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Summary: Against his better judgement, Yuu wants to bring Azul a meaningful souvenir from the scalding sands.
Word count: 3,194
Timeline: During/Post Al'ab Narya and Ch. 4. Pre Ch. 5
Pairing: Yuu Fujisaki x Azul Ashengrotto (one-sided), Azul Ashengrotto x Jamil Viper (one-sided)
AO3 Link: Here
Notes:
Sorry for the wait!! I did the last tweaks of editing in AO3 before uploading her and then I sort of... forgot lol. Tumblr's formatting isn't very fanfic friendly, alas.
More notes at the end
—
“So… how is it?” Yuu hums as he watches Grim practically inhale a slice of Manakish from a stall nearby. He did feel bad for stalling the others, insisting on buying a ‘snack’ each time they came across a different shop or café, but this was the only way Yuu could think of gathering authentic recipes.
“Tasty!” Grim chirps, and Yuu's face falls.
“C'mon, you gotta be specific. That's part of the deal.” Yuu sighs, placing his hand over Grim's head. “Help me out this once, Grimmy.” He pleads, and the cat direbeast's ears flatten, and he does seem guilty for a second. Just a second. “Couldn't taste it well enough. I need another slice.” Grim sets his foot down and folds his arms, as if his word was final. “Buy me another one, henchman!”
Yuu can't help but inhale sharply at his painfully predictable response, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Grim—” This couldn't possibly be sustainable. As Yuu looked at the sparse notes on the test notebook, he'd barely be able to fill a quarter of it if they kept his pace. And even worse, run out of savings for the month. But he had made up his mind already, he wanted this recipe book to work. It was what Azul deserved. “… Fine. But this is the last time you get seconds. I don't have enough money to spare.” His voice barely hardens, if there was anybody in Twisted Wonderland he couldn't deny, Grim would definitely be it.
As Yuu handed the vendor another 5 Thaumark bill, Yuu couldn't help but give the lady a pleading look while she diligently served another slice of the pastry. “Can't you really tell me anything about the recipe? It's just for school, I promise. I'm from the gourmet club of Night Raven College, you see‐”
“I'm sorry. But it's a family recipe.” The vendor cuts Yuu off before he can repeat his speech and hands the Manakish over to him, sparing no sympathy. “Can't share it around.”
Of course. Even if the recipient lives thousands of miles away. “Yeah, yeah. I get that” He takes the paper plate down to Grim's level.
This was, what, the 7th time he'd gotten that answer? Yuu understood that people would be protective of their business, but this was ridiculous. At least some stall owners had been kind enough to share one or two recipes, and others, though insistent on keeping the details secret, agreed to give the basic ingredient list after he'd bought from their stall. Was it really that risky to tell a random student from abroad just the smallest bit of information? Yuu always thought food brought people together, but with secrecy this tight, the only thing it'll end up doing is rip his wallet apart.
“Now, remember. You better tell me the flavors you taste. Or I swear I'll cut our tuna can budget for this month and the next to make up for the losses.” Yuu chides as he hovers the Manakish right above Grim's reach and tries his hardest to give him a menacing glance. He used to be so good at intimidating others before, it was ridiculous that this little cat-thing had gotten him so soft.
“Fgnahh?! You can't do that!! I'll starve!!”
“Then you better start doing your part of the deal, got it?” Yuu points an accusatory finger, but is quickly distracted by someone else placing a paper plate of little meatball-shaped biscuits on the table.
“Aw, don't be too harsh on the little guy. He looks like he could gain a few pounds.”
When Yuu gazes up, he finds himself looking at a hooded young man with an oddly familiar smirk on his lips. His clothes are modest enough to fool anyone who's not looking carefully, but Yuu can discern the small glint of golden jewelry underneath the unassuming attire. “Don't worry about paying me back. It's on me.”
He can't help but raise an eyebrow at the stranger's comment, but given his wallet's current situation, Yuu didn't really have much room to protest. “Don't believe the direbeast's act, he could eat an entire banquet and still be asking for seconds.” He pokes Grim's cheek and slides the plate before the little creature can set its paws on it, eliciting a disgruntled pout. “Hey!! Those were for me!!”
“Less munching and more talking, Grim.”
As Yuu clicks his mechanical pencil for some fresh lead, the stranger invites himself in and sits on their table, turning a chair around to lay his arms on the backrest. “If you're trying to get authentic recipes from the scalding sands, you'd be better off selling one or two of your bangles for information rather than going from shop to shop like a beggar.”
“Everything I'm wearing is borrowed. I can't just sell whatever I want.” Yuu scribbles a couple more words, taking a wooden skewer to bite on the meatballs bought by the stranger. Falafel. “So, what's up? Doing your good deed for the day? Or are you going to try and scam me off a fortune for these meatballs?”
The boy laughs, propping his face with one hand. “They're made from faba beans. Completely vegan and far tastier than meatballs.” He pops one into his mouth. “You and your friends stick out like a sore thumb. Everyone in the market was staring at you like some sort of celebrity. I was curious.”
As if to make a point, the coins in Yuu's clothes tingle as he shifts positions, and he can't help but sigh and lay his forehead over his palm. “Of course we do. I wouldn't have worn this if I had a choice.”
“Oh?”
It's true that the clothes the Asim estate had given everyone in their group was of pristine quality. The fabric was soft to the touch and despite the layers it was cool and breathable, not to mention the vibrant, crisp, and clean prints and delicate embroidered patterns at the sleeves. He wouldn't be surprised if they had used real gold thread either given Kalim's habitual splurging. Yet, this felt far too ostentatious for a simple walk in the market. No wonder everyone was so stingy. “It was a courtesy by our hosts. It would've been rude to refuse.”
“Sure.” There's that smirk again. He was sure he'd seen it before, but definitely on someone else. The stranger's features matched it better, for some reason.
“Spare me the judgement. I'm only being a good guest.” Yuu scoffs. “ ‘Sides, who are you to assume? I see those earrings dangling off you. Looks pretty expensive, too. I may be cosplaying a rich person. But you're totally pretending you're the opposite.” He points at the other's ears, who quickly adjusts his hoodie to hide the jewelry.
“Can't you lower your voice?!” The stranger chides, looking at his surroundings furtively before letting out a loud huff. “Some people like to be discreet.” He says that, but his clothes and general demeanor right now made him look more like a petty criminal than anything else. Seriously, grey hoodie and black pants in this oppressive heat? How was he not boiling alive at this very second?
“Oh, your clothes are anything but.” Yuu hums. “In fact, if I were to see you on the street, I'd try to go the other way.”
The stranger's face shifts to, to Yuu's surprise, a genuine look of offence. Did he really not notice how much he stood out, too? Did he really think that muted clothes would not stand out in the vibrant, colorful scenes of the market— especially during festival season? For someone who seemed to be so comfortable giving out advice on how to remain unseen, he sure seemed to be quite naive about his own looks.
“Wh-… I-… I look… perfectly normal.”
“Uh-huh, yeah.” Yuu can't help but chortle at the absurdity of it all. How would they look to the general public right now? They must think this is some rich guy discussing a shady deal. No doubt. “You haven't even told me your name. How am I supposed to trust you're not some sort of scammer that is going to rob me blind once I get off this table.”
“I would never do that.” The stranger huffs and crosses his arms. “And for your information, my name is Minha-‐… Jael. Minajael…. Tealrajah.”
His eyebrows raise, and Yuu turns to look behind him for a second only to find a fabric store with brocaded teal silks on display. “… Real smooth. You should work on your fake names alongside your outfits, too.”
“You haven't even given me your name either. How am I supposed to trust you, too?” That's a good point. And as fun as it is to tease him, maybe Yuu shouldn't take advantage of, whom by all intents and purposes, could just be a good samaritan.
With a heavy sigh, Yuu raises his hands in defeat. “Fine, you've got me.” Though, he isn't sure if his answer would be even satisfactory. From the students' reactions at NRC, his name was probably as odd-sounding as the boy's in front of him. “My name is Yuu.”
“ ’You'? As in the pronoun?” The boy huffs at a laugh, but he does look less closed off now, at least. “Now look who's bad at making up names now.”
“No. Yuu. I don't know whatever this translation magic I've got cast on me is saying but it is not that. Y-U-U. Yuu. Yes, it's pronounced the same, but it's spelled differently.” At this point, he's got the whole speech memorized. It'd been a pain in the ass to even learn how to explain and spell out his name to others, but after much arguing and failed attempts, he'd finally figured out how to reliably get the point across. “And I know it sounds stupid because of whatever common language is used here, but my name is very normal where I'm from. And it actually means ‘Sunset’ in my language.”
Woah. Okay. A little defensive. Maybe he should reel it back a little.
“But… I guess if my name is weird in the first place, I shouldn't criticize others’.” He awkwardly coughs out.
‘Minajael’ raises his hands up in defeat, and Yuu can easily see the way his eyes slightly widen in surprise at the outburst. “Woah. Struck a nerve there?”
“Once you get used to living with an odd name, you'll get it.” Yuu crosses his arms instinctively. While there could be a real possibility that was the guy's real name, he could spot a bad actor miles away. Plus, having a fake name ready to give out when you're sneaking around is just basic planning. Rookie mistake. “Or are you telling me you've never been teased because of yours, Mr. Tealrajah?”
Minajael lets out an awkward cough in response and looks to the side, making a show of avoiding Yuu’s gaze.
“So… Anyway!! Why are you going through every stall at the Camel Market sampling foods? I overheard you are a student?”
Yuu frowns for a second. He’s not necessarily happy he’s deflecting, but he supposes knowing this guy’s real name isn’t that big of deal since they’d probably wouldn’t see each other again anyway. He doesn’t ring a bell exactly for any of his classmates at NRC, and he doubts he’ll come back to the Scalding Sands in the near future— it was difficult enough to get Crowley to sign off on this impromptu trip in the first place, even with Kalim and the Al-Asim’s practically endless fortune.
“I’m… the Co-President of the Gourmet Club in my college. It’s only me, Grim and another freshman. Honestly, it’s just an excuse to eat snacks and hang out after class, but our one and only other member is actually really into cooking, and I’d thought it’d be nice to use this trip to actually do my job. Since this guy over there–” He gestures at Grim, who somehow had gotten his grubby paws on the falafel and was now munching on the last little ball. “Obviously has no interest in the ‘cooking’ aspect of the club anyways.”
“Ah, that makes sense.” Minajael hums softly, tapping his lip gently in thought. “Well, if you’re not willing to sell anything to get those recipes, I doubt anyone here at the market will help you.” He then points at one of the stalls. The seller is cheerfully serving a passerby a plateful of what looks to be some sort of potato dish. “These recipes are passed down through generations of trial and error and they’re most likely their livelihood, too. If they shared it to anyone willy-nilly they wouldn’t have a business in the first place. Why don’t you just buy a recipe book?”
“Yeah, I get that.” Yuu rubs his temples and lets out a heavy sigh. Talk about an obvious comment. “And I can’t buy a recipe book, I…”
He hesitates. Well, if they’re not going to see each other ever again, Yuu supposes it won’t be too bad if he admits his true intentions behind this so-far futile quest. “There’s also someone. Not the guy in the club, but someone else. His family runs a restaurant and so, he already has a ton of recipe books collected, and I don’t want to get a double. Besides,” He rubs the back of his head. “This… feels more personal. I’d thought he’d appreciate something more customized.”
“Ah,” The boy in front of him remains pensive, nodding along to the story. “You’re trying to confess.”
Yuu’s face flushes. He’d never really said it out loud but at the end of the day, that’s what he was trying to do, right? Or, on the very least, gain enough good will from Azul to eventually woo him.
It wasn’t a secret that Azul had his eyes on someone else– in fact, he’d made it painfully obvious after winter break that he had a massive crush on one Jamil Viper. Ugh, even thinking of that name made him queasy. Yuu already knew he was at a disadvantage. Not only were they classmates and spent most of their day together, (whether Jamil liked that or not was still TBD) but Jamil, as much as Yuu hates to admit it, is an exceptional mage. Maybe a good athlete too, from what Ace and Floyd had told him about the guy.
In an academic sense, Yuu believes– no, knows he could easily outwit Viper. In fact, he’d done it before. Quite easily if he may add. And it wasn’t like Jamil’s plan was that good either. It was short-sighted and full of holes and it would’ve so easily backfired on him that it was laughabl–
But that wasn’t the point!!
The point is Azul likes Jamil. And Yuu likes Azul. And aside from his brains, Yuu has very little to offer. He had no magic, no money, not even a family name or I.D. to get a job in the first place. As much as the Al-Asim estate was Jamil’s own gilded cage, he was still allowed out frequently. Meanwhile, Night Raven’s College campus was slowly closing in on Yuu each day, and his outings to Foothill Town were already rare and a struggle to obtain. Jamil could take Azul on dates, he could tell him about his home in the Scalding Sands and introduce him to his family and impress him with spells and…
Yuu was already at a disadvantage. And if he wanted to win even one of Azul’s hearts, he needed to act. Fast. No matter how little he could do right now.
“... Hello? Twisted Wonderland to Yuu?” Minajael waves a hand in front of his face, the sound of golden bangles jingling below his hoodie snapping him out of his self-deprecating musings. “Are you making this whole research trip to impress this guy? Yes or no?”
Yuu groans. When said out loud, it did sound kind of pathetic. “Yes, kind of. I was invited by a friend to see the Yasmina River Fireworks Festival, but I’d thought I could also get him something he’d like. Is that so bad?”
“I’m not saying that at all,” Minajael adjusts his sleeve to hide a bracelet that just slightly peeked from the fabric, then clears his voice. “Actually, I may have the solution to your conundrum.” He flashes a proud smile, crossing his arms. Yuu can’t help but raise an eyebrow in return. “The festival is a very big deal here and people really get swept up in the festivities… and, of course, what is this festival about in the first place?”
Oh god, another Twisted Wonderland history question he didn’t know. Yuu never thought he’d regret not paying much attention to Disney movies before, but ever since he’d been brought here that disinterest had surely bit him in the ass. “... Um… fireworks?”
Minajael’s expression falls quickly. “No, genius. It’s about love.” For some reason, Yuu feels he’s being lectured on something that’s probably obvious… probably. “Love that transcends class and social status. People here love that story. Regardless if it’s real or just a fairytale.”
Ah, now he gets it… Wait.
NO WAY.
“I am NOT going to go around every food stall sharing my relationship woes with strangers!” Yuu stands up, slamming his hands on the table without even noticing. The people around them turn, and he can feel everyone within earshot stare at him. “I– I mean—” He sheepishly sits back down, ears burning at just how quickly he'd gotten riled up. Seriously, did people in this universe not have any sense of propriety? It was already weird having to get used to the hugging as a greeting thing plus how much more casually touchy people were. Now he had to share his very personal, very embarrassing thoughts about the boy he liked to half the population of Silk City.
“Sheesh, I’m not suggesting you tell them your entire life story… just enough to soften them up.” Minajael sighs heavily. He definitely looks annoyed. Well, that’d make two of them. “You’d be surprised at the way young love brings people together.” And then he gives him that stupid smirk again. Okay, he’s definitely teasing him now. “Just try it. It’s not like you’ve got anything to lose regardless.”
“nothing to lose, he says…” Yuu grumbles, slumping in his chair while he waits for the surrounding people to go back to minding their business. “But fine. I’ll try. I’m not sure I’ll get many pity points with this outfit regardless.”
Minajael nods. “And when you two eventually get married, you’d best put me on the wedding toast.” He adds, “And! You’ll have to do your Honeymoon in Silk City. That’s a must.”
Yuu can’t help but snort a little. He supposes the festival’s spirit is getting to Minajael too. “Ah, yes. I’ll make sure to thank the stranger with the shady clothes and fake name on my speech. I’m sure Azul-kun will totally not get mad at how absurd that would sound and make me rewrite it.”
“... So his name is Azul?”
Ah.
Shit.
—
Notes:
I changed Minajael's real name to Minhaj Al-Rajah for this story. 'Minajael Tealrajah' is a made-up alias he uses to go unnoticed (even if it sounds real silly)
TWST I love you but why do Jamil and Kalim get real SWANA first names but Minajael gets this garbled up mess-- p sure he is the only one to get this treatment too, since Riddle, Rook and Silver are on the very least real words, and Che'Nya is just a nickname for the russian name Artemiy
ermm anyways all this to say Minhaj supremacy i don't know who that bitch Minajael is
Also Yuu is relating Minajael's smirk to Kalim's. It's that family resemblance :3c
At first read i remember being like "omg its so cute hes down bad he is already dreaming about us—" NO ITS ABOUT RIME
Having our first paid cg be about Felix fantasizing about someone else is FOUL,,, like I get it he's still very deep in grief but this is NOT the time for romance im crine
Also FIRST CHOICE where we have to go against Felix's interests to progress;
I'll be trying my best to get a good end route but I will NOT be putting Felix down as much as I can. Its just MEAN AND EVIL
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality
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Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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I'll be continuing to upload the fic/vignette simultanously there for those who prefer this medium for reading. And who knows? I may actually finish these two mock card doodles after it is all over :^)
I'll also be porting my other twst fics as I go along, and I'll try to do it chronologically to my timeline to twst, though I'll do some pre al'ab nariya stuff like a rewritten book 3, some more one-sided crush angst, etc. etc...
Yuu vignette!! I did promise some Yuu pining pre-Azul catching feelings so <3
Fic under the cut!
Summary: Against his better judgement, Yuu wants to bring Azul a meaningful souvenir from the scalding sands.
• Pairing: Yuu Fujisaki x Azul Ashengrotto (one-sided), Azul Ashengrotto x Jamil Viper (implied, one-sided)
• Timeline: During/Post Al'ab Narya and Ch. 4. Pre Ch. 5
• Notes: Azul may be OOC? Have never been good at writing him convincingly imho
----
A simple, recycled cardboard cover. Lined ivory paper with the faintest smell of persimmon. That's what Yuu first saw when he got the idea. The item in itself... wasn't something that really caught much attention when placed besides its other, flashier patterned hard-cover companions. But it was what he could afford on his meager budget. Either way, what mattered was the content.
For the writing materials, though... pencil would be best in theory. But wouldn't that be a bit tacky? Careless, even? Pencil meant insecurity of oneself... leniency. It meant you didn't trust yourself not to make any mistakes. At least, Yuu thought, that's what Azul would assume, right? He was all about appearances. Maybe ink would be a better option.
What if he messed up writing, though?
Yuu picks up another notebook from the stall and ponders. He could always write two just to be safe.
With a heavy sigh, Yuu pays for the stationery alongside some trinkets Grim had gotten enthralled by, checking the price on each one.
Still on budget. Nice.
The idea of gifting Azul a recipe book had come to him on a whim, something he only realized when Jamil was guiding them through Camel market. Seeing all the foreign fruit, smelling such different scents than he was used to... Surely, this could benefit Azul's research for Mostro Lounge. At first, he had thought of just buying the book ready-made, full of expert recipes and images for reference. But wouldn't that be just... too easy? If Azul wanted a Scalding Sands recipe book, he could just order it online. If anything, Yuu could even accidentally gift him a double of one of the many, many books he had on his personal library. So why not make a unique one instead?
It would definitely be a challenge to write in such short notice, though.
To be entirely honest, Yuu wasn't exactly a foodie. His cooking was meant to be easy and cheap as to not go over the meager allowance Crowley gave him each month, and he barely had any time to indulge on cooking anything else than what was essential for him and Grim to survive. He didn't even know where to start. Compared to people like Trey or Jamil, he was already at a disadvantage. And his own skewed sense of self and ego didn't allow him to ask for any help in the matter, so he was stuck at square one.
All of these thoughts and others flooded Yuu's brain as he chewed on the veggie shawarma he'd been offered for lunch. In fact, if it weren't for the sudden disappearance of one of the orders, he would've kept on chewing at it while looking absentmindedly at the crowds passing by.
"Grim... what did I tell you about stealing food?"
"Fgnah! Don't look at me that way!! I didn't take anything! Why take ONE wrap when I could swipe a whole spit of meat from the stall? I'd get way more food!"
"Please don't do that. Ever." Jamil chimes in. And for once, Yuu has to agree with anything he says.
As the group recounts their orders, Yuu looks down at Grim, who's spared little talk after being wrongfully accused of shawarma theft. The little guy was glaring at the ground and had his arms crossed, tapping his foot on the sandy floor as he awaited an apology.
"... wanna try mine?" Yuu crowches down to his friend's level and offers his own wrap to Grim, who side-eyes it momentarily before whipping his head away.
"You ain't gonna eat it?"
"I'm not hungry." Yuu dangles the shawarma in an attempt to make it look enticing, some veggies falling to the ground.
Grim eyes the wrap suspiciously before quickly swiping it from Yuu's hands with starry eyes, basically devouring it as soon as he gets it. Taking big bites and making a little mess on his hands with the sticky sauce. "Mmmh! The vegetables are so fresh and crunchy! The onions and bell peppers are perfectly sautéed and the cumin really makes the cauliflower taste even better! Mnh..." Grim takes another bite of the shawarma, completely delighted. "The lime's also super refreshing. And the chickpeas are crunchy on the outside and butteyr on the inside! It's a perfect balance!"
"Hm. You can really taste all that?" Yuu asks, a little amused at his friend's detailed explanation.
"An'... *munch* this is *munch* just the basics!" Grim exclaims proudly in-between bites. "I could totally tell you every ingredient in this!"
"Do you, now?" Yuu hums. It may be a long shot, but maybe Grim's big appetite could finally be useful. He may not get ratios right, but that would be a good start. "... Hey, Grim? I've got a proposal for you."
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Regarding Tomoe Tsurugi's Peacock design; Thoughts, analysis and criticism
※Edit by @wisteriasymphony
This is not meant as an attack on the designers or the team, and I don't think I'm a better artist/designer than the MLB team. This is my opinion after checking different perspectives both on twitter, reddit and tumblr.
