PolSci 101, 11:30 AM. Christ but she hates this class, self-superior little skanks who still think they're going to grow up to be successful little yuppies. It's not the kind of course Elise would normally sign up for but it's a prerequisite and besides, one class is just the same as another, just cosmetic scene changes in the big, fat charade that is Shokushu. She's especially cranky today. Her extracurriculurs haven't been allowing her much time for sleep recently and while in the past she would have just skipped out on class and said fuck it, she's seen what's come of that. She's experienced first hand the gray little basement sadist who deals with tardiness. Needless to say, she's looking rough, her little school uniform rumpled, eyes desperately working to stay open. Her breath smells like Aeria's honeyed sex.

The perky little freshmen listen in rapt attention as the teacher drones on about John Locke but El's attention is elsewhere, scribbling idly in her notebook as her eyes wander aimlessly around the room, from the students to the teacher, out the window to the bright sun and the lush green, and back over to that little bitch seated to the side of the teacher's desk. "Ms. Matsumoto" they're supposed to call her. Fucking teacher's pet she is. Traitor. She sits perched at the head of the class, watching the girls with those cruel, hawkish eyes. Some of the little freshmen fawn over her, bringing her presents, hanging back after class to ask insipid, meaningless questions about the curriculum, looking to climb up the hierarchy even here. Disgusting. Elise's eyes wander back down to her notebook, where her doodle's taking shape: "Miss" Matsumoto on all fours, screaming indignant as a figure off-panel jams a hot poker up her ass. Heh.

Somewhere in the distance, the professor is breaking the class up into groups, but it's already somewhere else, some place far distant from where El now is. The pencil scratches a stray line across the page before rolling off the desk and hitting the floor. El's chin is next, nodding off in palm, elbow perched on desktop. A few of the girls, milling around as they gather into their group assignments, point, nudge each other, and snicker. Elise's face hits the notebook, rises briefly, bleary, and lowers just as quickly as she sinks into a nap.

Political Science class always was a large mix of emotions. A few students showed interest in how politics work while others were simply there because they had to. Vera did not need empathy to know which students were which. Amusing enough is the more a student who hates politics learns about it, the more they hated it. For good reason too, so many countries had such corrupted forms of government that even the most favorable of civics still led to the strong getting stronger and the weak remaining weak. A pity those who learn more do not have the spine necessary to step forward and try to take a stronger seat to change things.

The Head Girl had already completed this class and many of the tiers after this one. But the lack of volunteers or 'teacher's pets' the others call them had made it required for Head Girls and Prefects to step up and fill in the empty positions. At least the classes were in majors she was very familiar with.

Most classes where a Prefect or Head Girl attends tend to be on their best behavior. The rumors alone were enough to keep students from daring to oppose them. They rather get in trouble with the teachers than deal with a student in power. So Vera focused more on grading papers while occasionally looking up at the class when she notices a flicker in aura.

A sudden dimming of sensation brought Vera's attention to the class. Students were being broken down into groups. The shifting of students and clearing of sections revealed the source of the dimming, a sleeping student. The woman must be really tired or incredibly foolish to attempt such a thing in her class. Slowly she rose to her feet and glided over to Elise's desk.

She gave the snickering students a cold look which caused them to leave and go back to their small group activity. The Head Girl gently grabs the woman's arm, shaking it gently. There would be plenty of opportunities to be harsh later. When the student finally wakes, Vera only said one phrase that most students dread hearing. "Come with me please."

The room falls to a hush, activity ceasing almost into freeze frame, as if Vera were the only living thing in the room. The attentins of a Head Girl are bad news indeed and even the professor wouldn't dare interrupt her attention. He knows, after all, the horrors that lurk in the shadows of this place. He knows his position in the order of things, and he is not nearly so close to the Headmaster as Miss Matsumoto is. One can see the flash of recognition in the eyes of the other girls, satisfaction for most, a split of hunger and horror amongst a much fewer number, those that know the true dimensions of this island. But it's unlikely any of them feel pity. Elise's attitude hasn't exactly endeared her to any of her underclassmen peers (a word she would, admittedly, be loathe to use) in the class.

Elise awakes with an indignant snort - stay classy, girl - an immediate scowl on her face as bleary eyes come face to face with Vera's ample cleavage. A small spot of drool smears her caricature of Vera on the notebook page. "Oh. Right. Taking me back to my dorm to tuck me under the covers yourself?" Jaw clicks in a splitting yawn, fading to the groggy embryo of a smirk. Tired's a word for it. "Foolish" is another. The rest of the girls in the room could give a list of other applicable adjectives to describe Elise, less flattering and likely more accurate.

The hush that washed over the class was annoying but expected. It was like a fire, people always come to watch. The professor continued to try and keep the groups on task while Vera waited for sleeping beauty to finally wake up.

Beauty was stretching it a bit as the woman snorts and looked up with a drool on the corner of her lip. Despite all the monsters and hidden agendas in the school, it was still disturbing for a such a high class facility be stuck with such low class rebels. Vera crossed her arms as she patiently waited for the student to get up and follow her out of the classroom.

"You can say that," she replied calmly to the snide question that was thrown at her. The Head Girl recognized the face from one of her files. Elise Renfroe, numerous violations including tardiness and complete lack of staff and students alike. The demerits grew enough to send the student to the basement once. Seems this one still had not learned her place.

Hopefully Elise knew enough to not make a scene here and simply comply. Once out in the hall, Vera would lead Elise towards the basement. There was no point in writing a slip for this one. Might as well go straight down to business. And speaking of business, she knew just the perfect person to discipline this child.

The Head Girl unlocked the door to the basement and locked the door behind them before heading down the stairs. The halls were nearly pitch black like the abyss itself yet Vera seemed to have no difficulty to manuevering through the halls. She was certain that woman was waiting in the furnace room and eager for a new student to educate.

She's beautiful on the inside. Honest. No foolin'. Eyes wander up to Vera's face, cruel and hungry and frozen like ice. Oh, El. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. You could fight, but where will that get you? It'll just put this relentless bitch hound tailing you mercilessly, snooping after your friends. She snaps her notebook shut and pushes to her feet, shoulders slouched as her glower sweeps over the gaggle of girls. "Yeah, yeah. I know how you chicks are. Always scouting talent." Fingers held like rabbit ears, pink tongue flicks between the opening created between them, leaned back into the classroom as the two of them step out the door. May as well make the little freshies jealous, right?

And so the walk begins. She stands at Vera's shoulder, head turned to the side, watching her with intent, contained fury. It's silent for a long time except for the ocassional grumble under El's breath. She's never dealt with the Head Girls before and doesn't particularly savor the opportunity, despite the useful information it might provide. But as they go deeper and deeper down the halls, that wrath drifts steadily towards terror. Oh, Christ. She knows this route. She's had to walk it twice before, once in the grip of a bitch as cruel as this one, once shame-faced and bare-bodied.

Eyes settle directly in front of her as she tries to steel herself, loathe to let the other woman see the fear in her eyes, on the verge of welling with tears. Knees are weak but she forces herself to keep walking. Just one step after another, as the clean glimmering halls fade slowly to stone and ductwork, as they approach on the stairwells to the deeper levels of the building. She could run, sure, but what good would that do? It's between classes and the halls are barren. Even if there were students lingering, you can guarantee they'd dip back out of sight as soon as they catch wind of Vera. There's no crowd to slip into, nowhere to hide if she did get away. So instead she turns her eyes back on Vera, lips twisted in sharp smirk, voice casual. "So what's with the, uh...." Her hand runs shoulder to hip, signifying the sash Vera wears. "You win the Queen Bitch Pageant here or something?"

As expected the woman put forth a tough front before the other students as they left. These types of students were always the most pathetic believing they were above the rules and trying to build support for their stupid schemes. It only became more pathetic when the rules bite back and they cower and hide.

Vera suppressed a smile as she felt Elise's aura begin to dim and tremble. The firey willpower was now turning to a fear, a horror that the woman was remembering on walks like this one. But the Head Girl did not gloat her victory. A small victory is nothing, she had higher aims when dealing with troublemakers.

The silver haired woman merely looked at Elise when the foolish question of her sash was brought up. Vera was not one to play stupid games like that. The strong front was only an attempt to hide the quivering inside the woman.

She practically ignored the woman's stupid taunts as her footsteps echo lightly down the hall. As they drew deeper into the dark halls, the air grew hot and heavy before coming to a large metal door that led to the furnace room. There was no need to ask if the woman knew why she was here. Vera was certain that Elise could think of a small list of crimes without her mentioning them. Her hand lightly knocked at the door. Hopefully Miss Steel will be available for a lesson.

Sure, she's terrified. It's a thought she doesn't hide from herself, not anymore. But were it not for the Head Girl's talent for empathy, it's unlikely she'd be able to discern it. Elise's aura wanes and trembles but her exterior is calm and unassuming. As Vera simply ignores her question, she turns eyes on her, making a taunting little kissy face in response, sinking to shrug, settling back into step. And as they continue on in silence, as the school hall facade fades to the gray stone masonry of the school's dark and sinister heart, she's left with time to think. About why she's here. Not about the small misdemeanors and possible faux pas. No, these are insignificant tokens, meaningless little excuses that could be manufactured or engineered by any monster or sadist looking for a reason to punish. She's more concerned about any leaks in the Hand's plans, stupid little mistakes that could have tipped the Head Girl or her superiors off to her motives. And while she's pretty sure she's got it covered, that gnawing fear still lingers. Torture and pain and humiliation, these are accepted expectations of the day-to-day, but with the Hand, so goes hope.

Eventually they stop. She knows this door, of course, but she makes no acknowledgement of it. Fingers smooth down her skirt as they wait, eyes flicking back to Vera, casual and innocent, her voice taking the tenor of harmless casual chatter, the type of small talk about weather or office gossip you might make in the elevator or waiting for the bus. "I can't imagine what it must be like to be such a coward. Unwilling to do the discipline on your own. Instead you have to throw your wards to the wolves waiting downstairs. I wonder though, will you just push me down the steps and run, or will you settle down in the corner and finger yourself while you watch?" Her head tilts askance, curious, eyes a dark glimmer. "Do you think she'll pat your head and scritch you under the chin like a favored hound?"

The door swung open, and a small wave of heat hit the two students in the face. With the school warming, the furnace was running cooler, so the room was tolerable, if slightly uncomfortable beyond. The gray woman, her image fresh in Vera's mind and carved into Elise's, stuck her head out and took in her two guests. She smiled playfully at the dark-haired woman.

"Elise! Come back to see me so soon? My my, I'm inclined to believe you've done nothing at all that I told you to!" Miss Steel said, her yellow-green eyes glimmering with hunger. The inhuman orbs swung to the other woman, and the grin and hunger both faded to something Elise could hardly have imagined from the six-foot-plus gray-skinned woman. "And... Mistress Vera, I'm so glad you thought of me," Steel added. Her cheeks actually seemed to darken, as if in a blush. She stepped back from the frame and gestured inwards.

"Come in, come in out of the cold! I've just brewed a large pot of tea that I was planning to share with Zinc and Mira originally, but those two have both up and vanished on me at the last moment to Gods know where. I'm afraid it's a deep red tea, and not the nice green I had for you last time, Mistress Vera," the gray woman said as she lead them in to the furnace room and offered them black wrought-iron chairs set at a small, round, matched table. Upon the table was perched an elegant tea pot in the British style with delicate matching cups, all hand-painted with precise designs showing a beautiful young woman bound in chains and moaning. The gray woman lifted the pot and poured a cup for each of the three women. The tea steamed slightly and was a deep crimson color. It smelled faintly coppery.

((P.S. 1000th post woo))

((congrats!))

Miss Steel was still slightly off as usual but Vera merely smiled at the metallic woman. Mistress Vera, it did have a nice sound to it and hearing that title would put Elise in her place. Despite her position, she would never allow herself to just be a simple hound.

"Of course," she replied softly, giving a gentle stroke to Steel's blushing cheek as she stepped into the room, "How could I ever forget you? Unfortunately this meeting is one of more business rather than pleasure. I hope you do not mind us coming unannounced." Vera ensured Elise was following before moving to take her seat in the heated metal chair.

Much like her first encounter, a strange tea awaited them. The deep red color and coppery smell led Vera to believe this was not a tea but blood. "It is alright, I am sure the tea you made will be just fine," she said softly, "I do trust you are doing well here. Seems you and Elise have already met so I shall leave the introductions and move on to the task at hand."

The Head Girl smoothed her skirt as she looked over at Elise and then to Miss Steel. "This student seems to think she is above everyone else in this school. She disregards the rules as she sleeps in class assuming she even bothers to show up while being disrespectful to her fellow students and staff members. You should have heard the taunts she threw at me while walking here. Seems this is just another spoiled brat needing to learn her place. Hopefully she will learn more from a second lesson from you than she did in the first."

The whole situation has her just.... well.... perplexed is as good a word for it as any. All she can do is stare incredulous at the exchange between student and monster, like what rabbit hole did she just fall down? A quick, sharp glower is shot Steel's way but her head races, too confused to say much of anything or fire off that trademark snark. She's been waiting for that other shoe to drop, but it looks like it's not going to happen. Like she's just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and this stupid girl doesn't know a thing about her extracurriculurs. But Steel does and well...

Bewildered, she sinks to a seat. The woman's got leverage, sure, and suddenly the real threat to Elise's safety has shifted. She smooths her skirt under her as she slips to a seat, leaning down to sniff at the tea and then tap it away. "More of a coffee girl," she mutters. Eyes roam between Steel and Vera, reading their expressions. "I. Ah... I'm a slow learner. Remedial student. Seriously. They were supposed to put me in the special ed class but there must have been a mix-up in admin."

The gray woman shook her head slightly at the list of offenses, clearly keeping some vague mental tally of the punishment due for each. She lifted her cup to her lips, blew softly, and sipped, all the while growing more and more irritated with the picture Vera was painting of the disobedient little whelp.

Elise's flippant attitude did nothing to ease Steel's ire, but the delinquent's dismissal of the offered tea in particular sent a spark of anger flashing over acid-green inhuman eyes. Seemingly without meaning to, the gray woman lifted half a dozen thin chains from her back and splayed them out in the air over her shoulders, like hairs standing on end or barbed lashes waiting for something to ensnare. Steel took another sip of her tea and turned angrily towards Elise.

"You can't blame this on being stupid, Elise," Steel said flatly, "you're far too clever for that. I think instead the blame lies elsewhere. Like, say, with your parents. Did they not raise you right? Did they not teach you proper manners? Did they not instruct you to at least TASTE something that has been offered to you?" The last question was a soft snarl.

Elise seemed to be dumbfounded by the brief exchange she had with Miss Steel. This did not help her reputation as a 'traitor' to the students but such a title was given by the ignorant and held no meaning to Vera's ears. Unlike the other students, her future was still up in the air and would no doubt be working close with these many monsters and slavers that are about. If Elise only knew the truth, the could be seen as a minor annoyance compared to what graduation will hold.

The young student had moved on from insults to poor excuses. Of course they were all lies which could easily be taken as insulting. This whole situation must really have this one off balance. A situation that was about to get a whole lot worse.

Vera had her cup in her hand as she watched as several chains and lash about in the air. This was one monster you did not want to piss off. Seems the metal woman was sensitive about her tea. But they were both in agreement about one thing, idiocy was not the reason behind the blatant rebellion.

"It is best to not insult us with poor excuses, Miss Renfroe," she replied cooly, "You are smart enough to be in this school and pass the courses while sleeping through most of them. But if you need help learning how useless your antics are, I am sure we can find ways to teach you. Miss Steel's job may be to punish, but I am here to correct you. You may despise me, but in the end your life here in Shokushu will be much easier as you continue progress and graduate."

An eyebrow lifts incredulously as the two women take her insufferable snark for a genuine excuse. She shifts cagily in her chair. Eyes follow the web of chains with tight caution, but she doesn't make a move for the tea. "Hn. Parents... Lady, everything I ever need to know, I learned from a life in private schools, and trust me, this place isn't so different from the little academies run by the nuns. Vicious little sadist bitches they are. You could learn some things from them, really. Have you thought of becoming a nun? Seriously, it might suit you. 'Mother Superior Steel'." Eyes roll from Steel back to Vera with a little smirk.

"No, Miss Matsuyo. I'm smart enough to realize that concerning myself with classes is a less essential requirement than having a tight ass and a pretty mouth. Let's be honest with each other, girlfriend. You could have found an excuse to pick up any one of the girls in that room. You didn't bring me down here because I broke the rules. You brought me down because you like to watch. So why me?" Lips twist up smugly. "You like the bad girls, Vera? Is that it?"

Each word out of Elise's mouth seemed to incense the gray woman further, or perhaps it was just every second the steaming cup of coppery red liquid went undrunk. The chains twitched angrily and flickered their tips between an empty link, sharp barbs, hooks, clips, and simple restraints as they hung in the air.

With a sharp grating of metal on concrete, Miss Steel stood and pushed her chair harshly back with her legs. It wavered for a moment as gray fingers clutched at the wire table, trembling slightly, then fell back and clanged hard on the floor. The chains at Steel's back fanned out to her sides.

"Elise," Steel growled, her eyes a terrifying challenge and her words very tightly constrained. "Drink. Your. Tea." The table started to shake, the porcelain rattling on the iron, as Steel worked to keep the sudden urge of angry in check.

"Hmm.." she pondered for a moment, showing little concern for the insults being thrown at her, "Perhaps you truly are a stupid little girl. Please be aware that if Miss Steel wishes it, she can ensure that you never have to worry about this school and its rules. You can merely become her plaything to continue practicing her skills. I am only here to deliver you to your punishment as you have broken enough rules to warrant it. So yes, I do punish bad girls. There would be little gain to punish someone who does follow the rules."

It was simply stupidity that would lead a student to believe that such comments and insults would help her situation here. By this odd logic Elise had, the student would probably try to escape quicksand by bending over and sticking her face into it. Digging your own grave also came to mind. Even if Elise had done nothing wrong, she could have brought this woman into this room and her own mouth would have brought forth enough evidence to punish her with.

Elise was saying all the right things to further piss off Miss Steel. Vera did not have to lift a finger or even explain herself. Soon enough, this student would have enough trouble on her hands for these foolish remarks. "I advise you to obey her order, Elise," she said cooly, "Despite what you think, neither one of us is on a leash here. If she decides to act on the urges that you continue to goad to the surface, I will not be able to protect you."