Octomer Baby Development: A guide for new parents (Part 2)
Right after your bundle of joy is newly hatched, it may need some special attention that other mer babies may not need. Often clingy and fussy when left alone, Octomer hatchlings have interesting differences that make raising them an entirely unique experience.
PHASE 2─THE HATCHLING:
0-2 Months:
Your baby has just hatched, and the first thing to note is its absolutely tiny size. Don't fret, as Octomers grow rapidly and will soon surpass your palm. At this stage, octomers can barely crawl around and will cling to their parents' hand for support and mobility. As they get exposed to light, their chromatophores develop and more colored speckles/marks will continue to appear all throught their body.
3-5 Months:
Your child should be slowly introduced to mushed foods instead of relying on liquids. It is recommended to also start introducing them to different kinds of meat, like clams (de-shelled) and shrimp.
An octomer baby is slowly starting to gain stength in all its arms, which include their suckers. They will start crawling around and grabbing things, and though slow in their movements, they have quite a strong grip on things. If parents are worried about their children grabbing onto something potentially dangerous, it is recommended to lather on a thin layer of whale fat onto things so they aren't able to grip it with their suckers.
6-8 Months:
Big developments will be happening around this timeframe, not only your octomer baby will get (and will continue to get) a growth spurt from being about 6 1/2" (16.5 cm) to a whopping 19" (50cm) ! Their appetite will also increase accordingly, so be sure to stock up on plenty of foods like kelp, plankton juice, and crab meat.
Their syphon and ink sac are fully developed, too, so expect a couple of accidental ink spewings from your baby.
9-11 Months:
At this point, your healthy octomer baby will be around 25.20" (64cm) and, if they are a hybrid between any landfolk type, they'll start transforming into their other species type. If that is the case, it is recommended that you start introducing your mer to land and the respective aspects of it, like crawling, breathing air, and, eventually, walking and eating warm foods.
Your baby's chromatophores will also be fully developed, and as such, the distinct markings that they'll have for the rest of their life will be fully visible─though still faded. Their water jet and arms will also be fully mobile and your octomer will start to swim around and even 'walk' upright.
Hello!! I love all your stuff and wanted to show some appreciation ❤️🩷❤️🩷 Please Drink water, sleep, and take care of yourself (Azul too he needs it) ❤️🩷❤️🩷❤️
Anyway, Question - What was it like meeting Azul's family??? (If you met them before you and Azul got together, what was it like meeting them as Azul's partner??)
SUPER flash doodle of a dream i had in which the twst guys were going to a school trip and everything was the same BUT Azul was chubby and Yuu was practically falling over himself trying to flirt with him
For some reason the trip was being livestreamed and Yuu was getting cooked in the chat for being SO DOWN BAD (i specifically remember someone calling him a simp) and fumbling HARD
Anyways this Azul was more insecure than the usual and kept second-guessing Yuu's attempts to flirt but they got together in the end so yippee
Another part of the dream was abt how Azul's transformation potion got lost somehow and Azul transformed mid-outing so Yuu carried him to a pool area and while Azul was so embarrassed because nooo hes too squishy and big and yuu probably hates it but Yuu was on cloud 9 he was in his own romance novel setting
The dream had a ton more wacky things going on but thats not super relevant lmao byeee
This was the whole dream... Yuu was so desperate to get one singular chance he may have won the fumble-off of the century
Um so yeah Ursula and Azul's phantom were like uhh?? Jojo stands??? Familiars??? They were sentient but served Azul obviously and Ursula was like a guide or smth
Look man this dream is already getting fuzzy in my head im just trying to hold onto the drawable scenes
Summary: Against his better judgement, Yuu wants to bring Azul a meaningful souvenir from the scalding sands.
Word count: 2,322
Timeline: During/Post Al'ab Narya and Ch. 4. Pre Ch. 5
Pairing: Yuu Fujisaki x Azul Ashengrotto (one-sided), Azul Ashengrotto x Jamil Viper (one-sided)
AO3 Link: Here
Notes at the end
—
Loathe as he is to admit it, Minajael’s idea worked like a dream. Suddenly shop owners that gave Yuu suspicious looks and guarded answers were now all too eager to share their knowledge with him after sharing what he considered an embarrassing amount of information.
“Of course! You know what they say, the best way to get to a heart is through the stomach.” A vendor chuckles before they begin to list the ingredients to make Muhammara, and Yuu has to stand there, taking notes and donning his best attempt at a cheerful smile. “How's the boy you like? Does he like more spice? Or is he more of a sweets guy?”
Yuu grits his teeth. Having to share aspects about Azul to strangers feels like a betrayal of their friendship, but he pushes those feelings down for the sake of this endeavor. It's not like anyone will put two and two together anyways. “I… ah, I believe he actually would prefer a milder spice level. The last time he ate some curry our friend made he turned all red in the face…” He murmurs.
While in their stay at Scarabia dorm for the winter holidays Yuu had been able to, albeit reluctantly, taste Jamil's cooking— most of which was catered to Kalim's taste which apparently leaned towards milder flavours. Yet, for reasons that are obvious in hindsight, Azul once insisted on trying Jamil's personal curry batch once.
The aftermath was catastrophic. As soon as Azul took a spoonful into his mouth his expression shifted into one could only describe as instant and barely restrained regret. Floyd burst into laughter, and in-between his fit, he joked about how ‘he didn't know Azul could turn such a color’. Jade wasn't much help either, gleefully watching the Octomer from the sidelines as he feigned superficial concern for his friend. Poor Azul couldn't even open his mouth to speak. The way he scrunched up his face as if he'd sucked on an especially sour lemon was somehow etched in Yuu's memory despite not being able to visualize it. It was a vain effort to keep some modicum of decorum and pretend the food hadn't affected him, but Azul’s watery eyes and bitter frown were far too pronounced to hide. If it hadn't been for Kalim rushing off to get some milk from the kitchen and Yuu himself offering his own half-filled cup of water, he's sure everyone would've just watched Azul get completely overwhelmed.
“Then I'd recommend adding slightly more walnuts and pomegranate molasses. You can skip the chili paste and lower the paprika too, but don't remove the Aleppo peppers. They're what gives the dip that specific flavor.”
“Thank you… I'll keep that in mind.” Yuu scribbles the last of his notes onto the test notebook, then turns to Grim, who's sitting at one of the barchairs and eagerly digging into the red paste with a piece of the Pita they'd gathered the recipe for already. “Anything you noticed?”
“ ‘s got lime too!”
The vendor laughs awkwardly. “It's just a little extra I put in to balance out the flavors. It's not traditional, though.”
“Lime…” Yuu murmurs as he jots down the comment. He'd realized that, if the vendors cooperate, Grim was also more compelled to fill in the gaps and provide extra information. That and his discerning palate made it so that no ingredient was missing. Even those special ‘secret touches’ chefs kept to themselves.
Was it a little dirty? Maybe, but all is fair in love and war.
“Are you done with your little adventure?”
Yuu jumps a bit at the sudden voice coming from behind. Najma Viper, Jamil's little sister. “Ah- uh-... sorry, am I keeping you back?” He turns to see her in the eye as he hoists Grim back on one of his shoulders. “You can tell me if I'm being too much.”
Najma's eyes glimmer in what Yuu assumes is amusement. “My brother's pretty annoyed. But don't mind him, he's a square in his best days.” She reaches to wipe some crumbs off Grim's fur, careful not to stain the silk keffiyeh the Asim staff managed to come up with so the little direbeast wouldn't feel left out. “But you know, if you wanted to get culinary tips you could've just asked him directly. I'm sure he could arrange for you to go to the staff kitchens.”
“Eh—” Yuu's eyes shift to the side. Avoiding the younger Viper's far too discerning gaze. “Your brother and I aren't exactly on the best terms.” He shrugs.
It was true, after all. They didn't get along that well during the winter break. And after Jamil's overblot and Yuu's subsequent befriending of Kalim? They might as well be like water and oil. Not to mention Azul's crush on that guy.
Yuu would rather swallow rocks than ask him for help.
“I thought you said you were all friends.” Najma's expression becomes more stern. Now the family resemblance was evident, as Cater said before.
“I'm more of Kalim-kun's friend, actually.” Yuu sighs. “And besides, Jamil's busy as-is. I don't want to add another detour.”
The girl's eyes trace Yuu's face before she turns back to the main group, who are chatting amongst themselves besides a juice stand nearby. “Well, you're going to have to anyway. Your horned friend is not there anymore.”
“Tsunotarō?” She's right. Now that he's paying more attention Yuu could only count three people. And it's not like it's hard to notice Malleus isn't there. He is the tallest out of all of them, after all. Where could he have wandered to?
“That's troublesome.”
“Nah,” Najma flashes him a smile, all too knowing. “My bro's got it covered.” She sounds so proud of him, kind of sweet if she wasn't talking about Yuu's incredibly irritating love rival.
“Can't blame him after knowing how Kalim-kun is.” Yuu huffs out a smile in spite of himself. He can practically feel a younger Kalim rushing through the narrow paths of the bazaar, marvelling at every stall with glee while an annoyed Jamil follows closely behind. Kalim must've gotten lost constantly. Not to mention the possible…
Yuu shivers at the thought.
“Yup. Anyways, I gotta go, but good luck with your Gourmet club book thingy! And by the by, it really wouldn't hurt to ask. My brother's a hard-ass, but he's pretty helpful when he wants to be. Buh-bye!”
With that, Najma hops out towards the rest, probably to announce about her departure to her brother. “Y'know, you really gotta ask Jamil.” Grim mentions, his tail curling up to Yuu's neck. “She's right he's usually pretty helpful. And besides, I don't even get why you hate him so much.”
Yuu glowers slightly. Obviously, he can't tell Grim about his crush lest he blabbers to whomever is nearby, but also he doesn't think he'd understand his reasoning regardless. “That's personal, Grimmy. Don't get involved.”
“Fgnahh?! What is that supposed to mean?! I demand you tell me!!” Grim's claws tug at his hair slightly, but he can't break into a full-on tantrum when Jamil quickly approaches the two.
“Camel Bazaar tour is over. Let's go.” He barely gives the two a once-over before he turns heel and briskly walks back to Cater and Trey, fully expecting Yuu to follow.
Ugh.
“Alright… let's go.” Yuu grumbles, but he really has no choice but to go with the others. He also has no option but to ask the Asim staff for help. The notebook's still barely full after all. As Jamil steers them through the crowded streets towards another area of the city, though, Yuu thinks that maybe it'd be best to wait until Kalim is back to make his request. He really doesn't want to get Jamil involved in this. He'd rather die, actually.
As they make their way through the pathways towards their next location, Yuu starts to notice the change in architecture. From humble stalls packed together in little rows to more luxurious, spacious shops and even boutiques. He mentally thanked himself that they’d already covered most souvenirs at the Camel Bazaar— at least regarding Grim’s own keepsakes.
It does take a couple of minutes, but they arrive at what looks like a large roofed neighborhood that’s lined by a more varied arrangement of businesses, from clothing shops to cookware and even jewelry. Yuu shivers as they walk by one of the more expensive-looking stores. Even breathing feels like it would cost at least ten Thaumarks. Unsurprisingly, finding Malleus amongst the crowd isn’t all too hard. His stature and the bright teal headdress was more than enough to spot him. No horns needed.
“Hey, Tsunotarō.” Yuu jogs his way up to him in front of the group, waving at the prince to catch his attention amongst the various people surrounding them. “Why’d you wander off?”
“Ah, Child of Man.” Malleus smiles easily, reaching his arm out to wade through the crowd and meet Yuu in the middle. “Did I stray too far? I was so absorbed with browsing the selection of products in this area. As much as I enjoy sampling the fruit at the Bazaar, I’m afraid I am more interested in gathering more durable gifts for my dormmates.”
Yuu merely nods in agreement. He did keep them at the Bazaar for quite a while, it would’ve been just a matter of time until somebody got bored and decided to explore on their own. “Yeah, sorry about that.”
“No need to apologize.” Malleus nods his head slightly as his own form of reassurance. “You two seemed to be quite entertained with your research, I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“Hey, Tsunotarō!” Grim perks up from his perch on Yuu’s shoulders. “Ya found something cool? I wanna see!” He tries to climb his way from Yuu to Malleus’s arm, but the fae takes a step away from Grim’s paws.
“Don’t do that, Grimmy.” Yuu grabs his friend by the belly, catching and holding him in his arms. “You need to ask for permission before getting on someone’s shoulders. We talked about this.” Grim wriggles around defiantly, but eventually gives up as Yuu’s grip tightens.
“No fair! Tsunotarō’s taller! I wanna see what’s out there!!”
“I said. No.”
Malleus merely sighs out a chuckle, leaning towards the direbeast with a teasing glare. “You should know better than to defy your master, Grim. He’s already been kind enough to carry you on his shoulders during our walk through the Camel Market, no? It would sure be a shame if Yuu put you back in the ground and you got swept by the crowd, wouldn’t it?”
Grim’s full-body shiver at Malleus’s thinly veiled threat doesn’t fail to crack a smile on Yuu’s face, and it is a satisfying enough reaction that Malleus leans back. “Don’t tease him. He’s just upset he can’t sightsee with all these people around.” He gently chides, nudging his friend slightly. He still doesn’t get why everyone’s so scared of Tsunotarō, it’s not like he’s the only prince in NRC. “All he can see is a wide assortment of shoes and anklets.”
“Is that so…?” Malleus’s face becomes more pensive, then smiles once more as he takes Grim from Yuu’s arms and places him on a singular shoulder. “Perhaps I’ll indulge you today. Enjoy the view while you can.”
When Jamil and the others catch up to them, Yuu can’t help but relish in his mortified expression.
“What… Is Grim–”He carefully starts, but Yuu waves a dismissive hand at him.
“Grimmy just wanted to feel tall. Tsunotarō is okay with it.” Malleus nods in agreement, holding Grim steady by the paws when the direbeast wobbles slightly and grabs onto his horn for stability.
Thankfully, a carefree laugh coming from behind eases the collective shock of the group.
“That’s so cute! You wanna get on my shoulder too, Grim?” Kalim, who was just a couple steps behind Briar Valley’s heir apparent, pokes Grim’s cheek, having to tip-toe to reach him at that height.
“Hghh- no, I’m good here!” As Grim finally catches onto the teasing, he turns around indignantly and pouts, hiding his face on Malleus’s Keffiyeh.
Now that everyone was there and accounted for, Yuu’s attention shifted to the much more varied offer of products at the market. He should probably think about getting some souvenirs for his other friends, right? It’d be rude to only bring one person something. It’s not like his crush on Azul was a secret from the Adeuce duo, but he should at least not be that obvious about his bias. Plus, he should get Kunak a proper gift, too.
He’d been so good to him even when going after his Housewarden, plus he was their only other member of the Gourmet Club and was Grim’s defacto babysitter. Giving him the raw draft of his culinary investigation felt a bit too callous.
Maybe some spices? That shouldn’t break the bank. So he takes the opportunity to peruse the shop nearby when Cater and Kalim spot it.
“You’re not seriously considering giving Lils spices, aren’t you?” Cater warns when he notices Yuu starts to take a few steps towards the doorway. “You heard Malleus-kun. It’s definitely not a good idea to poke the beast– err, dragon.”
“Nah, I’m getting some for Kunak-kun. He’s the first year I told you about.”
“Ah! The one who’s in your club, right?” Kalim chimes in. “That’s sweet. Jamil will help you pick if you wanna!”
Yuu and Jamil meet eyes when Kalim mentions the idea, and they both visibly cringe.
“I’ll be fine, thanks.” Yuu forces out a smile and pats Kalim’s back. “He’d probably appreciate it more if I chose it personally.”
Plus, if he were to also get spices for Azul…
Wait, no. Focus.
But… It wouldn’t be a bad idea either… just a back-up gift, he thinks.
If his budget allows it.
Sevens, he's going to go broke at this point.
Notes:
Kunak, aka Kunak Cacha is an original character of mine twisted from Kronk from the Emperor's New Groove. He is a first-year in Octavinelle and Mostro Lounge's uncer-chief cook! He'll probably have a minor role in this fanfic if I choose to write a scene in the Gourmet Club... who knows.
Also here's the old Chapter 1 visual! It was drawn a couple years ago so style isn't consistent, and since the chapter order + some scenes have changed, it's kind of obsolete. I still think it's cute though so I thought I might include it :^)
Summary: Against his better judgement, Yuu wants to bring Azul a meaningful souvenir from the scalding sands.
Word count: 3,194
Timeline: During/Post Al'ab Narya and Ch. 4. Pre Ch. 5
Pairing: Yuu Fujisaki x Azul Ashengrotto (one-sided), Azul Ashengrotto x Jamil Viper (one-sided)
AO3 Link: Here
Notes:
Sorry for the wait!! I did the last tweaks of editing in AO3 before uploading her and then I sort of... forgot lol. Tumblr's formatting isn't very fanfic friendly, alas.
More notes at the end
—
“So… how is it?” Yuu hums as he watches Grim practically inhale a slice of Manakish from a stall nearby. He did feel bad for stalling the others, insisting on buying a ‘snack’ each time they came across a different shop or café, but this was the only way Yuu could think of gathering authentic recipes.
“Tasty!” Grim chirps, and Yuu's face falls.
“C'mon, you gotta be specific. That's part of the deal.” Yuu sighs, placing his hand over Grim's head. “Help me out this once, Grimmy.” He pleads, and the cat direbeast's ears flatten, and he does seem guilty for a second. Just a second. “Couldn't taste it well enough. I need another slice.” Grim sets his foot down and folds his arms, as if his word was final. “Buy me another one, henchman!”
Yuu can't help but inhale sharply at his painfully predictable response, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Grim—” This couldn't possibly be sustainable. As Yuu looked at the sparse notes on the test notebook, he'd barely be able to fill a quarter of it if they kept his pace. And even worse, run out of savings for the month. But he had made up his mind already, he wanted this recipe book to work. It was what Azul deserved. “… Fine. But this is the last time you get seconds. I don't have enough money to spare.” His voice barely hardens, if there was anybody in Twisted Wonderland he couldn't deny, Grim would definitely be it.
As Yuu handed the vendor another 5 Thaumark bill, Yuu couldn't help but give the lady a pleading look while she diligently served another slice of the pastry. “Can't you really tell me anything about the recipe? It's just for school, I promise. I'm from the gourmet club of Night Raven College, you see‐”
“I'm sorry. But it's a family recipe.” The vendor cuts Yuu off before he can repeat his speech and hands the Manakish over to him, sparing no sympathy. “Can't share it around.”
Of course. Even if the recipient lives thousands of miles away. “Yeah, yeah. I get that” He takes the paper plate down to Grim's level.
This was, what, the 7th time he'd gotten that answer? Yuu understood that people would be protective of their business, but this was ridiculous. At least some stall owners had been kind enough to share one or two recipes, and others, though insistent on keeping the details secret, agreed to give the basic ingredient list after he'd bought from their stall. Was it really that risky to tell a random student from abroad just the smallest bit of information? Yuu always thought food brought people together, but with secrecy this tight, the only thing it'll end up doing is rip his wallet apart.
“Now, remember. You better tell me the flavors you taste. Or I swear I'll cut our tuna can budget for this month and the next to make up for the losses.” Yuu chides as he hovers the Manakish right above Grim's reach and tries his hardest to give him a menacing glance. He used to be so good at intimidating others before, it was ridiculous that this little cat-thing had gotten him so soft.
“Fgnahh?! You can't do that!! I'll starve!!”
“Then you better start doing your part of the deal, got it?” Yuu points an accusatory finger, but is quickly distracted by someone else placing a paper plate of little meatball-shaped biscuits on the table.
“Aw, don't be too harsh on the little guy. He looks like he could gain a few pounds.”
When Yuu gazes up, he finds himself looking at a hooded young man with an oddly familiar smirk on his lips. His clothes are modest enough to fool anyone who's not looking carefully, but Yuu can discern the small glint of golden jewelry underneath the unassuming attire. “Don't worry about paying me back. It's on me.”
He can't help but raise an eyebrow at the stranger's comment, but given his wallet's current situation, Yuu didn't really have much room to protest. “Don't believe the direbeast's act, he could eat an entire banquet and still be asking for seconds.” He pokes Grim's cheek and slides the plate before the little creature can set its paws on it, eliciting a disgruntled pout. “Hey!! Those were for me!!”
“Less munching and more talking, Grim.”
As Yuu clicks his mechanical pencil for some fresh lead, the stranger invites himself in and sits on their table, turning a chair around to lay his arms on the backrest. “If you're trying to get authentic recipes from the scalding sands, you'd be better off selling one or two of your bangles for information rather than going from shop to shop like a beggar.”
“Everything I'm wearing is borrowed. I can't just sell whatever I want.” Yuu scribbles a couple more words, taking a wooden skewer to bite on the meatballs bought by the stranger. Falafel. “So, what's up? Doing your good deed for the day? Or are you going to try and scam me off a fortune for these meatballs?”
The boy laughs, propping his face with one hand. “They're made from faba beans. Completely vegan and far tastier than meatballs.” He pops one into his mouth. “You and your friends stick out like a sore thumb. Everyone in the market was staring at you like some sort of celebrity. I was curious.”
As if to make a point, the coins in Yuu's clothes tingle as he shifts positions, and he can't help but sigh and lay his forehead over his palm. “Of course we do. I wouldn't have worn this if I had a choice.”
“Oh?”
It's true that the clothes the Asim estate had given everyone in their group was of pristine quality. The fabric was soft to the touch and despite the layers it was cool and breathable, not to mention the vibrant, crisp, and clean prints and delicate embroidered patterns at the sleeves. He wouldn't be surprised if they had used real gold thread either given Kalim's habitual splurging. Yet, this felt far too ostentatious for a simple walk in the market. No wonder everyone was so stingy. “It was a courtesy by our hosts. It would've been rude to refuse.”
“Sure.” There's that smirk again. He was sure he'd seen it before, but definitely on someone else. The stranger's features matched it better, for some reason.
“Spare me the judgement. I'm only being a good guest.” Yuu scoffs. “ ‘Sides, who are you to assume? I see those earrings dangling off you. Looks pretty expensive, too. I may be cosplaying a rich person. But you're totally pretending you're the opposite.” He points at the other's ears, who quickly adjusts his hoodie to hide the jewelry.
“Can't you lower your voice?!” The stranger chides, looking at his surroundings furtively before letting out a loud huff. “Some people like to be discreet.” He says that, but his clothes and general demeanor right now made him look more like a petty criminal than anything else. Seriously, grey hoodie and black pants in this oppressive heat? How was he not boiling alive at this very second?
“Oh, your clothes are anything but.” Yuu hums. “In fact, if I were to see you on the street, I'd try to go the other way.”
The stranger's face shifts to, to Yuu's surprise, a genuine look of offence. Did he really not notice how much he stood out, too? Did he really think that muted clothes would not stand out in the vibrant, colorful scenes of the market— especially during festival season? For someone who seemed to be so comfortable giving out advice on how to remain unseen, he sure seemed to be quite naive about his own looks.
“Wh-… I-… I look… perfectly normal.”
“Uh-huh, yeah.” Yuu can't help but chortle at the absurdity of it all. How would they look to the general public right now? They must think this is some rich guy discussing a shady deal. No doubt. “You haven't even told me your name. How am I supposed to trust you're not some sort of scammer that is going to rob me blind once I get off this table.”
“I would never do that.” The stranger huffs and crosses his arms. “And for your information, my name is Minha-‐… Jael. Minajael…. Tealrajah.”
His eyebrows raise, and Yuu turns to look behind him for a second only to find a fabric store with brocaded teal silks on display. “… Real smooth. You should work on your fake names alongside your outfits, too.”
“You haven't even given me your name either. How am I supposed to trust you, too?” That's a good point. And as fun as it is to tease him, maybe Yuu shouldn't take advantage of, whom by all intents and purposes, could just be a good samaritan.
With a heavy sigh, Yuu raises his hands in defeat. “Fine, you've got me.” Though, he isn't sure if his answer would be even satisfactory. From the students' reactions at NRC, his name was probably as odd-sounding as the boy's in front of him. “My name is Yuu.”
“ ’You'? As in the pronoun?” The boy huffs at a laugh, but he does look less closed off now, at least. “Now look who's bad at making up names now.”
“No. Yuu. I don't know whatever this translation magic I've got cast on me is saying but it is not that. Y-U-U. Yuu. Yes, it's pronounced the same, but it's spelled differently.” At this point, he's got the whole speech memorized. It'd been a pain in the ass to even learn how to explain and spell out his name to others, but after much arguing and failed attempts, he'd finally figured out how to reliably get the point across. “And I know it sounds stupid because of whatever common language is used here, but my name is very normal where I'm from. And it actually means ‘Sunset’ in my language.”
Woah. Okay. A little defensive. Maybe he should reel it back a little.
“But… I guess if my name is weird in the first place, I shouldn't criticize others’.” He awkwardly coughs out.
‘Minajael’ raises his hands up in defeat, and Yuu can easily see the way his eyes slightly widen in surprise at the outburst. “Woah. Struck a nerve there?”
“Once you get used to living with an odd name, you'll get it.” Yuu crosses his arms instinctively. While there could be a real possibility that was the guy's real name, he could spot a bad actor miles away. Plus, having a fake name ready to give out when you're sneaking around is just basic planning. Rookie mistake. “Or are you telling me you've never been teased because of yours, Mr. Tealrajah?”
Minajael lets out an awkward cough in response and looks to the side, making a show of avoiding Yuu’s gaze.
“So… Anyway!! Why are you going through every stall at the Camel Market sampling foods? I overheard you are a student?”
Yuu frowns for a second. He’s not necessarily happy he’s deflecting, but he supposes knowing this guy’s real name isn’t that big of deal since they’d probably wouldn’t see each other again anyway. He doesn’t ring a bell exactly for any of his classmates at NRC, and he doubts he’ll come back to the Scalding Sands in the near future— it was difficult enough to get Crowley to sign off on this impromptu trip in the first place, even with Kalim and the Al-Asim’s practically endless fortune.
“I’m… the Co-President of the Gourmet Club in my college. It’s only me, Grim and another freshman. Honestly, it’s just an excuse to eat snacks and hang out after class, but our one and only other member is actually really into cooking, and I’d thought it’d be nice to use this trip to actually do my job. Since this guy over there–” He gestures at Grim, who somehow had gotten his grubby paws on the falafel and was now munching on the last little ball. “Obviously has no interest in the ‘cooking’ aspect of the club anyways.”
“Ah, that makes sense.” Minajael hums softly, tapping his lip gently in thought. “Well, if you’re not willing to sell anything to get those recipes, I doubt anyone here at the market will help you.” He then points at one of the stalls. The seller is cheerfully serving a passerby a plateful of what looks to be some sort of potato dish. “These recipes are passed down through generations of trial and error and they’re most likely their livelihood, too. If they shared it to anyone willy-nilly they wouldn’t have a business in the first place. Why don’t you just buy a recipe book?”
“Yeah, I get that.” Yuu rubs his temples and lets out a heavy sigh. Talk about an obvious comment. “And I can’t buy a recipe book, I…”
He hesitates. Well, if they’re not going to see each other ever again, Yuu supposes it won’t be too bad if he admits his true intentions behind this so-far futile quest. “There’s also someone. Not the guy in the club, but someone else. His family runs a restaurant and so, he already has a ton of recipe books collected, and I don’t want to get a double. Besides,” He rubs the back of his head. “This… feels more personal. I’d thought he’d appreciate something more customized.”
“Ah,” The boy in front of him remains pensive, nodding along to the story. “You’re trying to confess.”
Yuu’s face flushes. He’d never really said it out loud but at the end of the day, that’s what he was trying to do, right? Or, on the very least, gain enough good will from Azul to eventually woo him.
It wasn’t a secret that Azul had his eyes on someone else– in fact, he’d made it painfully obvious after winter break that he had a massive crush on one Jamil Viper. Ugh, even thinking of that name made him queasy. Yuu already knew he was at a disadvantage. Not only were they classmates and spent most of their day together, (whether Jamil liked that or not was still TBD) but Jamil, as much as Yuu hates to admit it, is an exceptional mage. Maybe a good athlete too, from what Ace and Floyd had told him about the guy.
In an academic sense, Yuu believes– no, knows he could easily outwit Viper. In fact, he’d done it before. Quite easily if he may add. And it wasn’t like Jamil’s plan was that good either. It was short-sighted and full of holes and it would’ve so easily backfired on him that it was laughabl–
But that wasn’t the point!!
The point is Azul likes Jamil. And Yuu likes Azul. And aside from his brains, Yuu has very little to offer. He had no magic, no money, not even a family name or I.D. to get a job in the first place. As much as the Al-Asim estate was Jamil’s own gilded cage, he was still allowed out frequently. Meanwhile, Night Raven’s College campus was slowly closing in on Yuu each day, and his outings to Foothill Town were already rare and a struggle to obtain. Jamil could take Azul on dates, he could tell him about his home in the Scalding Sands and introduce him to his family and impress him with spells and…
Yuu was already at a disadvantage. And if he wanted to win even one of Azul’s hearts, he needed to act. Fast. No matter how little he could do right now.
“... Hello? Twisted Wonderland to Yuu?” Minajael waves a hand in front of his face, the sound of golden bangles jingling below his hoodie snapping him out of his self-deprecating musings. “Are you making this whole research trip to impress this guy? Yes or no?”
Yuu groans. When said out loud, it did sound kind of pathetic. “Yes, kind of. I was invited by a friend to see the Yasmina River Fireworks Festival, but I’d thought I could also get him something he’d like. Is that so bad?”
“I’m not saying that at all,” Minajael adjusts his sleeve to hide a bracelet that just slightly peeked from the fabric, then clears his voice. “Actually, I may have the solution to your conundrum.” He flashes a proud smile, crossing his arms. Yuu can’t help but raise an eyebrow in return. “The festival is a very big deal here and people really get swept up in the festivities… and, of course, what is this festival about in the first place?”
Oh god, another Twisted Wonderland history question he didn’t know. Yuu never thought he’d regret not paying much attention to Disney movies before, but ever since he’d been brought here that disinterest had surely bit him in the ass. “... Um… fireworks?”
Minajael’s expression falls quickly. “No, genius. It’s about love.” For some reason, Yuu feels he’s being lectured on something that’s probably obvious… probably. “Love that transcends class and social status. People here love that story. Regardless if it’s real or just a fairytale.”
Ah, now he gets it… Wait.
NO WAY.
“I am NOT going to go around every food stall sharing my relationship woes with strangers!” Yuu stands up, slamming his hands on the table without even noticing. The people around them turn, and he can feel everyone within earshot stare at him. “I– I mean—” He sheepishly sits back down, ears burning at just how quickly he'd gotten riled up. Seriously, did people in this universe not have any sense of propriety? It was already weird having to get used to the hugging as a greeting thing plus how much more casually touchy people were. Now he had to share his very personal, very embarrassing thoughts about the boy he liked to half the population of Silk City.
“Sheesh, I’m not suggesting you tell them your entire life story… just enough to soften them up.” Minajael sighs heavily. He definitely looks annoyed. Well, that’d make two of them. “You’d be surprised at the way young love brings people together.” And then he gives him that stupid smirk again. Okay, he’s definitely teasing him now. “Just try it. It’s not like you’ve got anything to lose regardless.”
“nothing to lose, he says…” Yuu grumbles, slumping in his chair while he waits for the surrounding people to go back to minding their business. “But fine. I’ll try. I’m not sure I’ll get many pity points with this outfit regardless.”
Minajael nods. “And when you two eventually get married, you’d best put me on the wedding toast.” He adds, “And! You’ll have to do your Honeymoon in Silk City. That’s a must.”
Yuu can’t help but snort a little. He supposes the festival’s spirit is getting to Minajael too. “Ah, yes. I’ll make sure to thank the stranger with the shady clothes and fake name on my speech. I’m sure Azul-kun will totally not get mad at how absurd that would sound and make me rewrite it.”
“... So his name is Azul?”
Ah.
Shit.
—
Notes:
I changed Minajael's real name to Minhaj Al-Rajah for this story. 'Minajael Tealrajah' is a made-up alias he uses to go unnoticed (even if it sounds real silly)
TWST I love you but why do Jamil and Kalim get real SWANA first names but Minajael gets this garbled up mess-- p sure he is the only one to get this treatment too, since Riddle, Rook and Silver are on the very least real words, and Che'Nya is just a nickname for the russian name Artemiy
ermm anyways all this to say Minhaj supremacy i don't know who that bitch Minajael is
Also Yuu is relating Minajael's smirk to Kalim's. It's that family resemblance :3c
