Somewhere in this direction… was it? Vikky was somewhat unsure. In any case… the… penthouse, was it? Vikky was making her way up the stairs to reach that top-the-world destination of an office. She was currently making her way, completely unannounced, up to the office of a Head Girl. Vikky had never before quite met with a Head Girl like this, mostly she had simply avoided them much the same way as many other students of the school. Though, in Vikky’s case that was more of a case of following the flow rather than having a particular reason. That was simply how it went. She had heard that this particular one had an open-door policy, which made the choice of which Head Girl to visit easy.

… Vikky hadn’t really bothered to try to visit earlier by several reasons. Mostly, she had been infected by the student-wide fear of visiting these high places. There were other reasons too, like that the issue hadn’t seemed all that important at the time. But… things had occurred. Things that had hardened Vikky's resolve to proceed with this. As such, Vikky continued her steady march up the stair, despite the nervousness that bit her.

Assuming she didn’t run into any other strange obstructions which she was unaware of existing, Vikky would slowly but surely make her way upwards until she reached a door or similar which led to the person she was looking for. There she’d stop to take a deep little breath, and then knocked on the door (or in the case the door was literally open, beside the door without standing visible) which led to the penthouse office of Head Girl Vera Matsumoto…

… or would that be Matsumoto Vera? The name sounded Japanese, but uh… Wait, was maybe Matsumoto the first name? Or was Vera… Ergh… Vikky didn’t know, so she’d just… uh… go with whatever occurred to her if she got in there. … If she got in there.

Always working, Vera was spending most of her time typing reports and reading up on the demerits her Prefects or herself have found. Being high up in the tower and with most of the other Head Girls away on various tasks and duties given by the Headmasters, she was rather secluded here. She kept an open door policy but visits by anyone besides her Prefects and her servants and slaves were rather few. That just meant more time to catch up on other work that was always piled on her. It was alot of hard work but the reward far outweighed the price in her opinion.

The silver haired woman looked up from her work upon hearing a soft knock at her door. "Come in," she called. The visiting student would find the door was unlocked. As expected of a suite, the room was large and she could clearly see the desk and the Head Girl sitting at it. There were doors off to either side that most likely led to things like the bedroom and bathroom. Further behind the desk led to a large living area with lavish furnishing and even a nice large flat screen television. The living conditions of a Head Girl certainly outclass anything an ordinary student would have in their own dorm room.

The Head Girl regarded the student calmly as she took her in. The woman looked young and had a rather petite though well developed body. This was perhaps a newer student though it was possible to be mistaken about that. Further searching through the woman's records would reveal more but for now it was unnecessary. "Good afternoon, please have a seat Miss. Would you like something to drink?" she greeted the woman with a soft voice. If Vikky did want something to drink, Vera would get up to get it from the kitchen before continuing. Otherwise, she would remain seated while she waited for the student to find her a chair to sit in. "What can I do for you?" she asked, folding her fingers infront of her on the desk.

Come in, huh. That was a clear enough indication that Vikky had come to the right place. Acknowledging her own nervousness, she took a deep breath… “Gee… Here I go.” … and entered with as determined steps as she could manage.

… Wow. Classy. This place was far beyond what normal students were allowed. And this was only one of the rooms? Vikky couldn’t really help but have her head turn to look at the contents of the room and imagine what could lie beyond. Wow… Head Girls truly were allowed quite the privileges. It did come at a cost, Vikky supposed, but what cost was that, really? To oversee all the students, simply? … More than that. In any case, for now Vikky walked slightly nervously over to the desk where the Head Girl was sitting…

“Um. Yes, I’d like a glass of water.” … And… the Head Girl actually went to get one for her? Wow. Vikky hadn’t really expected that. Did she somehow forget they were human too? Vera appeared to be a… rather pretty woman, with long silver hair. Vikky still considered herself a “girl”, but Vera felt more like a young woman to her. And for the moment, she seemed kind. So… was the fear merely the fear for people in power? Vikky didn’t know what to assume as she sat down, slightly tense. So, soon enough they were both sitting down, Vikky with a glass of water in hand, as she turned to the Head Girl to address the matter at hand…

“I’m Vikky Nyberg, and, um.” She stumbled a little on her words. “I, when I came to this school by plane I brought with me a baseball bat. It is… precious to me, holds a lot of personal value. But, uhm, it was taken away from me. I came here to ask if there was any way I could get it back…?” Vikky asked, not quite sure if Vera was the one to ask and as such tried phrasing it so it could both be a request and a… question for guidance.

Many aura flickered about Vikky as she looked about the room and accepted Vera's offer. The woman was nervous, perhaps even afraid while emotions of shock and awe flashed at the sight of the suite and the Head Girl's polite gesture. The silver haired woman was certainly human though some students may consider otherwise. The water helped calm the student down as they both took a seat. The young woman introduced herself and quickly moved on to her issue.

It was rare for students to take advantage of Vera's open door policy so the amount of questions and issues were rather limited. Most sought to climb the latter here while others sought help with academic matters. She had trouble recalling when a student asked for a confiscated item back. The Head Girl could think of maybe one student and it was not for something as simple as a baseball bat.

"My apologies, Miss Nyberg," Vera replied, "There is nothing I can do on such a matter but inform you that any belongings that were confiscated were done so for a reason and they are kept safe. After you graduate and leave the island, such belongings will be returned to you." The last part was not true but it was a lie to hopefully bring some comfort. When this student graduates, baseball bats would be the last thing on her mind. "Baseball bats are considered a possible weapon and are therefore not allowed on campus. I understand it is important to you but know it is kept safe and there is no need to worry about it any further. You can check out a bat from the gym to use for practice for class or your free time. Are there any other questions, Miss Nyberg?"

Oh. Right. Vikky forced herself to calm down and drink a few sips of the water. Of course. There were those reasons. Those reasons that made her not seek her bat earlier, but now… things had changed. Those reasons didn’t hold Vikky back anymore. She knew what she was about to do could possibly lead to... but it didn't matter anymore. Fueled once again with the determination… and slight bit of anger… which she had felt when the bat had been taken away from her, Vikky locked her eyes at the Head Girl and decided to risk it.

“That sounds weird. I can’t get my own bat, but I can check out a bat from the gym anytime I want? Who says I’m not going to use it to kill someone? Or how about the knives in the kitchen? Or the frying pans, they can probably be used as blunt weapons too. Or how about my hairpin? I can stab someone’s eye with it. Or I could take off my clothes and strangle someone with them. I could.” The nervousness hadn’t been entirely wiped from her tone, and her voice had said all that slightly quiet too. But… her stance was set, and it was too late to take it back. Vikky’s hands pressed slightly harder than needed on the glass of water in her hand, as if she was trying to draw courage from it. It… was almost working.

"There is nothing weird about it, Miss Nyberg," she replied cooly, "You can check out bats from the gym but they are not allowed outside the batting area without permission. If you are found carrying any weapon such as a kitchen knife or baseball bat outside their designed area, they will be confiscated and proper measures will be taken so such events do not repeat themselves again. I do not make the rules, I merely enforce them. With your sudden desire to make violence with any and all objects available to you, I will do everything in my power to ensure you do not harm yourself or the students of this school. That includes stripping away your clothes that you intend to strangle others with and leaving you in the basement until you learn to not make childish arguments. Do I make myself clear, Miss Nyberg?"

It was a stupid argument and not appropriate for someone who is supposed to be an adult in college. There are laws that limit, restrict, and forbid the use of firearms because of the harm they can do to people. From Vikky's proposed viewpoint, there should be laws on pencils and cloth because of their potential to cause harm as well. The argument would be thrown out of any court or government as ridiculous (not that would stop politicians from trying to make such drastic and unreasonable claims).

Vera's tone had grown colder as her eyes narrowed. She did not appreciate this attempt at arguing with her. It was not thought out at all and this is just a matter of Vikky hoping she would make the student an exception for the rules, not that she had the power to do so in the first place. "Now, are you willing to continue this discussion like a mature adult or shall I have you remove your hairpin and clothes in order to ensure my own safety, Miss Nyberg?" With a tone as serious as Vera's, was she actually willing to take things that far?

... OK, Vikky admitted internally that her suggestion was rather... silly. But…

“… No. Please don’t. I was… exaggerating. I was merely making an example that if I wanted to hurt someone with it I had plenty of ways to do so.” Alright, now to resist childish urges… Vikky blinked in slight hesitation. OK, then she needed to try another angle. “If I am allowed a bat at the batting area, why can’t I have my bat? I don’t even intend to use it as a bat anymore. If I could, I’d keep it locked within my room, where only I could have it. I could nail it to the wall, or something else that would make me unable to wield it… Can’t I at least have it in the gym, somehow?”

She was desperate. Otherwise she wouldn’t have been here in the first place. While her attempts to lurk by the rules one way or another was… feeble, at best, but she needed to try it. Try it until all other options were exhausted. And that… was yet to come. The cooler tone of the Head Girl was... frightening. But Vikky had expected it, so she didn’t shy away.

"Are you threatening me, Miss Nyberg?" Vera countered, "Please remove your hairpin and put it on my desk. If you continue speaking of doing violent acts, I will have your clothes removed as well." She knew Vikky did not mean it that way but, it was an unnecessary comment that certainly did not shed the petite student in a favorable light. The very minor punishment would serve as a reminder to watch her tongue as this conversation continues.

"You do not intend to use it as a bat anymore?" she repeated, "The bat is in storage along with all other items and belongings. It is safe. There is no need to worry yourself about it. Now, you are telling me you are want this bat in your room and to put nails in it. You want to mutilate your own precious item? Not only are you making me repeat myself, Miss Nyberg, but you have also lied to me about how important this bat is to you. Both of those things are very quick ways to get on my bad side. So is this bat important to you or not and tell me why you need it near you. If you lie to me again, I will assume you are trying to hide violent ideas from me and will act accordingly. I suggest you think very hard on how you answer, Miss Nyberg. The rules do not make exceptions for anyone. I have already given you very clear answers and reasons. You can plea to the staff but they will say much the same things. What you are doing now is childish and wasting both our time."

Vikky opened her mouth to retort, but caught herself in the act. It wouldn’t help anything. She took the time to reach up, take her hairpin out of her hair and put it on the desk. There were plenty of replacements for it, anyway. Her comment about nailing the bat had been taken the wrong way. Vikky sat silent, waiting for the Head Girl to stop talking. She was already considering what to say next. Silence was held in the room, where Vikky was merely looking at Vera, not quite discouraged from her reckless attempt. Alright… now to explain herself.

“… The bat was a gift from my boyfriend. He’s still waiting for me to come back. Until then, that bat is the only thing that I have that links him and me. I don’t care if I have to nail it to the wall to ensure safety. I am prepared to take steps to somehow retrieve it. It isn’t as a bat that I treasure it. It is a…” What’s the term…? “… a precious artifact of mine. A memory. I wish to get it back, and I’m willing to make sacrifices to do so. Any it takes to get it back to my room. Or to my hands. Anywhere.” Silently hoping she hadn’t made any other lethal slips in words which she hadn’t considered were bad to say, Vikky lifted the glass of water and drank a little, merely to be occupied with doing something. It… calmed her somewhat…

"I have already told you, Miss Nyberg," Vera replied, "Its safety is ensured. If you truly want to get your bat back, focus on finishing your degree and graduate. It is as simple as that. Your boyfriend is patiently awaiting your return. I doubt he is out threatening Shokushu staff and recruiters demanding your return before you have finished your education. I also doubt he would want you to do such drastic things for a gift. He wants you back, not the bat and what you are doing right now is going the against that."

"I believe I have made the rules very clear and you have said many dangerous words, Miss Nyberg," she continued, "I can assure you. The staff here take these rules very seriously and always keep track of their inventory. If something were to go missing, they would know and would find out who broke in and took it. If they find you were involved in such acts, your stay here will become much... much longer. You do not want that, correct? You wish to finish up here as quickly as possible to have your bat returned through the correct channels and be back in your boyfriends arms with a clean record?" The Head Girl was already growing weary of saying no multiple times. She already stated she hated repeating herself as it meant the student was not listening and was wasting her time. If this one continued to waste her time, she would make her pay it back with interest.

That... that was true. If she could, she’d much rather return to Vilmer faster. So punishment on this island meant having to stay here longer? That… that was a very effective threat against Vikky. However… where Vikky currently had a clean record, the school sure didn’t. Vera was currently using part of the logic that had made Vikky not seek her bat until now. But… that didn’t apply anymore. Because that logic was assuming she would get back home in one piece. Which… which was starting to seem less and less likely. So Vikky decided to break her own taboo. Just to see what would happen.

Vikky let her gaze wander down to the glass of water in her hand, staring down in slight sadness at the transparent container. She didn’t need to think too much on how she’d word this. So… now to assure herself if the school was working against her or not.

“Will my memories of being raped by horrors be wiped to maintain that secret of this school before I return?” Vikky wasn’t even sure if the Head Girl was aware of that. That there were monsters out there. She didn’t know if there was a rule of ‘don’t mention the’ or something. Regardless. There was no doubt that Vikky was about to find out.

It looked like Vikky had finally given up on getting the bat. But now, she changed the subject completely to something that made things a bit clearer. This could potentially annoy the Head Girl if getting the bat was because of these monsters as that would mean yet another lie. "Horrors?" Vera replied calmly, "What are you talking about, Miss Nyberg? There are no wild animals on this island. And I doubt it is possible to just take memories from someone. What good would taking knowledge and experience from a student who wishes to learn do for anyone?"

"Is that why you want your bat, Miss Nyberg?" Vera continued, "Because you believe someone raped you? If you believe someone did this, whether they are staff or student, I can ask for an investigation to be done. But, we will need to know more than they were 'horrors'. If this is a psychological issue, I can do my best to ease your discomfort if you prefer speaking to me rather than the campus councilor." It was certainly not the first time students had come mentioning monsters. Convincing them that it was something else and that there were no monsters was hardly an issue. Even if this student did not believe her, she would understand that no one else would believe her story either.

Vikky couldn’t help but smile. There was... just something amusing about the Head Girl’s suggestions and supply of information. It was… quite exactly what she would have expected. Vikky immediately brought up her arm to hide her mouth because this was certainly not the proper time to smile. The professionalism behind it was… amusing, in a way. Amusing in the way that it didn’t help her at all. It could both be from an oblivious person or from a person who disguised what she actually knew. It struck Vikky that the Head Girl might have handled other students about the same subject, hence being experienced in such handling. Fine, then. Handle me.

“Gee…” Vikky forced down her smile and returned to looking at Vera, recovering a bit of her determination. “You are quite right. There are no wild animals on this island. These things… are not animals. They are intelligent rapists, sporting a plethora of different visages and abilities for the purpose of raping students, fill them up. For some reason, they always let us go. For some reason… I haven’t got pregnant. I guess we’re incompatible.” Vikky sighed to herself.

“Yes, that’s why I want my bat. Not to defend myself, but to support my own psychological issue, as you call it. A bat would hardly help against the eight-nine something feet tall red demon satyr that took my innocence, or the incorporeal water-based thing that raped me in the shower, or the illusionist creature capable of altering my sensations and memories to the point I think I’m someone else in a completely other world. I merely want my bat so I can feel comforted by my boyfriend, whom I hardly belong to anymore. This… this school has taken me from him…”

Vikky knew there was no use in recounting this. She had most likely walked on a predetermined path prepared by the school to, what was the word? Handle desperate students. And Vikky… was certainly feeling desperate at this time. There was no way she could flee this perfect trap… “Feel free to investigate, you'll only find what you're meant to find…”

"Do you find this funny, Miss Nyberg?" Vera said, eyes narrowing, "I am so glad you find it so entertaining to fabricate these stories just to get a baseball bat. Or do you find it funny to waste my time and insult my intelligence? It has become quite clear that you do not trust me or this school with your stupid accusations of impossible acts such as removing memories. Do you even have a base to stand up such a ridiculous claim? I have already told you there are no animals on this island or any other fictional creatures you can come up with. But apparently, nothing I say really matters to you which puts to question you even bothered to come here in the first place."

"Miss Nyberg, you have forced me to repeat myself, lied to me, and now you are mocking me and wasting my time," the Head Girl continued, her voice cold and never raising as she spoke evenly, "For wasting my time and proving to be unstable and a danger to other students, I shall be forced to correct you until I deem you fit to return to the student body. First, I do not feel safe anymore with your paranoid delusions and accusations. You claim you can hurt me with your clothes, remove them and fold them neatly on this desk. Do not sit back down. You will not be able to get dressed until you have convinced me that you are a stable young woman who is capable of thinking things clearly and logically without turning to violent tendencies. I am certain your boyfriend is very proud of the choices you have made since coming to this room."

The silver haired woman rose to her feet. She was not pleased at all that this girl could be so stupid. Removing memories? Where in the world did she come up with that? The only thing Vikky was missing was a tin foil hat. Not saying it was not possible but there was no basis for an ordinary student to come up with such a conclusion and she should know that.

... I see. So everything I said was fabricated, huh?

Gee, Vikky supposed she could see why such reasoning would arise. If one assumed Vera had no clue about the existence of monsters, then it was actually rather sensible to come to such a conclusion. Yes, heavily deluded and all of that. Vikky probably would have come to the same conclusion some time ago. In any case, it seemed she was now in trouble. She had been preparing herself to get into trouble with every step up higher in this stair. But… getting caught here hardly would help her any. If Miss Head Girl here was so determined there were no monsters, then perhaps Vikky should introduce her to one…?

She bit back annoyance of her own. As calmly as she could, Vikky drank the rest of the water, stood up and placed the glass on the desk. She’d be required to in order to remove her clothes. However… stripping… was beyond what Vikky was intending to let the Head Girl do to her for no real other reason than training her for obedience. As such… Vikky spun on the spot and ran. Her common sense told her remaining would only lead to peril. Of course, running invited even more peril, but if she could just get away. Just… this once. Vikky had turned and made a break for it. Around the chair and towards the door, hoping to open it as quickly as possible and run down. Taking use of her many hours of jogging and running to stay in shape. Call it childish or whatever, but… she wasn’t desiring to be caught on any but her own terms. And if her feet couldn’t even get away from a human, Vikky would be proven to be truly powerless.

For random information, the idea of memory removal had occurred to Vikky during an encounter with the being Aegir, not that Vera would know.