Nell stood in the shadow of the Headmaster's tower and warred with herself over whether this was a wise decision or not. In theory, if a student was concerned about something and in need of guidance then they should be able to go to the Prefects or Head Girls for help. Of course, that would be the case for a normal school. Shokushu was far from a normal school and she had seen little evidence that the school's administration was "here to help". Most of the faculty seemed to be completely oblivious to the monster problem at the school. Whether that ignorance was real or feinted remained to be seen.

Either way, she didn't trust the staff. The couple of times she had been summoned to a teacher's office or set up an appointment it had been a trap for a monster to capture and rape her. Then there was the detention incident from her early days on campus. She had be tormented and coerced into sex with a monster she fucked her until she was exhausted and left her sleeping naked in a coach's office. When the coach discovered her there and, rather than showing concern for her well being, he had given her detention for being out of uniform. She'd gone to the basement to find the same demon who had raped her the night before there to deal out her punishment. That had been her first clue something was seriously wrong with this school. The second had been when they shipped her off to a mental hospital to be drugged and patronized until she finally learned to keep her mouth shut about monsters and demons roaming her college looking for innocent students to rape and torture.

She'd learned that lesson very well and next couple of years she had managed to keep her head down. She followed school rules and avoided drawing the eye of her teachers for any reason beyond getting good grades. She sadly could not avoid the eyes of the monsters however though her attacks, with a few notable exceptions, had become less severe since she started becoming less hostile towards her attackers. That had been a much harder lesson to learn. There were still a few truly sadistic monsters out there, monsters who still remembered the girl she had been and knew how to draw that side out of her. They enjoyed tormenting her and she truly hoped to never meet those monsters again. She feared what would happen after graduation though. She had long since lost hope that she'd be allowed to return home and she greatly feared the future Luju had promised her. The school had been vague on the post-graduation options so she figured she would have to make her own.

This trip to the tower wasn't about that, not really. In fact, it was probably a really bad idea. It might have the affect on of drawing unwanted attention to her when she had been doing such a good job at avoiding that sort of attention. But there was another sort of attention to worry about. Demonic attention. Demons, on a whole, seemed to be the worse kind of monsters on the island. Last night's demon excluded, though she suspected Gersham was only half demon. Still, demon's seemed to be attracted to her and most of her encounters seemed to involve magic. She was beginning to wonder if her magic was want was attracting them to her in the first place. In if so, did that mean they would continue to find her after school? That was the question that had led her here, to find the only person who might understand and believe her.

She'd never actually met Vera but she'd seen the Head Girl and she'd felt the magic coming off of her. She was still technically a student, maybe she was one of the ones in the know about the monsters. Maybe, she could help... If not in actually teaching her to use her own magic then maybe just give her some guidance. Last night had shown her yet again how dangerous trying to learn this stuff on her own could be. She sighed heavily and set her resolve. This might be a mistake but at least it was a new mistake. She headed into the tower building and up to the room designated as the Head Girl's. She knocked on the door and politely waited for permission to enter. She hoped Vera was in and not busy. She pointedly avoided making an appointment so as not to fall victim to another attack. Still, she hoped she'd find the Head Girl at liberty to meet with her now in spite of her not having an appointment.

Head Girls were unique as they were in a league of their own within the student body. No other university had a system such as this where individual students hold a level of power and influence over their fellow peers. Not even the student council had such a direct influence with students at the individual level. But if the position itself was not enough, every Head Girl held a level of presence that made them impossible to ignore. Their uniforms were perfect as were the bodies that wore them. They held their head high with eyes and movements that hold purpose. They spoke confidently and with authority. They were top of their respective fields of study as well as any and all extracurricular activities they participate in. They were leaders and examples for every student to look up to and strive for.

Of course, that did not stop the rumors from spreading. It was difficult to say which were real and which were not. Some of the more 'experienced' students had plenty of reasons to believe what they hear about Head Girls. But, that did not stop students from coming to see the one Head Girl on duty up in the tower. Whether by ignorance or desperation, students have come and gone from Vera Matsumoto's office. Those who seek her help generally get it one way or another though sometimes not in the form they expect. So while the ugly rumors about the ice queen up in the tower did make her seem unapproachable, there were still some stories of those who sought help and earned it.

Outside her usual office hours, Vera also had a reputation of being a harsh tutor when it came to helping students who have fallen behind in their studies. The woman was knowledgeable and expected those she tutor to pay attention and give it their all in order to excel in all they do. She has been known to attend student council meetings and has helped with a number of events and speeches throughout the many years of her reign. With all other Head Girls retired or otherwise indisposed, Vera seemed to be always active and always busy in maintaining order and improving the school as a whole.

Along with that reputation was an aura of mystery. With a student working so close to the Headmasters, Nell would not be the first student who thought that the Head Girl knew more about how the school truly worked. Residing up in the upper floor suites of the tower like some sort of princess only added to mystery. Those who asked directly found themselves disappointed. Either the Head Girl knew nothing or the student believed that she was in on the whole conspiracy.

Vera did not care in either case. Such questions were a waste of time for all parties involved. Her purpose was to maintain order here in Shokushu and help students excel throughout their time here. The Head Girl was available majority of the time at her suite. Students who endure the elevator trip to her floor and come knock at her door deserved at least some of the woman's time.

Of course, some students make the trip to her floor and tend to linger at her door. Students probably did not think Vera noticed but she always did. But today, the aura that approached the door did not hesitate for long if at all as the knock quickly came to her door.

Vera called for the student to enter. Nell would see the tiled floor leading to the Head Girl's desk. Closed doors flanked the sides leading to other rooms while further behind the Head Girl was carpeted areas such as the living area and small dining room. The kitchen was around the corner and there was a window and balcony with a view near the living area. Nell could make out the large flat screen TV and perhaps some well made couches in the living area but any further investigation would require more time and effort than the student wished to risk right now.

The Head Girl herself was much like how Nell saw her before. Long silver hair lacked a single flaw. The school uniform was immaculate. The only thing she could not see was the light blue sash as that was loosely wrapped around Vera's waist, blocked by the desk the Head Girl was sitting at.

"Afternoon, Ms..." Vera began, "Please, have a seat. How may I help you this day?" Appointments were useful but not required. Vera has been known to say that her door was always open. Unfortunately, not many students took full advantage of that.

Nell had not known what to expect when she entered the Head Girl's room. She hadn't expected to see the immaculately dressed woman sitting attentively at her desk as though she had been waiting for her. She had come during her posted office hours but she somehow doubted that Vera sat at desk the whole time watching the door in case a student decided to pop in unannounced. Perhaps she had sensed her coming in the same way Nell had sensed the inherent magic this woman possessed.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you." She said needlessly. Still, she wanted to be polite. She had heard tales of Vera's icy, yet professional demeanor and had come prepared to be as respectful as possible. She had dressed carefully in her best uniform, which was freshly washed and pressed and completely up to code. She always tried to keep herself neat and tidy when she could, it was hard when monsters were constantly snatching you and ripping your clothes to shreds, but she took extra care today and avoided paths that might lead her into danger. This was her nice uniform and she didn't want it damage before she could meet with the Head Girl.

She took the seat in front of Vera's desk when bidden and gave the woman a little bow as she introduced herself. "Good evening, Ms. Matsumoto. We have never been formerly introduced but my name is Nell Apton. I'm terribly sorry for just showing up here unannounced but I was hope you might be able to advise me on a something... It's a bit delicate..."

There was a computer on Vera's desk as well as a few files. Either this was what the Head Girl was working on or just an illusion that she actually did work. The former seemed more likely in the grand scheme of things.

"You are not disturbing anyone. My door is always open for students seeking guidance," Vera stated simply. Many students tended to open with an apology as if their very presence was a nuisance. But, Vera simply accepted it as the student being nervous. It was to be expected.

Nell Apton had little to no demerits which was why the student never drew Vera's notice. The school took it upon itself to correct this particular student. So while there were few demerits, there was certainly a record on this student. For now though, Vera did not know the details and did not feel the need to look up anything just yet.

"I will have to know more about your matter if I am to properly advise you, Ms. Apton," Vera replied, "Please continue."

Nell bit her lip and hesitated in the face of Vera's blunt question. She still didn't know how much she could trust this woman. She doubted that, as a representative of the school, Vera would openly acknowledge the existence of monsters on the island. She had learned before that trying to press school officials on the truth usually resulted in her being sent to the school shrinks, who she would never trust again. She decided to skirt that issue as much as possible in favor of getting her more important questions answered. "Well, I'm not really sure how to start." She waffled as she gasped for the right words. "I'd hate to start out with something obvious and cliche like 'I have this friend who...' blah blah blah. This is my issue and I have been trying to deal with it on my own for a while now but I am afraid I'm doing a pretty miserable job of it."

She sighed and looked away from the Head Girl, a little embarrassed that she was rambling. She had considered how much to tell Vera on the whole trip up to her office. She had clearly not been able to settle on the right words. She forced her gaze back to meet Vera's and plowed on. "The thing is that I was mundane and innocent when I first came to this school. It took me a while to... adjust to certain things here. My experiences, though not typically pleasant, did teach me some valuable lessons and also... umm... unlocked some abilities in me that I didn't have before. I was excited about these abilities at first but... while trying to teach myself how to use them I kept landing myself in more unpleasantness. Now I'm starting to think that maybe I'm playing with fire, so to speak, and that these abilities are doing me more harm than good. I..." She paused again as she approached her point. She really hoped she wasn't making a mistake. "I sort of had to sense that you might have similar abilities and might be able to understand and maybe offer some advice..?"

Vera waited for Nell to get to the point. Was difficult to tell if the Head Girl was bothered by this beating around the bush or not. With a face like Vera's, poker would have been right up her alley.

"It is important that you do not leave anything out, Ms. Apton," the Head Girl replied, "Playing with fire is certainly unsafe and the school would frown on causing harm to yourself, others, or the school itself. What are these abilities you speak of and why do you feel the need to use them if they are so dangerous?"

Vera kept things focused on Nell. At this point, whether Vera knew anything or was similarly gifted was irrelevant in the Head Girl's eyes. She would simply allow this student to speak and try to get used to the sashed woman's presence.

It seemed that Head Girl was not going to help her out by reading between the lines for her. Nell was going to have to actually saying the words she had been avoiding. She clearly didn't want to though. Her whole posture changed. Her hands clenched and unclenched in her lap and her body tension as though preparing to bolt. She continued speaking and somehow managed to keep the anxiety from her voice. "Forgive me... I realize I am being frustratingly vague. I've learned from hard experience that there are things you simply do not talk about here."

"It isn't that my newfound abilities are dangerous on there own but rather that they are dangerous on Shokushu." She glanced around the room, assuring herself that they were alone and that the door to the office was securely shut behind them. After that she took a deep breath and spat it out. "Magic. I'm talking about magic." She exhaled and tried to relax a little. "I had zero aptitude for it before I came here but I'd always been fascinated by it. Then I came here and... Well, I found more reasons to want it. I earn my abilities at great personal cost but they have not proven to be worth it. I have had to teach myself for the most part and I have not advanced much. The only spells I have mastered are disgustingly weak and everything else I've tried has backfired. What's worse is I'm afraid that my powers have made me a more desirable target for de..." She stopped and shook her head. Still not willing to risk telling Vera about the monsters. "For malicious forces. I have stopped practicing my abilities but I am afraid that others can still sense my powers even if I'm not using them. That is why I decided to come talk to you."

If Vera was a person who was not in the know about supernatural matters, what Nell tried to convey before would have been rather confusing. The Head Girl would never voluntarily give up information when it was not required. It made it rather easy for force the student to finally give in and state exactly what she wants. If the school did not know about Nell's magical potential, they would now.

Some students either came to Shokushu with certain unique gifts while others develop their latent potential either out of desperation or from the attention of certain alien guests. It did not matter the reason as it made no difference in the end. The inhibitors suppress even the strongest magic users on the island.

Nell seemed to understand that she had no hope of ever reaching any reasonable strength by herself. It was true that some guests could sense mana and would go for those with potential. But, those that know will attack no matter what even if Nell did hide her mana better.

The question was what to do with this student now? It was apparent that Nell steal believed in monsters and her attempts to try and cover up her knowledge was awful at best. "So you claim you are able to cast magic spells and think I can do the same? You are also claiming that something is out to get you because of these abilities. Is that correct, Ms. Apton?" Vera asked, her cool neutral tone never faltering.

"I can assure you that no one is out to get you, Ms. Apton," Vera continued, "This school and this island is different from any other university in the world. Putting only female students all together on an isolated island is bound to introduce a variety of new forms of stress. I will not claim you have anything mentally wrong with you so do not take any of my advice as such. But, there are councilors and nurses available to assist with matters of paranoia and other symptoms that are caused by stress."

"I suppose that is not what you want to hear right now," Vera sighed, "Just know that the option is there. The school respects those who are willing to step forward and speak to another about any issues you may have. If you are more comfortable speaking with me, I am here for just that. So this time is yours, Ms. Apton. You certainly have made several claims, what do you wish to talk about first?"

Nell involuntarily shot to her feel when Vera suggested that she seeking out the school's counselors and nurses. Fear of what had happened the last time that she had tried to seek help from the school raced through her so that for a moment she looked like an animal ready to bolt. She fought the instinct though, knowing it would only serve to make her looks that much more insane. She didn't believe Vera truly thought she was crazy but it would be the excuse the school used to lock her up in an institution again if she looked like she couldn't keep her mouth shut anymore.

She planned her hands on the edge of the desk and bowed her head to hide her expression as she fought for control of her emotions. Them were running the gambit between fear, anger, betrayal and despair. She should never have come here. Now the school knew she had powers and would be watching her even more closely, if they didn't just hide her away somewhere. Damn it!! She cursed herself as she fought but tears.

Vera had finished speaking and seemed to be waiting for her to reply, though she'd only half heard the last few things that the woman had said. "No, Ms. Matsumoto..." She said as calmly as she could without looking up at the Head Girl. "Thank you but I'm afraid I've already said more than I should have. I thought that maybe..." She shook her head. "I was mistaken. I'm sorry. I... I won't bring it up again, I swear. I haven't spoken to any of the other students about this. You are the only one..." Aside from the monsters who knew. "Please, Ms. Matsumoto, do not put that you suggested I speak to the school's psychiatrist. I... I can't go back there... I just can't."

"I did not say to go see a psychiatrist, Ms. Napton," Vera stated, "I said to consider seeing the nurse or a councilor. There is a difference and I suggest you listen more carefully instead of assuming everything I say is the worst thing that you could possibly hear. Whether you are mistaken or not is irrelevant. You are here for a reason, correct? As I said before, this time is yours. I would be most displeased if you chose to waste this time I provided."

"What I inform the school is dependent on your behavior. If further harm comes to yourself or the school, it will reflect poorly on my performance. You are currently very distraught. Until that improves, you will remain here. Are we clear?"

"Now, sit up straight," she ordered, "Take a slow breath in and out. You came seeking my help. The least you could do is accept it for what it is, help. Or are you claiming that I am out to get you as well? If not, start talking. There are many things bothering you, decide where to start. Break this issue down to something more manageable. I will not tolerate a student giving up, especially in my office."

Nell lifted her gaze to give the other girl a speculative look. She seemed to be gauging whether Vera was trustworthy or not, and it was clear from her expression that she did not believe she was. Still, she sat down as commanded and took a few calming breaths. Once she felt confident she could speak again she said, "Forgive my outburst, Ms. Matsumoto." She paused to consider what she should say next. "I'm not sure if you have seen my file but if you knew my history you would understand my alarm. You may see a distinction between the school's shrink and the nurses and counselors here but I do not. Were I to tell any of them about the issues I was having at this school the results would be the same. I am not insane, Ms. Matsumoto. And I will not have my college career put on hold because of a stupid lapse in judgement."

She looked away from the other girl, not wanting her words to be taken as a challenge to her. "I know what the school does to students who cannot cope with the pressures here. I had a bit of a breakdown early on but I recovered and I have done my utmost since then to demonstrate that I can conduct myself with the grace and decorum of a Shokushu student in the face of adversity. I have not given up on anything. This is me fighting to maintain the freedom and independence I have earned. I admit that my display just now was not demonstrative of all that which is why I have apologized. I don't want to give you the wrong impression of me."

She turned to meet Vera's gaze again, to show her respect and sincerity. She seemed calmer now, the angry pink had faded from her cheeks and much of the tension had gone out of her body. "I came here today because I wished to forestall what I perceived as a potential problem that might make my future here and after graduation difficult. I came to you and not the school's medical staff because you were also a student and I thought you may have had similar experiences to me. You have implied that that assumption was incorrect, however, and expressed disbelief in the abilities I claim to have acquired. I don't want to waste your time, Ms. Matsumoto. If you do not have magical abilities yourself and, in fact, do not even believe in them then you cannot advise me on the safe usage of them. The only reason I can think of for continuing this interview is to prove to you I am not crazy. How can I do that, Ms. Matsumoto? Would you like to see a demonstration of my powers?"

"I have not looked at your record as you only just brought this to my attention when you entered my office," Vera stated, "But if I were to guess, part of the reason this particular staff member decided on taking a certain course of action was due to your inability to listen, Ms. Apton. Even now, you are failing to listen to what I am saying and inserting your own assumptions in the blanks you are creating. I never said I believe or did not believe in your abilities. Whether I do or do not is irrelevant as is whether I am capable of the same."

"You want to graduate, you stated that much," the Head Girl continued, "How do you hope to survive in this school when you think the very place you are seeking education is against you? If anything is going to cause the school to take action it is your unnecessary paranoia. I do not know what actions the school took to help you but it was for just that, to help you. You may not believe it. You may despise them for it. But, you are here now are you not? That means at least some part of it worked, even if you are just faking it till you make it. Unfortunately, if you seek to improve beyond that, you need to take a long look at what you are doing and what that is going to accomplish for you in the end."

"With that in mind, you seem to want to talk about your abilities. State why you believe they are a problem and what you wish to do to solve that problem."

Nell frowned at Vera's assertions that she wasn't listening. The woman clearly had a talent for turning others words around to make it sound like they had said or demonstrated something that they had not. Nell could have pointed out that Vera was making assumptions of her own and filling in her own blanks as Nell had never outright said she thought that the school was out to get her. She decided not to bother though as the woman would no doubt just turn her words around on her again. Besides, it wasn't far from the truth anyway. She did believe that the school was against her, aware of and even condoning the monster attacks on the island. Though she did not expect to hear any of that confirmed by the Head Girl.

She opted instead for simply answering Vera's last question. She was already in it now, might as well tell her what she had come here to tell her. She struggled over how to tell her story without mentioning the monsters. She did not wish to compound the "evidence" that she was losing her grip on reality. "As I state before, the magic I have seems to be very weak. The most impressive spell I have managed amounts to little more than a flashy light show. The stronger spells I have tried have failed and I was harmed in the process." She said, remembering her last encounter with Therion. She should never have trusted that book he gave back to her. She hadn't tried to use it again even though he promised her a non-sabotaged spell for her surrender that night. She sighed and continued. "I am not a glutton for punishment so I have stopped attempting those types of spells. I really avoid using magic at all now. It have seen too much evidence of the damage it can cause."

She thought of the night before and the incident that had pushed her to come here. "Even without using it though I am concerned it is doing me harm. I have been bullied because of it. I have been bullied for a lot of reasons but last night..." She paused, not wanting to say anything to get another student in trouble. "I ran across another student being bullied for her magic use. She ran off before I could really talk to her so I cannot tell you much about her. That isn't the point though. The point is, last night I finally made the connection between magic and that girl's attack. The bully, I think, only found her because she was using her magic. I felt it myself. I did not realize that magic use gave off an aura like that. I'm afraid just walking around having magic is marking me as a target for these bullies. I was hoping you might know of a way to mask that aura. I know it won't stop the bullying completely but I'm hoping it will lessen it."

Of course Vera stated assumptions of her own. Some she even verbally stated as guesses. But if Nell was aware of these assumptions then, she will see how it feels when assumptions are made against her. That or the student would just use that as an excuse to not listen to the Head Girl, not that the student could not fabricate many other reasons to do so.

The silver haired woman listened to the student's story. There were certainly flaws in the story but Vera could gather what the student was trying to do. "Well, Ms. Apton," Vera began, "I would hope you bring matters of bullying to me or the staff in the future. As for your magical ability, perhaps it is a matter of time? Muscles that you develop through training do not just disappear immediately. They will gradually atrophy from lack of use. Perhaps your... aura will fade over time if you continue to not use magic."

"But, you never did explain why you studied magic in the first place. It is apparently dangerous from what you said. So why take such risks? Are you intending on quitting magic entirely due to a few bullies?"

"As for bullies in general, your behavior can influence how they approach you, magic or not. Humans are animals just like everything else. Predators prey on those they see as weaker than them. If you act weak and vulnerable, they will seek you out to take advantage of that weakness."

Nell listened to Vera's suggestions thoughtfully and consider carefully when it was her turn to speak. "Perhaps you are right and my powers will diminution over time with enough disuse but I'm not certain that I want to lose them. I gained these abilities through great personal sacrifice and just because they have not been as helpful as I would like here they could still potentially aid me in the future. Perhaps after I graduation and I have more free time to truly focus on my powers I can develop them passed what I have managed while here. As it is, here I have too many distractions and few reliable resources to study magic in great depth. I have to concentrate on my school work here and now if I want to graduate on schedule. Maybe my magic will serve me better once I leave Shokushu..."

"As to the subject of bullies, I have tried various different tactics in dealing with them. Standing up to them has only proven to peak their interest that much more and I only end up being more battered from the experience. I've tried ignoring them, changing rooms, speaking to the teachers, all attempts have been thwarted. I would report my more consistent attackers to you if I thought it would help but you won't find them in your student records, at least not under the names they have given me. I have come to terms with it." She said with a shrug. She wished she were truly as ambivalent about it as she pretended to be but she knew the futility of speaking out about it. Maybe if Vera had hinted anything at all about knowing about the monsters and hadn't proven so determined to advance the company line that the school was "helping" her by labeling her a paranoid schizophrenic and institutionalizing her. "It is the reason why I am more determined to graduate quickly. I have one year left here, provided nothing happens to set me behind again. I can manage for one more year..." As long as she could avoid the kind of fate Luju and Therion had promised her. She would be no ceature's sex slave. But that was all the more reason why she didn't want to give up magic completely. "If you think not using it might cause me to lose my magic entirely then perhaps I will just have to avoid attempting stronger spells until I have had more study. I could practices the smaller, safe spells I know while not taking on anything new that might hurt me until after graduating and perhaps finding a teacher or something..."