Juniper Modnar took a long look in the mirror, her knuckles turned white as she clutched the sink that she was braced against. Her eyes wavered slightly and there was a tightness in her stomach that simply wouldn't come unraveled. She felt sick with nerves as she stared back at her reflection. This was foolishness, pure folly. There were resources to gather, skills to hone, contacts to cultivate. But all of that would take too long. One day, she'd woken up, and as she looked at the calender her silent mantra of "4 years" was replaced by "3 and a half years". A semester gone already . . . and what had she accomplished? Not enough by far, and the window of opportunity on this resource was ever narrowing. She had to steel herself, cowards never went home in this place. At least, that's what she told herself, she didn't truly know.

The face in the mirror took a slow, deep breath through her nose, and let out slide out passed her lips. The person in the mirror wasn't Juniper Modnar, she didn't have any reason to be afraid. They had the same eyes, but with a flick of her wrist Juniper pressed the prop glasses back up her nose, the graceful copper frames changing the impression of her face somewhat. Her hair was dyed black at the moment, a temporary dye of a brand she trusted and knew how to get out of her hair again with only an hour of work, the back gathered up into an uncharacteristic bun , with a light layer of pale lipstick she'd borrowed from her room mate. She took another deep breath, letting it fill her chest slowly before she breathed out again, willing the mask into place. An easy, eager smile settled on her lips and her eyes twinkled slightly with enthusiasm behind the lenses of her glasses. Megan Manson, that was the name that she'd put to this face. And she had an appointment with Vera Matsumoto today.

Don't get caught, she reminded herself. It was funny, all the silly little rules she'd try to put in place to guide her behavior, to keep her strong and resolute in the face of what was happening to her? In an evening one of the islands creatures had driven into her a far more vital, overriding creed. The uniform helped, of course, it always did, but Juniper had bound her already modest breasts to ensure she cut a more subdued presence, skin-tone makeup had been smoothly applied to conceal the ink inscribed into her upper arm, and, of course, she'd yet to recover her piercing from the creature Ortix just yet. She smoothed out her skirt and ensured that every inch of her crisp, pressed uniform was properly aligned. The credentials she'd forged into the computer records would pass under most forms of scrutiny. Everything was in place.

So why was she worried that Matsumoto was going to see through her like a sheet of glass? She tried to tell herself that it was just nerves, but she knew better. The Senior class had been elevated to a level of near-myth in her head, those who'd endured the hardships of four years of inhuman attention, been plied with so many mental traps and tricks, how could they fall for such simple deceptions? And Vera was a Head Girl besides,if even a third of the rumors were true...

No. Calm. This will go exactly according to plan. You're going to enter, have a pleasant conversation, maybe sip some tea, scope out the room's interior, take a few snapshots and go back to your room to plan the next phase. Murphy and his law be damned.

Finally, "Megan" pushed herself back from the sink and recollected the small bag that held a pad and pencil, a tape recorder, and her camera, simple supplies for the interview. She bustled her way out into the hall, moving as swiftly as she could while maintaining a level of poise and decorum appropriate for a freshman striding through the upper floor and the suites that acted as the Head Girls' rooms and, often enough,t heir offices as well. Finally, she found the door she was looking for and reached out to knock, pausing as she caught a glimpse of the watch on her wrist. She was five minutes early, it seemed her nervous energy had carried her along swiftly to her destination. She weighed her options for a moment and finally decided to step to the side, standing straight at the wall next to the door and waiting for the appropriate time. It worked out for the best, really, humming to herself she hand a moment to sweep her eye up and down the hallways, looking for the tell-tale signs of cameras or microphones on the floor. She kind of doubted that the school would allow their deputized cows to wander about completely unsupervised . . . though supposedly the suites maintained a degree of privacy.

Waiting to see if anything of note would develop, the moment her watch hand shifted to the proper minute, "Megan" wrapped her knuckles against the stout wooden door to the lion's den.

Vera Matsumoto had made it rather clear in the past that she had an open door policy. Being one of the few Head Girls not on assignment, it was important to ensure the students had at least someone further up the ladder they could reliably speak to about anything involving the school among other things. Of course, few students took advantage of this. Most were intimidated with the concept of going up a tall tower and seeing someone who had more power than they did. The rumors that went about campus whether it was about Head Girls or the campus itself did not help. Then again, most people never want to go and speak to someone of higher rank even when they were not in trouble in anyway so there were more 'normal' factors that applied to Vera's mostly quiet afternoons.

Today was not much different. Things had become a bit more eventful with the additions of Anne serving as her Prefect and slave along with a few other students who desired nothing more than to serve her with all their being. But, her pets were busy with their classwork or personal projects and she had sent Anne out after she finished her report. In the end, it was just Vera, her computer, and a cup of tea.

That was only partially true though as Vera had sensed the flicker of emotion just beyond her door. Someone was there but no knock came. She would have thought it was her imagination playing tricks on her. But, the aura was flaring with nervousness. This was not uncommon for students coming to see her. Some were absolutely terrorfied of the Head Girl despite her never doing anything directly to them in the past. Rising to her feet, Vera would ensure tea was ready for her guest as that flickering aura eventually calmed and faded.

The hall outside of the Head Girl's room was well maintained and certainly more lavish than the halls in the dorms. Various pictures of Head Girls and staff hanged on the wall along with other school related things such as past projects and events. The school did have to maintain appearances even up here in the suites. Beyond there being suites up in at the top of this tower, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Vera would not have doubted that there were cameras up here but she knew better than to look for them. Cameras could be made incredibly small to the point that finding them without the proper tools and knowhow was impossible.

Finally, the knock came. The student had calmed down and built up the nerve to confront the Head Girl in her castle. "Enter," the voice called out. Megan would find the door was unlocked. The door seemed to have a keycard lock much like the ones found in fancy hotels or places of minor to moderate security. At the very least, it would be difficult to pick through normal means.

When the door opened, Vera could finally see the nervous student who had been waiting outside while Megan could see her target face to face. The Head Girl wore the same uniform as everyone else, kept crisp and immaculate as if setting the standard for others to follow. The only difference was the light blue sash that hung loosely around the woman's waist. The asian woman had piercing eyes but what stood out more was the extremely long silver hair that trailed behind the Head Girl as she moved from the kitchen back to her desk.

The suite was much larger than any dorm room. There were doors to either side that led to the bedroom, bathroom, and closet. This front area led right to a desk situated to sit right in line of sight of the door, making it second as a sort of office area for students to enter and get right to business with the Head Girl. Beyond that, Megan could see the lavish furnishings of a living area with nice seats and a sofa along with a small dinner table off to the side. Further around the corner and beyond the woman's current vision was a large window that led to a balcony that oversaw a portion of the island. The curtains were currently open, letting rays of natural light flow into the living area. There was also a kitchen which Vera had came out of though no further details could be gathered from the door.

"Have a seat, Ms?" Vera called, uncertain what the woman's name was, "I will prepare another cup of tea unless you prefer water instead?" She did not recognize this student. Perhaps another newcomer to this island that would eventually doom the poor girl. The woman looked rather young, a freshman perhaps? The short black hair contrasted the girl's pale skin rather nicely. The woman's body was not voluptuous but rather modest with wide hips to accentuate that cute figure.

The Head Girl went back into the kitchen only briefly to get either a cup of tea or a glass of water. She sets it on the desk before where she was expecting the woman to sit before returning to her own seat infront of her computer. "Now then," she began, "What is it I can do for you, Ms?"

If she was nervous, "Megan" didn't let it show on her face. At the prompt command, she pulled the door open and bustled inside, only stopping short when she realized the sheer size of the suite. Fortunately, the pale blue slash of color brought her eyes to the kitchen where the room's owner was currently busy with a steeping pot of tea. Vera . . . it's funny how the little things got by you when you became more obsessed with a person's position than who they were. The long waves of silken silvery hair held her gaze for a moment as she considered precisely how much care would have to go into maintaining it, but then her gaze snapped to the crisp blue eyes of the other woman. She wasn't ashamed to admit that she was a lovely sight, mature and strong as befitted her position.

"Manson." she answered smoothly, by now as used to answering to pseudonyms as her own name, "Megan, should it please you." she added, smiling a bit and letting her gaze wander over the room with naked envy, "And tea would be divine, m'am." She slowly traced her eyes over the furnishings, looking for the little personal touches, the humanizing details such as nick-knacks or keepsakes that would help her think of this woman as more than the data she'd compiled so far. The room was certainly lavish, bigger than some apartments she'd stayed in, and most importantly there was no sign of her "pets", a bit of propriety that Juniper had hoped that scheduling an appointment would invoke. There were too many students on the islands with strange, undocumented abilities on the island, too many variables to safely pin down so she'd hoped simply reduce them.

She settled into one of the chairs arrayed before the desk, the obvious choice, placing her bag between her ankles and her hands primly in her lap as Vera returned to her desk. She gratefully accepted the porcelain cup and saucer with her steaming tea when it was offered, admiring the china for a moment before bringing the cup to her lips and taking a silent sip, pausing neither to let it cool or to add any sweeteners. Ah, tea, the blend was not one she'd ever had before, but the experience always reminded her of home, the hot liquid soothing nerves and unkinking her stomach a bit as she breathed in the smell, placing the cup back upon the saucer which she now held in her lap.

"Well, ma'm, given your roots I doubt that I need to remind you, but life on the mainland is becoming more interconnected all the time." she said, speaking clearly, evenly, and precisely fully utilizing the speech classes to annihilate her accent and make her seem, perhaps, better educated than she was, "Cellphones, social networking, youtube, people are increasingly bombarded with media. Then, they come to the island and all is still and silence. This is good," she hastened to point that out, "it promotes introspection and helps them focus on their studies after all, precisely why the school was founded in so remote a location. However, I suspect you've noticed, there's also an increasing factor of culture shock. Many of the new girls, they seem distracted and unfocused, and the comparatively "safe" means they had of establishing contact to people via their interests is simply not available here. I fear that, more and more, these girls are being ostracized for what others perceive as poor social skills." she let the rest of her breath out through her nose, taking another sip to allow her preamble to linger somewhat.

"I hope to proposition the administration to set aside some server space on the school's intranet to establish a kind of virtual social hub for the campus grounds. A space where the students can log in to catch up with each other in the wee hours, and to make plans so that their free time is utilized to the fullest. Of course, if it's a place where the students are signing in regularly, it's also an ideal place to post announcements, event reminders, and some columns about local events, to help everyone feel more connected to the community as a whole instead of their small clique within it." she gave a slightly disappointed sigh, "Of course, I'm expecting some resistance to this notion. The current staff, after all, long ago adjusted to the special circumstances of our isolation after all. They will say that the clubs exist as a forum for students with similar interests to band together. They will say that putting a screen between students will harm the formation of community links instead of enhance them. They will claim that the resources just aren't there. I need to be able to demonstrate for them the values of this system, not the least of which is an avenue to discreetly monitor shifts in student morale and interests, a mock-up of the front end for the system I hope to create."

"Which brings me to my request." she said, fidgeting uncomfortably a bit before bringing her eyes back up to meet Vera's own, "I was hoping that I could have your support, m'am. To create my demonstration I've been working on some columns to help bring across the editorial vision I have for that part of the site. One of them I was hoping to craft was a piece on the Headgirls, to try and combat some of the savage mudslinging the jealous have been dumping into the gossip circles. To defang the ominous reputation that seems to have built up around the tower, and try and portray you all in a more humane light than the school has previously. An unattainable example is no example at all, m'am." she idly tapped her thumbs together in her lap, "As, far and away, the most publicly known of the Headgirls, I was hoping you might submit to an interview."

Megan Manson was not a name she was familiar with. Most likely just a new student. The Head Girl did not see anything off and frankly was not expecting anyone to put on a disguise and hide under an alias. The silver haired woman let the young student give her long thorough speech and explanation. It was a very good first impression. Megan did not show any hesitation or stumble through her words. Every word was clear though the format of the presentation was a bit mechanical as if the girl was following the step by step methods of giving a speech. Vera had no complaints and it was nice to see a student come to her with ideas already planned out.

As for the content itself, she could understand why the school may not show much care for the proposal. It was certainly not bad. In fact, it was rather exceptional. The problem lies in the fact that the staff understood what this school's true purpose was. Social media can create a means to spread information that others may not want filtering through the student body. Also, slaves were generally easier to subdue when they were separated and not united under a possible single voice. At the same time though, there was potential use for both parties in this offer. Spreading solid information with a bit of filtering from the shadows could ensure that all new students were completely in the clear about what was considered the 'truth' here on the island. With this news being on the school's servers, manipulating the data if necessary was very much possible.

But, this was just the final goal in Megan's proposal. The girl understood she would need credentials as a freshman as well as examples and models to show the staff what could be done and help dispel any worries. Vera was to be part of those credentials. What the young student wanted from Vera alone was certainly worth her time. There were not many students interested in doing a school newspaper or anything of the like so most the information available in the papers were less than useful to the student body. While this would be for something bigger, the Head Girl was slightly surprised no beginning reporters ever bothered to speak directly with possibly the most influential students of Shokushu.

"You certainly have big plans for this place after such a short time of being here, Ms. Manson," Vera began, "I will not apologize if my presence sets the bar rather high for other students. You claim the unattainable cannot be examples one can follow but, I find them to the best to follow. Once an example is met, they become useless and forgotten. This can be unfavorable if that goal seeker did not have any other examples she was striving for. With something thought to be unattainable, growth becomes an infinite possibility. Then again, such a title does not belong to me. Anyone with the right skills and drive to improve can reach me. You, Megan Manson, have shown that you have at least some of those qualities for coming up here to see me."

"As for your end goal in all this..." the Head Girl continued, "I cannot say if it is possible or not. I want to say there is enough server space to provide a small social hub or intranet cafe of sorts. But, I do not know all the specs of the servers nor how much is used in a day to day basis. The only other issue is this would require bodies to keep an eye on the content being put up on such a site. I know you wish it to be a place to communicate and for students to express themselves. But, being on school servers means that it is the school's responsibility should something go wrong. While I would not go as far as saying the site is going to be censored, some amount of order and restriction must be applied to ensure that all content the students input is appropriate for school property."

"Just something to consider," the silver haired woman took a moment to sip her tea before moving onto the main topic, "Whether the school approves your idea or not, I do like your idea to inform the student body about my position and what our purpose is on campus. I have unfortunately grown used to the negative comments thrown in my direction from the whispering gossip that spreads across campus. But, perhaps with your column will make it so those students can no longer hide behind ignorance."

Vera folded her fingers infront of her as she gave a soft smile. "Very well, Ms. Manson," she added finally, "I will do an interview for you. I trust you will be unbiased in your writing and not trying to spread sensationalism to your readers. We may begin now if you like. If you please, lock the door so we do not get interupted. Once you are ready, I am all yours."

As Vera responded to her sales pitch, Megan sat in her chair and listened attentively, clearly seeking to take full advantage of the elder woman's experience in engaging the administration's interests. She understood that it was not a small thing she was asking to create, indeed, she'd picked the project at least partially because she expected it to be rejected outright, but it was the kind of ambitious yet plausible scheme that she'd calculated would garner her a measure of interest from the silver-haired woman. Her cup sat motionless in her lap for a few moments, as she refused to take her eyes off of t he other woman long enough to sip, though she was careful not to stare either A thoughtful expression crossed her face as Ms. Matsumoto refuted her claim about "unattainable examples", having the good grace to smile bashfully and turn her gaze away as she implied that Megan showed some promise in reaching that vaunted level herself one day. Now that was a scary thought.

"I understand, m'am. It was my hope that, should the proposal go over well, the administration would see fit to release such technical specifications and statistics into my care so that I could coordinate with students in the CompSci department to determine whether or not it was viable with the current resources or if we'd have to do some fundraising to expand the server pool. Building and maintaining a site like this would be valuable work experience for their portfolios, after all, presuming the school is willing to credit them." she said with a nod, "And, of course, I could enlist the aid of someone from legal studies to draft up a User Agreement that will protect the school from liability, and empower the staff to deny access to anyone who is abusing the service. No one should be surprised by the presence of moderators enforcing an equitable code of conduct. Perhaps it would lend weight to the exercise if a Prefect with the appropriate aptitudes was appointed as head moderator, presuming it would not cut too deeply into their other duties." The devil, as ever, was in the details, it it was clear that Megan was waiting to see if the school was even interested before she went about assembling a team.

Megan made a sympathetic sound as Vera commented she'd gotten used to the negativity thrown at her personage, smiling as the older woman folded her hands and agreed to the interview. "I had hoped to address some criticisms against the system. To tackle the naysayers directly, you understand. I wouldn't want the piece to be viewed as propagandist fluff, after all. You are, of course, free to refuse to answer any question that you feel is inappropriate."

Megan took another deep sip of her cup before reaching out to place the cup and saucer back gently back on the Headgirl's desk, rising smoothly to her feet. A quick jaunt to the door, and her hand settled on the lock to the door, hesitating just a moment as if considering something before she slid the deadbolt firmly in place with a flick of her wrist. Returning to her seat, she knelt down for a moment to recover her bag from the floor, opening it as she slid back into her seat. She produced a notepad and pencil first, a short list of talking points already apparently having been inscribed upon it. Then she pulled out a camera and set it off to one side, Finally, she produced a small voice recorder and brought it up to her lips.

"Shokushu Report, (date), 1627. Interview Megan Manson, Vera Matsumoto number one." she spoke clearly into the microphone before clicking the button again to offer the Headgirl an apologetic smile, "For filing, you understand." Then, she reached over and placed the recorder on the desk equally between them and pressing the record button once more, the digital readout proceeding forward once more.

"Thank you for agreeing to this interview, Ms. Matsumoto. There's a great deal of misinformation out there regarding the role that Headgirls take in our scholastic environment, and I appreciate you taking the time to set the record straight." she said, reclaiming her notepad and pencil and setting them in her lap. As new questions came to her, she'd jot them down into her notebook in shorthand so that she could come back to them, but for the most part she was content to let the recorder do the heavy lifting. She waited patiently for the Headgirl's response before leading in with the first question.

"Scholastic achievement, the respect of one's peers, community spirit, all of these traits help but year after year pillars of the student body are passed over for the sash. In your own words, Ms. Matsumoto, what is it that truly makes a Headgirl? What sets a girl above her peers in the eyes of the Headmasters to attain this coveted post?"

It seemed as if Megan had most of this thought out, providing answers and alternatives that may deal with the various issues and complications. Of course, it was not the Head Girl she had to convince but the staff to take part in this operation. Much like all people, paperwork was something no one liked to do if it can be avoided or pushed under the desk. The initial creation of the social space would be the most difficult part while the rest could only be hindered by laziness or incompetence.

It was hard to say what Vera was feeling during all this. The woman was not necesarily stolid but she did have a business visage that made it hard to tell what she liked or disliked. The Head Girl was in turn studying the student before her. While she was good at reading people in general, being an empath gave her an edge that no one really expects. So far, beyond some nervousness, Megan was acting naturally enough to not cause alarm.

The lock clicked in place and things were underway. The young student came very prepared as the girl pulled out writing materials, a camera, and a recorder. Megan took the time to give a formal title for what would be part one of who knows how many parts. Vera did not mind as this was during the hours she was willing to help students anyway. If Megan never came, she would have been just stuck going through paperwork again.

Megan opened with a greeting and a quick sentence explaining the purpose of the recording. "Thank you for having me, Ms. Manson," she returned her own greeting, "I will do what I can to clear up any and all confusion about Head Girls and their role here in Shokushu."

The first question was certainly a hard one. Essentially, what does it take to be a Head Girl? "Those are all good traits to consider, Ms. Manson," Vera replied, "But it is not as simple as that. Two of the things you listed are not so easily measured and one can be done in some cases by simply following directions. It is not enough to say you did all your assignments to expectation. A Head Girl can be of any major but they must show they know their field inside and out. In some cases, that cannot be taught or learned in a classroom. For example, I have two majors, one in business management and the other in computer science. Both good fields of study but what drew attention to my achievements was the fact I ran a corporation before coming here. Such experience is a rarity for someone my age as you likely know. That experience and my majors make me perfect for leading students and guiding them through issues ranging from business and computer science itself to the prerequisites such as calculus, probability, and the various lab sciences. Just like any job, employers will look for the skillsets with the most proficient skills that apply to their needs. In the case of a college, there is alot of skills that need filling so knowing more than is expected is a good start."

"My previous experience also falls into respecting others and working within a community," Vera added, "Such skills can be hard to measure. Some claim that joining clubs and the student council ends up looking good on a resume. This certainly true for most jobs, but here in Shokushu we can take a closer look at a student's performance in such club activities or other situations where the student works with others. Unfortunately, it is hard to say who has what it takes to lead an entire student body and that is a difficulty the Headmasters have to look into when considering a student."

"But most important of all, Ms. Manson," the Head Girl concluded, "Like any position of any job, there are only so many available. Those pillars of the student body could have been passed over simply because there were no slots available. While I am currently active here on campus, there are more Head Girls working over in NICE labs or on other projects with the Headmasters and Staff. I do agree that Shokushu could perhaps do with a few more Head Girls on campus but change always comes slow."

"I suppose I focused more on your statement rather than your question itself," Vera said calmly, "To avoid speaking your ear off further, I will just say this. Much like a Secretary represents their boss, the same could be said about Head Girls and their respective Headmaster. The same applies to my Prefects representing myself. Not only do you have to have the skills necessary to come under notice, you must have qualities that work best with the person you are going to be working for."

"No, by all means m'am, I prefer a thorough answer." Megan said, drawing a quick line through one of the points on her notebook, Just so long as I get an answer instead of a long-winded evasion, she followed up silently, still smiling. Shifting in her seat slightly, she gestured towards the Headgirl with the tip of her pencil.

"I'm sorry, but did you say that worthy candidates are sometimes passed up due to a lack of positions, but that there are an insufficient number of Headgirls active on the school grounds?" she asked, arching an eyebrow slightly, "What keeps the pool of Headgirls so small then?" she asked. She suspected it was either that there was something in the school charter that prevented any one Headmaster from appointing more girls than the others, so that any increase would double the current number of Headgirls over night. None of the Masters wished to be at a political disadvantage, but neither did anyone want to integrate that many new members into the fold (to say nothing of the Prefects they'd eventually nominate). Alternatively, maybe it was simply the expense involved in providing such luxurious accommodations.

"The Head Girls is a unique system created here in Shokushu," Vera replied, "We have powers that not even the highest positions of the Student Council have. It is a heavy responsibility and not one that can be so easily be given to a large population of students. Head Girls have have many responsibilities. Some are helping things in various countries and states, informing the people of our presence on this remote little island and the opportunities available here. Others are working NICE labs or working with the staff like I mentioned before. Then there are those like myself who are on campus working with students and running various events for everyone. Shokushu has Head Girls but the are all in different places due to their broad responsibilities. Hiring more would fix the issue here until the original Head Girls return and then there would be a situation of too many chiefs so to speak."

"But as you said, there are rather high standards and expectations for a Head Girl and many exceptional students were seen as unqualified," Vera continued, "Just like a business, you cannot just hire more bosses without thinking of the reprucussions involved. Giving more students the abilities of a Head Girl is a similar idea. There are also factors such as time and resource costs for training and benefits. Unfortunately, I do not know all the details involved in the process of deciding when more Head Girls should be nominated. That is something decided by the Headmasters themselves."

"There is another remedy that is much less daunting," the Head Girl added, "While the Headmasters choose their Head Girls, Head Girls decide their Prefects. While they do not have as many powers or responsibilities, Prefects can assist Head Girls in bearing some of the workload. As for requirements for Prefects, some are similar to that of a Head Girl while most is decided by the Head Girls themselves. Naturally, you will want Prefects with skills that would best assist you in your tasks."

"That's a good point." Megan said, nodding slightly from her chair, "I think many of our readers forget that much of the school's representation abroad is handled by Headgirls." she paused a bit to glance down at her lap, moving her pencil down the page to another question, "How about you, Ms. Matsumoto? How long has it been since you've seen the mainland?" she smiled sweetly. It was a bit of a softball pitch, but the purpose of the article was after all to help Vera be seen more as a fellow student than as a mouthpiece of authority. Some personal questions were expected, and Juniper was always on the lookout for that elusive chance to escape.

After that answer was given, she glanced back at the question she'd left the pencil at and closed her eyes for just a moment as she ordered the thought. This was one of those delicate questions that, if not properly handled, could skew the rest of the interview to follow.

"If I might back up, just a little? You brought up an important point when you mentioned that the Headgirls are granted authority beyond most of the student council." she lightly laced her fingers in her lap, tapping her thumbs together, "As a Japanese national you were brought up, as much of the student body was, in a largely democratic form of student government. Here at Shokushu, however, the Headgirls are an appointed position with much broader powers than any single member of the Student Council, including the ability to veto Council decisions in place of the Headmaster. The Prefects are then similarly appointed, with little if any peer review . Many students feel that this system is disenfranchising, particularly members of the Student Council if our reelection statistics are to be believed. Several key positions have had to been filled by appointment, and many predict that that number is likely to increase next year." she paused a moment to try and guage Vera's expression, "Could you please highlight for us the strengths of this system, vis-a-vis more traditional government?"

The question bore no real issue to the Head Girl. It actually allowed her to reveal a bit more about her personally. "I have not returned home since I came to Shokushu as a freshman, Ms. Manson," Vera answered, before giving a faint smile, "My family is rather competitive when it comes to business. As my businesses started to surge in growth, they 'decided' it be best to send me here for further education. Most likely, they have been running my business for years now. Take that for what you will. But, I believe their is not much for me to go home to. At the same time though, I have found opportunities here in Shokushu I could never have found anywhere else. So I have no issues staying here. Besides, who would watch over the students if I were to leave or go on vacation?"

"The Head Girl program does add a strange twist to the current systems schools have been known to go on," Vera moved onto the next question, "But, democracy is still very much active in most parts of Shokushu. The staff, Headmasters, and the Student Council still go off of a voting system when major decisions are being made. As a Head Girl, I cannot vote with the rare exception of when there is a tie in the Student Council. The Student Council still has the powers it always had. It only seems less because a Head Girl has more... direct powers when it comes to students. The Student Council still makes decisions and organizes events. As for vetoing, that can only happen if a Head Girl is present during the meeting and only if said decision either violates the rules or it is simply not possible to for the school to grant such a decision either due to money or resource limitations. As a Head Girl, I am not part of the Student Council and there are no rules that state I must attend their meetings. My attendance is personal choice as I believe my presence can help speed up the process of making informed decisions without having to constantly ask the staff about various rules and regulations."

"Prefects can be difficult to describe as they are different for every Head Girl based on their expectations and views," Vera continued to the next topic, "Yes, I can take any student as a Prefect as long as they meet a few basic requirements. Beyond sending paper work to the staff, they take no direct part in my decisions in who I take in. But, it all falls back on what I say before. Any student I take, represents me. I represent my Headmaster. If things go wrong due to my Prefects, it falls on me and I must bear the consequences. That ensures no Head Girl just picks up whoever they want as a Prefect. We are also limited on the number of Prefects we can have active at one time, it is not worth wasting a slot for someone who is unqualified to handle the work load. So the system may be a bit loose but, their are still checks and balances of sort even in the Head Girl/Prefect program."

"As for the strengths of this..." Vera concluded, "Democracy certainly has its uses but it has its issues as well. Depending on the country, it can take a very long time for decisions to come through using the voting process. There is also the politics that can manipulate views to the point that people are stuck focusing on the short term rather than the long. The Head Girls are not directly part of these politics. We simply have our duties to follow without the concern of waiting for votes and permission to up and down the chain of command. With this, we can efficiently take care of various matters and issues quickly and efficiently while leaving the voting and politics to the Student Council and the staff."

Megan pouted sympathetically when Vera revealed that she hadn't actually taken advantage of her position to leave this place, however briefly. Though Juniper found herself wondering if she hadn't, or couldn't, for whatever reason. Still, she said, "It seems a shame, but I suppose we all benefit from your diligence." before moving on to the next question.

She listened diligently as Vera covered in greater detail the role of the Headgirls within school politics. She did do a good job of downplaying it a bit, but her earlier poking around had told her that the Student Council had to submit a copy of their agenda up the chain before each meeting, meaning that Vera could easily be dispatched to torpedo any project that threatened to stir up too many creatures to quiet down, citing limited resources. Megan made herself a few notes in a coded shorthand, still, maybe it would entice a few more members of the student body to pursue student council positions. For her own sake, Juniper would rather not have more administratively selected toadies in positions of power.

"Perhaps, m'am, it would help illustrate the point to our readers if they had an example." Megan said, striking a line through two question as she did so, "Would you be willing to name your own Prefects, and your reasons for selecting them? I imagine it could not have been an easy decision, with the limited availability of posts."

Vera certainly had no issues with staying on the island. Yes, the guests were less than pleasant when she encountered them. But, she had more power here than she could have had just running a simple business. When you learn that there is a whole galaxy of alien races who have a threatening hold on humankind, going back to Earth did not seem very important in the grand scheme of things. It was not like there was any love to lose with her family at this point anyway.

"Of course I can," the Head Girl replied, "Clarice Rossignol was my first Prefect though she has been working closely with the school's staff as of late so she is not really under my care. Ms. Rossignol was a bit of a troublemaker at first and had been corrected by my hand in the past. But rather than lash out in rage like other rebellious individuals, she learned more about myself and my position along with my purpose here in Shokushu. That willingness to take a step back and reevaluate your views objectively alone is worthy of praise. She is also a very intelligent woman and her past of rebelling agianst the system allows her to speak to other troubled students with a better understanding of their issues and views. I offered her a position and she accepted."

"Anne Deas is one of my more recent Prefects," she added, "She wished to help me in my work so she asked to become a Prefect. Of course, it was not as simple as that. But as I said before, there are far less requirements to becoming a Prefect than a Head Girl. Her grades were originally only average but she improved them while becoming my Prefect. She is very deligent, learning the rules quickly and is willing to correct and report those who break the rules. It is important that your Prefect is willing to do their job. But Ms. Deas shows that coming with the goal of climbing up the ladder and becoming a Prefect is certainly a good first impression. I want my Prefects to be students who want to grow, improve, and most of all want to become a Prefect."

"Anna Lenox was another student who came with an offer to become a Prefect," Vera continued, "She came to my office wanting the position but was completely unprepared for my expectations. As a woman familiar with the harsh world of business, I put simply... ripped her a new one. When she left my office, I figured the matter was resolved. But, she returned weeks later. She cleaned up her appearance and provided a file of all her crednentials along with speaking clearly of what she wanted and why I should consider her as a Prefect. That effort to get back up after falling down and that drive to work for a goal is worth more in the real world than any grade you make in a class. Like Ms. Rossignol, she is currently working with the school's staff on a project."

There was one other Prefect which but Vera saw no reason to mention her. Leriana was someone elses Prefect and she was merely watching over her until said Head Girl finally returned from other duties. "Though positions are limited," Vera concluded, "Most students do not seem interested in earning a position as my Prefect. So it is not a matter of my refusing students but more the fact no one has come to even bother applying for the position. Like I said before, I do not wish to force anyone into this position. Only they can decide if they have what it takes to ask for the position." There was also the matter of not having the time to search through all potential students and speak to them all to find potential Prefects. Vera was a busy woman afterall.

"I'm sorry to hear that, ma'm." Megan said with a conciliatory nod as Vera mentioned the difficulties in finding anyone to apply for a Prefect position, "Perhaps this interview will inspire some daring soul to step forward in the near future. There certainly are benefits commensurate to the increase in responsibilities, for those who qualify, of course."

There was a brief pause in the interview as Megan reached out to reclaim her cup of tea for a moment, an introspective look on her face. She'd have kicked herself for the lapse of concentration, but she was too busy chewing on the story of Clarice Rossignol. Clarice hadn't been in the public eye for a while, so this was the first she'd heard of the story of her acceptance into the fold. Juniper had always believed that one needed a spotless record to move up into the ranks of the Prefects and Headgirls, but apparently that was not so much the case. Part of her was inclined to suggest that perhaps Clarice had been broken to the lash, so to speak, but that didn't pan out intellectually. It simply wasn't a strong enough basis upon which to drape the dark navy sash of a Prefect over the girl. Between the tale, and Veras compliment earlier, Juniper found herself wondering if she'd ever tire of her current means and be content to become part of the problem.

Assuming they'd accept her after some of the things she had planned. Either way, as a Freshman that path was currently barred to her, so there was no sense in dwelling upon it overly long. She placed the tea cup back upon the saucer without so much as a "clink" registering on the microphone before she settled back into her chair.

"That was certainly enlightening, though it leads me to wonder. How would you characterize your relationship with your Headmaster? How did you come to his attention?" she asked, looking to steer the conversation to slightly more personal pastures once again.

Converting enemies into friends was a rather effective strategy when dealing with rebellion. Clarice had fought the system for so long only to become part of it and rather devoted to it. Even if the woman's loyalties faltered, there were still certain carrots hanging infront of her to ensure she remained obedient. There was also the simple idea of having power over others in a place that makes you feel powerless. It may be impossible to fight the guests of the island but, that did not mean a student was stuck being below everyone.

As an aspiring reporter, Megan Manson could certainly be a threat in a way. It would be easy to shut down her voice but such blatant censorship can cause issues. Still, having a reporter under her leash would help shoot down the various 'rumors' some students try to spread along with improving good faith between the students and the school itself. The only thing is convincing this one to come to her fold. Megan was still a freshman but that did not mean she could not start working with the Head Girl and preparing for that sophomore year and promotion to Prefect.

"I believe I covered that question while answering one of your previous ones, Ms. Manson," Vera stated calmly, "I gained the attention of the Headmasters due to my experience in business and leading large corporations at a young age. My grades were top in the class and I was focusing on two majors at once. Simply put, I was a hard worker with experience working with others and knew how to effectively delegate workloads. All are good factors for a upper level position in just about any workforce."

"I suppose the only way to describe my role with my Headmaster is a rather active secretary," she continued, "Though I work and represent him, I mostly work with the staff more than anything. My Headmaster understands I work best when not restrained and lets me just go out there and get things done. It is strictly a business relationship when it comes to interaction between us." Of course she left out the fact that her body belonged to her master. Thankfully, she was not called too often to offer herself to him so it was effortless to simply not mention that detail.

"That is certainly why you were selected, ma'm. I simply meant to inquire how you'd met the man in the first place. It seems to me that the Headgirls are largely promoted from within the Prefects when vacancies appear, due to their familiarity with the work and staff, but it sounds as though you were brought in directly from the student body." she tapped her eraser against the pad of paper for a moment, "Not to downplay your suitability for the role, nor the merits of your experience, it's just that in my experience it's rare for a person to be selected for such an important post solely for aptitude."

"I suppose I was hunting for a story." she added with a slight chuckle, turning her eyes back to the notepad for a moment. She lightly circled one of the half-written squiggles one the page and rested her pencil against it. Then, scratched a quick "Z" through it and decided upon a different question.

"One of the most fiercely decried authorities of the Headgirls and Prefects amongst students is the issuing of demerits and enacting of punitive measures upon fellow students, as with Ms. Rossignol." she asked, tying the question back to a previous answer, "Some feel that this blurs the line between student and staff powers too far. This only becomes more pronounced given that it is Prefects who monitor the halls, common areas, and dorms to ensure that students are not tardy or violating curfews, statistically the most common offenses on campus." followed immediately by uniform violations, another indiscretion primarily enforced by Prefects, though Juni didn't care to push her luck, "How do you respond to these critics, Ms. Matsumoto?"