His next meeting with the Horned Guy happened during very differing circumstances.
Yuu's friends lacked common sense and soon found themselves dealing with a group of bullies. And with anemones in their heads. And that was only for desiring to cheat on their grades. One thing drove to another and the boy found himself surrendering Ramshackle bedroom as collateral for a contract with Azul Ashengrotto, the head of Octavinelle. The situation was out of control and if it wasn't for Jack Howl and the rebel prince of Savanaclaw, Yuu and Grim would not even have a place to sleep at night.
Leona Kingscholar was a singular individual. Your stereotypical bad boy, he even had lion features and terribly powerful magic, to complete the cliché. And he was goddam clever, too.
The rebel prince wasn't exactly reliable, and Yuu and Grim kinda had to forcefully knock out his good side. Sure, the guy did help them, but it wasn't out of the goodness of his heart. As it turned out, he also had his own deals with Ashengrotto to sort out. But in the middle of his cynicism, Leona Kingcholar had given truly valuable advice for Yuu & co in a time of desperation: all spells have a weakness and even the greatest magician could not infinitely perform magic*.
And that people lie, too.
Yuu never found himself to be a schemer, but, they somehow managed to discuss things and break Ashengrotto's aura of magnificence. And, on his way home, he couldn't help but return to Ramshackle's dorm out of habit. It was Yuu's second night sleeping outside, and up until then, the boy didn't realize how much he liked that place.
That night was his second meeting with the Horned Guy.
He was at the entrance of his dormitory and those pretty fireflies were there, too. There was something about Ramshlackle's isolation and its fairy-tale appearance, surrounded by little green lights, that made Yuu felt oddly relaxed.
It felt as sweet as a summer's night.
The boy made a vague comment, he couldn't remember what exactly was, and the stranger appeared.
He looked indifferent, but his expression immediately changed when Yuu addressed him by his nickname, Tsunotarou. After all, he had horns. The guy had trouble connecting the ideas, so Yuu explained to him why.
Yuu didn't know when it was that Grim's idea got glued in his head. Tsunotarou was the first word that came to his mind.
And, to be honest, if a strange guy appears by your dorm at night and not only refuses to give his name, like the hero of a cliché comic but also tells you to call him whatever he wants, well…
He attracted it himself.
The Horned Guy laughed and commented that Yuu knew no fear. His laugh was grave as his voice, but it still sounded cute to Yuu. Then, the stranger used rather elegant words to accept Yuu and Grim's nickname. There was an odd relaxation around them and the Horned Guy used it to inquire about the noises in the Ramshackle dorm.
Yuu had to tell him the truth. To be honest, things were rather depressing. The Horned Man listened to Yuu with a serious expression and commented on the situation.
The boy didn't know his face crisped at the idea of Ramshackle dorm becoming a meeting place for strangers until Tsunotarou told him. And then, the stranger switched topics and started to comment on the gargoyles that were carved on the walls. He commented on the horrible appearance of the stone creatures and how it contrasted with their use for protecting a building from rainwater damage.
'They may look terrifying but… they are something that dearly cares for the home'
Those words got stuck on Yuu's head. And a soft shiver ran down his spine. It felt ticklish.
And Tsunotarou's words were obvious. Things are not what they always seem to be the viewer.
The Horned Guy complained about the noise in Ramshackle dorm and, as if he were some pompous figure of authority, told Yuu to prove he could protect his place. He then disappeared.
Two ideas got hold of Yuu's head.
First, that reality and expectations could be opposites.
Second, The Horned Guy was absolutely full of himself.
It was a level of chuuni Yuu didn't want to think about. And besides that, he had other issues to deal with. Tsunotarou's advice was good, but to solve the problem was another thing entirely.
But in the end, they did it.
And Azul Overbloted, too. Yuu never saw a giant octopus-like that. It wouldn't be until later when he learned that it was called a cecaelia. Ink from the Octopus, ink from the mysterious substance that possessed the students. His distorted voice. The way the guy broke down before he lost control. How Yuu learned that he was a tale of a bullied becoming the bully.
They were underground, in a watery place. The twins who helped Azul also had animal forms. Mermen forms, as they call themselves. The twins looked like eels, with turquoise skin and giant tails.
Azul was put down by the combined effort of Yuu's friends and the students from Savanaclaw. And it was a creepy battle. The guy was confused after the event, but Yuu noted how Azul immediately gained control of his human form back. And Yuu decided to not make comments on it.
Azul didn't want to be seen as he was. It was even odder when, later, during a visit to the Underwater Museum as some sort of bonding activity after the disaster, that Azul commented on how octopus people are not exactly common and refused to revert to his mermen form.
But Yuu knew a thing or two about racism and sensitive topics. Deep down, he felt pity for Azul. How hard it must be to live with an appearance that's obviously different from others and to attract attention because of it. Azul didn't want to be seen by the security staff. Yuu knew about people discriminated against for their religion and skin colours. Kids are bullied for things such as using glasses or being poor. Imagine being bullied because you are fat, because you have eight legs instead of one. Well, tentacles.
From what Yuu had seen about mermen people, they had fishtails. If people in his world were mean for your outward appearance, Yuu couldn't begin to imagine how it must have been for Azul, who lacked a fish tale but had eight dark tentacles and was fat.
The boy even wanted to hide his appearance from the adult staff of the museum.
Yuu felt moved but realized he lacked the specific tools? knowledge? to talk to Azul.
And so, he kept quiet about it. There was not much he could do, and besides that, not every day Yuu visited an underwater museum with his friends.
It was another culture. Different tools. Alternative conceptions. Magic that diverged from the things Yuu saw above, but with principles, he could understand at a very intuitive level. Grim would not stop talking and watching everything. Floyd would make odd comments. Jade would be amused but stopped his companions if they crossed the line.
Azul's group defined themselves as non-human. And Yuu could understand why. After so much time underwater, things felt like jelly. And he could float.
And yet, there were aspects in which they felt so close.
A whole civilization with its culture. A different approach to magic and life. It was a fantasy that came true.
But the visit ended and everyone returned to their own dorms.
Finally, at home.
Three weird days.
Yuu found himself contemplating the entrance at night. Yes, it was home. He said to himself and fireflies appeared. Those moved fast and the Horned Guy came next. His expression was serious, commenting on his return. Then he confessed his surprise at the fact Yuu managed to defeat Ashengroto***. Tsunotarou's sincerity was brutal: the guy acknowledged Yuu's success despite his 'airheadedness and the boy repressed his opinion on the matter. Instead, he thanked the stranger for his advice.
The Horned guy now was genuinely surprised. He opened his eyes and raised his hand. His sincerity was brutal on that matter, too. He stated that he never had the intention of helping Yuu and then changed the subject of his appreciation for Ramshackle's garden. Next, he wished he could have seen Ashengrotto's face with an expression of evil amusement. Even his voice trembled. Tsunotarou's arms were crossed and his eyes shone with enthusiasm.
Yuu had to admit, the stranger was rather selfish. He almost lost his home, yet the guy only commented on his preference for the garden.
And Ramshackle even wasn't his dorm.
But that school was full of weirdos and Yuu long ago accepted his situation. The fact he almost lost the place where Grim and he slept at night probably helped.
The Horned Guy's expression got serious. His eyes seemed to look somewhere else and his body got tense. He finished the conversation, commenting it was time to return to his dorm and wished a good night for Yuu.
Tsunotaro always spoke politely. And his words were straight to the point. There was something special about him, but Yuu couldn't exactly pinpoint what.
He disappeared among small points of light and Yuu realized those green fireflies had something to do with it.
Yuu then heard steps. Fast steps, as if people were running. In the middle of the night, when the mirrors that took to each dormitory were inside the castle.
Who could be now?
Perhaps, it would be wise to get inside his dorm, shut the door and turn off the lights. To make it seem as if the place was empty to dissuade more unwanted visitors from coming.
But they were faster.
Two boys, dressed in a green and black uniform. Their conversation was weird, too. Something about missing their young lord. One, temperamental, started to yell to the other. His companion couldn't be more different: his expressions alternated between coldness and a poker face. He talked only at the end, and then they left the entrance of Ramshackle. They ignored Yuu, who watched the pair from afar.
But strange things didn't end that night.
Much later, when Yuu was using his pyjamas and Grim was asleep, the mirror in front of him started to shine with an unnatural light. It came from the crystal. The boy heard small knocks (he wasn't sure if those were his imagination) and an acute voice calling from the mirror, but the words weren't clear. A figure looming and a question.
Was it a dream? Was it real?
The vision ended as soon as it started. Yuu heard something, but, what was it?
The mirror was an old, rectangular one. It hung above a small fireplace they never used. Two individual chandeliers were holding white candles above, but nothing recalled Yuu's attention. It all seemed normal, and they usually tried to not touch the objects inside the room unless it was terribly necessary. Cleaning was the only exception. When the headmaster brought Grim and Yuu to Ramshackle the place was a ruinous mess.
Nothing else happened and Yuu soon returned to sleep.
* watch?v=g8_VoWbEKKk&list=PLagN_G2VW8b8T_sUeC3LUQYzZnzMt09EH&index=20
** watch?v=m8supao12mI&list=PLagN_G2VW8b8T_sUeC3LUQYzZnzMt09EH&index=24
*** watch?v=UubQcLeSBM4&list=PLagN_G2VW8b8T_sUeC3LUQYzZnzMt09EH&index=37
What can I say? Octavinelle's chapter may be my favourite of them all. Azul's issues are something I can relate to. On another note, Leona has these magnificent bastard's vibes. So far, my favourite chapters were Savannaclaw and Octavinelle. The game felt very engaging to me. Scarabia was good, Jamil's situation is very fucked up for me, but it didn't feel as entertaining as the previous one. Same with Pomefiore's, we got almost all of SnowWhite & the Seven dwarfs characters twisted versions and yet, I found it rather slow. I hope for Ignihyde's to raise my expectations a little bit more.
On another note, the 'real' plot will start next chapter. Stay tuned. Also, reviews are very much appreciated =)