Chapter Text
The first sign that this meeting Headmage Crowley called Azul for was merely a fad should have been the fact that every student called was an Overblot victim. Second was the man sitting before Headmage’s office. One Azul hadn’t seen on campus before. If he were to choose which sign made the hair on his neck stand more, he’d choose the man. Especially given the fact that Crowley hadn’t given any description for this urgent meeting, so Azul didn’t really have a chance to collect information. Which is a pity to say the least.
As he walked into Crowley’s office, he could see Riddle, Vil, and Jamil already inside. Judging by their faces, they were now waiting for Leona, Idia, and Malleus. Apparently, they needn’t wait long for the latter two, as both Idia and Malleus walked inside mere seconds after Azul himself.
Idia looked ready to die, having been forced to come to the meeting physically and, on the way there, bumping into Malleus. His hair, usually a vibrant, beautiful blue, was tinged pink at the tips, offering no privacy to the embarrassment the boy must be feeling. Despite himself, Azul smiled, and Idia chose this exact moment to look straight at him. Quickly, Azul looked at Crowley so as not to cause any further discomfort to his upperclassman that would undoubtedly follow by further staring at him.
“Ah, my dear students, it seems to me that we are only missing one last person! As your oh so very kind headmage, I do hope Mister Kingcholar hadn’t merely ignored my call and gone to sleep somewhere instead!” The headmage’s voice quickly filled the office, allowing the tension to slowly seep out of the room. Immediately as he finished his spiel, the door to the office opened once more as Leona finally decided to honor the rest of them with his presence.
“Can we get done with this meeting quickly?” He said, his voice dripping with the exhaustion of someone who just woke up minutes ago. “I’m quite busy.”
“Pfft, I’m sure you are.” Said Vil.
“You have something to say, Queenie?”
“Mister Kingscholar, Mister Shoenheit, please, this is not the time for useless quarrel!” Thankfully, Crowley stopped them before anything worse than a few broken egos could occur. “We are here for a very important reason, one that I believe you all are fully aware of!”
“Headmage, if I may, it is perhaps the wisest choice to get to the matter quickly. We understand that what you need to say must be important, but that does not lessen the importance of our Housewarden, or vice housewarden,” Riddle looked at Jamil, “Importances.”
“I second Riddle’s words,” Azul said, hoping to get back to Mostro Lounge quickly. While he did trust Jade and Floyd to competently do their jobs, he himself had left many documents, reports, and files to be here. And he’d rather not leave them for a later date. He’s busy enough as is.
“Agreed.” Malleus and Jamil said at once, already sounding annoyed at having precious time taken from their schedules. Only Idia remained quiet, idly staring at Azul.
Leona looked around the other gathered students. “Tch.”
“Very well. In that case, let’s get right to it.” Crowley clapped his hands before summoning a set of documents. “As you know, with the recent… incident, we have marked seven total Overblots in the last nine months. Something as rare and as deadly as an Overblot shouldn’t even occur once in an environment meant to be supporting young mages. While I tried to… hide the first five occurrences…” He trailed off.
The students looked at him expectantly. It’s not a secret that their headmage was trying to cover every Overblot up, and every student of Night Raven College knows about it. Everyone is quite sure that the reason is simply losing the funding… but if Crowley is about to show his true reasons, they can’t afford to distract him.
“Given that it’s highly probable that each of you would lose the possibility of continuing your education, as it’s most likely each of you would’ve ended up in a mental hospice… which isn’t that far off from where S.T.Y.X. took you.” Idia winced silently. “But, with the intensity of the seventh Overblot, and the fact that one of my students, no matter how old, had died” Now it was Malleus’ turn to wince and look away. “It was the only compromise I could get with the Board.”
For a minute, everyone was silent. Then:
“Compromise? What compromise?” Vil asked, suddenly curious.
Azul thought for a second before something came to his mind. “Does it have something to do with the man sitting in front of your office, Headmage?” He looked at Crowley. Suddenly, every gathered student looked at Azul, realization dawning on them.
“Yes, Mister Ashengrotto. You’d be correct in that regard.”
Crowley gestured to the door, which once more opened to reveal the man in question walking into the room.
“Hello, dear students.” The man said, clearly not expecting any response. To his surprise, however, he was met with a greeting back.
“Good afternoon.” Said Riddle, Azul, Vil, and Malleus together. The remaining students looked at the stranger with suspicion.
“Thank you for coming, Mister Madris!” Crowley stood up, bowing his head politely in the man’s direction. “My dear students, this is Brunel Madris, a therapist specializing in group therapy for teenagers and young adults!”
Brunel bowed his head in return. “Nice to meet you all.”
Leona let out a laugh. “Therapist? I don’t see any reason for needing therapy, Headmage. Maybe Queenie and Cephalo-punk and maybe the pampered little redhead over there,” he pointed at both Vil, Azul, and Riddle, ”But I? Not at all.”
“Oh, please. We all know you’d make any therapist rich with your baggage.” Idia whispered to himself. Unfortunately for him, beastmen tend to have good hearing.
“Right, add Radish Sprout to the list.”
“Leona-san, at this point, just say every student.”
“Why, does the snake want to be on the list that badly?”
“Unlike some overgrown children, I can see that I’m not on the sanest side.”
“That makes one of us.” Remarked Azul.
“You–!”
“Please, dear students, stop this madness!” Yelled Crowley, sufficiently silencing the ongoing argument. “Thank you. Now, since everyone has something to add, what do you think, Rosehearts, Draconia?”
“While I’m not particularly joyous about having been told to attend therapy, given how little time I already have, I believe it might have some minimal positive reinforcement.” Riddle closed his eyes for a second. “As long as it does not conflict with my schedule, I shall attend.” He looked at Brunel, eyeing him up and down.
“Good, Draconia?”
“I am not entirely sure what to think.” He said, looking worriedly towards the door as if wanting to leave the space.
“If I may interrupt,” said Brunel, “What I hope to achieve is not force you youngsters to change on purpose, or tell me your deepest, darkest secrets. That’s not the point at all. What I hope to achieve is that you seven gain a support system through each other. You may have friends or acquaintances, but what they don’t have is experience of losing all of your control. That’s something only you have. The understanding of it, the experience of it, and the knowledge of what it meant.”
He sighed.
“Besides, while I hate to be the guy to blackmail others–” Leona and Jamil snort and pointedly look at Azul. “But the Headmage is correct. If you don’t even try once, the Board of Directors has already decided that the school will be investigated and each of you would lose your place here.” Suddenly, silence filled the room.
The implication of it was… awful to say the least.
“Well, you heard the doctor, at least one meeting. I shall even be so kind and gracious as to allow you yourselves to set a time and day, and if you all deem it not as torturous as you make it seem, I won’t have a single say in the frequency of the meetings!” Crowley smiled. “Aren’t I just so gracious?”
“Very well. In that case, I agree to at least try to partake in your therapy, Doctor Madris.” Ever so sensible, Riddle agreed.
“If attendance is required to ensure my continued enrollment, then I see little reason to refuse.” Azul nodded.
“Very well, as long as it won’t conflict with my appointments.”
“Fine.”
“I- I’ll come too…”
“Ugh, whatever.” Leona yawned.
Now only Malleus was left to make a decision.
"I am unfamiliar with this 'group therapy'." Malleus said, looking toward Brunel. "You gather strangers together and ask them to speak of their troubles?"
"Something like that." Brunel nodded.
"Hm."
Malleus fell silent.
Nobody interrupted him.
After all, when Malleus began thinking, it was often difficult to determine whether he would speak again in five seconds or five minutes.
"An interesting concept." He finally said. "Though I fail to see why the Board believes forcing such a thing upon us would be effective."
"Draconia—" Crowley began.
"No, Headmage, I am genuinely curious."
Malleus looked toward the therapist.
"You say we understand one another because we have all overblotted. Yet our circumstances are entirely different. Rosehearts' troubles differ from Kingscholar's. Ashengrotto's differ from Shroud's. What understanding can there be between such people?"
Brunel smiled slightly. "A fair question."
Only after hearing the answer would Malleus continue.
"Hm."
He folded his arms.
"I cannot say I fully understand."
Another pause.
"However..." His gaze drifted across the room. "I suppose there may be some merit in hearing perspectives different from my own." He nodded once. "I shall attend the first session."
“Very well. Thank you all.” Brunel looked over every student in the office before nodding to himself. “I already have your contact information; we can set a date over texts, since I assume you must all be very busy.”
At the mention of speaking over text, Idia, ever grateful for technology, visibly relaxed. It was subtle enough, but given how close to Azul he was standing, the mer could easily feel it.
“Perfect!” Crowley purred out, grateful for the dreadful meeting to be over. Just a few more minutes and he would be free to frolic around campus. “I shall be awaiting good news, everyone! Dismissed!”
With that, everyone left, leaving Brunel and Crowley to speak alone. When the door to the office finally closed, the students immediately went their own way, only Idia and Azul standing in the corridor. Azul was already thinking about Crowley’s words. It’s hard to believe that the man actually cared about the students, covering the overblots up for their sakes instead of only his own was hard to believe. It didn’t fit at all with this persona of incompetence that the Headmage created.
Stuck in his head, he didn’t hear Idia talking to him until a cold hand was placed on his arm.
“–ul-shi!” The Ignyhide student poked Azul, trying to get his attention.
“Ah, Idia-san, is there something I could do for you?”
“I was, uhm, wondering whether you’d like to come play Thaunopoly with me. I snagged the pre-release of the newest version and thought you’d want to unwind after this meeting, LOL.” He said, rushing through his words. “Of course, if you don’t wanna, we can do it at a later date, NP!” He blushed, the tips of his hair flushing pink again.
Azul looked at him for a moment, surprised at the burst of courage that seemed to take Idia over. He smiled at the other boy. “My apologies, Idia-san, but I must decline for today. The suddenness of this summon had me leave Mostro Lounge in a hurry whilst I had been busy taking care of important paperwork.” He looked into Idia’s eyes. “I’m sure Jade and Floyd wouldn’t be too joyful at me leaving work for any longer.”
“Ah, it’s no probs! I should have realized that you were busy FRFR!” He flailed before scratching the back of his head with one of his hands. “Uhm, so… I’ll see you Wednesday at the, uhm, club meeting? Right?”
“Now, Idia, I didn’t say I won’t be able to take a break tomorrow! The weekend is starting after all!”
“Aren’t the Tweels going to be annoyed, tho?” He asked.
“ ‘Twe–’ Tweels?”
“Well– uhm, Jade and Floyd. The mini bosses!”
“Ah. Well, last week, it was them that had the weekend off. I’m sure just one day won’t hurt them. Besides, I wanted to play that Thaunopoly when it begins to sell! I can meet you tomorrow in the afternoon, perhaps? If that works for you.”
“Oh! Yeah, no probs! I’m gonna take the W where I can take it.” With that, they started walking toward the Hall of Mirrors.
“One day you should teach me what this lingo means. I’m afraid people don’t talk like that in Coral Sea.”
“Ah– it’s just some gamer stuff LOL.”
For a few moments, they continued down the corridor toward the Hall of Mirrors in a relative silence. Eventually, however, Idia shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced sideways at the octomer.
“So… uhm… that therapy thing.”
Azul hummed. “An unexpected development.”
“No kidding.” Idia groaned. “I swear, every time I think the post-OB DLC is finally over, the devs drop another update!”
Azul laughed quietly before sighing. “Yes. I suppose that’s one way to describe it.”
“I mean– it’s literally a debuff.” Idia continued. “S.T.Y.X. kidnapped you guys, I had my whole cringe villain arc exposed, got publicly ratioed by reality itself, and now they’re making me attend group therapy!”
“ ‘Publicly ratioed by reality’?”
“Yeah.”
“I have not a clue as to what that means, Idia.”
“It means that reality looked at me and casually said,’skill issue, L.’”
To Azul’s surprise, he has found himself covering his mouth to suppress a chuckle. Pure, genuine laughter caused by the nerdy language of the human beside him. The sound made Idia freeze, his blue flames flickering pink once again.
“I apologize.” Azul cleared his throat. “I simply wasn’t expecting that description.”
“Nah, it’s ‘kay.” Idia rubbed the back of his neck. “At least somebody’s getting entertainment out of my suffering…”
“I assure you, your suffering is not entertaining.”
“The fact that you managed to say that with a straight face somehow makes it worse.”
Azul smiled.
The Hall of Mirrors was still some distance away. Around them, students walked between classes and dorms, paying little attention to the two Housewardens.
“So~ what do you think about it?” Idia asked.
“The therapy?”
“Yeah.”
Azul thought for a moment. “I think…” He hesitated. “I dislike the implication of it.”
“The implication?”
“Yes,” Ha answered before explaining. “That the Board believes we are incapable of functioning.”
Idia winced. “Yeah…”
“Of course, I do understand their concerns.” Azul continued. “Speaking purely objectively, every single person in that room lost control of themselves. One such instance cost Lilia-san his life, no matter how temporarily.”
“Massive L…”
“Please stop talking like that.”
“Uhm– I physically cannot.”
Azul sighed. “What about you? What do you think?”
“I think… that they’re kinda not that wrong.”
Azul glanced at him. Idia was looking straight ahead now.
“I mean…” He shrugged. “I literally tried to jump into Tartarus.”
“You were not in your right mind.”
“Still nearly happened. If not for Vil…”
Azul couldn’t argue with that.
For a moment, silence settled between them again. The atmosphere became a bit heavier. Then Idia broke it once more.
“Okay, but can you imagine the first session?”
Azul raised an eyebrow, confused at the sudden inquiry. “What about it?”
“Dude.”
“What?”
“Dude!”
“Idia.”
“We’re putting Leona, Riddle, Vil, Jamil, you, Malleus, and me in one room!”
Azul laughed out loud.
“Huh. You’re right.” Azul admitted.
“It will be a disaster.”
“As you often say: ‘The guy is absolutely cooked.’ “ He said with a straight face.
“Azul-shi.”
“Yes, Idia-san?”
“Never say that again. I beg you.”
After a while, Idia spoke again.
"Hey."
"Yes?"
"If the sessions suck..."
Azul looked at him.
"We can complain about them together."
For a second, Idia looked like he wanted to evaporate from embarrassment after saying it.
The tips of his flames turned pink again.
Azul smiled.
"A reasonable proposal."
"Cool."
"Though if they become particularly unbearable, I reserve the right to bill you for emotional damages."
"Scam."
"Business."
"Scam."
"Business."
"Scam."
"Business."
They reached the Hall of Mirrors.
“Well, I shall see you tomorrow, Idia-san.”
“Ye, see you tomorrow, Azul-shi!”
With that, they walked through the mirrors of their respective dorms.
///
Stepping through Octavinelle’s mirror, Azul was immediately greeted by the familiar sounds of students enjoying themselves at the Lounge. The Mostro Lounge bustled with activity despite the fairly late hour. Students sat at tables studying, chatting, or enjoying the refreshments and food from the school’s restaurant.
The moment he walked inside the building, several students straightened.
“Housewarden.”
“Housewarden Ashengrotto.”
Azul nodded politely at each greeting.
Before he could take more than three steps, however, two familiar figures appeared. Just as he expected.
“Welcome back, Azul.” Jade smiled innocently, a smile that meant absolutely nothing, truly innocent.
“‘Zul!” Floyd practically materialized from nowhere. Which, according to those terrorized by the unpredictable eel, was significantly more concerning. “There ya are!”
“Good afternoon to both of you, Jade, Floyd.” He looked at the twins who, in turn, looked expectantly at him. “I wasn’t aware I had gone missing.”
“Nah~ but you’ve been gone forever.”
“Now, Floyd, it has been only a mere hour and fifteen minutes,” Jade supplied unhelpfully.
“See? Forever.”
Azul sighed. The two had clearly been waiting. Not that either would openly admit it. Before he could ask why they had stationed themselves near the entrance instead of actually doing their job, Floyd immediately hooked an arm around his shoulders. The eel must have never been taught about personal space, not that it was a problem to Azul.
“Come on!”
“Floyd.”
“Come on.”
“Jade?”
“Unfortunately, Azul, I’m with Floyd on this matter.” How people still call Jade the saner twin is still incomprehensible to Azul.
“What exactly are you two trying to accomplish?”
“We’re going to your office.”
“Are we?”
“Yep!”
“And for what purpose are you two dodging your responsibilities?”
Jade’s smile widened slightly. “Why, we would merely like to know what the Headmage wanted from our dear overworked employer...”
Ah. Of course. Azul should’ve expected it. Crowley had abruptly summoned every Overblot victim on campus without much explanation. There must have been no shortage of rumors while he was gone, and apparently Jade and Floyd had grown tired of waiting for answers.
“Couldn’t this discussion wait until after your and mine shift was over?”
“No.” “No.” The synchronized response was immediate.
Azul closed his eyes. “Wonderful.”
Satisfied with the outcome, Floyd began steering him toward the staircase. Several students watched the scene unfold, and none of them looked surprised. After all, everyone in NRC knew a very simple truth. While the Octavinelle housewarden could easily control the twins, if Jade and Floyd decided on taking Azul somewhere, then Azul was going somewhere. Whether he agreed beforehand was largely irrelevant.