With a hiss of exasperation she stood up straight, brushing her hands from a few loose pieces of soil.

“What is this crap?” she said as she snatched the slip from Daphnee’s hand, giving her a glare. “What the hell do you mean I have to go to the science labs? What hours?”

She cut her own words off and was silent as she read the words on the slip. “Improper use of botanical supplies and equipment.” she read. “Creation and supply of restricted items.”, the time that it would take and of course, the signature at the bottom.

“Daphnee. What the fuck? Why are you giving me a fucking demerit slip for this? What the fuck do you know about anything?” Her eyes cast over the name at the bottom again. Anne Deas. How in the sphincter of Hell was that goody two shoes Prefect aware of her little sideline? And why was she using her roommate? Unless…

She put on her best glare and fixed her roommate with it.

“What do you know of this? Why am I getting extra work in the science labs for the entire goddamned week? Whats going on?”

She did not answer at first allowing Karin to read matters [url]for herself first. It was clear that Karin was none to happy about matters and while it was tempting to say that someone might have snitched on her she didn't want to point fingers at people either.

For a moment she had wondered if it was written down but she would soon find out.

“It doesn't matter what I know about things, just that things came to light from the little party last night and that is to be your punishment for supplying party favors. That and the destruction of the offending plant.”

Karin would probably remember that she was at the party even though they lost track of each other fairly quickly. Would she put it together though? Probably, Karin wasn't dumb, she wasn't a genius either but few people could make that clam after all.

“I was asked to ensure that you received that. As far as punishments go it's fairly light, if you make a fuss about it then it will only get worse.”

She tried to remain calm and hoped that Karin would see reason in this and relent through by her tone she didn't think that was going to happen.

Casually she looked at her roommate, wondering just how hard this would have to be.

Karin's glare only intensified as she realised what had happened.

"You little bitch..." She hissed "You shop me to Anne and you expect me not to make a fuss? I'm going to get you for this. First thing i'm going to do is have a word with Anne and tell her about your participation in that party. I saw you drinking plenty after all. I'm sure I can use an assistant with Mr Fredrik."

An evil grin lit her face at that, her glare shifting as her mind caught up with her mouth "I'm sure she will be all too pleased to learn of your other indiscressions too. Spending nights out of our room, breaking curfew and thats just for starters. Did you know you talk in your sleep Daphnee? The things you say..."

She wasn't worried about the repercussions of the party as that had been dealt with but she grew a little concerned about breaking of curfew. She did so once but that was different, it was because Kakumoah had wished for her to met with him after hours for letting her go.

Daphnee tried not to break rules when she could avoid it, it added to her invisibility if the professors didn't notice her then it was all the better since the students wouldn't be drawn to such discrepancies.

But she could not get into details as to why she broke curfew unable to speak of attacks though she supposed if she just came out and said that Kakumoah wished to meet her and she really didn't have much of a choice there.

Well, she needed a bit of a respite and the time was given to her but she could have endured her situation without having to break curfew she considered. Still to even reveal who made her do it could be a gray area that Therion didn't take kindly too and she wasn't about to risk Vera's safety to find out if she could get away with it either.

“I don't go breaking curfew every weekend like some people. I did it that one time but did so with a good reason in mind.” She shook her head.

“And if you think Anne needed my help on this well then you really don't know how good her resources are,” she sort of glossed over her involvement here, let Karin second guess matters. “She knows we are roommates and thought it would be a waste of her time to give you that slip when I could do it just as easily I presume.”

She seemed confused a moment later. Talk in her sleep? What was Karin getting at? “What do you mean?” There was the light house she checked out towards the beginning of last year but she didn't have any real clue it was off limits, there were other things where she tried to find out some answers year but what would she talk in her sleep about that was significant?

Confused and yet interested she looked to her roommate for answers.

Karin made a disgusted noise at that. "Don't talk to me about litte Miss Deas' 'resources'. That little bitch seems to stick her nose into too much that doesn't concern her. I would worry more about yourself and what I could add to her network though with what i know... After all, you seem to forget that while I might be out late some nights, its amazing how often I come back and you aren't there."

A look, that evil grin deepening, dimpling her cheeks.

" I wonder just where you go? I've heard stories... Some say you go to the tower and spend the night with Miss Matsumoto..."

She paused theatrically for a moment.

"Or possibly its your trysts outside... Perhaps she would like to hear about Therion, or even Dolom. I've asked around a little and I have a small idea just who those names attach too. Given what I know maybe Miss Matsumoto herself would be better to go to..."

It was a complete bluff. While she knew the names she knew nothing else about them. She had made some half-hearted attempts to find out more, out of curiousity what her roommate might be up to but her attempts at finding out more had come up blank so she was left guessing. Her best guess was that they were pseudonyms for teachers, to protect them should someone overhear details.

But, that, and the threat of going to a Head Girl, especially one as feared as Miss Matsumoto might cause her pest of a roommate to back off, go to Anne and recant anything she had told her. If it worked then perhaps a little more blackmail might be in order aswell... just as payback of course for this attempt on her fun.

She had not even factored in her nights at the tower considering that Vera knew about those but Karin did not. That had been a point that she had been less concerned with though of course she did not want any rumors going on about herself.

“Like I said, if I am out I have my reasons ...” she had been restrained though her eyes narrowed on her roommate as if she had been considering taring into her but had been reminded of her position and role as a representative of the school right now.

Her eyes widen at the mention of those names though. Dread sweeps over her then, the memories of those encounters though the second time that she encountered Dolom was far different than the first she was still terrified throughout the ordeal always wondering when that switch would come.

Therion … her hand rubbed instinctively at that bell hanging around her neck. Therion knew Vera, he had gloated about that fact, even compared them at one point as means of their passive resistance.

Fear, anger, it mixed together and she had been stunned silent for a moment before trying to regain her composure. She had been so close to loosing it, so close.

She smirked just a little after a second but for all the wrong reasons imagining what Therion or even Dolom could put her through. She even recalled being restrained and blind folded at one stage, set out and not seeing. She was still in the tower, just in the hall but she thought that it would serve Karin right if she were place in a remote area at that we she could learn these things.

“I don't think that concerns you at all. And dropping names to Miss Matsumoto, especially Therion's would not be wise ...” she glared at the girl for a moment using that time to compose herself. It took a lot, Daphnee was not one for out bursts though there had been a string of German curses rushing through her head.

“You do what you have to, Miss Hessler. I'm not going to threaten you or cow to you for that matter. I was assigned the task of giving you that slip, you have it, it is now up too you to do with it as you wish but there are consequences to each action.

“As for Miss Deas, it is her job to get into your business or mind as it pertains to the rules of the school. If you ignore that slip then I'm sure she'll make your business her business.” She ignored Therion and Dolom's names for the most part for she had been forbidden to speak of them not that that was going to be the case here. Under normal circumstances she wouldn't open up to Karin in that regard and would probably be labeled as crazy again if she tried going into such details.

“The choice is yours. Now shall we go burn that plant or not, the choice is yours. I am not going to ask you twice on the matter.”

Now it was Karins time to be shocked. For a moment she thought she had Daphnee, with her shocked, almost terrified mention of those names. But she had recovered and Karin wasn't so suicidal to go to Vera Matsumoto with nothing but conjecture... She had heard the stories of what happened to those that wasted her time, or, more specifically irritated her. Wether they were true or not, Karin wasn't over-eager to find out.

What shocked her was the threat to her plants. There had been nothing in the demerit slip about that! Where had this come from! She wasn't that easily cowed though and her moment of shock gave way to anger.

"You leave my fucking plants alone. I might do the detention but you even breath on one of those and i'll just see how much dirt I can dig up on you. I'm sure this doesn't stop with your Therion or Dolom.. I swear to you, touch one and i'll not only go to Miss Matsumoto and Miss Deas but i'll make your life a living nightmare. I live with you and you'll fucking pay if you touch just one."

She paused, scrunching her fists and the demerit slip held in one. The paper creased against her hand, reminding her that she was holding it, and a realisation hit. She waved the demerit slip under Daphnee's nose as she tried to calm herself from her outburst. "Besides, there isn't the slightest thing about destroying them in here so if you do it'll be you in detention for destruction of school property."

Her life already was a nightmare for the most part. Of course, what little peace she had she would like to keep. Angered at the mere thought of having Vera troubled with the memory of Therion, if it were even a bother to her for she could not comment on with any real certainty she endured Karin's storm.

It was a constant fight back and forth though her green eyes shifted to the crunched up paper that Karin held beneath her nose. She flicked her hand about her.

“These plants are not the ones I refer to. Think hard, you know the ones. I won't need to touch them, there probably already seen to if they were not mentioned. I have given you that slip of paper, do with it as you like. Do the punishment, don't do it, I'm not the one enforcing it just passing it along.”

Somehow she managed to keep it together long enough to get this said and done with she hoped as she went to depart as if nothing unusual happened. It was a challenge, especially in the face of those names in keeping herself in check. How she would have loved lashing out, more than just verbally too.

She could not effectively strike back at her tormentors, not yet anyway, and so this was a classic case of displacement. The trouble was that she'd regret doing anything about it afterward. Not that she was certain she could take Karin in a fight, she herself wasn't a push over but she got the impression that Karin wasn't either so it was safe to say that they were probably evenly matched but there was no real way of telling any of that. Hopefully she would not have to find out.

Karin seethed but knew just how powerless she was. While she could certainly hurt her roommate it wouldn’t help herself in the slightest. She couldn’t go to Vera and follow through on her threat, and since Anne was the one signing her demerit slip she couldn’t imagine her revoking her own decision. Not unless she had some sort of leverage or at least a damned good excuse to get out of this. Granted the punishment was light… Just a week away from her plants but even that short time was galling, actually worse than the thought of a perverted professor spending time having her fetching and carrying while leering at her. She couldn’t even get any leverage to preserve her crop. If it was all going to go up in smoke she would not only lose the fun side of it (being invited to all the parties was excellent!) but the extra money that she was now going to lose was going to be a blow.

If only she hadn’t cultivated those plants in the forest! She had no way of protecting them… Unless she dug up the plants first and moved them… The idea struck and she saw at least a small way of salvaging the situation. There were plenty of other places in the forest she could find, but she would have to move fast.

“Fine.” She growled. “You’ve passed it alone. Don’t think I’m going to fucking forget this though. Get the fuck out of here as I’ve got work to do. You go and carry on sucking up to Miss Deas or whatever the fuck you are doing with her at the moment. Just get out of my greenhouse.”

With that she turned back to the plant she had been tending, ostensibly with her back to Daphnee, listening to see if (and hopefully when) her pest of a roommate would go and let her grab her toolbag and run to the forest.

She tried to play it as cool as possible though she was thankful that things had not escalated any. The reminder of Dolom and Therion though the later, as harsh of an experience that was at least gave her a sense of purpose. At least all that misery was keeping her Mistress from having to endure it though the price had been remarkably steep.

In addition to not speaking about the attacks against her, further isolating her from the other students that damn invisible bell about her neck, the one that was inaudible to others too had once been a symbol of pride, her only true possession as her Mistress gave it to her but now it was cursed by Therion.

Cursed so she could not remove it. Cursed in that when it sounded she had to submit. Sometimes it deluded her, made her see things for she was to submit to Therion or his brother when it did go off sometimes it masked other monsters to sound and look like him until they made contact with her and dispelled the simple illusion, a cruel trick that assisted other monsters when it amused Therion she supposed.

But thankful the situation had not escalated. She paused there for a moment, sucked in a deep breath, let it out then left. The slip had been delivered though she had wondered why Anne didn't list the destruction of the offensive plant, either she forgot or had other plans she only hoped she didn't screw anything up because of it unaware of Karin's likely plans though if she thought about it if her ventriloquist puppets were threatened she'd move to protect them too.

Right now though she overlooked the obvious considering that she was running over thoughts upon Therion.

With Daphnee’s mind so preoccupied she didn’t hear Anne’s approach once she had left the greenhouse. Quietly she fell into step with Daphnee and walked for a few meters without saying anything. When it was apparent that Daphnee wasn’t going to notice her without prompting Anne spoke.

“So. Where now Miss Von Heinrich? While we walk you can tell me how you think that went.” Anne asked with a half smile playing around her features. She had watched most of the exchange and was fairly impressed. Daphnee had kept her cool, done what she needed too and managed to curtail Karins obvious annoyance at being caught out. Of course, what Karin would do to her roommate as revenge would be upsetting but almost certainly replaceable. Anne hoped that it wouldn’t amount to needing too though, especially with how hard she would come down on Karin if she did pull such a stunt. This did assume that Vera didn’t do so herself though, as she knew from her own experience that Vera took a VERY dim view of those that tormented her pets.

She had to wonder what was on Daphnee’s mind however, as Anne had watched her leave. She looked seriously pre-occupied and her walk and stance reflected this plainly to anyone who paid more than a passing glance. Once again she saw that nervous reaction of Daphnee’s, that rubbing her throat and Anne resolved to ask about that the next time they were alone.

She jumped at the sudden sound of Anne's voice that distracted at her thoughts. She grinned though so distracted by that which she could have someone who didn't even try could sneak up on her without even sneaking.

“Sorry, was off in my own little world again for a second there. I think I ought to move my puppets, maybe to the art department they got the space in props and what have you just encase. I've been meaning to thin out my collection a little anyway and if I ever do become a prefect I'll certainly have to space for them.

“But I really, really, really wanted to throttle her. If it wouldn't reflect poorly on our Mistress I think I would have been far more tempting.”

Daphnee reflected on this matter though. “She knows where to throw her punches but that's to be expected seeing that we are roommates.” Of course she did not get into the names or what Dolom or Therion actually were.

Ironically she could speak about the collar, well most of it anyway. The whole submitting thing to some monsters she'd have to leave out but she deemed that the matter was safe enough to talk about though Anne would probably see her as a loon.

“All in all things didn't go too badly, it didn't get out of hand which is always a plus. I'm sorry about mentioning the destruction of the plant thing, encase you had something else planned that I might have messed up. Now though ...”

She gave it some thought. She should have done it first, an oversight on her part. “We should see if Professor Fredrick has something suitable for Miss Hessler. I should have checked first, an oversight on my part but some how I doubt he will mind.”

“Miss Matsumoto.” She corrected with a sigh. “Not Mistress. I’ve told you about this once before. Do NOT make me repeat myself again.” Fortunately there was no-one in direct earshot you never knew who was listening. It may have been a small thing but big things were made of small things. There were already quite enough rumours flying around about her Vera and while the Head Girl would be the first to say how little they mattered Anne still didn’t like them and the idea of being responsible for creating any of her own was a little galling. Once Daphnee had apologized Anne continued.

“Ask at the teachers lounge if anyone has any lockable storage available. Each of the heads of department have a certain amount of safe-storage facilities available to them and they may be willing to let you borrow some if you ask nicely. You will, of course need to box up your puppets, but they will be safe if you are worried of what Karin might do. I have to offer a well done for not throttling her. You are quite right, violence of any sort will reflect badly on Miss Matsumoto. Can you see her raising a hand in anger?"

“Anyway, I assume you brought up the destruction of the plants out of your own anger? Certainly a better alternative than throttling Miss Hessler I’ll grant you, but the reason I didn’t add it to the demerit slip was simple. I cannot destroy any personal or school property. I’m just a student here, despite my sash. If any prefect started issuing commands like that we would have an uproar. All Karin would have to do is complain that those plants were for a project that she can no longer complete, or something similar and I’m sure you can imagine what would happen next.”

She gave a quick half smile at that. “That said, I may have mentioned what Karin had been doing to her botany professor, who is infinitely more qualified to know about the effects of those plants than me, and also where she would likely be keeping them.”

That had been the reason that Daphnee had made it so far from the Greenhouse before Anne had caught up. It was perhaps a little evil as there was a possibility now that her punishment wouldn’t end at her week detention, but she hadn’t enjoyed the threats that Karin had made against Daphnee.

“Now, as you say, you should have checked that the detention would be possible with Mr Fredrick first but please, lead on.”

“Of course, my apologies,” she had assumed wrongly since it was OK seeing that there was no one in earshot that she could see. She had been too use to being ignored that she hadn't even taken into account that she might not be “invisible” any longer.

She considers the storage issue hoping that it would be temporary. She didn't but it past Karin to be so petty though she might be worried that something would happen to her plants so as long as those plants remained safe her puppets should be too. Still there had been little sense in taking unnecessary risks.

“Thank you for the advice, I shall do so. Hopefully it will not be for long and things will blow over with Miss Hessler soon enough. I do not believe she would take thinks to a physical level, not unless her plants are harmed, but she's likely to do something in retaliation at some point or look harder at things and try to nab me for doing something I shouldn't be doing but that only serves to keep me on the straight and narrow. She can't dig up any dirt if none exists to dig up in the first place.”

She smiled at that and nodded. “Oh, yes, infinitely more qualified than I. I'm fairly clueless when it comes to botany. I misunderstood, I thought the plant was a wild one and not school property but she could make that argument that it's personal property now especially if she's taking care of it she might feel that way but if she's found out ...”

Daphnee grinned for a moment, envisioning the scenario with Karin digging up the plant only to be discovered by a professor who knew of it's properties, just seeing Karin squirm to answer such questions …

Her amusement faded after a moment though hoping that none of that came back on Anne though that was unlikely, Karin would probably just target her unless an unexpected opportunity came up. She was closer and there, probably far easier to target too she considered.

Leading her on Daphnee brings Anne to the lounge and sweeps it. There are four professors here, one she did not know, one in Home EC that she had sat in on classes with last year and even had an actual course with this semester, she had the time last semester after all carrying but three courses after having to drop one. Another she had recognized but never interacted with and the last …

She smiled a little then composed herself before heading over to Mr. Fredrick.

“I hope I'm not interrupting sir, but a moment of your time?”

“I don’t know if the plant she’s using is wild, or grown. If its wild then burning it would be entirely pointless because she could just find more, and dangerous for the risk of forest fires. And if its grown by herself then we have the school property question.”

Anne grinned to herself as she watched Daphnee’s facial expressions, the grin being decidedly evil, no doubt thinking of the Karin being caught out by a teacher instead of her roommate.

There was nothing to worry about though, not with regards to herself at any rate. As a Prefect she had certain advantages including weighing Karin down with so many demerit slips she wouldn’t touch plants again in her free time for the rest of her stay… and that would be for starters.

She was a little worried for Daphnee herself though as that level of protection didn’t apply to the student. Although all Daphnee would have to do would be talk to Vera about the problem, or herself and it could be dealt with… And it may be a temporary thing assuming that the young student got her wish and earned the sash itself… Although it was apparent there was quite a bit of work to do first.

Once at the teachers lounge Anne bowed respectfully and remained behind Daphnee, letting her lead. This was her problem to solve after all and Anne was simply there as an observer as well as an effective ‘permission slip’.

“Of course little one” Mr Fredrik replied, using the same dimulative as before. “How many I help you this fine day?”

It looked like the teachers had been talking something as none of them had any books or magazines open and they were all sat, leaning back, a pose unchanged although four sets of eyes watched the Daphnee with varying degrees of interest.