Chapter 34
“Ngh...” Azul groaned.
“Oh, hey, you're awake.” Floyd said while poking Azul’s cheek.
Jade held four fingers. “Azul, how many fingers am I holding up?”
Azul narrowed his eyes to see. “Er... Eight?”
Jade sighed. “Still in shock, it seems. But your blot-induced rampage has subsided at last.”
Leona snorted. “That little tantrum you threw really put us through the wringer, y'know.”
“Uh, Leona, I'm not sure you get to say that.” Ruggie gave him a look.
“What did I...do?” Azul asked confused.
“You overused your magic and overbloted. You don't remember it?” Jade said.
“You were sucking everybody's magic dry left and right, bawling', "Give me your poweeerrr!"” Floyd said while imitation Azul. “It was the cringiest thing I've ever seen. I'm still not over it.”
Azul looked embarrassed. “Oh, no... Me, going berserk? I don't believe this...”
Ruggie looked at him. “Hey, I can't exactly blame a guy for getting' bent outta shape when something you've been building up for years gets ruined. I mean, if someone broke the coin bank I've been saving my money in, I'd hold a grudge for life.”
Grim pointed at Azul. “But all those shady business dealings have gotta stop. You oughta learn from this.”
“How about you guys learn not to coast through exams using someone else's notes?!” Jack said while looking at Deuce and Ace.
“I have to admit, those notes were brilliant, for Ace to get a 90, it’s not an easy thing to do” Roxana said. “You helped a hopeless case to have a good note, and for that you have my respect in the “academic achievement” department”
Azul looked at her. “...What?”
“Y'know, it's true. One all-nighter reading that study guide you wrote was enough to bag me over a 90 on my exams.” Ace said. “AND AM NOT A HOPELESS CASE !”
“Yeah. It was seriously on point.” Deuce said.
Jack nodded. “I heard from the headmage that you wrote that guide yourself, analyzing a whole century's worth of test question trends. I'm still not okay with your shady practices, but your work took serious guts. That much I'll admit.”
Azul looked the other way to hide his teary-eyes. “Hmph. Your clumsy attempts at consolation aren't helping me in the least.”
Floyd poked his cheek. “Awww, what's the matter? Are you getting' teary-eyed, Azul?”
Jade smirked. “Dear me. You've gone back to that ink-spewing crybaby again.”
“Hey! You two signed an NDA covering that exact topic!” Azul screamed at them.
“Right you are. My mistake.” Jade smiled.
“Aww that’s so cute !” Roxana said.
Ace looked at her. “No ! No ! No ! You are not going to add him into the ‘lost child’ category no ! Riddle is enough !”
“Lost what—” Azul looked confused.
“I will add whoever I want ! Don’t tell me what to do !” Roxana said. “By the way, Grim did you get what I asked for ?”
Grim took off the necklace around his neck and it turned into a box. “Tada ! Great Grim never forgets !” The box opened to reveal the picture Azul wanted inside.
“Here’s the picture you wanted” Roxana said. “I got it the day we made a contract buuuut I wanted to have fun so” She shrugged
“By having fun you mean destroying my contracts ?” Azul said with a dead voice.
“Get me petrified ?” Jade added.
“Yes”
She isn’t even trying to hide it… The Octa trio thoughts.
Leona looked at the photo. “What's this? It's just some picture of a bunch of mermen fingerlings huddled in front of a camera.”
“Is it some kinda group photo of an elementary school class? What'd you want it for, anyway?” Ruggie asked while looking at the photo.
Floyd looked at it too. “Aha ha, that takes me back! This is a picture from our school field trip. Me 'n Jade are right here. Aaand...See the kid sulking way off in the corner? That's baby Azul!”
Everyone except for Roxana screamed. “What?!”
“AAAH!!! No!” Azul turned red from embarrassment. “Don't look! Please don't look!”
Jade smiled. “Well, well, Azul. You sure are spirited all of a sudden. Shouldn't you get a little more sleep? Considering how far things have already gone, it would be easier for you to let this one go.”
Ace snatched the photo. “Let's see here.”
“What's in the corner...?” Leona pointed at the corner.
“Are you talking' about the octopus who's more rounded than any of the mer-kids, even holding the pic at an angle?” Ruggie said.
Grim looked at it too. “Whoa, Azul! I never knew you used to look like that!”
“I know right ?” Roxana smiled. “He’s so round and cute and squishy ! “
“AAAaaaAAAaaaAAAaaah!!!” Azul screamed to high heavens.
Deuce eyes widened. “I... I get it. I totally get what you're feeling. Everybody's got a past they wish they could erase! I saw nothing! Neither did the rest of you, okay?! Never speak of this again!”
Jack gave Deuce a look. “Never pegged you as this, uh...passionate.”
“Aaargh...” If Azul could grow mushrooms from depression he would. “I was going to expand the Mostro Lounge with a branch cafe and simultaneously erase the shame of my boyhood... It was supposed to be the perfect plan! Two birds with one stone!”
“Hey, you know what they say: a rabbit in hand is worth two in the bush.” Ruggie shrugged.
“I got my schoolmates' yearbooks and the negatives from the photographer... I succeeded in laying claim to every single old photo of me through a whole web of deals... But there just wasn't any legal way to dispose of that one last photo.” Azul groaned.
“That doesn't mean it's cool to make other people do your dirty work for you!” Grim screamed.
“Why are you screaming ? It’s not like you got into a contract with him” Roxana said.
“Yes but still !”
“I don't see the big deal, really. I like the old Azul.” Floyd shrugged. “He'd make a better meal than the one we've got now.”
Azul looked at the eel embarrassed. “That's not the point at all!” He sniffed. “This is the worst. I could crawl into an octopus pot right now.
Roxana looked around for a while before she found the same black rock again, she summoned it to her hand before she made it disappear.
A shiver run down her spine.
What was that ? Roxana frowned.
“Anyway. We held up our end of the deal and brought the photo to you within the deadline you gave us. We've completely fulfilled your terms.” Jack said.
“Yeah. Real shame about the contracts getting' sanded before we did.” Grim pouted.
Jack decided to ignore Grim. “But stealing just doesn't sit right with me. Azul, you're a law-abiding sorta guy, right? Take some responsibility and return the picture back to where it belongs.”
“We can help you return it” Roxana said.
“Fine... But at least let me switch it out for a version where I've been edited out of the picture.” Azul said with a small pout.
Leona shook his head. “Hah. You just don't know when to let something go.”
Jade nodded. “He's right, you know. Records are a valuable treasure.”
Roxana snorted. “Normally I would say that valuable treasures are only jewels, and gold, but Jade is right”
“Ooh, field trip! When do we go? We're going' as a group, right?” Floyd said excited. “I haven't been to the Atlantica Memorial Museum since our elementary school field trip. This is gonna rule!”
*Slytherin Dorm – Garden*
“Good thing your plan worked” Malleus said as he took a sip of his tea.
“Hmm, of course it worked, I planned for things more complicated than this” Roxana said. “By the way Malleus I wanted to give you this”
Roxana put her gift on the table.
Malleus eyes widened. “A…gargoyle statue ?”
“A miniature version yes, gargoyle are guardians for us noble families from where I come from, they guard things behind them or below them, and open a way with a password, I wanted to give you this one for it to guard what you deem precious, I have a dragon gargoyle that guard my gold” Roxana said. “It had a secret a drawer that opens with the password you give it, the drawer has an extension charm on it so you can put as many things as possible in there without it becoming fully full”
Malleus grabbed the gargoyle looking at it with fascination, the gargoyle blinked at him.
“It moves…” He said fascinated.
Roxana smiled. “For it to recognize you as a master you need to give it a drop of your blood before putting a password”
She stood up and walked over to Malleus, before she gave him a small kiss on his cheek.
The dragon fae blushed like a maiden.
“It’s my way to say thank you for letting me stay in Diasomnia” She smiled.
“It was my pleasure”
***
Malleus laid on his bed on his stomach while looking at the gargoyle sitting on his nightstand, his dragon tail was wagging left and right like a dog.
Lilia watched that happen from behind the door of Malleus bedroom.
I don’t know what happened, but it must have been good. Lilia smiled.
***
“Hmm ?” Roxana looked at the mirror of her bedroom. Did the mirror just glow ?
*Slytherin Dorm*
*Morning*
*Knock**Knock**Knock*
“Morning, Erebuhebi, Baby Seal! We're here to get you. It's time to go!” Floyd called.
Grim shivered when he saw Floyd. “Erk! Whenever I see you two, I'm always worried you're scheming' something. Makes my heart skip a beat.”
Jade gave a polite smile. “Please. We would never dream of getting rough with those who aren't in breach of contract. The weather's quite clear today— perfect for an outing. On that note...”
“Off we go to the Atlantica Memorial Museum!” Floyd said excited.
“Azul's arranged it so that we'll have the whole museum booked for ourselves.” Jade said. “He's already gone ahead and is waiting for us on-site.”
“Alright but before we go” Roxana said. “Someone want to apologize to you Jade”
“Apologize ?” Jade looked confused.
Floyd tilted his head. “Who ?”
*Slytherin Dorm – Great Lake*
“Sally, he’s here” Roxana said.
But Jade and Floyd only heard hisses coming out of her mouth, something big moved underwater before it surfaced.
Jade froze at the giant snake that just came out of the lake; Floyd’s mouth was wide open from shock.
“Guys this is Sally, Sally these are Jade and Floyd” Roxana introduced.
“Ah ! The little eel and his brother, a pleasure” Sally hissed.
“Sally is a basilisk you see, so looking a Basilisk directly in the eye caused instant death, but an indirect look would merely render the victim Petrified, just like what happened to you after you looked into her eyes in the reflection in the mirror” Roxana smiled. “The reason why you are not affected by her glare is because I activated a set of runes around her eyes that block the deadly glare from affecting people”
“She’s huuuuuuge” Floyd pointed out. “How did she go around Slytherin ???”
“Well, the pipes and she can shrink her size” Roxana said with a smirked.
“The pipes…” Jade nodded he wanted out he did not want to be in the presence of that thing ! “Of course, let’s go now”
“I am not apologizing” Sally deadpanned.
“I know I just wanted to see Jade’s expression; he turned blue the moment he saw you” Roxana chuckled.
Jade did not understand what they said, but he knew they were talking about him.
*Atlantica Memorial Museum*
“Duuude! WILD. So this is what it's like inside.” Ace smiled while looking around.
Deuce stood/floated in front of the Sea King statue. “There's a statue of a legendary Sea King. Huh. I guess there're more famous figures around these parts than just the Sea Witch.”
Roxana snorted at the statue. “The reason why Ursula became what she was…major racist sexist arsehole”
“Wow. That king's pretty ripped.” Jack said while looking at the muscles.
“Welcome, everyone, to the Atlantica Memorial Museum.” Azul said, he was still in human form. “The Mostro Lounge will be holding a study tour today. Or at least, that's the purpose of our visit on paper. Regardless, I bid you take your time and enjoy yourselves.”
“There you are, octo-tentacle Azul! Only... you're not. Are you just staying' in human form?” Grim asked.
“Yes. Betentacled mermen like myself aren't common around these parts.” Azul said. “I wouldn't want to draw any undue attention to myself when our job is to return a photo on the sly.”
Jade and Floyd swam up to them in their mer-form. “I see no reason to be concerned. No one would see the cute chubby little merman in the picture and connect that it's you.” Jade said.
“It wouldn't hurt you any to swim around in your real form on a trip home! Why limit yourself to two legs when you can have eight?” Floyd asked.
“Hmph. Just drop it, please.” Azul crossed his arms. “I'm going to slip the photo back in its spot. The rest of you, feel free to explore the museum.”
“Hey, check it out. There's a display for the mermaid princess's silver hair comb.” Floyd said while pointing at a…fork.
“I saw a picture of that in the pamphlet before. That's clearly a fork, not a comb, right?” Ace asked.
“Heheheh... Maybe that's how it looks to you land-dwellers.” Jade said.
“It is a fork the princess was just a brainless idiot” Roxana mumbled under her breath.
Azul looked at her. “You're not joining them?”
“And leave my cute little baby octopus alone ? Not a chance !” Roxana teased.
“Don’t call me that !” Azul blushed embarrassed. “I am not a baby !”
“When you get as old as I am, everyone becomes a baby” Roxana said.
“Ugh faes” Azul rolled his eyes.
“But in all honesty, I am worried about you” Roxana said.
“You're so suspicious. I'll put it back right now.” Azul said while putting the picture in it place. “I thought that if I could erase every photo of my past... ...I could erase my past itself—my youth spent mocked as a slow, dimwitted octo-twerp. The Sea Witch never hid her past misdeeds. She worked to restore her reputation and earned the people's respect that way. I kept saying I wanted to be like her... But in the end, I couldn't accept my own past. I kept rejecting it.”
“Trust me, many people want to reject and forget their past, some wish they could, but they simply can’t do it, not from the lack of power and will but because the guilt is eating them alive” Roxana said, eyes lost in the past. “You are one of those who succeeded, the Azul of today is not the Azul of years ago”
“You... You think?” Azul blushed before he cleared his throat. “Heh. You needn't try so hard to butter me up. All I wanted to do was get back at the kids who made fun of me.”
Grim swam up to Roxana. “Hey, Roxana ! You wouldn't believe the size of the dinosaur bones they had back there!”
“That wasn't a dinosaur. It was a sea dragon— a type of undersea monster.” Jade explained. “The Sea Witch's cave entrance was built out of sea dragon bones...or so the tales claim.”
“They've got a replica of the Sea Witch's cauldron, too.” Floyd said.
“Really? They have cauldrons under the sea, too?” Deuce asked.
“How do you heat things up in the water, anyway?” Ace asked curious.
Floyd shrugged. “Uhhh... Beats me. Azul, you tell 'em!”
Azul smirked. “Very well. Fair warning, though: I charge a steep price for playing tour guide.”
“It’s a simple heating spell you cast on the rocks no fire needed” Roxana said.
“Ugh !” Azul groaned.
“And just to tell you Azul, you remind me of myself, let me tell you, when I was at my old school I scammed the seventh year students out of their money with a contract” Roxana said. “Idiots the lost of them, and I didn’t even have to sabotage them at all”
Azul looked at her for a moment. “You know…it doesn’t surprise me at all”
“You can do the same thing you know, without the contracts, just add a lottery system to Mostro Lounge people will throw money just to get a ‘free’ gift” Roxana air-quoted the ‘free’ part.
Azul looked at her with a new eye.
*Mirror Chamber*
“Ahhh! Oxygen, how I've missed you!” Grim said.
“So dramatic” Roxana chuckled.
“Visiting the Atlantica Memorial Museum was pretty fun.” Deuce said.
Floyd grinned. “I think I was bored to tears last time I went, but I had a good time visiting it again after all these years.”
Jade smiled. “Once you get a feel for the world up here, it's funny to see how much of it merfolk misinterpreted in the old days.”
“That fork—I mean, "silver hair comb"— was hilarious.” Ace laughed.
“I'm glad you enjoyed the trip. I'm sure you must be tired after spending so long in a strange environment.” Azul smiled. “It's just about opening time for the Mostro Lounge. Would you care to drop by for some tea?”
“You bet I would! I was just getting' hungry.” Grim said.
*Some days later*
*MOSTRO LOUNGE*
“One house special, please and thanks!”
“I'll have the drink set with the limited snack!”
Octavinelle Student nodded. “Coming right up!”
Ace looked around. “Whoa! Why's it so crowded in here?”
“Ah, I see the promotion is paying off already.” Jade smiled.
Jack looked at him. “What promotion?”
“After everything that went down, the headmage chewed us out and said not to take anybody's powers again, even under contract.” Floyd explained. “So Azul devised a point card system!”
“Yeah? How's it work?” Ace asked.
“You get one point for ordering a 6-thaumark drink special.” Azul explained. “And you get three points for ordering something off the 15-thaumark limited menu. When you build up fifty points, you earn the privilege of one free consultation with the manager—namely myself.”
“Told you people will throw money for stupid things” Roxana said. “If they thought about it just for a bit, they would find out that it wasn’t free at all”
Azul just winked at her.
“When you say "consultation," do you mean, like, for ANYTHING?” Grim said excited.
“Let's say I needed help with my studies.” Deuce asked.
“That would absolutely fall within my purview.” Azul smiled.
“What's more, when you fill three-point cards, you'll unlock even more perks.” Jade said.
Azul continued. “If you want to know more about these offers, please feel free to peruse this pamphlet or browse our website.”
“Myah! In that case, gimme a special drink! And make it extra drink-y!” Grim said.
“Same!” Ace said.
“I'll have the snack set...” Deuce said.
Azul smiled. “We appreciate your prompt orders.”
“You guys...” Jack sighed.
“Come, Jade. Floyd. It's time for us to make some money.” Azul smiled.
Jade and Floyd smiled. “Yes, sir. / You got it, Boss.”
“That’s my boy !” Roxana shouted.
Azul cringed you could see his ears turning red, but he didn’t turn around to look at her.
Jade and Floyd on the other hand laughed.
*Scarabia Dorm*
“First there was the Spelldrive tournament. Now, even in the final exams, our dorm's position remains stagnant...” Kalim gritted his teeth. “This is a grave matter indeed. Jamil! Jamil, are you there?”
The door opened and Jamil walked in. “Present, sir.”
“Gather all of Scarabia's students on the double.” Kalim ordered. “If those lay-abouts think they're in for a relaxing holiday, they are sorely mistaken.”
“Understood, sir. All will be as my housewarden wishes.” Jamil smirked. “Heheheh...”