shellphones | audio;

[Leona hasn't turned around, but the fact he is talking and did not in fact fall back asleep is a good sign.]

Do you really think that figuring out a way past a locked door is beyond my capabilities?

[Like come on, this is the leader of the fish mafia you are talking to. After a moment, however, it's Azul's turn to sigh.]

When I first tried to call you weeks ago, you did not respond, nor answer the door when I stopped by. Eventually I had no choice but to use my own methods to come in and see what was going on with you. And then I've had to keep checking on you since to make sure you still had a pulse until you finally woke up here.

[Hm, Leona doesn't like that information. 1) the octopus can just freely break into his house and now he'll have to invest in anti-fish locks and 2) he's been asleep for practically a month.

He doesn't like that.]

How kind of you to stop by so often--

[....Wait. Leona sits up and looks at him.]

Are you the reason why the place looks so clean?

Is that a problem?

[But hey, Leona is sitting up and facing him now, so Azul seems to be a little less on edge. Some of the tension bleeding out of him as he stops glaring so hard as before, even if he huffs a little when he speaks again.]

Your place was a mess, so the least I could do was tidy it up while you were asleep, once it became apparent that you weren't going to be doing so any time soon.

[Leona will find that any clothes or linens he had left strewn about before the coma have been picked up, laundered, and hung up or put away properly. Any trash and rotten food was thrown out, and some dusting and sweeping has been done.

He never touched Leona's pen (though he did look at the magestone on it at one point to see if the coma was reducing or increasing any blot accumulated there... it seemed to not fluctuate in either direction as far as he could tell?) but he did end up seeing whatever books or papers were left out in the open as he tidied up, and potentially any other ones when he was looking for a good place to put said disorganized papers in a better spot for Leona to find them again once he woke up. There is a chair that looks like it's been pulled up at one point to allow someone to sit next to Leona's bed, but otherwise that's the only other sign of something being out of place from where the chair might have been before.]

Edited 2025-06-09 02:51 (UTC)

Should I just hire you to be my housekeeper in that case?

[Because now that it's not lost on him that Azul might've seen his research. He's not sure yet what the octopus might've actually read and understood from it, but it's not like Leona's made too much progress with it before his sudden coma.

The place does seem cleaner, though Leona isn't exactly sure what prompted this either. Azul didn't have to necessarily take it upon himself to do all of this. Is there a level of genuine care or is he trying to repay a debt?

A glance at the chair that's not supposed to be there before his eyes shifts back over to Azul.]

[He did see your research, yeah. But Azul doesn't mention it yet, instead scoffing at that question.]

Do I look like I want nothing more than to be your housekeeper?

[... Please don't actually answer that seriously, Leona.]

It's common sense to not leave things in such a disorganized manner, when I had no clue how long it would be before you would wake again. I certainly wouldn't be pleased if I woke up after a month to the smell of any rotting trash, or the sight of dust all over my things. So out of the goodness of my heart, I did you the courtesy of cleaning up and putting things away in their proper place.

[And yet, there is the chair that does not normally belong in the spot it is currently in, the chair that Azul now sits down in instead of continuing to stand there hovering over Leona.]

Edited 2025-06-09 03:17 (UTC)

[He raises a brow at that. Yeah, don’t let him answer that question.]

How kind of you.

[He drawls out.

Eyes watches Azul as he sits down and his tail curls at the end.]

You don’t need to hang around.

[He doesn’t see why??]

I need to talk to you, so you'll just have to put up with my presence for a little while longer whether you like it or not.

[So deal with it, Leona. Except, there is a momentary second of hesitation, as Azul seems to be giving Leona a onceover of sorts as his gaze regards the other man here, as if looking for any signs of something being off.]

Before anything else though... this may sound strange for me of all people to inquire about, but how are you feeling? Is there any disorientation or pain, or anything else that feels wrong after having been asleep for so long?

[Leona is quiet for a moment, not having expecting that. It has him blinking slowly. A clear debate as to whether or not he should tell the truth.]

Nope. Feels like how it would after a long sleep.

[So. Groggy. Disoriented. But he doesn’t feel like he’s been hit by anything.]

I see. That's a relief, at least.

[Azul actually sounds sincere as he says that, leaning back in his chair here a little.]

Given how sudden and unexpected this coma of yours was, I was not sure if it would have any adverse effects on you while you slept, or when you finally woke up. I was told that this is apparently not an uncommon thing that happens in this world for some people, though I was not able to find any concrete details regarding the how or why it can happen. Regardless, I am glad that it seems that you are alright...

Do you remember what you were doing before the coma? And did you have any dreams or the like while you were asleep?

[It's not an interrogation but he's feeling like he's being interrogated here.]

No and no.

[He shrugs.]

Just a dreamless sleep. Whatever I was doing before than, I don't recall either.

Hmm. A shame... I had hoped perhaps that there would be a clue that would indicate why you had suddenly slipped into a coma here for so long.

[Azul's eyes narrow a little as he says, unable to help sounding frustrated. He had not come up with anything in regard to waking up Leona any sooner, having been told that he would just have to wait it out. Between this and his experimentation with the rifts last month not providing any fruitful results, it's rather annoying...]

Unfortunately, doesn't seem to be the case.

[He ruffles his own hair a bit, letting out a wide yawn.]

Have you closed those rifts yet?

[Azul sighs at that question, not surprised that Leona would inquire after that.]

I have not been tampering with the ritual involving any rifts after you fell asleep--my priorities ended up falling elsewhere rather than trying to brute-force a path back to Twisted Wonderland with that method anymore.

[Leona being asleep ended up being the bigger priority. It wouldn't have done any good if Leona was in a coma and possibly did not wake up even after Azul tossed him through a rift back home.]

I thought that there would not be more appearing given enough time to allow the tear that was created to heal, in a manner of speaking, but I was informed yesterday by someone that they still had one appear at their home. I suppose I'll have to look at my notes again to see what I can do to deal with the issue myself.

[...Yeah, no kidding. Leona could've told Azul before that trying to brute-force their way back to Twisted Wonderland wasn't going to work well.

He sighs at that, rubbing his neck.]

I'm surprised no one has figured out you were the one who caused it.

[There's a smirk that touches Azul's lips briefly as he gives a quiet laugh.]

Do you really think that I would allow someone to investigate into me and my activities so easily here? Besides, you only figured it out because you're used to my particular magic and how it can be used, as well as having already seen my notes on the subject beforehand.

[and he recognizes the smell of Azul's magic but he's not going to mention that. Best Azul doesn't quite remember that Leona can smell magic from their time back at STYX.]

You know, if you actually learned how to control it, you'd be able to make some fortune off of it.

[Just saying~]

It would certainly be a useful means of travel around here rather than having to rely on ships, or any other vehicles or methods of travel if you can just use the rifts to reach your destination within seconds...

[Leona no don't give Azul ideas here... but then he tilts his head a bit here, changing the subject.]

Aside from that, was there anything else that you wanted to know? If you want an update on anything that's been happening with this world regarding the leviathans or the politics or what have you, I can give it to you if you really want it, but I will admit that it's probably not very interesting.

[At least, not to Azul personally, since he does not actually care that much about what happens in this world for as long as he is able to still run a business... and that the few people he actually gives a shit about here are not as affected by it either.]

[Why not. It'd be something to do to keep the octopus busy and off his back a little more.

Leona has to hold back a scoff. He already looks bored at the thought of it.]

Not particularly other than if tensions between the armadas have finally stretched itself thin.

[Not that he particularly cares either, but it'd be nice to go into some places without looking like they're about to kick him out. Otherwise, Leona doesn't care much for the state of this world either.]

[Azul will give him the info as requested: as far as he could tell when he had last checked, everyone's priorities seem to have shifted for now to dealing with the paladin's island that is now no longer in the air.

Instead, everyone was directing attention toward reaching out to the mers that live in a whalefolk village under the sea for advice on things and to try to find Elah and get them to come back, to which Leona may be surprised to hear that Azul actually went when he sighs.]

I do not believe that trip was useful as far as looking for this being, at least on my end of things when investigating around as asked. I did at least manage to find several items and things that will be useful for my work here, so that's one positive to come out of that whole endeavor, I suppose.

Have you really cared enough to?

[Really search for this being? Leona tilts his head a bit, keeping his expression bored and somewhat disinterested.]

Seems like no one's made any progress if that thing is still missing.

Well, perhaps if I had been properly commissioned to do this kind of work...

[In other words, no. Azul did not really care that much because he wasn't paid to do it... and yet he still hasn't tried to insist upon Leona paying him (or if this is meant to be repaying his own debts) for this info or the house cleaning, which would normally have been the first thing out of his mouth by now. HMM.]

Most of the discussions I've heard since then have been people suggesting that maybe it would come back if all of the culprits from the whale hunting and kidnapping in April were caught, but it doesn't appear to be the agreed upon solution so there's been a lot of arguing back and forth on the matter. And I have more important things to do with my time here than getting involved in such frivolous arguments.

[Although, if Azul did actually manage to get his hands on any of the people still out there who were involved in his own kidnapping... there's a very good chance Azul would have to be talked out of not killing them himself as he's still pissed about that whole thing.]

No one can commission you if you don't show your true form to other folks.

[...Just pointing that out there. How does Azul expect to be paid for anything sea-related if he's ashamed of his octopus form?

Though he isn't missing that either. Usually the octopus would say something about paying back a debt, but...he hasn't. Now, Leona can understand that they've been on better terms here than back in Twisted Wonderland. Out of necessity? Perhaps. They are the only ones here from their world and know each other to some extent.

Still, it's weird.

He scoffs at that.]

None of our business then to get involved in any of that nonsense.

[About that, actually: Azul's fingers begin to tap against his one of his own arms in some kind of random pattern, the only indication of something like anxiety perhaps when he speaks.]

There were a couple of people that ended up catching a glimpse of my merform while I was gathering ingredients or trying to investigate the differences here in comparison to the Coral Sea without being noticed. [A beat, before he gives Leona a bit of a look here.] Although, perhaps I should not be surprised that it's getting harder and harder to hide what I am these days. Especially when you've got people like Khalid-san who inquired about it, thanks to you calling me an "octopunk" in front of him...

[Leona raises a brow at that look.]

Then you may as well embrace it.

[No...guilt whatsoever. Sorry, Azul.]

[Eww, that's a terrible suggestion Leona, and it shows in the face Azul makes at that.]

I'd rather not, thank you very much--I may have to accept soon the idea of everyone knowing what I am, but I'm still not enthusiastic about actually being seen in merform if I can help it.

[Granted, he managed to avoid any encounters with people that actually insulted said form or the like during that trip, but... still. When he is in merform, he is prone to overthinking even more than usual, and about how his merform reminds him of all the things that he hates about himself...]

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