[Azul has been rather busy lately--there were strange creatures called "tsums" that had fallen from the sky, some errands he had done with Vil for a modeling gig of theirs, the Culinary Crucible so that he can further his own skills in the cooking department for the Mostro Lounge... needless to say, he is one overworked octopus.
Even now when he finally has an opportunity for quality time with Eva--he had been meaning to try to show off what he had learned from the cooking event by preparing a meal for her himself--his mind is clearly still on other things as he has his phone in one hand and tries to get his schedule sorted out on his and Eva's way to the kitchen to use, speaking aloud to presumably Jade on the other end.]
Cancel my plans tonight, and if Idia-san has a problem with it, tell him that we can pick things back up again at our next board game club meeting. Move my 3 o'clock tomorrow to 4'o clock, and my previous 4 o'clock to 5. Check with Kalim-san to see if he still wishes to have Mostro Lounge catering his upcoming party for the Scarabia dorm on Saturday, and... ah...
[A pause, before he turns his attention to Eva, for once at a bit of a loss as he tries to recall something he had said like an hour ago in passing.]
Do you remember by any chance if it was Heartslabyuul or Diasomnia students that I said was coming to the lounge on Sunday for an event?
[The tsums had been absolutely adorable, especially the one that looked like Azul, but they needed a fair amount of supervision. The Culinary Crucible... well, it was in the name, wasn't it? It was by no means easy.
Evangeline is glad to have time with him at last, and she'd be lying if she said a home-cooked meal from her boyfriend didn't sound incredible, but she worries that he's a little tired.]
[He is indeed tired, but he's been trying not to let it show. He wants to make up to Eva after all for how busy he has been lately and as far as his scheduled had currently allowed, this had been the best time for it, even if he has to surpress the urge to yawn when he responds.]
Ahh yes, of course. It couldn't be Heartslabyuul, they have one of their "Unbirthday Parties" or whatever frivolity it's called scheduled that day for their own dorm...
[Can't believe he forgot about that. But yes, thank you for the information as Jade confirms on his end this information as well on the phone.]
Otherwise, I believe that should be everything accounted for. Will Floyd be arriving for his shift at the lounge soon?
"Oh, no. It seems that there's a session with the basketball club tonight, so we will need to have someone else replace Floyd for the shift you scheduled him for."
Oh... that was tonight? [Hrm] You know what, I'll let you decide who to call upon for that, and if they refuse, remind them of their deal with us. Hopefully you shouldn't need to call us back unless it's an emergency.
[And with that, he finally hangs up before he turns his attention to Eva.]
Sorry about that. Did you decide on what it was that you wanted me to prepare for the two of us?
[That gets a smile out of Azul here, and he even manages to inject some enthusiasm back into his tone when he speaks.]
Well, I hope you like rice, because that's what most of our cooking course had us focus on during the training I undertook recently with Ortho-kun. We should still have the ingredients for Rice Croquettes or Lobo Moco in the school's kitchen... oh, or perhaps Katsudon or Paella, we'll have to check to see if there's enough ingredients for that...
[Things Azul may have picked up about Evangeline's tastes: she defaults to meat dishes more often than not. Hearty foods that give lots of energy for hard work days.]
Wonderful! Then let's prepare that for us tonight.
[With that, he even links one of his arms around Eva's as they continue their trek to the kitchen, and upon arrival there, Azul takes a moment to remove his dorm hat and roll up his sleeves here.]
You can have a seat in the chair right there, it should provide a good view so that you can see for yourself what I've learned from the Culinary Crucible.
Oh, no need to thank me dear! I'm more than happy to do this for you.
[For anyone else, they would definitely owe him after, but for Eva? Her happiness is all he needs to gain from doing this. He gathers the ingredients they will need and at first, he seems to be doing alright as he demonstrates each step and ingredient being used, until...]
Next, we will take this egg and--
[Suddenly, something... odd happens. Rather than one of his hands having reached out for the egg, what has slid up on to the table between them to grab is instead a tentacle even though he's still supposed to be in human form, but Azul doesn't seem to have noticed yet. Um.]
[Azul stops in the middle of whatever explanation he is giving, the tentacle sliding off the table along with the stolen egg, once again out of sight as Azul's attention ends up turning his head toward Eva instead of catching this detail.]
Azul quickly spins around himself to look and finally sees the errant tentacle as it attempts to slide back up onto the counter to grab another egg. Azul quickly puts a hand on it, and after a quiet muttering of something as he uses his magic pen with his other hand, the tentacle seems to meld back into his human form as he sighs. There's a slight sheen of sweat on his brow, however, as if he still isn't feeling quite right even as he tries to wave it off with an apology.]
I'm sorry you had to see that. That hasn't happened since the first year or so I first started living on land.
[Oh, he's very well aware that Eva likes them. Still...]
No no, I'm fine. Just a little more exhausted than I previously thought I was, I think... I'll take some time to rest after we finish eating our meal.
[And with that, Azul tries to focus again on finishing the preparations for the dish he's making. That furrow to his brow doesn't quite disappear though even as he does manage to get enough steps done that they are close to the finish.]
Now, all we have to do is take these patties out of the oven to set on our bed of rice, add our eggs, and it'll be ready to eat! So--ahh!
[Upon opening the oven door--not one, but two tentacles suddenly split off from Azul's legs to try to grab the tray in the oven. Not only is this a bad idea in that the tentacles quickly retract from the hot pan and nearly cause it to end up on the floor instead of getting harshly set back down inside the oven, but Azul has to grab the counter before he ends up falling down as it seems to be one of his human legs that had morphed back into tentacle, leaving him heavily unbalanced.]
[Azul ends up leaning against Eva and the counter, breathing harsher than before. As much as he despises showing weakness, he may be forced to concede that something is seriously wrong with him here.
... In a minute. But first, in the list of priorities that Azul's brain decides to focus on--]
Get some oven mitts and... take that out. [He makes a wand-wavey sort of gesture towards the oven.] The food's gonna burn otherwise if left to stay in there like that...
[Food going to waste is a loss he will not appreciate.]
[Azul, flustered, flails a little in this sudden bridal hold, eyes quickly darting around as if to check to make sure no one else is around to see this.
Not that he's against his very cool and very strong girlfriend holding him. But it is going to be extremely embarrassing if any other students happen to walk in, especially while he's half octopus.]
[Azul, unfortunately, has skewed priorities in this regard--they get lucky in that there are no other students around when they first step out of the kitchen, but one of his hands manages to come up to grip her arm from where he's being carried. He has a genuine look of panic, anxious he listens intently for anyone potentially coming toward their direction as he speaks in a hushed tone.]
Just--make sure no one sees me until we get to my dorm room. I can't have anyone else seeing me in like this, I can't. Please...
[It then occurs to him that this would be easier if maybe he had texted Jade or Floyd to clear a path, but luckily, as if he somehow summoned them just by thinking of them, the person who comes around the corner is in fact Jade, who starts to say something upon spotting the two of them.
... Only to immediately close his mouth and immediately turn back in the other direction swiftly as he speaks to another person that had been following him, blocking the other student's sight in time from seeing Eva and Azul.]
"Oh, Trey-san, I just remembered that we left something important in the lab. Come with me for a moment, won't you?"
[And redirecting Trey away, but not before he takes out his phone with one hand to probably text Floyd, and giving Eva a slight nod to go ahead and take Azul back toward the mirror that leads to Octavinelle now that this path is clear.]
[Sometimes it hurts her heart how self-conscious Azul is still. But she's not great at talking about that kind of thing - about delicate emotions at all, really - so all she can do is nod back at Jade and carry Azul to the mirror.
She keeps quiet and alert for signs of other students until they're at his dorm room, at which point -]
[Azul will have to remember to give both of the twins a raise on their next paycheck, or whatever they end up wanting instead in order to pay them back for keeping other students from noticing him in this state.
By the time they reached Azul's dorm room, a few more tentacles have, well, popped and at this point he's not really able to fight it like before. Thankfully he's able to reach for his magic pen in his pocket and do a quick, mumbled spell that unlocks the door for them rather than fumbling with his keys.]
[Azul looks like he wants to argue when he's first set down on the bed, but then she kisses against his forehead and it stops whatever argument he wanted to make in its tracks. He doesn't really want to worry her, after all.]
... Fine.
[He sighs, leaning back against the pillows he has here. His tentacles seem to finally stop writhing about the place, lying limp on or hanging over the sides of his bed here.]
I suppose someone will need to grab the food we left in the school's kitchens... and I'll need to send Floyd and Jade instructions on what needs to be done in my absence, for any tasks they might not be aware of already.
for abnormalizes
Even now when he finally has an opportunity for quality time with Eva--he had been meaning to try to show off what he had learned from the cooking event by preparing a meal for her himself--his mind is clearly still on other things as he has his phone in one hand and tries to get his schedule sorted out on his and Eva's way to the kitchen to use, speaking aloud to presumably Jade on the other end.]
Cancel my plans tonight, and if Idia-san has a problem with it, tell him that we can pick things back up again at our next board game club meeting. Move my 3 o'clock tomorrow to 4'o clock, and my previous 4 o'clock to 5. Check with Kalim-san to see if he still wishes to have Mostro Lounge catering his upcoming party for the Scarabia dorm on Saturday, and... ah...
[A pause, before he turns his attention to Eva, for once at a bit of a loss as he tries to recall something he had said like an hour ago in passing.]
Do you remember by any chance if it was Heartslabyuul or Diasomnia students that I said was coming to the lounge on Sunday for an event?
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Evangeline is glad to have time with him at last, and she'd be lying if she said a home-cooked meal from her boyfriend didn't sound incredible, but she worries that he's a little tired.]
Diasomnia for brunch and Scrabble.
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Ahh yes, of course. It couldn't be Heartslabyuul, they have one of their "Unbirthday Parties" or whatever frivolity it's called scheduled that day for their own dorm...
[Can't believe he forgot about that. But yes, thank you for the information as Jade confirms on his end this information as well on the phone.]
Otherwise, I believe that should be everything accounted for. Will Floyd be arriving for his shift at the lounge soon?
"Oh, no. It seems that there's a session with the basketball club tonight, so we will need to have someone else replace Floyd for the shift you scheduled him for."
Oh... that was tonight? [Hrm] You know what, I'll let you decide who to call upon for that, and if they refuse, remind them of their deal with us. Hopefully you shouldn't need to call us back unless it's an emergency.
[And with that, he finally hangs up before he turns his attention to Eva.]
Sorry about that. Did you decide on what it was that you wanted me to prepare for the two of us?
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Whatever you're best at. I want to see you show off.
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Well, I hope you like rice, because that's what most of our cooking course had us focus on during the training I undertook recently with Ortho-kun. We should still have the ingredients for Rice Croquettes or Lobo Moco in the school's kitchen... oh, or perhaps Katsudon or Paella, we'll have to check to see if there's enough ingredients for that...
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[Things Azul may have picked up about Evangeline's tastes: she defaults to meat dishes more often than not. Hearty foods that give lots of energy for hard work days.]
I can't wait.
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[With that, he even links one of his arms around Eva's as they continue their trek to the kitchen, and upon arrival there, Azul takes a moment to remove his dorm hat and roll up his sleeves here.]
You can have a seat in the chair right there, it should provide a good view so that you can see for yourself what I've learned from the Culinary Crucible.
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Thanks again for doing this.
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[For anyone else, they would definitely owe him after, but for Eva? Her happiness is all he needs to gain from doing this. He gathers the ingredients they will need and at first, he seems to be doing alright as he demonstrates each step and ingredient being used, until...]
Next, we will take this egg and--
[Suddenly, something... odd happens. Rather than one of his hands having reached out for the egg, what has slid up on to the table between them to grab is instead a tentacle even though he's still supposed to be in human form, but Azul doesn't seem to have noticed yet. Um.]
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[She's normally happy to see tentacle, but unexpectedly and not in the bedroom seems like a bad sign probably??]
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[Azul stops in the middle of whatever explanation he is giving, the tentacle sliding off the table along with the stolen egg, once again out of sight as Azul's attention ends up turning his head toward Eva instead of catching this detail.]
I'm alright... why do you ask?
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[do you have to say it like that,]
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[DO YOU HAVE TO SAY IT LIKE THAT, EVA?
Azul quickly spins around himself to look and finally sees the errant tentacle as it attempts to slide back up onto the counter to grab another egg. Azul quickly puts a hand on it, and after a quiet muttering of something as he uses his magic pen with his other hand, the tentacle seems to meld back into his human form as he sighs. There's a slight sheen of sweat on his brow, however, as if he still isn't feeling quite right even as he tries to wave it off with an apology.]
I'm sorry you had to see that. That hasn't happened since the first year or so I first started living on land.
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[She's shown her appreciation for them many times. Enthusiastically.]
I just worry that it's a sign of stress or something.
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No no, I'm fine. Just a little more exhausted than I previously thought I was, I think... I'll take some time to rest after we finish eating our meal.
[And with that, Azul tries to focus again on finishing the preparations for the dish he's making. That furrow to his brow doesn't quite disappear though even as he does manage to get enough steps done that they are close to the finish.]
Now, all we have to do is take these patties out of the oven to set on our bed of rice, add our eggs, and it'll be ready to eat! So--ahh!
[Upon opening the oven door--not one, but two tentacles suddenly split off from Azul's legs to try to grab the tray in the oven. Not only is this a bad idea in that the tentacles quickly retract from the hot pan and nearly cause it to end up on the floor instead of getting harshly set back down inside the oven, but Azul has to grab the counter before he ends up falling down as it seems to be one of his human legs that had morphed back into tentacle, leaving him heavily unbalanced.]
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I think maybe you should be resting now actually??
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... In a minute. But first, in the list of priorities that Azul's brain decides to focus on--]
Get some oven mitts and... take that out. [He makes a wand-wavey sort of gesture towards the oven.] The food's gonna burn otherwise if left to stay in there like that...
[Food going to waste is a loss he will not appreciate.]
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[She quickly puts on some oven mitts to take the food out and set it aside. She'll figure out what to do with it later, but for now -
After she shuts the oven, she scoops Azul up into a princess carry, tentacles and all.]
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[Azul, flustered, flails a little in this sudden bridal hold, eyes quickly darting around as if to check to make sure no one else is around to see this.
Not that he's against his very cool and very strong girlfriend holding him. But it is going to be extremely embarrassing if any other students happen to walk in, especially while he's half octopus.]
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[And off they go. Evangeline, for one, does not give a shit if any other students are around, her focus is on Taking Care of Boyfriend.]
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Just--make sure no one sees me until we get to my dorm room. I can't have anyone else seeing me in like this, I can't. Please...
[It then occurs to him that this would be easier if maybe he had texted Jade or Floyd to clear a path, but luckily, as if he somehow summoned them just by thinking of them, the person who comes around the corner is in fact Jade, who starts to say something upon spotting the two of them.
... Only to immediately close his mouth and immediately turn back in the other direction swiftly as he speaks to another person that had been following him, blocking the other student's sight in time from seeing Eva and Azul.]
"Oh, Trey-san, I just remembered that we left something important in the lab. Come with me for a moment, won't you?"
[And redirecting Trey away, but not before he takes out his phone with one hand to probably text Floyd, and giving Eva a slight nod to go ahead and take Azul back toward the mirror that leads to Octavinelle now that this path is clear.]
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She keeps quiet and alert for signs of other students until they're at his dorm room, at which point -]
Oh, I'll need you to unlock it.
[...she's not putting him down to do that.]
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By the time they reached Azul's dorm room, a few more tentacles have, well, popped and at this point he's not really able to fight it like before. Thankfully he's able to reach for his magic pen in his pocket and do a quick, mumbled spell that unlocks the door for them rather than fumbling with his keys.]
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Now get plenty of rest. I absolutely don't want to see you out of bed until you're fully well again, understood?
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... Fine.
[He sighs, leaning back against the pillows he has here. His tentacles seem to finally stop writhing about the place, lying limp on or hanging over the sides of his bed here.]
I suppose someone will need to grab the food we left in the school's kitchens... and I'll need to send Floyd and Jade instructions on what needs to be done in my absence, for any tasks they might not be aware of already.
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