@ERode

"Guten Abend, Herr Robespierre."

Lucretia loved progress and hated delays in oppositely equal measure so it was satisfying to hear that Maximilien wasn't difficult to contact, better yet, he accepted the appointment and even gracious enough to arrange the time and place himself, which meant she could use the hours to instead tinker with her projects until it was dinner time.

With Schwarzritter in compacted form floating beside her, not yet sent to Sukoro as that'd be tomorrow, Lucy seated herself on the vacant dining chair across the table from Maximilien's position. She was clad in pretty much the same outfit as earlier in the day, although her beret and short coat had been removed and hung on the same rack by the door. Naturally, she was served with the same menu as her host, the golden-brown roast duck glistening underneath the singular lamp reigning above the table. A private dining room, something Lucretia wasn't a stranger to, although she was more accustomed to a bigger table and a couple more chairs around said table.

"It is regarding Jeanne du Bordeaux and the crime of arson she committed against the Central Monument Library. I've been made aware that you're handling the legal process of her trial."

She replied as she watched the older boy prepare the duck for them, already wanting to get into the main topic immediately, but a few seconds later, the white-haired Polymath decided to partake in the private feast as well, using the silverware to join him in enjoying the roasted fowl and its accompanying side dishes. Even for an ambitiously obsessive Polymath, hunger was truly a strong motivator, a primal need that no humans are immune against.

They enjoyed dinner for a moment before she continued her previous statement, "It is only right that she is to be severely punished for her wanton barbarism, the senseless destruction of valuable knowledge, and the shame she smeared on the Occident and Polymaths as a whole. After what she did, to call her as one of our own is simply heinous," The white-haired German paused for a moment, leaning ever so slightly forward toward the black-haired Frenchman, "What does it take for justice to be achieved?"

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James started his morning as usual, however, the adjustment of cohabitation with a roommate was... Weird to say the least. He had to be mindful of his sleepier self, not allowing his habits as a solitary spy and assassin bubble to the surface. After all, there was still a lot to think about. This type of deep cover infiltration was new to him. The agency could've sent anyone else, but perhaps he was the only one available. These new thoughts and feelings all brought about by the appearances of people his age talking about their upbringings, their families, their loved ones. It made him realize how much he didn't have. Though he had ended the night prior in good spirits, these thoughts hung about him and refused to let him sleep.

Nevertheless, after showering he put on his tophat and his usual coat and left the apartment. He needed to clear his mind. That was when all the news had hit him about the previous night. There were plenty of goings on now, especially after that little stunt that Jeanne pulled. It piqued his interests as Jeanne, despite how she looks, isn't the type of person he'd think would do things on impulse. No, as much as he'd hate to admit it, there was some method to her madness, otherwise, she wouldn't be here in Bermuda in the first place. While this news was surprising it was not enough distract him from exploring his surroundings further. He let himself go and hoped his thoughts would slowly fade away. Not too long after, he found himself looking at some ornate looking pocket watches through a store window. He didn't know why he stopped in-front of this shop, he just liked the design he supposed.

"Perhaps... I've gone soft." He whispered to himself. In the reflection of the store window he saw himself. He wasn't even aware of the expression he was making. His eyes looked distant, his face pale, his brow furrowed. So distracted, so disconnected, and so self-centered that he could not even process all the things going on around him or noting anyone of interest. He sighed and continued on his stroll.

Valeriya Zhukova

Alright, enough time had passed. Valeriya set her now-emptied mug of ale down. Either Kiran was still in his room or he wasn't, but it didn't matter at this point. Worst case scenario, Valeriya still had a holdout pistol with her. Not the most optimal method of settling the situation, but it was a last resort. Against a Technologist taken off guard, it'd be more than enough.

Curfew was approaching, and there went her other timeframe. Sure, she had her method of breaking out now, but she'd have to leave the device in the dorm's wiring to do so, and that was an unacceptable risk. Plus, considering her suspicions about Jeanne from earlier in the day, there was a good chance something malicious was going on behind the scenes during curfew hours. It was only speculation for now, but further information would likely be useful to her superiors.

Valeriya left the bar, starting to make her way up to where she knew Kiran and Shou's dorm was. The tracker she left on Kiran during the dance last night was still broadcasting. She'd have to make sure to take it back with her during her exfiltration. Finally, it was time to get to work.

@Liotrent

Bunga tried wandering around. Trying to find this elusive Le Bang Kieu person, silently wandering what kind of clothing he might wear. She knew that the Vietnamese that visited Palembang usually wear flowy clothing, long dresses, silk pants and shirts, and of course, a general shock when they noticed the showcase of skin all around them when they encounter the locals.

The amount of comments she received from Chinese and Vietnamese regarding the amount of exposed skin she has is too many to count.

She didn't worry about it too much though. If experience had told her something, the Vietnamese and Chinese people she encountered got used to it by a couple of days. Assuming Le had the same... predispositions regarding modesty that is.

As the sun's setting, and as her search becomes more and more fruitless, her spirit visibly waned. It's one thing to search for someone for hours on end, but it's a whole 'nother thing to literally find no clues regarding where Le Bang Kieu is during all the hours she spent searching. It's almost like she was searching for a ghost, literally everyone she talked to didn't know where the Vietnamese man is, and sometimes, didn't even know who Le Bang Kieu even was.

Feeling a bit dejected. Bunga wandered a little bit aimlessly, now just wanting to get dinner or something. But then someone caught her eye, a man, looking just as dejected as herself, his face pale, his movements slow, seemingly wandering aimlessly as well.

Perhaps a kindred soul? She has to get close to him to find out.

"Excuse me?" She greeted the man, after closing the gap. "But are you okay? Do you need help?"

"Ah, sorry for the suddenness of this, but your face looks very pale, and I thought that you might be a bit depressed or something. I'm Bunga Kurniawan, an Egoist."

She hoped that she didn't freak him out or something. Her day just started off on a rather high note, and she wanted to end today on a high note as well.

---

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"Excuse me? But, are you okay do you need help?"

James turned his attention to the person calling out to him. He was surprised, but it seems that he was a bit careless - his emotions were showing on the surface. What's more is that this person was barely wearing anything. Something he was used to on his foreign assignments, but that is to say, it's always a bit of a shock.

"Ah, sorry for the suddenness of this, but your face looks very pale, and I thought that you might be a bit depressed or something. I'm Bunga Kurniawan, an Egoist." She continued. To James, she seemed friendly and genuinely concerned for his well being. It was a nice change of pace, one he was still not used to, one that he still wondered he deserved.

James then chuckled a little then replied in a friendly manner, "It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. My name is James Porter, dynamicist and chemist. I'm quite sorry if I've worried you miss Kurniawan, but I'm quite fine." He took off his top hat and bowed slightly, gentlemanly as he should, he then turned his attention to her "What about you miss? You seem a bit out of it yourself."

@kumbaris

The best thing about this 'dinner party'? The food of course. After that utterly disappointing lunch, Ryuuko was left very happy with the choices Jeanne had made for their dinner menu. She took and tasted a little bit of everything that she can comfortably eat, alternating in a specific order as she enjoyed her meal. The second best thing was, well, the fact that it was a 'party'. Ryuuko didn't really like eating dinner alone, so being able to eat with this band of misfits was nice. Bonus points to the fact that she quite like Franz, Bang, and somehow also Jeanne. She also felt that Inti seemed okay so far. As for Nazca... Well, anyone can make a mistake. Just as long as she doesn't pull another antic like Katsubochi again the next time...

As for the lack of Jeanne's personal touches that she had discovered earlier while curiously snooping around the room, Ryuuko didn't think too much of it. Indeed, it's probably just a matter of Jeanne storing her personal stuffs elsewhere. The only unfortunate thing about that fact was that it didn't really help with Ryuuko's boredom as she waited for Jeanne to finish her bathing.

Oh well, that aside... To more important matters. While still eating, Ryuuko started looking at the blackboard that was filled with the information that the members of the group had gathered earlier. She swallowed the food in her mouth and paused as she stared at the board for a few seconds, before then sighing. "Man. That's a whole lot of extra questions with no answer there..." The weird black shape in the photograph. The gunman's also weird positioning... The whole thing reeked of wrongs and fishiness, also likely somehow connected to the annoying seaweed scented fog. One heck of an island this turned out to be, even for one that was filled with talented Polymaths. To think that it was still only the second day...

"Alright, so! Thoughts, anyone? Oh and I haven't gotten to really checking the students registry yet. Anyone done that already to see if our mysterious manbat's in there?" That was one thing that should be immediately obvious at least. Either the manbat's there in the registry or he wasn't. If he was, then that just made things so much simpler. If he wasn't, well, that just made him all the more suspicious.

---

Franz had been quiet for the beginning of the dinner with the other students. It had been a taxing day, first cleaning then studying spiders. He had little to contribute to the investigation so far. He only had about half an hour to an hour to look over the student records before he was due to dine. Franz brought one copy to the meeting and left the other behind in his room for personal use.

After hearing Ryuuko talk, Franz politely set down his cutlery and began addressing the group. “I suppose I should start then. My presentation should be short enough.”

“On the table is a completed registry of the students in Bermuda. As you skimmed over, you will have noticed that there are photographic records of the students along with their nationality.” Franz turned his attention to Jeanne. “Miss Bordeaux, I have done you the liberty of underlining Egoists of a distinctly inhuman appearance as well as people of French nationality.”

“The former is in regards to the Egoist that you had seen earlier. Due to the varying quality of the photos it may be hard to see full facial features, so only cross out Egoists who are distinctly not the creature you saw that night.”

“The latter is in regards to the gunman or potential conspirators. I have marked out students of French nationality, but students of other nations can apply. This is simply identifying students who have may have reason to act against you to this degree.”

“That is all.” Franz said nonchalantly as he returned to eating.

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LÊ BẰNG KIỀU

---

As Franz finished his piece, Bang cleared his throat. “Ah, I suppose I should go next.”

The boy and his cane gradually made it to the blackboard with his diagram. “From my investigation, I believe that the shooter attacked from this position here. Miss Valeriya states that the perpetrator used a firearm with an internal compression system. Not powerful enough to kill, which would explain the erratic trajectories of the bullets too. The shots were random, you see.”

He gestured to the alley, and the paths of Jeanne and the manbat.

“From the position of our shooter, they would not have been able to know of Jeanne’s approach with the lack of visibility in that alley. So why the shots? A jumpy trigger finger of an inexperienced gunman? Or a deliberate attempt to lure her elsewhere?”

He scratched his head, lost in thought for a moment. “Ah, forgive me, I’m talking to myself. A-Anyway, that doesn’t even begin to cover the remainder of strange findings at the scene. While the shots were fired from a standing position, there was a silhouette of the person on the concrete, lying on the ground with their limbs splayed out, head pointed opposite of where the chase was coming from. Hardly a compact resting position, correct? I suspected foul play but couldn’t find any traces of blood to suggest an injury. Either way, I believe they were on the ground like that for a considerable majority of that night.”

Bang hobbled back to his seat. “From this point on, this is all my personal conjecture. I’ll need some time on my own to confirm this hypothesis but I have a feeling this shooter may have been on this island longer than us students have resided. I think it would be worth investigating the types of firearms used by island security, as well as what their patrol patterns look like. Perhaps if we find this shooter, we can have them corroborate the existence of this manbat with an eyewitness testimony.”

With some difficulty, he pulled his seat back in. He shrugged. “That’s all from me.”

While she couldn't tell if her distraction would last the full time the others would need, Hana did lead the officer on quite the tour of the area. Eventually, she would have to let the ruse go by, so she took an opportunity during one of the searches to plant and "find" her wallet. Thank goodness she had just dropped it somewhere, it could have been a much bigger disaster.

She'd have to regroup with the others later, to see how things went, but it was getting late in the day, and she had her own things to do, if she could. The rest of the day,she spent her time getting more familiar with the lay of the land, and carefully investigating into the island's only, brand new news publication. She started with the obvious, reading the paper again and keeping an eye out for any official addresses for offices or similar. If they have a section for advertisements, for instance, they would need a place one can request them. If that didn't work, it was time for the old shoe leather approach, and that took much more time.

Worst came to it, enough asking around might have someone come to her. Though that scenario would be disturbing in its implications. certainly, there was a need for additional reporters, regardless.

Bunga was ecstatic that this British man didn’t necessarily find her weird or too pushy when she introduced herself. She guesses it’s just her thing to visibly reach out and feel out someone whenever someone’s out in the dumps and she has the ability to help. Do what you can with what you’ve got, she’s just nice like that.

But she didn’t expect that James would also respond with another question, one that Bunga didn’t expect. It’s not common for the helper to be helped in return, and Bunga’s feeling that James might also reach his hand out in assistance to Bunga’s downer mood right now. “Oh, me? Yeah yeah, I’m feeling a bit dejected myself. I’m currently searching for a man by the name of Le Bang Kieu, he’s Vietnamese, and he might have an idea of where I can find my own countrymen on this island.”

“Oh, perhaps I forgot to mention this, but I hail from the Majapahit Federation. Perhaps you’ve heard of my country before? I heard it’s called the Spice Islands or the East Indies in the Occident right? For some strange reason I somehow haven’t managed to find one of my own fellow countrymen throughout my time studying here. Of course, it’s not a long time, but I find it bizarre that no Nusantaran Polymaths or individuals are around here.”

She took a short breath before continuing. “And for some reason, he’s… gone! Like poof! Into the air for some reason. I’ve been searching for this Le guy for so long, and I still am not closer to him than when I started. Feels just… UGH.”

She feels a bit sorry for unloading all her grievances to James. But it feels like they both needed to vent stuff right now.

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James listened for a while as this woman aired out her grievances. It seems she was looking for his roommate, Bang.

“Ah I see you’re looking for my roommate. He’s quite the pleasant fellow. Though I wasn’t able to catch him this morning, then again, I slept in for the first time in a long time.”

He put his hat on and placed his hand on his chin to think for a bit. “Perhaps he went to look for a person I wanted to associate with more. A miss Yun Hana.”

He then looked at her and smiled, “I could help you look for him. I’d recognize him in a heartbeat.”

For some reason, he seems a little more relaxed. Perhaps all he needed was someone else to talk to and a task to put his mind to. Speaking of, he still wasn’t able to find his target which, up till now, he had forgotten about. This little mistake made him flustered, it was embarrassing to think that he had forgotten the real reason he was here even though he had just been worrying about it last night.

---

Bunga felt that she just accidentally found a goldmine. Here she was, searching endlessly throughout the island just for this one person, and the moment she tried helping someone who seemed to be down on their luck. She discovered that this one guy is apparently Le Bang Kieu’s roommate.

“I’ll be darned. Are you really his roommate?” She asked James. “Well, looks like the day will end on a high note after all!”

“Yes, let’s search for him together James.” The vulpine eared woman responded. “And if we can’t find him today, perhaps we can meet up tomorrow? Are you alright with that?”

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James put a hand to his chin again and closed his eyes as if to ponder. A small smile then formed on the corners of his mouth before he replied, “Meeting again tomorrow would be alright.”

James thought it was a good opportunity to extend his connections. Even if this led to nothing, it would help maintain his image as a regular student. Though when he looked back towards her genuine happiness, he thought again to his thoughts and feelings from before. Who exactly does he want to be and what exactly was his goal as a person.

Regardless, he kept up his smile, for Bunga’s sake. “Let’s go then! Perhaps he went to one of the restaurants around here.”

He fixed his hair and his clothes and began to walk in a direction which he believed would have a few places to eat.

---

It felt like hours more as the group searched and searched throughout the city. They scoured every restaurant, asked every restaurateur, and asked as many questions as they could for everyone. And in the end, it turned out to be for nothing. The duo managed to not discover Le Bang Kieu’s location, and Bunga was left severely disappointed by the lack of progress they’ve made.

Still though. The group still has time to make some smalltalk. Bunga has internally reasoned with herself that they wouldn’t be able to find Le Bang Kieu no matter what at this point, and decided to ask James some questions.

Getting to know more students in order to further her studies isn’t necessarily a thing Bunga’s against after all.

“So, James. What brings you here? To the island? I’m currently doing some studies concerning Egoism. To keep things short, I’m trying to replicate the formulas from nature for human use.”

She gestured at her fox ears. “As you can see, there are some visible results from my studies. Don’t worry about these though, they’re all temporary.”

“So, what about yourself James? What are you studying about?”

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James was slightly fascinated in the sense that her formulations were temporary. Her field of study is quite humanitarian. It once again contrasts against himself. He looked at her cheerful self and for the first time felt disappointed that he could not help her.

It was starting to get late. This person beside him, had stayed by his side and had not gotten something for herself to eat. Before he answered her question, he walked towards a small stand that sold pretzels. He bought a bag of pretzels and walked back to her.

“Here, you should at least eat a little something. We’ve spent all this time looking for my roommate that you’ve forgotten to take care of yourself. It’s not much but it’ll do before dinner at least.” He handed over a small paper bag filled with pretzels to her before finally answering her question.

“... Anyway, I came here to further my studies on chemical concoctions and formulations. I mainly focus on perfumes and turning those beautiful scents into something that can improve one's mood. I also dabble in the pharmaceutical field.”

He then brings out an assortment of vials filled with all sorts of colored liquids with nice little labels. He sorted through them for a bit and then picked out a rather benign one. “I don’t quite know if this will affect you but here you go.”

The vial he handed her was filled with a red liquid labeled scent of spring. “It’s been made to improve one’s focus. Perhaps it’ll serve you well… Or not! I don’t know.”

---

She received both the pretzel and the vial with glee. Although she decided to only eat the pretzel. “You know. I never had much German food when I was back home. The only Occidentals I’ve met during my time studying in Palembang were only some British and Dutch folk. Hmm, salty and filling. It’s good!”

She has tried adjusting her expectations to fit the current food culture in Bermuda. Palembang is not exactly a place where Occidental food is… well, present in numbers. Practically all the food she was present there was either incredibly spicy, incredibly colourful, or incredibly tasteful. A strong mix of spices is present in all the food she ate.

This felt different, and different tastes good.

“Ah James. I wish I could have cooked you some food from my island. But alas, I don't have much kitchen space where I’m living.” She remarked. finally finishing the pretzel. “These pretzels are delicious!”

She eyed the vial for a while. “Hmm. I’m not a technologist, so I’m kinda not sure if I should drink this right now…” She eyed the red liquid. “It’s a bit irrational, but I kinda don’t like getting poisoned, and this red liquid feels suspicious. Ah well, maybe I’ll just hand it over to some of my technologist friends in the dorm and see what they think about it.”

She then noticed how it’s getting darker. The streetlights are now fully operating, and people are now starting to go back to their dorms. “Oh dear. Looks like it’s getting a bit late at night huh? I think I have to go back. Perhaps we can continue the search for him tomorrow perhaps? Meet sometime midday? Maybe a restaurant somewhere in Bermuda?”

Bunga is practically drooling at the prospect of meeting Le Bang Kieu. She has to meet him at this point, Calm down Bunga, calm down, it’s fully possible that this Vietnamese man may have no idea where the Nusantarans are still. She thought to herself, some vain effort to calm herself down from the prospect of meeting him tomorrow.

“Right, since it’s getting darker outside, perhaps we should go home then. Don’t wanna be outside when curfew hits right?” She asked James.

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James began to genuinely snicker, “Ahaha,sorry, but that’s not something you drink…” he points to the vial, “... It’s a perfume! Though I could understand why you’d think it was a drink.”

He held a hand to his lips to stop himself from laughing further. He paused for a moment then looked at her. “Well, we stay in around the same place anyway. I’ll walk you back.”

As they were walking James then produced another vial and popped the cork off. “This one is named Dandelion breeze…” the liquid within the vial he produced began to turn to gas as it met with open air. The blue mist began to rise and with a flick of his hand, the mist began to swirl around them both.

“This one’s effects are to alleviate fatigue and it smells sweet, but the scent is subtle. Hopefully it will work on you, we’ve been walking for quite a while after all.”

He led the way back to the dorms alongside Bunga. It was a different experience. He admired her determination. There was no sense of quit in her even after she failed to find Bang twice. He then thought perhaps this was what normal people would call ’a crush’. It occurred to James that he himself had never felt attraction towards anyone. Was it really worth the trouble?

He thought about the small things she had revealed about herself. Majapahit Federation, Palembang, Nusantarans, her troubles, her studies, it was all so innocent. As they got back to the dorms, James thought about her invitation tomorrow. Without further hesitation he said, “… I’ll see you tomorrow. You tell me where. I’m interested to see if we can find some of this cuisine you wanted to cook.” He smiled almost eager to see tomorrow.,

---

Bunga smiled at James. Thanking his offer to bring her home, and most certainly happy for the clarification James did. “Ah, so it’s a perfume! Didn’t expect that.” As James then brought a vial called ‘Dandelion Breeze and proceeded to air it out. Bunga was calmed by the pleasant smell, and the enthralling blue colour.

It looks so vivid! Bunga thought as she looked at the blue swirls all around the duo as they walked back to her dorms. The woman side by side James and smiling all the time. She felt oddly comfortable with him for some reason. Perhaps it is his friendly nature and the rather nice clothes he wears, perhaps it is the way he talks, and perhaps it is all of them.

Regardless, she feels that she won’t mind getting closer with him at all.

When they finally arrived at her dorms. She hugged him, pressing her body close to him, and smiled at James offering to meet her tomorrow. “I think it would be better if you bring Bang here, to my dorm room door midday, and then we can find a nice restaurant to eat and have fun!”

“It's nice meeting you James. I hope that we can be good friends!” She finished, hugging him again, this time slightly longer, before departing and closing the dorm room shortly thereafter.

He’s very nice! Bunga thought to herself, as she eventually walked back to her quarters. Taking a short shower and changing to her sleeping clothes. Reading a bit on the book she bought before turning in for the night the moment curfew hits.

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The hugs surprised James. He didn’t think he deserved such thanks. Of course, she still wanted to meet Bang - it seems that he’d have to ask his roommate to join him tomorrow afternoon. For some reason that annoyed him, but he couldn’t quite place why. Was it the fact that he had to go through the trouble of asking Bang or something else entirely? He couldn’t answer such a question. Nevertheless, he put those thoughts aside for a while and sighed heavily.

As he got back to his own dorm, he noticed a letter. Whoever left it here must've slipped it under the door. To his surprise it seemed to be addressed to him. The sender went as far as to write ”For you eyes only." He took it and went to his room for some privacy.

Bonsoir Monsieur Porter,

It has been many years since we have last spoken, but it is a joy nonetheless to see that you have been accepted into Bermuda Island, as expected of one possessing such pedigree as yours.

I am writing to request a sleeping aid for a friend of mine, an Egoist with Occidental inclinations. Her room does not suit her taste, and her bedding in particular is found wanting in consideration to her biological developments.

If you could provide such a concoction by the morning of May the 7th, I will be quite thankful.

May you remain worshipful and wealthy,
Jeanne Du Bordeaux

Jeanne, the crazy french woman. Then again, as he thought before, she may be mad but there’s a method to that madness. That alone made her incredibly dangerous.

James went on to light a match and burn the letter. Jeanne wouldn’t want anything to be used against her. This was a chance for James to expand his network of associates within Bermuda. He immediately got to work and got to work setting up his lab - there was a long night ahead of him.

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_{A collab between @Liotrent & @Kumbaris}

---

While he personally might not have been well adapted for the journey Lucy envisioned, Shou's explorer spirit couldn't help but be intrigued. The difficulties associated with breaking new boundaries could always use a few sturdier bodies, and he made sure to introduce himself to the Englishwoman as a possible asset. Limiting himself to being just a man of the sea seemed like far too small of a box after all. With a bit of networking finished though, it was about time for Shou to take his leave. After all, participating in the venue's challenge seemed a bit childish when there weren't any other Egoists in attendance.

He should get back and touch bases with his roommate after all. Figuring out ways to replicate Egoist adaptations with Technologism was probably going to involve a few hiccups, and he was already putting off one project. If he put off another one, then it'd turn into three at some point and things would only snowball from there! While the remainder enjoyed the fruits of Miss Atkinson's mania, Shou quietly slipped out of the building and into the evening.

As per last evening, Shou arrived just outside his residence atop one of the neighboring building's roof. The lights to their shared room were on, so it seemed that Kiran was already inside. It was possible that he had never left for the entire day as well. After all, Shou hadn't checked in with the Technologist ever since he stormed off last night. Was that perhaps a bit too distant of him? He rubbed his chin for a moment as he considered it. Then again, he had been in somewhat of a foul mood and definitely not the best of company.

Shou supposed he could always check in and ask if the other boy wanted to have dinner now. It'd be a good idea to get someone else's take on his discoveries today and bounce some ideas off the other explorer about possible uncovering just what was held down beneath Bermuda. With a casual hop off the roof and down to the ground below, Shou entered and grabbed himself a light drink to bring up to the room with him.

Clockwork Autumn

As far as dinner parties went, it was a nice one. Unlike a certain Japanese girl’s dislike of her native food –of which Nazca remained blissfully unaware—she enjoyed foods of all cultures, from all the corners of the world, be they from her own native lands, to the rich and sumptuous foods of the occident, and the exotic, sometimes divisive cuisine of the orient. And as far as French food went, it was some of the better cuisine she could find from Europe. As much as she enjoyed her new home and patron country of Great Britain, it only had so many dishes that could be called proper cuisine.

So, Nazca sat ensconced in her seat with a healthy serving of escargot, cheeses, slices of delicious duck, a sumptuous portion of beef bourguignon, and of course, a nice glass of wine. This she enjoyed as the other students in their little group gave small presentations on the information that they had discovered in regards to the apathetic Frenchwoman. Raising her eyes at the Austrian’s investigation of the student roster –perhaps the boy would be more suited to school administration than anything else—she did have to agree that the information didn’t entirely add up. Rather, it opened further questions without answers.

She perked up a bit as the Vietnamese boy went up, though, and she took care to scrutinize his words as well as his diagram. Aside from her growing interest in his person –no doubt because of the telegram—his words had merit. But why would such a person, if such a person existed, have intervened to accost Jeanne?

When the others finished speaking, Nazca took her time before speaking up, only doing so after she had finished her portion of delicious roast duck. She didn’t speak much, though, eager to continue with her food as she was. The data she had collected spoke for itself, though. All she had to do was provide context to it. “I’m sure everybody has noticed the strange shape in the photographs I provided,” she started, watering her throat with some wine. “Most of these pictures took place roughly at or before 11PM, and the smoke correlates with what we know about the library fire.” She shot a brief scowl at Jeanne. “The strange dark shape is far more difficult to quantify. Considering the fact that it was only captured in one shot suggests that whatever it was likely ethereal, perhaps an ability of an egoist or technologist, which is my personal hypothesis. Perhaps there are alternative explanations, which I’m open to hearing and discussing.”

She put emphasis on the hearing part as she returned to her meal.

_{@Zombehs@Psyker Landshark}
Valeriya ascended quickly, without hesitation, the tavern-style apartment’s staircase spacious enough that even the swaying of students who couldn’t hold their drink did not force her off her course. Within moments, she was before the door, a sturdy wooden thing, but one that had a brass knob. It would take only a simple Formulization to open it up…if it was indeed just a normal door.
But she didn’t have to test it out.

From within the suite, Kiran’s voice called out.

“It’s open.”

Did he expect her? Or did he think she was someone else? Calculations of risk and reward buzzed through her mind. What element of surprise she had with her entrance was gone now, but perhaps it was still worth pursuing. Would she act though? Or would she flee? Curfew was coming soon, which meant that Shou must be returning soon too.

If Valeriya did open the door, however, she would be greeted with the sight of Kiran Agnarsson, standing up from a window-side desk. His expression was a mixture of surprise and certainty, and while he made himself to appear relaxed, there was still a tension to his shoulders, an alertness to his gaze. For on his table laid the tracker she had planted on him the evening before, and his left hand rested within the pocket of his coat.

“Valeriya! I had only partly expected you to come,” he intoned. Footsteps sounded from the staircase to her right, accompanied by the scraping of a third appendage against wood. Perhaps she had a little less than ten seconds to act. “You’re here to discuss business, yes?”

And in another easy motion, he flipped a book over the tracker that he had been studying. Was he too, willing to keep her clandestine activities a secret from his roommate? Or was this merely a ruse, buying time and causing the instance of hesitation required for an Egoist to come into the scene?
_@Izurich
“You are as direct as tabloids report you to be,” Maximilien replied, meeting her gaze with his own. The statement rang in the air for a few moments as he partook in his own meal, chewing in contemplation. After what felt like an agonizing wait but was likely to have been only a minute at best, he spoke up once more. “Justice will run its course, so long as everything stays in the course.”

It made sense, of course. As improper as some may have believed his examination of Jeanne to be, the dark-haired Polymath had laid out all his evidence and arguments against the Frenchwoman, and subsequently gave her and those who supported her three days to come up with a counterargument. Such a trial may be swift compared to the legal battles waged by more mundane criminals, but for any with the misfortune of being a convicted Polymath, three days was an amount of time bordering upon grace, and the punishment of expulsion was extraordinarily kind, compared to the brutal methods espoused by Oriental law.

“But your concerns are valid as well, Mademoiselle Konigsmahne. Your family’s contributions to the betterment of society can be seen all around the globe, and public sentiment being turned against the Technologists’ craft due to the actions of outliers in our community is indeed something to be concerned of.” He neither leaned forward for emphasis, nor leaned back to allow her opportunity to speak. Instead, he simply reached for a bottle of wine, uncorked it with an elegance that only the French could muster, and poured himself a glass.

“You are an intelligent woman. What do you make of those who’ve volunteered to watch over her?”
_@Vega7285
It appeared that, despite obviously requiring offices of large enough size to contain the large printing presses that would enable the production of more than two thousand newspapers within a day, there was no addresses printed upon the classified sections of the paper. Instead, the staff seemed to be taking advantage of Bermuda's unique communications systems here, requesting all interested parties to contact an 'Angelo Beolco'. It was a name unfamiliar to Hana, a curious thing when considering that all Polymaths within Bermuda must be individuals of fame, but perhaps that individual came from a lesser-known portion of the Occidental world.

Or perhaps the operators of Bermuda's telephone system allows one to establish aliases connected to their identity as well. Regardless, it was unlikely that, this late into the evening, she would be able to stumble upon whatever building the Bermuda Triangle operated out of, unless she was willing to risk getting caught outside when curfew hit.

...then again, that may not be a terrible matter either.

@ERode

Was she? Lucretia never kept up with any of those tabloids and gossip media, fruitless use of time as they were, brainless entertainment designed for the blind masses; she wasn't going to confirm, nor deny the statement as they weren't worth spending even a second of her time into. The minute wait between his speech would've felt like an eternity to someone as impatient as Lucretia in normal circumstances, but right now, she had the fine-cooked food to enjoy in between their talks, now this was a 'distraction' worth wasting time into. "That is a fair assessment, but I know there are actors who intend to push said justice off-course." Which was indeed the elephant in the room, she didn't need to bother with this had the situation been different. As it stood, there were those who somehow rationalized that Jeanne should not be punished, did the French barbarian bribe them? Threaten them? Both? Well, not if she could help it.

The white-haired Occidental Technologist responded to her dark-haired counterpart with a nod, approving that Maximilien could immediately see reason. Technologism was the herald that brought primitive civilizations into a golden age of knowledge, progress, and enlightenment; barbarians like Jeanne took everything that it stood for and twisted it until it became the exact opposite, senseless savagery, enemy to all civilized people everywhere. The very thought of the gullible commoners rejecting Technologist crafts due to the truculency of the black sheep was abhorrent.

To be perfectly honest, even knowing that there were those willing to support Jeanne - three of them of Occident allegiance even - made her quite... emotional, but this was a matter that must be handled with pragmatism. Jeanne was a fool, no doubt, but a dangerous fool with powers she didn't deserve, rushing at her like a rabid dog would make her no different than the Frenchwoman.

It seemed twas' finally time to address the aforementioned room elephant, "Let us see here... it has been known that five individuals - in all their wisdom - took to Jeanne's defense: Franz Steiner, Higashiakemi Ryuuko, Lê Bằng Kiều, Nazca Whitehall, and Inti Ruq'a." She visibly frowned when mentioning the first of the pentad, just... what are you doing, Herr Steiner?

"Franz Steiner, a Mesmerologist hailing from Kingdom of Austria, one of the very few Mesmerologist Polymaths in the world, at least amongst those in official records. A talented musician and practical genius who preferred practice over theory, constantly jeered for wasting his gifts on a faux major. Although I agree that he's either brave or foolish to remain in this questionable field of study, I approve of his perseverance to focus and not care about what detractors think of him. I think that there's untapped potential in the study of the human mind, the brain is the organ in our body that's the least understood, even though it's the one that enables us to achieve what we have as a species." She paused, her frown growing deeper, "However, this action he took... defending du Bordeaux, what was he thinking...?"

Deciding that she wouldn't find the answer right now, Lucy moved on to the second member of the defense team, "Higashiakemi Ryuuko, an Egoist hailing from the Empire of Japan, although have infamously defected to my home country of Germany, in a move to spite her House no doubt. Unlike Franz, it's easy - elementary in fact - to discern why she took Jeanne's side. She's a wildcard, a traitor to her country, one who takes pride in spitting on her family’s legacy, she must have admired Jeanne for her propensity to have so little care for rules and regulation. Like-minded barbarians who live only for themselves to the detriment of others around them, life is but one big joke for their ilk." She finished her assessment of the draconic Egoist, her tone firm and doubtless much unlike her review of Franz. That said, she moved on.

"Lê Bằng Kiều, an Egoist hailing from Vietnam; a Polymath of circumstances as Egoism was the only thing available to him to save his life after an unfortunate feud in the family. A pity, perhaps he could've been a brilliant Technologist had fate turned otherwise. He's known to be a compassionate boy, always wishing for none to share his fate. Perhaps, out of this sense of generosity - naive as it might be - he decided to assist the 'helpless' Jeanne. Misguided, but understandable nonetheless. I am not sure if he can be convinced that not everyone deserves help, especially a remorseless savage such as Jeanne." Her assessment of the Vietnamese young man done, the silver-haired girl proceeded to the next.

"Nazca Whitehall, a Dynamist-Technologist hailing from the Empire of Britannia, although of no native birth. She's a former Abya Yalan royal from a minor kingdom that was subsumed by the Aztec Empire a decade or so ago, I believe. An incredulously lucky individual in stark contrast to Herr Bằng, to both be rescued from her failed nation and adopted by the famous Herr Whitehall of Britain, although it's not difficult to see that he saw potential in her. She's a Polymath with skills in both dynamism and technologism, constructing remote-controlled semi-autonomous drones of various shapes, sizes, and functions. I have been studying her crafts myself and actually learned things I can employ in my own projects. As for the reason why she took Jeanne's side... perhaps in a similar vein to Bằng, it's out of a sense of altruism to help the 'helpless' as she has had once been." Four out of five, and now it came down to the final member of the defense team, and...

"..." Now it was Maximilien's turn to endure an eternity of silence from his dinner partner; Lucretia's brows frowned, the genius of geniuses digging through every inch of knowledge stored in her mind to little avail, and after a few excruciating minutes, she admitted defeat with a slight slump of her shoulders and a barely-audible sigh, "I possess no knowledge of this Inti Ruq'a, other than the fact that he's an Abya Yalan Dynamist." She mentally clicked her tongue, berating herself for this 'failure'.

"They must not succeed in their ill-advised goal of reducing Jeanne's sentence, or aether forbid, make her go free." Lucretia leaned forward this time, ashen eyebrows narrowed in burning ambition, "What does it take to purge this stain on Occidental and Technologist honor, Herr Robespierre?" No price is too high…

@ERode

“Your assessments are curious, for one rooted in pragmatism and logic such as yourself.”

Maximilien’s silverware clicked against his plate as he set it down, the young man interlacing his gloved hands and resting them upon the table. In deep shadow and harsh light, he gave off the impression of a great wall, inscrutable and domineering, incorruptible and unrepentant. Yet there was a flicker there, perhaps a trick of the light, or perhaps the faintest sign of disappointment.

He did not comment upon it, however, and instead, nodded his head once. “Inti Ruq’a is indeed an enigma, but he possesses the favour of the Tawatinsuyu Emperor, and it is upon that individual’s recommendation that he gained his spot here. The boy’s ignorance may be feigned, but regardless, he is not worth considering.” Indeed, a Dynamicist may be a wartime asset, but when it came to proving one’s innocence with evidence and rhetoric, no amount of Dynamicism would save one’s neck.

“I will make this clear only once, Mademoiselle Konigsmahne: I care only to see justice enacted, and if enough evidence is gathered that alleviates the burden of guilt from Mademoiselle Du Bordeaux’s shoulders, then her punishment will be lessened.” The Head of the Committee of Public Safety allowed that to sink in for a long five seconds, his eyes locking onto hers. Then, a tightening of the lips, to the smallest of smiles. “But of those you have named, only Monsieur Steiner possesses the qualities necessary to create a fair defense in his…friend’s name. Monopolize his attention for two days and two nights, Mademoiselle Konigsmahne, and there will be no defense.”

"..." Lucretia took a brief respite via enjoying her own serving of French wine, she normally didn't like talking so much, not only twas' physically tiring, they were often a waste of her time, meaningless words where instead she could make tangible progress in her projects. However, after arriving at Bermuda, the silver-haired girl found herself conversing exponentially more than ever before; from her first encounter with Franz to Robespierre and everyone in-between. The fatigue of speech was starting to affect her mood, but the petite Polymath knew that this would most likely continue due to the nature of her goals here in the artificial island. She’d have to get used to it, no two ways about it.

"I will not deceive you with any notion that my antipathy for du Bordeaux contains no personal influence, Herr Robespierre," Lucy's expression hardened, slightly, but the influence of the room's only light source made that minute shift all the more ominous, "I despise her, and it will be beneficial to both Occidental Technologists and myself if she's to be severely condemned for her crimes.” The fact that such a high-profile unrepentant psychopath managed to be officially enrolled in Bermuda spoke volumes of the French King's integrity, and Robespierre might try to exude an aura of indifference, but Lucy had no illusion that he didn't have a personal stake in the matter, what with his shared nationality with Jeanne. She knew that he wanted to see the French bitch suffer as much as Lucy did...

...or else, why would he even bother to propose this... solution. Interesting - and convenient - for her plans already involved Herr Steiner to begin with. This would simply be hunting two birds with one bullet, a state of convenience in which she would not refuse. "He and I know each other personally, thus I already possess initial leverage over him. Ja, it shall be done." She nodded with a sense of finality similar to a judge's verdict.

“As I have been made aware,” Maxilimien responded, picking up his silverware once more. “Will you stay for the remaining courses, Mademoiselle Konigsmahne?”

Now that the little collusion was over and a scheme was made, Lucretia leaned back, feeling like some amount of weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Sure, Jeanne was still out there, but at least now she could do something to change that. For now, she could do with some fine dining indeed, the last time she had a real meal was the late breakfast from earlier today, "I will."

There were so many details about this case; some big, some small, some straight forward but most confusing. As interesting as the mystery was, and the island and it's inhabitants in general, Inti was actually looking forward to the night's sleep. Detective work, as it turned out, was much more involved than riddles or thought experiments. Getting the chance to go over everything again after this would be good. Not that the present company was unpleasant or anything, but between all the new flavors of food and people alike it was hard to focus only on the case. But Inti did his best.

After listening to the presentations, Inti looked over Bang's diagram again. He titled his head, thinking that some things didn't quite add up in regards to their gunman. Everyone, including himself, had assumed that the assailant was targeting Jeanne. But now...

"It's almost as though..." the Abya Yalan began, considering how to best phrase his thought. "As though they weren't firing at Jeanne. Bang mentioned that they wouldn't have been able to see her - but what if they saw the manbat, got spooked and tried shooting at it?"

Inti scratched the back of his head and gave the group a half shrug. "An... 'amateur?' Yes, that's the word. One that was startled, maybe there by coincidence." That would make them purely a witness, though it was unlikely. It would also explain how they could have missed a bullet while they collected the rest of their shots, assuming the other bullets weren't already confiscated by Bermuda's security force.

There was also the possibility that the shooter had been there on purpose, and was hunting the same target that Jeanne herself was only to fail miserably. None of these conjectures got them closer to the gunman's identity, though Inti still thought it best to at least mention the possibility. "Or if the gunman had really been on the island for a while already, maybe they weren't there by coincidence but actually after that Egoist too. Not just a witness, but an ally," he suggested, voice growing upbeat as he went on.

As for Nazca's photographs, Inti hadn't a clue. The diamondesque shape was completely unfamiliar, at least in how it appeared in the photo, all dark and smudgy. He told them as much. There were still a couple of days left for the investigation, so hopefully it would become clear. That everything would become clear.

Valeriya Zhukova

Damn. So Kiran had noticed the tracker Valeriya had put on him. Oh, well. She'd been just as prepared for this outcome too. Plus, someone was coming up behind her. That was worse. If it was Shou, an Egoist being involved was worse than any weapon or device Kiran was reaching for in his pocket. Tch. She hadn't figured some pretty-boy novelist celebrity to be so shrewd. Logically speaking, though, the fish boy didn't have any investment in this outside of Kiran being his roommate. So as long as she didn't make the first move, the Chinaman had no reason to involve himself.

Well. There was one method she had to ensure them some privacy. And really, there were worse targets Valeriya could have picked for what she was about to do. Kiran was damned lucky he was pretty.

"Oh, no. Business can wait." Valeriya smiled, slowly approaching. Once she was within a few steps' distance, she lunged. One hand went around the back of Kiran's shoulder, the other went for the wrist he'd stuck into his pocket, and Valeriya's tongue went straight into Kiran's mouth. There. Let Shou walk in on that.

---

The opened door to his shared apartment came as something of a surprise to Shou. The light had already been on when he was outside, so it seemed a bit odd that the front door would have been left open like that. It wasn't enough to set him on edge, but it did make Shou a bit curious as he approached and rounded the corner. He certainly didn't expect the sight that greeted him, but he also wasn't so innocent so as to spit-take his mouthful of ale.

She might have been faced away from him as she claimed Kiran's lips, but the blonde was still recognizable to Shou. Both for her works and research, and the reputation she had established on the journey to Bermuda. Was it that surprising that her target was his roommate then? Considering the similarities between their chosen fields, maybe not. All that consideration in the few moments it took for him to gulp before he just raised an eyebrow and made eye contact with Kiran.

"Guess that reputation isn't unwarranted," Shou muttered before he shrugged and turned around. Kiran was clearly a bit too busy for dinner at the moment, so he decided to leave the two of them be for now. "Try and keep it to your personal room, hm?" With that said, he closed the door behind him and gave them the privacy they were looking for.

Valeriya Zhukova

Kiran’s eyes widened at Valeriya’s forwardness, but certainly, there were less pleasant individuals to be accosted by than a Russian lady with lips that tasted of alcohol. The two students fell into the room a couple more steps before he found his footing. For a novelist celebrity nerd who tinkered with machinery, the Icelandic youth was well-built, the muscles of his back wonderfully solid beneath Valeriya’s grip. A moment later, they broke off, his free hand pushing against her shoulder.

“Had thought you were a more proper type,” he said. “Nazca’s forwardness inspired you?”

Though he played it cool enough, there was nevertheless a little bit of red tinging the tips of his ears.

Even through the rush of her teenage hormones, Valeriya retained enough presence of mind to notice Shou leaving them in peace. Good. It wouldn’t help much if the situation did turn violent, but it’d give her enough of a head start, at least.

“Oh, please.” She scoffed as Kiran broke the kiss off. “I was like this on the ship, too. Now,” Valeriya adjusted her grip, keeping Kiran’s pocketed hand locked as she reached for his free hand with her other arm, shoving him against the wall and leaning in close as if to kiss him again.

“This should be a good enough time to talk business.” Valeriya kept her voice low enough to not be overheard should Shou stick around. “You noticed, then. What were you going to do about it?” She smiled.

“What I’m to do now,” Kiran grinned. He stepped in, lips pressing against Valeriya’s again, before his foot tangled with her own and she found herself falling against the desk, right by the half-deconstructed tracker. “Is your interest personal or professional, Val?”

“It can’t be a bit of both?” She smiled coyly, seeming unbothered. “Our work is in largely the same field, after all. Why wouldn’t I want to get to know a competitor better?” Screw it, enough suspense. Time to see what he was hiding.

Valeriya yanked on Kiran’s wrist, aiming to pull out whatever he was grabbing on to. At this point, she was actually half-hoping it was a weapon, just so they could get on with it already.

“Shocking ambiguity for such a forward woman.” Kiran didn’t resist as Valeriya pulled his hand out of his pocket. The hand opened up to reveal an empty palm. Empty? Or was it something too small to see? “I’d be more willing to share my work if you’d simply asked, from one peer to another. But with all this…must say I’m feeling a bit greedy now.”

“If you’d wanted to sleep with me, all you had to do was ask, really. I would have penciled you in.” Valeriya smirked, hooking her other foot around Kiran’s leg before using her grip to flip him onto the nearby bed. “Still, if you’re going to be difficult, I’m obliged to be so in return.”

She raised a hand, resting it on her bosom as the other reached into her pocket. “I’m only really interested in one of your Formulization blueprints, and not your most famous work. Name your price.”

The two bounced upon the mattress once, the springs creaking at the impact. Kiran ran his hand down a strand of Valeriya’s hair. “My homeland is one of treacherous beauty and grand vistas, but what I’ve found lacking, always, is how small the land is.” A pause, his gaze drifting down to Valeriya’s own bosom, before he raised his eyes again. There was a fervent flame in his aquamarine irises, the ‘spark’ that possessed the gaze of all Polymaths.

“I’m an adventurer, not a businessman, so…Unrestricted travel through the northern regions of the Tsardom. Can you arrange that?” The flame burned greedily in the fireplace. Voracious now, an undercurrent of the primitive violence that one needed to venture into the untamed places of the world. “And, if you are what I’ve figured you to be, would it be too much to ask of you to kill that French bitch?”

Well. This was…a unique request. Her handlers wouldn’t quite be pleased that she’d been practically made already, but if this achieved the mission parameters, so be it. Besides, unrestricted didn’t mean unmonitored. The upside with letting a known foreigner into your territory was that you knew he was there, and could take measures appropriately in case he tried something. Besides, Agnarsson was a known traveler, so there was always the small chance this could just be innocuous. Still, this was something Valeriya figured she could swing by her superiors.

“I can speak to some friends within the border guard, certainly.” Valeriya smiled thinly, moving to unbutton Kiran’s shirt. “As for the Frenchwoman, I’m an engineer, not an assassin.” She lied without blinking. “As much as she annoys me too, I’m not about to do something that blatant.” Not unless she was ordered to, anyway. “Now, if you’ll hand over the blueprints, we can move on to the actual fun part.”

“And I’m sure you’re not a spy either, Miss Engineer of War.”

Kiran winked, tapping his index finger against his temple.

“I’ll draw out my designs for you after, if you don’t mind. Otherwise, the fire may burn out before we even begin.”

“I’m in the Tsar’s pocket, certainly, but not in that way.” Valeriya pouted and denied the accusation. “But, fine.” She leaned in, moving to kiss Kiran again. For the rest of the night, not much was said. Shou certainly was going to have something to talk about later.

---

The dinner party continued as normal. Franz paid full attention to Bang and Nazca’s presentations. However, he spent little time thinking about the possibilities they opened up. There was no point in pondering problems he had neither the information or care to solve. The truth of Jeanne’s innocence was not a matter Franz cared for at all. But it was still important to be viewed in a light where that was the case, so he would continue eating while feigning a captivated interest.

Once Inti had finished, Franz reached for a napkin and politely cleaned around his mouth before addressing Bang and Nazca with a pleasant smile. “You two have certainly made a lot of progress for this investigation. It must be quite time consuming, no? I think it is a noble act to suspend your academic goals in the pursuit of justice. With only a short amount of time, we have not a second to lose of course.”

Franz turned to Jeanne. “As for my contribution Jeanne, I implore you to mark out the student record as requested by tonight so I may receive it by mail tomorrow morning. My investigation skill pales in comparison to what Bang and Nazca have demonstrated, but I am good with people. That registry will let me know exactly who’s door to knock on.”

Returning to his meal, Franz didn’t talk much about the investigation for the rest of the night. Instead, he spent the time with inconsequential small talk until it was time for him to depart back to his accommodations.

---

Franz had no plans to skip curfew. After all he had no method to pass by the locking system effectively. Even if such a thing was in his possession, he had no reason to skip curfew. Franz settled for a bit of violin practice before going to bed and getting a good night's sleep.

---