[center][h2][color=0072bc]Shou Zheng[/color]
[color=FF0000]Higashiakemi Ryuuko[/color]
[color=FFD700]Valeriya Zhukova[/color][/h2][/center][hr][hider=More Banter]Unfortunately for Ryuuko, it seemed like the interruptions weren't quite finished for her yet. Turning the corner after she left Bunga to her own devices brought her almost face to face with another pair of students. [color=0072bc]"Hey, Ryuuko. Just who I was looking for."[/color] For someone with enough bandages that he wouldn't have looked out of place next to Nazca, it sure didn't seem to affect his mood. [color=0072bc]"Just hoping you could shed some light on what happened last night with Miss Whitehall,"[/color] he explained as he cut straight to the point instead of dancing around it. [color=0072bc]"I think that's what Miss Zhukova is interested in too, although she's also looking for Miss Bordeaux.[/color]"

[color=FFD700]"Indeed. Miss Higashiakemi, was it? I believe we met in the sushi restaurant yesterday."[/color] Valeriya nodded politely to Ryuuko. [color=FFD700]"To make a long story short..."[/color] She lowered her voice, making sure they weren't overheard by anyone passing through the hospital hallway. [color=FFD700]"We've had yet more midnight encounters on campus grounds past curfew. Similar to the Frenchwoman, and by the looks of it, Nazca as well. We'll explain more soon, once we can inform her as well. I don't particularly care to tell the same story twice."[/color]

[color=FF0000][i]Whoa, what?[/i][/color] She was walking rather fast, as it was starting to dawn on her that a missing Jeanne can be a very serious trouble if the French women ended up getting herself into trouble again, and thus was not expecting another interruption. Still, she did stop and raised an eyebrow up upon seeing the bandaged Shou along with Valeriya. [color=FF0000]"Good day Shou, Miss Zhukova. Huh, what happened to you, Shou? Anyways..."[/color] She crossed her arms under her chest. [color=FF0000]"This is very sudden and I'm honestly in a hurry. Now, yes, if you want to know what happened to Nazca then I'm the best source there is considering I was there with her last night and she herself, believe me, is not in the mood right now to receive yet more visitors asking things and disturbing her already painful predicament further. So if you're offering an exchange of information..."[/color] She paused briefly. [color=FF0000]"I know you said you don't want to tell the story twice... Still, I'd appreciate it if you can tell me first about the midnight encounters you said that you guys had."[/color]

[color=0072bc]"Well she already told me, and I don't mind,"[/color] Shou answered with a shrug even as the motion caused him to scratch at his wrappings. [color=0072bc]"In short, Miss Konigsmahne had an encounter with a Bat-inspired Egoist. I either caught the attention of a Polymath that can manipulate the mist, or it's alive in a sense and sought to suffocate me."[/color] His voice was similarly quiet to prevent anyone from overhearing or eavesdropping. Even Valeriya probably would have been hard pressed to catch his soft whispers, but a fellow Egoists should have at least some boons in that area even as a side-effect.

[color=0072bc]"We can go into more details if you'd like, but you have something urgent to attend to?" [/color]

[color=FF0000][i]...A Bat-inspired Egoist?[/i][/color] Hearing that, Ryuuko can't help be intrigued. She leaned in closer, also lowering her voice to match Shou's. [color=FF0000]"No, never mind the urgent thing. I'm interested in this... Let's talk more then."[/color] She then walked to a nearby chair placed by a wall and sit there. Beckoning for the two to also sit down. Regardless of whether or not they took a seat, she then speak up in a low voice again once they're closer. [color=FF0000]"I am also looking for a Bat-inspired Egoist that lurked the mist during the night, and I am pretty positive the one Miss Konigsmahne encountered must be the same one... Additionally, I also have experience of being attacked by mysterious things within the mist. Do tell me more of your encounter, Shou."[/color]

[color=FFD700]"About the bat,"[/color] Valeriya interjected, folding her arms as she also spoke quietly.[color=FFD700] "Lucretia's meeting with the bat-man was...odd. He was drinking, for one. And seemed to have been stalking her until he realized who she was, at which point he engaged her in conversation and backed off."[/color] She tapped her chin with a finger in thought.

[color=FFD700]"He even brought her back to the dorm."[/color]

[color=0072bc]"Bit of a shame that. A second trial for the second day would have been a riot," [/color]Shou mused unhelpfully as he took a seat opposite of Ryuuko. [color=0072bc]"As for my own encounter, it happened down by the beaches. Two hours or so before the end of curfew. After exiting the waters, something followed me up onto the sand. I hoped that a sunrod might give enough light to reveal it, but whatever it was snuffed the glow out almost immediately. In the end, I just managed to leap off the sand and away from it before I was engulfed."[/color]

[color=FF0000]"Huh. That sounded way more cordial than..."[/color] Ryuuko paused, thinking. [color=FF0000][i]Could it be a different Manbat?... Naaah, what are the odds of two different Manbats prowling the night? Must be the same one.[/i][/color] She continued speaking after. [color=FF0000]"Sounded way more cordial than when he attacked and knocked Jeanne out. Weird."[/color] She then turned to look at Shou. [color=FF0000]"So you didn't actually saw what attacked you then. Pity, I wanted to cross check it... See, last night around midnight, I was attacked by creatures. Unnatural creatures that seemed like they were made by some crazy polymaths or some such. One looked like... A pitch-black living and flying seaweed. Another engulfed people in equally pitch-black spider silk-like cocoon. Whatever they were, they attacked me and Nazca. I came out fine. Nazca, not so much."[/color]

[color=0072bc]"I imagine it's a lot easier to be polite when a building isn't being set on fire."[/color] Considering the damage that led up to the burnt library and how Jeanne's opponent could simply fly around the obstacles, it did seem like the Frenchwoman had given pursuit rather than the other way around. That probably wasn't an angle she wanted to hear as part of the JSDF though. A slight chuckle escaped Shou as he considered how quickly titles had been thrown around for the ragtag group that rose up against Robespierre.

[color=0072bc]"Not clearly, but it wasn't pitch black,"[/color] Shou replied as he hummed in thought. [color=0072bc]"It definitely didn't resemble silk or cloth either. More a slime or gel, and it was rather slow. I imagine your flames would have little trouble burning it away."[/color]

Valeriya barely managed to suppress a scoff at the thought of the Manbat being more polite to a dimunitive German girl than a French psychopath. Just because it was more than likely that Jeanne was innocent of this crime didn't mean she was going to suddenly have the French bitch's back.

[color=FFD700]"What did happen to Nazca, anyway?"[/color] She raised an eyebrow at Ryuuko. [color=FFD700]"The receptionist wasn't quite so forthcoming about what she was in here for, only that she'd been in intensive care."[/color]

[color=FF0000]"Heh. I suppose so..."[/color] Of course, Ryuuko didn't actually agree. Not fully anyway. The cover story was that the Manbat provoked Jeanne after all, regardless of whether that was true or not. [color=FF0000]"Anyways. I see... Slime or gel huh... Different from what I encountered, but yes. The seaweed thing and the cocoon both were quite easily dispatched with my flames. Still... Gosh, what the heck are they hiding with this island and why? Tsk, I don't like this one bit."[/color]

[color=FF0000]"As for what happened to Nazca, Ms. Zhukova... As I said, we were attacked by the strange creatures. Nazca couldn't manage to protect herself as I did myself, and she ended up being captured by the cocoon I previously mentioned. I freed her out of it, but she was severely wounded regardless. The time after curfew on this island is dangerous even for Egoists like me and Shou... It ended up being too much to handle for someone like Nazca."[/color]

[color=FFD700]"...Wait."[/color] Valeriya raised an eyebrow, immediately noticing the discrepancy in Ryuuko's words. [color=FFD700]"You say that the cocoon was dealt with by your flames, but that Nazca was wounded while you were freeing her."[/color] She resisted the urge to groan. Friendly, literal, fire? By God. Even the people around Jeanne were arsonists.

[color=FFD700]"Miss Higashiakemi, please tell me that we're not here because of you."[/color] Valeriya sighed, raising a hand to pinch her temple in a futile attempt to stave off her oncoming headache. [color=FFD700]"How bad are Nazca's burns?"[/color]

Valeriya might have had the composure or courtesy, but Shou couldn't help but laugh aloud. His night had been a bit strange, but it hardly seemed to measure up to the outright disaster he was learning about. [color=0072bc]"Ah well, I imagine they might contact Hana or another pharmaceutical focused Polymath if it's bad enough. It'll be another favor in her book if she learns about it first though,"[/color] Shou mused as he raised an eyebrow at Ryuuko.

Ryuuko raised an eyebrow up in turn. She might have indeed mentioned to Nazca that burning the cocoon was never a good idea; just the best of the worst, but it was annoying that people keep bringing it up. They didn't even know the circumstances yet they so easily judge. [color=FF0000][i]This is getting irritating...[/i][/color] She raised her right hand, index finger pointed at Valeriya. [color=FF0000]"Uhh, no. You're not here because of me. What are you talking about?"[/color]

Was there even a need to explain it again? Would they even believe her? [color=FF0000]"She's alive and is able to move and speak. Of course, she's also in considerable pain, burnt all over her body and singed hair throughout. But yes. She's [b]alive[/b]."[/color] She emphasized the last word of her sentence, sounding clearly annoyed. She sighed after that, taking a few seconds to think. [color=FF0000]"Anyways. Unless there's anything else you can tell me about last night's occurrences..."[/color]

[color=FFD700]"We were originally looking for Jeanne. Evidently, she was supposed to be here today."[/color] Valeriya shrugged, not seeming too bothered by the finger in her face. [color=FFD700]"Don't worry yourself too much over it. Trading notes with you is honestly preferable to dealing with her. In any case, we should be thanking you. More information about this Manbat is all I wanted in the first place."[/color] She paused, checking her timepiece.

[color=FFD700]"Have you eaten yet? It's about lunch time."[/color]

[color=0072bc]"Nothing more from me. If you're going to continue with your night time investigations though, I was hoping we could cooperate on that matter,"[/color] Shou offered as he cleared his throat and started to speak at a more reasonable level again.

[color=0072bc]"We can figure that out later if you still have that urgent business to attend to?"[/color]

[color=FF0000]"Well. Glad to be of assistance then."[/color] Ryuuko said to Valeriya, silently glad the Russian didn't continue bothering her with [i]minor[/i] details. [color=FF0000]"As for the matter of lunch... I will have to do so at a later time."[/color] Then she turned to look at Shou. [color=FF0000]"Cooperation hmm? I'd be interested in that. In fact, I was already planning for such an occasion with the help of another Egoist. Still, having someone as capable as you around would be a boon, Shou. But yes... Let's figure this out later. For now, I need to go."[/color][/hider]