Azul seems to enjoy being publicly praised, encouraging Jamil to help him finish a potion that even Riddle couldn’t perfect and “get recognition from all your peers!”
When Vargas is captured during Vargas Camp Azul’s first response is, “But I haven’t gotten my Vargas badge yet!,” as proof of his accomplishments. Azul is not pleased by the shadow that kidnapped their teacher, saying, “It so rudely interrupted me getting my final Vargas badge!…Why couldn’t it wait until AFTER the challenge had finished?”
Vil observes, “For all your complaining, it sounds like you still intend to rescue them” and Azul responds, “It would be quite the feather in my cap to rescue a distinguished Night Raven College teacher in his hour of need.”
On the subject of a marketing campaign that Crowley tasked the students with at a Housewarden meeting Azul explains, “if our marketing campaign is successful, it can only benefit me. If this school becomes more prestigious, surely its students’ esteem will be raised as well. ‘Say, isn’t that a student from Night Raven College?,’ people will say in hushed tones. And if it goes REALLY well, there’ll no doubt be more requests for me to work my magic elsewhere.”
We have several examples of Azul accepting praise for his abilities, such a Noble Bell College student complimenting him during Glorious Masquerade (“You’re like the whole package-studious, diligent, good at singing… and to top it all off, so kind and considerate!”)
Azul asks outright if the other students enjoyed his singing, and when Jamil says, “Way to be a sore winner. Very classy,” Azul responds, “I’ll take that as the highest of compliments.”
Deuce and Epel also compliment Azul on his singing (Azul: “Who knew it’d be so satisfying to hear compliments from the two of you? I suppose I could get used to underclassmen looking up at me with awe”), and he also does not refuse Idia’s compliments of his “cool, clever vibe” and his appearance during Vargas Camp.
When Silver praises Azul for his strength of will after Azul frees himself from the abyss of Book 7 Azul responds, “You’re giving me too much credit…but I suppose I can accept the compliment for what it is,” but we do have examples of Azul becoming uncomfortable about being complimented by others: Despite scolding Idia for being unable to take a compliment during Glorious Masquerade, when he reveals he is pleased to receive recognition of his powers by Malleus and Malleus tells him to be proud (Idia follows with, “You just earned yourself a license to SMUG”), Azul says, “…That’s enough of that. Let’s just move on.”
Malleus responds, “After all that boasting, now you’re acting modest? How curious you are,” and Idia teases him in the same way he was scolded earlier on, saying, “Guess you weren’t expecting all that open praise, huh? Some guys just can’t take a compliment.”
Azul seems to become similarly uncomfortable in a vignette: after Rook compliments him on his “positively magnificent” singing and the amount of effort he must have invested in practicing Azul responds, “If you wish to share more compliments, I ask that you hold them until after the performance tonight,” dismissing the topic by saying, “It would be a waste to spend our day standing around chatting. Let’s move on, shall we?”
Twisted Wonderland Reference Note 