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ristoranteivorykeys · 11 months

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twst mermay 12 — mostro menu

disguised as an nrc student, rielle visits the mostro lounge in hopes of seeing his longtime crush, azul. jade is his waiter and decides to relive some old memories by teasing the poor prince.

ft. jade leech & rielle

╰┈➤ 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: it's been so long since i updated!! i thought i was never going to continue this, but i think i love octavinelle too much to completely abandon this project ;u; so i guess i will really try to complete this after all hehe. i'll definitely be going at a slow pace, though, but now this really helps me because i don't have to meet a certain deadline or anything to upload my fics. that really caused me to compromise the quality of some fics for the sake of frequently updating (mermay 11 especially got hit with this. i really had so many ideas for it but i cut it short, and now i want to go back to it and rewrite it). about the fic! i want to thank @yaoyaobae for the huge inspiration for rielle's character here. i absolutely adore the idea of prince rielle being all over azul! ;u; it's going to be my hc forever and ever hehe. anyway, i hope you enjoy!

╰┈➤ 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐨: mermay masterlist

Jade is no stranger to redheads. Boys with red hair are not too common, but a good number of them exist in the school hallways. Night Raven College is a hot pot of diverse cultures and creatures, after all—for Sea Witch’s sake, there is a guy with fire for his hair in this school.

But he knows that bright red sheen entering Mostro Lounge, and he definitely knows that round cheeked youthful face taking a seat after being directed by a waiter to a table. Why, he would be Coral Sea’s laughingstock if he did not know his identity.

Once the waiter who attended to the red-headed boy is approaching the counter with the stacks of menus, he approaches him and places a hand on his shoulder. Leaning down to his ear—and bringing out a shudder in the poor boy—he whispers, “Handle tables 5 and 6, if you please.”

And with no hesitation, the waiter sputters out a “Yes, sir”, and briskly approaches one table on the opposite side of the establishment.

Wasting no time, Jade briskly walks to a counter to retrieve a menu, a swift yet graceful movement, and quickly approaches to the side of the boy. “Good evening, sir,” he introduces himself with his sweet customer service smile, “I will be your waiter for tonight.” And he places the menu down on the table in front of the customer. His lips are perhaps a little wider than usual. Normally, he would say his name to make the patron feel comfortable with him.

But Jade Leech knows that he does not have to introduce himself to this particular customer.

“Seven seas!” The red-haired boy nearly leaps on his seat, eyes big and round as a flounder. “No way, it’s you, Jade!”

“Ah, Rielle,” Jade exclaims in fake shock, “I almost did not recognize you.”

“I couldn’t tell if it was you, either! You look so different with that kind of skin tone,” Rielle exclaims, looking up and down at Jade. “Wait—I don’t mean to imply anything with what I said, it’s just—”

“Fret not, I know what you mean,” he answers, accompanying his words with a reassuring look. “You look different too. Black is not a color I would expect to see you in, nor did I expect to see you in our uniform.”

“Ah, well…” Rielle glances off to the side with a sheepish look.

Jade smiles knowingly. “Regardless, you are now our customer. May I take your order?”

“Oh right, right, sorry!” Rielle immediately takes hold of the purple hardbound cover of the menu and opens it. “Whoa, that’s such a pretty design,” he mumbles to himself as he flips through sheets of thick paper with names of dishes imprinted on them. He mutters something else that Jade could not hear. Not even ten seconds later, he looks up to him. “Um, hey, what would you recommend, Jade?”

“I would recommend our bestsellers,” he answers, automatically with a practiced ease. “Those are the ones marked with the crown. My personal recommendations,” his tone shifts subtly to small excitement, “are our mushroom soup and the Port o’ Blisso Risotto. And since you are a long time friend and part of a royal family, I have a special recommendation not on the menu.”

Jade leans down to Rielle. His lips widen just a little bit in a shit-eating grin.

“Perhaps you would like a purple octopus served to you on a silver platter.”

“hEeheshsySHYAYA—” In a split second, Rielle jumps on his couch, an explosion of red coloring his baby face. His sudden screech causes a few customers and waiters to look at him oddly, but the boy is far too flustered to notice their gazes. “N-no, I would not like that, thank you very much! I do not like octopus! I-I am allergic to octopus!”

“Oh?” Jade tilts his head in mock confusion. “I don’t recall you ever saying you were allergic to octopus. I’m sure that would have been a very significant detail to bring up when writing about— ah, what was that again? Ah yes, how much you want to taste the silvery tongue of someone like A—”

“St-stoOPP,” Rielle exclaims, covering his ears like it would block out all of Jade’s words. “H-how did you even— I threw that away!”

The vice dorm leader laughs. It is nowhere near a cachinnate, but it is much more than the chuckles that most students are used to. In fact, the nearby waiters and other Octavinelle students watching the scene stare at him with open-mouthed shock. Jade, the fearsome Leech twin, laughing in the middle of a shift?

Rielle suddenly seems much more aware of the people around him, because he freezes upon seeing eyes on him, spews multiple ‘I’m sorry’s, takes the menu, and hides his face among its pages.

“My apologies, Rielle,” he says in the midst of calming from his mirth. “I do not mean to embarrass you. I just simply wanted to bring up old memories.”

“You and I both know that you are not sorry at all, nor are you doing that to bring up old memories,” the red-haired prince states pointedly, face still hidden in the menu, but he can feel the deadpan look that he’d be casting at him.

Jade smiles in response. “You truly have not changed one bit, Rielle.”

Rielle sighs before looking around, and once he sees that far less people are watching him, he puts down the menu with a splat. He leans on the couch, a heavy sigh escaping his pink lips as he slides down slightly, almost like a deflated pufferfish. “Maybe there really is something wrong with me,” he says. “Maybe I should go back, I’m not even supposed to be wearing this uniform anyway.”

“Unfortunately, I cannot allow that,” Jade says. “Once you step into our establishment, you must order something. That is the policy that Azul made.”

He makes sure to emphasize Azul in his sentence, and as expected, Rielle’s cheeks turn a slightly pinkish shade at the mention of his name.

“Alright, I’ll get the risotto then.”

“One Port O’ Blisso Risotto, do you want any drinks?”

“No, just service water will do.”

“Your order will take 5 to 10 minutes.” He places his hand on the menu. “May I take this from you, if that is alright?”

“Oh no, it’s fine,” Rielle says. “I probably might need it in case I want something else.”

Jade nods. “If you need anything else, I am here to assist you.”

A quiet thank you leaves the prince’s lips. The vice dorm head makes his way to the order counter. “A Port O’ Blisso for Table 16. Please be aware that this customer is a very wealthy and influential figure. Do not mess this up.” His threatening smile is all the chefs need before they rush to the pantry to find the best portobello mushrooms that they had.

He briefly muses on whether to summon Azul out of his office or not. It would be highly entertaining, no doubt. Prince Rielle, squirming in his seat as he fails to contain the giddiness of his crush, and Azul, clueless to his behavior as he mentally writes the script of an extra warm welcome suited for a royal. Who can say no to such a humorous situation?

On the other hand, Jade senses that Rielle wants to talk to him, to delve deeper about his feelings for Azul. It would be intriguing to know how his feelings have changed over the years in some way. Back in middle school, all anyone would think about is the high, the rapture of having someone that makes you want to spin as you speed to the surface of the ocean and break it to bathe in the sun. But now, after truly knowing what gravity feels like from touching sand and grass and brushing fingers with the sky, the high is there, but now, so are the lows.

Besides, imagine what he could do with that information Rielle would give! It could serve him wonders, whether as blackmail or as a way to start a romance that would be wholly amusing. Jade Leech may be menacing, may or may not be the son of a mafia don, but he is still 17 years old. There is fun to be had in watching the long game play out. The fumbling of a boy in love for 3 years, the possible mutual crush that could start, and if he can do anything to help in its progress? Why, that would be further entertainment for him!

After 4 and a half minutes, the risotto is ready, and with a tray in hand, Jade sets down the plate onto Rielle’s table.

“Your Port O’ Blisso Risotto is ready. I hope you enjoy it.”

He makes a move to step away, but he walks slowly. Waiting.

Rielle raises his hand.

“Wait, Jade.”

He stops on command.

“Yes? May I help you with something?”

He only asks to be polite, but he already anticipates what Rielle’s next words will be.

“Please sit with me, Jade.”

The yes is practically sitting on his tongue. But something rebellious tugs at him. The yes doesn’t feel satisfying if Rielle doesn’t fight for it.

“Oh, what a request you ask of me,” he says with fake surprise. “As you can see, I am on my shift, and I cannot abandon that or else my wage may be cut.”

Rielle is quiet for one second. For a moment, he wonders if he will give up.

“...Then,” the prince leans closer, cups his hand next to his mouth, and whispers loud enough for Jade to hear, “then I’ll cover your wage for you!”

Jade’s surprise this time is real.

“Listen, I just need someone to talk to about this, and the sooner I can leave, the less of a chance I’ll be spotted,” he said. “I really just came for one single chance to see Azul, but he’s not here, I don’t wanna wait till Mostro closes cause I also have a curfew. And you’re Azul’s friend, so I really want to talk to you about some things. Again, I’ll cover your wages if that’s gonna be a problem, I just need someone to talk to about this please!”

Oh, how delightful. Jade restrains himself enough to not make people turn to him, but some of his mirth leaks out in chuckles. “Alright,” he says. “I’ll sit with you.”

“Thanks, Jade.” The relief in the prince’s voice is almost palpable.

Jade takes the seat next to Rielle, as the latter scoots closer to the wall and moves his plate. He watches as Rielle scoops up some of the risotto, a mushroom slice sitting nicely atop the rice, and brings it to his mouth. The satisfied hum that leaves his lips is immediate. Jade grins.

When he swallows, he smiles at Jade. “That was delicious! Thanks for the recommendation.”

“Of course.” His grin remains. “Azul would not dare serve mediocre, after all.”

“Yeah. Of course Azul would never settle for less.” Rielle’s smile turns soft. “He’s never changed, huh.”

Jade would snicker at his lovey-dovey state, but even he cannot stop the small proud smile on his face as he thinks of all that Azul has accomplished. “He really hasn’t.”

“That’s so cool of him, you know.” Rielle takes a bite of the risotto, chews, and swallows. “If I didn’t know him from elementary, I would have thought that he was a genius at everything. Especially magic. But no, he’s worked hard, and just…”

He lets out a sigh as he relaxes on the couch. “Man, I feel like I’m out of his league.”

At this, Jade raises an amused brow. “You, the prince of the seven seas, favored by the King, saying that you are out of Azul’s league?”

“Well, yeah,” he shrugs, like it’s an obvious fact of life. “I have a name, some generational wealth I guess, and a nice voice probably. But like…”

His expression falls. A smile is still in place, but a forlorn fog clouds his eyes.

“I don’t really have anything otherwise.”

And just as it came, his sad expression vanishes, replaced with a wide-eyed expression. “Well, that’s not saying I’m not grateful for what I have! I know there are much more unfortunate people,” he says somewhat frantically. “It’s just that…”

He leans forward and eats another scoop of risotto. Jade simply watches him, no hint of impatience on him whatsoever.

Rielle leans back. “See, Father is really strict,” he says. “I have to do everything that he says. The extra lessons that I have to attend after school, the places I can go, whether I can study on land or not… he’s the one who makes the decisions. So everything that I have now, you can call me gifted, but none of those talents or gifts or belongings or friends that I have feel mine.”

He goes back for a few more bites of risotto. He chews, then swallows. “When I first heard of Azul granting wishes, I was so curious and awed at the same time. I mean, it’s just like the Sea Witch, you know! Sure, there was a price, but it’s still incredible. Even being able to take something like someone’s voice or swimming ability was so awesome to me. How can you be so talented to be able to do all that?

“I’ve always wanted to approach him, but I either had no time to, or I’m always being watched over. So the only time that I got to talk to him was when we graduated from middle school.”

Jade’s eyes brightened with familiarity. “Ah, yes. Azul mentioned that you came up to him that day.” He spares any details that Azul shared—he wants to hear Rielle’s side of the story for himself.

“Yeah!” Rielle nods excitedly. “So I met him after the ceremony and everyone was taking pics, and I was like, ‘Hey, you’re the guy who grants everyone’s wishes, right?’ And he looked at me and said, ‘Yes, that’s me.’ He looked so excited. And before I could say anything, he goes, ‘Let me guess. You wish for freedom.’”

Jade nods. He does remember Azul listing off upbringing and restrictions as the prince’s weak point.

“And then he says, ‘I know that you wouldn’t have much time to make friends or to stay after school because the King wouldn’t let you. You wear that smile well, but deep down, it bothers you, doesn’t it? You want more agency in your life, you want to be more free to make your own choices, you want something that’s yours.’”

The prince smiles, his eyes fondly gazing at distant memories. “I was so shocked. I couldn’t speak for a few seconds, you know. But suddenly, I felt safe. I felt like I could talk to someone about what I’ve been going through. And so I went, ‘You’re right! How did you know?!’ I was so ready to sign the contract he was bringing out. And then my Father’s advisor found me.”

Ah yes, Azul was frustrated about that, Jade recalls.

“In hindsight, that deal I was about to make with him involved giving up my voice, and I wouldn’t know how to explain that to anybody. And anyway, I also like being able to talk,” Rielle says. “And I know Azul’s wishes had high prices to pay. I’ve heard people rant about him, I knew he isn’t exactly the friendliest guy.

“But for the first time in my life, I was heard. I was heard without me even having to say anything.”

Jade’s eyebrows raise. If he was more expressive, he would have gasped loudly or exclaimed that he understands.

Rielle’s smile widens. “There’s something so good about being seen. I’ve always felt bad for feeling restricted because others don’t have it as bad, and I felt like I was being ungrateful. But Azul didn’t make me feel like I was awful for it. It’s kinda funny too, you know. Everyone called him bad, everyone pointed fingers and said, ‘He’s a villain!’ And yet, where were my heroes when I needed them? It wasn’t a hero who comforted me, it was the villain who understood me. It was the villain who told me that yes, I was fine, it was okay for me to feel that way and to wish for my freedom from Father.”

He stops. Perhaps to breathe. To recollect his thoughts. Jade does not say anything, letting Rielle’s words sink into his mind.

Finally, the silence is pierced by the prince. “I’m so sorry I just rambled like that,” he chuckles guiltily. “I really called you here to ask for some help with Azul, and I just gave my life’s story like that.”

“No worries, Rielle,” he answers with a smile. “I quite enjoyed listening to you. Though if I may ask, how did you manage to study here?”

“Oh, see, Azul really inspired me,” he responds. “Ever since, I really tried to get to talk to Azul again. I’d ask Father if we could eat at his family’s restaurant, but Father would always say, ‘We have the best food here, why would you wish to eat elsewhere?’ When I’d explore, I’d either be caught early, or I just never manage to see him again. And then I heard from the palace servants that you guys were invited to Night Raven College.”

“And you asked your father to let you study here,” Jade says.

Rielle nods. “Of course, he was disapproving at first. But I was persistent. I was so tired of never getting to see Azul, then suddenly, I hear that he was not gonna be at sea for years? I already lost the chance to finish our conversation. I didn’t want to lose any more chances. I even applied to Night Raven College and Royal Sword Academy behind his back. And I got the invites for both. Father was furious at first upon finding out, but when he saw that I was accepted for Royal Sword, he let me go. And I took that, because hey, at least it’s on the same island. Maybe I’d get to see Azul on the weekends, maybe.”

He laughs slightly at the memories that he must be seeing. “I didn’t know I had it in me to be persistent. Azul really did a number on me.”

“Truly an effect that Azul can have on others,” the vice dorm leader says.

Rielle looks at him. “Really? Have you been changed by him too?”

“I’ve known him for years. It would be inevitable that I would be influenced in some way,” Jade answers. “If you wish, I can tell you the places Azul goes to on the weekends so that you can at least try to meet him without having to put on a disguise.”

At this, Rielle’s eyes gleam with interest and excitement. “Oh that would be so awesome! Actually, wait.” He looks around the vicinity. “I think I have to go soon.”

“Oh, is it late already?” Jade checks his phone. Oh, how time flies. There is only 30 minutes left until Mostro Lounge closes. Fewer customers are seated, and some of the staff are probably at the back.

“I’ll just finish this and go,” the prince says, gesturing to his meal. “We can exchange Magicam handles and continue talking there if you want to.”

“That would be nice,” he responds.

They share their Magicam, follow each other, and Jade stands up, leaving Rielle to finish his food. He approaches him again but with the bill, and once the red-haired prince gets his change, he stands up and leaves the establishment. Goodbyes are not exchanged, as Jade is starting the cleanup from the counter.

But he watches Rielle leaving, thinking back to their conversation.

It wasn’t a hero who comforted me, it was the villain who understood me. It was the villain who told me that yes, I was fine.

How interesting, he thinks to himself. How interesting that Azul has made us feel the same way.

#twisted wonderland #twst #jade leech #twst rielle #twst mermay

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ristoranteivorykeys · 2 years

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twst mermay 7 — merschool

in which azul visits a middle school reunion and meets his old bullies ft. azul ashengrotto and unnamed mers

╰┈➤ 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: this has to be the hardest one i’ve written so far 😭 i had the idea to write about azul meeting his bullies again in a middle school reunion (so technically meeting the theme of merschool, just not in an actual merschool :P). however, brainstorming was difficult because i really wanted to write azul’s thought process when it comes to his insecurities regarding the bullying very well. there is imagery of a tightrope in this particular fic because i wanted to play with the idea of dorm azul being a balanced ssr card. (⌒▽⌒) along with that and the current situation in the ph being stressful, this took far too long to write T_T i hope i wrote him well here :’D i want to write my favorite character well ╰┈➤ 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐨: mermay masterlist

Every day, Azul walks on a tightrope.

It would be a skywalk, the rope connecting between two of the tallest skyscrapers and overlooking busy streets and the expanse of the blue ocean beyond. Thin clouds kissing his face and cold winds tousling his hair, he would take his first step on the wire and walk with a grace and care every ballerina would envy. The audience below would watch with bated breath, waiting for the moment his foot would slip, waiting for the moment that he would fall. But Azul won’t allow that. No matter what he does or what he says, he’ll remain perfect and poised, cool and composed. And if it tickles his fancy, he’ll perform for the crowd. All the tricks up his sleeve, all the magic that tingles in his fingers. Azul will wow the crowd, through his talents and through his perfect balance.

Of course, not literally so. If he were to walk on such a thin wire, he’d just place one foot on the wire, and he’ll already find himself wobbling and struggling to gain balance before resting his foot back on more solid ground.

But in his every action, every word, every feeling, there is always delicate care put into deciding those things. Because one wrong action, one wrong word, one wrong feeling will cause his foot to slip and cause his fall.

And after all that work put into studying and magic practice, by the Great Seven, Azul does not wish to return to the bottom of the ocean, back to his lowest point in his life.

See, if he decided on his own, Azul would not have gone to the reunion of his old classmates.

Those same classmates once mocked him and laughed at him, calling his legs ugly and laughing at his stupidity and slowness. He would never forget every single word that spat out of their ugly mouths or their unkind eyes that taunted him, and he didn’t want to have to see those faces again. No, of course he isn’t scared of them, it’s simply a matter of not wanting to see them again for the sake of not wanting to cross again a bridge he already traversed.

But dear old mother, with her restaurant’s excellent reputation under the sea, was called to be a caterer to the party. Dear old mother, having gone through a divorce while he was bullied, has no idea on the trauma of her son, so she urged him to go, and as much as he hates to admit it, Azul is weak to his mama. So now, he floats alone by the buffet table, watching each of his former classmates.

Keep that balance, he tells himself, keep yourself under control. He hates to admit it, but it did hurt to hear that Jade and Floyd wouldn’t be coming to this reunion due to a family event. He understands. Of course he understands that they couldn’t always be there with him. But it feels cold without Floyd’s spontaneity and Jade’s scheming. He’s so used to knowing that there was someone to catch him if ever he should fall from the tightrope. They would catch him and say that it was all part of the act, and Azul could keep his confident smirk up, knowing that his performance remains impeccable.

Now, it feels like the two things he held onto in his act decided to let go, and suddenly, he’s all too aware of the people watching him.

All too aware of his former classmates surrounding him.

He hates the joy on their faces and the laughter coming out of them. Is this their new way of mocking him now, to show that they have friends and he doesn’t? His nose burns with anger. He starts to feel his emotions taking over his head.

In his act, his foot takes a step a bit too far to the left.

Wait, but if they haven’t changed, surely they would have the same insecurities and desires as before. Azul’s eyes scan each of his classmates. He recites all their names in his mind, all their likes and dislikes, all their worries and wishes that they expressed to himself. That’s right, he still has his magic and his charisma. He can do it again. He can show them who truly is the powerful one.

He feels himself regain his balance. He isn’t going to let a single thought ruin his act.

“Azul sweetie.” His mom taps him on the shoulder, and he turns to face her. On her other hand, she holds a tray of freshly made snacks. “Share these with your old classmates!”

Ah, of course. His friends may not be with him now, but his mom is. He knows the glint in her eyes—the kind that appears when she wants him to do something else aside from the assigned task. And more often than not, whatever she wants him to do tends to help him with his own plans. So he takes the tray from her hand with a smile. “Of course, mother.”

Tray in hand, Azul swims to a group of six mers. He recognizes each face. That one expressed insecurities of being in the shadow of his older brother, that other one was vying to have a partner, and there’s the kid who wanted to have…

“Ah, pardon me for interrupting,” he speaks up, interrupting the conversation. “My mother made a fresh batch. Do any of you like to have some?”

“Oh, sure,” everyone’s eyes glimmer over the food presented to them, and one by one, each of them reaches out to have a snack.

Good, all according to plan.

“Wait a minute.” One of the mers takes a better look at him, briefly scanning his face. “Is that really you, Azul Ashengrotto?”

Azul blinks. The question leaves him stunned for a moment. “Ah, yes, it is me.”

“Oh wait, yeah,” another exclaims, swimming closer towards the octopus mer. “No way, I didn’t recognize you!”

“Me neither. You look so different from before,” yet another points out with a smile on her face. “How’ve you been? It’s been a while.”

Are they playing a joke on me? He thinks angrily to himself. There is no way that they wouldn’t remember him, let alone act friendly to him. Him, the dumb, clumsy octopus that they laughed at. Liars, they’re all liars, aren’t they? They’re trying to get his guard down so that he could relax enough until he loses his balance and falls from the tightrope and into their trap.

“Ah, I’ve been doing fine,” he answers the mer smiling at him, his voice remaining amicable and even. Yet in his mind, he feels the rope he balances on shaking from the anger boiling in him. That same smile on her face was once aimed at him when she mocked him for being slow in PE classes at least sixty-four times within two years. What is she planning this time? To catch him off-guard? To goad him into accusing her for having bullied him before and ultimately make him appear to be the bad guy? No, he isn’t going to let her, or any of them, win against him.

“School has made me rather busy, so I’m glad to be home for vacation,” Azul continues right away, keeping the same evenness in his voice.

“Wait, what school are you in right now, Ashengrotto,” one of the mers asks him.

“Ah, I’m studying at Night Raven College,” he answers casually, ensuring none of his anger leaks to his voice.

Much to his surprise, everyone’s eyes widen, and their jaws drop in an almost comical manner.

“No way!”

“That’s so cool!”

“How is it like over there?!”

“How does it feel to be on land?”

“Did you see the Sea Witch’s statue?!”

Each of them leans forward as they ask their questions, and Azul feels his heart beating just a bit faster. He remembers a similar incident when he was 7 years old—when these same people backed him into a corner and spat their insults at him. He moves back just a bit, putting his hands up in a gesture to slow down. “Excuse me, perhaps one question at a time would be better.”

Please back away, is the silent plea that Azul would never say out of pride. It’s already bad enough to feel his mentality wobble like the tightrope under his feet, threatening him with the possibility of falling to an audience that seems to be all the more eager to watch his demise.

“Oh, oops.” The mers back away.

“Sorry sorry, I got carried away.”

The tightrope stabilizes. It feels easier to breathe, easier to regain his balance. Surely, they aren’t pretending to be kind, right? Yet, he doesn’t sense malice in their voices, but they appear to be genuinely sorry for being overexcited.

He should take this slow. If he is going to exploit their weaknesses again, at the very least, he can entertain their questions and control the conversation from there.

“Okay, first question, how is Night Raven like,” one mer asks.

“Well… It’s fascinating,” he answers slowly. “There are numerous things that they teach there that schools here won’t provide, and they have a lot of resources for things like alchemy experiments. Night Raven College is also a meritocracy, so it motivates you to work harder to achieve more and earn more respect. They also teach a lot about the Sea Witch and the other Great Seven that schools here would never teach you about, so history classes are also very enriching.”

“Yo, that sounds awesome,” one mer exclaims. “I’m so jealous. I wanted to go to Night Raven.”

“Me too,” another answers. “I applied, but I got rejected.”

Ah, that’s right, Azul thinks. Night Raven College gets a lot of applicants around the world, but it only accepts around 200 students out of at least 20,000. A small bit of pride swells in his chest upon realizing that he was able to make it to an esteemed school where others failed—including those who hurt him. There’s something there that he can use.

“Wait, what’s your dorm,” another mer asks.

Pushing his thoughts away, Azul answers: “I’m in Octavinelle.”

“Oooh, who’s your dorm head? My older brother was a dorm head there, so I’m kinda curious,” the same mer asks.

“Currently, I hold the position.” He smiles with pride as he responds.

Everyone gasps. Their gazes seem even more astounded than when they found out where he studied, and if this were a cartoon, their jaws would drop all the way to the floor.

“Really?!”

“No way, Octavinelle’s dorm leader?!”

“Holy seahorse!”

“Wait, so are you the one who’s running Mostro Lounge,” one mer asks. “I heard that Octavinelle had a restaurant, and I always wanted to try it from what some of my friends there said.”

“Yes, I am.” Azul feels himself ease into his businessman facade from the mention of his restaurant. “It’s a gentleman’s place where we serve dishes from around the world to cater to the diversity of the school. Typically, we only serve the students since the campus is off-limits to outsiders, but we welcome all customers when the gates are open! We have our own website, where you can check out the menu and our special offers.”

Their eyes sparkle, ‘oohs’ elicited from their mouths.

“Ooooh, I’m now really excited to try! I should tell my mom to get us a potion to go to Night Raven next time!”

“Same same! It sounds so good. I gotta look it up later.”

As everyone talks about their plans to check out his restaurant, Azul’s smile widens. He can almost smell the mo—ahem, rather, he can almost imagine the smiles on their faces the moment they try the food in Mostro Lounge.

“Dang, you’re really impressive, Ashengrotto,” says one of the mers, turning his attention back to Azul.

His smile vanishes, replaced with eyes widened slightly from surprise. “Huh?”

“Yeah no, like, I thought you wouldn’t get any more accomplished honestly,” another speaks up. “You were kinda known for having the best magic in class, so I was already kinda jealous of you. But then you went to Night Raven, then you ended up being a dorm leader and a restaurant owner two years after middle school?”

“And you’re so confident too,” yet another speaks up, the same mer who mocked him for his slowness sixty-four times years ago. “I honestly feel a bit bad for myself now.”

“Same!”

“Me too! Just hearing this makes me realize how little I’ve been doing.”

“My grades have been dropping a lot from middle school, I’m really sad.”

They start talking again, almost as if he isn’t with them. But Azul doesn’t interrupt them, as he listens intently to each and every word the same way he listened for any weaknesses he could exploit. Except that he isn’t thinking anymore of exploiting their weaknesses.

If anything, listening to them brings in an odd feeling. It’s blue, but it’s not sad. Rather, it’s the blue part of the ocean that sits between the light of the shallow area and the darkness of the ocean’s depths. It has the sunniness and peace of the higher sea level, but there’s a certain darkness as well.

All his life, he walked on tightropes, balancing on a precarious line so that he doesn’t lose to anything or anyone again. In his every action, every word, every feeling, there always needs to be delicate care put into deciding those things because one wrong action, one wrong word, one wrong feeling will cause his foot to slip and cause his fall. And one fall would bring him back to the ground where fishes mocked him for his legs and ink.

But it never occurred to him to step down to the other end of the line, to see that he actually made it to the other side, to see how high up he truly is compared to the audience that he feared and loathed.

An audience that never did anything fruitful, unlike himself.

I… won.

Part of Azul is slightly bitter. He made his life harder for himself to satisfy a crowd that only booed at him and wished for his fall. He worked hard to be liked—and he worked hard for the wrong people. But another part of him is at peace. At peace knowing that he did it, that now, they’re the ones admiring him and giving such flattering comments to him now. But most importantly, at peace with knowing that he can stop looking back on them and their bullying when he grew to become better than them.

#twisted wonderland #twst #azul ashengrotto #twst mermay

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