To Have a Crush: Octavinelle
Warning(s): Gender-neutral reader, not proof-read, OOC
Notes: Guess who did, in fact, take longer to write this compared to the last two (three) parts?..Me…(╥_╥) Honey has no excuses except her procrastination got ahold of her.
Heartslabyul | Savanaclaw | Octavinelle | Scarabia | Pomefiore | Ignihyde | Diasomnia | Special
A deal forgone for the hope of love.
𐂠 Oh dear! Oh my! Another poor unfortunate soul has made their way into his lair. Now, what kind of miserable situation have you gone through to allow you to make your way to him? Really, he pities you. Tossed into an unknown world filled with foes with only a run-down dorm to your name and now having to deal with the troubles your own friends brought upon you? He really couldn’t help that a tiny corner of his heart became tinged with guilt…if only your misfortune had not benefited him so, he might’ve offered you a fairer deal. Standing before him with a pen in hand and a parchment in front, Azul smiled. How poor and unfortunate you are.
𐂠 That’s where your relationship should’ve ended.
𐂠 Sure, Azul expected you to come to him with a few more deals in mind. After all, once people taste something they like (or in this case, helps them) they can’t help but try it again. If that had been the case Azul would’ve happily offered you up another deal, though he would’ve been uncertain with what else you had aside from the dorm, but he would’ve been able to at least scrounge up something from you. But no, here he was before you revealing to you his most hideous state. An octopus merman whose only value to himself was his brain and whose only value to others was as their entertainment.
𐂠 Having been outwitted by you and your gaggle of friends, Azul despaired as the pieces of parchment holding his worth disappeared into the ocean’s embrace. And in that despair was rage, a rage that overtook him as he became a being that no one would laugh at. A hideous conglomeration of ink and desperation. And yet despite all his newly achieved power, Azul still feared the eyes of others. Fearing the scorn and laughter directed towards him on the surface of the eyes. Embarrassing, he’ll admit, but for a split second during his desperate attempt to retrieve his control, turned light fluorescent blue eyes met yours and a thought crossed his mind.
𐂠 Those eyes that held nothing but him, no laughter, no scorn, not even a single bit of pity. Azul wanted to see those eyes again. Looking at your back passing him by in the college’s dark stone hallways, he reaches out his hand. Hoping to maybe, just maybe, meet your eyes once again.
𐂠 An employee and their employer, that was where your relationship with him began anew. Offering you a position part-time at Mostro Lounge (partly out of gratitude for snapping him back to his senses), it was clear to the more perceptive employees how differently he treated you compared to them. The soft glances he sent your way when he believed no one was looking, the quickness on fending off customers who got a little too close for comfort, and the occasional free drink on the house after a particularly tiring day all pointed towards something else. Jade, out of amusement you’re sure, pointed these facts out to you with Azul calmly denying those allegations. You would’ve believed it…if you had not caught the man giving a quick glare at his childhood friend and the encroaching redness on his ears.
𐂠 Please, just give him a little more time to prepare himself for you.
𐂠 As a businessman, Azul’s failed thoroughly in the management of his feelings for yet he can not help them from overflowing. The octopus merman loves you, that much is certain, and while he’s not too afraid to show it (he’s gathered some ire due to his past dealings after all) he still wants to clear out any misgivings before properly confessing. Yet, as the closing time of Mostro Lounge drew near so to with it came a particularly rowdy customer. Normally Azul would’ve let Floyd or Jade handle the annoyance, he was less efficient than them in dealing with physical troubles, yet as the rude disturbance raised their hand up in order to strike you on the cheek, he moved. His lavender-gray coat blocking your vision as Azul gripped the wrist of the person, leaning close to their ear and muttering a silent threat, his voice more cold than ever. The color drained from their face as they hurriedly released their wrist from Azul’s hand and scurried off.
𐂠 Turning to look at you, he reached his hand out towards your cheek before pausing and letting it land on your shoulder. Dusting off some invisible dust particles with a face so honest with worry and affection that anyone looking on would have to wonder if it was really Azul before you now. It was a face even he didn’t know he was capable of making, yet the purple-blue eyes usually veiled with a calculating look and a smile masked in modesty showed only a pure affection for you alone.
“W-well I didn’t expect you to get to it first but this is certainly a welcomed surpris—NO!…ahem! I mean, yes…yes…I accept your confession.”
The love that shocked a cold heart.
𖦹 A passing piece of entertainment, that was your value to Jade from the moment he saw you in the Mirror Chamber. Even when you walked through the doors of Mostro Lounge with a confident, albeit worried, expression on your face. His opinion of you was merely that except now with the added bonus of pity. You’re quite unfortunate, you know that? Dragged by your friends into an unfair deal that could’ve been entirely avoided if only they hadn’t cheated (or perhaps worded their request a little more specifically?), your life certainly is worth the value he attached to it. It’d be quite unfortunate if you, who bravely barged into the Mostro Lounge and met his eyes with a fierce shine, became boring.
𖦹 And not once did you fail to meet his expectations.
𖦹 There were many times where Jade figured his interest in you would fade. After all, objectively, you’re nobody. Or to put it more lightly, if you were in a crowd of ordinary people, he wouldn’t have noticed you at all. But because you’re exceptionally normal amidst the abnormal, the eel merman’s interest was piqued. Though, now looking back at all that has happened, Jade feels like his initial assessment of you as ‘an ordinary human who’s occasionally fearless’ was wrong. After all, what kind of normal person would voluntarily commit a crime and face Azul’s tantrum all for the sake of their friends? The perpetrator may still be embarrassed about it but it’s given Jade a reason to approach you more closely for ‘apology’ purposes. But he’s certain you know by now that’s not why he keeps ‘bumping’ into you, hm?
𖦹 There’s very little that brings him greater joy than causing others discomfort. Many that attend Night Raven College can attest to this fact and yet somehow, the worst he’s ever done against you that has caused you direct or indirect problems or discomfort is stare at you for a second longer than usual. And with his friendly smile and courteous demeanor, he swiftly moves your attention away from that slip up for yet another casual conversation. As those conversations progress, you’ll come to realize you’ve spilled almost every last bit of information about you to him. Including your likes and dislikes, hobbies, friends, etc. Not like the eel merman didn’t already know it through dubious means but it’s worth the effort if it makes his actions later seem more acceptable in your eyes.
𖦹 So won’t you keep him company for a little while more?
𖦹 Excitement is not enough to describe the emotions you made him feel the more he got to witness your endeavors. Thrilling is too light for the rush that consumes his heart as you once again exceed where he thought you’d fail. Jade’s fallen for you, and he knows it well. What the merman figured would be a fleeting interest became something far more. He found himself staring at your back when you were taken away from him by your friends as they warily took a glance at him before hurrying away. He stares but does not reach out. His figure standing there amidst the hurried movement of other fellow students hoping to not be scolded by their professor for arriving late to class. And if you were to turn your head back to look, you’ll find him gone.
𖦹 The scheming eel is anything but morally righteous. It’s a fact he won’t deny. Jade’s certain your friends have warned you to not get close to him, to avoid him before it’s too late but…well, you’re too far deep now so might as well submerge yourself further down, no? The gifts he’s given you, the talks you’ve had, and all the time spent with him alone was all for his goal. With his eyes narrowed in delight that contrast the seemingly gentle smile he’s placed before you, Jade waits patiently for you to completely fall. Not like you’ll ever know how truly deep you’ve gone in the depths of his love.
“Oh my. I nearly lost my composure there for a moment. No, I’m quite alright. My excitement almost got the better of me but it’s fine now. Yes Perfect, I more than gratefully accept.”
Binding the heart in strings of love.
𓆙 Look! A shrimpy! Floyd’s impression of you was entirely just that, a shrimp. A poor shrimpy that lost its colony and now has to mingle with land, sky, and sea predators lurking around. One quick squeeze from him and you’d go pop! You’re pretty funny though, with those reactions of yours, so he’ll hold back from doing that for now. Unless he forgets then well, oops! Floyd doubts that’ll happen anytime soon though. Don’t got a clue on why he feels that way but, huh, looking at you as resilient yet weak as you are…well, you’re still a shrimpy. Facing him resolutely with your gaggle behind your back is one thing but you’re still nothing more than prey in a sea of predators. An interesting shrimpy but still just a poor shrimpy.
𓆙 A very interesting shrimpy.
𓆙 There’s not many people who can handle Floyd’s mood swings. The only ones who can could be counted on one hand and practically only consist of his family. You? You are the newest addition to that count. Congrats! Or maybe that’s a curse since it’ll damn you to a life where you’ll be dragged in to help calm Floyd down or direct his attention elsewhere before things go wrong. Most people pity you, Azul included, and it became more apparent when the businessman came to offer you five free coupon meals at the Mostro Lounge for “all the trouble Floyd will cause”. Jade only gave you a polite smile but you could swear you heard him chuckling after Floyd, once again, draped his entire body over you like he was a coat. You don’t really have a choice to move unless you want to drag Floyd with you as well so might as well accept your new life as a coat rack!
𓆙 If there’s a benefit of your newly assigned role, it’ll be that being with Floyd will never be boring. He rarely sticks to one thing for long and that shows in the activities he’ll drag you into participating with him. From watching him parkour on the rooftops of the college to being carried like a potato sack as he flees from his duties at Mostro Lounge, you can rest assured that your heart won’t stop pumping while you’re with him. It’s not like all days are like that though. Sometimes, when he’s feeling like it, you’ll find him sprawled on the grass complaining about his boredom. If you reach down your hand to help him up, the eel merman will pull you down and as you turn your head to the side to express your complaints or shock, you’ll find Floyd smiling and laughing as if he’s having the time of his life. Sprawled there on the ground with you as dirt and grass stick to both of your uniforms and hair.
𓆙 It’s so much fun whenever you’re around!
𓆙 Floyd likes you. He likes hanging around you. Teasing you about all the trouble you get yourself in. Dragging you into whatever he has in mind. You’re just the best! You’re still a shrimpy though. But upgraded even more to a super duper interesting shrimpy! Which is a big achievement considering it’s him of all people who thinks that. Sometimes though, whenever you’ve become a coat rack, you’ll catch a whiff of fresh laundry on him. As if he just cleaned his clothing despite it being only halfway through the school day. If asked, Floyd will simply grumble and complain that Jade made him do it. A few idiots haven’t learnt to keep their mouths shut about you so Floyd made sure they can. Not like you have to know. Just keep hanging out with him and everything will be just fine.
𓆙 Nothing’s off the table for moody eel when he decides it’s time to have fun. Not even you though he’s been scolded by Jade to be more ‘nice’ and ‘gentle’ about it. The like he had towards you had turned into love. Floyd’s not sure when it happened but it happened and that’s all that matters. So when he approaches you all of a sudden with no warning, don’t run away. Or well, if you do that’ll be pretty fun too but it’ll only delay the inevitable. With a joyful smile revealing his perfectly sharp teeth, he’ll confess his feelings for you plain and bare. No scheming and no planning, nothing but straightforward honesty. He loves you and that means there’s no chance of escape now that he’s got you in his clutches.
“Aw~, where you think you’re goin’ Little Shrimpy? Hee hee…wanna do it again? Won’t change the fact I love you but it’ll sure be a lotta fun!”
