#Watch me shine! (Agnea)

[eightfoldjourney]

Agnea, likewise, was the sort of combatant who preferred fight supportively instead of directly. Even so, she was more than willing to step up when needed... It did help that Agnea had faced far worse than this. From the sound of it, so had Noelle...

"Oh, um... I'm not the sort of person to ask about cooking. My sister Pala knows way more about that kind of thing. Although, my friend Ochette on Toto'Haha is also VERY good at preparing anything with meat." Speaking of which...

"I heard one of the crew earlier mention that we might get there by sundown. Thanks to the wind, we're moving ahead of schedule!" That was, of course, assuming they faced no more monster attacks...

"O-oh, thank you!" Noelle said, pulled from her thoughts momentarily. "I'm usually better at support and making things difficult for the enemy, but it would seem my understanding of anatomy, and my staff, were sufficient for now."

"I agree that sea beasts tend to be dangerous. Especially ones that can prey on ships." She says, continuing her examinations by taking out a knife and prodding it. "Do you know if these have any usable parts?"

"Also...How far is it to port?"

[satsuha]

same anon again! thank you for looking into it 🤍 i havent been following you very closely (im not a fan of social media at all (hence the use of anon) so i mostly just check in and lurk every now and again to see your adorable art) - i fully thought you were japanese; sorry for that misunderstanding!! so cool of you to cross-reference nonetheless :)

yeah, i only ever read gil’s compliments as being purely impressed and appreciative, never attracted. but then when hikari copies him, suddenly it’s read as romantic attraction?! i will never understand these things. but again, i’m biased lmao

i loved their shared path, i found it super cute and i love the idea of this incredibly sweet dancing girl helping guide hikari through the losses his kingdom suffered. the memorial in ku was delightful to watch. this is why i’m of the opinion that forcing romance between them actively takes away from both of their characters, because it stops those individual traits from shining.

i don’t really ship anyone else in octo2, i love temehika because i adore the dynamic of ‘guy who has unwavering loyalty and trust in those around him’ with ‘guy who doubts everything and is constantly scrutinising their partner’s friends behind their back’. you’re the one who introduced me to agnea/throné, i hadn’t considered it before but i do love a good ‘Ray Of Sunshine meets Dark Shadowed Past and they go shopping together’ vibe, so i’ve decided i support that ship too now. thanks for that one!!

p.s, so glad there’s someone who understands my frustrations about the hikari/agnea ship lol we are Connecting

no worries! i wish there was someone more qualified to talk about the differences between the english and japanese versions because there are quite a few (some i'm ok with, others.... not so much) but some of them feel like a genuine detriment to play without knowing the original so i want to share them if i can!!

yeah it's...... a little iffy that people would read hikari's compliment as purely romantic because that would imply that gil is giving the same vibe and i read agnea's response as more like shock that someone as serious as hikari would say something like that to her...

i have a very mixed opinion about their crossed paths story unfortunately 😭 i really like the story itself, but i wish agnea had a more significant part in it... compared to the other stories that feel like they brought out the characteristics of each character more, i feel like agnea was mostly reduced to a bystander in hikari and yomi's story... i wish they got to touch on her grief over her mother or something at least o<-<

AHH temehika's dynamic really is so underrated, they have such strong themes of trust and doubt and i'm a bit sad their banters didn't touch on this more... we got a smidgen in hikari's ch.4 where temenos warns him about rai mei's possible loyalties but it's not enough...! not to mention the fact that they're connected to oboro and arcanette, the most major figures in the moonshade order... i don't really like the idea of octopath making certain protagonists more "important" than the others but i find it really hard to deny for these two lmao

agnene is also extremely underrated!! i think agnea's admiration of throne helps show her that she isn't who she thinks she is:

while in throne's stories, she slowly grows to lean on agnea's attempts to make her feel better... it's really sweet and i don't think either of them have this kind of connection with anyone else...!

it's also very cute how agnea invites throne to meet her father as well as to her hometown's raspberry festival... i think their paths post-canon also align very nicely because throne said she wanted to travel somewhere far away, while agnea wants to bring smiles to as many people as possible... it also makes for a very nice "celebrity and bodyguard" dynamic that mirrors dolcinaea and veronica's and it really suits these two imo!!

i also don't like teme/thro as a romantic relationship so i think their interactions as well as hika/agne's fit much better under the assumption of temehika and agnene... we see hikari's admiration of temenos' intelligence in his ch.5 banter where he compares temenos to kazan so i think both he and agnea have a sense of admiration for their older partners while also doing whatever they can to support them... (hikari with his blade, and agnea with her performances) meanwhile temenos and throne also feel undeserving of their partners because they view them as a light they're too afraid to reach out to... it's subtler, but i like temenos' banters with her where he tries to reassure her that she's a good person as well

phew this got REALLY long i'm sorry but yeah while i always tend to go against popular ships, i've been really frustrated at the extent of it in octopath 2... octopath is pretty unique in that all of the protagonists get more or less the same amount of (small) interactions throughout the game but that was changed in 2 with the addition of crossed paths and i'm not sure why hika/agne is the one that stuck because their story does not read to me as romantic at all lmao but i'm glad to find people who share those gripes as well!!

i think it says a lot how temehika and agnene's post-canon lives align together very nicely because hikari and agnea's goals respectively are much more defined while temenos and throne are more equipped to take a more supportive role... (crying) i just really like them

[eightfoldjourney]

What the Travelers Are Thankful For

Ochette: Good food, her home, the unity between humans and beastlings

Castti: Fond memories, good health

Throné: Freedom, peace and quiet

Osvald: His daughter

Partitio: Good company, good drink, a thriving business, diminishing poverty

Agnea: Her family, her treasured memories, the chance to make people smile

Temenos: The world

Hikari: His friends, peace and prosperity for his kingdom

[eightfoldjourney]

The Brightest Star

Agnea knelt a grave in the village cemetery, gently laying out fresh flowers before a tombstone. "Hi, Mom. It's been a while since I last visited. I'm sorry about that. Things have been busy lately, but then, I suppose that's the life of a star, right?"

She giggled. "Things are going well. I'm always moving from one stage to another, but seeing the smiling faces of the crowd, hearing their cheers, makes it all worth it. There's still a lot of despair in the world, so as long as my dancing can push back against it even a little, I'll keep going... Just like you taught me."

The dancer remained there for some time, recounting tales of her adventures and the various performances she'd put on. Eventually, she sighed and stood up. "Well, I should be going. Palla and Papa are having a fancy dinner tonight, and I wouldn't want to keep them waiting! Goodbye, Mom. I love you. To me, you'll always be the brightest star of all."

[eightfoldjourney]

Ah, Merry Hills. Agnea always felt a sense of nostalgia coming back here. It was where she truly made a name for herself as a dancer, after-all. The town was lively as ever, though the atmosphere paled in comparison to the energy that flowed during ones of its renowned galas.

Gala or no gala, Agnea had come here to once again perform. It would be a smaller concert, but that was fine, as long as her dance could bring smiles to peoples' faces! Agnea could hardly wait, but there was still some time yet before the performance. As such, she'd decided to take a look through the marketplace, sampling wares along the main street that led to the great plaza.

As she admired the items on display from afar, Agnea heard a voice speaking up behind her. Oh, someone needed help? "Hmm? What's wrong?" She didn't recognize this woman, but that was no reason to turn down someone in need!

Magic could both be fickle and incredible.

If wielded well, it was a powerful asset in a Daemage's arsenal! Sometimes, however, things went wrong when even the slightest imperfection was noted, and unfortunate, Torr noted the error in the Travel Spell the moment the final syllable left her mouth. Damn! This is what she got for using a Travel Spell in a hectic situation. How was she supposed the know the town was going to be overrun with barbarians today?!

The place she ended up in, however, was ... unfamiliar. Now, she'd been in different towns across the region, but this place gave off a totally different vibe from the region she was currently living in. The feel of the air, the buzz of magic ... it was different, so different.

Damnit.

Torr began walking, not sure who to actually talk to of the people that were out and about right now. Would any of these people even speak the same language as her--English? Or any other tongue that she was familiar with which could be helped along with magic? Before long, her gaze fell upon a pretty young woman who was wearing some interesting clothes--ah, why not?

"Excuse me," Torr called out, "can you help me?"/ @eightfoldjourney / starter.

[eightfoldjourney]

Winter Revelries

The air was filled with revelry as humans and Beastlings alike gathered together, celebrating the union of their respective villages. People of both sides laughed, sang and played. The revelry was interrupted, however, as Ochette arrived with a handful of other hunters, each of them carrying freshly-hunted meat with them.

"Who's hungry!?" Ochette's voice rang out. Immediately, she was swarmed by some excited younger Beastling children. Tonight, everyone would be eating well... Even the Beasts of Legend had made a grand appearance to celebrate alongside their charges. Toto'Haha was ready for a good winter.

-

"There you are." Castti gingerly poured her medicine into the young boy's mouth. The poor child had come down with a nasty cold, as was common in the winter months. Luckily, she had been there to whip up something to help. The apothecary simply smiled as the boy's parents thanked her for her hard work.

Castti stepped back out into the cold, where Melia was waiting for her. The young ruler was quite insistent on Castti spending the night in her manor, and the apothecary found herself unable to refuse now that her work was finished. Plukk, Mikk, Makk, and even Greg were all waiting to welcome her for dinner. Moments of respite like this were rare in Castti's line of work, but she was glad to enjoy a quiet evening with close company.

-

Throné sat beside the window of her little cottage, quietly sipping a hot drink she'd brewed for herself. The former thief was content with her current situation, having finally found her own quiet little corner of the world that she could have all to herself. Well... Perhaps not ALL to herself.

A familiar dog lay at her feet, slumbering peacefully. Throné couldn't stop a small smile from crossing her face as she reached down to softly stroke his fur. "Sleep well, Pirro..."

-

"So... Like this?" Elena scribbled down her answer on the paper provided. She had been diligently working alongside Osvald to solve complex equations, and was delighted when her father gave her an approving nod.

"Yes, very good, my dear." The scholar's normally stoic expression beamed with pride as he watched Elena overcome the rigorous mental exercises. They were interrupted from this task, however, as Lady Clarissa called them both for dinner. "Just a moment, we're onto something!" Osvald and Elena spoke in unison, then stared at each other. Then, the two shared a laugh. Perhaps they could continue their work after dinner, after-all.

-

The tavern was as lively as could be. Then again, with Partitio himself paying for everyone's food and drink, of course there would be plenty of cause for celebration. The Transcontinental Railroad had truly breathed new life into Oresrush, and now that Partitio had made his grand homecoming, of course there was going to be plenty of revelry.

Papp, Roque, Giff, and all of Partitio's old pals had come to join. The president himself was urged on to make a speech, which he was happy to do in his mildly-drunken state. "This here's my home. No matter where the Dusty Trail takes me, my heart an' soul will always find their way back here to Oresrush. Here's to home!" It wasn't the most eloquent speech, but everyone in the tavern was more than willing to raise a glass to their patron.

-

The life of a superstar could certainly be demanding, no amount of fame could ever make Agnea forget her roots, or her family. The dancer had taken a small leave from her tour to reconnect with her family in Cropdale. Her father and sister, of course, welcomed her back with open arms. They also had a special guest visiting all the way from Ku: Mikka Mishuyo.

Everyone did their part to prepare for dinner. Agnea offered to give them all their own private concert, but she was shut down. Tonight was a night for her to rest and relax with family. Her presence was the only reason they needed to smile. "Agnea couldn't help but "Hehe... Thank you, everyone. "Hehe... I guess, tonight, you're all the ones bringing a smile to MY face."

-

"And that, children, is the story of how the Sacred Flame came to be. Now, run along, and remember: keep your hearts lit to keep the darkness of the night at bay." Temenos watched as the children all left the church, folding up his paper play as they went.

Evening was fast-approaching, and a light snow had begun to fall. Temenos made his way up the path to the cathedral, musing to himself all-the-while. When he came to stand before the sacred brazier, Temenos stopped and stared into the flame. Much had been lost, but through it all, the Sacred Flame, and the promise of dawn, still shone brightly. For a fleeting moment, Temenos allowed himself a smile. "Roi, Crick, Pontiff... The future is in good hands." With that, he made his toward the cathedral. He had a new initiate to oversee, after-all. It wouldn't do to keep Sister Reiza waiting.

-

Hikari looked down upon the city from the palace balcony. It was a peaceful night. Everyone was making ready for the turn of seasons. Hikari had done much to ensure that this tranquility was even possible, but there was still much to do. In spite of that, it pleased him to know that his efforts were not in vain. "Father, Ritsu, Tsuki, even you Kazan... I hope you can all see this."

But tonight was not a night to get wrapped up in the past. Hikari took a deep breath, then made his way toward the palace entrance. Benkei and Rai Mei insisted on accompanying him, but Hikari didn't mind their company. Together, they would walk through the streets of Ku and enjoy the tranquility together... Not as a lord and his servants, but simply as friends.

[eightfoldjourney]

Agnea was quick to nod her agreement. "I think a quick search should be fine. Still..." She recalled the wolves that had started fighting each other, as well as Lucen's readiness to get themselves hurt. "Maybe it would be better to gather up a real search party and go later. That way, you can stay here in town while the rest of us look into it, Lucen."

Agnea put a hand on her new friend's shoulder. "You're supposed to be my guest, so it's hardly fair of me to keep dragging you into danger like this. Even if what you've told me is true, it still doesn't do any good for you to get yourself hurt."

Gus blinked, confused. "Uh... P-Pardon? Yer tellin' me that yer blood is holy? What are you, some kinda god?" He was mostly joking, though Gus didn't know what to make of the situation at all.

Agnea, however, had an idea. "Ah... Gus, you run on ahead and find the healer! I'm going to try something."

"Huh? Oh, uh, alright... Be back in a flash!" Gus ran off, seeming to ignore Lucen's concerns of being a bother.

Agnea knelt beside them. "Scared of you? I'm scared FOR you, Lucen. You're still losing blood... Now, please be still." It had been a while since she'd tried this, but Agnea decided to try something she'd picked up from Temenos. "O miracle of healing..."

A gentle light enveloped Lucen, and their wounds miraculously began to close, though they didn't fade completely. "There... That should be better, right?"

[eightfoldjourney]

"That's good. I'm glad to hear it." Agnea flipped her hair back, looking around to see that the rest of the crew was relatively fine as well. There had been a few injuries, but no casualties. "We should keep our guard up though. It's hard to know when or if more might come by."

She glanced toward the water, but there thankfully didn't seem to be any further immediate danger. When Agnea looked back, Noelle was squatting to examine the sea dragons. "I'm honestly impressed you handled that so well! Monsters out on the ocean tend to be pretty strong."

Noelle sighed as the adrenaline left her. Her cloak likely hiding her body shivering from her nerves.

"I'm fine, thanks to you." She says.

Seeing Agnea look towards the safety of others, she followed her lead to see if everyone else is okay. A couple scratches were a quick fix with her dwindlimg supply of healing salve, but mosy seem to have shaken nerves, rather than physical injuries.

Satesfied that most everyone seems safe, she squats down and begins to examine the creatures that attacked them.

[eightfoldjourney]

Agnea nodded her agreement. Unfortunately, they'd probably have to go deep into the jungles to see any beastlings, but there likely wouldn't be much opportunity to venture far from the docks. Agnea also wouldn't mind visiting the town of Tropu-Hopu, but again, that was a bit of a walk...

The dancer was about to open her mouth to reply, but then she caught sight of something moving in the water. One might easily mistake it for a school of fish, but then she caught sight of a head poking out of the ocean, and Agnea's demeanor swiftly changed.

"Oh no... Sea dragons!" As soon as the words left her mouth, several creatures leaped out of the ocean and onto the ship. They resembled giant sea horses, and seemed to float above the deck as though suspended by some unseen force.

Agnea drew her knife as the crew began to scramble away from the monsters. "Noelle, we need your help!"

"Ah, okay." Noelle said with a nod. That made sense and helped give her some context.

"I'll try not to let myself be distracted by cute fluffy ears." She adds with a playful smile.

"Even if it's only for re-supply, it'll be nice to stretch our legs and walk around a little to see it. A real visit can come another day."

[eightfoldjourney]

Indeed, Agnea enjoyed her time in Sai, putting on performances for everyone... Especially the kids at the orphanage. However, it eventually came time for her to say goodbye, and so she waved the town farewell, promising to visit again.

Together, she and Noelle made for Canalbrine, albeit Agnea was unaware this was Noelle's second time in the city. Agnea did a quick performance at the local pub, but soon the two were boarding a ship and were on their way to the eastern continent. "It's a long journey from one continent to another. Luckily, we can stop at the island of Toto'Haha along the way. That's where the beastlings live!"

The next day or two went by swiftly as Noelle kept to herself. She was never too difficult to track down. Often at the inn, or walking the streets to take in the sights. When Agnea announced her departure, Noelle was already packed and ready to go. She felt bad about Agnea paying for the trip, but the truth was that despite her attempts to help out or gather alchemical herbs for medicines, Noelle was out of her element and generally only had a pittance to her name here. Enough to cover the inn and some food, but little else.

The trip to Canalbrine was straightforward. The scholar appeared to be relatively familiar with travel in the broad sense, but seemed inexperienced when it came to the local monsters. She was quick to keep a low profile in hopes of sneaking past some. However, in combat, she was a good support, trying to protect and watch Agnea's back.

[eightfoldjourney]

Agnea wished she could give a more apt description, but it was rather difficult to prepare anyone for dealing with Temenos. Hopefully, her own presence would ensure the priest was a little more cooperative than usual.

"Don't worry, I wasn't planning to stay too much longer. Once I'm finished here, we can go to Canalbrine and board a ship for the Eastern Continent!" Agnea smiled cheerily. "I'll pay for everything, don't you worry!"

"Is that so? I'll have to do my best to mind myself, then." Noelle replies, tempering her enthusiasm somewhat.

Still, she smiles to the dancer. "I'm not in a huge hurry, so feel free to continue your performances here until it's time to move on. I can gather supplies for the road ahead. I'm still getting used to the dangers of travel and surviving on the road here. Monsters seem to be everywhere."

[eightfoldjourney]

Agnea followed Noelle to a more private location to talk, where the other woman proceeded to tell the dancer her story. It was... A lot to take in, honestly. Much of it, Agnea struggled to wrap her head around. Talk of other worlds, angels, and magics unlike anything in Solisita all seemed quite far out there. If not for Agnea's own bizarre experiences, she might struggle to believe any of it.

"Wow... That's quite a story, Noelle..." She wasn't sure what else to say. What else COULD one say to all of that? "I'll say one thing for sure, though: living without sound... That's really sad..." Suddenly, Agnea stood up, a determined look on her face.

"That settles it then! I'll do whatever I can to help you! We'll find Temenos, and ask him to see about removing your curse together!"

A wave of relief passed over Noelle's face. "Oh thank you!" She said. "I know you already agreed to help, but it's such a relief to have someone who knows who I'm looking for with me. It's tricky to navigate this stuff sometimes."

She pondered if she should tell Agnea everything, even about her nature as someone from beyond this realm.

After a moment or two of consideration, she seems to have made up her mind.

"W-well...if that's the case, I suppose I can tell you everything about what's happened up to this point, and what my problems actually are. But I've found it easier to keep some of them quiet, so I hope you can be discreet."

With that, Noelle explains her situation up to this point. Her arrival from another realm, and deciding to remain after meeting with Osvald regarding her missing sound. The false identity as a 'scholar' and devotee of a faith of magic, and Osvald's hope that Temenos could help provide some insight.

[eightfoldjourney]

Agnea listened patiently as Noelle explained her situation... At least as well as she could. A 'curse of silence,' was it? The dancer couldn't say she fully understood, especially since Noelle seemed to be omitting some details, but Agnea had seen curses and the like before...

"You don't have to tell me anything, but I promise: whatever you say, I won't call you mad. To be honest... I've seen and done some things that most people wouldn't believe either." She walked on, taking note of Noelle's curious silent movements the entire way. They were so subtle, yet once noticed, impossible to ignore.

"I have some old traveling companions that may be able to help you. One is a fellow scholar named Osvald. The other is a priest named Temenos. They're... An odd bunch, but very knowledgeable!"

Noelle also gives her thanks to the instructor, putting her weapon away and following Agnea out of the ring and out of earshot.

"A-ah." She started at hearing her question. "That. It's...complicated." She continues, trying to choose her words carefully.

"It's probably easiest to just call it a curse of silence on me. It isn't and is a great deal more complicated, but I fear I'd sound like a madwoman if I explained it fully. I assure you that I'm no thief...although you wouldn't be the first to imply it."

"I'm a mage- Err- a scholar." She corrects herself, almost forgetting that mages didn't seem to be a thing in this realm.

[eightfoldjourney]

"You put up a good fight." Agnea was somewhat relieved that she hadn't seriously hurt Noelle. The dancer gave her thanks to the guild instructor, before making her way back outside with Noelle. Once they were out of earshot, Agnea asked the question that was on her mind.

"Hey, um, Noelle... Sorry if this is personal, but... I noticed that a lot of your movements don't seem to make much noise. If it's something you don't want to talk about, I understand. I promise I won't think any less of you for whatever path you've walked in life." Agnea glanced around, then lowered her voice. "Actually, one of my old traveling companions used to be a thief."

Noelle paused for a moment to consider this. She was pretty worn and winded.

After a moment's thought, she relaxes her stance and nods. "I concede." She says simply, thankful that this was a mere sparring match and not true battle.

"I might've had a few more tricks, but I don't think I could outlast you here."

[eightfoldjourney]

Agnea couldn't help thinking a little on what she'd noticed earlier. Noelle's movements were all so strangely, unnaturally quiet... had anyone else picked up on it? Well, there would be time to focus on it later!

The next attack came. This time, Noelle transformed her weapon back into a baton. It was an unexpected move, since she was sacrificing a bit of reach for it. Agnea narrowly brought her arm up in time to block the blow, but she certainly felt the impact.

Not one to be deterred, however, Agnea tried to push the baton away, then followed hum with another kick aimed at Noelle's stomach... She did, of course, make sure not to put too much force behind it.

Noelle smiled with some relief as Agnea dodged her sweep. For the moment, she seemed content to keep her at range. However the slower sweeps and pokes with the staff were slower and more telegraphed than her baton.

Noelle's fighting style didn't lend itself well to direct confrontation. Usually she would be fighting to run away and using her magic to facilitate that. Still, it was good to practice, and she was mentally walking herself through the steps she learned from the man who taught her how to defend herself.

At some point, after a sweep, she takes a bold step forward, and the staff changes into a baton again, as she over-extends herself for an attempt at a strike.

[eightfoldjourney]

Agnea was glad to see that she wasn't too rough on her new friend, though once again, the dancer couldn't help but notice the curious lack of sound. There should have at least been a thud when Noelle hit the floor, right?

Such thoughts distracted Agnea, making her slow to react when Noelle got up and lunged again. Her baton suddenly extended, striking Agnea in the ribs and causing her to stagger back.

"Oof!" She briefly clutched her right side, but quickly recovered. "That was pretty clever, but don't count me out yet!" Agnea took up a stance once again, ready to go another round.

Noelle's eyes open wide as her arm is grabbed and she's thrown to the ground. The short woman was oddly light, and she hit the ground silently.

"Ugh..." She rolls up onto her feet and tries to shake off her disorientation. "Okay, I guess I'm a little rusty." She admits as she turns back around to face her opponent.

Not wanting to surrender just yet, she begins a swing with her baton, but she's a bit too far to make it connect. However, as she swing, the baton's length reaches that of a quarter staff and the woman's stance seamlessly shifts for the change of weapon as she aims a strike at Agnea's side. Hopefully not too hard, but enough to tag her.