@Click This As Nazca made to move, Maximillien raised his hand, as if bidding her to stop. Without any particular place specified, he placed the basket upon an empty space on the cabinets beside her, then stepped back once more. Her gaze was met freely, and within them, Nazca could not discern anything beyond...a slight hint of guilt?
"No, this is not," he spoke. "I am here, as well, to apologize for my conduct the day before. Upon reflection, it was clear that your words were not such that you wished to volunteer for such task, and as a result of my misjudgment, you are in the state you are now. If there is anything you wish for to make your stay in this hospital more pleasant, I will acquire it for you, Lady Whitehall. Within reason, of course."
"I see..." So this stakeout operation to uncover the truth about Solomon wouldn't just involve Franz and herself, it seemed the Austrian's companions would be coming with them, well, companion, singular. It had come to her knowledge that a certain Bunga Kurniawan would be assisting them, now that's an individual that Lucy had personally met before - even if briefly - during her search for Sukuro Jinga. Aside from her physical features and voice, Lucy didn't really know much about the Nusantaran Egoist. Then again, there were thousands upon thousands of Polymaths in this island, surely she couldn't be expected to be aware of every single one of them.
Right now, the German Technologist was just sitting on one of the many park benches dotting Bermuda's streets, her petite legs not even long enough to reach the ground as they hung idly in the air. "I've met Frau Kurniawan before, she aided my search of Herr Sukuro yesterday. Therefore, I think she'll be a useful contributor to this endeavour, Herr Steiner." Lucy quipped in Deutsch at the Mesmerologist.
Franz lay on the park bench next to Lucy, his posture far less formal than hers. This was not how he wanted the day to pan out. He hoped Solomon would just be upfront about things. Franz could have concluded his business there and still have time in the day to study. Instead, he would have to track him down in the veil of night.
Staring up at the surrounding trees, Franz let out a sigh while waiting for this new Egoist. Perhaps he could have spent the time on research. But he was unwilling to do so in front of Lucy, who seemed determined to see every part of his day. The situation was less than ideal. The only bright side being the ability to meet yet another Egoist.
Franz turned his attention toward Lucy when she spoke and replied with a smile. "Oh really, that is quite the coincidence. Do you have any idea about her adaptations? I assume none are bat-like." He joked.
Bunga looked at herself in the mirror. Her body and herself looking rather plain. She has taken off her kneesocks and evening gloves, leaving her bare legs and arms visible for everyone to see. On her right palm lies a brush, and on the table below the mirror some black ink.
"Baiklah. Jadi... ah, oke oke. Gambarinnya disini, dan disini, dan disini ya..(Alright so... ok ok. I draw here, here, and here. Right.)" Bunga quipped in Trade Malay as she looked at the book right beside the ink. A mess of scribbles and writings she had made during her time studying at the University of Palembang. Most importantly, however, was the fact that the drawings for her Animalistic formulizations are present.
And all she did was draw those drawings from the paper straight into her bare hands and legs.
"Hmmm..." Bunga sighed to herself. Doing the chore as black ink started covering her hands and legs, patterns upon patterns repeating itself in some mysterious equation only she herself knew intricately. As her legs and arms were filled with ink. She can feel extra appendages forming behind, on top, and besides her.
By the time she finished. Bunga smiled at her efforts. A horn protruding from the side of her head, fox ears on top, and a bushy tail on her backside. The woman couldn't help but indulge a little bit, so she decided to use her new appendages to feel herself. "Ahhh. Lembut banget...(Ahh. It's so soft)" Bunga smiled, hugging her own tail. It really is as soft as one would expect, little wonder why Bunga liked sleeping hugging her own tail.
Indulgences finished. She put on her kneesocks and evening gloves back. Covering her Egoist formulations. Right, time to meet Ryuuko's friends now Bunga guessed. Heading towards the park Ryuuko told her. She hoped that Lucy and this... Franz fellow can be relied upon. She knows Lucy well enough, but Franz? All she's heard from him is that he's a fraud, but let's not judge a person right before meeting him.
"Nein." Lucretia shook her head exactly twice, the twin black ribbons hanging from her beret swaying with the movements, "Not only she lacked any wings and extra arms, she possessed vulpine ears and tail instead, and although she had horns, they were of completely different shape than the Man-Bat's. Frau Kurniawan looked more like a human with animalistic traits rather than a humanoid monster, in which our quarry presented himself as. Furthermore, her Latin fluency was rather lacking, she used odd choices of words that aren't necessarily wrong, just off, whereas I'm confident that the Man-Bat is fluent in the Lingua Franca." The white-haired girl gave her concise explanation regarding the matter. Only a delusional lunatic would suspect that Bunga is the Man-Bat.
...unlike Solomon here, in which Lucy could still be convinced that he's the same one that she met that night. That's why she was here, aside from making sure that Franz wouldn't be successful in his defence of Jeanne of course. Right now, however, they could only play the waiting game until the tanned Egoist's arrival.
And sure enough, like clockwork. The tanned Egoist quickly showed herself. Bunga was wandering around the park a little bit, looking for a petite German woman and a man from Austria, when she slowly turned her head and saw the duo. She's not really familiar with the guy, but one can see Lucreatia's white hair flowing in the wind. It's almost like a signature of hers now that she thought about it.
Quickly walking towards the group. Bunga bowed her head. "Hello everyone. I'm Bunga Kurniawan, an Egoist, I've heard that Ryuuko told us that we should meet in the park yes?"
To say Franz was caught off guard by Bunga's appearance would be an understatement. If she hadn't directly stated her name, he would be questioning whether she was the one they were waiting on. Nevertheless, they needed protection for the upcoming nightly event. He wasn't about to drive her away by being rude and... staring.
With a composed and polite smile, he addressed the Egoist. "Yes, you would be correct. We have some nightly duties we must attend to in order to further the investigation."
"By the way, I must inform you that it does get cold being out after curfew, speaking from personal experience. You may want to have clothes on for it."
Soon enough, the third and last member of their little squad of investigators had arrived, a familiar face that Lucy had only met once, but she's pretty good at recalling faces, and remembering things in general really. The oldest student then introduced herself in Latin, mostly for the benefit of Franz, also hmm... she didn't sound off this time, had she been improving? Lucy only met her yesterday tho... so twas' most likely due to her speaking a simple sentence, just an introduction. Her not-quite-fluent offness only became apparent in more nuanced expressions, such as Bunga's insistence on using the words "woman" and "man" to refer to every single individual, even though a lot of those individuals mentioned were still just girls and boys, merely a single example of many.
Meanwhile, Franz seemed to get along well as he replied to the Nusantaran Egoist, now the conversation had switched over from the mother tongue of the Germans to the Academia Lingua Franca. "Greetings, Miss Kurniawan." Lucy kept her own reaction short, content to let Franz coordinate things.
Bunga smiled at both Miss Königsmahne and Mister Steiner. Smiling politely as she sat on the park bench alongside Lucy. "So, are you two my companions in this little escapade of ours? I can assure you that I can see and hear a great many things, especially when everything is quiet and calm. Which I imagine this night's going to be."
"And don't be so judgemental Mister Franz." Bunga turned her head towards the Mesmerologist. "Looks can be deceiving, but I have the heat protection from the Red Fox's fur coat inside me due to my Egoist equations. I can handle the cold just fine."
Franz's last remark was certainly less about the cold itself and more a reminder for the girl to put on some clothes. But to press the matter would be rude and he wasn't so blunt as to just say it directly.
"Yes I believe this is the team provided you are a capable fighter, Ms Kurniawan. But I must ask before we go any further. Where do you stand on this Bordeaux trial?"
[color= 76c0f0]"Yes, we are."[/color] The youngest of the trio confirmed Bunga's inquiry, that she had indeed found her companions. She noted with keen interest how the Egoist was able to stay warm despite the lack of coverings, interesting, this... Egoism major, had she been too close-minded about its boons so far? While Lucy could see that Egoists elevate their bodies to mythical levels, one thorn remained, the fact that they were sterile meant being an Egoist is an evolutionary dead end. Such a peculiar conundrum...
This was a topic that was currently occupying Lucy's mind even as Franz conversed with Bunga.
"Oh, umm. Yeah! Yeah yeah, I'm a pretty capable fighter. Don't worry about me, being the daughter of spice traders meant that I get access to all kinds of trainers. I'm not sure if you know anything about what I'll talk about next, but I know Silat pretty well."
The woman stood up from her bench and showcased some pretty easy, but nonetheless indicative moves for the martial art, before stopping to answer Franz's second question. "As for Miss Bordeaux, I'm a firm believer that one has to have their deserved day at the trial, and I want to help Miss Bordeaux gather all evidence for her defence. It doesn't seem to make sense to me that Jeanne would burn down a library all willy-nilly like that."
Franz smiled at Bunga's satisfactory answer. It was more than satisfactory. Due to the Egoist's expressiveness, it wasn't difficult to have a decent read on her personality. Her being loosely on the side of the defence was a bonus. At least on a surface level, the two shared the same side. Although Franz seriously doubted the two had much overlapping morality. That could cause a conflict in the future, best to avoid the chance of it during this mission.
"I am quite happy to hear that you support the defence. I think tonight offers to present the evidence we need in the case. I imagine we can share that excitement." Franz delivered in a cheerful, friendly manner then turned serious "However, I can't say a 'pretty capable fighter' sparks much confidence. I'm sure you are aware of our target. Correct me if I am wrong Lucy, but this Bat Egoist seems to be on the stronger end of Egoism. If it came to that, what chance do you think you have of fighting him?"
"But the fact still remains that she burned down a trove of knowledge, some which might've been irreplaceable." Lucy quipped, the mention of Jeanne prompting her to return her attention to the matter at hand. Furthermore, regarding that, Franz already mentioned his reasons why he still tried to defend Jeanne and as much as she wanted otherwise, she couldn't help but see the logic in it, even if it was rather sentimental. Bunga seemed to be in agreement that whether Jeanne was guilty or innocent, the Frenchwoman still deserved a fair trial, let the verdict be done under the watchful eye of Lady Justice.
However, that was for later as they had a more pressing matter at hand, one they couldn't ignore as being careless when facing an Egoist as competent as the Man-Bat would mean none of them would be present at Jeanne's trial anyway. "Hmmm..." Lucretia pondered with a hand on her chin, "I do not know of his prior reputation so I can only speak from my experience the night before. Observation suggested that as strong as he was, he wasn't powerful enough to take on Schwarzritter directly as its durability and destructive potential were simply too much for a being of flesh and blood to sustain, so the Man-Bat opted to evade its attacks instead, making use of its limited operational capability due to my irrational state of panic, hence severely dampening my ability to direct the drone properly." The German Technologist explained.
"Our most effective method in the best-case scenario would be Frau Kurniawan restraining or distracting him so Schwarzritter could land a blow, I think one solid hit will be enough to put him down." Yet, she frowned, "However, as you can see, Schwarzritter isn't present at the moment... so it all falls to Frau Kurniawan should a physical altercation occur."
"Hmmmmm."
Lucy's description of this Manbat person intrigued Bunga. It is to no surprise to her that this Manbat is very strong, but not strong enough to put up against a Technologist automaton, yet this Schwarzi-thingy is not present with Lucretia for the moment. Which brings up an unpleasant conclusion for Bunga.
She has to fight this Egoist herself when blows come to blows, and in terms of pure, raw strength, Bunga knows she's on the backfoot here. As an Egoist scientist, her research is pretty up there, as an Egoist herself?, Bunga's capabilities do rank at the lower end of the scale.
Nonetheless, there are still two possibilities for Bunga, and one of them intrigues her the most, so she's going to ask Lucy and Franz for their opinions on her first thought.
"Lucretia, Franz. How about we just... ask the person?" Bunga proposes. "Could this manbat person injure you Lucy? Because I'm kinda confused why this Manbat person didn't go for the kill immediately after seeing you. So I'm kinda holding on the possibility that he could be reasoned and discussed with."
"Also, are you getting your automaton tonight Lucy? I don't see how a lone technologist, without her technologist invention, can be of much help tonight no?"
Lucy had taken another appeal to justice which Franz simply ignored seeing little value in such a thing. Additionally, her admission that Schwarzritter won't be present for tonight was already known to him.
Bunga brought up a good point about how much use Lucy could really be in tonight's endeavours. If Franz hadn't already experienced the displeasure of curfew, he would be inclined to ask the same question. But no, a technologist was vital to this mission.
"Although I have not been given the choice whether Frau Konigsmahne is present or not, she will be unexpendable to our endeavours. From experience, the doors are locked during curfew via some Technologist invention which I don't know the finer details. Being able to pass through doors at night is vital to keeping us safe from the rumoured monsters." And breaking into Antidevula's home, Franz amusingly thought.
"As for yourself Bunga. I agree with you. I certainly think that talking should be our first plan. From all reports, this Bat Egoist is not above reason and one could argue he is peaceful."
"However, I do not put myself in a cage with a peaceful lion. I will take your avoidance to answer to mean that you are uncertain. I am fine with uncertainty, a little risk is needed in something like this. And my mind is put at ease from how you have answered the questions, you aren't the type to just leave us for dead if things go wrong."
"Ja, a diplomatic exchange will be the best case scenario as the Man-Bat is a being of reason, not some kind of savage beast that his appearance initially suggested. In fact, I was the one who attacked him first under the false pretence that he was hunting me, like a predator, whereas he’s merely observing. Furthermore, he assisted my return to the dorm after my exhaustion overcame my consciousness." The Technologist explained at length, making sure that Bunga understood that physical conflict as a last resort that they should have a contingency plan for, and not the primary method of engagement.
Lucy blinked once at Bunga's inquiry, "Schwarzritter is not a true automaton, he still needs manual instructions from a handler to function. However, true automation is indeed what I strive for in the future, but right now, he's not. I had also lent him to Herr Sukuro for a few days so no, he's not even in my possession right now." To be honest, she was still thinking on how to best answer the tanned Egoist's next point, because a part of her agreed with the assessment, she'd be much more useful with Schwarzritter around, but then Franz came up with an answer that was quite satisfactory.
"Starsteel Formulization, Sukuro Jinga's magnum opus, yes, I have encountered it before, almost succeeding at unravelling it before that contemptible bell chimed in the morning and deactivated the formula, undoing all of my work." Genuine rage bubbled underneath the surface of the white-haired girl's otherwise stoic tone, "I'll certainly be more than willing to tackle the challenge again tonight." Well now, why didn't think of that before? Now she could add one more reason to her participation.
Oh, speaking of Starsteel, "In exchange for Schwarzritter, I have acquired a Starsteeled small chest designed for experimentation. I may as well use the time until the curfew begins to practice. Shall we rendezvous tonight near the Atelier du Moor?" Once she had gotten her confirmation from her fellow mischief-makers, the petite polymath would immediately depart for her dorm, intent on rigorously honing her skill at solving the labyrinthine formulae, every second mattered since the upcoming trial was merely two days away.
"Atelier du Moor huh?" Bunga wondered, knowing what her answer was, but still interested in visiting that place, even though she has no idea where it is. "Sure, I might not know where the place is, but I can look around. And this island isn't so large that I'll spend hours upon hours trying to search the shop. I'll meet all of you there when curfew hits. Until then."
"Selamat tinggal semua!" Bunga spoke in Trade Malay once more, before standing up. "That means see you later in my language."
"Yes, Atelier de Moor sounds adequate. I will see you all there. As for myself, I have other matters to attend to." Franz said his farewells as the two left. As for himself, he sat there a little longer taking in the park air. But he too departed, off to his room for study.
Nazca couldn’t help but to show a slight look of surprise as her visitor gave his response and met her gaze. Between her initial impression of the student in his official role, and her colored impression of visitors after the day’s events, she had come to expect Maximillien’s motives to be far more self-serving than the reality of why he was here.
Pissed as she was, if his apology was genuine, she could recognize that he actually showed quite a lot integrity to admit that he was wrong.
“I see,” she responded simply, settling back into her hospital bed. “It’s all water under the bridge now. If it is as you say, neither of us could have expected such an… extreme outcome. Apology accepted… but it is clear that something is still not right with this Jeanne business. It is strange for somebody to be attacked just for being around or looking into her business, if what I have been told is correct. It’s a shame that I remember nothing of what happened.”
At his offer for improving her stay, she glanced at the door. “A nurse and a doctor with a better bedside manner would be pleasant.” --
Later in the day, either as a result of her request, or by complete coincidence, she received her last visitor for the day as she nibbled on one of Maximilien’s gifted baked goods. Upon hearing that it was a student of medicine, Nazca was quick to give her assent to the arrival of the oriental student. This one she coincidentally recognized, although she had yet to interact with her in any real capacity on the island before now.
“Hana Yun, was it? No need to apologize. I can and will appreciate any additional medical expertise. Just being apologized to is a nice change of pace compared to rude students barging into my room demanding things.”
Yes, she was still salty about James and Bunga. She would be for a while.
Her eyes tracked the bottle as Hana revealed the medicine, glancing at the exotic characters on its label as she placed it on her bedside table. Nazca listened intently at her instructions, not caring if the girl seemed to ramble. If it would help her heal from those awful burn wounds, then just being a bit hungrier was no issue. She had a whole basket of food now, anyway.
“I see. Thank you for the medicine. I appreciate it,” she gratefully replied. “As long as there aren’t any other detrimental effects… then I have no real questions. If I do, then I’ll be sure to call for you.”
The fading warmth of a setting sun prompted Shou to slowly rise from his seated position. Rather than hole up inside his room, he had returned to it only briefly to begin detailing out the latest addition to the tapestry on his back. Completing it would take some time and further inspiration, and he was in no rush despite the dangers he had encountered last night. Perfection could hardly be rushed, and he could not simply add haphazardly to himself. The ink had to settle, be drawn in and integrated, and connected with the changes he worked upon himself.
The majority of his focus had been directed towards recovering from last night's ordeals anyways. Despite the immense amount of food he had consumed during lunch, he could feel his appetite stirring as he slowly started to walk. Minor aches and pains that might have gone unnoticed by non-Egoists were still apparent to Shou, but not concerning enough that he would be absent from tonight's excursion.
By the time curfew actually rolled around, Shou was as prepared as he could have been. Well-fed and well-rested after a quick nap in the few hours he had after the sun had set, he rose again with a quick yawn and stretch. He had retrieved his weapon from where he had hid it this morning rather than carry it through the city like some sellsword. Its usefulness was debatable, but it was easy enough to carry around and something of a comfort to have in hand.
As the bell tolled once more and heralded the mist's arrival, Shou started to move before it could blanket the entire island. Hopefully they'd actually get to meet up without any incidents; it would hardly bode well if one of them needed saving before they could even get started.
Few were there to dine now at Jeanne’s place, but the dinner itself took advantage of the free meals hosted to all students within Bermuda and remained as eloquent as always. Nazca had, understandably, remained in the hospital, visiting hours closed and bandages having been changed out during her nightly wipedown. Franz, as if trying to make up for the sheer amount of time he had lost during the day, opted to remain at the ryokan-style apartments. Another one of the students there had fixed up the front doors by then, and he was free to catch up on his personal research and accommodations while chewing on some non-descript one-handed meal. Inti had been missing since yesterday, and no one had bothered to look for the Dynamicist from the Incan Empire.
So dinner remained a gorgeous, yet frigid affair. Bang and Jeanne ate in a quiet that clearly indicated something was amiss, and Ryuuko had nothing truly to add beyond speaking of her own post-curfew plans, regardless of what the Vietnamese Egoist had argued about during the morning. In the end, there was nothing that could be done about the Prodigious Dragon and her reckless lust for revenge. It was a small comfort, at least, that she would be with Shou and Valeriya during this, even if their meeting place of choice was vague and ill-defined. Jeanne had no comment to make, and Bang had no task given. There was one more day and one more night before the Frenchwoman would stand trial, but the information that they held remained frustratingly lacking, tied more with obscure abnormalities within this artificial island rather than the matter of the pyromaniac and the man-bat.
And when the bones were picked clean, when dessert was served and finished, Ryuuko left, leaving just two alone in the suite meant for one.
Jeanne relocated to a seat by the patio, stared out the window, and with her index finger, covered as it was by black leather gloves, began to trace something upon the wooden table before her, content, as it were, to disregard Bang’s presence.
It would, perhaps, be a long night.
Ten bells chimed with discordant sorrow, and the mist fell once more, shrouding the grave-like city in a silence most profound.
…
Sector 1 – The Inner Circle
James’s ears were, for the most part, still ringing. If one thought of clocktowers in Bermuda, there really was only one clocktower out there: the one that rang with such ferocity that one’s ears hurt even if they were at the very perimeters of the island. Perhaps it was loud enough even to reach the surrounding oceans. And it was that loud, to be inside the clocktower while it rang was a recipe for suffering, even with the proper protections in place. As it stood, his head still ached and there was still a real good chance of permanent hearing loss, but for the time being, the British Polymath wasn’t bleeding out from his ears, and now, he was alone at the top of the clocktower. This high above, he was finally able to see the clear night sky that watched over Bermuda every night, the crescent Moon escorted by an entourage of twinkling stars. Even though these were but conceptual illusions, brought about by divine decree rather than by the existence of tangible, celestial objects, there was still something romantic about it.
Not, of course, that it mattered. Though he was unable to make out the shape of the ocean, James was able to clearly catch the moment in which the fog rolled in. It had come in with a speed akin to a tsunami, enveloping the city from all sides within the same span of time as the ten tolls of the clocktower’s bells. From the ground, it may have appeared slower appeared as if it gradually formed from nothingness, but at his vantage point, it was a swift transformation, a very concrete one.
And, as well, he noticed it.
Though the fog encompassed all parts of Bermuda, it did not wash over the high walls that separated the Inner Circle from the rest of the academic island, leaving a pocket of clarity. Was this to be a ‘safezone’ then? The gloom of the clocktower, bereft of any light but a solitary lantern, offered no answers. Machinery whirred and clicked, well-oiled gears spinning with the regularity of a metronome, all of it without the touch of Formulization, and yet, at the top of the clocktower, he could still see nothing.
At this point, standing upon the only spot of civilization unclaimed by a fog that hid everything, from saints and sinners to demons and mortals, James felt a creeping loneliness.
A loneliness only heightened, when something irregular intruded upon the regularity of a clock’s gears.
Tip tap.
Footsteps sounded, climbing the spiral stairsteps of the freestanding tower. Distant still, but inevitably closing in.
Sector 4 – Waterfront Wharf
During daytime, this part of Bermuda was one of the liveliest portions of the island. Featuring a small, eclectic display of shops and services, there was a distinctly tropical-festivity feel to the place, with smooth pavement gradually giving away to sand-dusted boardwalks the further east one travelled. Abya Yalan glassbowers would create wonderful sculptures, European clockworkers had entire orchestras held within musical boxes, and Far East chemists mixed up safe but explosively satisfying fireworks. For a place to rendezvous with friends, it was one of the best to be, and for a place where friends met often, the value of a portable, high-quality camera was immeasurable in capturing the fleeting moments of one’s youth, the sparse leisure that a Polymath affords themselves.
That, however, was during daytime.
In the night, the night smothered by the salt-stained fog, silent except for the distant roar of the ocean, the mismatched silhouettes of the eclectic quarters made for a nightmarish display. Streetlamps burned brightly enough to cast everything in a yellowed hue, but even that was a sparse comfort. Franz was but a man. Lucretia had handed off her greatest weapon. And Bunga, their bodyguard, had the infamous distinction of being one of the weakest Egoists within Bermuda. Perhaps the concoctions that James had managed to whip up for her would help even out the odds a bit more, but on the other hand, the biology of each individual Egoist was vastly different.
Perhaps the bottles she now had with her were worth less than a placebo.
Still, they gathered, a few blocks away from the Atelier du Moor that they sought to stake out. The mist would be omnipresent, by nature, but for now, all that caught the attention of their trained eyes was the spark of Sukoro Jinga’s Starsteel Formulizations, emerging upon the few inorganic components that made up this sector’s buildings. Time will tell of the fruitfulness of their designs.
Sector 8 – Blockscape
Ultimately, no matter the strength and durability that the Tsardom’s powered armors granted, the black-tinted plates offered not the natural, graceful mobility that any classically-trained Egoist would obtain, and it was decided that Shou and Ryuuko would locate Valeriya outside the testing facility that she would be breaking out of. The two Egoists had met a couple minutes before, Shou armed and Ryuuko ready, and their accelerated steps propelled their forms through the mist at such speeds that it was as if they were bounding ten meters for every step, wind and fog curling off the edges of their clothing as they shot past Brutalist monoliths, their stark shadows cast by fog-piercing fluorescent lights.
And then, rounding the corner, they saw it, a silhouette of black.
For a moment, Ryuuko’s memories of the night triggered, memories of incomprehensible darkness, of impossible conjurations, of the obsidian cocoon that swallowed her companion whole. Had Valeriya already been taken?
But no, this had more shape than that, more substance. Tubes and plating, weaponry and containers, The necessary equipment for connection to the Telesma, as well as back-up generators in the form of Steam Cores. And more than that, it was the style of it that made it doubtlessly something of the Occident. It was a style that pronounced terror, the terror of the Tsardom’s Armored Infantry, of walking deadmen clad in scorched sarcophagi, wielding gatling coilguns to reap the wheat that was the Fatherland’s foes. It was a philosophy that evolved from the study of the French Blast Knights, of metal that brought strength for the man to exercise their malice.
It was domination. It was the boot that pressed against the traitor’s throat.
It was nothing that presented much threat at all to Ryuuko and Shou, though, and the trio all had more things to worry about than whether one of them would betray the others. Namely, how exactly were they to ‘investigate’ the abnormalities brought out by this fog? Certainly, they wouldn’t be so foolish as to replicate the steps that Shou took to be attacked, yes?
Ash bright light illuminated the dim plaza that Inti entered, the dark-skinned boy prepared as ever to delve into the secrets of the fog. He was prepared, mentally at least, for whatever he faced; no child of the Inca Empire was raised sheltered, after all. The jungle was a place deadlier than this inexplicable weather phenomenon, filled to the brim with critters that could kill you before you noticed a thing. When compared to that, just the loss of one night’s worth of memory and maybe bodily chills from being outside all night was nothing at all. Indeed, the greatest threat here remained other people. Whether it be gunshots from panicked Technologists or steel-melting flames from well-intentioned Egoists, the pattern of past reports from both the Bermuda Triangle as well as Inti’s personal connections made it clear that if anything killed him, it was more likely to be human than not.
So he was mentally prepared, and perhaps physically as well.
But what was all his preparation for?
A stand-off, or a discussion. A confrontation, at worst. Though he hoped it wouldn't come to that. Inti had limited information, which was the point of this post-curfew excursion in the first place, but what he did know led him to believe that the events in the fog were... misunderstandings. Maybe.
In the case of Jeanne and the devil that she'd encountered, by her own admission she'd chased it and burned down the library in order to smoke it out. So she had been the aggressor. The shooter was still unknown, but it has been Inti's theory that they were spooked much the same as Jeanne had been. In the case of last night's events... those he was still confused about, but with nothing else to go on he could only believe in his own hypothesis.
So, with luck, he'd run into someone or something and be able to bring some answers back with him.
He flexed his hands and inhaled deeply. All around him was the sparkling aura that informed his formalization. Well, if something did happen Inti supposed he'd be able to test some practical effects of his Dynamicism, but nonetheless. He lingered there in the plaza waiting for the bell to toll, idly wondering if he should choose a specific spot for his investigation or if any place would do.
Inti’s wanderings, aimless as they were, brought him gradually into the winding streets northeast of the Inner Circle. Here, the smell of the sea fog mixed with the vestiges of smokeries and ripened fruit, reminders of the grocers and butchers placed in this rather low-lying part of Bermuda. It was empty now, of course, the streetlamps spaced out far enough that there was an uncharacteristic dimness not present in other districts in Bermuda. The light was still enough to navigate by, despite the zero-visibility nature of the fog, however… he could hear something.
Something like wingbeats overhead, the direction disrupted by the obscurants in the air.
And yet his senses pulled him elsewhere, magnetic fields drawing his eyes and prickling the palms of his hands towards a familiar metallic reaction. A cluster of metals. Of cartridges. And most importantly, one that moved. There was another nearby, perhaps only 100 paces away. But Inti knew too that where there were bullets, there was a gun. Should he approach, at this time where not even the police roamed?
"..." It took barely a moment for Inti to come to a decision. Being, literally, so close, he felt he couldn't afford not to investigate. Especially if he'd stumbled upon exactly what he'd been looking for, even if by pure chance. The only question that Inti considered now was how to approach. If he made his own presence known then there would be less of a chance of spooking his quarry and getting shot... or maybe even more of a chance. No, no, I should be focusing on how to catch up in the first place! Inti thought to himself. Like a hunter, or private investigator.
Indeed, if he spent his time worrying about not getting hurt, he'd end up too nervous to make any progress. Stealth, then, was the approach that the Inca boy chose. Despite his naivety about the world at large, this was something he could do. And he trusted his 'sight' to get him through where he assumed the other was navigating by eye in the more traditional sense.
Quietly, Inti began to move toward the dim gathering of constellations. His sandals helped not to echo his footsteps on the cobblestone, and the little auras of iron handrails, or metallic doorplates kept him from crashing into obstacles hidden by the fog while he made his beeline forward. He found a short alleyway that served as a shortcut, gently running his fingers on the brick walls on either side of him as he went through. He was getting closer, and his pulse was beginning to quicken in anticipation. He barely thought about what he’d actually do once be caught up completely. If his initial thought was right, then he was tracking someone that was tracking someone else - the devil, which might have even been the thing flying overhead he’d heard. Maybe Inti could even join in. There was optimism bubbling in the boy as he kept moving.
Indeed, despite the efforts Inti made to move quietly, his target moved a touch slower still, allowing the intrepid Incan boy to close in on his quarry without issue. And yet, with each step that he took, the magnetic fields that he could read beyond the veil of the nighttime fog became more and more curious. The cartridges remained easy to see, of course, but the shape of the rest of the magnetic field painted a figure that could not be human.
The shadow of a silhouette made clear what his readings stated: a humanoid figure, and yet with a bulbous head thrice the size of a normal man’s. Finer details could not be made out; however, he could hear this being’s rasping breath. A long, hissing inhale followed by an explosive sneeze of an exhale. The cartridges remained detectable around where its right arm was, but in its left arm, the form of a short, spear-like object was set, three-pronged and barbed. Certainly, it was a dangerous being. But what even was it?
Curiosity got the better of Inti. If he'd thought this was a man then maybe he could have been content to follow a little longer, but the thing in front of him had a form so strange that he couldn't help but want to know. Was it a monster, or some kind of Occidental automaton? A mechanized guard created for the island, or some horrifying fusion of man and metal? Several colorful ideas filtered through Inti's head as he crept along behind it.
The fog... he hadn't tried it yet, but it should be a simple feat for any Dynamicist to part the mist. Just a quick peek. Inti reached out to take hold of the fog - but his hands came to a stuttering halt as he realized something for the first time. This mist wasn't right. There was no collection of stardust floating on it's surface, nothing for him to grasp.
"What?" He whispered to himself. He could see the starlight on everything else, so why not this? Was it some kind of artificial substance? Regardless, there was one more trick up Inti's sleeve. His specialty alone amongst the Inca Dynamicists. If he increased a magnetic field's strength enough, it would disperse the water in the air - assuming that whatever the false-fog was, it would act similarly.
But the only fields large enough in the immediate area were his own... and those of the being. Without a second thought Inti moved to grasp the formulae of the man-shaped thing, twisting to expand it. Just a peek, just a quick peek!
It was like grasping at cotton candy, like tweezing a cloud. Carefully, the Incan Dynamicist pulled at the thing’s magnetic field, weaving it like one would a thread from a ball of unprocessed wool. The art of Dynamicism could not create something from nothing, nor could it give more than what already existed. Rather, what the ignorant saw as ‘amplification’ was instead just ‘concentration’: intensifying the effects of the elements in one area by depriving other areas of it. And as the thread braided itself into rope, his grasp now secure, Inti could see the fog begin to part. There was a hole now, a hole that fluctuated with the movements of the humanoid figure, a hole that connected the two together.
Peering through, the identity of this individual became clear.
What was immediately recognizable was the warm brass glow of the metallic diving helmet, a gargantuan thing that had a dual-feed Steam Core to regulate body temperatures and power the buoyancy controls that manifested as metal plates concentrated around the torso of the all-encompassing diving suit. Heavy, metal gauntlets encased the individual’s forearms, no doubt storage devices for its weapons, while two silver-bright oxygen tanks were strapped to its back, and lights emanated from two triangle-shaped accessories on the top of the helmet. As Inti continued to watch however, the encased individual stopped. Its head inclined downwards, and it brought its left wrist up.
Inti held his breath and waited. Though he had intended for just a quick glance at the true form of the being in front of him, while he went unnoticed Inti kept a tight hold on the "cord" keeping his viewing window through the fog open. His mind was swirling with curiosity about this person, so much so that he didn't even feel the relief of knowing that the unnatural mist still obeyed natural law. What was with this suit? Did it help them see through the fog? What exactly did they need such heavy protection from? And what were they planning now, with the winged thing gone and nothing else around that he could sense?
As Inti waited, his talents as a Dynamicist gradually began to note the specifics of the magnetic field that he had grasped. Some of it came naturally from substances that utilized metals, but there was another one woven in as well. One he was deeply familiar with.
The flex and flux of a small magnet. Small enough to fit in a compass. A compass that laid upon the surfaceborne diver’s wrist.
With one swift motion, the diver turned around, arm snapping out as a small steampistol shot out into its arm. Fog lights shone down from the top of its helmet, rendering its form an imposing silhouette. But it, perhaps spying down the hole and seeing another human being, did not fire.
Modulated by echo and reverb, accented by the hiss of its filtration systems, the diver spoke.
“Identify yourself.”
Inti's body went stock-still, lest the diver be tempted to shoot. Caught out by his own formulae, what were the odds? Anticipation kept him on edge, but the Inca tried a smile all the same. It was tinted with nervousness (he did have a gun pointed at him after all), and the kind of boyish excitement that came with the thrill of danger, making the expression crooked.
"Inti," he stated, seeing no reason to lie. "Ruq'a." After a moment he supplied the mysterious figure with a bit of additional information. "One of the polymaths that came here a few days ago. And..."
He hesitated to go on, but only briefly. Every piece of information he had at the moment led him to believe that this diver and the shooter involved the night of the arson were the same person, or related at the very least. His eyes searched the glass face plate of the diver's helmet as he talked. "...I've been looking for you! You have some idea of what's going on and I have a lot of questions!"
“You…”
With another snap of the wrist, the steampistol shot back into the forearm compartments of the suit, and the diver lowered its arm. There was still a readiness that Inti could sense, the same sort of feeling that the youth got from the way the royal guards posed, but for now, it looked as if murder was not on the menu.
“...you’re working for the Hellfire Witch, aren’t you?”
"Huh?"
'Hellfire Witch'... did they mean Jeanne? It was a nickname Inti had heard whispered from the mouths of other students in passing. A cold chill swept over Inti as the thought occurred to him that his hypothesis had been wrong, and the gunman actually had been trying to murder Jeanne. Even though the weapon had been put away, he was still dealing with a dangerous person, and given their disposition maybe even the kind that was willing to do whatever it took for their cause.
"I'm not working for anyone, just trying to figure out what happened. And I keep coming up with more questions than answers." It had been a point of frustration throughout the day, and the mystery was compounded with that of the island itself. The curfew, the fog, the amnesiac students... with his lead standing right in front of him, Inti gathered up his determination. "Who are you? What are you doing out here?"
The diver laughed. “Who do you think I am?”
The retaliatory question caught him off guard. Was he missing something, even now? "If I knew I wouldn't have asked!"
“So you’re saying… you’re just out here, with no protection, breaking curfew and sneaking up behind people with no clue of who they are?” The diver certainly sounded baffled. “Listen, Inti. What questions do you really have here?”
When put like that it did sound absurd, but if Inti hadn't been confident in himself he wouldn't have gone out in the first place. He didn't bother defending himself, though he did narrow his eyes slightly in response.
What questions do I have? He thought about the query he'd been posed, and a hundred questions sprung to mind.
He may have been part of Jeanne's defense force, but his 'mission' did not technically instruct him to assist her. She'd already confessed to them the night's events and her own hand in it, and Inti had taken her at her word. He'd thought that helping her would help himself, and it seemed to be a little if he was being recognized by a stranger even if by face only. If he could sate his curiosity though, he wouldn't mind if Jeanne was punished to the full extent of whatever Bermuda had in store for her. But the questions Inti had still seemed to circle back to her case either way.
"I want to know what's going on," he said. "The island is - strange. Everything's locked up at night, and this fake fog covers everything. And then people like you in gear like that walking around... and people like me, too." Inti smirked, though moved on quickly. "You, what are you protecting yourself from? Going out at night and shooting at people, are you scared of something, or someone? You know something, and I want to know it too!"
Was it the expulsion of another gas cartridge? Or simply a snort of derision?
“The world is, by academics unblessed by the gift of Perception, strange.” The diver strode closer, its form dwarfing Inti’s as it emerged from the fog in its entirety. “And I dont know something. I’ve even forgotten something. But I can hypothesize. And my first hypothesis? Breathing in the fog is dangerous. There’s likely a component within it that addles the memory and renders its breathers unconscious, and perhaps that ‘component’ then, comes from the very nature of this artificial island.”
It crossed its arms, at ease enough with Inti that there was no need for easy access to its arsenal. “How many government-patroned Polymaths could each individual nation spare for a mere symbol of peace, one that’s as unprecedented as this? This diseased smog may be a side-effect of Formulizations that had not gone through proper trialing. And that’s what I’m here to find out.” There was a smirk perhaps, in its tone. “Would you like to purchase a gas mask now?”
Maybe Inti's grasp of Latin was not as strong as he'd thought, because what the diver told him was indeed something, even as they insisted it wasn't. Even a hypothesis was something. And this person's thoughts were that the fog itself was dangerous, not just what may lurk within it. Their thought about the origin of the fog was far-fetched, but perhaps possible. Inti looked up at the figure with wide eyes. Were they taunting him now? He wasn't the type to fall for that kind of thing, given that he was raised among so many other children he'd gotten too used to it. He did however respond, if not in kind.
"Don't suppose you have a spare?" he said, a small grin making it's way back to his face. It was too late now, but he would be taking the mysterious figure's advice for the future. Speaking of which, he still didn't know this person's identity, or even if they were a student or not. "You've suffered the amnesia they mentioned in the paper?" Inti questioned. Then he chanced a much more direct, "What's your name?"
“What can I say?” There was a shrug, and a smile in its voice. “Had the honor of being the first patient, so what could any self-respecting individual do but try to figure out the why behind it?” The diver paused, as if weighing the pros and cons of answering Inti’s last question, before shrugging.
“Call me Mislava.”
Mislava, the first of the island's amnesiacs. Inti couldn't fault them for wandering around at night looking for some way to recover what it was that they'd lost. He repeated their name aloud like he often did when meeting someone for the first time. Even with Mislava up close, Inti hadn't loosened the fist that was closed around their suit's magnetic field. He had no reason to suspect that the diver was being untruthful, so better to keep the fog dispersed as much as possible.
He was piecing together a timeline, and considering how much he could question Mislava before they grew tired and moved on. He wouldn't follow them, not tonight - after all some protection would be in order unless he wanted to have one hand always tied. His next words were thoughtful. "Do you... remember what is was that you forgot...?"
“A period of time stretching from the evening prior to daybreak. Though,” it tapped its finger against its bulbous helmet, “that could be partially attributed to having fainted. Would have imagined that the Witch’d have gone through the same, but…suppose that’s not the case with her?”
"As far as she's told us, she only fainted after torching the library, and it was only because..." he trailed off now that the conversation had turned back to Jeanne, and silently considered the reason he was out here in the first place. "Mislava, could you humor my next question?" Inti said. "You wouldn't happen to be working with a bat-demon-Egoist, would you?"
“What.”
"I guess not, heheh..." Inti's feelings about the diver had veered out of 'suspicious' territory about halfway through their conversation, so that Mislava didn't know about the Egoist that Jeanne had faced wasn't that surprising. Still, he had to ask. "Jeanne didn't mention anything strange about the fog. Just the shooter -" He pointed to Mislava. "- and the 'demon.' And it was the latter that knocked her out. No memory problems." That she'd told them about, anyway.
“Ah, that sounds embarrassing,” Mislava said. “I suppose it’s reasonable to presume that she had a mask on then?”
At that Inti shrugged, as he didn't know one way for the other. "Maybe there are things she did forget, but didn't tell us." It was something he would inquire about, prior to putting her case to rest.
With neither party able to wrest any meaningful information out of each other, and without enough trust in one another to continue in the same direction together, the conversation, as well as any intention to stay together, petered out before long. Mislava, still facing Inti's direction in case the Dynamicist tried another trick, backed off deeper into the fog with their gaze still upon him.
And as for the intrepid Incan himself?
The night was long, and for better or worse, remained uneventful.
"Huh. Production run," Shou mused as he abruptly came to a halt in front of the suited up Valeriya. He supposed it made more sense to go with something tested than breaking out her newest designs for a trial by fire. His familiarity with the suit was largely from a theoretical standpoint though. He had seen some designs and blueprints that had been drawn up by the Song's own intelligence agencies, but there was nothing official for one of the Tsardom's military workhorses.
With the armor's generators humming to serve as some background noise, Shou looked between his two collaborators as his ears twitched. "So, are we going to make a ruckus and see what gets drawn to us? Or should we give the Academy a night without some intentional collateral damage and see what we can stumble across."
Valeriya narrowed her eyes from beneath her helmet at Shou's offhanded remark. Clearly, there'd been a leak somewhere if this random Egoist from the Song knew her armor's model just from a glance. Actually, if he knew this much...perhaps he wasn't so random after all. How interesting.
Regardless, she deigned to answer his question after taking a moment to think it over.
"I'd rather not fire and kick up a fuss if I don't have to. Anyone competent in forensics would be able to tell it's a railgun round, and there's only so many Polymaths working on the technology on this island. I should know, I checked."
Standing beside Shou while looking at Valeriya in her armor, Ryuuko had brought with her the same audio recording device and camera that Nazca had lend to her the night before. Aside from that she had also brought a medium-sized linen bag with her; for use capturing one of the mist creatures if they encountered any during the night.
She whistled casually once as she looked over the black armor of the Russian technologist. "Well, it looks impressive and sturdy, that's for sure... Hopefully, you got this thing sealed real tight and nicely. Some of those mist freaks somehow slipped into Nazca's clockworks and rendered them useless, you see."
She then turned her gaze around randomly, looking at the mist now fully surrounding her and her fellow curfew breakers. "In any case, I agree with Valeriya. I don't think there's much need for causing a mess... I propose we walk for now, and if nothing happens... Then a controlled mess might be useful. Maybe something that'll cause some loud noises without also causing collateral damage."
"Sounds good to me. I should be able to shout loud enough if we need to raise a fuss," Shou replied as he looked towards the largely obscured streetlights. "Any ideas on where to start? I figured we could check out the wall around the Inner Circle first. Jeanne ended up burning through a part of it during her chase, so we could see if we find anyone or anything moving 'cross it."
"The armor is sealed against external gas." Valeriya confirmed, nodding to Ryuuko. "Should do the same with the mist. I double checked the seals just in case."
She followed Shou's gaze for a moment before speaking. "Agreed. At the very least, us investigating the scene of the crime should attract some kind of attention."
"Alright then. Good to know" Ryuuko nodded back at Valeriya. Hopefully, the armor really will prove able to prevent nasty surprises from invasive mist creatures. "Anyways, sounds like an idea to me, so sure." With that, she started casually turning around and walking, heading for the Inner Circle. "Let's see if we'll be able to catch some monsters, whatever form they may take, heheh."
The trio marched as a single unit down to the Inner Circle, bold and brave, clad in Formulized steel or possessing bodies of superhuman vigor. Snatches of shadows flitted in and out of their sight, though how much of it was a real threat and how much of it was their imagination could not be confirmed. Nothing, it appeared, attacked them with the immediacy that Ryuuko and Nazca had experienced the night before. But perhaps that was simply because there were no openings.
Or perhaps because there was easier prey out there in the night.
Regardless, the tall stone walls of the Inner Circle soon emerged from the fog, a veritable monolith that shone with the light of the Starsteel Formulization. Great wooden doors stood at cardinal entranceways, and the one that Jeanne had destroyed two nights before had already been repaired. To enter, then, they would likely have to do the same that she had, or to draw lots and see which one of the Egoists would have to make the jump over the walls with Valeriya in tow. Perhaps there was another way though? Or perhaps further investigation was not necessary when there were no longer any clear vulnerabilities left from the Frenchwoman's actions.
"Hrm." Out of habit, Shou brought a hand up to his forehead as he squinted up at the wall, but the fog proved too thick to make out the top of the structure. Scaling it shouldn't prove too much trouble, but was there even a need to investigate the grounds inside?
"I guess it would be too easy to expect something to show up in the first hour. Let's make a loop around to see if we can find anything before deciding if we want to hop the wall," he suggested before he looked Valeriya over again. Even with the additional bulk of her armor, he was pretty confident he could lug her over if need be. Whether she'd hate the experience or not would probably be up to how well her suit's dampeners worked though.
"Tch." Valeriya tsked up at the wall in displeasure. She'd been designing the armor to match an Egoist's agility as best she could, but a structure like this? Not a chance. Of course, she had alternate methods to scale the wall, but they didn't have the time for that.
"I have a grapnel, but scaling it that way will take too long. Either of you do as you please in getting me over. The servos can handle the impact."
Ryuuko looked up at the wall, but just like Shou, she couldn't really see the top of it due to the thick fog. "Mmm. Well, I'm sure that it shouldn't be too much trouble to scale the wall if it comes down to it, even while bringing you in your armor with us... But yeah, maybe we'll try to make a loop around these walls first, huh? Might find a better way in and all that. IF that proves to be fruitless..." she shrugged casually before continuing. "Then up the wall we go... Anyways. Shall we?"
"Good to know we won't have to be too gentle with ya," Shou remarked before he bounced a few times on his heels before he came down on the ball of his feets. He crouched down before he exploded into motion with a powerful leap that sent him upwards into the fog before a loud thud followed. A moment later and he dropped back down just in front of the two as he shook some dust off his hand. "Just making sure," he remarked as he glanced down at his fingers and wiggled them. He hadn't fully recovered yet, so it could have just been some phantom sensations, but he could almost feel the tingle of electricity coursing through and powering the Formulation.
Without any further delays, Shou took up point as he started to circle around to the right of the Inner Circle. With only the faint streetlights to guide his sight, he started to experiment with getting his echolocation tuned in for out of water use. For their sake, the clicks shouldn't have been something either Valeriya or Ryuuko could hear. Although as he adjusted the frequency to try and dial things in, some noise might have bled through to either of them.
Valeriya kept her rail rifle raised as they proceeded through the streets, her helmet swerving around to keep an eye on the group. There was no point in giving even the illusion of nonviolence by keeping her gun lowered. Considering they were breaking curfew as it was, startling someone with an open threat to fire would be the least of their worries should they be caught by any of the island's faculty.
And wasn't that something? Either most of the faculty was somehow incredibly responsible AND boring enough to not be out and about during the night hours, or their section of the island was very well sound and light-proofed.
"Odd that the staff don't seem to have at least some sort of patrol out to catch anyone breaking curfew. That's how it was done at the military academy I attended." Valeriya murmured quietly to the two Egoists, idly taking note of the sudden pinging noise she heard. Likely the shark boy tuning his echolocation. Smart, but it carried the risk of giving off an alert that they were there if someone knew where to look. Though she supposed looking for trouble was what they were out to do anyway.
"If tonight gives us nothing, do we have any other ideas? I could always try to proposition one of the instructors, but that carries its own risk, of course." Like scoping them out to figure which one would be enough of a degenerate to go for a student.
Walking counterclockwise around the walls offered no particular insights for the trio, beyond Valeriya having her eyes seared by the radiance of the Starsteel Formula whenever she turned in the direction of the great structure. At this distance, the sheer amount of buildings between the Inner Circle and the peninsula in which the adult citizens of this island were segregated kept their quarters a black box from observation as well, while the modulations of Shou didn't appear to bring up anything in particular about their surroundings. With some adjustments, however, he was able to account for the disruption of the fog and at least gain a broader image of the physical world beyond the limits of his extremely stunted vision.
That, though, mattered less compared to what else his ears picked up. It was faint, but growing stronger with each interval. A second set of clicks and pings, rendered near-inaudible if not for his own ears having been adapted for the very same purpose. There was another echolocator within the fog. One that was gradually approaching from the west.
Her suggestion was enough for Shou to glance over his shoulder and raise an eyebrow at Valeriya. "I know we've had incidents every night since we've arrived, but a single peaceful night hardly means its time to switch things up. Besides, strange as Bermuda has been, I don't think they'll be that lax when it comes to security clearances. It'd be pretty disappointing to find out any of the profs actually did think with their dicks. I guess a few of them aren't that much older than us though..."
Shou trailed off as he tried to recall the faculty members, but he was quickly distracted from the idle musings as it seemed their night might not be in vain! His ears flicked somewhat energetically as the fins flared out to better catch the sound, and he came to a halt as he flicked his wrist to swing the hilt into his palm. "Heads up. Got someone else also using echolocation, so it might be the Bat. Coming our way from the West."
"Heh, that they're not around during curfew is probably because those staffs knew full well that there are monsters crawling around in the mist every night... Some of them are probably laughing about it like it's a joke as they withheld that extremely important information from us students." Ryuuko remarked snidely as she kept walking with Shou and Valeriya, her eyes looking around the area casually. The dim lighting wasn't much problem for her night vision-capable eyes, but the mist remains as annoying as ever nonetheless. "Tsk. Where are those sneaky mist bastards..."
Then she paused as Shou made mention of what seemed to be another echolocator moving to their position. A small grin appeared on her face. "Oh? Interesting. I was getting worried that we might really end up finding nothing tonight. Heh, let's see if its really the bat..." she said as her eyes gazed toward the west.
Gazing towards the west, however, offered no particular advantage. In the fog, after all, one could not see more than two meters ahead of them. As the trio readied themselves for whatever may come, honing their hearing to its utmost, the intermittent sounds of wingflaps, accompanied by singularly powerful kickoffs, grew closer.
Closer.
Closer.
Over.
Flesh against stone. Then stone cracking, the cannonshot of a footstep that only an Egoist could perform!
With the presence of another echolocator around, Shou cut off his own and focused just on gauging the rough distance between them. With just the unknown's to focus on, the intensity was easier to gauge and he waited patiently. Coupled with the other sounds of their approach, Shou waited until they must have been within a single jump before he signalled with his own crude echolocation. Catching the other Egoist's attention with it at first before he cleared his throat loudly and called out, "Hey! We're lookin' to talk."
Ideally they wouldn't have to try and chase down another Egoist who had both better mobility and awareness. It wouldn't do to have a repeat of Jeanne's first night out after all...
And there it was. Upon hearing the flapping wings, Valeriya immediately raised her rail rifle, already aiming down the sights in the direction of the sound that was drawing closer. Though at Shou's declaration, she kept her finger off the trigger for now. That could change in an instant, but if this Manbat was willing to negotiate, so much the better for them.
"Reveal yourself and I'll lower my weapon." Valeriya said matter-of-factly, her voice obscured slightly through her helmet. "We're not looking for a fight if we don't have to take one."
With Shou and Valeriya doubtlessly already taking the attention of the maybe-the-Manbat Egoist, Ryuuko opted to just keep quiet, waiting. The decision was then in the hands of the winged Egoist, and Ryuuko intended to react based on what they will do.
Though just in case, unlikely as it seemed to be that a sane person would just suddenly attack them, she primed her venom sac nonetheless.
But then there was another wingflap. Another footstomp against the distant top of the wall. And...
"Oh shit," a voice called out. "Someone down there?"
...it looked as if the 'Manbat' hadn't even registered their presence until they spoke up.
"Yeah, three of us. If you're the Bat Egoist, the other two are the ones who actually wanna talk," Shou called back up as he relaxed a bit and tapped his foot. Not too much though. "If you're not, well we'd still be interested in exchanging info about what the hell's going on around the island."
"Remember the little German girl you ran into the previous night?" Valeriya called up to the presumed Manbat, her rifle still raised in the voice's direction. "I happen to be living with her. I do appreciate that you didn't harm her in any physical manner."
"Yeah, hi, whoever you are up there." Ryuuko chuckled casually after her words. "Didn't expect to actually meet anyone else out here tonight. Well, not in this way anyhow. Anyways..." she cancelled the priming of her venom sac before continuing. "What my colleague said. Whoever you are, care for some talks? Considering you're also out during this time... Surely you have a good reason or two for doing so, yes? Just like us. So maybe our reasons might even coincide, in a manner of speaking."
"Well yeah," came the response. "I don't hit little girls. Even ones so maniac as the little Konigsmahne girl."
Two seconds later, and another crack resounded, as if an anvil was dropped onto concrete. A gust of wind parted the fog briefly, and in that moment, the intrepid trio could take in the full figure of the Manbat. Tall and slim, with furred limbs that ended in wicked claws, the Bat Egoist sported two leathery wings from his back, and his tail swung from side to side with the methodical control of a pit viper. His face, perhaps once squarish, indeed struck the silhouette of a double-sided battle axe...until they flicked back against the sides of his head, their purpose for echolocation served.
A camera hung from his neck, and his eyes, with proper inspection, were heterochromatic: one blue and one green. His smile flashed with sharp teeth, and with the audacious, confident stance that he took simply by standing before them, it was easy to see why a religious individual may see a devil in him.
"Anyhow, let's keep it simple. What's up? Why're you three out here just loitering about?"
Yeah, definitely gotta start working on getting myself some wings was the first thing Ryuuko thought of upon getting a good look of the Manbat. Then, she returned his smile with a sharp teethed grin of her own before replying. "Oh just looking out for interesting things, simply put. Things that roamed the mist at night. Encountered some monsters the other night, you see. Weird unnatural creatures that attacked people after the mist appears. And of course, I don't mean Egoists like us. Ever encountered one of those creatures before, yourself?"
Of course, she intentionally doesn't reveal for now that the Manbat himself is a target who, potentially, might need to be captured.
"I find all this need for secrecy at night curious." Valeriya replied simply, lowering her rifle. "And after hearing about last night, well, you can imagine that's only grown. I don't suppose you've seen or heard a mad Frenchwoman be shot at a few evenings ago?"
"Monsters? Honestly, it does sound like you've encountered another Egoist," the Manbat said. "All I've had to deal with were some slight...symptoms with taking in these curious vapours. Symptoms otherwise avoided by not being in it." He barked out a laugh at Valeriya's question. "And yes, heard some crazy French chick yell something, then it turned out she was chasing me. Jeanne, right? Complete nutjob. Gunshots though? Heard those as well but, well..."
He cracked his knuckles one by one.
"Maybe she's got a secret admirer? The murderous type."
"Oh? Interesting. So you've yet to encounter those crazy things, huh... I'm doubtful that those are the work of an Egoist, unless there's an Egoist on this island that can detach parts of their body and then control them remotely from afar... Anyways, riiight."
She casually puts both hands into the pockets of her jacket. Then, she activated the audio recording device from Nazca that she had placed inside the left pocket, already checking beforehand that it won't make any noise or light when activated. Then, she grinned wide and took a few steps closer to the Manbat, looking very much interested in the topic. "So you're the one that that mad Frenchwoman met huh? Haha, that was some pretty crazy affairs there! So is it true what they said? That the library was burned down because she were fighting you?"
So there were adverse effects to being in this fog? That was a bit disturbing to consider, especially if it turned out his experiences last night had just been some induced hallucinations or psychosis. Humming thoughtfully to himself, Shou grumbled a bit as his thoughts wandered back towards Hana. Given her speciality, she was probably the most suited to sampling some of the fog to analyze anything that might be within it.
Closing his eyes for a moment though, he turned his focus inward and towards his heart. Slowing his heartbeat as his breathes grew more shallow as well. "What symptoms did you experience?"
Valeriya regarded the Manbat's words with silence, taking a moment to consider what he'd already said. The fog being some sort of odd gas was...concerning. Moreso for those around her than herself, considering her helmet came with a built-in gas mask filtration system. She'd have to watch the others carefully, then.
"What Ryuuko said. I take it you didn't notice anything regarding the library arson, then? As it stands, we have good reason to believe Miss du Bordeaux has been framed for that crime. As much as I'd like to see that madwoman crucified, I think her being framed on the first week of our arrival is far more concerning. And a reason to keep her around for now."
The Bat Egoist set his gaze upon Ryuuko, all of his good humour lost in an instant. He didn't even regard Shou and Valeriya's inquiries. One of his wings flexed, bones popping in place as he let out a sigh.
"Ryuuko." Was it the instinct of an investigator? Or the experience of a spy? Perhaps it was too unnatural a move to put one's hands in their pockets when stepping up to a fellow Egoist? Or was this Egoist's senses honed sharply enough to pick up on what the chimeric one had deemed undetectable? "What's in your pockets?"
Regardless, it was deathly serious. An encounter between Egoists always was.
Valeriya stiffened in alarm but an instant after the Manbat did. What did he...? Oh. Her gas mask helmet shifted in Ryuuko's direction even as she raised her rifle to a ready position. She wasn't quite pointing it at the other Egoist yet, but it was in a position where she could easily snap off a shot at this close a range.
Ryuuko had suddenly put her hands in her pockets. Was that what had set him off? The chimeric Egoist seemed a good deal more animated the moment she'd done so. That, at the very least, was suspicious.
Valeriya shared a look with Shou for a moment before regarding the confrontation between Ryuuko and the Manbat. Regardless of how it played out, this was cause for concern.
Raising an eyebrow at the slight motion of Valeriya's helmet, Shou couldn't see her expression through it unfortunately. From the shift of her rifle's position though... well, he couldn't help but sigh a bit as he remained relaxed despite the Manbat's shift in demeanor. "What? If Ryuuko does have something, I'm not gonna fault him for calling her out on it," he said with a shrug before he looked between the other two Egoists. With everyone at least a bit on edge when prowling around after the curfew, he supposed that hiding one's hands wasn't the least threatening gesture.
"Excuse me?" Ryuuko quirked an eyebrow at the Manbat's abrupt change in demeanor, her own smile slowly turning into a frown. "Really? I put my hands into my pockets without even thinking much about it, and it sets you off? What are you, a paranoid?" She took out her hands from her pocket, empty, leaving the device in the left pocket as it was. Her venom sac was primed once more. "What's in my pockets is my own business, thank you very much. If you had asked nicely, then sure. But going all confrontative like this... Naah. Reminds me too much of those bastards back home, who think they can just question me for whatever made up reasons they want."
She was genuinely pissed off, and her expression showed that clearly. Of course, she wasn't actually pissed off because the Manbat's attitude was reminding them of her oppressors back home, but because his paranoia was spot on…
“Ok,” the Bat Egoist said, his tone becoming slightly more cordial, even as his entire body stilled, “Could you please show me what you have in your pockets.”
”..... Too late for that, don’t you think? Whatever.” she shrugged, seemingly relaxed. ”I’ve lost interest.” she looked at Shou and Valeriya. ”Let’s just go, guys. This is a waste of time.” she grinned wide at them, seemingly happily. As if trying to tell them that her emphasised word didn’t mean ‘leaving’. ”I’ll owe you guys, if you’d please.”
Then in an instant later she returned her gaze toward the Manbat, and a burst of intense flame came out of her mouth directed at him.
Valeriya knew where this was going from the moment Ryuuko started smiling. Oh for the love of…why the hell was she initiating hostilities?! No wonder Nazca was laid up in the hospital right now after having to deal with this trigger-happy maniac.
She audibly groaned as Ryuuko did end up literally opening fire and reluctantly started to raise her rifle, her gaze shifting to Shou for a moment to see how he’d react. Frankly, she’d rather still hold her fire, but if Shou ended up piling in with Ryuuko, there wasn’t much of a choice.
In the moment he had before Ryuuko did something both stupid and unwarranted, Shou closed his eyes and exhaled through his grit teeth. Wasn’t this exactly the sort of behaviour that got Jeanna into her mess to begin with? His eyes snapped open and he moved instead of replying to Ryuuko verbally. Hand lashing out as the other Egoist turned her fire towards the Manbat, Shou aimed to snatch her horn and twist her head straight up to the sky where he didn’t have to worry about the flames washing over himself or Valeriya. With Val standing off for now, his tail slammed into the ground behind as he braced himself with it.
Ryuuko’s flame, diverted, seared through the fog, filling the air with the stench of the sea. Against Shou’s superior strength, the chimeric Egoist’s neck wasn’t nearly strong enough to hold itself in place, and her blast of flame went wide. It was clear, with their actions, that neither Valeriya nor Shou was for Ryuuko’s aggression.
But the Bat Egoist did not find the need to take any chances either.
By the time the flames settled, he was gone, wingbeats sounding off in the distance.
And with the only promising lead gone, any prior unity the group may have had was gone. Insincere apologies passed between the three and they continued to trudge through the fog, but to no avail. It was a quiet night, it appeared, with no black tendrils slipping in and out of the edges of their eyes. And that silence only caused resentment to seep further. Climbing. Intensifying.
Unforgivable.
As the futility of their activities dawned upon them, the three broke off, almost eager to be rid of each other's presence. Ryuuko to a dormitory of a design that she despised. Shou to the faux-tavern where his roommate waited. And Valeriya, back to the armory, to doff the shadow-shaded carapace that had protected her so well against what lurked within the fog.
The night ended, just like that.
It was a good thing that James had worn his ear protection, earplugs are a wonderfully simple innovation. However, the ringing still left him shaken. The damned bell was a lot louder up close than he thought.
When the ringing finally stopped, he removed the earplugs and prepared his gas mask. “Seems the fog’s rolling in quick like.” he whispered to himself. The ringing in his ears were beginning to fade and was slowly being replaced with the methodical clickity-clack and noisy creaking of moving gears and rolling shafts.
He checked his list of equipment, checking them off in his head one by one.
Sleeping Gas Tear Gas Flash pellets Smoke pellets Blowpipe Darts Rope & hook
And so on…
It was this moment he heard the pit-pat of footsteps coming up the clock tower. Who the hell could that be now? Whoever it was, they weren’t trying to conceal their presence, so either they knew he was there or they didn’t. There were not many places to hide here.
“Bugger…” Well no use now, whether he was caught or not, there was no easy way out of here. At the very least his gasmask would protect his identity If only by a little. He prepared a flash pellet and a sleep gas canister and hoped that he wouldn’t have to use them.
The steps drew closer. Closer. Closer.
The first sign was the warm glow of a lantern. Then dark hair, oily and sleek. A rugged face, like the stone of the great Abya Yalan canyons. A patterned suit, replete with the swirling animal motifs of the New World’s Dynamicists. In one hand, hung the lantern. In the other hand, swung a bottle.
An Abya Yalan man, middle-aged and wrinkly-faced, widened his eyes slightly at the inhuman silhouette cut by James, before smiling.
“I had not expected visitors at this hour, Ravenschild. Have you found yourself here by error, or is this…exactly where you wished to be?”
The man seemed to have no ill intentions at the moment, so James engaged him in conversation. “If I had come here by my own will, would you hold it against me? The view is lovely this time of evening. Though the fog here is quite curious.”
“Admitting to breaking curfew?” The older man leaned against the railing of the clocktower. “I will hold it against you, but I’ve no reason to do anything about it until sunrise.”
“Does that mean you’ll do nothing to me until then or does that mean you’ll try to keep me here till then?” James stood his ground looking towards the older man.
“You sound quite worried.”
“Worried is not quite the word I’d use. More like I don’t know what to think of you at this moment. Are you friend, foe, or something else?” He never took his eyes off the man, his hearing hasn’t quite recovered fully yet. But it was enough to carry a conversation normally. “… As for me, I’m merely curious about all the incidents that have been occurring. That and this fog is quite strange.”
"Strange as it may be, you'll learn to live with it."
It was an enigmatic answer from an enigmatic man, but it would be suspicious, perhaps, to press too hard this soon. After all, while James was armed to the teeth with the tools of his trade, his trade was assassination and infiltration, not the fine art of conversation. So it was hard, perhaps, to refuse an invitation to drink some spiced wine and play a round or two of chess. To pass the time peacefully, under the gaze of the false moon and the fragments of the Divine Calculus.
And before James knew it, he opened his eyes and found that the sky was blue.
Finally, nightfall washed over Bermuda and soon the curfew was heralded by exactly ten vociferous chimes reverberating throughout the artificial island, likely even beyond. However, unlike the first night where it roused her awake, nor like the second where they took her by surprise, this time Lucretia was expecting them. Though she was without Schwarzritter, what she received in exchange was arguably as valuable, especially for her current task. If the group was to infiltrate the Atelier du Moor without applications of brute force, then someone needed to handle the Starsteel Formulization, twas' obvious who that someone would be and she had intensely practiced with Sukuro's starsteel chest for this specific reason. For all of her faults, Lucretia was inarguably sagaciously talented at everything Technologism, including rapidly learning new concepts rooted in the Major.
So there she was, gathered merely a few blocks away from the photographer's workshop together with Herr Steiner and Frau Kurniawan, all Polymaths talented in their own thing. "I'm ready, please guide us through the fog, Frau Kurniawan." The white-haired girl stated in Latin, "Once we've arrived, I will unlock our point of entry, whichever it is that we choose."
Franz's code of dress for this affair was much different from his normal attire. He wore primarily black clothing with gloves and practical boots. A rapier hung on his belt overtly for self defense where as a dagger is hidden in his left sleeve for more nefarious purposes along with a small vile of appropriately potent poison.
"Don't rush into the lion's den too quickly Lucy." Franz interupted the small noble. "The bat egoist operates at night. We must wait for Solomon to leave in this form before we enter. This is both to confirm he is, in fact, this prowler of the night and to make sure we will have to freedom to investigate."
Bunga's eyes glowed in the dark. She herself has a small bag with the vials she requested from James inside of it. Mighty concoctions that should be able to disable anyone that intends to do her and the group harm, while this is the first time she uses James' chemical concoctions, ever. She trusts James that he won't skimp out on the ingredients and make it as potent as she requested.
She hopes that his alchemy skills are up to snuff, and that she'd look good in a French maid outfit or something. Just the thought of it puts a light blush on Bunga's face already. A rather interesting contrast to her glowing eyes and otherwise serious demeanor.
"Alright. So to Atelier du Moor right?" She asked the group one more time. "Then follow me. This fog is as thick as Papeda right now, geez. Just what is near Bermuda that makes the night fog this thick?"
Bunga can see the outline of the street well enough, she has the fox vision and they're no joke. But gosh darn is her sense of sight being pushed to the absolute limit here. One wrong move and the group can be separated really easily.
"Before we go. I want either of you to hold my hands, and grip them as tight as you can. Either that or form a human chain. I don't want to lose any one of you right now. If you're anywhere more than 2 meters I might permanently lose sight of you." She ordered. outstretching both her hands to Franz and Lucy. "Also. We can discuss on whether we should wait or should we break in just as we're walking. Therefore we can make the decision right away. I can tell that the walk to the Atelier alone is going to be treacherous."
"If one must." Without hesitation, Lucretia grasped Bunga's hand with a strength so meager that it hardly registered for the dark-skinned Egoist. "The door to the Atelier is wooden, and the materials used for the walls are of canvas," the German Technologist continued, her gait accelerating as she took charge to lead Bunga towards the place they sought. Fox vision did not account for much within the thick fog, and Lucretia herself had memorized the route to Herr Antidivula's studio regardless. She could reach it blind and deaf, and this time, she would be ready for such debilitations.
"And Herr Steiner, patience is for those who can afford it. I insist we break in swiftly, no matter what awaits us. There is nothing to be gained from staying outside for prolonged hours."
"With all due respect Frau Konigsmahne. Breaking into a house while the occupant is still inside is not a wise move. Particularly when said occupant can potentially fight all three of us. The best case scenario under those conditions is being expelled from Bermuda and serving jail time. I don't intend to make such a move." Franz replied before beginning the walk to Solomon's accomodations. "None the less, we should position ourselves close to the home to scope it out. In reaching Anitdivula's home, we cannot waste a second. Stick close."
Bunga, now with both Lucy and Franz in both her hands, decided that the time is ripe to walk the group into Solomon's house. She slowly walked along with the small German technologist and Austrian Mesmerologist. Taking directions and following Lucretia as she lead the trio Solomon's house.
She knew that the mood of the situation is very dark, what with the night, what their mission entails, and the thick fog surrounding everyone. So, perhaps in a small effort to lighten the mood a little bit, before they really went in and ransack Solomon's atelier. Bunga decided to ask a question both Lucretia and Franz probably didn't expect.
"So. Both of you, have you tried eating spicy food? Chillies and peppers and the like?" Bunga mused. "I'm sure that, with world trade and all, you've tried some form of spices from the tropics right?"
She really hoped that she's not perceived as a fool for posing this question. All she wanted to do is lighten the mood a little bit.
Lucretia looked at Franz with the petulance of a child who sat through a lesson only have learned nothing new from it. She didn't deign to respond to Bunga either. Such an inane question wasn't worth spending an iota of her brainpower on, after all. Anyways, the only answer to that question was that spicy food was without merit. Only a fool would willingly torture themselves, after all. True efficiency in meeting the needs of one's body came from food that was tasty and easy to consume, without negative side effects such as having to spend hours clenching one's orifices in the restroom afterwards.
...that mental rant, at least, sufficed to distract Lucretia's attentions long enough for them to stop in front of the two-story building that contained the Atelier Du Moor. Compared to some of the adjacent buildings, the Mongolian-style tent yurt was certainly less clad with the Starsteel Formulization than the others, and the door leading to the first floor was only a canvas flap: durable enough to keep out the fog, but not enough to withstand any amount of effort that Bunga might put forth in opening it up. It was difficult to tell whether or not light shone from the windows of the second floor however, owing to the ever-present obstruction of the mist, but if nothing else, there were no abnormal sources of light blooming out into the fog from that direction.
Careful listening too, did not give off any impressions that there was anyone moving about within the building...but that could just be explained by individuals being asleep as well. It was a matter then, of whether to act or to wait.
A Mongolian Yurt. An interesting architectural choice for someone from France, Bunga could only wonder in barely contained excitement at the prospect of studying this weird Atelier she has heard a lot from Ryuuko about. She did try to just open the flap, and... it opened by itself, no starsteel formulization. No nothing, just a simple flap keeping the fog away.
"I didn't thought that it would that easy. But there you go Lucy. Flap's open, why don't you go first?" Bunga offered. Showing Lucy the insides of the Yurt.
With the opening of the flap, so too came the emergence of the fog. Lucretia narrowed her eyes at that, her sleeve raising to her mouth, while Franz, ever the gentleman, held the flap for Bunga afterwards. "Ladies first," he spoke, with a Venetian flourish.
There was little on the first floor worth looking after. It looked like a studio space that had not yet been leased, and the German Technologist certainly had no patience for it either. Her focus was, singularly, upon the purported 'ledger' that contained all the information that she...what, needed? Wanted? Had use for? Indeed, it looked as if Franz would benefit the most from this, as well as from closing in on the identity of the Manbat.
Still, they were there now, the trio. Standing on the second floor, before a wooden door. The 'Welcome' sign had become a 'Closed' sign, and the brass knob looked harmless enough. If one pressed their ear against the door and listened, it would be quite, but for a faint 'clicking' noise. A clock, perhaps? Or something less mundane than that?
Lucretia looked at Bunga.
"Open it."
What else was an Egoist good for, after all?
Bunga obliged and grabbed the knob of the door, twisting it, and... it didn't open.
To be fair Bunga wasn't using her full power as an Egoist. But there's a voice in her head that tells her that it would be unwise to break the door right now, like a sort of gut feeling she has, she is not sure whether she should follow it or not.
"Umm Lucy? Just what kind of stuff that we're looking for by the way? Some documents and stuff right? I kinda have a bad feeling that we might unleash something we don't like should I force open this door y'know. I'll still do it if you insist though."
Franz was the one to answer. "Evidence of collusion between Solomon Antedivula and the mysterious Manbat. It would be less optimal, of course, if we were to catch him in the act, but..." The Mesmerologist shrugged, totally at ease with the situation. "...I suspect that if he were here, he would have already heard us."
The fog continued to climb, snaking up the steps, rising up to fill the ceiling. Bringing in that obscuring vapour to fill the yurt to the brim.
Bunga contemplated for a moment. But eventually relented, all that effort for nothing would be such a blow for everyone it would not be worth it anyway. Bunga decided to open the door and hold her breath for what's about to happen next. Will it be some crazy monster getting out of the door? Some mechanical monstrosity? Bunga is prepared to protect her classmates for whatever eventuality.
"Should I close the flap of the yurt?" Bunga asked, not willing to look at what's inside the room. "I think that less fog would be beneficial to us all no?"
It didn't matter, in the end, for the truth revealed itself in a fashion most unkindly.
The atelier that Solomon had leased was, logically speaking, not where he rested. Lucretia, ever-searching, continued to look through the workshop, guided by her star-studded eyes, but as Bunga watched the German Technologist investigate without hope of uncovering anything, she saw too, the look in Franz's eyes.
An empty certainty, crystallizing with the substance of a spider weaving a cocoon.
It was just a flicker. A crack in the mask, and one that patched itself up just as swiftly. He laughed at his folly, and called it an early night. Like that, it was over.
EE 87, May 8 | Afternoon
"My client pleads no contest."
Like that, it was over.
Observing from the side, Ryuuko's expression flared up with an indignant fury, but Jeanne herself remained unaffected. Franz had thrown in the towel before the trial even began, and yet, it was the most logical decision he could make under these circumstances. Three days had elapsed, and all that they had gathered were snippets of information, meager bits and bobs that could not form any case to erase the truth that the Witch herself had admitted right at the start.
She had burned down the library, and only due to the slightest provocation.
Yet even Robespierre looked surprised at this turn of events. What could have inspired Franz Steiner, the Universal Genius who possessed a notable chip in the shoulder towards nobility, to fold so easily? It was in the Bermuda Triangle the day after, but Ryuuko found out in the evening.
She had returned once more, to that loathsome sham of a dormitory, one that seemed design to rub raw whatever wounds she accumulated during the day. Returned to her room, and found her roommate missing.
Franz had moved out. He had moved out at the same time that Lucretia did, and the two of them became roommates in a new dormitory. The Universal Genius, the only man in the world who possessed even the slimmest possibility of realizing the holy grail of Mesmerology, simply chose allegiance with someone who had wealth and good reputation over someone who had neither. It was certainly one way, after all, to guarantee that Jeanne was punished.
It was disgusting. It took great restraint for Ryuuko to not burn them both to death.
But it proved it.
This was not the environment for her. Masking conservatism with progress. Maintaining a status quo rather than pushing boundaries. Laying invisible rule after invisible rule, believing that it was through conventions and traditions that innovation flourished. Backbiting, backstabbing, politicizing bastards, the lot of them.
If she could not reduce it to ash, then she would remove herself from it.
And when the fog parted ways, Jeanne stood before an airship, her hands once more bound in leather. Like this, an Egoist was unnecessary to supervise her, and the regular police force of Bermuda escorted her instead. Past the crowds of onlookers, up the stairs, into the bowels of the airship. As she disappeared from view, her eyes gazed back once more.
Searching for a particular face? Memorizing those she begrudged? Looking out at the paradise from which she's been exiled?
The doors closed.
Electricity crackled, granting power once more to the Pleizogravitas circuitry, as Steam Cores funneled their energy into the propellers that gave the airship velocity. Within minutes, the great vessel was off, crossing the great oceans to send the errant pyromaniac back to the land that still tolerated her ferocity.
Jeanne, with all her secrets, left behind naught but burned bridges and impassable rifts.
And for those who remained, what was held in their hearts? Apathy? Pity? Scorn? Joy?
Whatever emotions arose, it would be buried once more. As surely as the sun fell. As surely as the fog rose.
EE 87, May 9 | Afternoon _______________________ The trial of Jeanne du Bordeaux had come to an end. It's verdict was unsurprising.
Few remained of Jeanne's defense team, though their little group would have come to an end either way once the trial was settled. After that night that Inti had ventured into the fog, he'd finally learned what had happened to the others. Nazca had been hospitalized after an encounter with some unseen 'monster' within the fog. Inti thought it was just was possible the monster was a person, but whatever was the truth didn't change the outcome. Bang had tended to her and watched over Jeanne, while Ryuuko and Franz took part in investigations of their own - which eventually led to the former leaving the island, and the later giving up the trial without a fight. If there was anything surprising about the events, it was that. Although Inti had foreseen the verdict, the lack of any fight was frustrating. After giving them all the information he'd learned after his meeting with the mysterious Mislava, he'd hoped to learn something during the debate, even if it was something minor.
Inti had spent the majority of the last two nights alone with himself, thinking. When he slept he didn't dream. Whenever Inti didn't feel like chatting with those he knew best, he'd taken to sitting outside Kalil's door and talking his thoughts aloud. Whether the shut-in was listening or not wasn't as important as just getting the words out there into the world. Had he accomplished much of anything since arriving in Bermuda? Was he actually fulfilling his purpose, or did he have to start working harder? Now with Jeanne gone, he'd have to shift his short term goals.
He wanted to connect with people, that much as for certain. And the fog... he was even more curious about it now that he'd seen it firsthand. Especially since he couldn't manipulate it, which made it all the more curious. A bit dangerous too, but what boy - even lab-grown - didn't enjoy a bit of danger?
Whether Inti would stay in Bermuda or return to Tawantinsuyu was not his decision to make. As of now there was no reason that he would be recalled, and so he for the foreseeable future he would remain there. If he had any say in it though, he would choose to stay as well. There was still so much to learn to discover after all, there was too much he wanted to look into to leave. Today he'd seen Jeanne off, like so many other students. Tomorrow, it would be the start of the next chapter of his experience.
Well, that entire affair had been a considerable waste of time, all things considered. Shou may have been tolerable, but Valeriya had been very unimpressed with Ryuuko after that absolute debacle with the Manbat. So when the Japanese girl simply left the island after the trial, Valeriya was about as sad to see her go as she had been with Jeanne. In other words, she practically celebrated by having a few drinks and hopping into someone else's bed for the night.
Speaking of beds, the news that Lucretia was moving out of her dorm and rooming with that Mesmerology hack Franz took Valeriya by surprise as much as anyone else. Given how socially stunted the girl was, she hadn't exactly given Val much warning about what she was going to do. Not that Valeriya was going to take offense. She didn't have all the information, and for all she knew, the little German was rooming with the Austrian because she needed someone more pliable or pathetic to dorm with. Oh, well. At least privacy issues were much less of a concern now that she had an entire dorm to herself.
Once everything with the trial was said and done, Valeriya dutifully drafted another coded report back to the Motherland, sending it off as soon as she was able. Within it was a brief summary of the situation, as well as details of the major players that she'd been involved with. So the Manbat, Shou, and Ryuuko.
Days after everything had settled down, Valeriya returned to her ideal routine. Working on her projects, experiencing world cuisine around the island's restaurants, and generally just enjoying herself as she awaited further orders from her handlers.
Jeanne's sentence and departure was the expected result, and nothing quite seemed off about it to Hana. Probably, if not her, someone else who have been made an example, by now. Still, there was a fair amount of to do about defending her, from what she read in the papers. Perhaps nothing had come of it after all. Ryuuko was more of a surprise, but certainly she had her own reasons.
Hana had, for the most part, judiciously avoided the major events of the past few days. She was certainly adjacent to it, as she'd treated a few of those more closely involved, but beyond the crops of injuries sustained at night to pique her interest, she still didn't get directly involved. Certainly, she would have to break curfew, and soon, to see what all the fuss was about.
In the meantime, though, she set about establishing herself on Bermuda. She found a good space for a laboratory, and claimed it, and made the rounds of the local hospitals and the like to make sure they knew of her and how to contact her. Hopefully, the times when her talents would be needed would be rare enough, but it never hurts to get the word out. And, for that matter, get closer to any cases that were particularly severe. As that would probably mean either someone had a really impressive lab accident, or more interesting reasons behind the injuries.
"Hrm..." Looking down at the report that detailed his activities and discoveries on the island since his arrival, Shou noted the numerous dots that decorated the page's corner. His pen had left such marks from being tip tapped against it as he wondered if there was anything else he needed to write back home about. Clearly not though if his mind had began to wander about like such. Waving the pages gently through the air to make sure nothing smudged, he folded up the sheets and tucked them away in an envelope.
The recent departures weren't much to cry over. It would have only been a matter of time before the two unpredictable firebrands set something else alight, and that wasn't exactly Shou's brand of excitement. He did include the pertinent details on his report back home, but otherwise that was about all that they were relevant to him.
Despite not knowing what dangers lurked in the fogs after curfew, Shou didn't let that stop his nightly ventures outside. He spent his days healing from what his body was subjected to, but the injuries and wounds were only temporary for however terrible they may have been. Flesh reknit and regrew, better than before, and in time he'd be able to push through and explore further. The occasional lesson and lecture also occupied his time as he collected random scraps of knowledge that caught his attention, but the days passed by rather simply.
He really did need to find another Egoist to spar with at some point...
Four days had passed since the anticlimatic end to the du Bourdeaux trial, one that had already been forgotten about by the second day. After all, while Jeanne herself was an individual of infamy, every student in Bermuda had an exceptional story or two dogging their trail, and the Bermuda Triangle’s news cycle continued unabashedly, picking up everything from salacious snippets of the luxuries that old-wealth Polymaths indulged in without the collars of their family, to the highlights of whatever social events that secret societies and student unions hosted. International news was swinging in curious directions as well, with the civil war in the Ottoman Empire slowly drawing in the surrounding nations, vultures who offered funds and recognized sovereignty in exchange for plucking pieces of land out from the decaying carcass that was the Ottomans.
But while all that was fascinating for the well-read, well-educated students of the academic island, on the morning of the 12th of May, there was something else to get excited about. The Chipperfield’s Circus, the world-touring extravaganza that featured performers from all the greatest nations in the world, was coming to Bermuda! Already, space was being made at Docks and Storage to accommodate the flamboyant airships that made up the Chipperfield fleet, replete as they were with exotic animals from both the Far East and the Far West, and from the news article itself, it looked as if their performance would be on the 15th of May, starting early in the evening and ending thirty minutes before curfew! Of course, recordings would be made for those workaholics too occupied to attend, and depending on the tickets one got, purchasing a recording may even be a better experience!
It was funny, perhaps, that curfew was still omnipresent. But it was only funny to those who had not yet plunged into the mists. No major incidents occurred, however, and indeed, while the mist itself still plunged the island in a state where one could hardly see two meters ahead of them, no students who broke curfew ended up amnesiac anymore. Had the problem been resolved, all by itself?
Or was this simply a stroke of good fortune?
It was hard to say, but for the astute observers, for those who made it their work to sacrifice sleep in return for plunging into the fog every night, they would notice something. Substanceless shadows no longer flicked out of the corner of their vision. But…was the fog itself gradually growing thicker?
A circus that travelled the four corners of the world, and a meteorological anomaly that seemed to gradually grow in intensity. Opportunities for rogues’ work and mysteries that deepened. The stage was indeed set then, for the spy’s work to truly begin.
Bunga has no idea what to do for the next couple of days. Most of her time was spent lazing around in the bed, just straight up confused as to what to do next. The sleeping potion James gave to her was still hanging around on her study table, unused and unspent. “Ugh, how will I get to Nazca now… all avenues I have for meeting her are gone right now.”
Well, whatever. One avenue might be gone, but Bunga is sure that more opportunities will come to her in the future. She is, after all, primarily focused on her studies right now, with the spy thingy being more of a side gig thing more than her primary occupation. Indeed, the Nusantaran has learned many things about herself and her capabilities during that uneventful night, the limits of her hearing, sight, smell, and feel, all were useful information for her.
But, the morning is rising, and the fox girl knows that she cannot just wallow in her own room, thinking about what she can do to make that night work out even better. Resolving to better herself next time, the woman rose from her bed, took a quick shower, changed her clothes, and walked outside her dorm into Bermuda. Hoping that her day will end up much better than yesterday.