To say that she was a little nervous was an understatement. As per her Mistresses orders she had rested for the remainder of the day while studying her student handbook as best as she could in preparation for this. She still had a lot of courses to juggle and assume that was the reason her Mistress had selected the weekend.

She was a bundle of nerves. Since the beginning she had been aware of the tools of her Mistress. At first she had been a bit jealous feeling worthless. It wasn't as if the role of a domestic was bad, it was just that she felt that she should be more useful in away, that anyone could come along and serve her function and thus displace her.

Since coming to the school there was so little to look forward to and now with the enchantment invoked by Therion she would have been utterly alone if she could not serve her Mistress. She had her schooling to look towards and her servitude though nothing else.

But she was unsure how this would go. Would Anne thing that she was trying to get in the way her by doing something that she already excelled at and that there had been no point for her to take on such a mantle, that she might be challenging for that spot …

Of course that hadn't been the case. She just wanted to feel useful and the more she could do, the more that she could assist her Mistress whether it was as a prefect dealing with the enforcement of rules or preparing the evening meal or washing floors all the better, right?

Would Anne see it that way? She had her instructions. To serve for the weekend. While she had not asked her Mistress how to get in touch with Anne it was easy enough to find her, hence the blue sash. Girls could point her out easily enough and it was on Friday after her Chemistry class that she sought her out. There was a project that she was finishing up for the course due on Monday but today she sought out Anne to make arrangements for that weekend.

Her heart beat in her chest as she saw the prefect in the hall as she was heading to the cafeteria the last known location of the prefect. Her fingers nervously played against the bell on that collar that she was wearing, the enchantment placed there by Therion made it invisible and inaudible to normal human senses save for hers and the guests of the island but it quickly corrupted the thing she once loved most as it was a gift of her Mistress that she had asked for. Now it was a dinner bell so to speak for when it chimed …

... anywhere, any time ...

The words played out in her head. To an onlooker it appeared as if she were simply rubbing her neck.

“Excuse me. Miss Deas is it?” She first would confirm is she had the right person. Once that was out of the way she looked down at her feet, hands folded, she did not want to waste any time dispute the nerves that fluttered through her.

“Our Mistress wishes me to report to you over the weekend. Where and when shall we meet?”

The two students slunk away silently, not looking back as Anne sat there at the cafeteria table fuming to herself. Of all the hair-brained, stupid things that people thought would be funny and those two thought that stolen diluted hydrochloric acid added to someone elses drink would qualify. An innocent prank they had said. No-one was going to get hurt they had said. The only thing that stopped her from giving them so many demerits that they wouldn’t see outdoors until graduation was an request from the person that the prank was going to be done too. Why, she could guess but she had received more than a few promises which she would hold all parties too in return… and if just one of those was broken…

Well, that would lead to a very unpleasant occurrence as they would find out just how bloody minded she could be. As it stood they would get off lightly with a mere month of detention where it would be seen if some lessons of sense could be drummed into them, a certain curtailment in their access to science equipment and whatever free time they had left would be spent helping clear up the garbage at the cafeteria under supervision. She really wondered just how the two that had left had ever got into a school as prestigious as Shokushu given they were tall of leg, large in buxom and small in brain, seemingly lacking a single ounce of common sense between them. It was like they had gotten into school based on looks only.

She was about to get up to write up the report when she heard a faint jingle, not unlike a carried on the wind. It sounded like it came from far far away but at the same time it was distinct, clear in its difference from the background hubbub of young women talking, the clatter of plates and trays and the movement of mouths eating. She looked up, puzzled for a moment at what she could hear but she saw ere that sound had come from, straight at the purple haired woman who was approaching her. presented herself in front of her. The odd sound that she heard was forgotten as she nodded slowly in response to the enquiry, taking the time to appraise the young woman. She knew who it was without having to ask. Miss Daphnee Von Heinrich. There were very few purple haired girls in the school, and even fewer that would seek her out.

Two days ago Vera had told her that she had been told that Daphnee would serve her completely, just as she served Vera. That had been a shock as she certainly wasn’t expecting such a order, especially given her own recent correction on a similar matter. It was also a odd thought as Anne had absolutely no desire to be in charge of anything - but if Vera wanted her to look after Miss Von Heinrich then she would without even a moments hesitation. She knew in part what Vera was after - Daphnee had aspirations to become a prefect and part of this was so she could gain an inkling of what would be expected of her. In addition, Anne couldn't quite shake the suspicion that it were also some sort of test… One to tell whether she was listening to her Mistress and had truly sorted out her own mind with regards to her sisters and her position... or perhaps one to see if she were ready for something else? What that might be though she had no idea. She already had everything she wanted after all.

The purple haired woman stood in front of her radiating enough nervous energy to power a small town. Her body was lithe and she looked like she wanted to fidget, hop or otherwise shift. She did well keeping those nerves contained though, keeping her hands folded and gaze down. It probably didn't help Daphnee's nerves that Anne already wasn't in a brilliant mood which showed. She sat there dressed, as ever in her pristine school uniform, her dark blue sash stark against her blouse. Her midnight black hair hung down her back freely in much the same style as Vera's and she regarded Daphnee, her face unreadable.

“Miss Matsumoto. Not Mistress.” Anne corrected quietly. “Such terms are not for public occasions.”

Anne spoke quietly, her voice carrying clearly just to Daphnee's ears. There was no-one sat near the Prefect, partly because people didn't by choice but mainly because she had just been chewing out two students and few wanted to brave the ire of an already irked Prefect. The low hubbub of the cafeteria droned on in the background as Anne continued.

"The weekend begins when you rise Miss Von Heinrich. Meet me at my room at nine tommorrow where we can begin. Of course, if you would rather you can begin now?"

Anne didn't think it was fair to force beginning now. She had to finalise punishments for the two idiot students, return the acid and she still had a evening class to attend which started in a little over one hour. Plus she wasn't certain she could be entirely fair until she had managed a few moments to cool herself off. She could certainly hide it, but that wasn't the same thing and she wouldn't let down her Mistress by turning into a bully because of others.

Indeed she was nervous but she it was a small point in having found Anne without having to ask Vera those details. Besides, their was the college directory if she needed to find a particular student assembled by the college for sake of ease. When students got together for study groups for instance or when working on joint projects. It was just easier and if Daphnee couldn't consult a book then what good would she have been to her Mistress.

Anne looked, well she looked mean. She was in a bad mood Daphnee hoped for if it were a mood it would pass, Daphnee hoped. Her Mistress aught her a lesson about assuming things after all so only time would tell.

And to start things off being corrected, she certainly wasn't starting on the right foot.

“Of course, Miss Deas.” She promptly agreed. While she wasn't ashamed to admit her roll she had considered that Anne was bringing up a valid issue. But it was a small matter, just a little correction. She was still new to a lot of things, not as new as she once was mind you but this was the first time this issue had com up.

Vera had made I clear that she was to listen and watch Anne over the weekend but she had no qualms about starting early too. She was not expecting it though, with the five classes this semester she had a lot of work. In fact she had two papers due on Monday though one was half finished. With the greater work load finishing things early all the time.

“Regretfully I have a little work to finish before the weekend that I was hoping to get out of the way,” if she got one paper down the other would be easier to finish though with her mornings and evenings consumed at least it was going to be a challenge to get that second paper done. Fortunately she had read all the source material and had an outline already it was just getting it written.

She would not have minded starting right away to display her enthusiasm if not for her work. She had debated on the matter briefly though Vera would probably be displeased if she put off her schooling too. So it was later that evening where she had looked in the directory for Anne's room, set her alarm for six and got one paper out of the way. It was fairly late before she finished and when she woke she wasn't as refreshed as she had liked but she was in worse states before, much worse actually.

After a shower she was feeling a little better though debated on what to wear for ages it seemed. It was the weekend, but she was on a semi official role here so the uniform made more sense. She eventually settle on it, made a lunch for herself and Anne just encase (it was only a few ham and cheese sandwiches and two bags of chips along with a few bottled waters and a couple of apples. She had packed up her student handbook, some pens and a notebook. Thinking it over she wondered if she were forgetting something but didn't wish to be late.

Before leaving she placed her wrist guards back on. She got permission to wear them, to cover her scars but to actually have gone this long without slipping them on today … she was distracted and focused … was she looking forward to this that much? Did she have that strong of a desire to be useful that she would forget something so basic? All that was left was getting to Anne's. She was a little early, eager to begin.

Once Daphnee had left Anne sat still, her eyes watching where she had departed too. She felt a little bad that she hadn't damped down her temper a little more as she had no interest in scaring the girl… But she wanted to be Vera’s Prefect she would have to deal with things far worse than her mood. She took a quick look around before standing, checking that there was nothing and nobody else that was after her before setting off towards the science labs. She had a lot to do before her evening class and, as always, limited time.

The next morning Anne’s eyes flicked open between one heartbeat and the next and she sat up, stretching languorously. Folding her feet under her she looked at the clock, noting that she was awake just before the alarm (as always) and a deft touch flicked it off. She paused a moment longer there, smiling into the small framed picture of Vera that rested by the clock. With a small bow of her head to her image she rolled out of bed and set about readying herself for the day ahead. By the time she heard the knock at the door she had showered, made the bed, eaten, washed up and changed into her school uniform (She was rarely, if ever off duty after all) with her sash hanging from shoulder to hip.

Anne glanced at the clock and smiled at the knock. It was gratifying that she was early – she would have hated to start on a bad note. She opened the door and stood to one side, allowing Daphnee to step in. "Good morning Miss Von Heinrich. Please, come in and take a seat" Anne said, gesturing to one of the chairs by the balcony.

Her room was pristine as always. There was a fresh smell of flowers on the air, blown through the room through the open doors of the balcony by the warm morning breeze. Her room was larger version of the dorms that Daphnee was familiar with, although it had a separate room for a luxurious bed and a small kitchen. Her desk had a pile of files and work stacked neatly to one side and it looked like Anne had already been up working on something, although it could have just as easily been last night.

The chairs were comfortable and rather plush, far in excess of normal student furniture (aside that in the common room of course), both spaced so that they could look at each other or outside with equal ease. A thick-pile rug (again, not exactly student issue) lay between them. Anne had made use of some of the privileges of rank, although aside from the computer in the corner of her desk there were no signs of a TV, radio or other things she was permitted.

As Daphnee moved towards the chair she would hear the latch click on the door as Anne shut it. She didn’t have quite the same open door policy as Vera used, being out much more of the time. Plus with her workload she didn’t enjoy interruptions when she was working, although, that said there were some that were most definitely always welcome. Anne had noted the oddities in her attire the previous evening, namely the dark guards around her wrists. Anne had already checked the permissions (although she wasn’t surprised at everything was in order – Vera not correcting something like that would have been shocking). Therefore, to see her in full school uniform on a weekend was most gratifying.

“Did you sleep well?” Anne asked with a smile as Daphnee sat. “Do you want a cup of tea or coffee before we begin?”

Depending on how Daphnee answered she prepared the drink, handing it to the other student before settling into the chair opposite her, smiling softly. She seemed a lot more friendly than she had the previous day and she settled comfortably, leaning forward gently before speaking again.

“Now then, before we begin for the day I have to ask a few questions. First of all tell me why what Miss Matsumoto is to you, beyond the simple title Mistress. Tell me what you think of her. Tell me why you serve her.”

She spoke as quietly as before, but her voice carried easily. The room was still, almost serene with no real noise coming in from the balcony given the time and only the faint hum of the fridge in her little kitchen impinging on the silence. She regarded Daphnee with an open, friendly look, politeness weaving itself through her words in defiance to her wording which was just shy of a straight order.

This was nice. The room of course was smaller than the tower that her Mistress called home but much larger than her cluttered dorm room. She had too many puppets she supposed and baring the one she had destroyed she had been thinking about trimming down her collection of ventriloquist dolls to less than a dozen. With her current work load though she had not been able to sort through things.

Daphnee had noted the work on Anne's desk neatly set aside and figured one of two things. Either she liked to keep busy as Vera did, not too surprising there seeing that she reported to the Head Girl or the work load of the position was great. Maybe even both though Daphnee only wished to be useful and did not get too concerned about the work load, she was tenacious, she would find a way to work it all out .

Invited to sit she did so setting the book bag near the seat out of the way.

“Tea. Thank you.” She had been getting use to tea and even practiced some with the tea ceremony though she was not at the stage of doing so flawlessly she worked on that in secret though she did not know if her Mistress thought too much of it, probably not but it was a nice touch that did no harm right?

She took a drink, more relaxed than the other day as if she had been picking up on the subconscious mood of the prefect. Though she had no talents for reading people in less then the broadest sense of the word.

The first question had been asked and she went to take a sip of tea as if to pause for a second to think it over but recalled that Vera did not like for delays and that trait may have rubbed off on Anne so she sits the tea down.

“First off I would like to thank you for doing this.” She was a little confused as to how she should address Vera seeing how they were in private. Miss … that seemed to be he best for that was how Anne refereed to her now but in the same sentence she used Mistress so she had to figure out where Anne fit into things. Maybe she was more than a Pet, different.

“For that answer you'd have to go back before I came here. I was placed in and out of hospitals for health issues. When your a nut case people tend to stay clear of you.” Concise she reminded herself, she'd get into those details if asked of course but she found that straight to the point was to the best.

“When I arrived here I thought I would have a knew start but that issue of being ignored followed me. Being alone all the time … it's not how a human is to exist. But Vera was amongst the first that said more than two words to me. I serve because I choose to, and option was present to me and I leapt at it. I did not want to pass the next four years alone merely existing.” Even negative attention, while she didn't particularly have a desire for it was good. It let her know she was alive.

“I think she is a terrific Mistress and have pledged to do as she commands.” Daphnee figured that she was little more than a plaything at this point, to be discarded on the whim of her Mistress but by proving to be more useful hopefully she could convince her Mistress not to discard her. Her place after all was never guaranteed for most people could do what she did and most others could learn. She did not wish to be alone again. She wished to serve. She was a girl of her word or at least tried to be. There was more but Therion made it clear that she could not speak of certain aspects.

“But as of what I think, do you mean relationship wise outside Master – Pet relations? What I might be inclined to aim for?” Daphnee just needed a little clarification on this, she was reasonably bright and figured if Anne was asking she had her reasons, perhaps even saw her as a rival.

That thought seemed to click in her head for some reason. Her, the girl never given the time of day, a rival. It was stunning to even contemplate.

Hands enfolded around her own cup of tea she sat, attentive. From an outside perspective it looked for all the world like two friends catching up. Anne’s smile was genuine as she waved off the thanks with a simple “no problem”. She was rather gratified at the politeness, as well as amused at the lack of necessity behind it. Where she certainly would have agreed if she was giving the choice, Vera hadn’t asked her opinion on this matter and so what Vera wanted, Anne made damned sure she got. Still, thanks were still nice.

Her interest in Daphnee certainly wasn’t feigned however. To choose to serve because she simply didn’t want to be ignored was… odd to Anne. She had always rather liked being ignored, slipping under the radar as it were. The peace and solitude were old friends and certainly not something to be spurned. In fact being above the parapet as a Prefect was actually one of the harder things she had to cope with. Still, calling herself a nut-case was certainly not something she approved of as it spoke of systematic bullying, something Anne took a VERY dim view of and one of the few things that would bring down unreserved wrath. It was quite possible that the damage had been done before she came here, thus it was simply being ignored just as she was… but if it was something else? She made a mental note to enquire further along that avenue as Daphnee continued.

“First of all Miss Von Heinrich, you are NOT a nutcase. If you were then do you think that someone like Miss Matsumoto would take any notice of you?”

She smiled warmly. Vera had a lot of time for those in need, and absolutely none for those that wasted it. Although, perhaps there was something crazy in all of them when you choose to be a slave, no matter what you might get out of the arrangement…

“But in answer to your question, I do indeed. There is a lot more to being a prefect than simply wearing a sash. I’m sure that Miss Matsumoto has told you a little of what may be expected of you? And I can see from your bag that you have been reading up on what is most definitely expected from a Prefect?”

She specifically used Vera’s name as opposed to the title. Her own relationship was private to her and currently the only person that she used spoke too about it was the one she also called sister. Kite. She wanted… No. Needed to see and learn more about Daphnee before she let certain walls drop between them.

“So… Just what are your aspirations? Where do you see yourself next year if you earn the sash? Do you see yourself surrounded by friends? Feared by your enemies? Just what would being a prefect mean to you? A way to clutch at power? Perhaps a way to escape from the power that others hold over you? Something as simple to make your resume more impressive when you graduate or more complex than a way to impress a lover?”

Anne’s smile turned into a bit of a wry grin. “Are you doing it for Miss Matsumoto, who you are pledged to obey… or for yourself so you are not “merely existing”?”

She said it in a way that made either answer seem like the “right” one, keeping any of her emotions and thoughts firmly away from her face and body. She watched carefully for reactions while keeping up the warm front. Anne had no desire to upset or scare the student, simply throwing out random ideas to see what would stick... and more - to see a little about how she would cope with them.

This was a strong contrast to the other day. Indeed, I had appeared that they were cordially discussing matters to anyone that chanced by and witnessed proceedings. The affirmation that she was not out of her head was a good one. After all that time of being ignored because she was crazy and realizing that she wasn't … even if she witnessed and experienced things now far more vividly then when she was living back in Boston.

Being ignored was the worse. It was essentially little better than living in solitary confinement for her. Her folks were hardly ever around and the only friends she had were whatever puppets she manufactured. But virtual no contact with anyone had made it seem that she did not even exist. Even if she received negative attention at least she would have known she were alive.

It was a big concern for her and to know that there was not one but two people out there that though she was entirely off the wall. “No. I suppose not.” The issue had come up but once and that boiled down to her meds being out of sync again.

“She has and I've done a bit of reading, mostly on the rules to know what warrants a warning or disciplinary action and what is not a violation. I thought that it would help if I had at least some better understanding to be a bit more useful this weekend.”

She considered the question for a brief moment just to structure it better. “In a year's time, perhaps even less I would like to be further useful the Miss Matsumoto. The more skills I have the more she has access to.

“The sash isn't a means to an end in getting power or making friends. Maybe a small part of me would hope to get noticed at least. Even if it's trouble makers just looking out for someone in a position of authority it's more than I'm use to at the present time.

“When I made that pledge my aspirations were rather simple and that was practicing ventriloquism and getting better at it. With that pledge though all I own and am belongs to Miss Matsumoto so my aspirations revolve about being of use to her as best as I can.

“I have no lover to impress with the sash, just a duty to carry out.” She considered that for a moment not really sure how to categorize the matter between her and Vera. Should she look upon her Mistress in such a way, as a lover? That didn't seem to be quite right. It seemed more like a Pet Owner and a Pet than any sort of romance. She of course needed little encouragement to please her Mistress in anyway that her Mistress deemed appropriate at the time but Daphnee had been straight, save for the brief contact with Vera when it occurred and the whole incident from that drug that had some unpleasant side effects …

“Well both actually. It doesn't hurt that I am not being ignored but entering into that pledge assured that I wouldn't be ignored. But the chief reason is and always will be to serve. I try to uphold my word if I give it so it would not matter if I woke tomorrow to find I have a dozen friends. That does not change the fact that I made the pledge to serve and shall do so unless dismissed.”

“Believe me, if you should earn this sash being noticed will be the least of your problems. I can practically guarantee that you, or rather that the sash that you would wear will get noticed. However only you will be able to decide if that is a good or bad thing, or what you will do with eyes on you.” Anne said with a chuckle.

“Still. That is part of the reason you are here. There are still options available if you decide not to continue with this path. Being a Prefect is not easy, and you won’t get thanked for doing it. But becoming a Prefect isn’t the only way to serve your Mistress, while being of service to Miss Matsumoto is certainly a worthy expenditure of your energy. For instance, I don’t know if you have met Kite? She serves as a member of the student council, among other positions and she certainly does not wear a sash.”

Anne paused a moment, letting that sink in, gauging her response.

She briefly pondered asking questions, quizzing her on “What would you do if…” and “What would happen if…” questions but they seemed superfluous. Anne wanted to see her in action, not just from reading a book and memorizing rules. Anne had learnt how to lead from Vera and she wanted to know what lessons had been taught to Daphnee. To do that, there was only one real way to find out and that was by doing the job.

“A final pair of questions, before you can ask me anything on your mind. Firstly, is there any order from your Mistress that you would not follow if commanded? I need to know where your limits are before we get going.”

Another pause was created as she waited for the answer before asking the second. “And secondly, if tomorrow Miss Matsumoto said that you were to take command of me, and that I were to obey any and all instructions from you… What sort of commands would you issue? How would you feel doing so?”

The day was moving on and she had limited time with Daphnee, so was eager to get going. But, those two questions couldn’t be asked outside this room, not easily at any rate and she really was curious to the answers. The second question specifically held interest as it would speak of Daphnee’s character, as well as what sort of Prefect she could make. Of course an element of “what if…?” was in there aswell, but Anne wasn’t concerned about that.

She was right of course and had he experiences of wearing the sash to draw upon her experiences. Daphnee had not stopped to consider if getting such attention was a good or bad thing at this stage e a little more useful to her Mistress then it was worth it.

“Kite has been mentioned to me and I intended to seek her out just to see her in action so to speak though I don't think the task is something I could accomplish too well. I was curious to see how it all worked before making such an assumption though. Being a prefect was nothing I ever thought would be easy but it is something I got interested in doing early on and believe I can dedicate myself, still this weekend will give me a better sense of those sorts of matters.”

She gave the next question a bit of thought after formulating a definitive 'No' on her lips then paused rubbing subconsciously at the invisible bell attached to the equally invisible collar about her neck.

“There is one … no matter how much she may punish me for it ...” she gave the matter some thought, did what she have to say constitute talking about it and thus being in violation of even talking about it?

“It is something that protects her though and not any defiance on my part if that makes sense though I cannot ...” she pauses uncertain about something hoping she gets the point across as she looks down into her tea, her nerves steadily returning as she prays that she isn't pushed to far, after all Anne's commands this weekend were in a sense her Mistress' and she does not wish to have to defy them, still … it was for the good of her Mistress and Daphnee could never explain just how much she sacrificed already to keep her Mistress safe.

She doubts that would happen, she never had power over anyone or thing in the past not even her own thoughts it seemed with all her delusions in the past. But with the sash she would have to get use to that …

“Honestly?” she looks up from her tea less nervous about this one since it was moving away from that danger zone. “It would depend on how today went. Well not the day per sae but how you held yourself. I've never been in charge of anything but if I were and you were mean then I'd be, and vice versa … unless I thought doing either would displease our Mistress and she intended for something else in which case I would follow her subconscious commands or conscious ones even if I would regret doing just that.”

She meant no malice by it, she tried to be loyal and honest in all she did only if that helped shape her life some and gave it some consistency since things were so often changing around her though she rarely got to show off these traits.

Anne pondered what Daphnee said. One thing that Vera could not order her to do... But it felt like there was more to it than that. Perhaps something, or someone that was actively preventing her from saying it. She quickly turned the issue in her mind, looking at it as the girl hesitated, her hand going to her neck. If Anne was a betting girl she would be inclined to think that whoever it was had something on Daphnee, or something over her that meant she had the equivalent of a rope around her neck. This wasn't a good thing, especially if it put Vera's safety at risk... A pet close to her who could be used wasn't a safe thing and Anne wanted to know more.. But Daphnee was sending out a very strong "I can't talk about this" vibe along with her words, and Anne wasn't inclined to force her way through it. Yet. It was certainly something she was going to keep an eye on however as she would not allow her Mistress to be threatened, especially if there were something she could do about it. Although, she always had the impression that she could defend herself better perhaps than Anne herself could...

The last couple of things were a little troubling to Anne though. Things could be taught, lessons learnt. But it would certainly be difficult for her in the short term as a Prefect with no knowledge of what it meant to be in charge would put her at a serious disadvantage. The sash would create a certain deference, but more?

The other thing was her tit for tat attitude. Vera had always extemporised order, making sure that one knew what they were doing wrong and correcting it. Still, such attitudes did have a certain uses. Either way, it was a fair answer to her question so she wasn't going to mention it. It sure as hell wasn't going to get in the way of her job through, or testing her.

Instead, she nodded slowly. "Thank you for your honesty Miss Von Heinrich. Have you got any questions for me?" Anne asked.

She had hoped that she had made a degree of sense with her answers. She had been forbidden to speak on things and while there were certain loop holes that she might be able to exploit the results of pissing Therion off or he not seeing them as creative but as a challenge to his authority had been too risky for her tastes to mess around with.

Especially when no complying placed her Mistress at risk from the demon. It was bad enough that she had been made to endure that … the thought alone caused her to shudder and worse no one save for her and the demon would ever know what she had placed herself through for the sake of her Mistress.

Nothing more than a forbidden to speak about certain matters … no there compulsions so there was no chance of her betraying her Mistress at some point, Therion could not brake that loyalty and if Vera asked her she could not speak on what happened. So she would endure punishment knowing that it would be far worse for her Mistress if she every did crack. That was something she could not allow …

It was sad in a way that she could never share her greatest triumph with anyone but she did not do this solely for praise. She was a tool to be used and she had little doubt that her Mistress would have welcomed such a fate and so …

But talk stirred away from that. She'd like to think that she would be just in her roll as prefect but in all honesty she had considered the hypothetical situation as logic dictated. It was human nature to lash out when hurt though Daphnee had hoped she'd be above such petty things there was too much hurt in her from the “guests” that resided here, too much of a desire to get even with them and knowing she couldn't get back at them but had the opportunity to get back at a student who had wronged her …

It just seemed automatic in most cases though she would probably never know in practice and was having to make a likely assumption here. She was glad that Anne appreciated the honest answers. Perhaps one day she could figure out this collar thing too if only to expand on her earlier answer a bit.

“I am a little nervous about what is expected. Now keeping up with discipline is an important matter of course and this is only out of curiosity but there's no off hours right? I mean in the sense of seeing something going on that needs attention but there's no one around to address it at the time.”

She had assumed the answer here but Vera made it clear to her that she should never assume anything. Not that this issue mattered to her taking on these challenges, she just wanted a clear understanding of the issue.

"Quite correct Miss Von Heinrich. A Prefect is never off duty, just as the Head Girl that appoints us is not. If there is a problem you will be duty bound to do what you can to assist. This includes if there is no-one else about, and even if there is. For instance, if a teacher asks you to help with something, you will be doing what they need. On top of this if someone knocks on your door at the middle of the night you will try to help as much as possible which can sometimes give you some sleepless nights."

Anne was portraying being a prefect as a bit of a bleak, thankless existence. What was a little sad is that she wasn't really exaggerating, as she couldn't really remember herself the last time she dressed up in nice comfortable clothes and went on a long walk outside the campus grounds like she used to. There was always so much to be done! However, certain things made it completely worthwhile, such as the time she spent with her Mistress.

"Now... Assuming there is nothing else?" Anne waited for a reply.

She knows a thing or two about thankless tasks but that was not her motivation for doing them. Still she was storing all this information in her mind weighing the pros and cons of the situation though the cons could not dislodge the pro in being more useful to Vera. Still she wanted to give this matter some real consideration and that was the purpose of this weekend correct? Well, it was one of them that was.

“I had figured such but just wished to confirm that.” She nodded at that. There were going to be several sleepless nights of course and of course there were going to be days that she didn't feel up to the challenges but it all was worth it in the end.

“So generally there's a lot of work to tackle on a regular basis.” She wondered if there were some scheduled brakes but figured there were none. She couldn't recall Vera ever slowing down though perhaps she just preferred to remain busy.

“There is one what official role am I to have or am I merely to observe? But there are no other questions at this time though I'm sure there will be over the weekend.”

Anne didn’t reply immediately, instead standing gracefully from the embrace of the chair. Her smile altered slightly, seeming a little colder somehow as she took the empty cup from Daphnee and stepped back.

"There is no official role for you yet Miss Von Heinrich. You are to serve me in whatever way I see fit for this weekend, just as you were commanded to by your Mistress. Now, we begin. Kneel while I wash these up.”

With that Anne turned and stepped away to wash up the cups. She could have quite easily just ordered her to do so but she wanted to see just how obedient Daphnee was going to be. As she quickly washed out the mugs she spoke, without looking around.

“You need not worry. I will certainly find plenty to keep you busy this weekend and I will be evaluating you as we go. You can ask questions as you see fit, but I also expect you to use your intelligence in what you ask and when. When I tell you to do something I expect both compliance and competence in those tasks. Failure will, of course be noted and you will be given the choice in how you wish me to deal with it.”

She left that deliberately nebulous. Daphnee would find out exactly what she meant soon enough, and now she had learnt the basics about her it was time to get going as she had spent long enough sat here talking. Technically she was on the evening patrol almost exclusively but this weekend she made arrangements and Daphnee would get a taste of how busy life could be. Shokushu had plenty of weekend classes on so the morning patrol may well have students that should be in class loitering around, although it was much harder to tell as plenty had liberty at this time. It was perhaps a cruel, throwing someone with no training in the deep end like this but if she wanted to be close to Vera… then she would earn that right, and where it came to her beloved Mistress, Anne wasn’t inclined to pull her punches.

Anne put away the cups, only then turning to see if Daphnee was kneeling or not.

“Understood,” she figured as much in regards to official roles and what not and assumed that she was going to be an observer of some kind though wasn't 100% certain that was going to be the case. That made matters a bit easier for her given that she would not be expected to jump into something but directed as necessary.

Anne wasn't even out of the room before Daphnee was kneeling. There had been no hesitation and for this weekend Anne's orders were as good as if they were Vera's own. She did so without thinking about it, admittedly this was an easy command to follow. Anne's back was to her and she wouldn't see her compliance until after she had finished with the cups.

She was thinking over what Anne had relaid to her. What did she mean about choosing how things were dealt with? She considered that for a moment though she was already anticipating that this was going to be a busy weekend she was hoping that she at least showed some promise and wasn't a total lost cause.

Amongst her nerves there was hope of course.