[h3]Nazca Whitehall[/h3][i]Clockwork Autumn[/i]

As it happened, Nazca’s choice of restaurant had been entirely based on the cuisine she had experienced the other night. Despite her unfortunate encounter with some dish that her stomach had not agreed on, she had rather enjoyed the Oriental cuisine out on display at the ball, and it was the Japanese dishes that had especially brought a small to her palate. Vietnamese and Chinese had come in a close second and third, but alas for Ryuuko, after taking the lead of the little arson brunch party, the first restaurant she had come across was the Katsubochi. 

Although the British-raised Abyalan girl struggled with the chopsticks, it was clear that she had taken to the Japanese meal, happily downing the entire set with the subtlest smile on her face. The mackerel and the soup was delicious, and the natto had not even fazed her. 

Though, she [i]had[/i] noticed the frowns and looks of distaste on a few of her fellow students, and couldn’t help but to stare at Ryuuko and wonder what was wrong with the Japanese egoist and her culinary preferences. Surely her break with her country didn’t [i]also[/i] mean she absolutely hated the food as well? No, no, that certainly couldn’t be it.

[b]“I see.”[/b]

Slowly nursing her miso soup, she returned her attention to what truly mattered, Jeanne’s testimony. Certainly much had occurred in the night after all. To her, at least, it was obvious that the two actors that the Frenchwoman had encountered were likely working in concert. Nazca briefly wondered what bone they would have to pick with Jeanne, but it was clear her reputation preceded her at this point. Still, she couldn’t help but to rub the bridge of her nose at some of the decisions the girl had taken last night. It was absolute insanity, enough to match what had happened to her to begin with. 

[b]“A bat with a camera, is it… well, it’s certainly not the only flying thing with a camera that night,”[/b] Nazca murmured. She’d only briefly glanced at sections of the film negative that she recovered in the morning—she would have to immediately develop it now, if only for the curiosity of what her hawk might have picked up. [b]“I took photographs of the city after dark with one of my birds to test whether or not they would properly function as a result of the starsteel formulation. It’s doubtful because of the thick fog, but it is possible that I might have captured something useful in relation to what happened last night,”[/b] she decided to cautiously offer, omitting any in-depth explanation of the full capabilities of her bird-drones. 

[b]“Regardless, I doubt it’s difficult to disguise oneself for a short time on the airship, especially if they were intending to be deceptive enough to attack another student after curfew. They could still be a student.”[/b]