Juniper paused a bit and listened as a long, mournful wail reached her ear. Her hand went up to grab the bill of her cap as a cool wind rushed passed her, carrying with it a faint trace of the the vivacious scents of the inland tropical blossoms. That was odd . . . generally if she felt a breeze it came from the coast, bringing with it the smell of salt and sea foam. She turned her gaze up to the bleak night sky for a moment, the moon hanging fat and lazy overhead to cast its feeble light over the campus, untold thousands of unfamiliar stars twinkling like diamonds scattered haphazardly across a satin cloth. There was hardly a cloud in the sky, though she'd come to learn that didn't necessarily mean there wasn't a storm coming this far from the mainland. Her eyes narrowed as she considered it might but the hunting bay of one of the island's "guests" . . . better if she weren't out and about then. She reached up with a gloved hand and took a firm grip of the rain gutter, giving an experimental tug to make sure it was still secure.

Another night, another curfew shamelessly desecrated in the name of progress. Juniper braced a foot against the wall and hopped up, reaching high to grab hold of the pipe with her other hand, a faint smirk on her face. She wasn't wearing her uniform tonight, protecting her identity being secondary to going as undetected as possible with the night's mission. No, instead she wore a black long-sleeved shirt that fed it's way directly into a pair of black leather gloves, a black skirt over dark leggings and a pair of plain black hightops. She'd cut her hair shorter in the passed week, and currently it was tucked up and under a black canvas cap, whose bill she kept low to obscure her face somewhat. The whole ensemble was lightly dusted with white and pale gray masonry dust which she'd tried to brush off to the best of her ability, but it had been a losing battle. Around her waist was looped a length of rubber coated cable which dangled it's way back down to the ground behind her until it wound its way around the handle of a small metallic carrying case. The green light glowing vigilantly on the side suggested that the interior of the case was refrigerated.

"It's a blindfold kick back type of game
Called the Kansas City Shuffle" she murmured musically under her breath. She'd suffered setbacks recently, but tonight had been a good night. Maybe her identity had been compromised in the wake of her scuffle with Vera, maybe she'd had to up stakes and move her base of operations for someplace more private than the dorms, and maybe she no longer had the instruments needed to properly examine it, but she'd finally gotten her hands on one of the school's little mysteries and she was looking forward to cracking it open.

"Where you look left and they fall right
Into the Kansas City Shuffle." she finally reached the second story window with the "conveniently" broken lock, pressing her fingers against the glass and pushing it up until she could fit her fingers under the windowsill. She'd greased the window so it slid open smoothly and quietly, grabbing hold of the window sill and transferring over from the gutter before she pulled herself up to peek into the hallway. It looked every bit as empty as her observations of the security patterns suggested it should be, so she nodded to herself and pulled herself up and inside with practiced ease. This was hardly the first time she'd used this particular exit, though in all honesty she'd have preferred to directly enter a dorm than risk her brief window of exposure.

"Its a they-think you-think you don't know
Type of Kansas City hustle." she lowly continued as she rolled over at the shoulders onto the carpet and glanced around before she picked herself up. Half-leaning out the window, she grabbed hold of the cable and began drawing the case up after her quickly. She winced slightly as it bounced against the wall in her haste, worried that it would pop open, but the latches held. Maybe she felt she had the administration's security patterns down, but the island's "guests" were an ever-present wildcard that could not truly be planned for. Every moment of exposure was a risk, but she couldn't afford to lose her prize from heedless haste either. She forced herself to be more deliberate, watching the way the box swayed in the breeze.

"Where you take your time
Wait your turn
And hang them up, and out to dry." she said, bobbing her head in time to the music in her head, perhaps less aware of her surroundings than she should be as she focused on the box below.

Anne’s night had been wonderfully quiet and she was considering turning in and getting some sleep. The only reason she hadn’t already is that with the night this still she was really enjoying the silence and the solitude. When all students were in their dorms she had pretty much the entire school to herself and could roam the halls with impunity. It gave her time to think, to relax and generally to let off any steam she might have been building up throughout the day.

The silence that flowed around her was total, her gentle footfall slipping through as she veritably glided down one hall to the next, picking turns at random. She found an inordinate amount of pleasure being allowed to walk the empty halls of such an impressive school, and as so few others being allowed to be out at night she never worried where she might end up. While technically she was supposed to only patrol the dorms she did sometimes deviate away, exploring other wings and areas and building up a detailed internal map of the maze-like structure. One night she might tread the carpeted halls of the drama class, and perhaps another she step across the clean laminated floor of the science wing. It gave her a much better idea of the school and she found that she liked seeing everything as a big picture. There was so much here and she knew she hadn’t scratched the surface, not really.

Heading back towards her room she paused as a faint sound drifted to her on a stray breeze. She paused and concentrated on the sound, feeling a musical lilt to it. Anne smiled as a thought whispered through her brain of what someone could be singing about.

While curfew breakers weren’t exactly uncommon, but this was late even for her and it was really quite rare that anyone was up at this time. She had caught someone this late once before by following a happy hum, a tiny little thing trying to get back to her dorm after a late night tryst. Anne smiled as she remembered the huge brown eyes stammering an apology, absolutely terrified of being punished, or worse, (in her mind at any rate) outed as a lesbian. Anne had sent her on her way with nothing but a promise that she would obey curfews in future… and that she would make a small report once a week about anything odd she had seen.

It was odd, having people beginning to trust her and report to her in that manner. While she knew that students wouldn’t tell her everything she used what she did learn as best as she could, and just occasionally she would hear enough that she would be able to be at a flashpoint of trouble (purely by coincidence of course) to head off something more serious that might have gotten someone hurt. In addition she did enjoy listening to the grapevine… It was fascinating what some of the girls were allegedly getting up to!

Something that did escape her notice though was that each time she stepped she became less “Miss Matsumoto’s Prefect” and a little more “Anne, the Prefect”. Although, in some circles it was still said in exactly the same tones as Vera’s name was. Anne didn’t care about that though, enjoying helping where she could and fulfilling the trust and duties given to her by the woman that she loved. The fact that she did enjoy the power-rush she didn’t mention to herself, and was rare enough that she didn’t need to worry about it.

As Anne stepped around the corner to see a distinctly feminine posterior hanging out of the window pulling something up. Intrigued beyond measuring she quietly moved closer, paying very close attention to the student.

She had become very proud of her ability to move silently, frequently scaring the absolute crap out of students when they looked around to see her standing there unobtrusively. When she wanted she gave very little presence off and somehow slipped under many peoples internal radar – that curious ability or sixth sense that everyone possessed to some extent which warned them that someone else was nearby. Of course her Mistress knew her far too well and she couldn’t get anywhere close without being recognized, no matter how hard she tried. Yet another thing she loved so about Vera. Plus it gave her something to aim for… She did wonder just how Vera did it!

Not breaking her step she moved closer, listening to the song and paying very close attention to the student. She was wearing black and the moons light highlighted flecks of white all over her, like someone had speckled her with paint, or perhaps dust. A cord wrapped around her waist and as Anne watched silently she pulled a steel box in through the window and a flash of green caught her eyes as the woman turned, cradling it carefully. Anne had stopped across the hall which was shrouded in gloom, having the additional advantage of her being close enough to make a good attempt to catch the student if she did something stupid like fall out of the window, but at the same time not close enough to be intimidating.

“Good evening. Lovely night isn’t it?” Anne said, her voice having the unmistakable edge of a sardonic smile to it. Although she spoke quietly her voice blasted through the silence like a foghorn.

She stood confidently, a smile playing around her lips as she watched the students reaction. She didn’t seem concerned at all that there was someone dressed like a burglar breaking into the school with something that was obviously not allowed, instead seemingly being relaxed and unconcerned about the entire affair and what might happen. The deep blue sash of a prefect shone darkly from the moonlight over her impeccably pressed uniform. She waited to see exactly how this student would react before saying anything else.

"Ba-dap bop bop bai~
Da-da-da-DA!" she said with a bit of a smile, slipping one hand under the case as the other held the wire tightly. Cradling it gently, she ducked her head and pulled her upper body back into the room, settling the case on the ground for a moment as she grabbed the window with both hands to pull it soundlessly closed again. Her back stiffened with a jerk that vibrated through her shoulders as the bright white of a school uniform shirt reflected in the glass in front of her, a dark slash traveling across the chest from shoulder to hip. She spun a bit too quickly to be casual, reflexively grabbing the brim of her cap and tugging it down as she did so.

"A fine morning, technically." the faintest hint of a smile on her lips as she reflexively reached for defensive snark. There was something . . . wrong about the woman she was looking at. Juniper trusted her instincts with her life, it had been a long time since anyone had gotten the drop on her. This was beyond simply being quiet, she had no presence at all, like a reflection, or a photograph, all the bits were there but they didn't project anything human. The Prefect smiled as the jaws of the trap snapped closed, and like she was letting out a held breath she was suddenly there fully. Juniper couldn't really explain it any better than that . . . but then, since coming to the island she'd experienced at lot of things she had difficulty explaining.

"Ms. Deas, isn't it?" she said conversationally, the smile deepening as she gave the length of cable a quick tug, causing the refrigerated case to hop up off of the floor and into her hand, she stood slightly to the side keeping her body between the Prefect and her prize, "You're looking quite lovely, the night air seems to agree with you." It was an odd play, generally those in her position, when confronted with an authority figure, would react out of fear of reprisal. Stammered apologies, preemptive action, something. No few students responded that way simply when confronted with a sash, but Juniper instead reacted as if it was the most natural thing in the world for a Badge and a Black Hat to mingle in a dark hallway. It was a curve ball, Anne had used the element of surprise to probe Juniper for a response, now Juniper was throwing a little surprise of her own to see how the Prefect would handle it.

The bill of her cap cut off the prefects face as she considered her footing. Anne Deas . . . there were worse cards she could have drawn, she supposed. Anne had a bit of a reputation, a bit of a light touch as Prefects went, the sort to set you straight and move on rather than really grind their heel in. She'd come from money, but it had apparently served as a barrier to her forming friendships early on, since most of what she'd pulled up of the girl's Freshman year painted her as something of a wallflower. You wouldn't know it to look at her now, it seemed that the Headgirl had done no small amount of molding, teaching her the casual confidence and unspoken superiority due her station. Unlike Ms. Matsumoto (an exemplar of her family's cuthroat nature if ever there was one), Anne knew what it meant to be spurned and overlooked. For all that she emulated the elder girl, at their core, Juniper wagered there was a fundamental difference.

She was still Vera's agent, but Anne was developing her own methods. The investigator didn't reject the notion that Vera might be using her as a cat's paw, but she had to consider that it was possible that Anne would recognize her entirely on her own. The girl kept herself in the loop, personally when able, and through intermediaries when students shifted to discussions they didn't want reaching the halls of power. Juniper was far from invisible, she'd cultivated a certain measure of mystique, giving the impression of a woman who kept her fingers to the pulse of the school's social structure. She kept herself appraised of rumors and generally knew the truths behind them. Where someone had a desperate need, she'd find who could meet it and act as an intermediary to ensure privacy and protection for both parties. She was building a base of contacts and favors . . . though, for what, no one could really say.

Anne chuckled lightly at the students reaction and words, the sound mirthful and loud in the quiet of the hallway. She was actually impressed at the speed of recovery and how she somehow managed to seem that she entirely allowed to be here, almost like there was a class about to start and she was just passing time until the tutor turned up. Of course, her body language spoke worlds more than that and Annes smile didn't leave her face as she noted the way that the steel box was "protected" behind the students body, her face was shielded by her cap and the subtle turning of her face.

"Why thank you Miss....?"

She was intrigued beyond measure. Just what was this student up to? And why was she so confident in whatever that was? Anne felt an urge to step forward and lift the cap off the students face so she could see exactly what she was dealing with here. Her accent was most definitely British and she stood inches taller than Anne herself, although such a thing didn't phase her in the least. She kind of hoped that this student wouldn't demean herself by using her height in an attempt to intimidate her. She certainly knew who she was and that was already far ahead of most students that recognised the sash first and the person second... This meant that whoever this was she had done her homework in advance... But what that meant Anne couldn't guess... Yet.

Anne deliberately let her question hang, waiting for a response before continuing.

"I don't suppose you want to tell me exactly why you are breaking curfew, breaking dress code, climbing in through windows when there are perfectly serviceable doors and of course, handling something which i'm pretty certain doesn't belong to you?"

Her smile didn't falter as she raised an expectant eyebrow. Her voice was polite and friendly as if they were still just discussing how lovely the night was and complimenting each other, rather than Anne reciting breach of school rules, each one alone would have been enough for a write-up at the very least, and could easilly be pushed into long detentions and even trips to the basement if Anne decided.

"And please, that cap doesn't suit you inside. It makes you look like a burgular rather than the explempary student you no doubt are."

The last was said without any sarcasm tinging her voice, although there was a thin element of steel hiding behind the words, moving it from an idle conversation peice into a request that was expected to be obeyed. But nothing more, as she very much wanted to hear what the black-clad student had to say first before jumping to any conclusions or decisions, and jumping down her throat wasn't a good way at getting simple answers.

Under her cap, the laugh lines around Juniper's eyes bunched up as she heard the soft chuckle that cut cleanly through the silent night. Good, no sharp reprisals for a lack or respect, no command to cut the crap, she seemed bemused more than anything. Bemused and curious she noted, at a slight twitch of the other girl's fingers as she considered reaching out to unmask the intruder. Juniper could work with that. Faux politeness was practically a British institution, after all, and trading quips gave her time to sort out a plan of action.

"No need to stand on ceremony for my account, Ma'm." she said jauntily, "Joan is name enough for me." That was a calculated risk, Juniper half suspected that Anne knew exactly who she was, after all, giving a false name could spoil her odds at disentangling herself safely from this unfortunate run-in. Still, giving only a first name made sense, it would be harder for her to sort through the school files to match a face to the name if she had to later, and "Joan" was close enough to "June" that the investigator could claim that the Prefect had misheard her if the point became pressed. Particularly with their mutual accent.

"My my, so full of questions!" she laughed lightly, inclining her head towards the window for a moment as if she were checking for something, "Shall we walk and talk? There can be . . . unpleasant consequences to lingering about at night." with her free hand, she gestured down the hallway in the direction opposite her dorm. Assuming the other woman were interested in moving from their current stalemate, Juniper would move to step first, turning to keep the box on the opposite side though her profile was a bit more visible as she'd half turn to look at the other girl as she walked.

"Let's see . . . which to answer first." she said, stalling a bit, tapping her chin, "Well, not to be contrary, M'am, but if you'll check the student handbook I think you'll find that I'm not in violation of the student dresscode. In the dorms, we're allowed the freedom to dress how we wish, so long as it's tasteful. So I think I'll keep my hat, if it please you." she smiled a bit. Dresscode was one of the policies she'd taken the time to familiarize herself with in short order, given that she'd never had to wear a uniform before knowing how far she could stretch things without being in violation. Even if Anne saw her face, Juniper just had to fabricate sufficiently compelling evidence that she was mistaken, perhaps in tandem with some false testimony from one of her marks who still owed her a favor. If the cameras got a look at her, however, she'd be stuck . . .and that was what the hat was truly for.

"As for my being out and about, well, you said it yourself, M'am. It's a lovely night for a walk." she shrugged her shoulders slightly, "I was feeling restless, and I didn't want to keep my room mate up with my pacing, or turn on a reading light. So, I thought to myself, "what's the harm", eh?" she smiled a bit and raised the case in her hand slightly, "And as for this? Well, I can assure you that it doesn't belong to anyone else. Well, the carrying case does, but that's been checked out through the proper channels and will be returned in a day or two." Of course, she'd falsified those permissions, but that didn't mean there wasn't paperwork she could point at in a pinch. As for what was inside, well, how could it have another owner? The school had done everything in their power to ensure that, so far as everyone was concerned, it didn't exist. Oh, she was sure that certain people would argue otherwise, but they'd have to know she had it first . . . and she wouldn't be keeping it near her for very long.

"I must agree though, climbing through the window sounds positively queer. Are you certain that's what you saw?" she teased slightly. Juniper had done a visual sweep as she'd entered and seen no sign of the Prefect, so she was sure that Ms. Deas hadn't seen her climb in. No, she'd seen a girl pull something up from the ground floor with a length of cable, and then, rather than bolt upon discovery, she'd engaged the girl in conversation, stalled, tried to lead her away from the window. Protecting a nonexistent accomplice, so that she could play at simply being the bagwoman.

Annes eyes narrowed as Joan turned to move away from the window. She was tempted to let her lead the way as it was the easiest way of finding exactly where her dorm room was. Each student had a key for their room, complete with stamp that identified which student it belonged too in case of it being lost... which meant that this Joan only had one place to go. But, while tempted the flippant, unconcerned display so lacking of any respect at all rapidly moved her mood from amused into annoyed.

As Joan moved off she took a quick step towards the window, reaching out and pulling it shut without taking her eyes off the black clad student. The thought that there might have been someone else there did cross her mind, but even if there was she certainly couldn't do anything about it, and therefore didn't give it any more thought. Besides, there was something about this student that she didn't quite trust, something offcentre that pulled at the corner of her mind. It took a couple of short strides as she caught up with Joan.

"Unpleasent consequences to lingering? I would be most interested to the consequences you are talking about. So, in lieu of someone else turning up, you can stop right there and we can have a little conversation, as we have a few things to discuss."

On the surface her voice sounded as cheerful as before, but there was a hardness to it which wasn't present before. Her face had also lost its formally completely amused look and now there was something else there, something full of iron and steel which brooked no arguments. She waited making sure that she had the erstwhile students full attention before continuing.

"First of all, I confess I'm impressed. You state the letter of the rules well Miss. Obviously you have listened to your tutors and read up on the student handbook, something that I would normally applaud. However, I don't think you would find that many people which would agree that wearing black, at night, with a cap which you are using to hide your face from me as particularly tasteful. In fact by doing so you are starting to cross that border from merely being in bad taste, to being insulting."

She folded her arms, her eyes still pinning the student to the floor. While her smile still was present it seemed harder, less friendly than before.

"In addition, feeling restless is no excuse for breaking the school rules. As you have read the student handbook well enough to quote dress codes at me, then you are no doubt aware of the curfew. You attempt to use the rules to protect you in one breath, then ignore them in the next? What makes you think you are above the rules in that manner?"

"And then, on top of that you are arguing with me about what I have seen or not seen? While also expecting me to believe that a case you are carrying dressed all in black after said curfew is supposed to be in your possession? All in all Miss, You are not making a very good impression on me. But, it's late and I was in a good mood so I will give you one chance to improve that. You will give me your cap, that case and your second name. Right now. If the case is yours then I will return it to you tomorrow morning complete with an apology."

She unfolded one arm and took a step forward, holding it out towards Joan for the case and cap.

"Oh?" Juniper didn't argue, letting her feet come to a stop in the hallway, though her lips her pursed together in a thoughtful pose, "Do you welcome such things? Or maybe you're simply unaware . . . either way, that's interesting." there was a bemused tone to her voice as she murmured half to herself. She reached her hand up to flick the bill of her cap, raising the brim just high enough for her light brown eyes to peer out as she regarded the Prefect. There was a harsh crack to the Prefect's voice, but rather than being cowed, Juniper's smile only deepened until she was showing teeth. She took a step back and leaned against the wall of the hallway, propping one foot up as if she were shooting the breeze with an old friend rather than receiving a dressing down.

"Now, why would you think I had anything to hide, Ms. Daes?" she said sweetly, "Did I not make it clear that I would only keep my cap at your pleasure? Was I not forthcoming with my name? Have I been anything but polite to my upperclassman?" she shrugged slightly and chuckled, apparently enjoying herself on some level.

"A wise man once told me that if you're going to break the rules, you should know exactly which rules you're breaking. It's true, I broke the curfew for a frivolous reason, but that's a fairly minor violation. So long as I don't leave the dorm, of course. Still, a violation is a violation, and so I decided to dress for the occasion, which in itself is no crime." she doffed her cap and passed it over to the Prefect, giving her head a short shake so that her short mouse-brown hair could call into place.

"As for why I might consider it a minor enough violation to risk? Well m'am, you are supposed to serve as an example to the rest of us, and here you are, remarking on just how lovely the night is. Surely, even Prefects have morning classes, particularly ones as driven to excellence as yourself." she paused a moment to run her fingers through her hair, trying to settle her hat hair into a semblance of something orderly. She was still feeling the situation out in her own way, sorting out her equilibrium, making a point of the fact that she was unimpressed but stopping short of being truly disrespectful as she saw it.

"The last name is Modnar, by the way." she relented to giving her name, dropping her mask. Even if she didn't know it for the night, she doubted that the Prefect wouldn't look into her after they parted ways, and a deception would only make her more irate. "As for arguing with you . . . I believe I agreed with you. A second story window that locks from the inside? Seems like an unreliable entry point, doesn't it? It's more than a bit risky, particularly when the doors are so much more convenient. Of course, when confronted with something so foolish seeming, most would question the validity of their core assumption." she tilted her head back and arched an eyebrow, "Ah, but then, maybe you think I am a fool?"

"Alas, on the final point, I'm afraid I must disobey." she said, shrugging her shoulders helplessly, though the smile didn't leave her lips, "But, you know who I am, and you'll know where to find me in short order. If anything is reported stolen in the morning, you'll know exactly where to look." she pushed off from the wall and took a step towards the Prefect, leaning forward a bit, "Or are Prefects allowed to confiscate things from students on a suspicion now? Perhaps you'd like to accuse me of stealing the hat as well . . . or perhaps some other garment of mine?" she chuckled a bit. But she didn't move further down the hallways just yet, content to wait until she was given leave.

“No Miss Modnar. I do not think you are a fool." Anne replied, her face impassive despite the much taller student leaning towards her. "Actually I’m of the opinion you know exactly what you are doing and have and are rather depressingly prepared. While normally I would be the first to celebrate such preparation, in this case I only feel sadness as all your effort is merely to circumvent rules put in place for your own safety and to assist you.”

Tucking the cap under her arm, she stood her ground, appraising the student. She seemed overly confident, which meant she was a masterful poker player, or she knew something that Anne didn't. Given that her attire screamed "Don't look at me!", right down to the gloves she was going to bet on the former. There was also an introspection there, as if she was playing for time - although she couldn't tell whether it was to plan or that she was waiting for something... or someone. If it were someone then she would find herself in a difficult situation very quickly as she doubted that they would head back to the dorms quietly at that point. A little bit at the back of her brain once again pondered asking Kite to teach her some form of self defense… although it still felt daft… why should you need to know how to defend yourself in a school of all places?

“Your excuses are the same as a common criminal, being caught red handed in someone elses house and saying that “its no crime to be wearing black” and “you can’t prove that I’m not supposed to be here”. The police would already have you in cuffs and be heading straight down to the local jail, but, this is a school and contrary to what you might believe I’m actually interested in helping you, even though if you don’t seem to have the slightest bit of interest in it. Therefore, I’m simply going to cut this verbal sparring match short and simply inform you that you are wrong. I CAN confiscate items that are in breach of school rules, or those items you are not supposed to have.”

Anne paused a second, letting that sink in, speaking again before Joan could say anything in response.

“Your cap is not confiscated, and I have only taken it so you can talk to me like a responsible adult rather than trying to hide behind it. I will give it back to you once we reach your dorm. On the other hand, I WILL be taking that case, and the paperwork you have authorizing you to it, unless of course that paperwork very clearly states you are supposed to be walking the halls past curfew with it in hand. If you cannot, then I’ll take the case, details of where and who you have acquired it from and I’ll check first thing. And if you can’t even manage that then I’m going to end up having to report this to Miss Matsumoto, who will then likely ask me to create untold amounts of disruption to students and tutors, not to mention my own time as they check any sealed projects in progress in an attempt to find out where you may have acquired it. I became a Prefect to help fellow students as I once needed it, and someone actively hindering others hard work for whatever reason does not sit very well with me.”

Her annoyance had only been growing and had had quite enough of this student prevaricating, trying to distract her. She let some of that annoyance creep into her face and voice, the last few words coming out clipped. She didn’t however step forward this time, merely standing there impassively.

“Please do not take this as a discussion Miss Modnar. You will hand me whatever authorization you have, if any. You will then hand me that case and then we will head back to your dorm where you will get some sleep. If you want a discussion we can do so in the morning when we can also start talking about exactly how many demerits you are going to be awarded for tonight.”

"Mmn, I think your analogy could use some work, Anne." Juniper said, a bit too familiarly as she took a step to the left, "I mean, really, found in someone else's home? I do live here, you know. This is a bit more like being caught doing drugs in your room by an elder sister, I'd think. An elder sister who feels entitled to butt into the younger's domain simply because Mommy and Daddy think of her as "The Responsible One." her next step took her a bit closer to Anne, but then another to the left. She wasn't moving away from the Prefect, she was circling her, her expression somewhere between predatory and scrutinizing as she tapped her free finger to her chin in thought, "Which is to say that you're meddling in things that don't involve you, and I don't appreciate it. But I understand that your motives for doing so are positive. Concern for my well being, and, of course, the "family" as a whole."

She raised an eyebrow slightly as she took the few steps behind the Prefect, wondering if she'd turn to keep Juniper in sight or not. It was kind of interesting finally meeting Anne Deas face to face, she wasn't at all what Juniper had imagined from the file. She spoke with conviction, but it didn't seem to cross over into self-righteousness. Her use of authority was firm, but not blunt. She was tenacious, didn't let herself be lead around. Yes, there were many admirable traits to her, and she hadn't reacted as if she'd recognized the name Modnar when dropped, so Vera hadn't set her after the investigator. Unfortunately, it seemed like a bribe wasn't going to work . . . and even if Anne were susceptible, there was the question of what she could even offer Ms. Deas.

"Of course, you're right. The hour is late for a proper conversation." she said as she strode back around to Anne's right side, "So, I'll cut to the heart of it. If you truly believe I'm not a fool, than you must know that I wouldn't casually refuse direct instruction from a Prefect, without good reason." she said, shrugging her shoulders with a bit of a smile, "The thing is, what I have here has the potential to be . . . well . . . somewhat dangerous if improperly handled. If I simply turned it over, and you wound up hurt because of me, I don't think I'd be able to forgive myself. I need some time to properly neutralize it." she took a moment to lift up the bottom of her shirt, a folded up piece of paper tucked into the waistband of her skirt, she offered it to Anne. Really, the notion of Ms. Matsumoto tearing through every sealed project in the school didn't bother her as much as it should have. In point of fact, causing that kind of chaos and ill will suited her temperament just fine. Some of those programs could, no doubt, bear to stand a little scrutiny.

"The permissions for the case. Of course, it doesn't include anything for curfew violation, I'd need a signed notice from a student council member, a member of the administration, or a representative of them like yourself for that." she said simply, "Still, an opportunity to properly talk things out sounds ideal. Before classes, perhaps, over breakfast? It seems the least I can do for taking up your time like this." she raised up on the balls of her feet for a moment before rocking back on her heels, arms held behind her back as one hand grasped the wrist of the hand still holding the case.

“Ms Deas." Anne corrected bluntly "And thank you for your revised analogy, however incorrect your assessment of the situation may be. Whatever you may think, it does not change that this does involve me, and did from the second you decided to break curfew.”

Her tone remained clipped. Her patience hung by a thread and the fixation with a box was really getting to her. She wasn’t used to people being quite this slippery, trying every trick to get out of something that she may have seen as trivial. It sparked that age-old curiosity in her but whereas she once might have tried something more underhand, such as following Juniper quietly and stealing a look at it, nowadays she simply commanded and expected obedience. She wanted to know what was so important about it, but also just why someone would go to this lengths of protecting it... It was a puzzle although a bit of her could certainly understand it. She had tried sneaking into places she certainly wasn't allowed, although that was long ago and she had been rather naive back then.

She didn’t turn around, being led in a circle, although she did twist her body slightly looking over her shoulder to keep an eye on the taller student. As she completed her circuit she slowly turned her head the other way to keep sight. She had no interest in turning in circles to placate a silly intimidation technique. It wasn't until the bit of paper was produced She only turned fully when she was handed the piece of paper, unfolding it as she listened.

The moonlight was just about enough to read by and she quickly scanned through the decidedly dog-eared document. She noted, with a frown on her face that it seemed official although for all of that it was incredibly so vague, merely authorizing a certain Juniper Modnar possession of one refrigerated case for the purposes of an experiment for one week, starting the day before yesterday. The authorization came from the Head of the Biology department.

Anne folded the paper slowly, taking the time to think as she did so. It seemed that every single move this student made was a calculated deception and she was slowly getting to the heart of things. Each step seemed to have a backup plan just in case, such as only now giving some paperwork. The implication was that she wanted as much deniability as possible… But what to do about it? The name on the form wasn’t Joan, but Juniper and she could use that, but she knew that there would be a plausible excuse for it, just as there had been for everything else. The fact that the authorization seemed entirely valid left her in a difficult position. She could certainly use the force of her Prefecture and hope that her Mistress would back her, but what if she was wrong…? Self-doubt flickered across her face momentarily as she contemplated her options.

“I’m afraid that this authorizes a Juniper Modnar, not a Joan Modnar” Anne said, her voice flat. The self doubt that had been present for that brief span of time disappeared as she spoke, being replaced by a firm resolve to her words. “And before you say that Joan is what everyone calls you or something similar, I will continue. I said to you that this was not a discussion any more. You have handed me authorization, but no permission even though you know exactly where to get it. Therefore I will simply fulfil my side of my deal. I do not waste my words."

There may be doubt in leadership, but it must never be shown. Vera's lessons held her true and she firmed herself around her own decision. If she was wrong then so be it! Taking a bit of power from the annoyance that was still coursing through her veins of being led around, having this upstart of a student attempt to intimidate her and generally being obstinate she stopped questioning herself. Her voice didn't waver and remained as flat as it had been when she first spoke.

"However, I thank you for your concern about my well-being, so please follow me where you can make that safe until morning, as i'm sure you would like me to return it when meet me for breakfast to discuss this matter." She didn't mention that it would be a wonderful way of her finding out just what it was that she was willing to risk such trouble about.

"I am not in the habit of repeating myself. I really hope that you don't argue any more Miss Modnar, as I would truly hate to escalate this beyond a simple misunderstanding that i'm sure it is, and involve security."

Juniper stepped forward, a little too close to be casual as the Prefect read over her forged permission slip, though careful to stay out of the light cast from the windows. Her lips pursed together slightly in a bemused expression, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes as she watched Anne's face. There it was, the slightest wrinkle on her forehead, her lips pressed together ever so slightly as her certainty faltered for just a moment, if Juniper hadn't been watching for it so intently she surely would've missed it. Having seen it, however, her expression shifted to an easy smile.

"Well, I certainly can't argue that you have the authority to make it your business." she admitted, shrugging her shoulders, reaching to retrieve the beaten piece of paper, "Juniper's a little long for casual conversation, don't you think? Though a fair bit easier on the tongue than "Ms. Modnar." she spoke her surname in a clipped and precise tone, rolling just a bit of her father's Russian accent into it for affect. She waved her hand distastefully, "Really, I prefer June."

She covered her mouth with one hand, stifling a laugh that was equal parts nerves and genuine amusement when Ms. Deas suggested that she was willing to involve security. She didn't realize that she had Anne quite off balance enough to remind the troublemaker that she had access to reinforcements. Perhaps she found Juniper's height more imposing than the investigator had thought? No, more likely her temper was a little frayed, tired of dancing verbal circles in the middle of the night.

"My dear, it was never my intention to argue, merely clarify." she said when she was finally certain she could speak clearly, "We certainly could involve those brutes and have a good old fashioned chase, but honestly I much prefer the diversion of your unexpected appearance. You're not at all what I had expected."

"Lead on, madam." she said, gesturing down the hallway with her open hand, the other still held behind her back, "So long as you can refrain from opening the case, all we really need is a refrigeration unit. The internal battery is only good for another two hours. As a Prefect, your room is unshared, yes? That would work, and would be a private rendezvous point for breakfast." she nodded slightly to herself.

"Let's see, does an hour before your first class sound workable? Gives me enough time to cook something up, serve it fresh, and clean up. Plenty of time to go over things, surely." she lightly stroked her chin and considered the ceiling for a moment, as if trying to remember something, "Mn . . . no food allergies that I can remember . . . anything in particular you'd like?"

Anne didn't like the security, seeing them as superfluous to requirements. They seemed to add very little, only being needed a tiny handful of times in any year, and even then those occurrences could probably have been dealt with by teachers. Her threat of involving was merely a barb to see how she reacted

"No. I will leave that decision up to you." She replied. The conversation had turned most strangely as it seemed that this particular student had not only just done her homework, but had actually gone gone straight through into extra credit. Not only did she seem to know her own class schedule, but with talking about her allergies as well that peculiar comment about not being what she expected. That was a lot of detail, and that would mean that she fully expected to come across her in one form another. For that level of interest, and her position this, in turn, could only mean that she either had a serious crush, or that she expected to run afoul of rules. Since she had already said "A wise man once told me that if you're going to break the rules, you should know exactly which rules you're breaking" her money was most definitely on the latter.

Yes, breakfast would be MOST interesting. Assuming she could stop this student from using that silver tongue of hers to keep going around the houses. But that was for tomorrow. Right now she wanted to get back to her dorm room and get some of her own homework done on this June. She was most certainly behind and she found that she didn't enjoy being the one playing catch up.

"This way then please Miss Modnar" she said, before turning and leading the way to her own room. She considered using the offered informality but she was tired and had no patience left. It was now a simple matter of obedience. The details didn't matter as she could easily supply what was needed.

An exasperated sigh escaped Juniper's lips as she was directed to follow the Prefect . . . by her surname again. She shrugged and shook her head slightly. However, as the elder girl began to walk down the hallway, the faint shadow of a smirk graced her lips again.

"But of course, Anne." now that she sure things were going to remain civil Juniper stretched her arms out to the sides and then up, before droping her hands to rest behind her head with the case lightly resting against her shoulders. Using a long stride, she caught up to Anne in short order, although, where normally someone might trail respectfully behind the Prefect, or even walk in front where the other girl might keep an eye on her, Juniper seemed content to walk alongside Ms. Deas as if the two of them were simply enjoying a nightly constitutional.

"Mmn . . . so, I'm curious. Have you managed to catch the sunrise on the eastern shore yet?" she asked conversationally, half closing her eyes. It was hard to shake the impression that she knew exactly the route that the Prefect had in mind, and was simply going through the motions at the moment, content to make small talk about small, incidental things as they wound their ways through the school's halls.

"Yes." Anne replied. "It is a bit of a walk but very much worth the view. I would recommend it although it really is an early start. All in all a good way to start the day."

Let her chew over that Anne thought, a little tritely. She had visited there but it seemed a lifetime ago, back when she had such things as free time and she had roamed across the campus grounds. Before she had met the woman that had stolen her heart. She almost missed those days but all in all it was worth the trade. She was most definitely tired for her to react in such a manner. She had no objection to Juniper walking alongside her, in fact it was preferable as she could both guide and keep and eye on her.

After the first couple of turns she noticed that with small shifts of the shoulders and feet Juniper knew the way they were going. This was simply expected, as if she had learnt as much as was apparent the location of her room was the least of that knowledge. She didn't lead with any more questions however, seemingly happy to answer and close the distance to her room.

"It is. I never saw the sun rise from the sea before I came here." Juniper said with a slightly wistful smile on her lips, she glanced over before continuing, "It's important to take advantage of the opportunities granted to us, don't you think? I mean, with all the school work it can be easy to forget that we're all living on a tropical island. No matter what we do, we'll never get these days back after all." she glanced forward again, "There's a bluff a bit north of the school grounds that extends out over the sea in the right direction . . . lovely view. At the right time, it seems like the whole sea is made of rolling amber . . . I keep meaning to get up there and snap a picture. Might be a pretty good seller." she whistled happily at that notion, closing her eyes for a moment.

"Speaking of financial opportunities . . . " she said after a moment, raising an eyebrow, "You don't really follow the trends at the commissary, do you? I heard that the confectionery is set to receive a shipment of strawberries from the mainland tommorrow morning . . . most of 'em will end up in cold storage, but he'll have an array of tea cookies and tarts up for grabs in the morning. It's a pretty popular item . . . I don't know where he gets the buttercream that he puts in there, but it's sinfully good." she shrugged her shoulders gently.

"They might make a nice 'thinking of you' gift . . . if you should happen to know someone with an affection for western teas." as the two of them turned a corner, Juniper slowed a few steps at a lumbering shadow stomping it's way down a routine sweep of the dorms. She saw the uniform and her heart unclenched, though only slightly, the man was broad in the shoulders and thick-necked, built like a broad wall of meat and authority. Muscles tensed as he prepared for a chase, but then he recognized the sash around Ms. Deas's shoulder and relaxed slightly, giving Juniper a dirty look as she waved casually. Better than a hall pass.

"Although, they do tend to go quickly." she cautioned, still smiling.