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unpredictable-probabilities · 2 months ago

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Azul Ashengrotto of Royal Sword Academy || Chapter 29: Song and Slumber

Summary:

After a long day touring the different Halloween booths and watching a movie with the Shrouds, Azul, Rielle, and Floyd go with Jamil to Scarabia to rest for the night.

Word Count: 4,015

Notes (more at the end):

For Day 7 of AshenViper Week 2024!

Prompt: Song

"The movie wasn't even THAT scary," Floyd says with a shrug as they continue to walk along the grounds of Ignihyde. "That innkeeper guy kinda reminds me of Jade, though. He'd totally let that Pumpkin Guy roam free, too. In fact, he'd prolly be the one to enchant it in the first place."

"I don't think I'm very fond of horror movies," Rielle says, looking a little queasy.

"Aww, it's okay, Flame Tetra! I'll protect ya!" Floyd wraps his arms around Rielle and snuggles his cheek against his red hair.

Rielle laughs as Floyd insists on continuing to hug him even as they walk. "Well, I'm happy you enjoyed the movie," he gives Floyd a quick kiss on the cheek.

"If anything like the Pumpkin Knight ever tries to get to ya, I'm killin' it first."

"Floyd is a whole horror monster of his own, to be perfectly honest." Jamil jokes. "So I can believe it. What about the movie unsettled you, though?" he asks the prince.

"They did all that hard work, and in the end it was for nothing," Rielle frowns. "What was the point? And I did not care for all that gore either."

"The royal palace is far removed from the dangerous areas underwater," Azul explains to Jamil. "I don't think Rielle has ever even seen a sea creature bigger than he is, so he's not as tough as the rest of us," he teases Rielle.

"Hey!" Rielle complains, but there isn't much bite to it.

"It's kind of a reflection of reality in some ways. Sometimes, things just turn out that way," Jamil attempts to explain. "These stories help us study different what-if scenarios and tap into our fears while we're in a safe environment, so… I'm sure for people like Azul and Floyd, it must've felt like a walk in the park since it's all happening behind a screen compared to their daily lives back at the Coral Sea."

"Our hometown's not THAT scary,” Floyd repeats the sentiment. “It's real boring most of the time," he adds, but he gives Rielle a reassuring squeeze.

"Easy for you to say..." Jamil rolls his eyes.

"Besides, what's so scary about a living plant?" The tall eel then pauses, thinking about something before he leans forward to curiously gaze into Rielle's eyes. "Hey, Flame Tetra... If I got turned into a lil' monster seed when I die, would you plant me?"

"I will," Rielle grins at him, and Floyd gasps happily. "Would you plant me?"

"Obviously!" Floyd looks offended that it’s even a question. "I'd plant you as many times as you want!"

Azul looks at the couple in fond amusement before turning to Jamil. "Are you sure it's alright for all of us to sleep in Scarabia?"

"Of course," Jamil nods. "I think the other dorm members are looking forward to seeing you again. Also, you've got as much access to the showers as you need, whether it's mine or the public ones."

"Oh, thank you," Azul says as they near the Hall of Mirrors. "Where would we be sleeping?"

"At the lounge, if you guys don't mind the open air. We've got carpets and pillows prepared." Jamil glances over at Azul. "How are you feeling? We had a pretty eventful day today. If you feel faint at any point, you can tell me, all right?"

This takes Rielle's attention, and he turns around to give his friend a once-over. "Oh yeah. You haven't been pushing yourself, have you?"

"No, don't worry," Azul shakes his head reassuringly. "How about you, though? Have you been alright?"

"Yes," Rielle smiles. "Floyd has been a good host."

"Heh-heh, of course," Floyd drapes an arm over Rielle. "I'm good at everythin'."

"I'm happy the two of you continue to get along well," Azul says fondly. Then he turns to Jamil. "I don't think I'd mind sleeping in the open air, though I'd never tried it before. Is it normal for Scarabia residents to sleep in the lounge?"

"Sometimes. We mostly do it whenever we're preparing for a big event or crunching up late hours for a test, and Halloween Week's definitely big enough to warrant lounge naps. Do you guys not do the same in your school? Your dorm?" Jamil glances at Floyd for the last one.

"Man, I wish!" Floyd huffs. "It'd be fun to see the guppies squirm if I suggested that. Don't think it's very likely to happen, though."

"We do that back at RSA," Azul nods. "Particularly during exam season or when there are events to prepare for. The committee a few years back had started it; there's a lounge area spacious enough to accommodate many students, and there are fresh pillows and sheets set aside specifically for those nights." He turns to Floyd. "Why do you think it's unlikely for your dorm?"

"They like to keep to themselves there, I dunno," Floyd wrinkles his nose.

"They like to keep to themselves away from the Leech twins as much as they can, more like," Jamil clarifies.

"Oh well…" Floyd shrugs, not bothered in the least. "They'd be boring sleepover buddies anyway, and who needs them when we already got the both of you!" He slings an arm over Azul and Rielle's shoulder. "By the way, we're not tucking in early, right? We should totally do something!”

"Our visitors need a break, Floyd," Jamil sighs. "And with another busy day ahead, you and I could use one, too.”

Floyd clicks his tongue in disappointment.

"We'll keep visiting here, don't worry," Rielle assures Floyd.

"Indeed," Azul adds. "For tonight I think we should all get some rest. You have Halloween duties tomorrow, and Rielle and I have to go back to RSA."

Jamil notices that Rielle falls silent at that and looks away.

After a moment's pause, Floyd rests his chin on top of Rielle's head, embracing him from behind. "Flame Tetra doesn't wanna go back, though. Does he really have to?"

"Yes, we don't have permission to stay here for longer, and we can't just keep calling Headmage Ambrose and telling him we'd postpone our return," Azul looks at Rielle pointedly. "Isn't that right, Rielle?"

"What's yer Headmage gonna do? Drag him back to RSA?" Floyd frowns.

That's when Rielle sighs and pats Floyd's arms. "Azul's right. Future visits wouldn't exactly go well if our Headmage grew upset with us. It's no big deal, and I'll be fine…"

"If you say so," the eel merman mutters. "But if anybody or anything needs squeezin', I'm your guy. Don't care if it's the Headmage or your dad."

Rielle manages a smile. “Thank you, Floyd.”

They exit Ignihyde’s portal and land in the Hall of Mirrors.

A few students are there getting back to their respective dorms; several glances are thrown their way, quick looks at the RSA uniforms before turning away again.

Jamil paid them no heed, knowing that getting seen with Azul would be more beneficial if it was to guarantee no one else was going to make any moves towards him.

They arrive at Scarabia, and after showering and changing into fresh clothes and gathering the beddings, they head to the lounge.

Several of the Scarabia students wave at Azul in greeting and gawk at Floyd and Rielle in shock.

At some point, they run into Orfeo—the one who threw a sandwich at Azul when he first visited—and he freezes at the sight of them.

"Ah! Prefect! And..." He stares at the rest of the group with wide eyes. "Oh, er, I'll get out of your way." He speedwalks away from them.

“Can I help with preparing anything?” Azul asks as the other residents set up their sleeping areas around the lounge.

"You can help place them out,”Jamil gestures over to the other students laying their blankets and pillows down. “In the meantime, I'll get us some extras. Be right back."

"Mister Azul!" Immediately, as soon as Jamil left the room, Gossipmonger and the others swarmed around Azul. "You're really here! Is it true you and the Prefect are dating now?"

"A-Are you friends with er… him as well?" Convo-Hopper nervously gestures at Floyd.

"Who's the redhead?"

“Oh, hello,” Azul greets them. “Floyd and Rielle are my former classmates from middle school, and yes we’re all friends. And, um…” he feels his face warm. He clears his throat. “Yes, Jamil and I are dating now,” he hopes his smile still looks dignified.

A few people from among the crowd squeal.

"About time!" Gossipmonger exclaims, crossing his arms. "Welcome to the Scarabia family, sir!"

"Wow, it looks like you've made quite a name for yourself here. I'm jealous," Rielle pleasantly remarks, before turning to them. "How was Halloween Week for you guys so far?"

"It's busy, but it's been going well," Quicksands replies. "The turnout for this year is massive compared to the last. Guess this is what having a cute cat posing for MagiCam gets you."

"It wasn't the cat, it was the ghosts!"

"But we've always had ghosts and they never attracted the crowd to us!"

As they start bickering and chatting amongst themselves, they resume work in setting their sleeping arrangements.

"Hey, Mister Azul," Quicksands pipe up, an enthusiastic sparkle in his eye. "I hope you know what's gonna happen to you if you ever do anything to hurt our Prefect!"

Azul smiles at the reminder of how protective Jamil’s residents are of him. “Oh, I do. I’ve seen your traps. And for what it’s worth, you have my word that I will never do anything to intentionally hurt Jamil. By the way, what’s your name? I feel a little bad that I’m going to be spending the night here and I still don’t know your names,” he says apologetically.

Quicksands shrugs. "Don't feel bad. The fact that you don't know our names is a conscious choice of ours. Can't be too careful, yanno? With that said... The people around here call me Jem."

“Thank you for trusting me with your name, Jem,” Azul says amiably. “And we appreciate you allowing us into your dorm.”

“Indeed,” Rielle adds. “Especially with how spontaneous our arrival is. Floyd has been telling me how much he’s been wanting to go here—” he turns and sees that the eel merman has walked off and is currently at one of the sleeping areas, poking the pillows and looking at the weaved patterns on the blankets. The resident who had set up the area is standing awkwardly to the side, looking unsure about what to do. “Ah, I better go there and make sure there won't be any trouble,” he smiles sheepishly and goes to Floyd.

Azul smiles in amusement before turning back to Jem. “I’m… admittedly surprised at how supportive you guys are of Jamil and I, considering I’m from RSA.”

"Maybe we would've had a problem but… the Autumn Dance helped smooth some things over," Jem explains. "Besides, you make our Prefect way happier. And nicer in these past few weeks. So who are we to complain? As a piece of friendly advice, keep an eye out on your visits here. We stopped setting them up so much, but there are still a few booby traps left over. Most of them are for intruders from the other dorms, but we've also been having a few wayward guests sneak in these days, too."

Azul frowns. Jamil hadn’t mentioned anything like that. “Wayward guests? For Halloween Week? They’ve been trespassing?”

Jem nods, frowning. "Yeah, some real daredevils who think all of NRC is open for exploration. We can't do much to 'em since they're regular civilians, but…" He shrugs, smiling. "Not our fault if they just happen to sink into some loose patches of sand here and there, no?"

Azul chuckles. “What do you do after those unfortunate accidents, then? How do the trespassers get free?”

"We save them out of the kindness of our hearts, of course!" Jem says with feigned sincerity, placing a hand on his chest. "Anyway, don't you worry about us. We got those kinds of visitors under control here. Now come help me spread out this sheet."

Eventually, the beddings get made, Jamil returns with more blankets and pillows and the night progresses as the boys drink some refreshments and get ready for bed. The Scarabia Prefect watches all of his members settle down and turns off all the lamps before he sits next to Azul, the twinkling night sky their only illumination now.

“Did you know that some of the guests had been trespassing here lately?” Azul quietly tells Jamil in concern, his eyebrows furrowed.

Jamil tenses up beside him in surprise. "This is the first I’m hearing about it. Guests from the Halloween event?"

Azul nods, still looking serious. “Jem told me earlier. I don’t think anyone got harmed, and there doesn’t seem to be any property damage.” His tone is reassuring, but the crease on his forehead tells Jamil that something’s bothering him.|

Jamil feels just as unsettled. "I should probably set a barrier up around Scarabia for the rest of the week if this keeps up. Who knows who could invade our privacy? Worse, who knows what my residents will do to those intruders?"

Azul nods, then lets out a breath. He turns away to look forward, running a hand through his hair. “I’d kept you for too long,” he says quietly so as to not bother the residents who are trying to sleep. “You’ve been away from your dorm for two days because of me. If I had gone back to RSA sooner, you could have known about the trespassers earlier, perhaps even prevented them from getting close in the first place.”

"Whoa, hey," Jamil says, alarmed at the direction the conversation has taken. "None of this is your fault, Azul. I… erm…" He glances around to see if anyone's eavesdropping. "I was the one who wanted you to stay, so if anyone is to blame here, it should be me."

Azul looks at him and gives a small smile. “How about we just blame those trespassers? They’re the real ones at fault here, anyway. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help in dealing with them.”

Relieved, Jamil nods. "We should bring this up to the Halloween Committee tomorrow when they're having their meeting. We'll be able to take real solid measures, then. But anyway, that's something we can deal with in the morning. You really okay with sleeping here? It's not exactly the same level of fancy as your room in RSA."

“Of course, the mats and pillows are comfortable,” Azul says. Then he leans a little closer and lowers his voice, a mischievous smile pulling at the corner of his lips. “Though I wouldn’t mind us sleeping in my room next time.”

Jamil shares his amusement. "Guess that'll make us even should that happen." He realizes then that they'll be sleeping as a couple together for the first time and he holds the other's gaze, suddenly feeling shy knowing that a part of him wants to hold him close while another doesn't want to be ogled at by the others so much.

Azul notices his change in expression and furrows his eyebrows. “Are you alright?” he asks in concern. “Was that too forward?”

"No, I'm fine," Jamil mumbles, untangling the braids in his hair. "I was just wondering... Are you okay with this? Sleeping here, in a room filled with strangers?" He notices that Azul’s eyes linger on his braids for a moment before looking away.

“Ah, well…” Azul adjusts his glasses. “You suggested it, and I’m alright with whatever sleeping accommodations you can provide for us, especially since this sleepover was spontaneous. I wouldn’t want to impose.”

Jamil squints at him. "But are you comfortable with it?"

“... Admittedly I think I’ll be more comfortable if there weren’t so many people who could watch us sleep,” Azul smiles sheepishly. “But if you’d prefer to sleep here then I’m alright with it.”

Jamil goes quiet.

Shouldn't their first night sleeping together with their feelings out in the open be special?

He takes a conspiratorial glance around the room, before he whispers: "We can always do this some other time. What say we wait for them all to sleep and then we can head back to my room for the evening?"

A smile curves Azul’s lips. “Sounds good to me. What if some residents of yours decide to pull all-nighters?”

Jamil sucked in a breath between his teeth. "I'll think of something." He didn’t grow up learning how to sneak around and be quiet for nothing.

He starts to lie down, waiting for Azul to do the same.

“Thank you for today,” Azul says softly as he lies down and turns to Jamil. “It was fun to see all the different booths, and be rewarded with candy afterwards,” he adds in amusement.

"I'm glad," Jamil mutters, heart fluttering at the close distance between them. Discreetly, under the covers, his hand takes Azul's. "Today was… nice. I'm happy you stayed, and that you're here now."

"I'm glad to be here," Azul strokes his thumb on the back of Jamil's hand. "I wasn't expecting any of this to happen when I decided to visit you. Needless to say, I'm happy with how things turned out." He smiles softly and holds Jamil's gaze.

"Here's to many more visits for the days to come," Jamil says.

An hour or so passes, time that felt like the blink of an eye as they lay there chatting and chuckling. When he feels certain that everyone around them has quieted down, Jamil slowly sits up and begins to sneakily lead Azul to his room.

"Do we wake up early and sneak back out there before they realize we left?" Azul asks as Jamil closes his bedroom door behind them.

"Let them wonder all they want. We can tell them we went out for an early morning stroll," Jamil shrugs, sitting on the bed before hugging Azul and resting his head on his shoulder, sighing in relief at the comfortable solace washing over them.

Azul's arms wrap around him, pulling him close.

"How are you?" Azul asks as he strokes Jamil's back. "Still feeling well after all the activity today? Your fever doesn't seem to have come back so that's good."

"Never better, though you might be catching it now that I think about it… considering our excursion last night." Jamil’s face warms a little at the memory of them making out in a closet in Octavinelle.

"Ah… Well, it was worth it. And we weren't exactly worried about such things last night."

Jamil chuckles. "No. No, we weren't. And if you get sick, I'll take care of you. I'll see to it that you'll get better again before you know it. More importantly, what about you? What with that whole Dark Mirror business.”

Azul is silent for a moment. "I'm alright. I'm still mostly confused about what the Dark Mirror said, but…" he hugs Jamil tighter. "For now I'm just happy to be with you."

"And you don't gotta worry. Whatever that artifact means, it changes nothing for me, okay?" He retracts away from the embrace and lightly tugs Azul to lie down with him onto the sheets, feeling significantly more relaxed in the privacy of his room. Subsequently, the fatigue easily finds its way into his bones and he yawns. "When do you have to go back again..?"

"Some time tomorrow," Azul says softly, tucking Jamil's hair behind his ear. "But I'll visit again within this week. I'll still be performing, after all."

Ah, right.

"Do I get special boyfriend privileges in knowing what you'll be performing?" Jamil asks. "What's got you keeping it as a secret?"

"I wanted to surprise you," Azul runs his thumb across Jamil's cheekbone before resting his hand on Jamil's waist. "But if you wish to know then I’d be happy to tell you," he says fondly and considers for a moment. "Hmm, are you familiar with the legend of the Opera Ghost?"

Jamil perks up from his drowsiness in interest. "The Opera Ghost? What's that about?"

"There's a legend from the Shaftlands about an opera house that was supposedly haunted," Azul begins. "But the 'ghost' was really just a genius architect and musician. He was able to create hidden doors that allowed him to seemingly disappear. I became interested in the story because it had a lot of musical aspects."

"And you're going to perform as him? Is he known for singing songs?" Jamil asks, trying to picture Azul in such a get-up.

Azul nods. "Despite his fearsome reputation, he was known for having a voice beautiful enough to earn him the nickname 'Angel of Music'. It's quite the high standard to live up to, so I need to catch up on practice. Not that I'm hoping to reach his level, of course. It's just fun to sing the songs from the musical adaptation that they made of it."

"You're going to do just fine," Jamil reassures him. "I already know it. And I'm definitely looking forward to the performance now. Thanks for telling me. I'd like to see that musical someday. I don't know too many. Do you like them?"

"I do," Azul says with a smile. "Sound travels differently underwater and here on land, and I like listening to and creating music, both back at home and here. The music sounds different, but it's still pleasant. I'd love to watch a musical with you someday."

Jamil grins at Azul's enthusiasm. "Any recommendations for a musical newbie like me?"

Azul hums thoughtfully. "What genres of music do you prefer?"

"Hm… I don't have much of a preference, though I do tend to play hip-hop or indie rock whenever I put on some tunes to relax."

"There are several musicals with songs in those genres, usually those set in school or a residential neighborhood. They have upbeat dance numbers as well, which is always so impressive to me."

"That sounds worth looking into," Jamil nods, settling back down onto the pillow. "I'm gonna be holdin' you to that… Um… Would you mind if I fall asleep hugging you, or..?"

The faintest hint of a blush colors Azul's cheeks, and he smiles softly. "Of course I wouldn't mind, darling. I'd like to hug you as well, if that's alright."

Jamil feels himself flush at the endearment and he burrows close enough to Azul’s chest so Azul can't see his flustered look. "Yeah… I don't mind if it's you."

Azul wraps his arms around Jamil.

"Get as much rest as you need," he says softly. "Don't worry about anything else for tonight."

"You too…" Jamil mumbles. Then a thought occurs to him. “Um, is it okay if…” the words die in his throat. His drowsiness is making him more talkative, but apparently not brave enough to actually finish his sentences.

“What is it?” Azul asks softly.

“Can you… sing?” Jamil’s voice is a bit muffled from being so close to Azul. “It’s just that we talked about you performing and I remembered how it’s been a while since I heard you sing and… yeah.”

Azul’s embrace tightens around him affectionately. “Of course.”

Azul hums a few notes before starting, his voice soft and soothing.

Let me see the world with clouds Take me to the world Out where I can push through crowds Take me to the world A world of skies That’s bursting with surprise To open up my eyes for joy Take me to the world that's real Show me how it's done Teach me how to laugh, to feel Move me to the sun Just hold my hand whenever we arrive Take me to a world where I can be alive

Before Jamil could fall asleep entirely from the comfort brought on by Azul’s singing and the warmth of his body against him, he angles his head upwards to press a chaste kiss on Azul's chin, then he snuggles back into position as he feels himself slipping into deep slumber.

Notes:

The song that Azul sings to Jamil is "Take Me to the World" from the musical Evening Primrose~

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