ristoranteivorykeys

[ristoranteivorykeys]

unpublished fic: part of your world

this snippet is from a fanfic i wrote for a class xD to date, the fic is my longest work i've ever written, at 17500 words. basically, i was exploring core memories of a love i experienced that frankly sucked, and that this fic depicts two love stories: a real life love and an imaginary love story between me and azul. the narrative structure of the fic is heavily inspired by the jollibee commercial called "choice". for those who've watched it, you'll have a good understanding of how the entire fic was structured. rereading this, i'm still really impressed with how i wrote this personally, especially the azul parts. someday, i'll refine this story and mayhaps publish it somewhere. for now, the rest of the fic shall remain hidden, with the memories kept private.for this particular snippet, i explored the idea of what may be the traditions of love for coral sea. and i came up with the idea that their way of expressing a deep form of love is to say, "can you be a part of my world?" and that is what is happening here.

“Outer space, 2,” I said as I held up two fingers to the three male students in front of me. Upon hearing what I said, they did not hesitate to look at the cards that each contain one word laid out on the table in a grid. The boys analyzed each card, and my knee fidgeted as they took their time in looking at each word. Come on, this is an easy hint, I thought to myself impatiently. Please don’t tell me you don’t recognize simple celestial bodies.

Immediately after my thoughts were completed, one of them looked at the others, their finger hovering over a card I had hoped they would pick. They nodded, and the boy flipped the card containing the word ‘Saturn’. Upon seeing the blue illustration on the other side, the boys let out a “Yes!” as they pumped their fists into the air. The same student picked another card, this time containing the word ‘star’. 

“Yes!” I exclaimed along with my team. With a smirk, I turned towards Azul, who sat beside me. “Your turn.”

Azul hummed as he stared at another card that was visible to only the two of us. It contained a colored grid, marking which words belonged to my team, which words belonged to his team, which words were neutral, and the word that would mark the loss of a team if they picked it. I quietly snickered as I looked at the card and at the words in front of us. The cards that Azul had were rather hard to match up, a disadvantage for him. 

“Good luck man,” I told him. “Those words look hard.” 

“Are you saying that to make fun of me,” he asked while glancing at me. I shrugged while giving a clueless hum in reply, mostly because he’s right. 

A long pause followed. My team had already moved back while Azul’s team was looking at the cards and awaiting his hint. As more seconds passed with Azul staying silent, I grabbed the nearby mini hourglass.

“Challenge!” I declared as I flipped it, causing the sand to pour downwards. “You’re taking too long!”

“Alright alright,” Azul spoke up after being silent for a while, hands up in a gesture asking to wait. “Okay, Idia,” his eyes landed on a slouched student wearing a hoodie, “I am trusting you to get this right.” He flashed four fingers up in a dramatic flair, and everyone’s eyes widened upon seeing the number. 

“World, 4.”

My eyes widened. “Four?!” I exclaimed as I looked at the grid then at the cards on the table. “No way!”

Azul chuckled as he aimed a smug smile towards my direction. “You should be aware by now. I don’t intend to lose, my dear.”

“Hmm,” Idia hummed as he gazed at the words along with two other students. “Bruh, you really giving us a hard one.” He punctuated his sentence with an annoyed glare towards Azul.

“Yeah,” one of the students chimed in. “Anything can be counted as world since all the words here are a part of it.”

“Well okay, let’s get the obvious one out.” Idia flipped the card containing ‘map’, which flashed a red illustration on the other side. “Now for the other three…” 

“Hey, ‘tissue’ can be part,” one of the students on my team jokingly said. “It’s made from plants.”

“Oh yeah, how about ‘tissue’,” one of the students on the other team said. I had to stifle a chuckle at that, knowing what position the card with ‘tissue’ has on the grid.

“No no,” Idia said. “Can’t you feel that it’s not gonna be the word? It’s gotta be something else.”

Darn, I thought to myself with disappointment. Of course Idia would be smart enough to figure that out.

“Hm, how about ‘skyscraper’ and ‘sand’,” one other student suggested.

“Yeah, could be,” Idia said. “But also, knowing Azul, it could be ‘restaurant’...” 

Please pick that, I thought in my head, knowing that ‘restaurant’ belonged to my team. 

“Anyway, ‘sand’?” 

“Yeah.” The other team flipped ‘sand’, showing another red illustration, eliciting a pumped fist from them.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Azul grin. 

“Skyscraper?”

“Mmm… It might be something else. I still say it’s ‘tissue’,” the first student said. 

“Nope nope, do not flip that, Fred,” Idia warned, aiming a pointed look towards him. 

“Hey, I mean, tissue’s made from plants,” Fred argued. “It’s definitely part, I’m flipping it.”

“Don’t–”

But before Idia could stop him, Fred flipped the card with ‘tissue’, which flashed an illustration of a shadowed man. The loser card. 

“Oh what?!” He exclaimed.

“Yes!” My team and I rejoiced as we pumped our fists into the air and danced in our spots on victory. Beside me, Azul sighed in dismay, but his reaction was calm compared to Idia’s, who huffed as he walked away with heavy steps and a deep frown.

“Man, it’s just a game,” I said to myself as I watched him walk off, my voice audible only to people near me. 

“Didn’t a certain someone throw down her cards once after losing four times in Sevens,” Azul asked as he glanced at me knowingly.

“Oh. Right.” I sheepishly scratched my neck. 

“Anyway, we have to clean up,” he mentioned as he pointed to the clock on the wall. “It’s almost time.” He clapped his hands loudly, gathering the attention of the rest of the students. “Pack your belongings and start cleaning up! We have 5 minutes to vacate the room.” 

Immediately, I started with the cards from our earlier game, gathering them all to stack up before straightening them and placing them in a plastic bag. 

“I admit that I took a risk with that hint,” Azul spoke up as he fixed the other board games nearby. “I was aware that ‘world’ could mean anything on the board, but I was hoping that they’d get it.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” I said. “Your words were kind of hard to connect.”

“And besides,” he aimed a pointed look at me, “someone challenged me and made me lose my focus.”

I laughed in reply. “Good because now, I can relish in my win.” I punctuated my sentence with the sound of the stack of cards hitting the table to straighten them, before inserting them into a plastic bag that I placed inside the box where it belonged. 

“Hmph, you won’t be saying that next time,” Azul replied as he closed one box and packed it away into his bag. 

By the time the club room was cleaned up, and all our bags were picked up, the school bell rang to signal the end of club hours. We walked together to the direction where all the school dorms were located, and the students moved closer to their friends, chatting about their day, from assignments to shared interests.

“You know,” Azul said as we walked beside each other. “I was thinking of something while we were playing Codenames earlier.” 

“Oh really? What is it?”

“It was about the tale of the Mermaid Princess,” he answered. 

“Oh? Not about the Sea Witch for once?” I asked in amusement. “That’s really new.”

“H-hey! I like the Sea Witch, but I know not to constantly talk about her,” Azul exclaimed in a flustered tone. “Ahem, going back to what I was saying, I was thinking about the Mermaid Princess when I said my hint. She was known for falling in love with her prince to the point that she went to the Sea Witch to implore her help to be with him.”

“Okay.” I nodded, mostly to indicate that I was paying attention. 

“Before that, however, there is this part of the tale that many adore.” 

“Ooh? What is it?”

“When she fell in love with the prince,” he continued, “she had saved him from a sinking ship and brought him to a beach. While waiting for him to wake up, she started singing about her desire to be a part of his world.”

“Mmm, I see.”

“That part of the tale is so loved by the people in my home country that being told that someone wants you to be a part of their world is considered as a confession of love,” he added. 

“Oooh really?” My mouth formed an ‘o’ at his statement. “That’s really cute actually.”

“That’s all,” he said. “I hope you enjoyed that little piece of trivia.”

“... Am I supposed to assume that you would ask for payment in return for kindly giving me some trivia,” I asked half jokingly.

Azul chuckled. “You’re starting to get to know me a little too well. Perhaps I’m being a little careless now.”

“Not my fault you’re always going around and asking people how you can pay them back when they do one thing to help you out and vice versa all in the name of debt,” I said with a shrug. 

“Well I–” He almost argued back but stopped himself, crossing his arms and shaking his head as he did so. “Anyway, since you did bring up the subject of payment…”

A cheeky smile wormed its way onto his face, a smile that slightly unnerved me over what the payment could be. 

“… Answer this question: ‘Was there anyone you ever wished that they were a part of your world?’”

“Oh.” While my feet continued their lax pace, my eyebrows raised up over the sudden question. At the very least, I was thankful that it wasn’t anything more than answering him, but I frowned as I pondered over his words. “Hmm, I never really thought of it.” 

“We aren’t out of the main building yet,” Azul said. “You may take your time.” 

“And you won’t run late to Mostro?” 

“We don’t open until 6 anyway.” He checked the watch on his wrist. “It’s not yet 5:30.” 

“Hmm… was there anyone I ever made a part of my world…” I glanced at the ceiling as I tried to think of an answer. “Well, as a little trivia from my home country, my religion has it that we believe in one God, and we’re taught to make God a part of us.” 

“Ah, you believe in a religion,” he said with a nod. 

“Well, not to an extreme? But well, yeah, I do believe in a religion,” I replied.

“But that does not answer my question.”

“Yeah, well…” I frowned deeper in thought. Have I ever really made someone a part of my– 

Ah. 

A thought entered my head. It was unexpected, not in the way that a light bulb would suddenly turn on but in the way a droplet would land onto a pond and cause a ripple. 

“Well?” Azul’s voice brought me out of my thoughts, and I turned to see an expecting gaze at me.

“… I wouldn’t say there was anyone I would have wished they could be a part of my world,” I finally said slowly. “But I do want to meet someone someday whom I can say I wish that they’d be a part of my world.” 

“Mm.” He nodded in understanding. “I see.”

“How about you, Azul?” I asked, a cheeky tone laced in my voice. “Is there anyone that you wished was a part of your world?”

“I knew you were going to ask,” he said with a small laugh. “But well, just like you, I don’t have anyone I would have wanted to make a part of my world.”

“But do you want to find that special someone,” I asked again, perhaps sounding a little too insistent.

He paused, looking upwards as he appeared to muse on the question. “The thought is quite romantic, I suppose,” he responded. 

“Now look who’s not answering the question this time,” I playfully quipped. “Come on, it’s just a yes or no, what is it?” 

“You’re rather curious,” Azul pointed out with a bemused smile. “Is there a particular reason why you’re asking if I want to find a romantic partner for myself?”

“Hey, that’s just because I said I wanted to find someone someday,” I said a bit defensively. “It’s only fair!”

He cocked an eyebrow at me, eyes behind glasses filled with skepticism that made my heart race nervously. The pause stretched on for a few more seconds before he finally craned his head away from me. “If you say so.” Tension that I didn’t know was building up in my shoulders flew out like air flying out of a deflating balloon in a quiet sigh. What a flimsy excuse, I mentally scolded myself. It was a good thing Azul didn’t press. Because if Azul did press for answers, I wouldn’t know how to tell him that in that instant, I wondered if he had become a part of my world.

#twisted wonderland #twst #azul ashengrotto #my dear azul

[ristoranteivorykeys]

snippets of 1st anniv letter to azul

an unfinished letter that contains much of my first year of loving azul. this does not contain the whole of that letter, as the letter itself is far too long with many personal details that i wish to keep to myself. i shall only share the snippets i’m willing to put out to the public eye.

Dear Azul,

I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since I have been in this pandemic, that I’ve gotten to know this twisted wonderland that you live in, that I’ve gotten to know you and love you. I can’t believe that you and I have made it this far, and well, I’ll admit, it’s not yet a big achievement for me because I know how to stick to a character for a year. But a year is still a lot of time. 365 days with you who entered my heart and made a home in there, putting me under an unfair deal like you usually would.

So many things happened then.

Hey Azul, you must know Jonah Clemence by now because I talked about him a lot, well I still do to some extent. And I think, if you live in my heart and head rent free, then you must have probably seen the entirety of Jonah’s route by now through all the records that I hold deep within. And maybe that means you know how it started. That Alice was adamant in never falling in love with Jonah, but soon grew to fall for him. 

It’s funny, really, that the beginning of my journey with Jonah was not actually the beginning of my journey with him, but that it was the beginning with you. You were the one I claimed that I will never fall in love with, that I was going to stay with Riddle because I was pretty dead set on him for a year too. You wearing glasses is already a surefire way for me to not like you because I never liked guys in glasses. You are the type of villain that leaves me so frustrated– smart cunning villains who are always one step ahead of the protagonist. Admirable but irritating. A combination that leaves my feelings in a tangle. Sure, you did have a pretty face, a thought that apparently ran through my head the first time I saw your lab card because the receipts from back then showed me screaming in all caps about how pretty you are. But I wasn’t going to let that sway me. 

It must have been the world’s way of making my life a comedy show when you were the other dorm leader who was in the first rhythmic of the game. 

Soon, I decided Riddle was not the one for me, and I was aimlessly moving through Twst, with no solid favorite character. It was such an empty feeling, Azul – I never experienced this in my life because I always stick to my first favorite. It’s like swimming through the ocean but you don’t really have a will to swim up to shore. All you want to do is aimlessly float on the water with no destination to go to.  

But I still tried to hold on to a semblance of those feelings for Riddle, and the way I did it was through his dorm card. Riddle dorm is undoubtedly a powerful card, and to this day, I still use him in almost all my teams. And then I learned the concept of duo magic, an ability only SSRs have that deals much more damage than what was imaginable. I heard you were the duo partner, but I tried to deny it because I didn’t have any SR of you. I wanted it to be Trey, you know. But I leveled up my Riddle card to unlock his duo magic, and to my dismay, it really was you. And so, I suppose that was when I really started to pursue you… well, your dorm card more of. But there was no emotional sentiment in there, nor was there any feeling of love. I only wanted your eventual dorm card so I can use Riddle to his fullest potential in battle while also using your duo with him. Actually, I didn’t just want your card. I thought I was going to get your card so quickly. Riddle dorm and Floyd dorm came home so quickly. My luck seemed excellent– and to me, that meant a guarantee that you were going to come home. 

Around the same time, I discovered how beautiful your vice head is. I caught my eyes on one fanart of him that made him look like Jonah, and I was gone that very second. Jade is attractive, I won’t deny that, and he gave me a thrill that brought me deeper into Twisted Wonderland. I felt like he was going to be the one for me, the character I was going to simp for when my feelings progressively move from Jonah to Jade.

But then, on April 14, 2020, you cried.

Octavinelle’s chapter was coming to a close, and that meant seeing your overblot and learning about the past you worked hard to conceal. Like all eager fans, I immediately read the story, not caring about the fact that I was in the company of my parents. I read through it all, how the MC found a way to beat you, how they forced Leona to help them, how they took the attention of the twins while Leona and Ruggie worked to get your contracts. Listen, I was rooting for MC of course because naturally, they are the protagonist. Besides, I wanted to finally see everyone set free from your control. I wanted to see you fall off your pedestal, Azul. I wanted to see you, the villain that frustrated me, know what it’s like to lose the control you possessed throughout the story.

And you know what? I got that.

… but at what cost?

Azul, I almost never come close to crying tears of sadness, let alone say actually cry. Few things in life make me cry: insecurities, intense physical pain, grief for a lost loved one. But a piece of media, let alone say a character, has never brought me to the point of tears.

You broke that, Azul.

The moment you screamed and cried and appeared with tears in your eyes because your contracts became dust in the wind, a part of my heart might as well have been dissolved along with those papers. If it hadn’t been for the fact that my parents were in the same room as I was in, I think maybe just maybe I would have cried along with you. Because something about the sound of your pain made known to me through the earphones that I wore tore at me. I couldn’t handle it, the way you sounded so pained and broken. Azul, I hated it so much. I didn’t even know what was happening past the contracts becoming dust in the wind, yet I was hurting so bad because you were hurting.

Usually, after something breaks me, I wouldn’t feel much about it come the next day. Sleep does wonders to renew the mind, and I thought this was going to be the case when I finally found out that the translations for the Octavinelle chapter were complete. But as I opened them and read through your suffering once more, that familiar lump in my throat came back. You… you.... You were breaking me again, Azul. I could now understand it all, how Leona toyed with your feelings before turning all your hard work to dust. I sat there, trying not to cry, cupping my mouth with my hands as I repeatedly said “Please God, make it stop, please make this stop.” Because looking at your suffering once more did something to me, and at the time, I didn’t know what it was. But it hurt so bad. Azul, you broke me in a way I never thought I could be broken.

That wasn’t the only way you broke me, however. Remember when I said I thought I was going to get your dorm card? You broke me too, by not coming home at all. I placed every limit on myself: don’t go below 1000 gems, don’t go below 700, 400… but soon, I was at 0 gems and 0 keys, and that purple coffin with the intricate patterns never came. Oh, how I felt my hopes raise up, only to see your SR cards come in and those same hopes deflate. I was so desperate for your card,  I almost spent real money on you, except I didn’t have money thank God. How dare you, Azul, for breaking me in so many ways. In fact, I should have hated you. Hated you for bringing me to a point of frustration and hurt. For making my heart hurt this way.

But how could I hate you, when you touched me so with your suffering, with your backstory, with the knowledge that you worked so hard to get where you are? Plus, you’re a pianist, and I play piano, and thinking about it now, that fact kind of started getting me to like you more.

﹒⪩⪨﹒

Sometime then, I started getting into an online youth organization. It was cool and fun, and I liked their advocacy. Heck, I even became a leader somehow? And that’s a big achievement for me because no one appoints me as a leader. So I really tried to do my part to keep my position… keyword on tried. Because at some point, the burden of leadership got to me, and I dealt with it by being a coward and escaping. Wrong choice. I ended up being demoted on a Sunday night, and hey, I knew this was going to happen. Not worth beating myself over, right?

Wrong. For days, I was in a funk that I never thought I would be in. I was depressed, I had no energy to carry on. All I could think of was how worthless I was, how stupid I was, how incapable and incompetent I was. My thoughts were spiralling to less than savory places, and I hated it so much, but I couldn’t escape them. I didn’t know how to. 

I opened Twisted Wonderland because AP was restored. I got in the game. Then I thought: maybe I should play the Octavinelle rhythmic. And so I did. And as I did, I started feeling more alive, feeling more sane than earlier. I felt like dancing, I was slowly gaining energy and a will to stand up once again. Hey hey Azul, I know that this music is for the Octavinelle chapter, but I like to say that you saved me there. Seeing your little chibi on the screen managed to bring a smile to my face no matter how hard it was.

﹒⪩⪨﹒

September comes in, and that’s when the birthday banners finally start. Jamil, the first boy in the series, looked so beautiful in his card, I will admit. But I didn’t focus on him, because I couldn’t. Instead, all I could think of was your birthday. How your card would look like, how your groovy would look like. I wanted to greet you happy birthday at that moment, even if it was 5 months away. I wanted to see that beautiful smile on your face as you enjoy your birthday. 

As if that wasn’t enough, the magical archives came out then. So many interesting facts of every single character came out. Bioluminescent twins, Lilia picking his nose, Rook being heavier than Trey… I was interested in all of these, of course. But I was most interested in one thing: eye colors. All the colors for everyone are so beautiful, like Silver’s aurora silver, Trey’s mustard yellow, and Deuce’s turquoise blue. 

I’d be lying, though, if I said that I wasn’t taken by your eyes, Azul.

See, when I was a child, I was in love with the word ‘azure’. Azure, the color of the sky. Every day, I always speak it to myself. The feel of the mouth that opens to say the a before closing to let the rare z slither out of my tongue, followed by the forming of a small o with my lips as the u sound leaves them then the r sound that makes me think of a curve. It just sounds so nice and pleasant, and it is part of the reason why I love your name so much, Azul.

But when I saw that your eyes are exactly that color, the color of the sky, I was gone. I fell in love with your eyes, how they glow with the majestic splendor of the heavens. And I hate love how it fits you so much. The sky is freedom, and you represent that. You may have been bullied for being an octopus, but you used your 8 legs to become someone better. You didn’t let the waves drown you, but rather, you swam up to the surface and reached for the sky, chose to aim to be the best version of yourself. Though you carried deep insecurities about yourself, in a way, you sought your freedom instead of succumbing to the insults you faced on the daily.

I want to be like you. Chase for the sky and seek for my own freedom.

And just… the color of the sky is so beautiful…

#my dear azul

[ristoranteivorykeys]

don't memories hurt sometimes

very personal start. this is a snippet of a vent fic that let me explore a memory that traumatized me. this is probably one of the earliest instances when azul started helping me realize how traumatized i was. basically, i was rewriting the memory in the way i remembered it, except that in this, i wrote azul in so that i could comfort him and have him comfort me back. this snippet in particular is only the scene where azul appears. it's vulnerable, it's not exactly correct characterization, but my younger self did what she could in that moment. she was holding onto hope and healing for the first time. and i'm proud of her for that. and i'm thankful for azul for that.

“Why…”

It’s soft, possibly inaudible to anyone nearby. But the whisper did not subdue the torrent of thoughts in my head. 

“Why am I so stupid and useless and pathetic and–”

A hitched breath cut off my sentence, and in a second, tears started flooding the rims of my eyes and pouring down my face. I brought my hands to cover my face, not caring that the tears pool in the palms of my hands. Anything to hide this pathetic face of mine that dares to cry for something as stupid as this. 

My chest ached, unused to the sudden sob that wracked my body that isn’t used to crying. Sounds of hitched breaths, sobs, and sniffs threatened to come out and be heard, but I forced my voice and nose to be quiet, stifling whatever I could while keeping a shred of my lost pride. Nothing resided in my mind. All there was were the tears ceaselessly running down my cheeks and my chest tightening with each passing second. 

“You too?”

My hands pulled away from my face as I looked up and to my left, where he sat, facing my direction. His face had a much paler purple than most of his body, with an inky mask-like pattern decorating it. His eyes did not carry the usual confident spark, but instead, they looked downcast, as if he lost everything he held dear.

And in a sense, Azul did lose everything he held dear. He wouldn’t have been in a state of overblot, otherwise.

“H-huh…?” My voice was shaky from my earlier sobbing, unable to utter anymore than that.

“Feeling like you’re stupid and pathetic,” Azul spoke as a wry chuckle left his lips. “And how it seems like everything around you reminds you of that, whether people speak it or not.” 

He lifted his hands up and stared down at them, as if they committed the most immoral crimes anyone has ever made. “But of course, you want to show them that you’re not all that, that you’re better than what they claim you to be. So you keep trying and trying and trying, taking and taking and taking until you can become the best version of yourself.” 

His breathing suddenly became shaky, as tears started pooling in the corners of his eyes and cascaded down his cheeks. Big fat drops landed on his hands, unending in their stream. 

“But why,” Azul continued to speak, his voice cracking from his fit of crying. “Why is it that I still continue to be so stupid and clumsy and pathetic and–” 

He did not finish. His sentence was cut off by the sobs escaping him. The sounds of his sniffles and his broken voice seemed muffled, as if he didn’t want anyone to hear the pain he held inside. 

Fresh new tears started streaming down my cheeks. Perhaps it’s because I grew a little more fond of Azul, but watching that face of his twist in pain added to my own pain and further worsened the aching in my chest. Yet, I could not turn away from him. If this was the same memory, I would have been alone in my pool of insecurities, not minding the outside world until some teacher approached me with a handkerchief. But this wasn’t the same memory. 

I wasn’t alone anymore.

Despite my messy state, I scooted closer to Azul until I could feel what I think was one of his tentacles. Without hesitation, I wrapped my arms around his body, preparing my hand to rub his back in any way to soothe him. I felt him stiffen under my hold, an awfully familiar sensation that caused me to panic as I pulled away. 

“S-sorry!” I stammered out an apology while keeping my voice hushed in the sacred building. No, that was so stupid of you, Starly! Haven’t you learned the first time? This is why you’re here, wallowing in your own stupidity!

But those thoughts silenced themselves when he faced me, wrapping his arms around me and bringing me closer to his body. His head rested on the crook of my neck, where I felt a certain wetness from his tears. My own arms found their way around his body, and I rested my head on his shoulder, where I continued to cry. 

I could not count the minutes that passed as we held each other, lending each other our shoulder to let the other cry, but gradually, less tears formed in our eyes and the sniffles became fewer and farther between. Even as my eyes started to dry up, however, I could not let go. Azul’s embrace was the most comforting thing I’ve had in so long that I couldn’t bear to leave. And by the unyielding grip he had on me, he probably felt the same.

“Hey Azul.”

My voice sounded more stable now, though still weak. He hummed a questioning sound in reply. 

“You’re so much more than what those bullies teased you about,” I said, sniffling one last time to keep the mucus in my nose from leaking. “You’re probably one of the smartest people I’ve met, and your hard work is something so many people would kill for. You’re capable and strong, and that’s really admirable. You’re not stupid or clumsy at all, far from it in fact.”

He did not say anything at first. I expected the pause, knowing that he may still be recovering from his earlier fit of sobs. A part of me was prepared to hear some sort of deflection, that what I was saying is mere flattery. 

However, his first response is to chuckle. “Fufu, you don’t have to say anything more to comfort me after letting me cry on your shoulder. But since you did, let me repay you by saying this: You outwitted me, and though it is frustrating, not many have been able to do that. But more importantly, I wouldn’t have started to learn how to accept myself as how I am if it was not for you. Maybe looking at old photos of myself would still make me feel ashamed, but I wouldn’t destroy them now because they show a part of myself that influenced my behavior now. If it wasn’t for you, none of that would have happened. You’re not useless at all, Starly.” 

I gasped at his words. Suddenly, the back of my eyes burned once more, as if I haven’t cried enough for today. I hugged Azul tighter. 

“I… thanks Azul…”

#my dear azul

[ristoranteivorykeys]

my dear, azul

a collection of personal writings that ive written over the years and today for the love that has held my heart and nurtured it

i think i shall preface this post by saying that this blog started out originally as a personal writing blog. i wanted this to be a place where i’d make my own writings with not too much pressure to cater to an audience. for a time, i chose to go against this as i got swept up with wanting to cater to requests and grow a following. however, these days, this writing blog has gone back to the peaceful writing blog that i chose. however, rare is it that i post a personal writing. this shall be the most personal i’ll get on this blog, as i showcase not one, not two, but several personal pieces of writings, whether personal diaries or unfinished fics.

this post is to celebrate the 4 years that i’ve loved azul. my heart was first taken by him the day that octavinelle’s story concluded: april 14, 2020. i will never forget the way my eyes nearly welled up or how my gut dropped when azul cried. i will never forget the way his story reached into the depths of my heart. and i will never forget the way he held that heart, a heart that was bruised in ways i never knew it was. i will never forget the way he made me aspire to be better than i thought i could ever be. and if i could, i’d repay him for all the times he’s given me hope and all the times he’s accompanied me in my hardest falls. hence, all the writings here are very personal, many of them do not depict azul in the most in character light but in the light of a person that i wished to have in the moment. i admit it might not be the best service to azul, but a part of me wants to rest in his benevolence. there may be a price, but at least there lies respite.

happy 4 years azul… i love you. i hope this collection of writings reaches you wherever you are. and for the reader who reads all these works, i hope perhaps you might find some inspiration for the next azul-related fic or some other thing. or maybe some love.

all the works below shall be tagged with "#my dear azul". some will only contain that tag, and others will have the other twst tags, depending on how personal they may get.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

don't memories hurt sometimes [11/03/2020]

snippets of 1st anniv letter to azul [4/14/21]

unpublished work: part of your world [11/28/21]

unpublished work: seafoam [04/11/22]

snippet of a diary entry [06/29/22]

unpublished fic: the rich girl and her mermaid [01/07/23]

poem 1 [12/?/23]

poem 2 [04/15/23]

#twisted wonderland #azul ashengrotto #twst

[ristoranteivorykeys]

twst mermay 13 — teeth

headcanons about how the octavinelle trio will bite you and their reaction to you biting them :3c

ft. azul ashengrotto, jade leech, and floyd leech

╰┈➤ 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: some steaminess; yes i intend to somehow finish everything in the mermay masterlist no matter what time of the year it is, octatrio is still my love

╰┈➤ 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐨: mermay masterlist

Among the trio, Floyd is the first to leave hickeys on his lover. In fact, it's already in your first intense kisses when he starts leaving your lips for your neck.

Floyd's already known how fragile human skin can be against his teeth. He's bitten Jade's arm in a sibling squabble before on land, and he noticed how much easier it was to penetrate human skin than merfolk eel skin.

Still, the first time he left hickeys on you, he was careless enough that he heard a yelp from you and when he looked up, his bite mark was a vibrant red. Needless to say, some wounds had to be dressed that night.

But it more than satisfies a deep carnal desire when he sees that your skin is marked with that red dotted curve—the marks of his teeth on your skin. It's not only an arousal, but it means a lot to him. As a moray eel, waiting is something he values because waiting will give him the best results: waiting for the right time to strike prey, waiting for his part of the plan to come up and see the big picture come together... waiting for the right person to be his lover. And once he's with that right person, can he be faulted for spoiling you with all he has?

When he sees you outside the bedroom, it arouses him when he imagines the hickeys left on your skin. It arouses him further when it's exposed for the world to see. Sometimes, Floyd may expose your hickeys, whether by tugging on the collar of your uniform or by casually dropping it in conversation. If it is something you're uncomfortable with, Floyd is still a team player with people that he cares about—he'll be all ears to you expressing your discomfort.

Now if you're the one biting Floyd, it will really make him ecstatic. His head would be hazy from the pleasure your teeth give him and the amusement that he's getting from being the one on the receiving end. While he is by no means as strict about equivalent exchange as Azul, he still abides by that to some degree. It would make him happy to be marked just like you are.

He isn't picky about where he'd be bitten. He's not sensitive in a particular area, as long as you bite him hard enough to get him groaning. He doesn't care either about his marks being seen. In fact, once he receives your love bites, Floyd would walk around with obvious marks. It exasperates Azul, but he doesn't care. He loves the hickeys that you give him, and he isn't hesitant to expose them.

When you're in the first few months of the relationship, things are actually relatively tame and sweet. The most that you get is the occasional makeout session, but often Jade cuts them short, whether it is due to Mostro Lounge shifts, schoolwork, or other things.

It's not because he doesn't want to put in effort into the relationship. Jade just does not flash his teeth until he's ready to. He needs time to really get to bond with you and see that you're someone that he can trust before truly letting himself go with you.

And once he finds you trustworthy and appealing to be with, you will get to know that in the form of a sharp pain as he digs his teeth into the base of your neck.

Actually, his first hickey would be somewhat unintentional—he was just so lost in the moment and so lost in you that he opened his mouth and wanted even more of you than just your kisses. Once realization dawns upon him, he would be shocked.

After that first hickey, you better expect more hickeys, and it will go from the areas where no one will definitely see, like your inner thighs, to areas that can be exposed with one wrong movement of your clothes, like your neck.

Jade would tease the hell out of you with those near exposed love bites. You would be talking to your friends, and he passes by you, with a hand on your shoulder. "Hello my pretty rosebud, how are you this fine day? Ah, there's a bit of dust on your collar, I just want to..." And he would move your collar in a way that it would expose your love bite if one looks at the right moment. Any reaction will amuse Jade, whether you panic outwardly, stiffen, or keep yourself together surprisingly and give him a glare when no one else is looking, because at this point, he just likes to learn about all your little ticks and quirks.

If it takes a while for Jade to bite you, expect it to take longer for him to let you bite him. Trust builds slowly, and Jade would rather be marked by someone who will stick around for a long time than for a mere 2 years or less.

But once he allows you to bite him? Oh, you better bite hard because Jade will taunt you if you can't leave marks on his skin. "Oh, is this the best you can do? I was hoping you of all people would not be so shy with me."

Bite him on the inner thighs, and Jade will shut up as he muffles a moan. He may stifle his sounds, but he cannot stop the way his body trembles when you suck on that particular wound you leave in his thigh.

It would really get him if you pull the same teasing thing with him. Jade would really try to be one step ahead of you of course, but when you not only persist but also manage to get him when he least expects it... Jade's going to be so overjoyed, having such a fun partner by his side for the rest of his life.

Azul has two kinds of love bites.

The first kind is the one that is often littered along your chest and base of your neck. Azul bites hard enough to elicit moans out of you and leave little marks on your skin, but it's soft and quick enough that they will heal a few hours after your canoodling. They are fleeting like the glow of a contract that has been torn, but they are still a reminder that there is something between you two. It's a nice balance of spice and class that Azul can seamlessly do.

These love bites are the ones you only see in the first few months or even the first year of your relationship with Azul. For him, it's because there's that part of him that's expecting that this will not last. It's Azul's silent way of bracing himself for any losses he might incur if things go wrong.

It's understandable to feel just a bit disappointed about it, and one might even misinterpret it as him not loving you enough. But just know that on the contrary, Azul does care about you. It's his own way of keeping things stable between you and him because he wants this relationship to last. Already choosing you to be his lover is a huge choice for him, and he wants to make sure that it's the right choice.

The second kind of love bite happens when Azul is very emotional to the point he has a hard time controlling himself. These are the bites where his fangs will come out and mark you much deeper. Azul will take much more time with each bite, eliciting more moans out of you, and he will suck on the skin even more, creating deep marks that will last for days.

These are the bites that will either get him huskily whispering in your ear that you are his, or him in tears saying that he loves you and wishes to care for you from now on. These are the bites that let you know that he is placing his trust in you and expressing how much he wants to stay by your side.

At first, Azul is very careful about your love bites being exposed. It's part of why his first love bites heal fast. He is conscious of your image to your classmates, and he is conscious of his own. He would rather not be thought of as obscene, and he doesn't want you to be caught in any gossip either.

However, when you get closer, Azul gets cheeky. You would be talking with friends or walking along a crowded hallway, and Azul would approach you with an arm around your shoulders. He'd be asking you about your day and what your assignments are, and before you realize it, he'd have one finger hooked on your collar, exposing to the world a tease of a red mark on your neck. If you stiffen or panic in response, Azul would ask in mock concern if you're okay as he hides a shit-eating grin.

Azul is also possessive. If another person approaches you with romantic interests, he will wrap one arm around your waist as he pulls on your collar, exposing his marks on you: "I'm sorry, I hope I did not mishear you saying that you were asking out my love to a date."

He does want you to bite him back. Half of it is to satisfy the equivalent exchange he so values. The other half is just that he likes it, plain and simple. He respects it if you aren't into it, though, just as long as you show your love for him in other ways.

But when you do bite him, he often puts a hand over his mouth because he moans loud while he holds you really close to him. He's particularly sensitive around the neck area, where even the small bites will leave him gasping. He really values it though if you leave deep bites around areas that are easy to cover up, like the chest, and shallow bites around areas that are harder to cover up.

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst x reader #twst hc #azul ashengrotto #floyd leech #jade leech

[ristoranteivorykeys]

graduation [octazinelle: high tide fic submission]

in the few months they have before getting ready to leave for internship, floyd and jade go through the turbulence that future uncertainties bring: where will they go, what will they do, but most importantly... what will happen to their relationship with azul?

ft. floyd leech, jade leech, and azul ashengrotto

╰┈➤ 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: hello hello!! i participated in a zine titled octazinelle: high tide! you can find the full zine through here~ this was a very fun project and i'm so excited to post the fic i wrote for you guys ^^ i really care about this fic so much, so there will be additional notes that i will leave somewhere :3c don't worry, they won't be hard to find fufufu

“Floyd Leech.”

Said student is just climbing down the steps of the lecture room when he hears his name being called in an austere manner. Any remaining students in the classroom cast Floyd that ‘oh boy’ look as they leave the room. Floyd looks to the teacher’s table where Professor Trein stares at him sternly. He returns the stare with a miffed look, but he approaches the professor nonetheless.

“This is the second time this week that I have caught you sleeping in my class,” Trein rebukes. “This may be your last semester in Night Raven College before you go on your internship, but that doesn’t mean that you can be negligent in my class.”

“Uh huh.”

“Don’t give me that attitude, Leech. I do not want to give any penalties so late into the semester, but if I catch you sleeping one more time, I will. Do I make myself clear, Leech?”

“Yes, sir.” 

“You may now go.” 

Floyd steps out of the classroom with the same expression as he wore when getting called out. Damn Professor Red Squid, if you don’t wanna give detention, then just don’t, he thinks to himself. Meh, oh well. I don’t feel hungry at all, should I even go to the canteen? But where do I even wanna go? Everywhere’s so noisy. 

He walks for a bit, hands in his pockets.

Ah wait. 

There’s the supplies arriving today for Mostro Lounge. 

Floyd barely notices his frown growing ever so slightly deeper, but students walking along the same path as him instinctively step aside. Nobody in their right mind would dare interrupt a disgruntled Leech twin. 

I’m not going to help out with those. Azul can suffer with those all he wants.

“Floyd! There you are!” 

Floyd stops in his tracks. He does not look at the classmate who briskly walks up to him, but he already feels the annoyance rushing to his head. 

“Floyd, we got a paper due in two days,” the classmate yells. “We just need your part, and we'll be done! When are you gonna send it in the gc?”

“Go away.”

“Hah? Don’t give me that!” The groupmate’s voice raises in anger. “We have a literal group paper to submit, and we just need your part so that we can submit it earlier!”

Floyd faces him finally, but this time, his eyes are dilated, teeth are displayed, and brows are furrowed. An all-too familiar menacing expression. “I said go away.”

“Eep!” The classmate takes a step back, expression immediately shifting to fear for his life. “O-ok ok! Just- just submit before the 11:59 deadline in two days! That’s all I needed to say, ok!”

And right after, the student runs away.

Floyd huffs. He has now made up his mind on where to go. 

Jade is wiping the sweat off of his face in the locker rooms when one of his Octavinelle classmates approaches him. “Hey, Azul’s calling for you,” he says. “He’s by the gates right now.”

“Oh?” Jade looks up in confusion. “I thought Floyd was supposed to be with him right now.”

“Well, he’s not there now,” the classmate replies while scratching his head. “They need more backup and Azul’s calling for you.” 

“Ah, I see.” He smiles. “I shall be there, then.”

The classmate leaves the locker rooms, leaving Jade all by himself. The rest of the class has already left, eager for lunch. 

Jade slows down in cleaning himself up.

Azul’s name brings back a rip that’s been tearing at his heart. It burns in the way that electricity probably burns, maybe to a lesser degree: his body stops working the way it usually does, and his chest still reels from a shock of pain. It’s not physical by any means, though by the Sea Witch, he wishes it was. It would have been so much easier to deal with. He’d be shipped to the best hospital, all bills easily paid for, and he’d be recovering well back in Octavinelle. Or if he dies, then that is that. No more pain to feel.

No, it’s a harder kind of pain. It’s the kind of pain that makes him want to tear flesh and bone with teeth and claws, the kind of hurt that urges him to destroy a ship, the kind of ache that makes him want to burn his already burning eyes. It’s the kind of pain that won’t go away even if he does all three.

Jade breathes in. Hold it. Breathe out. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Breathe in… breathe out…

He cannot afford to lose himself now, whether by wrath or by tears. 

He packs his bags, changes back to his uniform, and leaves the lockers. His light footsteps are overshadowed by the sounds of enthusiastic jogs to the cafeteria in the corridors. Jade takes a moment to breathe in the afternoon sunny air, letting out a bit more of his worries out of his lungs before he walks down the stairs and through Main Street. 

And soon, he finds himself nearing the tall gates of the school, where a group of students are gathered around large boxes. 

It annoys Jade that the gleam of silver hair stirs mixed emotions. On one hand, his troubles are dashed completely from seeing the very person he keeps close. On the other hand, it is the same person who’s making him go through hell.

He swiftly shifts his focus to the situation in front of him. Some of the other boxes should have been on the way to the Mostro Lounge by this time, yet there are still several of them that the other Octavinelle students have to carry. It isn’t surprising—after all, they decided to upgrade a few things, in preparation for the next dorm leader. Supplies that a simple run to Sam’s shop won’t cover, no matter how much he claims to have it all in stock. 

“Be extra careful with that. That tableware costs us quite a fortune.” Standing by the boxes with a clipboard resting on his arm, Azul watches his dorm mates as he writes notes on the clipboard. He has his dorm leader facade on, serious and stern, but even from a distance, Jade can see his slightly nervous gaze towards the supplies. 

As another pair leaves with a heavy box, Azul looks at them before his eyes fall on him. “Jade, good you made it on time.”

“Hello, Azul,” Jade greets. “I thought that Floyd was supposed to help with the supplies.”

“Well, he’s not here now,” Azul answers, frowning from annoyance. “I was wondering if you had any idea as to where he is right now.”

“I don’t. His history class should have ended 10 minutes ago.” 

“Hmph, nevermind. We need to get all of this into the lounge.” He gestures to the boxes. “All the boxes are complete, and we’ll do a final count of all the supplies once everything has been moved there.”

“I see.” Jade nods. “Will you need me to assist you?”

“No, you may enjoy your lunch break after helping us move these boxes,” Azul answers. “I’ll be making my next successor do that. It’s a part of his learning, after all.” 

“Ah. I see.” 

It annoys him to feel that same shock of hurt returning to his chest. 

A bemused look crosses Azul’s face. “Does that offend you,” he teases. “I never took you for one to be tilted by that.”

Jade blinks. “Why Azul, whatever makes you think I’d be offended over that?” He smiles, with a bit more effort than he’s used to. “You must be imagining things from how little rest you have in passing on your position to the little siren.”

“You exaggerate.” He keeps his clipboard and pen into his bag. “We need to move. Jade, carry that box over there.” He points to one of the smaller boxes, marked with the word FRAGILE, and picks up another box. 

And wordlessly, Jade follows, carrying a box that must contain brand new tea sets. New tea sets that remind him that a new dorm leader and manager of the Mostro Lounge will take over. 

That his term and Azul’s will end because they’ll move up to 4th year and go their separate ways. 

Jade resists the urge to break them. He’ll carry these then find Floyd. 

Back at home, the schools of fish would band together, staying close until Floyd swam past them, splitting their perfect formation. Together, apart. Together, apart. 

Together. Apart.

Separation was not new to Floyd at all. In an “eat or be eaten” world, fish and merfolk alike live with the thought that the people closest to them may be gone the next day. Floyd has hunted before, has fought before. He’s even the one who said goodbye to his parents when leaving for Night Raven College.

But he said goodbye with the promise of seeing them again after school is done. 

He stares down at the river that runs below the bridge. This spot is rarely ever frequented by students at lunchtime, if only because everyone else is either eating in the canteen, having meetings, or just being with friends, and the bridge is on the other path away from the Hall of Mirrors. Besides Octavinelle, it feels the closest to home on this campus: here, he can watch the current flow, and the fish that live below its clean stream. 

Home, huh? Floyd wonders if home will still feel like home once he returns from Night Raven College. 

It will be the same dark passageways and bioluminescent lights, the same faces but all grown up. Except that he isn’t a child that can pick fights with anyone and nab their scales as a prize, he is to be stuck with running the family business of making deals, expanding connections, beating up people who betray their trust. Pretty much like what he already does with Azul now. 

Except that the boss that would stand with him and Jade is not Azul at all. 

The fish in the river swim with no obstacle in their path. They may split apart to avoid the occasional rock, but they would be together again. Together, apart. Together. In the small space that they share, there is no vast ocean that opens up new paths for them to split ways. Not until they swim down the cliff and into the open sea. 

Floyd has never envied river dwellers until now. 

Jade walks behind Azul going to Mostro Lounge. It’s something of a routine that started in Night Raven College. When Azul walks, he and Floyd follow him from behind. He doesn’t remember how or when it started. Probably started to make Azul’s image look powerful: he is in the front, wearing a coat that imposes authority, and Jade and Floyd standing at the back makes him look almost impossible to touch. 

Regardless of the hows or the whys, it’s a position that has always given him comfort. From behind, Jade can watch Azul. He can see if Azul is pleased with something by the bounce in his step, or if he’s pissed by the clack of his heels. And from the front, Azul can’t read Jade since he’s always looking forward, and that lets Jade startle him with a random brutal teasing remark. 

Right now, though, he wishes to not look at Azul. 

Azul appears to be beaming, and Jade knows exactly why. He’s found the perfect successor for not only leadership of Octavinelle but also manager for his prized restaurant. He’s gotten accepted in all the places he applied for his internship. 

He’s gotten accepted already into the university that he aims to go to.

Jade vividly remembers the way Azul grinned from ear to ear when he received the email. He remembers the audible, “Yes! Yes, I got in!” that almost sounded teary-eyed. He remembers Floyd saying that they should celebrate over some drinks. He remembers smiling to the best of his abilities while saying congratulations for being accepted. 

That was two weeks ago. He’s said many fake things in his life, and he would never say sorry for them. But until now, the heartless congratulations weighs heavily in his conscience. 

It’s simple, really: Azul has been working hard all his life to achieve his dreams. And Jade was there to witness the journey, from the ideas to the headaches to the defeats to the victories. It’s a huge milestone for Azul to get to stay on land and study in a place where he feels he will thrive. So it’s unfair really, to not be able to celebrate such an achievement happily. 

And yet, Jade can’t bring himself to. 

Their relationship started as something transactional. Tweels keep his secrets, Azul lets them in his plans. Tweels support him, Azul entertains them. And if Azul fails to entertain, then they will drop him like plastic to the chute. There and done. That’s supposed to be their relationship. 

So why then does it hurt to hear that Azul got accepted? Why does it hurt to think about how in a few months, he won’t see Azul as much as the present? Why does it hurt to think about the uncertainty of when they will see each other again? 

“Jade, you can put down the box over there.”

Jade blinks. He’s at Mostro Lounge. Has he been so deep in thought that he didn’t realize when he arrived?

Schooling his expression, he puts down the box on the counter that Azul gestures to, unaware of the concerned expression on Azul’s face. 

Floyd doesn’t know when he started staring into nothingness to gaze at memories, but he’s now seeing the stone stage from middle school, where his younger self is playing drums to his brother’s bass and someone’s piano. 

He remembers, he was getting irritated with the piano melody, and at the time he couldn’t pinpoint why, except that it lacked something. Now that he thinks about it, it’s because that pianist’s playing had no life. No vigor, no passion, just technique that wouldn’t get anyone dancing. “Next,” he had said and stopped playing. The pianist was protesting. Floyd forgot what he said, just that he protested that he wasn’t done playing, but he didn’t care enough to hear about it.

“Everyone sucks, Jade,” he threw his sticks to the ground. “No one’s good enough to be part of our band. Let’s just go.” And he and Jade—who was bigger than him at the time—left the small auditorium of their school. And it’s a blur, Floyd doesn’t remember why he and Jade didn’t go home right away, but he remembers very well the syncopated melodies coming from the piano they forgot to close. 

And he remembers the gasp he made, the way his heart was stirred from how alive the music sounded. 

And he remembers how quickly he swam back inside to see who’s playing, and his wide-eyed gaze when he spotted the familiar octopus.

“Hey hey, that was so cool,” he said to the flustered Azul. “Play some more, play some more!” 

“Huh? No way, I have to go soon!”

But he didn’t let him go. He insisted he play the piano as he picked up his sticks and played a beat. “Come on, just one song! Then you can go!”

And he started his beat. And when it was just him for a long moment, Floyd had wondered if Azul left. But the sound of an E minor reached his ears, and the next moment, Azul’s playing was matching to the beat of the drums. And his music had heart. It had spirit, it had technique, it had passion. 

And the best part? Azul matched his rhythm when nobody else did. 

“I knew I’d find you here, Floyd.”

Eyes turning away from his reflection in the water, Floyd looks up to the face that he’s known since birth. Jade, impeccably presentable despite having PE class earlier, walks towards Floyd, leaning on the railing of the bridge he stands on. But he does not go near him. 

“What do you want,” Floyd asks. 

“We had a new batch of supplies arrive at the Lounge today,” Jade answers. “You were supposed to help out with the unpacking.”

He only answers with a curt hum before turning back to the water below. 

He hears a sigh. And footsteps approaching.

“You’re thinking about last last week, aren’t you?”

Floyd turns again to Jade. He’s by the bridge railing now, same side as him, but he continues to keep a respectable distance. Jade doesn’t look at him directly either, his gaze directed at the horizon ahead of them. 

He’s thinking about it too.

“Yeah, you could say that,” he answers. “It’s just, really ass, y’know?”

Floyd believes that in spite of their identical genetics, they are two people with different identities, dreams, and beliefs. And don’t get him wrong, it is a lot better that way to have individuality. But deep down, there is a comfort knowing that Jade probably feels the same feeling that leaves Floyd dizzy with frustration, that binds his chest with a mix of anger and sadness. And Sea Witch knows, Floyd needs that comfort now. 

“‘Ass’, you say,” Jade repeats. “Tell me about it.” 

A beat of silence passes between them. 

“It’s just that. It takes half a fish brain to know that Azul’s got grand plans after graduation. Get into the best business school, build his own corporation, build another company, and a third company. And I’ve known this for Sea Witch knows how long, and it was all fine, I didn’t care that much, but then…”

“...But then the letter came in.” Jade fills in. 

“Yeah,” Floyd emphatically answers. “That damned acceptance letter from whosit business university came in. Like, I don’t know why, but it just made everything feel… real. That Azul’s really gonna go somewhere else. And I hate that it’s been hitting me like this for the last two weeks. I can’t focus well, I’m pissed off, Trein’s told me off about sleeping. It’s so ass.”

The silent air between the twins weighs heavier. Floyd’s eyes briefly look at the fish in the river again—the damned fish that he wants to throw a rock at so they separate too—before he turns to Jade. “How ‘bout you? Was it also the letter?”

Jade doesn’t answer right away. Floyd understands; in moments like these, Jade hesitates to speak his mind, even to him. It’s part of their nature to be cowardly, after all, just that Jade exhibits it more between the two of them. 

“... Somehow, yes, but if I were to think about it… it’s actually been a while now,” he finally answers.

“Eh? Really?”

“I knew down the line that there would be farewells to be made,” Jade says. “Like you said, Azul has already made plans for himself, and he invests in those plans, years in advance. But there’s always that part of me that wonders… if there’s space for us in those plans.” 

Floyd finds himself inhaling sharply at those words. 

“I see his goals coming to fruition, and it pains me to say that I can’t even properly support him. The letter, the new supplies, the little siren he’s going to appoint… they’re all reminders that it will all change.” Jade smiles, but in pain. “Azul won’t be the dorm leader, I won’t be the vice leader, and we won’t do the things we used to do. And we won’t see each other until perhaps the next VDC. And when we graduate… would he call an end to our agreements? Would we grow so busy that we become strangers again? We would always say that our relationship is merely transactional and that we would leave him if we get bored, but…”

Jade stops, and the air weighs even heavier. Floyd feels taken back to the first day on land, when breathing with lungs felt heavy and difficult. 

Suddenly, Jade laughs. “What clownfish have we become?”

Floyd too joins his twin in mirth. “Can’t help it, Azul makes me feel understood.”

He raises a brow. “Is it gonna be about the first time you played together with him?”

“I mean, it’s how it started,” he answers. He doesn’t realize the small smile that settles on his face as he remembers once more. “Like, back then, everyone just kinda avoided, y’know? And that’s fine, at least, I thought it was. ‘Twas fun and all to be intimidating. But no matter what I’d do, Azul always matches me. He knows exactly what to play to my rhythm. And even in how we work, he knows what’s the stuff I’d like to do or the stuff I’d do well in. It just feels nice.”

It feels too nice. 

Too nice that if it disappears, it will leave his heart bound tightly by melancholy. 

“…Hey, I can’t be the only sappy one here.” Floyd eyes Jade. “C’mon Jade, share too what’s made you appreciate Azul.”

“I already shared a lot earlier,” Jade says defensively.

“Heyyy, be fair at least. I know you have your own thing.”

“What else is there to say? You already said everything.”

“Liar. I know how you started reading your books more after meeting him.” 

“So? Those were lessons that we had to learn as well.”

“Uh huh sure. Then explain why you’ve only gotten better in everything you do after meeting Azul.”

Jade glares at him. 

Floyd grins in response. “Gotcha.”

A beat of silence, then Jade sighs. “If he makes you feel understood, then he makes me feel capable.”

“How so?”

“One reason.” He puts up one free hand, with one finger up. “He’s demanding.”

Floyd chuckles. “That’s an understatement.”

“You’re right.” Jade grins, teeth flashing. “He’s exigent. Making us run around the school to do 5 things at once, on top of schoolwork. Even before NRC, he was just like that. I assumed he was insane. Until now, I still think he’s insane.”

“You say that, but you don’t look like you’re complaining at all.”

“Because thanks to that, I wasn’t pretending to be good at something anymore.” His next smile is closed. Softer. “I went from barely comprehending a textbook and barely lifting a seashell with my magic to understanding contract language and unlocking my unique ability. He made me do things, and I planned to just make someone else do it and pretend it was me.” 

“Ohhh.” Floyd’s eyes widened with remembrance. “And then he caught you.”

“Yes.” Jade shakes his head at the thought. “And I was expecting him to laugh at me, but he didn’t. All he did was sigh and teach me. Magic, studies, law, something about the way he taught those things clicked something in me. And even the things that he didn’t teach but always talked about, like culinary and how people behave, I was able to absorb things and got better. Dare I say,” a smirk forms on his face, “I’m better than Azul in some things.”

“Like flight class.” Floyd grins.

“Like flight class,” Jade repeats smugly. 

And they stop talking. Jade turns his gaze to the distant horizon, looking at something farther than the blue of the sky. Meanwhile, Floyd glances back at the river. He understands that Jade is done talking personal. But it’s fine for him. He can almost hear the unspoken thoughts. Once Azul leaves, who’s going to be the pianist in their little band that makes their every day exciting? Once Azul leaves, who’s going to tell them that they can do it? 

Once Azul leaves, who’s going to understand them?

“So this is where you two are.”

Simultaneously, Floyd and Jade whip their heads around. Floyd swears his heart almost leapt to his chest when he saw those familiar blue eyes. 

One hand in his pocket, Azul stands on the threshold of the bridge. He and Jade fully turn around as he walks towards them until he’s directly in front of both of them. 

“Hello, Azul,” Jade greets, like the conversation a while ago never happened. “How was teaching your next successor what he has to do?”

“Went well,” he answers. “His prior experiences already reassure me, but he’s also demonstrated that he knows what he’s doing. Currently, he and our other dorm mates are taking care of the supplies.”

“Weird that you’re not being so strict, considering how much you value your restaurant,” Floyd comments. “You’re not even gonna be there to make sure nothing’s going wrong?”

“I trust that things are going well with my new successor in charge. I’ve taught him very well enough,” Azul says. “But more importantly… I have matters to discuss with the both of you.”

He turns his head to look at Jade. “Jade, you’ve been out of focus lately. Just a while ago, when you were bringing the box of teacups to the lounge, you were so deep in thought, you didn’t look like you were aware of where you were going. And even during work hours, you haven’t been as sharp as you usually are. A few professors have commented on your slouched posture as well.”

Jade’s eyes widen in surprise. 

“And Floyd.” Azul turns to look at Floyd. “Professors have reported to me that you’ve either been asleep during lectures or interrupting class with an outburst. You’ve also been moodier than usual, and it shows in your cooking and your behavior. I’ve heard a few students rant about you in group projects.”

Floyd briefly remembers the group mate that approached him earlier. 

“So what are you getting at exactly, Azul,” Jade asks. “Even we have our off days as well.”

Azul casts him a pointed look. “Off days for two weeks straight.” 

He receives no quip in reply. 

He crosses his arms. “Jade, Floyd.” His neutral serious tone changes. It quivers slightly. He’s worried. “I know you two well enough that there’s something going on. Is there something that happened?”

Floyd looks away. Jade does as well.

Floyd hates the concern in his tone. It makes him want to break. It makes him want to be upfront about his feelings and how it’s been bothering him. 

But how can someone like him really tell someone like Azul that you’re afraid to lose him somehow? How can he retract all the times he said that their relationship is all transaction and no emotional connection? How do you even start bearing something so vulnerable? 

They must be the same questions that Jade is grappling with now. Jade, who’s usually good at worming his way out of any conversation, has nothing to say to leave this topic. 

Azul sighs, breaking the long silence. “Is this something that has to do with me?”

The twins stiffen. 

Floyd can feel Azul’s gaze towards him. 

A tense moment passes. 

“... I had a feeling.”

He finally looks at him but in confusion. Jade is also facing him with wide eyes. 

Azul exhales through his nose. “You don’t have to tell me anything about what you’re feeling right now. If at all.” He turns around, preparing to leave. His head is bowed down, not letting either twin see his expression. “But I just want to let you know, I’m always here if you need me. Not just for this, but for anything, even if in the future.”

Floyd’s breath hitches.

“Do you… really mean that?” Jade asks, almost meekly.

Azul looks at Jade in puzzlement. “Why wouldn’t I? You two have been with me for all these years, even in my weakest hours. It’s not like I’m going to leave you even after we graduate.”

“Really,” Floyd asks. “Even when you get really busy with university and we’re running our family business?”

“Well, I won’t deny that we will be busy,” he answers. “But I’m not letting go of you two just because of that. You know me too well, after all. And you’ve supported me all these years, it would be embarrassing to leave that unpaid.”

“You mean that?”

“Have I ever broken a promise? If you want, I can even put that on a contract and have you sign it.”

In one single breath, the binding sadness and worry that tightened Floyd’s chest leaves. 

Without thinking, he moves towards Azul and wraps his arms around his slim frame. He ignores the surprised gasp as he buries his face on his shoulder. His breathing feels lighter than it has ever been the past two weeks. 

He feels Jade joining in, hugging Azul from the other side and burying his face on the other shoulder. His breathing sounds even to any person, but to Floyd, he can hear a slight quiver, like Jade is trying to hold back tears. 

“Is… is this what it’s been all about, all this time,” Azul finally asks. His hands move to pat their heads, a motion that always comforted the twins. “You two are strange for worrying about this type of thing.” 

Despite his words, Floyd can hear the smile in Azul’s voice.

#twisted wonderland #twst #floyd leech #jade leech #azul ashengrotto #twst fic

[ristoranteivorykeys]

awawaaa this was a great thing to wake up to ;u; i’m so glad you liked one of my works~

Twisted Wonderland Recommendation ~ Multiple Dorms PART ONE

Valentine's Day Special: Let Them Fight by @dilatorywriting

All Mine by @devvelle

Indirect Kiss by @renxholics

My Twisted Valentine by @sierrascribbles

An Unexpected Event by @arent-i-the-fairest

Pretty Boy (Vice Housewardens) by @mobbu-min

Showing Housewardens Their Counterpart Disney Movies by @kimbap-r0ll

How They Act When They Miss You (First Years) by @devvelle

Falls First, Falls Harder (All Dorms) by @kaleidoscopewonderland

Someone Forces You to Break Up With Them by @sweetlywriting

S/O Who's Like Alameda Slim by @kimbap-r0ll

Kisses With Them by @queenscodex

Hiding Behind Their Hat When They Kiss You by @willowwhispersspeakeasy

Comforting Cuddles by @candyk0rn

The First Time You Held His Hand by @ristoranteivorykeys

Pretending to Be His S/O by @devils-wonderland

"Kiss Please" (Vice Dorm Leaders) by @dollxmania

While You Were Gone by @arent-i-the-fairest

"If I Were to Jump, Surely He Would Catch Me" by @twistyprefect

They Realize Their Feelings Late by @cupids-chamber

He Did What to You? by @thatweeboverthereisthirsty

The Housewardens Crushing on You by @kaiijo

[ristoranteivorykeys]

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

[ristoranteivorykeys]

Op were you given Apollos gift for that last fic

[fic being referred to!]

spoiler warning for the latest updates of the glorious masquerade event

_(:3 」∠)_ maybe~ hehe

i didn’t predict the flowers, that’s for sure. but since the event was going to be based on hunchback of notre dame, i figured there was going to be a scene where the city of flowers is caught on fire. glad that that actually came true~

in the fic, i originally planned that reader ran to the underground waterway since i figured that’s where they’ll end up in. but i didn’t have the brainpower to write an extra scene of the river, and now i wish i did xD,,, i would have had extra points for prediction. but while writing, i did think that azul figured out that something was up (hence why he even gives the charm to you in the first place). in the event, azul’s the first one to figure out that taking out the magicians had been rollo’s plan from the very beginning, so i’m glad to see i was partially right :3c

#messages

[ristoranteivorykeys]

sanctuary — oneshot

amidst a burning city, you try to find sanctuary using the woven band azul gifted you. ft reader x azul ashengrotto

╰┈➤ 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: masquerade event definitely bonked me in the head for the past two weeks 🧍 i wrote this based on the idea that azul bought the twins esmeralda's charm as a symbol of him telling the twins how to always find him. except make it delusional and imagine if he gifted that same charm to reader. ╰┈➤ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: spoilers for glorious masquerade event pt 2

Scent of smoke, orange light, burning stone. 

Where music and merchant voices used to be, sputters and crackles of fire take their place. You crawl on the pavement, seeking cooler grounds, midnight skies, a place to breathe. Your skin is most probably blistering, but you feel no pain. Not while you’re trying to escape.

The stone feels colder. You stand. Almost there.

The air feels lighter. You run. Almost there.

That looks like the river. The outskirts of the City of Flowers. No fire perturbs its peace. You gasp. 

Sanctuary.

You collapse to the ground, weak from relief. You cough, you pant, but you breathe. Your skin is red and dry and starting to ache, but you can feel it. You can feel the pain. You made it out alive. 

A smile blooms on your face. Laughter soon replaces the coughing as tears spill from your eyes. You don’t trust your voice yet to speak, but the thought rings clear as the clink of colored glass. I’m alive, I’m alive, I’m alive.

Boom! Your laughter halts, and your body freezes from the explosion in the distance. The relief that brought you to your knees leaves you, replaced with panic. Except now, you’re looking around the area, and the realization that nobody is around hits you like a spear to your head. 

“Oh my God,” you breathe out as you fumble for your phone in your pocket. With shaking and aching hands, you hastily click Professor Trein’s phone number, and you press your phone to your ear firmly, anxiously waiting for the dial tone.

“Hello? Hello?” You say as if hello would summon his voice. Alas, all you hear on the other end is silence, no dial tone to be heard. 

You put the phone down, only to be met with a black screen. You frown as you click and tap the phone. But no light shone. “No, no no no…” Dread fills your gut. You shake your head in denial, but it can’t change the fact that the phone in your hand is dead. 

Once more, you look around, hoping for a new face to appear from the furnace. But you’re still alone. 

“Professor,” you scream out loud. You stand up from the ground and cup your lips. “Grim! Deuce!” You scream louder.

But only a faint explosion and the continuous crackling of flames answer your calls.

Shoulders slacking, you let out a defeated sigh. The dread in your stomach continues to weigh you down, feeding you thoughts that leave you shuddering. Your friends and schoolmates crawling like you did, running like you did. Except that the fire consumes them before they flee. Except that the manic eyes of Noble Bell’s president spots them before they can escape. 

“No, no,” you tell yourself. “They’re definitely alive. They’re too stubborn to die like that. They’re alive, they should be alive.”

You lean on a wall, looking down to your phone and tapping it like it would miraculously turn on. In looking at your phone, the charm on your chest dangles and enters your field of vision. Amidst the growing panic and dread, somehow, the woven band coaxes a butterfly or two to flutter in your gut. 

After all, Azul gifted that to you, and you definitely cannot forget the charming smile on his face or the way he put it on you.

You gasp. Hold on.

“Excuse me, Professor Trein, I apologize for the suddenness, but I need to use the restroom,” Azul says, just as the group prepares to return to Noble Bell College. 

Trein sighs, crossing his arms. “We are about to return to Noble Bell College. Can it not wait?”

“No, Professor. I apologize for not going sooner, I was absolutely taken by the culture of the city that the need only hit me now,” Azul answers with a slightly more desperate tone. 

He hums, frowning in thought. 

“If it reassures you, Professor, [Your name] can go with me.”

The statement startles you. Suddenly, all the butterflies in your stomach are let loose. You swear you want to jump into the Soleil River right now to prevent the blood from rushing to your cheeks.

“Hmm…” Trein turns to you. “Are you alright with that?”

“O-oh um, yeah!” You nod, probably a bit too quickly and a bit too much. But you don’t care. You’ll take any opportunity to spend time with Azul. 

He sighs. “Alright. But make it quick.” 

“Ah, thank you very much,” Azul beams. Then his gaze turns to you, and the momentary eye contact makes you want to melt on the spot. “Come now, let’s make it quick.”

You don’t need to be told twice to follow him. 

The two of you walk to the nearest building, but you immediately come to realize that Azul may not have needed the washroom. Azul casts glances behind him, compelling you to turn your head to see what he’s looking for. But before you can find anything, he takes a hold of your arm and pulls you to a quieter area. 

God, help the outcasts your soul right now. 

“Sorry for pulling you away from the group, but there is something that I need to show you,” Azul says. 

“Oh sure, what is it?”

From his pocket, he pulls out the woven band that he purchased from the seller you encountered a while ago. “I was taking a look at this protective charm when I realized something,” he says, showing the front of the band to you. “See those blue lines running across the charm?”

“Mhm, yeah?”

“Check your map of the city now and compare it with the charm.”

You do so, pulling out the map that Trein gave to you a while ago and unfolding it. Your eyes widen. “Holy shit, the river.”

“That’s right,” he nods with a proud smile. “Thank goodness you’re smart enough to catch on quickly.” 

It’s almost embarrassing how quickly his compliment made you smile. 

“What that merchant seller said, I’m guessing that it means that this charm is actually a map of the city,” Azul continues. “Hence, the city is in your hands.”

Your eyes widen in awe. “That could be!”

“I know you said that you wanted to buy this as a souvenir for friends,” he says. 

“Yeah, and you questioned me about it and called the charm boring.”

“But you continued to stare at it like you wanted to buy one for yourself.”

Your eyes widen once more but this time in shock. He noticed that?

He smiles amusedly. “So I was right. It’s a good thing I bought a third one, then.”

“Wait, what?” Your heart hammers in your chest. You tell yourself to calm down, but the suggestion that he bought a gift for you starts a fire in your chest. 

Azul holds out the thread of the necklace. “Here, let me put it on you.”

You don’t fight him or anything. You let him put the necklace on you, relishing the feel of his hands brushing the sides of your face and your neck. Even his lightest touches set your skin on fire, fanning the flames of your feelings for him further. 

“There.” He steps back slightly to gaze at the necklace, smiling as he does so. “I imagined such a necklace would look stunning on you, [Your name]. I’m glad I acquired one for you.” 

The word stunning replays in your head like a broken record. “Th-thank you, Azul,” you manage to utter. “I didn’t think, well, I knew you bought souvenirs for Jade and Floyd and even for Deuce and Epel, so well—”

“Why, did you think I would forget about you,” he asks. “Of course I want to give you something to remember this day.” 

This man. 

The necklace on your chest, the charming smile on his face, the sweet words on his lips, it’s infuriating that he can sweep you off your feet so easily even when you know there’s a catch to what he says and does. And yet, you love the way you shiver from the warmth his words and actions give you. You really want to jump in the river now just to cool down your heated cheeks and slow down your racing heart. But simultaneously, you want time to stop and leave you in the moment with him. A moment when you can tell yourself that he is yours.

“... On that note, there is something I want you to do with that charm,” Azul adds. 

You snap back to reality. There’s the catch you’ve been expecting. 

“See, I need to check out a certain store that is a bit far from here. In the charm,” he lifts up your charm to point at a purple circle marked with a diamond, “the store is located on this circle. In case anything happens, I need you to use this charm to find me.”

You raise a brow. “Can’t you just get my number so that I can contact you?”

“We can’t be sure that our phones are always fully charged,” he replies as he lets go of the necklace. “It never hurts to be prepared.”

“But why trust a charm?”

“Simply put, there must be a reason why it is called a protective charm,” Azul says. “I trust that it will fulfill its purpose. But most importantly, I need you to trust in me.” 

You say nothing. You look at the charm then to his face, glancing at those smoldering eyes that look so confident. You have your worries. What if the charm won’t fulfill its purpose? What if you can’t find Azul?

But on the other hand, you remember how you trusted him back in Scarabia, when he let himself play victim to Jamil’s magic and come out successful. You trusted him then. And Azul wants you to trust him now. 

And that was enough reason for you to nod at him in reply. 

You pant as you lean on the balcony rail of a high building. Hand covering your nose, you squint and pull out your map and hold up your charm. You scan the area. Much of the central area has been consumed in fire. Few people below you are running from the flames, finding refuge from the mad president that started this hell.

“If I’m here, then the place should be…” You lift your head from the map. At the direction your gaze turns to, that area of the city has yet to be touched by a single spark. 

“Oh please please let that be the place,” you quietly beg to no one as you start running out of the building and back to the city.

Scent of smoke, orange light, burning stone. Where music and merchant voices used to be, sputters and crackles of fire take their place. You’re far enough from the flames that you can run without worry, seeking sanctuary, midnight skies, a person you care about. Your lungs and legs ache, begging for respite. But you don’t let that stop you. Not when you need to find at least one companion who’s okay.

“Azul!!” His name may have been the loudest word you ever shouted. “Azul!!!” Your voice echoes throughout the street, but no one responds. 

You check your map. Still a considerable distance from where Azul should be. It almost makes you succumb to your exhaustion. Almost being the keyword.

“Over there!”

The loud voice causes you to stop. Your skin turns cold from terror. 

You look around. To your right is another path, illuminated by a faint yellow glow. Horses neighing and clopping reach your ears. In shouting for Azul’s name, you called the attention of the guards. 

Without hesitation, you start running. 

You dare not look back, nor do you bother to check your map. You care not for the turns you make. You know not the direction you’re going. All you can think is run run run. Faster faster faster. 

The horse clops can’t be heard. You slow down. You’re far from them.

The guards can’t be heard. You breathe. You’re far from them.

The streets are clear. You’re far from them. 

Sanctuary.

Just as you think you can stop, a hand takes hold of your arm. The fear you feel is like no other. It’s an arrow to the heart, a fall to cold waters. You can’t fight or scream. You have no time to, as you’re yanked to the shadows of an alleyway. 

You’re pulled to an embrace. It’s firm, strong. It terrifies you. You start to struggle to get out.

“Hey, hey.” The person whispers. “It’s me.”

You immediately stop struggling. Craning your head upwards, you find yourself gazing at familiar blue eyes behind a dark mask. 

You gasp. “Azul!” you exclaim in a whisper as you wrap your arms around him. “Thank fuck, you’re alive.”

And you continue to repeat it like a mantra. He’s alive, he’s alive. You hold onto him tightly, as if he might disappear if you let go.

“Yes, I’m alive,” Azul says almost exasperatedly. “You don’t need to keep on saying it.” But he smiles with relief while keeping his hold on you. 

“I-I’m so so-sorry, it’s just, I-I was so scared, and and…” Perhaps it’s because you stopped running that you can finally let your guard down. You can shudder and stutter, and shed the tears made from earlier fears. You can breathe, knowing that someone you care about is alive. 

Sanctuary. You finally find sanctuary.

#twisted wonderland #twst #azul ashengrotto #azul ashengrotto x reader #twst fic

[ristoranteivorykeys]

the thrill of tragic tales — oneshot

it's another one of your late nights with malleus draconia, when he asks you a question you thought you'd never hear from him. ft. reader and malleus draconia

╰┈➤ 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: reader is referred to as they/them; mom look i'm posting again after 84 years owo; this is born out of the stress real life is putting me through, so the style is also slightly different and a bit experimental. nonetheless, i hope this might be enjoyable =w=

“I do not mean to intrude on any… intimate matters, Child of Man.” Dry leaves and fallen branches crunch and crackle under his feet, a tiny show of a power no mortal can seek. “But I am curious on one thing about you.”

His question does not stop their walking pace, but they turn their head to his pale visage and shining green eyes. “What is it?”

“Why do you set your sights on him?”

They don’t respond, except with the raise of their brows and a tiny momentary jolt of knowing who exactly he is alluding to.

“I’m… surprised that you of all people are asking me that.”

“Why so?” He doesn't hide the small smile on his face. It amuses him that even an indirect mention of him can unbalance you.

“You never struck me as the type to be curious on matters like love and crushes.”

He chuckles. “You aren’t mistaken, Child of Man. I never cared for them. After all, it was that very same infatuation that brought the Almighty Fairy of Thorns from the heavens to the ground.”

“Did Lilia ask you to ask me?”

“… Again, you are not mistaken." Briefly, he wonders how long have they known him to recognize Lilia's involvement in his life. "Lilia brought me here to learn more about the human world in preparation for my future ruling.

“But I also ask out of my own curiosity," he adds. "You are not expecting an arranged marriage, so I assume you have the option to choose who you want to spend the rest of your years with. You have many choices within the school, friends that you laugh with. But that boy. He is…” He hums, looking for kinder words to continue his sentence.

“I understand,” they answer with mirth. An understanding smile blooms on their face, colored with a faint note of sadness. “I know that I haven’t quite spent much time with him, and the few stories you know seem so superficial. Truthfully, I don’t understand why either. It frustrates me, and sometimes, I wish to find a way to end it. But I see his gait and his grin, and I feel it again.”

“Human emotions... how contradictory."

“I sadly can’t disagree.”

“... Is that all?”

“Not at all." They shake their head. "There’s a lot I can say, but after pondering about it, I think it all boils down to one thing.”

He doesn’t speak. The floor is completely hers.

“You are a string player. You should know Brahms, yes?”

“Of course.”

“Have you heard of the story of him and Agathe von Siebold?”

He blinks. “That, I never have.”

“Agathe von Siebold was Brahms' lover. He had proposed marriage to her, but one of his concertos had an unsuccessful premiere. It worried him that he would not be able to provide for her, so he called off the wedding.”

“I... see.” He nods slowly. He knows what they say is sad, but he does not know how to react.

“Mhm. Then years after, he heard that Agathe moved away to another country. At that time, he was working on a composition. That experience molded that composition into what it is now. Have you heard of String Sextet No. 2 in G major?”

“A familiar title, yes.” But he cannot remember the melody—there are many compositions with a similar title, and it must have been ages since his last listen.

“At a certain part—bars 162 to 168 if I recall correctly—there is a climax where the notes spell out Agathe’s name as A-G-A-H-E. H was the name for the B key in his local nomenclature.”

“Ah, how creative,” he smiles. "H is rather rare to hear of, and for him to use it to form a word in his song speaks of his genius."

"I agree. It's honestly touching to find a way to write someone's name to your song."

"But why do you tell me this story, Child of Man," he asks.

"So I bring up this story because it is one favorite love story of mine. Something about it tugs at my heart the way that most stories don't. I always wondered why. Maybe it could have been because I never understood it. I never had to go through that sort of experience. Or maybe at the time, I never understood love of that magnitude."

They place a hand on their chest. "But I understand now. It’s the fact that he did not have her. He wanted her. But life couldn’t let him have her."

They face him. Their eyes sparkle of a spirit that had been hurting inside. A fiery frustration, an ice cold sadness, a whirlwind of bitterness. For the first time, he understands why eyes are the windows to the soul. They're young, yet their gaze holds an intensity of a hundred years' worth of hurt.

“You don't understand how many things in this life I wanted but cannot have for myself." A shake of their head accompanies their words. "This love that I have right now, this silly little love," their hand clenches into a fist as they turn away from him, "irritates me for that reason. I can’t have him, I don’t think I can. Yet why do I want to grasp for one more thing that I can’t have?"

They pause. They put their hand down.

"Child of Man," he speaks up. "Why don't you just leave him behind? It sounds as if he tortures you."

They let out a chuckle. It's breathy, it's hard to tell if they were amused or annoyed. “Because see, there is so much more to it. You know Oedipus?"

"Of course I do." The question almost offends him, but he lets it slide. They're a dear friend, after all.

They nod. "Oedipus, the man fated to kill his father and marry his mother. There was something he wanted, what was it?"

"To deny that the prophecy foretold about him came to light. His mother and father also took measures to ensure that the prophecy does not come to light."

"Exactly. And he failed."

They stop. The door to their dorm stands in front of them. It surprises him for a moment. He didn't realize how invested he is in the conversation until now.

"I've come to realize that at their core, tragedies are what they are because it's a story of someone who wants to go against family, community, or divinity, but does not succeed. He can be stopped, but he'd refuse to let what they say rule over him. And you know? There’s something oddly thrilling about that."

He raises both brows. "Really now?"

"Knowing that you’re fighting a losing battle, yet willing to fight in hopes that you can grasp a slim victory. Maybe astrology class will tell me to give up, but why should I? Maybe I am not meant to be with him. Maybe I'm destined for something else. But who is to stop me from seeing how far I can truly go?"

He says nothing.

“Maybe liking him hurts me. Maybe pursuing him is torture. But..." They look at him directly once more. There is something else in their eyes now. The frustration, the sadness, the bitterness remain, but there's a new light. A glint of determination.

"I don’t care what destiny has planned for me. I want to see how much I can fight it until the curtain call. I want to fight against an ending that seems set in stone.”

They blink. Suddenly, the sparkle from their eyes disappear. Away from their emotions, awake to their reality. "Ah! Sorry, tsunotarou. I rambled too much. I hope you weren't bothered by my answer."

“Worry not,” he answers. “Your answer was not bothersome at all. In fact," he smiles, the widest he's smiled tonight, "I find you rather intriguing now.”

#twisted wonderland #twst #malleus draconia

[ristoranteivorykeys]

your kisses with him – headcanon

- ͙۪۪̥˚┊❛ 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭: valentines kisses ❜┊˚ ͙۪۪̥◌ ft. heartslabyul, savanaclaw, and octavinelle

╰┈➤ 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: noooo what do you mean i’m ignoring my requests for indulgent writings, what are you talking about–– shot but in all seriousness, happy valentines day!! i wanted to experiment a little with this type of writing since i felt like doing my usual format for hcs won’t be able to convey what i really want to convey, if that makes sense. originally, i was supposed to do for all student characters, but my mind blanked out from friday to sunday. i might do scarabia to diasomnia next month in celebration for white day, so if you like this, look forward to that!! ╰┈➤ 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: @mobagehelllocal for the idea!!

He’s direct. He kisses you without stopping himself, but his lips touch yours like a rose petal touching the ground. Soft. Light. Not completely touching. His hands slightly tremble as they cup your cheeks, as if trying to hold a rose stem.

He pulls away, a respectable distance from you. Grey eyes quiver while gazing at you, the eyes of an Alice lost in her way in this Wonderland and not a Queen of Hearts who commanded the room.

You smile.

It’s okay, you silently say before placing your lips on his. A muffled yelp leaves his mouth. Shocking. Pleasuring. Loving. He tastes of tea and tarts. Innocence’s sweetness made its home in his tongue, and you’re making a visit to experience it. But then you taste something else. Ineffable, yet you knew. A subtle bitterness, a note of lost childhood. He sighs in content. You feel his smile on your own.

Sugar and spice filling your nose. The hum of the oven. Sticky fingers and dusty aprons. You lean on the messy island from a long day baking. It’s done. It’s finally done.

A sudden sensation. It’s as startling as the prick of a thorn but soft as a petal. You whip your head. In your vision, he chuckles, a sound rich like chocolate ganache. You pout at him. That’s not enough. He comments about spoiling you too much.

You pout even further. Unsatisfied. Needy. Emotions that almost put you in a mad daze.

You pull his apron towards you, strong enough that he follows along. Chocolate-covered lips smack his. He tastes of a busy bakery whose scent wafts around the neighborhood, beckoning people to come and have a taste of such sweetness. Your tongue chases for that sweetness. A deep amused hum rumbles from his throat. Then his tongue overtakes yours.

Hands tangled in his hair. Moans leaving his throat. Teeth grazing your lip. Your tongues dance like feet on a disco floor. Spontaneous. Stimulating. Seducing. Perhaps there are passers-by, but the world no longer matters except the spotlight illuminating you and him. His taste reminds you of car rides under sunset skies. Where music blasts from speakers. Where you sing at the top of your lungs until your voices can’t take it anymore. Passionate. In the moment. Hoping for forever.

But knowing that forever does not exist.

Your lips pull away, letting yourselves breath. But a string of saliva hangs between you two. A manifestation of both your desires for connection.

Your back presses against the stone wall. Arms trap you, blocking your escape. A victorious smirk graces that annoyingly pretty face. The ace is his.

He moves closer until his grin touches your pouty lips. His tongue pushes to enter your mouth, but you block the entrance. This game is not yet over, and you are far from done.

Hands grabbing his hair. Your teeth biting his lower lip. A startled sound leaves his throat immediately followed by a groan. Your tongue traces the mark on his lip, tasting a hint of cherries. A sweetness unbefitting his brattiness, and yet reminding you of a child’s innocence and immaturity.

A mistake you made. He takes his chance and inserts his tongue in your mouth. The cherry taste mixed with hints of artificial flavors takes over your senses. But you aren’t going down so easily. Fighting back, your tongues battle for dominance. Persistent. Frustrated. Determined. Needy mouths refuse to stop until a victor comes out on top.

Your warm breath mingles with his. The distance is so small, yet his lips feel so far. He just needs one more inch. But it seems that it’s a leap he can’t make.

You close the gap. It’s short. Probably less than two seconds. But you briefly taste sunny side up eggs served by mom on sunny Saturday mornings.

Lips part. Yet the distance is still small, the craving for that nostalgic taste keeping you close to him. Was it good, he asks. Eyes that have always been your clear skies are now cloudy with nervousness. You smile. You lean to give him a small peck. Please do it again.

Clouds dispel. His eyes are clear skies once more, the light of joy rivaling the sun. He leans to give another kiss, but this time, longer lasting.

Sheets have long been tossed to the floor. Strong arms wrap around you as lips encase yours. Unprepared. You were unprepared for the loud sounds of sucking and bilabial clicks of your lips. You were unprepared for his tongue entangling in yours. You were unprepared for his fangs that are greedy for your taste.

There’s a hint of today’s popular meaty meal in the kiss. A king that feasts on anything, a glimpse of wealth on your tastebuds. Soon, your lungs start aching, and you move to stop and breathe. But his hold on you tightens. His lips are on yours again.

Greedy. Needy. You almost groan in annoyance. Almost. For somehow, in the midst of the passion, you remember. A king can’t rule alone. Perhaps that loneliness caught up with him. So just this once, you’ll indulge him, losing yourself in the heat of his kisses.

Sweaty. Sticky. Your skin is moist and heated. From the dry air? From the kiss? From both?

Moans leave your lips. Your legs continuously move until they intertwine with his legs. A tug of your hair, and your moans grow louder. Pain and pleasure mixed as one. You tug on his hair, and his reaction is the same. Somehow, the sound spurs you to deepen the kiss. Your tongues chase for each other, like dogs chasing for the nearest pond. You crave for the sweetness he has. Donuts. Your taste buds are overwhelmed with the taste of cheap dough and sugary glaze. A hint of cheap chocolate. You absentmindedly wonder how much he has to work to buy the treats he loves.

He pulls away to let himself breathe, a smirk eventually forming on his face. Congratulating you or mocking you, you couldn’t quite tell. Not bad, he says. And he comes back to your lips. His hunger and thirst for you has not been quenched yet.

His body pressing you down against the mattress. Your legs wrapped around his waist. His lips gently plant themselves on every inch of your face. One kiss. Two. Three. Every kiss holds the same care that a gardener gives to his plants. Seeds of love placed on your skin to remind you that you are his, now and forever.

His mouth finally encases your lips. A thirst finally quenching your parched desires. His kiss is fresh fruit drinks on a day where the hot sun bathes your skin. Cool citrus flavors coat your tongue. Refreshing. His kiss tastes refreshing. And even when he pulls away to let you breathe, the taste of citrus remains in your mouth.

The cold air tickles your skin, yet your body feels warm. The hum of the air conditioner in the room accompanies the melody of the kiss you two share on his chair.

His arms around your waist. Your hands buried in his hair. Smooch. Your sounds of kissing along with his sighs bring you deeper and deeper in the kiss. Was this the sailor’s thoughts when he hears the siren’s call?

Push. Pull. Push. Pull. His lips and tongue move to the rhythm of the waves lapping on a shore. His taste… you can’t quite tell what it is. You taste spices and herbs, sugars and salts. A taste with variety, as abundant as his talents.

Lungs ache. But you don’t leave. You can’t leave. For he beckons you to draw closer, to never leave his side.

Your moans filling the room. His teeth grazing your lip. His tongue entangled in yours, all to please you.

You hold his head closer to you. More. You need more. Please give me more, you beg through the tracing of your tongue on his top lip. Shocking. Addicting. Intoxicating. His taste is a marriage of the sea and the land, a saltiness mixed with earthy flavors. Sparks dance on your lips, coursing through your veins until it reaches your heart. Like a lightning that pierced through your chest, only it felt so good that you drown in the feeling.

You don’t care if you sink to the pleasure that his silver tongue brings. You need more. You’re addicted.

Tight. His limbs around you are tight as he pins you to the bed. His tongue dominates yours, entwining it as if a physical manifestation of binding yourself to him.

You taste so many things that it overwhelms you. A hint of takoyaki, a dash of chips, a note of candy. It leaves you heady, and you want more of it until you can no longer breathe.

You flinch. His teeth dig into your lip. There’s a new taste now, a coppery flavor from the wound he created. It excites your taste buds, and the pain adds a new depth of pleasure. You moan. You grasp onto him. Holding him close and bringing him down with you in this sea of ecstasy.

#ristoreblogs #aaa ;A; almost 2.5k notes!!! #oh to be able to write like this once more ;A; i almost envy my past self

[ristoranteivorykeys]

Your fem-Azul oneshot had me in shambles. I am slamming my credit card on the table, begging and crying for Miss Azul Ashengrotto to spend more time with me. Your writing is so fabulous to read!

[fem!Azul oneshot can be read here! nsfw warning, minors do not read.]

it is always morally correct to hand over your credit card to miss azul ☺️💳 it is simply the right thing to do.

but in all seriousness, thank you so much!!!! 🥺🥺🥺 it’s my first time writing smut so i was not expecting any messages or compliments with this piece to be honest 😭 you really made my day with your kindness. i’ll be sure to improve more in the nsfw department though!!! need to find a way to get more people invested

#messages

[ristoranteivorykeys]

her contract with you — oneshot (nsfw)

you make a deal with azul where you should make her come in two minutes.

ft. fem!azul x reader

╰┈➤ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: lewd nsfw for 18+, minors do not interact; intended for all characters to be aged up, but do not interact if you are uncomfortable with lewd nsfw of a second year

╰┈➤ 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬: cunnilingus

╰┈➤ 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: very self indulgent. i want to try out something new! and this is the result (°▽°). first off, sorry that i’ve been inactive for a while. writing hasn’t come to me easy. this isn’t a sure sign that i will be active again, but i will update from time to time! secondly, thank you guys so much for the 1k followers??/!:!! (≧∀≦) i gained so much followers just from those kiss headcanons alone, it’s pretty funny. thirdly, this is my first nsfw, so please by all means, feel free to comment on what i can improve on.

Goosebumps raise on your skin as Azul comes closer with a black band in her hand. You shiver as she places the band on your eyes, blocking out all light and sight from your view.

“My, look at you, already excited just from the blindfold,” she coos. You can hear the smirk in her voice, a sweet and seductive tone that excites you at your core.

“We’re just getting started, my dear〜.”

In a second, you find yourself pushed down onto the bed. With your sight blocked out, your senses are sharpened, all too aware of the way the bed shifts with Azul climbing on top of you and the arousal in your core as she sits on your crotch. As her hands roam on your bare chest, you shudder once more from both the coolness of her skin and the anticipation for what’s to come.

“Remember our contract, my dear,” she speaks once more. “Two minutes to–”

“Yeah of course,” you answer hastily. You can’t handle anymore talk at this rate. Your fingers are itching to hold her, and your mouth is watering for the taste of your girlfriend.

“How impatient, I wasn’t even given the chance to finish what I was saying,” Azul remarks. But both of you know that she isn’t complaining. She’s just as impatient as you.

You feel her sit up to move forward until you feel the areas of the bed on both sides of your head dip from her weight. You can only imagine the glorious sight that should be in front of you: Azul kneeling on top of you, silver hair tied in a bun, blue bespectacled eyes alight with lust, and clad in only her white long-sleeved buttoned down dress shirt and lace black panties. Your hands itch to take off your blindfold.

But the sound of panties sliding down her thighs halts all temptation. All thoughts vanish from your mind as the heat of her core teases your chin. But she doesn’t sink any lower, the lips of her clit far from your skin. A sudden reminder of the situation that you’re in.

“You’re not thinking of taking off that blindfold, are you?”

Great Seven, you can hear the cock of her eyebrow and the crossing of her arms in her voice. You long to see how sexy she looks, but taking off the blindfold would be a breach of contract, enough to break the deal and end the night too soon. “No, no of course not,” you lie, impatience and just a bit of desperation leaking out of your words. “I’m a good client, I swear.”

A pause lingers between you and her.

“Good.” You can imagine Azul’s smile and nod. “And lucky for you, I love obedient clients.”

And without wasting any second, she takes her seat on your face.

The smell of her sex penetrates your nose. Her thighs squeeze your face. She leaves you heady. She renders your brain incapable of thinking. All rationality vanishes. Primal instinct remains and demands for one thing and one thing only: to pleasure her.

You immediately get to work. Your hands grip her ass, as if pressing her closer to you. Your tongue, impatient from waiting for this long-awaited feast, starts licking every inch of her pussy, from her bud to her hole. By the Sea Witch, she’s gushing. And you love it. You love that Azul made all this sweet nectar just for you—and only you—to lap up and drink.

“A-ah…” Quiet moans and sighs spill from her. Azul’s lips must be parted ever so slightly, glistening with moisture. Her cheeks must be glowing pink, and her eyes are surely closed as she relishes in the pleasure.

“You… you have a minute left, my dear,” she utters. There’s a breathless quality to her voice now, but it’s not enough for you. She’s still rational enough to call you ‘my dear’.

You encase her bud with your lips and suck. Azul gasps, shuddering from the sudden shot of pleasure. In your mind’s eye, you can see the way her eyes and lips widen before melting into an even more pleased expression. The thought excites you, so much so that heat rushes to your core. You grip her more tightly as you lap her up more.

Faster, is the only thought in your head. Faster, until she cums.

“Hah…!” Her moans grow louder from your ministrations. Azul starts to move, grinding her hips on your face. Oh, you could feel your lips curl up into a grin from glee. She’s starting to lose it if she’s moving like this and letting out such sounds. She’s chasing for the peak of her pleasure.

“You’re… you’re doing so… ah, right there! Agh, darling, you feel so good…!”

It’s your turn to moan. Azul’s breathless darling leaves you almost electrified, sparks dancing on your skin. She’s lost in the midst of her ecstasy, and more goosebumps rise on your skin in anticipation of the words and sweet nectar that will spill from her lips and core.

“Oh, you’re so good, darling, please don’t stop, don’t stop at all. I taste so good, don’t I? I prepared all this for you to enjoy, darling. Ah…! Please oh please go faster…!”

Her body starts shaking in your hold. Her hips start moving in an irregular and quicker pattern.

In response, your tongue moves faster. You apply more pressure on her bud, eagerness for what’s about to come building up in your core.

“A-ah…! Darling, I’m- I’m about to… ahh!”

You hold Azul tight, sucking her clit as her body shakes. Her thighs squeeze your head, and her loudest moans fill the room. More juices gush out of her pussy, pouring as a torrent that splatters all over you and the sheets. You’re left a damp mess, both on your face and in your underwear.

She soon calms from her high, her movements slowing down until she stops completely. For a few seconds, the two of you allow yourselves to breathe and pant.

The cold air of the room suddenly hits your face as you feel her moving away from you. Already, you miss her, and you don’t suppress any groans of complaint.

“Don’t worry, I’m not leaving you just yet, my dear,” Azul says with amusement. She sounds tired, yet she retains a signature elegance in her voice.

Suddenly, you remembered the contract that she made with you before eating her out. “Oh, so… I succeeded in making you cum in two minutes?” Your eyebrows raise from under the blindfold.

“Well… truthfully, I lost count,” she answers sheepishly. “But it doesn’t matter now.”

Azul leans to your lips, leaving a little peck on them. The sudden sensation on your lips causes you to jolt, your heart starting to race in anticipation for what this means.

“I enjoyed that much more than any of my work,” she adds. “And I should reward such a good darling for that〜”

#twisted wonderland #twst #azul ashengrotto #twst x reader #nsfw

[ristoranteivorykeys]

twst mermay 11 — hobbies

after hearing about styx taking away the ob boys, jade can't bring himself to go back to the mountains.

ft. jade leech & floyd leech

╰┈➤ 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: spoilers for chapter 6; waahhh i'm back from the dead ;^; june has been horrible to me, but i'm back to writing and aiming to finish mermay~ i really like to play around with jade's feelings about azul (platonic mostly, but i like romantic too owo), and you'll see a little bit of that in this fic. some future jade fics will be about jade's relationship with azul as well. i admit that this sort of strayed away from the theme of hobbies, but well, when have my fics ever truly followed the prompt? :P regardless, i hope you enjoy!

╰┈➤ 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐨: mermay masterlist

Jade’s backpack that was filled with mountain gear waited on the floor by his bed, and his clothes sat on top of his bed near the backpack, hoping to be worn. Minutes ago, he was going to change into them and start his usual solo club activities in the mountains. 

He’s supposed to change into his hiking clothes. He was planning on finding this rare fungi that he heard about recently. He had been excited for this all week. The fungi only grows in Sage Island once every twenty years, and he can’t miss it!

Yet he didn’t have the energy to even get up from where he sat on his bed. He couldn’t even think about the chilly breeze and flora of the mountains. His mind was somewhere else.

“Jade, Jade!” Kalim yelled over the phone. 

Jade nearly dropped his phone from the sudden loud voice blaring in his ear, but he successfully kept his grip on it. His honeyed smile that he was so notorious for dropped in the blink of an eye. Replacing it was an honest look for once, surprised wide eyes that wondered what was going on. It’s not that he’s never heard Kalim panic before, it’s just that the panic had an extra layer of urgency and fear that he never imagined his voice would contain.

“What is it, Kalim?”

It’s dark in the room, a deceptive dim veil that tricks the body to think that it’s 10 in the evening and not 4 in the afternoon. In Octavinelle, no sunlight entered the building, so students got their light through their lamps. Jade didn’t bother turning on his lamp. 

He’d rather have it off. If the lamp was on, Jade would be angry that something dared to be bright when things felt so dark. 

“There’s… there’s an emergency,” Kalim frantically replied. His voice sounded out of breath, like he had been running around. He probably did run around. “School’s been attacked, people were taken, you gotta go to the Headmaster’s office!”

“Come again, Kalim? The school was attacked?” He put his other hand to his phone, as if pressing it more to his ear would let him hear Kalim better and magically understand what he was saying. His frown deepened. 

“Yeah! You didn’t hear the explosions? Oh whatever, just go to the office already!” 

He sat on his bed, his back straight, hands on his lap, and feet placed together neatly. He appeared to be the perfect definition of “sit up straight”, the kind of gentleman that ladies would remark on for his top tier manners and make other men angry at him. He was still, unmoving, almost frozen in time. He’s supposed to go outside and hike the mountains. He’s telling himself to stand up. The mountains are a great place to destress, and it would soothe his nerves. 

But he couldn’t. Not when everything seemed so dark, not when everything seemed so cold. Coral Sea is the very definition of dark and cold, uninhabitable for most creatures, but home for him. He could trap himself in a freezer and live, he would laugh at those panicking in the dark. Yet this darkness is not like the depths of the sea. There’s uncertainty in these waters that he never thought he’d be pulled into. Uncertainty that he hated. For a moment, he wondered if this was the sensation that humans felt when they drowned. 

“Kalim, shouldn’t you be calling Azul for this,” Jade asked. 

And just as the words left his mouth, the answer hit him. The realization was a cold weight that dropped in his chest. It froze his voice, it tightened his chest, it almost burned. 

It’s not that he can’t lead—Jade is capable of being a vice dorm leader. But as vice, he’s used to being the second; all concerns go to the dorm leader first. Rarely would he be the most needed. 

Yet when he truly thought about it, Azul was always there. It’s like the little jazz trio that they had in middle school—Azul was always on time, coming in the piece even when Floyd went off the rails, even when Jade made a slight mistake or two. He’d always be in the music room even when the two of them would wander off somewhere. He was always there, filling the room with his music. He was always there, filling the twins’ days with entertainment. He was always there, filling Jade’s heart with overflowing warmth. 

Azul was always there. No, rather, Jade realized that he always relied on Azul being there. So much so that he never thought about the possibility of the piano not accompanying his bass and Floyd’s drums, about the possibility of Azul not being there. 

“Jade…” For once, Kalim’s voice, the voice that usually reassured and brightened the room, held no alleviating effect. It lost its light.

“I tried to call Azul. He wasn’t picking up… I think he was taken.”

Jade’s eyes blinked. Faint footsteps echoing from outside the hall, their rhythm all too familiar to his ears. Suddenly, he found the strength to stand up from his bed. Suddenly, he found the little motivation needed to start changing into his hiking attire. 

The door creaked open. The lamp was lit, and Jade’s dorm clothes were no longer on his person. He stood in his boxers, turning to see Floyd enter their shared room. He was chewing, and it seemed to be a crunchy snack from the sounds he made. Probably some chips he raided from the kitchen.

“Ehh? You’re still gonna do your mushroom hunting,” Floyd asked with a raise of a brow and a bit of disgust in his tone. His mouth was still full.

“Of course. I still have to fulfill my club hours,” Jade answered as he picked up his pants, not looking at his brother. 

“No one’s continuing their clubs now, y’know,” Floyd said, swallowing what he had been chewing before plopping down on his bed. 

“That’s because their club leaders decided it,” he replied, though he didn’t put on his pants, only holding onto them and staring at them. “I’m not bound by such arbitrary decisions as the only member of the Mountain Lovers Club. Besides, there is that fungi—”

He heard his twin sigh. It’s exasperated and tired. “Jade. You don’t have to pretend around me.”

Jade finally turned his head to look at Floyd. He smiled apologetically. It’s not happy, but it’s his first smile since the call with Kalim. “I’m sorry. Force of habit.”

#twisted wonderland #twst #jade leech #floyd leech #azul ashengrotto #twst mermay

[ristoranteivorykeys]

just finished reading your merschool fic <3! and the part where one of the mermaids said “How’ve you been? It’s been a while.”' made me think that she was about to flirt with azUL AND IT MADE ME HESITANT TO SCROLL DOWN FOR A MINUTE HAHAHDHAHAHAHA *cries*

[merschool fic can be read here!]

omg ahahahahahah oh dear XD i can imagine the secondhand embarrassment/nervousness you must have felt then! i'm glad you were able to finish reading the fic at least :D you certainly made my night with this ask. knowing that people still come back to read my works touches my heart. i hope you enjoyed it still.

a flirty bully though 🤔 i had entertained several thoughts in the past where bullies see current azul, and they just float in their spots as they realize in horror that the chubby octopus they bullied is now hot XDD now that would be something entertaining!

while i'm here, i know it's been so long since the last mermay 😭 my health hasn't been the best these past two weeks, but i still plan to finish the mermay list (merjune and merjuly now? xD). there are two in progress now, as make up for the quiet weeks. :'D

#messages

[ristoranteivorykeys]

Mermay 10 exploring what would happen if the octo trio doesn't take their human pills is such an AMAZING concept cause like they would die, but also, they're freaking huge, so imagine Ruggiero, who is a lot smaller than human floyd having to heave eel floyd is such an amusing thing to picture. But I do think Vargas should've given Ruggie extra credit, cause then floyd would've died and it would've been harry Potter all over again

thank you very much! it was an idea that i got from reading the latest chapter 6 update, where [slight spoilers for ch6 ahead] azul mentions that floyd would sometimes forget to take his potions, which keep them in human form for approx. a week to ten days. the way azul talked about it also implied that it was a gradual transformation, so floyd would slowly get his fins back but he wouldn’t necessarily be in his eel form completely. so i thought ‘huh what if floyd just . slowly transformed back at the wrong time?’

regarding the extra credit, admittedly, i was sleepy when writing the fic so my decision making skills were lacking to say the least 😂 idk, do teachers actually give students extra credit for saving another person’s life? i imagine that nrc faculty is told to discourage that kind of behavior to promote a sense of charity for others in their students (and does that work? mmmmmmm debatable). well, it’s up to you ultimately if vargas gave ruggie the extra credit or not. stories don’t end at the last word, they only end when the reader decides to stop imagining what happens next. 

#messages