[center][h2][color=FF0000]Higashiakemi Ryuuko[/color]
Nazca Whitehall[/h2][h2][color=f7976a]LÊ BẰNG KIỀU[/color][/h2]
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[hider=Hospital Banter]

So many things had gone wrong, and even as she sit on her chair beside Nazca's bed, Ryuuko's mind were still filled with so many different thoughts. Things that could have been done differently, the secrets of the island that were being hidden from the students, what those bizarre creatures that attacked her and Nazca were... It were all, simply put, a big mess.

She were only put off from her thoughts when she noticed Nazca stirring, groaning in pain and coughing.

[color=FF0000]"Nazca!... Thank goodness. You're finally awake."[/color] Ryuuko's expression immediately shifted to that of relief as she looked at Nazca. The Abya Yalan was still in pretty bad condition, but her return to consciousness lifted some weights off Ryuuko's shoulders regardless. Soon enough though, Ryuuko realized that she have a lot to explain to Nazca... And the others of the Jeanne Defense Team. Her mind immediately started working, wondering how to tackle the issue, and she did not yet answer Nazca's question.

Bang, who was initially levelling an unreadable stare at Ryuuko, turned to Nazca. He spoke gently. [color=f7976a]"You're in the hospital right now, after... Well. What do you remember?"[/color]

Nazca winced. Probably both from pain, and from the answers of her two peers that were at her beside. Well, at least they were visiting, even if she didn't know why she was hear to begin with. [b]"Yes... I can see that."[/b] Still floundering for what had happened or was going on, she very briefly recounted her last memory. [b]"I... was eating at the party. Then I'm here."[/b]

[color=FF0000][i]... What?...[/i][/color] Ryuuko frowned and paused briefly as she looked at Bang and Nazca. If Nazca don't remember about what happened the night before, then this might just become an even more troublesome situation for Ryuuko. She then sighed and talked again after considering this. [color=FF0000]"..... After the party. You and I went out after curfew to try to find the Manbat... You don't remember, Nazca?"[/color]

She looked startled by this. [b]"...No. I was considering it, but I didn't make up my mind yet."[/b] If that was true, was there that much of a gap in her memory from last night? 

Bang had his eyes on Ryuuko again, silently waiting.

Ryuuko grimaced upon hearing of Nazca's reply. [color=FF0000][i]It doesn't seem like she's faking it... Drats, this is complicating things.[/i][/color] Her mind was racing. There were so many ways that this can possibly go, and she wondered whether or not to try to exploit Nazca's seeming amnesia. In the end, though... [color=FF0000]"No, Nazca. We did go, the two of us. We didn't find the Manbat in the end... But we found something else instead. Can you really not remember? Your clockwork things frozen midair, seemingly defying physics? And then those... creatures, whatever they were, that attacked us within the mist."[/color]

So she was attacked after they had left Jeanne's apartment during curfew? Her mind raced, as much as it could through the residual pain that she felt. Had she been given painkillers? But wait, her birds, frozen in the air? She narrowed her eyes, not understanding. [b]"I... do not. Are you saying my birds were frozen in the air? That is... literally impossible. Tell me what happened. In full."[/b]

Ryuuko didn't immediately answer. Again, she paused, this time while staring straight into Nazca's eyes. This lasted for a few seconds as she considered her options before making her decision. And that decision, it turned out, was to just tell things as it were. Lying didn't seem like it will serve much purpose, and might came back to bite her after all. [color=FF0000]"Alright... Well, here goes..."[/color] And that was exactly what Ryuuko did. Concisely, she told Nazca and by extension everyone else present in the room, exactly what had occurred last night. No embellishment nor deception, just the plain truth.

[b]"..."[/b]

It took some time before Nazca opened her mouth as she processed the information. Had Ryuuko been lying to her? She didn't think so. She couldn't discount that the dragon girl was lying to her face, but it would also be a very poor lie to say that she had been injured as a direct result of Ryuuko torching her with a fireball. There were circumstances, yes. 

It didn't make her any less unhappy with the Japanese girl. Not when she was still in pain all over, and when her head was feeling suspiciously lighter and devoid of most of her precious silver hair.

[b]"...What possessed you to think that was a good idea."[/b]

Ryuuko replied without missing a beat. [color=FF0000]"I did not."[/color] She sighed tiredly, shifting her gaze to look out of the windows as she continued speaking. [color=FF0000]"I had, what, a second? Yeah, a second, to make a decision. A cocoon made out of pitch black webbing. I don't even have any idea what the hell that was, how can I even think of a good idea? Especially in that ridiculously short time span with you being lifted into the air... Who's to say you'll still be there if I decided to land first and jump up again? So no, Nazca. I did not think that was a good idea. Just the best of the worst, given the situation."[/color]

Nazca fell silent. After a while, the bandaged girl sighed. [b]"It will take more than a while for me to forgive you for this, but if your recounting is true, then thank you for rescuing me, at least. Whoever orchestrated all of this is going to pay."[/b] She grit her teeth, but did little else, lest she injure herself more. This was not how she was expecting to spend her third day on this island, but more than ever, she was determined to find out what was going on during the night under that terrible blanket of fog.

[color=f7976a]"Whatever you need, we'll make sure you're provided during your recovery,"[/color] Bang said, looking to Ryuuko and Jeanne for agreement. [color=f7976a]"You went out for our group's efforts after all. As for whatever's behind this..."[/color]

The Egoist frowned.

[color=f7976a]"It's not just Miss du Bordeaux that's been placed in danger. Potentially the whole island is being monitored by..."[/color] He didn't know how to finish his sentence.

Ryuuko nodded, both in affirmative to Bang's words and to Nazca's thanks toward her. [color=FF0000]"As if I can just let someone working with me to get kidnapped or killed by some... Whatever crazy things those were. As for forgiveness, I understand... And you don't need to take my words for it."[/color] Her expression slowly turned from a slight frown to that of anger as she continued speaking. [color=FF0000]"I'm going out again tonight, and I'm bringing the camera and recording device with me. This isn't just about that damn Manbat anymore. It's this whole freaking island. I don't know what the management is hiding and I don't care why they're hiding it, but I'm going to find those creatures and expose their damn existence to light!"[/color] By the end of her speech, Ryuuko was practically fuming, sharp teeth bared as she glared, still facing the windows.

Nazca let out another sigh. [b]"Be careful. Judging by what happened to me, we're going to have to approach this with more caution. Not remembering anything at all in and of itself is frightening, not to mention... everything else."[/b]

[color=f7976a]"You shouldn't go alone."[/color] Bang's head snapped towards Ryuuko. [color=f7976a]"No. You shouldn't be going out there at all."[/color]

Face still uncharacteristically angry, Ryuuko looked at Bang with one eyebrow raised. [color=FF0000]"Huh? Why? Are we supposed to just let this go after what had happened? No way, Bang. As I said, it's not only the Manbat but also whatever it is that the academy is hiding from us. We have a duty to expose this damn thing!"[/color]

[color=f7976a]"There are ways to go about this without throwing yourself in danger again."[/color]

Nazca supported Ryuuko. [b]"The threat must be ended."[/b]

And Ryuuko, unconvinced, did not back down. [color=FF0000]"Ways like what? Obviously talking isn't going to work, considering it's the whole dang academy that's playing secret with us, no?"[/color]

The argument went on, seemingly with no end.
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