Bunga was ecstatic that this British man didn’t necessarily find her weird or too pushy when she introduced herself. She guesses it’s just her thing to visibly reach out and feel out someone whenever someone’s out in the dumps and she has the ability to help. Do what you can with what you’ve got, she’s just nice like that.
But she didn’t expect that James would also respond with another question, one that Bunga didn’t expect. It’s not common for the helper to be helped in return, and Bunga’s feeling that James might also reach his hand out in assistance to Bunga’s downer mood right now.
“Oh, me? Yeah yeah, I’m feeling a bit dejected myself. I’m currently searching for a man by the name of Le Bang Kieu, he’s Vietnamese, and he might have an idea of where I can find my own countrymen on this island.”“Oh, perhaps I forgot to mention this, but I hail from the Majapahit Federation. Perhaps you’ve heard of my country before? I heard it’s called the Spice Islands or the East Indies in the Occident right? For some strange reason I somehow haven’t managed to find one of my own fellow countrymen throughout my time studying here. Of course, it’s not a long time, but I find it bizarre that no Nusantaran Polymaths or individuals are around here.”She took a short breath before continuing.
“And for some reason, he’s… gone! Like poof! Into the air for some reason. I’ve been searching for this Le guy for so long, and I still am not closer to him than when I started. Feels just… UGH.”She feels a bit sorry for unloading all her grievances to James. But it feels like they both needed to vent stuff right now.
James Porter
James listened for a while as this woman aired out her grievances. It seems she was looking for his roommate, Bang.
“Ah I see you’re looking for my roommate. He’s quite the pleasant fellow. Though I wasn’t able to catch him this morning, then again, I slept in for the first time in a long time.”He put his hat on and placed his hand on his chin to think for a bit.
“Perhaps he went to look for a person I wanted to associate with more. A miss Yun Hana.”He then looked at her and smiled,
“I could help you look for him. I’d recognize him in a heartbeat.”For some reason, he seems a little more relaxed. Perhaps all he needed was someone else to talk to and a task to put his mind to. Speaking of, he still wasn’t able to find his target which, up till now, he had forgotten about. This little mistake made him flustered, it was embarrassing to think that he had forgotten the real reason he was here even though he had just been worrying about it last night.
Bunga felt that she just accidentally found a goldmine. Here she was, searching endlessly throughout the island just for this one person, and the moment she tried helping someone who seemed to be down on their luck. She discovered that this one guy is apparently Le Bang Kieu’s roommate.
“I’ll be darned. Are you really his roommate?” She asked James.
“Well, looks like the day will end on a high note after all!”“Yes, let’s search for him together James.” The vulpine eared woman responded.
“And if we can’t find him today, perhaps we can meet up tomorrow? Are you alright with that?”
James Porter
James put a hand to his chin again and closed his eyes as if to ponder. A small smile then formed on the corners of his mouth before he replied,
“Meeting again tomorrow would be alright.”James thought it was a good opportunity to extend his connections. Even if this led to nothing, it would help maintain his image as a regular student. Though when he looked back towards her genuine happiness, he thought again to his thoughts and feelings from before. Who exactly does he want to be and what exactly was his goal as a person.
Regardless, he kept up his smile, for Bunga’s sake.
“Let’s go then! Perhaps he went to one of the restaurants around here.”He fixed his hair and his clothes and began to walk in a direction which he believed would have a few places to eat.
It felt like hours more as the group searched and searched throughout the city. They scoured every restaurant, asked every restaurateur, and asked as many questions as they could for everyone. And in the end, it turned out to be for nothing. The duo managed to not discover Le Bang Kieu’s location, and Bunga was left severely disappointed by the lack of progress they’ve made.
Still though. The group still has time to make some smalltalk. Bunga has internally reasoned with herself that they wouldn’t be able to find Le Bang Kieu no matter what at this point, and decided to ask James some questions.
Getting to know more students in order to further her studies isn’t necessarily a thing Bunga’s against after all.
“So, James. What brings you here? To the island? I’m currently doing some studies concerning Egoism. To keep things short, I’m trying to replicate the formulas from nature for human use.”She gestured at her fox ears.
“As you can see, there are some visible results from my studies. Don’t worry about these though, they’re all temporary.”“So, what about yourself James? What are you studying about?”
James Porter
James was slightly fascinated in the sense that her formulations were temporary. Her field of study is quite humanitarian. It once again contrasts against himself. He looked at her cheerful self and for the first time felt disappointed that he could not help her.
It was starting to get late. This person beside him, had stayed by his side and had not gotten something for herself to eat. Before he answered her question, he walked towards a small stand that sold pretzels. He bought a bag of pretzels and walked back to her.
“Here, you should at least eat a little something. We’ve spent all this time looking for my roommate that you’ve forgotten to take care of yourself. It’s not much but it’ll do before dinner at least.” He handed over a small paper bag filled with pretzels to her before finally answering her question.
“... Anyway, I came here to further my studies on chemical concoctions and formulations. I mainly focus on perfumes and turning those beautiful scents into something that can improve one's mood. I also dabble in the pharmaceutical field.”He then brings out an assortment of vials filled with all sorts of colored liquids with nice little labels. He sorted through them for a bit and then picked out a rather benign one.
“I don’t quite know if this will affect you but here you go.”The vial he handed her was filled with a red liquid labeled
scent of spring.
“It’s been made to improve one’s focus. Perhaps it’ll serve you well… Or not! I don’t know.”
She received both the pretzel and the vial with glee. Although she decided to only eat the pretzel.
“You know. I never had much German food when I was back home. The only Occidentals I’ve met during my time studying in Palembang were only some British and Dutch folk. Hmm, salty and filling. It’s good!”She has tried adjusting her expectations to fit the current food culture in Bermuda. Palembang is not exactly a place where Occidental food is… well, present in numbers. Practically all the food she was present there was either incredibly spicy, incredibly colourful, or incredibly tasteful. A strong mix of spices is present in all the food she ate.
This felt different, and different tastes good.
“Ah James. I wish I could have cooked you some food from my island. But alas, I don't have much kitchen space where I’m living.” She remarked. finally finishing the pretzel.
“These pretzels are delicious!”She eyed the vial for a while.
“Hmm. I’m not a technologist, so I’m kinda not sure if I should drink this right now…” She eyed the red liquid.
“It’s a bit irrational, but I kinda don’t like getting poisoned, and this red liquid feels suspicious. Ah well, maybe I’ll just hand it over to some of my technologist friends in the dorm and see what they think about it.”She then noticed how it’s getting darker. The streetlights are now fully operating, and people are now starting to go back to their dorms.
“Oh dear. Looks like it’s getting a bit late at night huh? I think I have to go back. Perhaps we can continue the search for him tomorrow perhaps? Meet sometime midday? Maybe a restaurant somewhere in Bermuda?”Bunga is practically drooling at the prospect of meeting Le Bang Kieu. She has to meet him at this point,
Calm down Bunga, calm down, it’s fully possible that this Vietnamese man may have no idea where the Nusantarans are still. She thought to herself, some vain effort to calm herself down from the prospect of meeting him tomorrow.
“Right, since it’s getting darker outside, perhaps we should go home then. Don’t wanna be outside when curfew hits right?” She asked James.
James Porter
James began to genuinely snicker,
“Ahaha,sorry, but that’s not something you drink…” he points to the vial,
“... It’s a perfume! Though I could understand why you’d think it was a drink.”He held a hand to his lips to stop himself from laughing further. He paused for a moment then looked at her.
“Well, we stay in around the same place anyway. I’ll walk you back.”As they were walking James then produced another vial and popped the cork off.
“This one is named Dandelion breeze…” the liquid within the vial he produced began to turn to gas as it met with open air. The blue mist began to rise and with a flick of his hand, the mist began to swirl around them both.
“This one’s effects are to alleviate fatigue and it smells sweet, but the scent is subtle. Hopefully it will work on you, we’ve been walking for quite a while after all.”He led the way back to the dorms alongside Bunga. It was a different experience. He admired her determination. There was no sense of quit in her even after she failed to find Bang twice. He then thought perhaps this was what normal people would call
’a crush’. It occurred to James that he himself had never felt attraction towards anyone. Was it really worth the trouble?
He thought about the small things she had revealed about herself. Majapahit Federation, Palembang, Nusantarans, her troubles, her studies, it was all so innocent. As they got back to the dorms, James thought about her invitation tomorrow. Without further hesitation he said,
“… I’ll see you tomorrow. You tell me where. I’m interested to see if we can find some of this cuisine you wanted to cook.” He smiled almost eager to see tomorrow.,
Bunga smiled at James. Thanking his offer to bring her home, and most certainly happy for the clarification James did.
“Ah, so it’s a perfume! Didn’t expect that.” As James then brought a vial called ‘Dandelion Breeze and proceeded to air it out. Bunga was calmed by the pleasant smell, and the enthralling blue colour.
It looks so vivid! Bunga thought as she looked at the blue swirls all around the duo as they walked back to her dorms. The woman side by side James and smiling all the time. She felt oddly comfortable with him for some reason. Perhaps it is his friendly nature and the rather nice clothes he wears, perhaps it is the way he talks, and perhaps it is all of them.
Regardless, she feels that she won’t mind getting closer with him at all.
When they finally arrived at her dorms. She hugged him, pressing her body close to him, and smiled at James offering to meet her tomorrow.
“I think it would be better if you bring Bang here, to my dorm room door midday, and then we can find a nice restaurant to eat and have fun!”“It's nice meeting you James. I hope that we can be good friends!” She finished, hugging him again, this time slightly longer, before departing and closing the dorm room shortly thereafter.
He’s very nice! Bunga thought to herself, as she eventually walked back to her quarters. Taking a short shower and changing to her sleeping clothes. Reading a bit on the book she bought before turning in for the night the moment curfew hits.
James Porter
The hugs surprised James. He didn’t think he deserved such thanks. Of course, she still wanted to meet Bang - it seems that he’d have to ask his roommate to join him tomorrow afternoon. For some reason that annoyed him, but he couldn’t quite place why. Was it the fact that he had to go through the trouble of asking Bang or something else entirely? He couldn’t answer such a question. Nevertheless, he put those thoughts aside for a while and sighed heavily.
As he got back to his own dorm, he noticed a letter. Whoever left it here must've slipped it under the door. To his surprise it seemed to be addressed to him. The sender went as far as to write
”For you eyes only." He took it and went to his room for some privacy.
Bonsoir Monsieur Porter,
It has been many years since we have last spoken, but it is a joy nonetheless to see that you have been accepted into Bermuda Island, as expected of one possessing such pedigree as yours.
I am writing to request a sleeping aid for a friend of mine, an Egoist with Occidental inclinations. Her room does not suit her taste, and her bedding in particular is found wanting in consideration to her biological developments.
If you could provide such a concoction by the morning of May the 7th, I will be quite thankful.
May you remain worshipful and wealthy,
Jeanne Du Bordeaux
Jeanne, the crazy french woman. Then again, as he thought before, she may be mad but there’s a method to that madness. That alone made her incredibly dangerous.
James went on to light a match and burn the letter. Jeanne wouldn’t want anything to be used against her. This was a chance for James to expand his network of associates within Bermuda. He immediately got to work and got to work setting up his lab - there was a long night ahead of him.
A collab between @Liotrent & @Kumbaris
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Inertia
