"Sounds like you are trying to find a reason to keep using magic," Vera stated, "Is it that important to you? Why is it important to you? What has it done for you beyond get you in trouble, hmm?"

"I am certain there are things you have not tried. And there is no such thing as a student I cannot find," Vera continued, "But, I think there is more you are not telling me. If you provide me with a general description and an age, I can take it from there."

Nell was struggling to maintain the lies. Lies beget more lies unfortunately. Vera knew what the student was doing but this had gone on long enough. She knew the student was fearful of admitting to monster attacks again. The problem is not that though. It is the fact this woman would not accept that this was all in her head. Anything related to the mind immediately puts this one on defensive. Nell was going to have face this one way or another.

"I never said they were students, Ms. Matsumoto." Nell saw the trap for what it was and didn't take the bait. Vera was trying to pressure her into talking about monsters but, after the Head Girl's response to topic of magic, Nell wasn't about to trust her again. She figured this was a test of her resolve. If she could keep mum about the monsters then the school would have no cause to silence her again. She side stepped the question as best she could. "Anyway, it doesn't signify. I didn't come here to talk to you about them. I can fight my own battles."

"You asked about my magic and why I would want to keep my powers if there was a risk they might hurt me. The truth is, I've always wanted to have magic. It might seem foolish to you but I was raised on stories of magical lands and adventure but then I grew up and had to face the reality of living in a world where everyone had given up on the idea of magic. It was a thing of make believe. I believed that for a while too but then I came here and found out that there were things that defied imagination. Magic was real. It was less romantic than the stories made it out to be but I wouldn't give it up. Couldn't give it up, really. It's the only thing that makes all the pain I've been through worth it." She grew more distant as she spoke. She was sure someone not in the know would look at her and think she was crazy after a speech like that. She sighed and looked at her watch as an excuse. "That was all I really wanted to say. That and to get your advice, which you have kindly given. Thank you, Ms. Matsumoto, for your time." She stood up at though to leave, bowing to the Head Girl before continuing. "I'll keep want you've said in mind. I'll even consider seeing the school councilor as you suggested but now I really should be taking my leave. It's getting late and I have homework yet to do."

She turned to go, hoping she had said all the right things to satisfy the Head Girl that she was collected enough to let her leave. She had said she would have to remain here until she was less distraught. Hopefully, she just meant calm. If she meant less distraught "mentally" then she might be here all night trying to meet the Head Girl's definition of "sanity". It was why she had thrown in the bit about considering seeing a councilor. She might even go, if only because the Head Girl was bound to check up on her after this. This whole interview had been a disaster. She'd effectively put herself back on the school's radar which meant she would have to be extra careful from here on and not given them any further reason to label her a risk.

"Sit..."

Vera's tone was firm, unyielding. "I will not repeat myself, Ms. Apton," she stated, "You came here seeking my help and now you are finding every excuse to leave. So let me state this... If you were violating any rules, I would have informed you of that and proceeded with an appropriate means of correction. The only violation so far, beyond what may be in your records, is lying to a Head Girl."

"I tolerated your fabrications in hopes that you would at least calm down. But, it seems you rely on such things like a crutch, clinging to it in order to avoid reality. I am rather surprised that you would resort to lying in hopes that I teach you more about your abilities. That is why you came is it not? Will you lie to every person you think has an aura or whatever you call it? Is that your plan, tricking someone into helping you? It is not late and failing to resolve these matters will only cause you further issues in the future. Your homework can wait and I can provide an excuse to your professors if necessary."

"Now, stop wasting both our times and start from the beginning. The door is shut behind you. No one else is here. Just you and me. If you prefer, I can even turn off my computer if that concerns you. But if you continue to play games with me, I will be most displeased. If you wish to avoid seeing a shrink or similar, you best start telling the truth and listening to every word I tell you very carefully. Do I make myself clear?"

Vera was tired of this and now sought to deal with the matter here and now. Nell could be glad it was just a Head Girl and not the staff this time around.

Nell spun back around at this to glare indignantly at the Head Girl. "No, Ms. Matsumoto, you are not making yourself clear at all." For the first time, she didn't not immediately obey the other woman's command by sitting down. Instead, she strode back to the desk and shot back hotly, "You are being deliberately obtuse and its frustrating as hell. You call me liar but I haven't said a single untrue statement. Even if I am crazy and all this is just in my head then it's still true to me. What's more I have given you no cause for this show of distrust. I have shown you nothing but respect since I entered your office. I have asked for nothing from you but advice. And yet you are interrogating me and accusing me of lying in an attempt to gain favors from you." She straightened her back, offended to the core by this especially. Should haven't told Vera the whole story but she had never lied and she certainly wasn't trying to manipulate the woman. "If I wanted someone to teach me, which I don't, I am certain there are other girls at this school who would have been such safer people to ask than the most notoriously scary Head Girl on campus."

"I came to you for advice, just like I said, and I was hoping that because you were a student as well that you might actually know where I was coming from. I thought you might be an ally, if not in helping me fend off my demons then at least in being someone I could confide in. I have only given you a portion of my story, hoping that you could read between the lines and give me some clue that you understood and could be trusted with the rest of it. Instead, you have given me every indication that you are untrustworthy and antagonistic towards my concerns. Even if you believed that I was being irrational and paranoid you have done nothing to put me at ease or encourage me to confide in you. You cannot bully me into trusting you, Ms. Matsumoto. That's not how trust works." She sat down in a huff, having said her piece at last. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared daggers at the other woman. "Now, you think I'm lying. I know I'm not so, pray tell, what parts of my story are you finding particularly hard to swallow?"

"Think you are lying? No, Ms. Apton. I know you are lying and so do you," Vera stated, "The fact you claim you are not is very disappointing and no progress will be made until you understand that simple fact. The lie I am referring to is your so called bullies. As Head Girl, I must take matters such as bullies very seriously. When I ask for more information, you struggle to find an answer then claim they are not students. If they are staff, the question still applies. If there are people preying on other students, I need to know more if I am to prevent it from happening. The fact you avoid the question only tells me you are hiding something, therefore lying. No, this is not you giving me part of the story and expecting me to read between the lines. This is giving me false information and expecting me to be able to help you with incorrect data."

"Even if your portion of story was correct, there is zero reason to withhold information. You do not go to someone for help or advice and tell them nothing about your problems. That helps no one, yourself included. Your outburst was also very unnecessary. I have already stated that I have no intention of turning you in unless it is absolutely necessary. The least you can do is try to return that promise with real information. You calling me obtuse is from your own doing, not mine. So tell me or I will be forced to look into your record and gather the info myself. I am certain you would trust your own words better than the school's."

"This aura you sense, have you sensed it in anyone else besides me? If this is something very rare to find, you may want to put more effort in staying in this room instead of fleeing because you do not agree with all my questions and statements."

She shot Vera an ugly look. "That is still not a lie, Ms. Matsumoto. It's an omission, which is not the same thing. But if you are so determined to hear it then I'll tell you, even though I'm sure you won't believe me." It was too exhausting continuing to beat around the bush about it any longer and Vera couldn't call her a liar anymore if she just came clean. She was likely too deep in it now to avoid trouble with the school. Being focused to see the school shrink was better than detention at any rate, as long as they didn't commit her again. She sighed heavily. "The bullies aren't staff either, or at least I don't think that they are, though I have no idea why they are here otherwise. They... uh... aren't human... I know how that sounds but they aren't. Some of them have confessed to be aliens and others say that they are demons. They are monsters in any case. I don't know how many there are here or why or anything. I know I'm not the only student who has been attacked though. I can give you the names of the ones I know but I don't know what good that will do you..." She looked away, unable to face Vera anymore, certain the woman's next words to her would be crushing. "I'm sure you don't believe me in any case. Go on, tell me how it's all in my head. How I really need to seek counseling, maybe get put on anti-psychotics..." Nell tucked her legs up underneath her and crossed her arms to hug herself, remembering how her last interview like this had gone. She held back the tears welling her eyes. Why had she expected this meeting to go any different than the rest of them?

Nell really had no leg to stand on when it came to honesty. Those were not bullies either. The fact still remains that Nell was not telling Vera everything. But, Vera had grown tired of this woman's poor behavior. For someone who desperately needed help, all this student wanted to hear was what she wanted to hear rather than what she needed to hear. Nell failed all of Vera's tests and now it was time to end this meeting.

"Ms. Apton," Vera began, "Close your eyes. Do not speak. For once in your life, listen and obey for I will only tell you this once. Interrupt or disobey and I am sending you out that door."

Vera waited for Nell to make her choice. If she closed her eyes, the Head Girl could continue. "Take slow deep breaths. In and out. In and out. With your eyes closed, just listen to what is happening around you. Hear my voice. Hear your own breathing and your heart beating. Hear the air itself caressing by your ears."

The Head Girl left Nell with that for several moments, hearing nothing but the world around her. "Now, start tuning out the sounds around you, one by one. Take your time omitting everything until there is nothing but my voice and the air around you."

"Now listen," Vera stated, "Do you hear something else? If you do, focus on that sound until you feel you have a grasp of it. Now open your eyes."

If Nell had enough discipline to obey every command and endeavor to perform her best, there was a small possibility that the student would open her eyes and see something extraordinary. Brilliantly colorful threads would be weaving through the air, through the desk and every object, even Vera's own body held countless threads flowing throughout her. Nell would see similar in her own body though the shock of the sight so far may be all it took to break her focus and return her vision to normal.

Whether a shocked expression came from Nell's face or aura or not at all did not change what happened next though. "Seems we have run out of time. You staying any longer will not help anyone. You are dismissed, Ms. Apton. Do close the door behind you when you leave." What Vera taught was not charity or kindness. It was giving the student a small taste of what Vera may know and now lost access to. An apprentice who could not listen and obey was useless and had no hope of ever learning anything. Unfortunately, this student will have to learn that the hard way. Nell now had to a find a way to get back into Vera's good graces or find another potential that could teach so much in a single lesson.

Nell turned back to Vera, a little surprised that the woman hadn't displayed a normal reaction to her confession. In fact, she hadn't responded at all. She hadn't dismissed her as a crazy person nor did she confess to believing in monsters too. Instead she simply launched into yoga instructor mode, or at least that's what it sounded like. She instructed her to close her eyes and focus on her own breathing and Vera's voice.

Nell was too emotionally drained to resist anymore so she closed her eyes and did as Vera instructed. When the head girl finally told her to open her eyes again she did so and was stuck dumb by the vision that greeted her. The mundane world was overlaid with webs of the most brilliant indescribable colors. She stared in wide eyed amazement at the radiant auras woven around them. Woven into them. "What is..." She started but the vision snapped at the sound of her voice and vanished, making her want to cry out in dismay.

Vera began speaking again and Nell's gaze shot back to the head girl when she realized that the woman was dismissing her now. With no further explanation. Nell saw the dismissal for the cut that it was. Vera had effectively proven to her that she understood about all her magic babbling but would not explain it to her. Nell was completely baffled. Why had Vera not just said she believed her from the beginning? Had she been testing her too? If she was then it was clear Nell had failed. That thought rankled. She blushed out of shame and stood up and gave the head girl a deep bow. "Forgive me, Ms. Matsumoto. I have apparently misjudged you. I am clearly bad at asking for help and even worse at recognizing it when it is offered. You were not wrong when you called me overly paranoid. I have been isolated in my struggles and lied to so often that I find trusting others to be difficult. I will leave now if you wish but I do hope you believe me when I say that I am genuinely sorry for my behavior here today. I assure you, I am better than this. I hope you will give me an opportunity to prove that to you someday."

Of course Nell sang a different tune when she realized that she could learn so much more from Vera. But, that was the problem. Nell was completely disobedient, rebellious, and refused to listen to any advice the Head Girl had. It mattered little in the end as Nell's fate was sealed much like all students. Still, providing some amount of comfort is possible for those who learn to obey.

Vera said nothing and let the student leave. The excuses were poor when it was Nell who came to the Head Girl in the first place. Who goes to get help then refuses to cooperate? The student claims she is better than this. Only time would tell if Nell would truly change or not. Would she listen to all that Vera had to say or dismiss all except for what the student wanted to hear?

No repercussions occurred in any case. Nell could return to her regular student responsibilities assuming no further rules were violated. Vera would not hunt Nell down. She already did all that could be done and it would be up to Nell to correct matters on her own.

Nell nodded and left the office. She felt a little dejected. She couldn't call the interview a success. She had been forced to reveal many of her secrets and had gonna little in return. The school's knowledge/involvement in the monster attacks was still a mystery. Vera had pushed her extra hard to get her to admit that monsters had been the bullies she was hinting to but she had said nothing about them after she had finally confided in her. She had given her the barest scrap of evidence that she could really do magic, an impressive though ultimately useless spell, and turned her away. Nell was on her own again it seemed.

She walked back to her dorm wondering what she could have done differently. She'd gone in prepared to talk but her own fear had gotten in her way. She felt her fear was completely justifiable considering what she had been through. She might be paranoid but she had reason to be. Still, she was letting it isolate her and that was not helpful. She decided in the end that maybe she should take Vera's advice and go see the counselor. That meeting had not gone quite so badly, she hadn't pushed her so much right off the bat. She did try to prescribe something but Nell had calmly refused, confessing that she feared the side effects of taking medication. The counselor had agreed not to force her but had insisted on weekly meeting instead.

In the meantime, Nell practiced the spell Vera had taught her. It's effectiveness varied but it gave her some idea of where the magical hot spots on campus were. She made a point of avoiding places that seemed to have negative magical auras or tried to. It was hard when she didn't know what any of the colors meant. She checked some books on auras out of the library and took them to the common room to read. Normally she would do this sort of research privately but she decided if she wanted to test her skills then she needed to be around people and the common room seemed safer than the library was.

Nell did not make much progress with figuring out what the spell was. The problem most likely was due to the fact that Vera did not teach a spell at all so what little knowledge the student thought she knew did not follow with what she was doing. Unfortunately, getting more information would mean seeking the Head Girl again.

The counselor did make not that Nell would not take medication. The conversations allowed Nell to talk about her experiences. The staff member explained that this island was unique to its isolation and lack of male students. No other school has done this especially to this extreme level of isolation. This can lead to unpredictable psychological situations and the lack of sexual interaction can result in very vivid sexual fantasies or even nightmares. The woman who spoke to Nell never raised her voice. Being in the room with the counselor and just being able to speak about anything was oddly soothing. There was always soft music playing, never loud enough to be distracting that seemed to help calm her nerves and make her much more open to the woman.

The library did not have any reliable books on magic or auras. It was just the usual theories or scams put together to try and sell more copies. If Vera knew more about magic, how and where did she learn about it?

After two weeks of this, Nell started to wonder if she had made the right decision in going to the counselor. She made her feel more relaxed but her explanation for Nell's experiences was total BS. It was hard to fully trust someone when they were lying to you. She wondered if that was Vera's point all along. She hadn't technically been lying during their meeting but she had been intentionally vague and left much out of her tale out of fear. How could she expect Vera to be forthcoming with her experiences if Nell was holding back her own?

She resolved to try again with the Head Girl. She wanted a real ally at this school but she to do that she was going to have to let her guards down. She'd already give up her biggest secrets anyway and Vera hadn't called the school down on her head. Maybe it was time to take a chance and go all in.

She waited until a day when she had a lighter class load to go back to the Tower. She hadn't been attacked in two weeks but she still didn't want to risk being out after dark. She knocked on Vera's door a little after 2pm, when her last class had ended. She waited to be invited in but once inside she wasted no time. "Good Afternoon, Ms. Matsumoto." She said with a respectful bow before continuing. "Do you have a moment to meet with me? I know our last meeting did not end well but I have reflected on my behavior and I think I understand now what you were trying to communicate but that I was too stubborn to hear. I came to her asking for help but I was not being honest with you or with myself. Might I try this again?"

Vera's office hours were still going when Nell arrived. She was called into the nice and well kept suite. Vera said nothing as the student approached. This girl actually came back. Of course, that was not all Nell had done. The Head Girl was well aware of the visits to the counselor. Nell still refuses any medication and is most likely resisting treatment. But, it was enough of a start to warrant letting this woman approach the Head Girl's desk.

"Sit," Vera ordered, "You may begin when you are ready, Ms. Apton." It was as simple as that, straight to business. Vera wanted to get this going to see whether or not this student was truly wasting her time or not. She was not in the mood of going through another round like before. Repeating herself and wasting time were her pet peeves and this girl could potential be the cause of both if she was not careful.

"Thank you." She answered, genuinely relieved that Vera had invited her to sit rather than turning her away on the spot. She came forward and sat down as instructed. She was not as hesitant this time around but came right out with it. "I do want you to teach me magic, Ms. Matsumoto. But I'm not asking you to... Mostly because that would be rude and presumptuous of me. If you decide at some point to offer to teach me then I promise to be a diligent student but again, I understand if you chose not to. Still, I thought I should admit it is a desire of mine and a part of my motive for approaching you. I wasn't be honest with myself about that desire when I was last here so I couldn't be honest with you about it."

She paused to take a breath and glance up at Vera to make sure she had no objections to anything that she said before continuing. "Secondly, I do still believe I and other student at this school are being targeted by monsters. I have started talking to the school counselor about this, as you recommended. She gave me an explanation for seeing these things but I don't believe it..." Not yet at least, she was a little afraid if she kept going to her meetings and hearing the same thing in that calming room week after week she might start to believe it. She frowned down at her lap thinking about it. "I don't want to believe it. They think it's all in my head and that I'm torturing myself but I wouldn't do that... Even in my wildest dreams. I wouldn't do the things those creatures have done to me."

She lifted her head suddenly to meet Vera's eyes. She tried not to sound defiant as she added. "I am telling you this for the sake of honesty, Ms. Matsumoto. I am not asking you to believe me. It would be nice if someone on staff actually believed me but I am not expecting it. What I really want from you is help with the magic stuff. If you don't want to outright teach me magic, that's okay? I'd just hoped you would advise me... Maybe suggest some books I could read. I don't have any friends here, Ms. Matsumoto. I started making some at first but it became... too dangerous. They would get targeted with me, because of me or to be used against me. You, I think, wouldn't be in as much danger of that. I'm not sure if you would find being friends with me appropriate given your position but I hoped you might become a mentor and an ally at least. If you didn't have any objections to that, of course. It's completely up to you. I know I got off on the wrong foot with you before so maybe it's too late for all this but still... I thought it couldn't hurt to ask."

"You claim no one believes you when the school does recognize your issues, Ms. Apton," Vera replied, "It is you who refuses to believe anyone else. It would be nice if you actually listened and believed what you are told by paid professionals such as the counselor you are seeing. But if that is not enough, do a cost/risk analysis of your options."

"You could listen to the counselor and try her methods of treatment," the Head Girl continued, "The possible benefits are it improves your current issues and in turn makes you more comfortable with this school and the students here. The worst case scenario is the treatment does not work but even that has a benefit in allowing the counselor to move onto other methods of treatment. Your refusal to actively work with those you seek help from is stalling you and leaving you completely incapable of interacting with others."

"Your lack of conviction shows even with your desire to learn magic. You claim to finally find someone that can help you and you are so willing to discard it at the first sign of resistance. You claim you have this power but what if you did not? What would you be willing to do if you learned that someone can teach you something as unique and fantastic as magic that you thought were only in fairy tales? And if you had such knowledge yourself, how important would that knowledge be to you? Would you just give it to all who ask, diluting the unique aspect of such a gift or risk giving it to someone undeserving?"