But she was a bit of a party person. I enjoy my fair share of parties, but I need to study sometimes. And as for my mentorship... I had a few rough patches with her. I was actually taken to the basement twice..." She set down her food, waving her hands. "I-I'm not a delinquent or anything! I just... had some strong opinions that were detrimental to the school." The crimson-haired girl crossed her legs and continued to eat her salad. She couldn't tell her friend about monsters- she almost slipped.

"So, have you ever worked with mistre- I mean- Vera?"

I could only lightly chuckle when Vanessa jokingly suggested I serenade her. I went about eating a bit of the salad while I let her speak of her room mate and her 'mentorship' with the headgirl. The trips to the basement made me quirk my brow slightly. after she'd mentioned not being a delinquent I'd ask.

“Curious how they leave disciplinary action to the basement rather than using that room for more classes. Though I suppose they have more than enough space for all the various disciplines they offer. Might I ask though, what opinions were they? I can't figure how a strong opinion would require disciplinary action unless it harmed school property. As for working with Vera... I've encountered her before, she offered to tutor me on certain subjects in exchange for me cooking and cleaning for her. I didn't continue that relationship though, wasn't even enough a trade.”

I wasn't about to say the woman had been teaching me of magic and how to channel it, that would label me as insane, the headgirl as insane and end up with me in more trouble than I wanted. The last thing I wanted was to end up in the basement myself, my record was perfect and I wasn't going to damage that.

Vanessa was happy that her friend didn't ask her about what happened. Well- that was until her friend asked her what happened about five seconds later. The redhead sighed, before adjusting herself in the seat. She set the bowl of salad on her desk, before folding her hands on her lap. "I believe that there's some injustice occurring on Shokushu. Some girls have been wronged, and I looked to Vera for answers. I'm almost certain of this corruption, but I couldn't get any information. So, I..." Her voice stammered, as if she was ashamed by her next words. "I offered my body for information. Vera denied it and sent me to the basement." She didn't dare speak against the head girl, especially when she had pledged allegiance to the woman.

"I seduced her like this..." The crimson-haired girl walked over to her friend. She sat on top of Laele. Her amber eyes stared into her friend's. Laele would be able to feel the knight's soft, delicate thighs and perfect ass. Vanessa's hands slowly slid over Laele's shoulders. "Then, I tried to kiss her... like this." The crimson-haired girl leaned in, hoping to steal a kiss from her lips. "Vera didn't let me get that far, though." She explained casually, as if there were nothing wrong with the current situation.

I listened to her explain her thoughts on the school curiously, truth be told the idea of injustice against the girls of the school or some of them anyway, wasn't unheard of. I'd heard stories about women being extorted by their professors for grades.
“I wouldn't be surprised if there was corruption that the head-girl wouldn't know anything about it. Though to be so certain to offer something like your body...”
I hadn't been entirely quick on the uptake at that moment.
“Wait now, did you say you're bleeding body?! You offered to have sex with the head-girl??? Well I suppose I can see why she might have decided you needed disciplinary action now... not saying anything against you but, we can't go offering a shag to people just to try and draw information from them.”
I hadn't been paying attention to what she'd been doing as she'd walked over to me I must have had my eyes closed and they opened the moment I felt her weight on my lap. My eyes must've been quite wide with shock must've looked like a bloody beast about to be flattened by a truck. And when she tried to lean in for a kiss, well... I lost my composure and well, the chair slipped out from under us and we ended up on the floor, me on my back her likely atop me with my face about as red as a ripe tomato. She'd probably gotten her kiss though from a terribly shocked me, I wasn't entirely present for a few moments after that as my mind tried to gather what had just happened here and what I could've done differently or had done wrong. Didn't hear what she'd just said. But out of my mouth simply came what would be expected of me in this situation, or perhaps unexpected depending on what you were used to.
“You realize that's entirely unacceptable behavior, yes? Even less acceptable when you've only just met someone knowing nothing of their preferences. I wouldn't doubt if the headgirl had been just as surprised as I am.”
I didn't sound condescending at any rate, I just sounded a tad uncomfortable and well a bit anxious, I'd hope rightfully so, never exactly expected to be kissed by another woman, let alone one that I'd only just met, it probably didn't help that it was only the second kiss I'd ever received.

"O-Ow..." Vanessa rubbed the back of her head as the girls tumbled to the ground. She had landed on Laele, straddling the girl. She avoided her friend's gaze. "She anticipated it, apparently. Had guards come in and take me away before anything could happen. Look, Laele. I know that it wasn't the right thing to do. But, ever since I arrived on this island, I've changed." She pressed her hands against the girl's shoulders and leaned forward, pushing her cleavage into Laele's face. "I try to be a proper girl, but something inside me has changed. It makes me feel really weird." The knight began to lean a bit more of her weight on Laele, allowing the dark-haired girl to feel the softness of her body. Her arms wrapped around Laele's head, nearly suffocating her with the knight's breasts. "I'm a tainted girl. Do you think less of me because of it?"

She began to gently rock her body against the female. "I'm so ashamed... we've only just met and you're seeing an indecent side of me..." Her cheeks flushed red.