Idia says that Azul “can lie like nobody’s business” and, when complimented by Silver on his silver tongue, Azul responds, “You can always count on me for negotiations.”
We see Azul improvise to the point of lying outright multiple times, such as when he appeals to a dream-Leona in Jack’s dream of Book 7 with his desire to join in spelldrive practice, saying, “Spelldrive isn’t a game about physique or magic. It’s all about what’s up here, in your head,” a direct quote by Leona himself in Book 2.
Azul ad-libs again in Ruggie’ dream, explaining to Ruggie without hesitation that Grim is his familiar and that they are visiting the school of the dream on a student exchange.
Azul also talks his way past Scarabia students in Book 4 by claiming that, after protecting the prefect and Grim and expelling the Scarabia students themselves, he realized he was in the wrong. Azul explains, “Once I realized my mistake, I took personal responsibility for the matter. I apprehended the criminals, and I came here to return the magic carpet to its rightful owner.” (Scarabia Student B: “Thank you for the…help?”)
Azul’s clubmates are similarly confused by Azul’s sudden shifts in tone during Vargas Camp: after becoming enraged (along with Vil) by the suspicion that Idia is skipping out on work, he claims to Vargas that he is “just so ashamed that one of (his) own would do such a thing,” saying, “We take our duties very seriously in the Board Game Club. We do NOT condone playing hooky! Isn’t that right, everyone?,” to which other members respond, “Uh, sure…”
When asked, Azul claims to Vil’s father that they get along very well, but the other members of the group including Vil himself look unamused (“You would say that…”).
When Riddle asks if Azul takes issue with the methods he is using to deal with phantoms in Tartarus Azul whispers to himself, “Working with you has given me fresh insight into the travails of Heartslabyul students.” When Riddle says he did not quite hear what Azul said Azul responds, “I’ll be counting on you.”
Azul is often called out for sounding insincere, by Jamil during Master Chef, Idia during Halloween and Glorious Masquarade, Leona during NBC, Lilia during Tsumsted, Riddle during Book 6, and Jack during Book 7.
Azul says, “Don’t you see the sincerity in my eyes?,” to which Jack responds, “Actually, the more I look at you, the more shady you seem.” (Idia: “Maybe if you weren’t so sus all the time.”)
Azul is rejected by Eliza for talking too much and lacking “any shred of sincerity.”
Jack says, “Azul’s got smarts, but I don’t trust him. He seems like he’s always got an angle with everything he says and does,” and it is common for characters to be suspicious of Azul:
Cater seems to interpret Azul’s willingness to aid Kalim during Vargas Camp as suspicious (Azul: “I was simply helping Kalim out of the goodness of my heart.” – Cater: “Uhhh…”), and Ace (correctly) suspects Azul of having an ulterior motive to a “benign answer” he gives during an interview.
Floyd is suspicious of Azul’s generosity towards his tsum during Tsumsted, with Jade guessing that Azul “want (his) golden goose—ah, tsum—to be discouraged and choose not to come back.”
When Azul visits the students trapped in the library during the Lantern event Riddle’s first response is, “What’s your goal here?”
During the drama of the first New Year’s event, Kalim assures unhappy students that he is “sure Azul had the best of intentions!,” to which Deuce responds, “Well, I dunno about THAT…”
During Tsumsted Azul explains that he and Floyd “were going to do some cooking of (their) own for…reasons,” and a suspicious Jamil follows with, “‘Reasons’ is doing some heavy lifting there…” (Azul: “Don’t worry about it. It’s hardly relevant.”)
The prefect is so suspicious of Azul by the end of Book 3 that they insist on accompanying him to the photo wall in the museum to ensure that he puts the photo back in its place as he has promised.
In a vignette Azul says he will teach Silver “how to sweet talk people to get them to—ahem. I mean, how to properly compliment your students,” and he is also often flattering others, though the degree to which they believe him tends to vary by person (Idia: “Wow, cool, empty flattery”). We see Azul flattering Trein, Rollo, Kalim, Trey, Leona, and Crowley.
Azul flatters and compliments Vil maybe more than anyone else, doing so constantly throughout the Tapis Rouge event. Azul lectures Riddle on Vil’s accomplishments during a Housewarden meeting in Book 5, but Vil is unimpressed, saying, “Would you kindly cease your embarrassing slavering?”
Floyd says that “Azul always goes all-out like some kinda shark in guppy’s clothing” whenever “professors or bigwigs” go to NRC for ceremonies, and we see a direct example of this during Tapis Rouge when Azul meets the head designer for Luxe. Ace comments in a whisper, “Did you see Azul’s smile get all extra-wide? Gives me the creeps how he can do that,” and Jamil responds, “As soon as that famous designer showed up he shifted right into business mogul mode.”
Azul says, “First impressions are everything,” but also, “I’d like to come off as a bit intimidating. That makes it easier to change people’s impression of me when I treat them with sincerity.”
Azul has multiple lines reassuring others that he is “always nice” and “kind to everyone.”
Azul is often referring to himself as “benevolent:” he explains “true benevolence,” accepts an errand “in the spirit of benevolence,” and says his grandmother is “every bit as benevolent” as himself, “the very soul of benevolence,” and tells riddle, “My spirit of benevolence has no expiration date,”
Jade says, “You will find Azul to be as benevolent as the Sea Witch, one of the Great Seven.”
Rook has a voice line of, “I doff my hat to Azul. He always carries himself with dignity when he enters a solemn place. It makes you feel as though you can depend on him.”
Azul might be sensitive to embarrassment, possibly a holdover from being bullied as a child: Idia is surprised when Jade and Floyd are unfazed by the special incantation that he invents to enable the students to change their outfits in dreams, saying, “I figured Octavinelle guys would be like Azul and avoid humiliating displays,” and Floyd responds, “Azul likes to see himself as the cool, chill, handsome type.”
Idia seems familiar with Azul’s discomfort with embarrassment, intentionally teasing him about the “doofy finisher move name” from Azul’s dream. Idia says, “And if you want proof, look no further than a certain sports star’s autograph right here on the back of my tablet…,” where Jade had the high-school start athlete Azul of his dream sign his name.
Azul responds, “I can’t handle this embarrassment!” and tries to wipe the signature off while Ortho observes, “I don’t see why you’re so embarrassed.” Silver agrees with, “You’ve got nothing to fret about,” and Azul asks them to please stop trying to reassure him: “Getting consoled by ACTUAL star athletes will only make it worse for me.
Azul is caught “within minutes” of the start of the Beanfest event in his first year and says that he will “NEVER forget that humiliation.”
When he fails to keep his balance on a surfboard during the Stitch event Floyd suggests that he lie on the board and paddle, instead. Azul refuses, as “it would have been humiliating.”
When Floyd discovers that, through the smartphone app of Idia’s design, they are able to view the dreams of others in Book 7 Azul says, “I’d hate it if I was the only one being embarrassed. But thankfully, everyone else has it just as bad.”
Just as Idia had predicted Azul is not pleased by having to recite the “humiliating phrase” that Idia has set as the incantation for turning into his overblot form, but he ultimately decides, “if I let this embarrass me, I’ll play right into Idia’s hands.”
Twisted Wonderland Reference Note 