He couldn't reply to that... rather, he shouldn't. 'Clear' was another word for it... and there was no need to linger. If one were thinking of 'winning' and 'losing', surely the argument could be made for her 'success'...

But it wasn't about that... or was it?


It was a delicate balance he was trying to play. And of course, he did it by thrashing it entirely into a terrible mess... and then sorting out the pieces.

What Vera thought of... her impressions of herself, of him, and of the 'relation' between them was important. An unspoken set of rules that would have to form... and therein was the problem. He couldn't act without them, not in full...

But she had begun to ignore them. And when one ignored the rules, and the other used them... the former could be the one at disadvantage.


'Dangerous, Vera, dangerous. You could still change my direction... so are you just suspicious, or is it your pride? Or... did you even notice? For either of those reasons...' The thought lurked in the back of his mind as he began to step out the door.

Then, he stopped. "I will, Vera. I hope you will as well... I'll leave you your payment for your help. I don't have it here, and it'd be best to give it before I return... else the flavor will be spoiled."

A peculiar smile, and he steps out. And then, silence... for now, Vera was actually alone.




It would be the next day when she found it, left there when she returns from her classes. A meal-cart, sitting outside her door. It was a simple enough thing, with two large trays covered in metal domes. A meal... not meant to be romantic, just tasty and pleasant... a few steps above in quality from the food she usually has.

A pair of well-cooked crabs, butter mixed with a touch of garlic. A leg and thigh of chicken, carefully cooked until its skin was slightly crispy. A bowl of white rice, touched with spices, still steaming. A mixture of vegetables, touched with melted cheese. A bowl of cut fruits... mostly, strawberries, watermelon, and blueberries. And a covered glass of red wine.

Quite the meal. If she believes it can be touched without adverse effects. There was also a sealed pack of playing cards, as if to tell her just who it was who left her with this meal...

When the monster finally left and closed the door behind him, Vera sighed and leaned back in her chair. She could already feel the stress leaving her body, leaving her weary and rather drained. Dealing with monsters that could potentially rape her or worse had that effect on the Head Girl. It was over for now but she would most likely end up dealing with that one in the future. Unfortunately she doubts the next encounters will be social visits. Left alone for the rest of the night, the Head Girl finished what work she could before finally cleaning and calling it a night. Exhausted from the day's events, sleep welcomed Vera the moment her head touched her pillow.

The next day went as usual. She tutored a few students and made notes of demerits to assign for minor uniform infractions. Besides that the day was quiet and her classes were uneventful. It was not until she returned to her suite in the tower did she notice any changes to her routine. A meal-cart was waiting for her outside the door. She had no scheduled punishments with students so this was not one of her 'servants'. Cala had no reason to use a cart as she could cook the meals in her kitchen. Moving closer, her eyes fell to a deck of cards still sealed in plastic wrapping. Was this the payment the monster was refering to?

Vera unlocked her door and rolled the cart into her room. She took a moment to put her books away before rolling the cart beside her dinner table. Lifting the metal dome, she found a well cooked dinner waiting for her. Many of the dishes she saw were things that could not be easily found on the island or at least not without a rather special order. Two crabs, some chicken, rice, and more, this was more food than a woman could handle. The smell was welcoming and she was rather hungry. Lifting the other covering, she found various fruits and a glass of wine.

There was some concern on whether this was part of the game the monster mentioned. It could be a trap but there was no real need to go through such lengths to capture her when the monster himself could do it just as easily physically. Even if it were a trap, she could not exactly refuse the payment as that would more than likely attract the monster as well. Well if she is to be dragged into this game, she might as well go with a full stomach.

Vera carefully moved a few of the warm plates over to the table and began to have herself a meal. She took bits of everything though she did take more of the crab due to its rarity. The Head Girl lightly sipped her wine as she had her dinner alone. Poison or not, she could safely say the food was delicious at least.

Whatever it was, it WAS tasty. The foot was well-cooked, and had mostly held up well waiting for her to arrive. It wasn't perfect... but after a long day with school and other responsibilities... it hit the spot.

The deck of cards was an ominous indicator though... of where the meal had come from. Was this a trap? Some ploy? A part of this stupid game of his? She couldn't say... but she dove right in anyway. There was no point in avoiding it... she just had a tasty dinner, a rare treat on this island even for a Head Girl.

There was too much to eat. She had to leave some for later, or store it. Not that she couldn't... that night, she would have time to polish some more off... and do her own things, and wait. Surely, with that presence of that cart, he would be back.

Except... he did not show. Hours and hours would pass... and he did not make his presence known. Was he waiting for her to lower her guard? Was he watching her, spying on her? Lurking in the closet, under the bed? She had no indication... besides the food, besides the deck of cards, that he was having anything to do with her.

That night, she would sleep. Whether it was peacefully, or uneasily, she would be able to sleep uninterrupted. At least, from he.



More days would pass. Ticking by, leaving her wondering, perhaps. Or letting her file away her thoughts and push it to the back of her mind like it didn't matter.

Until a week had gone by. A week after his appearance in her room, upon her return that day... she found something else sitting outside of her door. Gently, leaning against the door, was a 'Joker' card... a card from another playing-card deck was sitting there, waiting for. It was leaning up against the base of the door, facing outwards as if on watch... or to greet her back to her room that eve...

Unable to finish off all the foor provided, Vera returned shortly with plastic wrap and some containers to store the food in. There was so much of it. Her fridge was full when she was finally done putting it all away. At least she will not have to worry about making any dinner in the future.

Looking around, the Head Girl did half expect the monster to arrive to either pick up the cart or to have another chat with her about the payment. Oddly enough, he did not take the chance to appear and flaunt his culinary skills to her. Perhaps it was a good thing he did not come back, she did not know. Vera put the deck of cards on the table before rolling the empty cart outside her door and locking it. If he will not pick it up, someone else will eventually.

With the payment supposedly paid, she heard or saw nothing else of the creature for several days. Her days were uneventful. Despite there being classes during the summer, she still had her duties to perform. But there were few visitors of student or monster for her to attend to. So her days went through their basic routines. The Head Girl dealt with some students and those who were risking academic probation due to a sudden drop of grades. Her Prefect had nothing to report. People were just enjoying what they could of their summer.

Vera returned from a day like any other only to be greeted by a small playing propped against her door. It was easy enough to spot from a distance and she sighed softly as she bent over ot pick it up. What did it mean? Well a joker was a wild card, it could mean anything really. But more than likely it meant more trouble for her. Was the monster waiting for her inside this time? There was no point in delaying it further. With the card in hand, Vera opened the door to see what was waiting for her.