“Haven’t you noticed the time? Lunch of course.”

As they walked together towards the lunch hall Anne mused on how Daphnee was doing. Rather well despite the lapses that simple training and experience would garner. She held herself tall and certainly tried which was more than could be sent for some. It was a shame how the teachers had pranked her though and she felt a little bad that she hadn’t forewarned them. After all, it wasn’t exactly unusual and she had to put up with such things on an annoyingly frequent basis. Some were of course worse than others but that was simply the way of things.

Still, she had held up well and not snapped or lashed out..

“So, how are you finding the life of a prefect then Miss Von Heinrich?” Anne asked as they approached the cafeteria.

“No, I didn't notice,” she smiled looking at her watch briefly. The ordeaql with Karin had rattled her with those names … Dolom, Therion … two of her tormentors though the second time around with Dolom wasn't as bad, in part she had been better prepared for it and in another way she had been better trained by that point too.

And with the professors and their little prank she had remained unhinged where she had forgotten the time though as it came up she began thinking about food and what she was in the mood for. Perhaps a good old German delicacy like a hamburger. Well, she preferred cheeseburgers, same difference though.

“All in all I think I can handle this. It will take a little getting use to like all things of course but I find helping out quite enjoyable.” And she felt that she was more useful than a simple domestic too though that role wasn't one she was planning on giving up but expanding upon.

As the duo sat down to eat Anne kept her eyes open as normal. As they were in the ‘early’ lunch sitting it was mostly quiet and as ever people came in babbling noisily, gossiping about this and that. The noise was fairly comforting, creating a blank spot where Daphnee could ask small questions, or simply just lose herself in the sound. As ever though there seemed to be a small bubble around where Anne sat, people talking a little quieter as if what they said would be somehow used against them at a later point.

Anne ignored it, and seemed a little distracted herself, occasionally looking up, scanning the room before resuming eating. It wasn’t until they had finished where she sighed, placing her cutlery down and aligning them together and stood. For a second she remained still, fixing someone with a stare and slowly and deliberately she beckoned.

Daphnee would see a student come out from the mass, one that she recognized. The same Stephanie from the night before, the one that had tried to kiss her.

As Stephanie came within ear shot Anne motioned her to sit. She did, slowly and she looked nervous, perhaps not an unreasonable reaction when summoned across a room by a Prefect. Anne spoke quietly though, her voice carrying only to the table.

“Miss Stephanie Taylor. You have now been looking at us for the last twenty minutes while practically hopping from foot to foot. Its obvious you want to talk to either myself or Daphnee here and you either are trying to pluck up courage, or wait until one of us are alone. I would rather like to know which one of those it is, and why you haven’t just come up to talk before now.”

Stephanie paled at the accusation, stammering. She twirled a lock of her long blond hair around a finger as she looked nervously between Anne and Daphnee.

“Miss Deas… I’m sorry.. I didn’t want to interrupt but would it be possible for me to speak to Daphnee? Alone? I mean if that’s ok?”

She spoke quietly, in a rush and looked like she was bracing for some sort of punishment. Anne only smiled.

“Well, if that’s all you want you should have come forward to begin with. Of course you can.” She turned to Daphnee. “Assuming its ok with yourself?" At Daphnee's nod she smiled once again, warmly at the pair. "In which case I’ll be in my room for the afternoon. If you, or Stephanie here should need me come and find me there.”

With that she stood and left the two alone. As she left she mused to herself what this was about, but was confident that Daphnee would come by afterwards and explain. Plus, she was no heartless monster and it was obvious for anyone with eyes to see that something was bothering young Miss Taylor intensely, something she was desparate to share with Daphnee. In fact, if she were reading Stephanies body language correctly she was close to bursting into tears, which only made this stranger… After all, as she understood things Stephanie had only met Daphnee for the first time yesterday night!

She walked out of the cafeteria without a backward glance, heading to her room. It was a shame really, Anne mused, as it put her own plan for Stephanie on hold for a short term, but she was here to help whoever needed it. It didn’t matter as, she had plenty of work, and a report to her Mistress to write.

She did much the same, eating and scanning as if she were reading while taking a busy subway car. Read a line and scan the car, read then scan. She had been aware that it was unusually quite around them though that was something that she would have to come to expect.

Her and there she asked simple little questions though clearly her eyes had not half the training of Anne's for it had become clear that she noticed things that Daphnee had not. She had finished her food mostly, there were a few french fries that she was picking at as she saw a familiar face approach at the beckoning.

Oh, Stephanie. She had noticed her but hardly looked her way not wanting to give the girl any false hope after the other night though it had been clear that Anne noticed a lot just by being observant.

She should have done far more to stay alert she thought. Listening to the two girls she nods after plopping the final few fries into her mouth.

Twenty minutes? This certainly had to do with the night before. “Sure thing,” Daphnee states a bit surprised by this though one of the duties as a prefect was to be approachable by the student body, regardless of who they were.

Stephanie seemed concerned about something. Perhaps from the night before. “I will met you back in your room afterward, Miss Deas. Now,” she turns to Stephanie, “how may I help you?”

Stephanie looked nervous beyond belief. It seemed that she wanted people around her at all times and drew comfort from that, but at the very same time she wanted to be left alone, to shrink into the corner and for every other single person on the planet to vanish.

“I’m sorry for bothering you Daphnee, especially as you seemed to be busy but I… I don’t know who to turn to and I though you might be able to help.. I mean.. we only talked yesterday and I like you and everything, although I know you don’t like me in ‘that’ way… but I still like you and I think I can trust you and please don’t think i’m crazy… I just don’t know what happened and whats going on and I think I might be losing my mind but I didn’t want to go to the nurse or a prefect or even a head girl and I thought of you because you seem nice and...”

She kept speaking, re-running what she was saying and obviously becoming more agitated as she continued, no end of her stream of confused words in sight. Her hands clenched at each other and her eyes kept leaving Daphnee’s face as she spoke, casting around the room before looking back at the purple haired student. It was fortunate that the ring created by Anne’s presence was still there, although it was already shrinking, the little waves of force created by a multitude of students all talking at once creating a little cocoon where no-one would overhear what was being said.

All the signs had been there, the nervous feeling, she still felt it herself and tried to stick to those areas with a lot of people that seemed safer than being alone. Of course she was an explorer but not in the usual sense. She needed to get answers on this crazy place and for her “answers” were better served from non answers and not by braking into offices to look at files, that sort of thing was probably ultra secure and she wasn't so desperate to violate rules for answers just yet.

If she were clever she could get those answers without a great deal of risk though seeing that she had been in the great outdoors a lot that was where most of the craziness happened.

She knew full well what it was like trying to open up. There had been her conversation with Vera and of course she was actually diagnosed as being insane at one point before coming here. She didn't appreciate nurses or doctors either so that was something she could understand.

So there was enough there that made her aware of what this was going to be about. Granted, by his rules Daphnee could not speak of her attacks but nothing forbade her about speaking about another's if she were careful about it.

“I'm touched that you would think that way of me Stephanie. I might not be the best person to speak with on matters of sanity though seeing that I wasn't all there at one stage of my life though I can certainly understand not going to nurses about this … I sort of avoid them myself when possible but I'd be glad to listen nevertheless.”

She smiles weakly at Steph. “But really, it is no bother. I'm not going to judge your sanity either. Did you wish to speak here or elsewhere?” She had never been attacked in her dorm and wanted to think of it as a safe area but she knew that that was not the case. She had been attacked in another girl's dorm once and even Kakumoah told her that the dorms weren't safe. Either someone made an exception to leave her alone in her dorm or far more likely she had just been lucky thus far. But she remembered him making a comment to the effect that certain areas were safer, like the cafeteria given the number of students around so she supposed this would work best unless Stephanie had another venue in mind.

Stephanie had gone quiet as Daphnee spoke, although she hadn’t stopped wringing her hands. As the purple haired girl stopped speaking she sat there, eyes wide and her hands had stopped mid-motion.

“I.. what…? But I haven’t told you…” A pause, her muddy blue eyes fixed on Daphnee in shock and it looked almost like she was seeing properly. “You know? How do you.. what happening? You mean I’m not mad? But things like that can’t exist… can they?”

She paled as she realized that she had just jumped to a huge conclusion and her hands resumed their perpetual motion. “I mean.. the nurses, I can’t go to them about this.. I mean, thank you for talking… I don’t know where we could go though… I like people being around but at the same time I…”

She shut her mouth and looked at Daphnee, pleading in her eyes.

That look, Daphnee had wondered if she had sported that same look herself after her first night here. Of course she truly sympathized with the girl though she was unable to speak about her experiences sadly as much as she wanted too.

She had to be careful here. She did not know how much she would reveal though as Stephanie fell silent Daphnee realized that the girl was considering that she had revealed too much. She also knew what it felt like being dismissed as if this did not existed either.

“Before I came here I had some mental problems … I had some pretty bad delusions. So all that doctor jazz, nurses, I got sick of it. Lately they have been further apart but far more vivid when they occurred.”

Daphnee considered this for a a moment images flickering through her mind as she looked about the cafeteria. Safe was good, though she debated on what sort of things could be garnered from the nurse to, she had never been herself.

“I am in no condition to judge another's sanity and I am quite sure that whatever you have experienced is real. I have had my share of seeing or hearing questionable things but I will not get into all the ones I've had here. Simply put it would be an easy matter for me to get my own medications increase if you feel that it will help any in regards to these images though,” she leans in closer, a hand over her own.

“But you and I am aware that it will do little good. I believe you. I cannot get into the why's but I do, Steph.” She bestows her a weak smile. “What and why's I have no idea about but it gets easier. There are few that would believe such an asinine story, right? Fewer that would believe anyone that had a history of mental defect.

“But you are not alone,” innately she was going to diffuse this situation as if it were nothing to be concerned with. But there was something to be concerned with. She didn't have all the answers herself but she knew from experience how it felt to not be believed, to be alone with such a heavy burden and while she could not get into her side of things she could listen.

“I know the cafeteria might not feel safe, that you'd find the presence of people both a joy and a ban too. I wish I could help you but I'm afraid all I can do for you is listen.” There had been a hint of sorrow in her voice given that she could do nothing, at least not yet.

She looked confused. On one hand it seemed that she was being told she was mad, and needed to go on some sort of anti psychosis medication... It certainly felt like she was coming apart at the seems! Nothing like that could exist and perhaps there was something in it... perhaps she was merely hallucinating... she HAD been drinking and smoking that plant of Karin's after all...

But it was real.. she knew it. And so did Daphnee! This was both a comfort as well as a curse as she felt reassured as well as knowing that the lies she had been telling herself were... well... lies. But she wasn't alone... Even if it was a self confessed crazy woman (well, She had of course heard the rumours about the nut-job purple haired girl, but she didn't pay any attention to them. Her first meeting she really thought she was cute) - and in fact sleeping with her would really go down well right now... a sweet drink after... THAT. Perhaps... She fixated on that prospect.. Perhaps she could get more out of Daphnee.. even a hug and a long cuddle... anything to make sense of things.

"Daphnee... could we go somewhere quieter? I mean, I know that others give you comfort and everything but I can't help feel that we are being listened too here..."

“Sure thing,” she wasn't thinking too much of it and really she should have taken a firmer stance but couldn't given all that she had been through herself Daphnee knew how important it was to have at least one person to reach out to that was on their side.

Some how she suspected that Anne was clued in as to what this had been all about.

Sunday … well Karen was probably at the Green House. She was always at the Green House it seemed when she wasn't at a party of some sort.

“Well, my dorm is quiet.” It might not be safe according to Kakumoah but knock on wood she hadn't had a case of bad luck there. “Unless you have anything in mind. Like a bench out on the commons or so forth.”

She stood up and collected her tray and trash as she looked to Stephanie for ideas.

“Oh no no, your dorm would be fine!” Again she spoke to fast and looked embarrassed straight away “I mean… as long as you are sure its not too much trouble.. I mean I know you were busy with Miss Deas and have been all day… Are you ok? Are you in any trouble? I mean I don’t want to make things worse but I really could use a friend…”

She looked a lot happier once they had started walking, the movement apparently doing her good. She was almost skipping from one foot to the other as Daphnee put away her plate and only started calming down again when they were out of the cafeteria and heading towards the dorms. Once out of sight she made a grab for one of Daphnee’s hands, trying to hold it as they walked.

“Oh, it's no trouble. You heard Miss Deas yourself if there was any problems and so forth to see her so she seems to be letting me take my time with this, granted it's not a good idea to spend all day on it either, but ...”

Daphnee smiles. “I'm not in any trouble, really. I wouldn't say I'm exactly in training but more observing what is expected of being a prefect and seeing to the needs of the faculty and students falls within that.”

She notices ho much more relaxed Stephanie is but when they leave and her hand is taken, that could project the wrong sort of idea to people. Still, she allowed for this to comfort the girl as they mad their way along to her dorm. She fished out her key card and opened the door letting them in.

The room wasn't messy though the common area was a little cluttered either by Karin's plants of her ventriloquist dolls for each girl seemed to have a good sized collection. Daphnee was attempting to scale back though to maybe a half dozen dolls but deciding is so tough.

“It's a little cluttered but I trust this suits? My roommate is most likely going to be at the Green House most of the day,” seeing that tomorrow she started her punishment and would have far less time there. “So we should be interruption free. Please, have a seat.”

“You… you want to be a Prefect? Why would you want that? You would work under Miss Matsumoto! I mean… Anne seems nice but… her? You must have heard the stories! What she does if you get on her bad side...” It certainly took her mind off what was troubling her for a moment and the sheer amazement/ horror combination on her face was almost comical.

It didn’t last long however as the door swung open and she stepped in looking around. As she saw the dolls she shrieked, her voice echoing around the small room and the hall and she yanked Daphnees hand hard, dragging her out of the room and holding onto her tightly, trying to peek into the room. She was shivering with terror from the empty eyes of the dolls that were scattered around the room. For a moment she could have sword that they were all looking at her and after what had happened to her before alien eyes weren’t exactly a comfort...

“Yeah, me a Prefect if you could imagine that! Miss Deas has been great in showing me the ropes and Miss Matsumoto ...” she smiled a bit, maybe Vera wanted a bad rep as it worked better for her so she shouldn't try to ruin that particular image, having a bad rep made it easier at times.

“I've worked with her several times in the past and think I can manage.”

It had taken a lot of effort not to immediately jump to her Mistress' defense though. She had to think this matter through just a little.

But the reaction as she opened up her dorm room made it fairly obvious that their was some sort of doll, mannequin or the like or a creature that controlled them. She is pulled out of the room and she closed the door.

She cradled Stephanie closer in a loose embrace. “There, there, it's alright.” Then tossing her voice so it sounded as if it were coming from behind the door though not disguising it much so it was readily recognizable.

“We're just ventriloquist dolls.”

“Nothing to them at all. But perhaps we should go so place else or I can just clear the room of them and stick them in my room for now.”

"Ven..Ventriloquist dolls?" She stammered and nervously looked around the corner, and back to Daphnee and once again back to the dolls, obviously calming herself back down.

"Thats amazing!" She said. "How did you learn to do that? I mean.. sorry about dragging you out like that.. Its just that I am a bit jumpy and I wasn't expecting"

She blushed and took Daphnee's hand again squeezing it, more for her own reassurance than anyone elses. "Thats ok.. this is fine.. I was just spooked"

Her blush deepened and she tried not to look at Daphnee's eyes, trying to lead her back into the dormroom with a gentle tug.