#noblecourt

[da-millerrrrr]

with all the talk of climates and how characters would adapt over on bean's blog, just IMAGINE how poorly cyrus would be doing just everywhere. the flatlands are temperate as hell so snow? absolutely not. deserts? hell no. high altitudes? my man is passing out. plus he looks like a twig and probably has a constitution modifier of -2 so that is NOT helping

he goes anywhere and the other travellers he's with have to lug him like a sack of potatoes

whether that be afyn, olberic, h'aanit, or gods forbid primrose (she has been dancing for years now, you cannot tell me she doesnt have muscle)

he makes up for it by absolutely blasting any enemies they encounter to high heaven (when/if he comes to, that is)

[bargainsleuthbooks]

Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples from Destruction by Lynne Olson #2023Books #HistoryBooks #Egyptology

The remarkable story of the intrepid French archaeologist who led the international effort to save ancient Egyptian temples from the floodwaters of the Aswan Dam. #EmpressoftheNile #LynneOLson #Egyptology #BookReview #February2023Books #randomhouse

In the 1960s, the world’s attention was focused on a nail-biting race against Fifty countries contributed nearly a billion dollars to save a dozen ancient Egyptian temples, built during the height of the pharaohs’ rule, from drowning in the floodwaters of the massive new Aswan High Dam. But the extensive press coverage at the time overlooked the gutsy French archaeologist who made it all happen.…

[ajdrawshq]

i wanna like. do a whole octopath playthrough but i try to travel thru the realm in a way that Makes Sense while still achieving all the stuff needed for the full true story and record exactly how i do that in a fic sorta way. everyone has business to do literally everywhere and there Has to be a way to optimize travel time bc realistically itd be such a pain to travel from one side to the other and back again a million times. maybe theyd travel in a spiral? but depending on who starts and whos adapted into the group last, let alone When.. logically a normal playthrough tends to go thru and collect each character before branching off into everyones chapter 2s and so on but that seems so inefficiant from a realistic standpoint. they could split into 2 groups which mirrors the 4 character per group limit ingame, and while that might be better for handling the characters more evenly in various scenes it means certain character interactions will be lost the whole groups dynamics among each other are too good to pass up like that. plus that doesnt fully solve the travel efficiancy problem bc even with just 4 characters everyone is going Everywhere. could also choose to use my main 4, but that has similar problems as the last point and leaves out the ability to achieve the true ending And leaves out tons of needed leadup info. much to think about

[fulgurbugs]

Doodle comic -Noblecourt again

[sly-s-n0nfusion]

Irl world inspirations for Orsterra and Solistia 🗺 pt1

So I've wanted to write this post for a while and I think I finally feel comfortable enough to do so. I will cover the 8 Orsterra regions as well as Solistia's regions, and also declare a hypothetical irl nationality for all 16 travelers, since some of them aren't native to their starting region.

I won't be covering COTC content because I feel like it does make quite a mess especially regarding the Woodlands. A huge thank you to my friends @sazuka57, @legendaryandroid, @hanpaopaoo, @saarovar, @silverwarewolf, @captwaddledoo, @postalninja and others

Of course, this is just the final product of speculations and none of the info here are official/canon, but I hope this post does help any content creator with their art or writing :)

Orsterra

the Frostlands: The cold regions were perhaps the hardest place to pinpoint a clear irl world inspiration for. The Frostlands could be Finland (Lapland), even though the Flamesgrace church is clearly of catholic inspiration. We now that Ophilia Clement isn't native of Flamesgrace, but she was taken in by Archbishop Josef for she was an orphan. I would even say her name and surname were given to her by the Archbishop himself, since they sound like names members of the clergy would give orphans (especially the surname, Clement, which is similar to orphans' surnames like Innocent, or Godswill). In the Octopath official Guide book timeline is stated that she comes from a small village named Creek, in the Riverlands

Lapland, Finland

the Flatlands: Given how the Flatlands are a kingdom of their own (the kingdom of Wold) with their capital city being Atlasdam and featuring a Royal Palace and a king, I think it's safe to say that the inspiration for this region was England. Atlasdam probably mimics a place like Oxford or Cambridge, given its academic nature and the vaste grassy areas, with Whispermill's flocks of sheeps and mills, give off British countryside vibes. Also because of his name and accent, Cyrus Albright sounds British to the core

Oxford, England

the Coastlands: I believe the inspiration for the Coastlands are the coasts of Italy, especially Liguria's Cinque Terre. Rippletide, Goldshore and Grandport all seem to have the same similar aesthetic to it of Italian harbour towns. Tressa Colzione, as well as her parents Olneo and Marina all have names of Italian inspiration

Cinque Terre, Italy

the Highlands/Hornburg: The inspiration for both the Highlands and Hornburg is probably Southern Germany or Austria (Bavaria/Austrian Alps) because of the very high mountains and German-sounding names. Olberic Eisenberg comes from Hornburg, Erhardt comes from Grynd (which was stated to be a village near Hornburg) so it's safe to say both have germanic origins

Austrian Alps

the Sunlands: This region is probably of Middle Eastern/Arabic inspiration, and it's understandable because of the architecture, the villagers' clothing style and the spice markets around the Sunland towns, to say some. Primrose Azelhart, however, is native of Noblecourt, in the Flatlands, so she probably also has British origins like Cyrus

Palangan, Iran

the Riverlands: This one was a bit tricky to understand. A very green land, rich in water and with catholic influences (Saintsbridge) immediately made me think of Ireland. Not clearer evidence I can bring to the table other than that though. Irish Alfyn Greengrass does sound right to me though

Westport, Ireland

the Cliftlands: The Cliftlands seem to have Peruvian inspiration to them. The local monsters encounters being big eagles/condors, the villagers having colorful cloths in their houses and the main local resource being alpaca fleece (I know I said I wouldn't bring up COTC in my argumentations but I'cirlo was a clear example of alpaca farms). We don't know much about Therion as he is likely an orphan as well but his poncho also might be of Peruvian inspiration

Peruvian Andes

the Woodlands: The Woodlands are heavily inspired by Norse culture and Viking architectures. the village of S'warkii especially, where H'aanit and Z'aanta come from, is clearly inspired by the village of Njardarheimr, in Norway

Njardarheimr

Part 2 (Solistia) coming soon!!

[lola-legendary]

Octopath Musical Concept

@beantothemax @throne-anguis

4 sections, each contains 1 of everyone’s chapters. 57 songs total.

Explanation:

Track Number: Character chapter belongs to | Name of Song (Where it’s played)

long post under cut

Section 1

01: Ophilia | Flamesgrace’s Cleric (Ophilia’s Song)

02: Cyrus | Mysterious Beneath (Dungeons)

03: Tressa | Let’s Find Treasure! (Tressa’s Song)

04: Olberic | Unbending Blade (Olberic’s Song)

05: Primrose | Dancer, Dancer (Primrose’s Song)

06: Alfyn | Got Your Back (Alfyn’s Song)

07: Therion | Stay Wary (Danger approaching motif)

08: H’annit | IT’S A FREAKING CAT (H’annit’s Song)

Section 2

09: Therion | Noblecourt…? (… Noblecourt.)

10: Therion | Batty Scholars (No Offense, Cyrus) (Orlick Battle)

11: Alfyn | Hurt, then Heal (Olberic - Alfyn conversation)

12: Alfyn | Sometimes It’s Better This Way (after Vanessa is defeated)

13: H’annit | Picking Up the Scent (Stoneguard)

14: H’annit | Master! (Finding Z’aanta)

15: Ophilia | Child (Meeting Emil)

16: Ophilia | Dog. (Fighting the wolf)

17: Tressa | Capitalism!!! (Tressa, Quarrycrest)

18: Tressa | Damnit, Morlock! (Battling Morlock)

19: Cyrus | Odette (Meeting Odette) [this is an Odette solo by the way. I have no idea which one of the travelers named this.]

20: Cyrus | Oh, No, Anything But The Weird Blood Sacrifices! (Fighting Gideon?)

21: Olberic | Friends, I Suppose (Meeting Ned and Cecily)

22: Olberic | And I Your Shield (Tournament)

23: Primrose | Old Acquaintance (Meeting Arianna)

24: Primrose | Left Wing (Killing Rufus)

Section 3

25: H’annit | The Seer (Meeting Susanna)

26: H’annit | DRAGON! (Fighting the dragon)

27: Primrose | Deja Vu (Noblecourt, again)

28: Primrose | Clipped Wings (Killing Albus)

29: Ophilia | No Harm (Before boss battle)

30: Ophilia | Scholar and Cleric (After Mystery Man and Shady Figure are defeated)

31: Cyrus | Fallen Down (Kidnapping) [This “song” is more of a script with music, but it counts]

32: Cyrus | Therese (Lucia’s location revelation)

33: Olberic | To What End (Party Banter)

34: Olberic | Unbending, not Unbreaking (Battle against Erhardt)

35: Therion | Don’t Be a Fool (Battle against Gareth)

36: Therion | Memories (Sharing backstory/Therion's Song)

37: Alfyn | Miguel (Battling Miguel)

38: Alfyn | Doubt (Party Banter)

39: Tressa | Edbart's Shield (Banter with Cyrus and Olberic)

40: Tressa | My Treasure (Party Banter)

Section 4

41: Therion | Hideaway (Approaching and entering Northreach)

42: Therion | Darius (Battling Darius) [everyone gets to take a chance to diss him]

43: Ophilia | Dread (Entering Wispermill)

44: Ophilia | No Longer Human (Battling Mattias)

45: Tressa | Esmeralda (Battling Esmeralda)

46: Tressa | My Treasure (Reprise) (The auction)

47: Primrose | Play the Part (Entering Everhold)

48: Primrose | Puppets (Battling Simeon)

49: H'annit | Petrified (Battling Redeye)

50: H'annit | Family (Party Banter)

51: Olberic | Monster (Battling Werner)

52: Olberic | My Purpose (Battling Werner) [Follows previous song directly]

Bonus Track: Cyrus | We Care About You (Party Banter) [Only observed live]

53: Alfyn | Never Give Up (Alfyn regains confidence in his abilities and purpose)

54: Alfyn | Big Birb (Battling Eagle)

55: Cyrus | Love (Before Lucia Battle) [It's basically a love song from Lucia to Cyrus, who is very confused about what the fuck is happening and why this creepy woman is confessing to him]

56: Cyrus | How To Go On From Here (Decoding the Mural/Cyrus' Song) [This is Cyrus' ONLY song. The only song that he has notes to his words.]

Epilogue

57: All | Going Back To Life (Everyone goes home and continues what they were doing a changed person)

Bonus Track 2: Cyrus | Galdera (Performed offstage) [Cyrus reads into the microphone. No singing involved.]

Bonus Track 3: All | Last Goodbye (Credits)

whew. That was tiring.

[beantothemax]

As per the agreement with Yvon, Cyrus had not been in Atlasdam in forever. Six months and twenty two days, to be exact. He kept count of how long he was gone, eagerly awaiting the day he would return.

After paying a visit to Noblecourt, the group passed by Atlasdam and decided to stay there for a day. The days were at their longest and there was to be a festival that Cyrus had described as being fun. Of course his friends were curious to see it as well. They all listened intently as he described the beautiful melodies and immaculate pastries one could have the pleasure of experiencing at the festival.

But it quickly became annoying when they realized he would not stop talking after ten minutes. He spoke endlessly of the wonders of the Atlasdam summer solstice festival with a bright smile on his face. H’aanit placated him and asked as many questions as he had answers. Luckily, the rest of the group was finally spared of his endless rambling when they reached the city gate.

“Come with me, the archery contest is over here!” he beamed, taking H’aanit’s hand.

She happily ran after him with a laugh, followed closely by Linde.

The archery competition was nothing special. Every target was far too close to the start line. The organizer handed H’aanit a flimsy bow and poorly made arrow.

“Have you done this before?” they asked.

And H’aanit couldn’t help but laugh, “this is mine profession.”

Cyrus stared in wonder at her cocky smirk as she effortlessly got three bullseyes. The dumbfounded organizer handed her a slice of reward cake which she gladly accepted.

“Comen, Cyrus, you must showen me all before sunset,” she smiled.

He took her hand and led her to the next attraction.

Upon a stage, a band played Atlasdamish folk tunes. They were all sung in their native tongue  and though Cyrus had begun to teach H’aanit the language, she barely caught a word. Still, she put a hand on Cyrus’ shoulder and they danced and laughed until their feet ached.

When the sun had begun its slow descent, Cyrus pulled her aside. At this hour, a bonfire would be lit in the square. They held on tight to each others’ hands in fear of getting separated in the dense crowd.

Though they both struggled when there were too many sensations at once, with the familiarity of the festival and Linde’s comforting presence, neither felt unwell. Cyrus knew exactly where and when everything was and H’aanit trusted him fully. But in the crowd, his grip on her hand loosened and he let go without intending it. Before he knew it, at least a dozen people separated them and he could no longer see his partner.

“Professor Albright!” a familiar (but incorrect) voice called out.

Cyrus knew the city and its people but he only wished to see the former. Last he was there, people he once considered close friends said they hated him for his disgusting actions. Of course, those outlandish accusations were all false and merely fabricated by Therese.

She smiled at the sight of her old professor.

“Oh, hi Therese,” he muttered.

They stood by the edge of the crowd where there was no need to move with the current. Usually that was good, but Cyrus’ lungs seemed to fail him the longer he stood in the presence of that detested girl.

“How have your travels been?” she asked.

“I-” he started but his throat was dry and it could not produce a sound.

“Did a monster take your voice?” she laughed.

Gods, he wished he had an excuse that good. Unfortunately, it was only her. She had ruined his life and taken everything from him out of jealousy. Not of him but of another of his pupils. Why must it hurt him? He had done nothing wrong and yet she chose the worst possible accusation she could think of.

At that moment, a leopard’s head popped out from the crowd. Linde rubbed her head on his leg, affectionately circling around him. He instinctively reached down to scratch behind her ear. Her soft fur was among one of the most comforting feelings he knew and just her presence eased his anxieties.

Before Therese could question his fondness for the leopard, H’aanit appeared. She leaned down to give Linde a good head pat before looking to Cyrus, “who is this?”

“An old student,” Cyrus murmured.

“I’m Therese,” the girl smiled.

“Therese?” H’aanit thought.

Cyrus spoke at length about Atlasdam, especially to H’aanit. When they became close, he opened up about everything that happened, about the anxiety it caused him and the nightmares he had. He spoke of an experience he had as a child, how he thought it was behind him, only for every single unpleasant memory to come flooding back when Therese accused him of a crime similar to the one he had been a victim of.

“Ah, Therese. Cyrus speaks of you,�� H’aanit finally said.

“He does?” Therese gasped.

H’aanit didn’t utter another word. She took Cyrus’ hand and practically dragged him away as he all but fainted at the sight of Therese. Linde could sense his uneasiness and stayed beside him. He rested a hand on her head and she purred under his touch.

“Where is thine home?” H’aanit asked.

Cyrus only pointed at a street as his voice hadn’t yet returned. H’aanit, though she knew not the city, took the lead and hoped Cyrus would stop her at his house. Lucky for them, this street only had homes and no establishments and it was quiet. The tension in his shoulders loosened as they got further from the loud crowd and Therese, who fortunately did not follow them.

“This one,” Cyrus muttered, pointing at a house.

He pulled his keys from his pocket and H’aanit snatched them. She opened the door and led him inside. He had scarcely removed his jacket and shoes before he ran upstairs to his bedroom. Once H’aanit had removed her out-clothes as well, she followed him to find him curled up on his bed.

A soft smile spread on his lips as he rolled around in his pile of blankets and pillows. He was in the safety of his own home for the first time in what felt like a lifetime and he never wanted to leave.

“It maketh me joyful to see that thou chose a bigger bed than thou needen. There is room for Linde and I,” she smiled as she crawled in.

She wrapped her arms around Cyrus and kissed the crown of his head as he yawned. All the tension was gone from his body and all it left was exhaustion. He needed to rest and recover after, not only seeing Therese, but also attending a festival. Fortunately for him, H’aanit loved him dearly and knew just what he needed in such situations.

The foot end of the mattress sunk under Linde’s weight. She was like a fire and warmed the bed in no time.

“I wish Therese could feel shame. I wish that bastard that hurt me got a life sentence and I wish he’d die,” Cyrus mumbled.

“I thought thou were against violence,” H’aanit replied.

“He deserves it.”

“I suppose so.”

Only half an hour passed before they remembered they had six other travel companions. H’aanit climbed out of the bed as quietly as she could, careful not to step on Cyrus or Linde.

“I will tellen our friends we will sleep here tonight. Haven thou room for guests?” she asked.

“Mmm… no. Tell them to tell the inn owner they’re my friend though, I tutored her son for a few years so she likes me,” Cyrus grumbled.

“That I’ll do.”

As silently as though she were on the hunt, H’aanit left. She slipped through the crowd and found her friends in no time, eager to return to her lover who needed her company.

had to stand up and just. walk around my room for a few minutes because ohhhhhhh my gosh. oh my gosh. th.

h’aanit and cyrus going around the festival was very fun! then I had a sense of impenetrable dread fall over me once I saw therese enter the scene

I REALLY loved how h’aanit just. drags cyrus away. the minute she finds out this is therese she goes ‘ok we need to leave this conversation as soon as possible’ and accomplishes that by essentially carrying him away from said conversation. if it works it works I suppose.

and…… the whole end………….. pie have I told you how good of a writer you are today. because. augh.

[omaskit]

Octopath Hardcore mode log 1

So I'm doing pre-session and first session in one post bc first session was on a plane. These are just going to be somethings I was thinking about before trying the challenge.

If you don't know the rules/challenge I posted them here.

Pathing. I started out as Alfyn, not for any strategic advantage but because I like Alfion and want those two to be my main pair. I'll be parring of the party so I can Lv and manage easily. My goal is to do Tressa's and Cyrus in one go and then follow Cyrus's trail to noblecourt. This should knock out Cyrus's, H'anaat's, Primrose, and Therion's chapter 3s. Tressa leads to Olberic and Olberic matches with Therion. The only thing I'm worrried about is Ophilia and Alfyn circling eachother. it's probably something poetic with the healers but to me its annoying. This means we'll have to backtrack to Golden Shore or the river place (Can't remember name right now. Alfyn chap 3).

Provisions. Because Therion is my second main I chose the steal option, meaning I can't buy things from the shops. We're stealing everything that's not nailed down. Items are more scarce and chest will be our best friend.

Boss fights. Primrose's boss fight is supposed to be the hardest first chaps to do alone. Because of my desire to keep Alfyn and Therion together Primrose is the last character I'm grabbing, all of the chapter ones will be filled with dread.

That's all for pre-game. My first session was on a plane so unfortunantly these aren't live reactions but here are some thoughts I had.

Man is Octopath 2's writing is so much better than octo 1. Don't get me wrong I like octo 1 but the exposition doesn't flow as easily.

Alfyn's dungon is hard alone. These stupid snails are draining all my Sp.

items items items. I need items. Any piece of armor I can scrap

Didn't Alfyn's boss have adds? I was sure he had adds. Where did they go?

Side quest. Side quest are going to be hell. No guide, no mini map, no fast travel. I need to get them done asap. Meryl, we need to talk.

Nice! most borderland things die to axe!

Is the player character so insistant on helping Therion that he literally can't say no? Amazing, go Alfyn, go.

*Opens writing notes* Therion is a little bitch... Got it.

JOBS! Jobs are going to be hard. I can't teleport back so I have to be level for them. I'll probably get them all going into everyone's chapter 2s. No idea how octo 2 will work though. We'll cross that bridge when we get there.

forgot to mention 1st chap dungeons in the first post, Gonna say Alfyn can't do anything in here.

Did Therion's fight always have adds?

DO THEY GET HARDER???

OH NOOO

Please be based off of people in party and not level or members collected.

I've robbed everyone in this town blind except this one STUPID CHILD that made me have to restore my reputetation! XP

I've spent 5 hours looking for this egg only to remember her fucking egg is in the riverlands. I'll get it when I circle back.

DON'T DIE DON'T DIE DON'T-

we made it.

[maximuswolf]

What are real-life roguelites?

What are real-life roguelites? I was recently looking for roguelite simulation games an I didn't find too much. What are some real-life occupations or realistic settings that could fit the roguelite mould? Submitted July 02, 2024 at 04:47AM by NobleCourt https://ift.tt/5d2Pxiv via /r/gaming

[broomballkraken]

Title: Seasons of Love, Chapter 1: Spring

Fandom: Octopath Traveler

Pairing: Alfyn/Primrose

Word count: 1070

Warnings: None

Fic Summary: A peek at how four couples enjoy their favorite seasons together.

Chapter Summary: Alfyn and Primrose enjoy a picnic after gathering newly bloomed spring plants, and she gives him the greatest gift ever. Well, besides her love, anyway...

Spring is the season of renewal, and that means plenty of blooming plants, herbs, and flowers for Alfyn to harvest. Taking in a deep breath through his nose, he let out a relaxed sigh before wiping his arm over his sweat-shined forehead. He was currently kneeling on the sweeping grasslands of the Flatlands on the outskirts of Noblecourt, collecting the necessary ingredients to make various salves and tinctures to keep his apothecary practice running smoothly.

“Alfyn, dear, come take a break for lunch.”

A big grin slowly spread across his face as he turned towards his wife, who had been sunbathing on a blanket a little ways away. Primrose looked absolutely radiant in her cute little sundress and matching hat, and Alfyn considered himself the luckiest godsdamn man alive that she had agreed to marry him of all people.

Alfyn walked over to the blanket and sat down, leaning over to place a kiss on Primrose’s cheek. “Shucks, I am pretty hungry, now that ya mention it. Is it really lunchtime already?”

Primrose rolled her eyes and waved a hand. “Yes, you’ve been at it for hours. I had to take a break from helping and you barely noticed I was gone.”

Alfyn winced and rubbed at his arm. “Oops...sorry Prim. I guess I got caught up in the excitement. It is the first bloom of spring, after all. Gotta get first pick of the best plants before the critters get to ‘em.”

“I know, love,” Primrose said, taking Alfyn’s hand and entwining their fingers together. “I do adore that unbridled enthusiasm of yours.”

“ Shucks, darlin’...” Alfyn’s face flushed and he smiled against Primrose’s lips when she kissed him, and it was just as magical as each and every kiss that came before it. When she pulled away, Alfyn took a moment to admire the adorable blush on Primrose’s cheeks, and that made him lean in for another kiss. Primrose giggled and cupped his face, her fingers brushing through the stubble that covered Alfyn’s cheeks, causing him to giggle as well. Gods, he loved her so much .

When they finally managed to pry themselves apart, Primrose reached into the picnic basket and pulled out a couple of sandwiches, handing one to Alfyn, who eagerly took a bite.

“Hmm, delicious!” he said with his mouth half-full, and Primrose barked out a laugh as he his hands immediately shot to cover his beet-red face.

“Manners, dear, manners.”

“Aha, sorry...” A sheepish grin crossed Alfyn’s face as he averted his gaze. “That ol’ country bumpkin side of me likes to rear its ugly head at the worst times.”

“Oh, but I love that side of you...and every other one too, Alfyn.” Primrose kissed his cheek again, and Alfyn nuzzled his nose against Primrose’s before they both returned to their meal.

They made light conversation as they ate, and Alfyn paused after each bite to pluck a few flowers from his basket of plants and tie them together. Primrose shot him a knowing smile when they had finished their food, and Alfyn had finished fiddling with the flowers. He turned to Primrose and gently took off her sunhat, replacing it with his handmade flower crown.

“There...beautiful flowers for the most beautiful gal around!” Alfyn said, and Primrose giggled as she slipped onto Alfyn’s lap.

“You do make the best flower crowns, love. Did Nina teach you to make them?”

“Haha, yep! But she’s the true master. Zeph an’ me could never get them to look even half as good!”

Primrose laughed again, but let out a light gasp and turned to rummage in the picnic basket, causing Alfyn to raise a curious eyebrow.

“Speaking of making things...Here, this is for you, Alfyn.” Primrose pulled out a small bottle filled with liquid and placed it in his hand. Tilting his head, Alfyn rolled the bottle around in his hand and gave Primrose a quizzical look.

“Thanks, darlin’, but what is it?”

“Well, Anna likes making perfumes and colognes as a hobby, and I asked her to teach me how, using the flowers and plants that you use to make these flower crowns.” A shy smile crossed Primrose’s face as Alfyn’s brows shot into his hairline, and he felt his eyes grow moist, “I wanted to try and make something for you in return, so...I hope you like it, my dear.”

Alfyn sniffed loudly, before bursting into a fit of happy tears. Primrose quickly took the bottle from him before he could drop it, and she giggled as she pulled her husband into a gentle hug.

“S-Shucks, Primrose...” Alfyn said when he had finally composed himself, and he paused for a moment when Primrose leaned up to kiss away the tears that still lingered on his cheeks. “This is the greatest gift ever!”

Primrose raised a dubious eyebrow. “Don’t you think you’re exaggerating a bit?”

Alfyn smiled and took her hand, lifting it to his face so that he could place a tender kiss to the back of it. “Well, maybe a bit, because the actual greatest gift ever is being loved by you every single day, my love.”

“Alfyn...”

This time it was Primrose who teared up, and Alfyn gently cupped her face and brushed his thumbs over her cheeks to wipe away her tears. Pressing his forehead to hers, he waited until her pretty brown eyes met his, and a soft smile crossed his face.

“I love you, Primrose. With all that I am.”

Primrose took his hands, lacing their fingers together before kissing him. “I love you too, Alfyn,” she said, her lips brushing his as she spoke, “I’m the luckiest woman in the world, getting to love and be loved by the most wonderful man in the world.”

Alfyn snickered and pulled her into a hug. “Well, shucks, I was just thinkin’ the same thing earlier! We’re just two peas in a pod, aren’t we?”

Primrose returned the hug, giggling as she rest her head against his chest. “Yes, we are, and will be until the end of our days.”

“Hehe, that’s mighty cheesy, darlin’.”

Primrose delivered a playful love tap to his shoulder, and Alfyn dramatically fell onto the blanket, dragging his laughing wife down with him. As they continued to enjoy this beautiful spring day together, Alfyn couldn’t help but look forward to what this new year had in store for the both of them.

[de-gueules-au-lion-d-or]

Notre identité nationale c’est peut-être la beauté. Années deux mille lorsque mes camarades et moi écrivions en bleu et or notre petite légende sur les murs de Grenoble ville fleurie comme notre langue, la française, dogme en évolution jaillissant d’une tension permanente entre celtisme et latinité, là ou refleurit en milliers de lys blancs la France fille aînée de l’assemblée semant au vent essaims de graines parfumées pour embaumer un monde défraîchi, céfran la fine fleur des clairières mondiales mon orgueil mon parti-pris. En légions lancées sur le monde « ma France à moi » embellit les nations depuis le Vietnam jusqu’au Canada, elle enchante elle chante à peu près cet air là: Harqency, Hacqueville, Sérifontaine, Noblecourt, Fourcigny, Lignières, Croixrault, Sénarpont, Dommartin, Picquigny, Beauquesne, Authuille, Quaëdypre, Estrées, Englancourt, Martigny, Rocquigny, Rocroi, Rouvrois, Dommary-Baroncourt, Bussy-Lettrée, Montmirail, Courpalay, Fontenailles, Bondaroy, Guécélard, Ruillé, Arquenay, Campbon, Réaumur, Prinçay, Sablonceaux, Noaillan, Léogeats, Romestaing, Marliac, Commentry, Urçay, Septaine, Foëcy, Subligny, Briare, Saint-Fargeau, Haute-Epine, Carpiquet, Esquay, Flamanville, Hérenguerville, Souderval, Abbaretz, Champsevraine, Longeau-Percey…

Lounès Darbois

[sombrerokiwi]

Why did it always have to rain on mourning days? 

Tressa stood under a tree, trying to stay as dry as possible in the downpour. 

They were all in Saintsbridge, the place Therion had said he’d liked. Saintsbridge, he’d said, wasn’t a place he minded dying in. 

Oh, how bitterly ironic that memory was now. 

Tressa watched as one by one, the travellers all gathered around the tomb. 

She simply hugged her coat tighter around her thin frame and tried to get further under the branches of the tree. 

She knew Therion. She knew he would have hated the tears being shed for him. He would have wanted Alfyn to be cracking his stupid jokes, Ophilia to be laughing at them. He would have wanted Cyrus and Olberic discussing Hornburgian history. He would have wanted H’aanit to chastize Linde for running around and getting dirty in the mud while Primrose laughed at the cat's antics. 

He would have wanted her, Tressa Colzione, to be arguing with him. 

That was what broke her. 

She let the tears fall, the sobs to wrack her body. 

And for a moment, just for a moment, one could imagine Therion beside her, reluctantly hugging her and telling her not to cry, that he was okay. That he was happy, and that none of them had really lost him. 

But there was nothing. There was no one hugging her. There was no purple scarf to bury her face in. There were no mildly sarcastic comments. 

And never again would there be. 

A year ago, she had donned a thief’s clothes to help him break into Orlick’s manse in Noblecourt. After the deed, she had sworn never to wear those clothes again. 

And now here she was, wishing she had that hand-made purple scarf to hug. Here she was missing the feeling of the pants on her legs and the gloves on her hands. 

She missed the warmth of the outfit, the joy that it brought her to know that Therion had made all of their scarves by hand at times no one knew about. 

She sank to the ground under that tree, and as she did, she swore she could hear singing. 

One final sendoff coming from the rain. 

Ophilia and Primrose were singing. 

“Rest thy head, o fallen one... For the time for sleep has come... Your soul may finally fly freely... And leave us here to find your peace...” 

One by one, the others joined in. 

One final sendoff, 7 voices echoing in the rain. A ballad for the fallen. 

In the week after the mourning day, Tressa would remember something about the last day Therion had been in their party. 

He smelled of dead flowers. 

Damn. Okay then.

^^^^

Picture of me sobbing.

[fumikomiyasaki]

[ FIREWORKS ] : fireworks go off overhead as sender proposes to receiver. - Ellen/Bengal? Or Ellen/Vanessa u pick - @multydoodles

Proposal Prompts

This whole festival was actually held in Vanessas noblecourt... usually the fireworks that were prepared for it were supposed to show the sparks of love igniting between many of the residents... Bengal seen this before but both wanted to drag along Ellen to witness this color explosion too... yet she herself also thought this be an opportunity for a surprise of her own.

The three of them took a seat on one of the benches as all were set up, Vanessa enjoying a drink as usual while Bengal kept an arm around Ellens shoulder as to keep her close... however Vanessa was quick to catch on that she been thinking about something.

"Little Plumcake, you are hiding something, aren't you, deary?"

She clutched onto the small box in her hand as Bengal leaned closer to her, as if both wanted to tease her in a way.

"Come on Elly, better do it before the fireworks or else we won't here you."

She sighed and got up from the bench handing them both one of those small boxes.

"I wanted to actually wait for this after but."

As both of them opened the boxes they looked somewhat Amused... Vanessa getting up and pulling her closer.

"You really are something sweet, to be that boldly to ask first... of course we will marry you, right?"

"Of course, how can I pass on two beautifull wives at my side."

The both of them embraced her as behind them the firework suddenly started to go off, quickly the three went back to the bench watching together, Bengal and Vanessa having their rings on and holding Ellens hand throughout this... she may have picked a quite messy pair to be with but at least.. it won't get boring.

[coeursetcolores]

Therion, The Thief: Chapter 2

WARNING! Spoilers ahead for Chapter 2 of Therion’s story in Octopath Traveler!

And here we begin our life of involuntary indentured servitude.

Hooray.

Lousy rich folk...

And now we’re in a town full of them. Great.

At least we get to beat one up.

Noblecourt’s a pretty nice-looking place. The trees give a cozy framing to the city, but they don’t clash with the brickwork or the fancier homes. The fountain’s also a nice touch, simple way to show opulence The beat-up condition of Barham’s home does show what’s going on underneath the surface, though. The person at the entrance says that the town’s fallen on hard times...that’ll be interesting to explore later.

And wow! That was convenient! Thanks for telling me everything about my target and their location, first two people in town!

Aaaaaaand, we can’t just fight our way into the target’s house. Or grift. Dang. If only we were in a different genre, we could just climb in. Guess we go back to info gathering (without Cyrus or Alfyn, for some reason).

To the tavern!

Now we wait...

Oh! Thanks second group at the bar! That additional information will surely help my efforts.

And we’re on a fetch quest. But this one is free. I love stealing! But man, everyone just takes advantage of Therion. Learn to be your own thief!

Is this karma? 

Oh well. At least we got a benefit out of it.

And another partnership serves as a foil to Therion’s solitude. Barham may have been a crotchety jerk, but he’s clearly hurting. It’s hard to watch your friend fall victim to obsession and be powerless to stop it.

I get the feeling Barham’s story about Orlick and him might be a parallel to whatever went down with Darius. What was he thinking about at the end of that flashback? I don’t feel good about it.

Onto the heist...

Orlick’s manse...definitely belongs to someone going mad. Dim lights, excessive use of green (nothing’s wrong with green, it’s just a common color to symbolize negativity (envy, in over your head, judgment, etc.)) paired with gold (money), emptiness...

And a storage room full of valuables pushed off to the side except for one. That we of course got caught in. Say, “Hi” to Orlick, everyone!

The paranoid researcher who’s clearly crossed the line into obsession. And that led to an inflated perception of himself, which led to irrational distrust of everyone around him. Seen it. That does get me curious about the stone, though...

Despite his paranoia, he brought help. Of course. So much for only relying on yourself.

Wait, do I have to go all the way to Bolderfall? Oh, good, it’s just a cutscene.

Cordelia, you have got to wake up to the world. I don’t want your thanks, and I will ditch you the second this band is off my arm. And Therion is a clearly traumatized loner with a fringe, what part of him looks trustworthy? Yes, I have pride, I am a great thief! And you are blackmailing me, we are not going to be friends. Listen to Heathcote, who I am beginning to suspect has a background of walking on the wild side.

Lonely? ...He probably is. These two chapters are hinting at something, Theri.

At least you have company now.

Tressa: Hm. A nice exploration of the differences between their trades. A merchant gets to know the people around them and learns town to town, a thief observes everyone and learns through collected experience.

Olberic: Ooh! Strategic Olberic! I mean, you probably could beat up all the guards, but alright. Aww, he wants to see Therion work! Thanks, Team Dad!

Primrose: Kind of thought she’d talk more about being back in her hometown, instead of wanting to dance. Nothing wrong with that, but missed opportunity.

H’aanit: THANK YOU! I was at my limit with all the thief judgement! You may have triggered Theri, though...

Alfyn: Wait, retirement fund?! Where?! I thought Therion was homeless, where is he keeping it?! And come on! Give Alfyn a chance! He just wants to be your friend! Sigh...

Cyrus: Okay! Do not insult someone’s profession to their face! ...Unless they’re a politician. Thought the guy whose job gets judged by society as a whole would be a little less judgmental.

Ophilia: Theri! Don’t tease her! Be nicer to your companions! ...And maybe be wary about the possible magic in the stone!

What is so special about these stones? 

What happened to Darius?

And what did it do to Therion?

Maybe we’ll get some answers in Wellspring.

[fulgurbugs]

Tressa + Therion duopath - Noblecourt

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(full series)

Bonus:

[whencyclopedfr]

Christiane Desroches Noblecourt, éternelle comme les pierres qu'elle réussit à sauvegarder

Son nom résonne dans les couloirs, dans les salles de classe et dans les livres. Christiane Desroches Noblecourt était une grande égyptologue française et, de l'avis de l'auteur, une femme suffisamment forte et déterminée pour avoir été la première femme à diriger des fouilles en 1938 et, par la suite, en 1960, peut-être l'entreprise archéologique la plus épique de tous les temps.

Lire la suite...