Chapter 21
"Even though it ended up unneeded, we still brought back the photo," I said with a triumphant smile.
"Let me see," said Leona, snatching the photo from Jack. "What's this? It's just some picture of a buncha mermen fingerlings huddled in front of a camera."
Ruggie leaned in to look. "Is it some kinda group photo of an elementary school class? What'd you want it for, anyway?"
Floyd walked around behind them to peer at the photo. "Aha ha, that takes me back! This is a picture from our school field trip."
"Really?" I said. Curious, I moved closer.
"Me 'n Jade are right here."
I spotted the two little eels and could not help but smile. "Aw, how cute."
"Aaand... See the kid sulking way off in the corner? That's baby Azul!"
"What?!" my friends and I cried.
"AAAH!!! No!" Azul shouted. He frantically waved his arms in the air. "Don't look! Please don't look!"
"Well well, Azul," said Jade. "You sure are spirited all of a sudden. Shouldn't you get a little more sleep? Considering how far things have already gone, it would be easier for you to let this one go."
"Let's see here," said Ace. He and everyone else crowed around the photo.
"What's in the corner...?" said Leona.
"Are you talkin' about the octopus who's more rounded than any of the mer-kids, even holding the pic at an angle?" said Ruggie.
"Whoa, Azul!" said Grim. "I never knew you used to look like that!"
"Aw. He's so cute and round," I said. I did not understand the problem. Then I remembered what I had learned when I was inside his mind. How could the other kids have bullied him like that? Children really could be cruel.
"AAAaaaAAAaaaAAAaaah!" Azul wailed.
"I... I get it," said Deuce. "I totally get what you're feeling. Everybody's got a past they wish they could erase!" Suddenly, he had a fierce expression. "I saw nothing! Neither did the rest of you, okay?! Never speak of this again!"
Jack looked at him in surprise. "Never pegged you as this, uh... passionate."
"There's more to him than meets the eye," I said.
"Aaargh..." said Azul. "I was going to expand the Mostro Lounge with a branch cafe and simultaneously erase the shame of my boyhood... It was supposed to be the perfect plan! Two birds with one stone!"
"Hey, you know what they say: a rabbit in hand is worth two in the bush," Ruggie said with a shrug.
"I got my schoolmates' yearbooks and the negatives from the photographer... I succeeded in laying claim to every single old photo of me through a whole web of deals... But there just wasn't any legal way to dispose of that one last photo."
"That doesn't mean it's cool to make other people do your dirty work for you!" Grim said, hands on his hips.
"I don't see the big deal, really," said Floyd. "I like the old Azul. He'd make a better meal than the one we've got now." I could not help the laugh that escaped my lips. He said the most random, absurd things.
Azul glared at Floyd. "That's not the point at all!"
"You don't have to be that hung up on hiding it," I said after I regained my composure.
Azul sniffled. "This is the worst. I could crawl into an octopus pot right now."
Frowning, I moved closer to him. "Listen, you can't totally escape your past no matter how hard you try, but it can help you move on if you re-frame it. It's amazing how much work you put in to overcome your hardships. You should be proud."
"I'm not, alright?" Azul turned away from me, and I sighed. Maybe one day he would see what I saw.
"Anyway," said Jack. "We held up our end of the deal and brought the photo to you within the deadline you gave us. We've completely fulfilled your terms."
"Yeah," said Grim. He smirked. "Real shame about the contracts gettin' sanded before we did."
"But stealing just doesn't sit right with me. Azul, you're a law-abiding sorta guy, right? Take some responsibility and return the picture back to where it belongs."
"We can return it together," I said, knowing this would be difficult for him.
"Fine..." Azul said stiffly. "But at least let me switch it out for a version where I've been edited out of the picture."
"Hah," said Leona. "You just don't know when to let something go."
"He's right, you know," said Jade. "Records are a valuable treasure."
"Ooh, field trip!" Floyd said excitedly. "When do we go? We're goin' as a group, right? I haven't been to the Atlantica Memorial Museum since our elementary school field trip. This is gonna rule!"
I smiled. "Yeah, it does sound fun." I was going to say more but was distracted by Grim sniffing around the ground.
"Hm?" said Ace. "Yo, Grim. What are you sniffing at the ground for?"
"My gourmet hunting instincts are tellin' me... that there's a pitch-black treat as delectable as a truffle around here!" said Grim. He excitedly pointed to a large, black gemstone. "Myah! There it is—a black stone! There's no foolin' gourmet hunter Grim's nose!"
"A... black stone?" said Leona.
Grim grinned. "Time to chow down! HOMPH!" He grabbed the stone and popped it in his mouth. "Mmm... It's rich, with a briny punch like salted squid guts... This would drive any discerning gourmand wild! Seriously top-tier stuff!"
"Really?" Deuce said, shaking his head. "You're eating off the ground AGAIN?"
"Feels like a waste of breath to even tell him to stop at this point," said Ace. "There's just no accounting for a monster's palate."
Leona stared at Grim with a frown. Then he turned to me. "Hey. Does that weasel always pick up black stones off the ground and eat them?"
I hesitated. "Not constantly, but..."
"Something wrong, Leona?" said Jack.
"Nah. Don't mind me."
I wondered if I should question him further, but then Floyd suddenly hugged me from the side. "Not bad, Little Shrimpy," he said. "Everything worked out for you, didn't it?"
I smiled as I turned to hug him back. I sensed his happiness at my actions by the way he held me tighter. "Yeah, it went about as well as I had hoped. Now we've just got to go to that museum."
"Oh, that will be fun! Aren't you excited?"
"Yes, I've actually been wanting to check it out since this whole thing started. It seems really cool."
"It is! You'll love it!"
"Excuse me," said Jade. "Floyd, may I borrow Ona for a minute?"
"Not at all!" Floyd released my and lightly pushed me towards Jade. "She's all yours."
Jade gave me a polite smile. "This will only take a few minutes."
"O-Okay," I said. I was slightly worried when he led me away from everyone else but told myself that he was not going to do anything to me. He just wanted to talk. That, however, was just as dangerous.
"You know you do not have to indulge him like that." Jade's eyes flickered to Floyd before returning to me.
"What do you mean?"
"You do not need to pretend you enjoy his... affectionate gestures, or any of the attention he gives you, really. If he bothers you, it would be kinder in the long run for you to ignore him."
I frowned. "Why would you think it bothers me? I enjoy his hugs and attention."
"That is good to hear. I simply inferred that you would be the type to accept positive attention out of politeness."
"You don't have to worry about that. If Floyd ever does anything I'd rather he didn't, I'll let him know. He's always been open and straightforward with me. I owe him the same."
Jade gave me a real smile this time. "Good. I believe we understand each other."
"Is that all you wanted to talk about?"
"No, actually. There is something else I would like to discuss."
"Okay, what is it?"
"Will you tell me what you did to Azul right after he passed out?"
I froze. "You noticed that, did you?" The other two timed I had done it, no one had said a word. They were likely too wiped out from dealing with the overblot. Of course Jade would be perceptive enough to catch on.
"Whatever it was, you seemed very intent on it. And then he woke up. Was it some sort of magic?"
I shook my head. "You know I can't use magic. Did you sense any magic?"
"No, but it clearly had an effect on him."
I hesitated, unsure how I could explain. Just because I decided to trust him a little did not mean I felt comfortable revealing so much to him. I had not even told my friends about my odd connection with the overblotters. "I was just passing along some empathy, alright? I was giving him good thoughts, hoping somehow they could get through to him. There was no magic at all."
Jade studied my face for several moments longer. "I will accept your answer as it is obvious you were sincerely trying to help."
"Uh, thanks." Somehow, that made me think this was not the end of the discussion. "Out of a sense of fairness, I should ask you what my friends would ask Floyd if they were not so afraid of him."
Jade appeared amused at this. "Yes, that would be fair."
I paused as I considered how to frame the question. My friends' concern for my physical safety was something they would eventually learn on their own. Something Cater had said once, though, would probably linger. "They want to know if he actually cares about me. They're concerned that he's fooling around. They need to know it's not just superficial. That he won't just leave one day when he feels like it."
Jade studied my face for a long time. I was unsure what he was searching for, and I resisted the urge to break eye contact. "You may tell them this... Floyd sometimes comes to visit my class. He's more tender than he seems."
"Oh yeah?" That did sound kind of sweet. "Thank you.
"Not a problem. It that all?"
"Just one more thing. It's more of a request, really."
"And was is that?"
"I like you and Floyd, but you two need to clean up and move out of my dorm. Now."
Jade smiled widely. "But of course."
***
Grim and I headed to Ramshackle Dorm after a large dinner. Grim ran ahead as soon as he spotted the building, but I decided to take it slow and enjoy the moment. It was decrepit as ever, but it was good to be back. Hopefully the twins cleaned up like they promised.
"Ah," said Hornton. "You've returned. Who would have ever expected you to win a bet with Ashengrotto? For as doe-eyed as you look, you're quite the schemer."
"Your advice got me there, Hornton," I said.
"Really? I wasn't trying to offer some cryptic clue or the like."
"Well, it still helped."
"Heh. In any case, I'm glad to know this garden will remain nice and quiet. Ashengrotto's calm features contorting in frustration must have been quite the sight. Would that I could have been a fly on the wall." He turned his head slightly as if listening to something. "Mm... It seems I had best be returning to my dorm now. I bid you good night."
"Good night, Hornton."
A moment later, I noticed too boys nearby. Upon closer inspection, I recognized them as Sebek and Silver from Diasomnia. They did not seem to have noticed me. "Well?" said Silver. "Is he here?"
"No, I don't believe he's present in the vicinity," said Sebek.
"Perhaps he's near the western schoolhouse."
"How could you go on an excursion unescorted?! This is your fault for taking your eyes off of him, Silver!"
"He's not a baby. Personally, I think you're worried to an inordinate degree."
"It won't be so inordinate if something happens to him. You must never relax, even for a second! Or do you not understand the gravity of your duty as guardsman?! You are lucky that he and Lilia took you in and raised you despite your humanity. Don't you dare forget it!"
Silver sighed. "I think we're getting off track..." Then the two of them walked away.
"'Master...?'" I repeated. How odd. Shrugging, I headed into Ramshackle. Fortunately, everything looked just as I had left it. I found Grim already asleep in our room. Everything here appeared untouched, except... I found a new shell waiting for me on my dresser. A beautiful long-spined star. I smiled as picked up the shell to look at it closer. Then I returned it to the desk along with the other two shells I received from Floyd.
"Aaah..." Grim muttered in his sleep. "Now that's a whopper of a fish... I can't eat all that..." He purred. "Mrow.."
Soon, I was in my own bed, where I felt right at home. Before I could get comfortable, however, I noticed the mirror glowing. Then I heard a voice from the mirror: "...lo? ...ear me? Is... anybody there?" I ventured over to the mirror to examine it, but nothing seemed out of place. What...just happened?
***
We decided to visit the museum on Sunday, two days after the overblot incident. Azul assured me he was feeling fine, so I agreed to it. Grim and I were up early and had just finished getting ready when someone pounded on the door. I had a feeling I knew who was there even before I opened it.
"Morning, Little Shrimpy, Baby Seal!" Floyd said brightly. "We're here to get you. It's time to go!"
"Erk!" said Grim. "Whenever I see you two, I'm always worried you're schemin' something. Makes my heart skip a beat."
"Please," said Jade. "We would never dream of getting rough with those who aren't in breach of contract."
"Exactly, Grim," I said. "So, lighten up."
Grim crossed his arms and frowned. "Hmpf."
"The weather's quite clear today," said Jade, "perfect for an outing. On that note..."
"Off we go to the Atlantica Memorial Museum!" said Floyd.
"Azul's arranged it so that we'll have the whole museum booked for ourselves. He's already gone ahead and is waiting for us on-site."
"You'd better not have doctored the photo, okay?" I said.
"We haven't. I've taken full responsibility for keeping the photo in safe custody."
"Good."
"You trust him?" said Grim. I shrugged.
"C'mon, let's move," said Floyd. "Time's a-wastin'!"
"And we have all day," I said as I followed the twins out the door.
"And I can't wait to get started!"
I could not help but smile at him. "Yeah, me too."
We picked up Ace, Deuce, and Jack before heading off to the museum. We invited Leona and Ruggie as well, but they gave it a hard pass. Oh well. Their loss. I pushed down my excitement as the museum came into view. I could enjoy myself after I made sure our job was complete.
"Duuude!" Ace exclaimed as soon as we entered. "WILD. So this is what it's like inside."
"I know, it's really awesome, right?" I said.
Ace grinned at me. "Totally!"
"There's a statue of a legendary Sea King," said Deuce. "Huh. I guess there're more famous figures around these parts than just the Sea Witch."
"Wow," said Jack. "That king's pretty ripped."
"Welcome, everyone, to the Atlantica Memorial Museum," said Azul. "The Mostro Lounge will be holding a study tour today. Or at least, that's the purpose of our visit on paper. Regardless, I bid you take your time and enjoy yourselves."
"There you are, octo-tentacle Azul!" said Grim. "Only... you're not. Are you just stayin' in human form?"
"Yes. Betentacled mermen like myself aren't common around these parts. I wouldn't want to draw any undue attention to myself when our job is to return a photo on the sly."
"Aw man," I muttered in disappointment.
"I see no reason to be concerned," said Jade. "No one would see the cute chubby little merman in the picture and connect that it's you."
"It wouldn't hurt you any to swim around in your real form on a trip home!" said Floyd. "Why limit yourself to two legs when you can have eight?"
"Hmph. Just drop it, please," said Azul. "I'm going to slip the photo back in its spot. The rest of you, feel free to explore the museum."
"Hey, check it out," said Floyd. "There's a display for the mermaid princess's silver hair comb." He swam over to the display, and the others followed.
"I saw a picture of that in the pamphlet before," said Ace. "That's clearly a fork, not a comb, right?"
"Heh heh heh... Maybe that's how it looks to you land-dwellers," said Jade.
Azul glanced at me. "You're not joining them?"
"I'm a little worried about you," I said.
"You're so suspicious. I'll put it back right now."
"That's not exactly what I meant." I noticed it was the correct photo he placed back on the wall. At least he knew how to keep his word, though he was clearly unhappy about it.
"I thought that if I could erase every photo of my past... I could erase my past itself—my youth spent mocked as a slow, dimwitted octo-twerp. The Sea Witch never hid her past misdeeds. She worked to restore her reputation, and earned the people's respect that way. I kept saying I wanted to be like her... But in the end, I couldn't accept my own past. I kept rejecting it."
His openness surprised me. Did he finally accept that I just wanted to help him? Either way, I intended to keep on trying. "You're amazing as it is, even without stealing anyone else's powers."
Azul's eyes widened. "What...?"
"Diligence is way harder to master than magic."
"You... You think?" For a split second, I saw amazement in his eyes. Then he gave me a half-smirk. "Heh. You needn't try so hard to butter me up. All I wanted to do was get back at the kids who made fun of me."
"That wasn't what I was trying to do, Azul. What would be the point? I don't want anything from you." I paused. "Except maybe I deal."
Azul lifted his eyebrows. "Already?"
"I'm thinking an deployment contract. You will need help at the Lounge after all those students were freed, won't you?"
"Yes..."
"And I did enjoy helping out the other day. Plus, it would be nice to earn some extra money. Finally, I will show you that the best contracts and business deals are the ones where both sides win."
Azul smiled, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Speak with me later tonight. I am sure we can work something out."
I smiled back at him. "Excellent."
"Hey, Ona!" Grim said as he swam over to me. "You wouldn't believe the size of the dinosaur bones they had back there!"
"That wasn't a dinosaur," said Jade. "It was a sea dragon— a type of undersea monster. The Sea Witch's cave entrance was built out of sea dragon bones... or so the tales claim."
"That does sound pretty sweet," I said.
"They've got a replica of the Sea Witch's cauldron, too," said Floyd.
"Really?" said Deuce. "They have cauldrons under the sea, too?"
"How do you heat things up in the water, anyway?" said Ace.
"Uhhh... Beats me," said Floyd. "Azul, you tell 'em!"
"Very well," said Azul. "Fair warning, though: I charge a steep price for playing tour guide."
I gave him a look. "Really?"
Azul smirked. "I'm just kidding, Ona." He swam to the head of the group to lead us all through the museum.
I found the tour absolutely fascinating. Everything about the museum entranced me. I enjoyed the explanations Azul gave and the stories the twins occasionally added in. I was glad we had hours to spend inside. There was so much to see! I also learned a lot more about the Sea Witch. It seemed Azul really did try to be like her. Something about it was familiar, though. How could I ask without sounding crazy?
"You look like you've got something on your mind, Little Shrimpy," Floyd said after we finished exploring a particular room.
"I was just thinking about the Sea Witch's contracts," I said.
"You're interested?" said Azul.
"Curious. Did she make crazy contract stipulations like you?"
"But of course."
"The most difficult contract stipulation the Sea Witch ever enacted was for the contractee to get a 'kiss of true love' from a prince," said Jade.
"Wh-what?" I said.
"Bet that made your little shrimpy heart go pitter-patter, huh, Ona?" Floyd said with a smirk.
"Well, I, uh-"
"But only the truly privileged can even hope to meet a prince in person," said Jade. "And to get a kiss from one - specifically one that you don't initiate..."
"Aha ha, that Sea Witch was one crafty devil!" said Floyd. "You gotta respect the hustle."
"Funny, Floyd... I was just thinking the same thing."
"Hold on, guys," I said. "You're telling me that true love - and true love's kiss - actually exists?!" This sounded exactly like one of my mom's stories! Yet I could not imagine these guys buying into them for the same reason.
"Of course it does," said Azul. "Not that it's very common these days, mind you, but true love's kiss is very potent. It can break many a curse."
I shook my head. "I don't believe this."
"I'm having a hard time swallowing it myself," said Ace.
"It's a bit much for me too," said Jack.
"Huh," said Floyd, "for all your talk about friendship, Shrimpy, I thought you would believe in something like true love."
"It's not that I don't," I said. "It's just-" I sighed. "My mom used to tell me stories about girls finding true love or breaking a spell through true love's kiss. I thought they were just silly fairy tales. I didn't think anything like that actually existed. My mom told me it did. She wanted me to believe in true love. She always said one day I would find my prince."
"Prince?" said Grim. "You mean like Leona?"
"Dude, you can do way better than that," said Ace.
"Ona, do you like Leona?" Deuce asked.
I rolled my eyes. What a conclusion to jump to. "No, I don't like Leona! My mom didn't mean prince literally. Besides, Leona is not my type."
"Oh, you have a type?" Jade said, appearing extremely interested.
"Tell us!" Floyd said excitedly.
"I would like to know as well," said Azul.
"I don't like the way you three are looking at her," Jack said, eyes narrowing.
"Oh, we do not mean anything by it."
"Yes, we have the purest of intentions," said Jade.
"L-Look," I said, "I just meant that Leona's not high enough energy for me. He could never keep up with me."
"There are exactly two guys at this school I can think of who exceed your energy," Azul said thoughtfully.
"He doesn't have to exceed it... At the very least he needs to be able to tolerate it, which Leona clearly can't do, as I found out from living with him for three days."
"So, no prince," said Grim, sounding disappointed.
I rolled my eyes. "I told you it wasn't literal. My mom just meant someone who acted like a prince. Not a real prince but one you hear about in stories. You know, someone who is sweet, affectionate, protective... Someone who will always stand by me... just like I will always stand by him. My parents are like that. They met at the beach, my mom's most favorite place in the world. She knew he was the one when he searched until he found the prettiest shell to give her. They've been together ever since. My dad gave up everything to follow her to her world - although she would have been willing to do the same if they decided together it worked out better that way." I smiled slightly. "I guess, when I have them as an example, it makes it hard to believe I'll ever find someone like that."
"I don't know," said Ace. "It might not be as high of a bar as you think. I mean, I wouldn't act that way with most people, but if I found someone special?" He shrugged. "It would be a whole different story. He doesn't have to be perfect, just perfect for you, right?"
I looked at him in interest. This was a new side of Ace I had never seen before. "Huh, I never thought about it that way. You may be right."
"Of course I'm right!"
"Crabby isn't interested in Shrimpy, is he?" said Floyd.
Ace's eyes widened. "No way! We're just friends. That would be way way weird."
"Yeah, gross," I said.
Ace frowned. "You don't have to put it that way."
"Anyway, can we stop talking about me and move on now?"
"But you're so fascinating," Jade said with a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"How about you tell me something about you for once? Do you think you'll find true love?"
Jade smiled widely. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Isn't that why she asked?" said Grim.
"Hey, Little Shrimpy!" Floyd said rather loudly. "Don't you want to know what I think about love?"
"Uh, yeah, sure," I said.
"I haven't given it much thought! If it happens, I'll know."
"Oh. That easy, huh?"
Floyd grinned at me. "Yep!"
"As fascinating as this conversation is, we should be moving on," said Azul. "We need to head back soon."
"Good idea," said Jack, seeming relieved to have an end to the topic at hand.
"Too bad we have to leave soon," I muttered to myself as we swam to the next room.
"There's not much left to see," said Deuce.
"It's not that. I mean the sea in general. I'd love to explore everything!"
"Don't worry, Lil' Shrimpy," Floyd said, suddenly appearing on my other side. "One day, I'll take you on a tour of the entire Coral Sea!"
I knew my eyes lit up as I beamed at him. "Really? Do you promise?"
"Sure, I promise."
I would have hugged him, but we had reached the next room, and Azul's voice captured my attention. Soon enough, we had seen everything there was to see in the museum and were heading back to school. I was a bit sad but satisfied with a day well spent.
"I hope no one forgot anything," Azul said after we exited the building.
"Oh, hold on a minute!" Floyd said excitedly. He swam off in a hurry before anyone could object.
Azul sighed. "This better not take long."
"We could ditch him," said Ace, and I promptly elbowed him hard in the side. "Ow!"
Moments later, Floyd returned, clutching something in his hand. "Here, Shrimpy. For you." Everyone stared as he dropped a seashell in my waiting hand. This one was a hawkwing conch.
"Th-thank you," I said, curling my fingers around the shell in a feeble attempt to stop the staring. "It's beautiful." I hesitated. There was something I had to know - even with our audience. "Why do you keep giving me shells?"
Floyd cocked his head to the side. "You like them, don't you?"
"Well, yeah. They're wonderful. Better than anything I could ever find on my own."
Floyd grinned. "Good." Then he swam off, as if that answered my question. I tried to ignore the looks from the others - the amused ones from Jade and Azul and the slightly worried ones from my friends. Thankfully, by the time we were back at school, everyone had turned their attention elsewhere.
"Ahhh!" Grim said. "Oxygen, how I've missed you!"
"Visiting the Atlantica Memorial Museum was pretty fun," said Deuce.
"Yeah, it was amazing," I said.
"I think I was bored to tears last time I went, but I had a good time visiting it again after all these years," said Floyd.
"Once you get a feel for the world up here, it's funny to see how much of it merfolk misinterpreted in the old days," said Jade.
"That fork—I mean, 'silver hair comb'— was hilarious," Ace said with a smirk.
"I'm glad you enjoyed the trip," said Azul. "I'm sure you must be tired after spending so long in a strange environment. It's just about opening time for the Mostro Lounge. Would you care to drop by for some tea?"
"You bet I would!" said Grim. "I was just gettin' hungry."
I smiled at Azul. "Sounds good to me."
Azul led the way to the Lounge. As soon as we entered, I noticed there were people everywhere. "Whoa!" said Ace. "Why's it so crowded in here?"
"Ah, I see the promotion is paying off already," said Jade.
"What promotion?" said Jack.
"After everything that went down, the headmage chewed us out and said not to take anybody's powers again, even under contract," said Floyd. "So, Azul devised a point card system!"
"Yeah?" said Ace. "How's it work?"
"You get one point for ordering a 6-thaumark drink special," said Azul. "And you get three points for ordering something off the 15-thaumark limited menu. When you build up fifty points, you earn the privilege of one free consultation with the manager—namely myself."
"When you say 'consultation,' do you mean, like, for ANYTHING?" Grim said, eyes wide.
"Let's say I needed help with my studies," said Deuce.
"That would absolutely fall within my purview," said Grim.
"What's more, when you fill three-point cards, you'll unlock even more perks," said Azul. He smirked slightly. "If you want to know more about these offers, please feel free to peruse this pamphlet or browse our website."
"Myah! In that case, gimme a special drink!" Grim said excitedly. "And make it extra drink-y!"
"Same!" said Ace.
"I'll have the snack set..." said Deuce.
Azul smirked wider. "We appreciate your prompt orders."
Jack shook his head. "You guys..."
"That's some business acumen, all right," I said.
"Come, Jade. Floyd," said Azul. "It's time for us to make some money."
"Yes, sir," said Jade.
"You got it, Boss," said Floyd.
The three of them showed us to our table before taking off. I had to admit, it was nice being a customer for once, and I was glad to see my friends felt the same way. Perhaps they would soon get over their resentment toward the trio - at least enough to accept my attempts to befriend them.
"Splendid!" Azul said at the end of the rush. "We made three times our usual amount!"
"I told you that you could do it the proper way," I said, smiling.
"Heh. We're well on our way to meeting our goal," said Jade.
"Yes," said Azul. "If we can continue to earn the necessary funds... We'll be able to open a branch café!"
"You haven't given up on all that yet?!" Ace exclaimed.
Instead of responding, Azul turned to me. "Ona, would you like to have a little chat now?"
I stood up, smiling. "Of course."
"Where are you going?" said Deuce.
I looked back at me friends with a smirk. "I am going to make a deal."
"WHAT?!"
***
A/N: That wraps up Octavinelle. It is probably my favorite book in the game, though Scarabia is close. Fun fact: in 8th grade, my class put on a production of the Little Mermaid. In our version, Ariel had a caring relationship with one of her sisters, and Flotsam and Jetsam had redemption arcs. I don't know if that was an official alternative to the script or if my school made it up, but I loved it.