Azul’s Family

On the subject of his family Azul says, “My family is full of, shall we say…distinctive personalities. But everyone is clever and resourceful. I couldn’t be more proud.”

Azul has no siblings. (Ace: “You do give off only-child vibes”).

Azul will shift between saying Coral Sea restaurant La Grotta is run by his mother and by his family (at one point the twins say it is run by both Azul’s parents), and says that it started out with his mother as the sole proprietress, explaining, “My mother turned a little trattoria into a famous restaurant,” “But by the time I was old enough to remember, it had a large staff and was the hottest restaurant in the whole Coral Sea,” “l imagine the secret to her success is equal parts business acumen and culinary ability,” and, “She’s keenly interested in Mostro Lounge, as you can imagine. Isn’t it wonderful that we can support other in a shared vocation?”

Jade says that “I’ll keep growing the Mostro Lounge, and one day surpass my mother’s restaurant” was “practically a catchphrase” of Azul’s.

While technically La Grotto appears in Azul’s dream of Book 7 the dream version of the location was possibly very different from how it looks in reality, with Floyd saying that “Azul’s mom would have a fit” if she saw “the tacky decor.”

Azul says that, when he was younger, they would close the restaurant on his birthday to hold a party with all his family and the staff: It had it all-fancy decor, music… And the pièce de résistance was that l’d have the largest table there, stacked high with my favorite foods. My family was most insistent I cleaned my myriad plates, to boot. In hindsight, it was all a bit much…but as a child I was delighted by it.”

Azul says that for his most recent birthday he received gifts and “a nice group photo” from restaurant staff.

Azul has possibly never mentioned his biological father, talking only about his stepfather, his mother’s second husband:

“He’s a lawyer, as it happens. They got acquainted over the course of my mother’s divorce proceedings…The man is softhearted and sincere, but I can assure you that professionally speaking, he is NOBODY’S fool. He often shares his insights about contracts and the law with me. He and my mother are quite the happy couple, to boot. I admire him greatly.”

After Jade and Floyd become violent inside of the dream-version of La Grotta in Book 7 Azul tells them that “property damage is an actionable offense! I’ll sue!,” possibly influence from his stepfather, whom he refers to as “papa” in his dream.

Azul says that everyone in his family is a mage and his grandmother is “a downright exceptional one:” And so generous! She uses her magic to help solve the woes of her neighbors.”

Azul may have spent a lot of time with his grandmother growing up, explaining that she “babysat (him) a lot while (his) mother was working” and she taught him the basics of magic “…as well as a great many other things.”

Azul explains, “She’s very kind—almost too much. Me coming home from school always seemed like it was the highlight of her day. She’d have a whole table loaded with a variety of snacks and drinks for me…” and that he was spoiled rotten, but also, “once she started teaching me magic, I grew acquainted with a much stricter side of her. She’d frequently scold me when I botched basic potion mixing.”

Jack asks if being scolded so often when he was first starting out didn’t put Azul off from potion making and Azul says that it did, and “there were so many times (he) wanted to escape,” but he explains,

“But she’d also be utterly thrilled with me when I succeeded at even the most rudimentary magic. And all the old spells she taught me were fascinating. In hindsight, she might be the reason I began seeing magic as a good and enjoyable thing…I have nothing but respect for her, and I’m proud to call her my grandmother.”

Jack says “it’s cool that (Azul’s grandmother) didn’t just pamper (him)” and Azul echoes this sentiment in another vignette, saying,

“You cannot simply pamper; at times you need a firm hand. That is true benevolence…A mermaid close to me treated me that way, and I came around to the idea because of it. My grandmother. She dearly loved me… And as a child she downright spoiled me. But when I didn’t listen to her warnings and tried to mix a dangerous potion, her fury crashed against me like a tidal wave. It was terrifying. She was as fearsome as a maelstrom in a strait. But now I understand that anger just came from a place of concern for me. Even now I have her voice in the back of my mind, keeping me on the straight and narrow. And when it’s time to get to work, I always steel myself by remembering what she told me: ‘Be a merman who helps others.’”

Jamil says he “never pegged (Azul) for a grandma’s boy” and Azul responds, “I suppose that’s a fair enough assessment. It is thanks to her that I am who l am today. After all, she impressed upon me the importance of always getting your money’s worth.”

Azul says that, while he wouldn’t say he was an “expert” at magic before enrolling at NRC, his parents are both mages, and that possibly played a part in his magic manifesting early on.

Despite both his parents being magic users Azul says that they did not teach him any magic as, after her divorce, his mother was too busy running her restaurant (he does not comment on what his biological father was doing). 

Azul says that he first learned how to use magic for basic things at about the age of eight years old, and while is mother and grandmother taught him some fundamentals, he was not always a keen learning and his family was more laid back: “They didn’t ask much of me except that I do my homework. I didn’t start studying magic in earnest until around the time I started middle school.”

This seems to be a sensitive topic for Azul, who explains, “I am keenly aware of how spoiled I was, thank you very much! I regret it now extremely. Not studying properly, eating whatever I liked and lazing around…Wasting time while accumulating calories–the worst possible routine that went on for years!!!”

Jade and Floyd’s mother, Georgina, seems to be familiar with Azul’s mother and grandmother. When offered an opportunity to see Georgina, Azul refuses, saying,

“Every time your mother sees me, she plies me with endless amounts of snacks no matter how many times I try to decline. She asks strange questions, bursts out laughing out of nowhere, stares at me blankly without saying a word…tells my mother a blend of truth and lies, has tea with my grandmother and engages in entirely unnecessary small talk…Anyway, the point is, she’s difficult to deal with, and I’d prefer not to accompany you, given the choice.”

(At a loss for who would be interesting in joining him Jade wonders where they might find someone with too much time on their hands (“—ah, I mean, sufficient free time on their hands?”), and Azul directs him to Grim and the prefect.)

When Jade visits with Georgina and she asks after Azul, Jade responds, “Azul said he didn’t wish to see you.” Georgine seems unfazed (“That Azul, always holding himself back and standing on ceremony…”), and Jade encourages her to “speak with (Azul) at length” the next time he visits home. Jade: “I’m certain Azul would love that.” – Georgina: “Ehehe, so I shall.”

Azul, Jade and Floyd do not go home during Winter Break due to the cold, as they are from the northern part of the ocean where “the whole surface is covered in ice floes” during winter. Floyd explains, “the three of us prefer to go home on spring break instead, when the ice has melted.”

It seems that the three mermaids are usually alone in Octavinelle during winter break.

Azul seems accustomed to cold climates as a result of growing up in the northern reaches of the Coral Sea, and is possibly not as comfortable in hotter areas as a result, struggling in the tropical climate of Leona’s dream in Book 7

Riddle says that Azul talks as though he is often in treacherous situations and Azul explains, “we live closer to large carnivores and venomous creatures than people tend to on land. But they’re nothing to be afraid of, as long as you know how to deal with them. Especially if you can use magic.”

This was possibly also hinted at in Azul’s dream of Book 7, which takes place in the ocean, where Jade observes, “The sun will set soon…and the sea at night is hardly a safe place for any of you.” During the Stitch even Azul says, “Unlike me, you’ll find most other sea creatures quite ruthless.”