yrindor (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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writetomyheart2023-02-05 11:43 am
yrindor) wrote in writetomyheart2023-02-05 11:43 am
Entry tags:
[Team Three] Azul's Underwater Adventure
In which Night Raven College floods, Crowley abdicates responsibility, and Azul sees a business opportunity. Twisted Wonderland, gen, 700 words, G.
"He's got it all figured out," Azul reported as he shed his jacket and umbrella in a puddle of water just inside the doorway of the VIP room.
"Does he?" Jade asked. "That seems rather unusual given past experience."
"Why, our dear Headmage would be positively hurt to hear that one of his beloved students has so little faith in him," Azul countered.
"Yeah, he's such a kind-hearted person," Floyd added, pitching his voice into a convincing impression of Crowley's affected whine.
Azul waited until the twins were seated before he retrieved his prize from his briefcase and set it on his desk with a flourish. "The complete blueprints, technical specifications, and operating manual for the Night Raven College atmospheric control system." Such systems were as rare as they were valuable, and as such, their construction and operation was usually a tightly guarded secret.
Of course, valuable information was never cheap, and in this particular case the cost had included three days of torrential downpours on campus due to a fault somewhere in the system. When Crewel declared the campus would be impassable within a day, Crowley had finally called an emergency meeting of housewardens and faculty to address the issue.
"You're dripping," Floyd commented, pointing to the unfortunate puddle spreading around Azul's briefcase.
"I apologize for the inconvenience," Azul said calmly. "If it bothers you so much, you are welcome to fetch a towel and clean it up. It's as wet as the Coral Sea up there right now, but unlike at home, no one is adapted for the situation."
"You turned back into your merform without us!? Why didn't you bring us along? Why will you never let us see you in your other form anymore?"
Azul cut off Floyd with a raised hand. "No, I did not transform. Unlike you, I have no desire to cavort about campus half-naked, and the logistics of transforming and transforming back are always so complicated."
"But then you wouldn't be so wet," Floyd countered. "Hey, do you think Goldfishy would turn into a fish if he had the option? I bet he's not happy with the rain getting his clothes all muddy."
"I couldn't say. He, along with half of the other dorm heads, was unable to attend the meeting due to emergencies at their respective dorms. Something about flamingos washing away and hedgehogs making sailboats out of teacups. And Ignihyde is beginning to take on water right through the mirror, and none of their technomancy can troubleshoot how."
"And yet you say Crowley has a plan," Jade cut in. "Please do enlighten us."
Azul smiled. "Perhaps 'plan' was a somewhat generous term. I believe 'directive' would be more accurate. You see, I have here the complete blueprints to the Night Raven College atmospheric control system, which as you may have noticed, has clearly suffered a fault somewhere in its operations. Given the state of the campus, the Headmage decided the wisest course of action was to delegate the issue to Octavinelle's housewarden."
"So how much did you wring out of him in return?" Floyd asked with a smile that showed off an impossible number of teeth.
"Why, I too am a kind-hearted individual, and I would never dream of demanding payment for helping my fellow students and beloved school out of such a terrible pickle. I simply noted that floodwaters are quite different from the open sea, and it would be too dangerous to send any of my students out into them without access to the blueprints to direct them."
"A very cunning play, Azul," Jade said.
"Oh, and I may have mentioned that I know some Coral Sea denizens who specialize in climate equipment such as this. For a simple, flat-rate commission, I would be happy to connect Crowley with their services at a discount, provided Night Raven College is willing to enter into a long-term service contract of course."
"It seems a small price to pay to avoid a repeat of this situation," Jade noted.
"Exactly so. Now, if you'll excuse me, there's work to be done. Here's the plan."
applebear is up next.
"He's got it all figured out," Azul reported as he shed his jacket and umbrella in a puddle of water just inside the doorway of the VIP room.
"Does he?" Jade asked. "That seems rather unusual given past experience."
"Why, our dear Headmage would be positively hurt to hear that one of his beloved students has so little faith in him," Azul countered.
"Yeah, he's such a kind-hearted person," Floyd added, pitching his voice into a convincing impression of Crowley's affected whine.
Azul waited until the twins were seated before he retrieved his prize from his briefcase and set it on his desk with a flourish. "The complete blueprints, technical specifications, and operating manual for the Night Raven College atmospheric control system." Such systems were as rare as they were valuable, and as such, their construction and operation was usually a tightly guarded secret.
Of course, valuable information was never cheap, and in this particular case the cost had included three days of torrential downpours on campus due to a fault somewhere in the system. When Crewel declared the campus would be impassable within a day, Crowley had finally called an emergency meeting of housewardens and faculty to address the issue.
"You're dripping," Floyd commented, pointing to the unfortunate puddle spreading around Azul's briefcase.
"I apologize for the inconvenience," Azul said calmly. "If it bothers you so much, you are welcome to fetch a towel and clean it up. It's as wet as the Coral Sea up there right now, but unlike at home, no one is adapted for the situation."
"You turned back into your merform without us!? Why didn't you bring us along? Why will you never let us see you in your other form anymore?"
Azul cut off Floyd with a raised hand. "No, I did not transform. Unlike you, I have no desire to cavort about campus half-naked, and the logistics of transforming and transforming back are always so complicated."
"But then you wouldn't be so wet," Floyd countered. "Hey, do you think Goldfishy would turn into a fish if he had the option? I bet he's not happy with the rain getting his clothes all muddy."
"I couldn't say. He, along with half of the other dorm heads, was unable to attend the meeting due to emergencies at their respective dorms. Something about flamingos washing away and hedgehogs making sailboats out of teacups. And Ignihyde is beginning to take on water right through the mirror, and none of their technomancy can troubleshoot how."
"And yet you say Crowley has a plan," Jade cut in. "Please do enlighten us."
Azul smiled. "Perhaps 'plan' was a somewhat generous term. I believe 'directive' would be more accurate. You see, I have here the complete blueprints to the Night Raven College atmospheric control system, which as you may have noticed, has clearly suffered a fault somewhere in its operations. Given the state of the campus, the Headmage decided the wisest course of action was to delegate the issue to Octavinelle's housewarden."
"So how much did you wring out of him in return?" Floyd asked with a smile that showed off an impossible number of teeth.
"Why, I too am a kind-hearted individual, and I would never dream of demanding payment for helping my fellow students and beloved school out of such a terrible pickle. I simply noted that floodwaters are quite different from the open sea, and it would be too dangerous to send any of my students out into them without access to the blueprints to direct them."
"A very cunning play, Azul," Jade said.
"Oh, and I may have mentioned that I know some Coral Sea denizens who specialize in climate equipment such as this. For a simple, flat-rate commission, I would be happy to connect Crowley with their services at a discount, provided Night Raven College is willing to enter into a long-term service contract of course."
"It seems a small price to pay to avoid a repeat of this situation," Jade noted.
"Exactly so. Now, if you'll excuse me, there's work to be done. Here's the plan."
applebear is up next.