Card StatsVignette
Voicing Idle Thoughts (Part One)
Interior Hallway
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Where did I go wrong? Was the temperature unsuitable? Perhaps the component quantity...? |
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Oop. We nearly collided there, Riddle. The turn of phrase “watch where you’re going” means keeping both eyes ahead, not staring at the ground. |
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My apologies. I was lost in thought, and--- Oh. Hello, Jamil. |
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Aha. I was wondering who was skulking about. So it was you, Riddle. |
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I see Azul’s keeping you company today. Out for a stroll, I take it? |
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Why, yes. Our deep and enduring bond as classmates brought us together, you see. |
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Don’t listen to him. We just happened To run into each other when we were both on our way to the lab room. |
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Ah, is Class C about to have a potionology lesson? |
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Yes. We’re taking your class’s place. |
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I see. A word of warning, then: beware today’s lab exercise. |
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Why do you say that? If I recall correctly, today’s assignment was supposed to be... |
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It’s to create a potion that heals burns instantaneously. Nobody in my class could perfect it. |
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Yourself included? |
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...Yes, myself included. |
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Really? You share a class with Jade, though. You mean to say that even his efforts fell short? |
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He had a foolish grin plastered on his face as he remarked that the assignment was, quote, “a dilly of a pickle.” |
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I...can imagine that well, actually. |
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The potion ingredients include three types of herbs, crystal powder, water that magestones were steeped in, and oil from the liver of a direbeast. On paper, the exercise looked like a breeze... But at the last stage, no matter how hard you stir, the ingredients stop mixing together entirely. Instead, they separated very quickly. |
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That... |
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Hm? |
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Oh, don’t mind me. I was just thinking that it sound pretty challenging. |
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It certainly was. I tried cooling it, heating it... None of my efforts bore fruit. And then time ran out on me. |
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That must have been frustrating. Still... I must say, it’s rather...generous of you to share your insights on an exercise that you couldn’t solve yourself. |
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Indeed. I was just thinking the same thing. |
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...You think I’m up to something. Let me be clear: I’m not about to claim this is out of the goodness of my heart.
Professor Crewel said that this year’s sophomores were a sorry bunch. He was quite vehement about it, too. I’ll grant that today wasn’t my finest hour, but I did nothing to deserve such abject humiliation! |
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There’s no need to get bent out of shape about it. Isn’t it possible this was just a fluke? You’re always at the top of your class. Surely if YOU failed the assignment, the cause must have been some minor missed detail, or--- |
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Don’t patronize me, Jamil. Next time, I’ll prove myself and make that professor eat crow. Anyway, good luck today. I’ll be on my way now. |
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Riddle always takes everything so seriously. We’d better get to the lab room before class starts. This one left even Riddle stumped, and we’ve got no time to explore our options... This lab is going to be a rough one. |
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If we’re being honest, though, Riddle’s always been better at written exam than applied ones. Hands-on activities are more your forte. In fact, I suspect you’ll have no trouble today. |
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Huh? Why the sudden bid of confidence? Even a challenge half this hard is above my level. |
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Heh. I knew you’d feign modesty. I’ve always admired your work, you know. Scarabia is lucky to have a vice housewarden as competent as you. |
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...... |
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Grade-wise, you show no outstanding weaknesses in classroom learning, applied lessons, or PE. Even I’m miserable at something---namely, flight magic. But you? You’re almost impressively middle-of the road in all regards. It’s almost like you prefer to keep it that way... |
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You’re giving me way too much credit. Have you heard the phrase “Jack of all trades, master of none”? That’s me in a nutshell. |
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If that’s what you want to go with, sure. I can respect a man who doesn’t tip his hand. If anything, that makes you more trustworthy than idiots who blurt out everything on their mind. |
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Why, thank you. Let’s get moving before we really are late for class, though. |
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Yes, let’s. |
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...... (Azul has such a way of sussing out the truths people prefer to keep hidden.) (The last thing I need is to stand out over something this trivial. Such attention never leads to anything good.) (The surest road to success is to stay right in the middle of the pack without getting ahead or falling behind.) |
Voicing Idle Thoughts (Part Two)
Laboratory
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Potionology and fashion have a lot in common, you know. When you have too much or too little of a given component, nothing meshes properly. Considering that you were vexed by this simple lab exercise... I can only imagine what fashion crimes you all commit when you’re not in your school uniforms. |
Ignihyde Student |
What right do you have to badmouth our style? |
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And now you’re backtalking me? Evidently, this pup still has a rebellious streak. Whoever trained you did a miserable job. For goodness’ sake... First Class E disappoints me, and now Class C does it all over again. Poorly bred from feeble stock, the lot of you. |
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Professor Crewel is as ruthless as ever... How’s it looking, Azul? On the cusp of breakthrough? |
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Well... So far, Riddle’s warning holds true. It always falls apart at the final step. No matter how hard I stir, the components just won’t stay together. |
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Hm. Well, if YOU can’t do it, I’m afraid we might have to admit defeat to Professor Crewel this time. |
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...... |
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What? That smirk is creeping me out. Is there something on my face? |
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You know, Jamil, I note that all you’ve been doing is eyeing my work without doing any of your own. |
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Hm? Oh, sorry. I feel bad for not contributing much. Still, you’re the one who asked to pair up with me, so... |
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Heh. Lying comes to you so easily. |
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Lying? I beg your pardon. On what basis do you make such an insulting accusation? |
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I already told you--- I take my hat off to you. I’ve always been onto you and the competence you try so hard to hide. |
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“Always”? You’ll forgive me if I find that somewhat unsettling. |
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But even your deceptions are not flawless. You were about to say something after Riddle described the problem, and then you cut yourself off. |
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...... |
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You know the solution. It wouldn’t kill you to share it with your own partner, would it? |
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Since when have we been partners? You must really want really want to pass this lab. |
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Certainly. What student wouldn’t want to earn high marks from their teacher? Besides, think about it. If we finish a potion that even Riddle couldn’t perfect... You’ll get recognition from all your peers! |
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Therein lies the problem... |
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Hm? |
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Nothing. Never mind. Even if, hypothetically, I DID know the solution... I prefer to avoid showing off. And similarly, I’m not interested in giving you the answer and letting you have the credit for it. I’d much prefer to be subjected to Professor Crewel’s ridicule along with the rest of the class. |
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What a waste. Why are you so averse to letting others bear witness to your abilities? |
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The last thing I need I to stand out in a crowd and get singled out for it. |
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Oh, really? If your goal is avoiding trouble, then it seems to me that it would be in your best interest for us to help each other out. You help me, and I help you by not telling the teacher that you didn’t contribute anything to this group exercise. |
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Don’t make me laugh. You speak helping one another, but that sounded like blackmail to me. |
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Well? Have any of you pups actually completed the assignment, or must I send you all to behavioral training? |
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Well, Jamil? Clock’s ticking. |
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...... *sigh* Say, I remember this one process in cooking called emulsification... |
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A rather abrupt change of topic. |
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Oh, I’m just voicing idle thoughts out loud. Don’t mind me. Emulsification is basically when you mix two things that would never normally mix together. A pertinent example would be mayonnaise. The key ingredients in mayonnaise are cooking oil and vinegar. In other words, it’s made when you mix oil and water together. For this potion, our components are herbs, crystals, and... |
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...oil and water. Ah. I see the overlap. |
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It clicked for me the moment Riddle said the components weren’t mixing. They weren’t being properly emulsified. That’s a common mistake for beginner chefs. I’ll bet you anything that the issue here lies in the order and timing of when the components are mixed in. |
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The order? Now that you mention it, all the professor said was to mix all of the designated components together. |
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Knowing Professor Crewel, he might have deliberately omitted the details to test us. We’re not supposed to mix water into oil. We’re supposed to mix oil into water. And you can’t mix it in all at once. You have to add the oil in a bit at a time and mix it continually. |
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Interesting. I never touch oily foods like mayonnaise, so this is all new to me. |
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I do a lot of cooking, so... *shrug* Now, let’s take this exercise from the top. Perhaps my idle remarks made a lightbulb go off in your head? We should still have time to do this over if we get started now. |
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Wow. It really worked. |
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Hey, lucky you. |
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Yes, I’m lucky...to have you for a partner, Jamil! |
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Not so loud! Our success was merely a...happy accident, let’s call it. |
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Sure, sure. A “happy accident.” |
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Yes, I just happened to mutter something to myself that gave you an idea for altering our mixing process. That’s all there is to it. |
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You really stick to your guns. If anything, this is making me more curious about you than ever. I get the feeling that you and I could do some wonderful business together. |
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Funny. I feel the exact opposite. |
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