Author's Note: Hello! So...this is my first fic for Octopath Traveler, so I'm new to the whole fandom. I'm Julia. It's nice to meet you all! This'll be a collection of oneshots and vignettes showing the characters interacting and in various situations. Since one of the biggest complaints about the game was that the main eight characters barely interact much, I thought I'd try my hand at this so I can fill that void for us Octopath fans, hence the reason why I'm making this into a collection of oneshots instead of a billion separate ones. I hope you enjoy them! I'm already working on a bunch of other long fics right now, so I won't update this too often unless I'm in the mood to bang something out. Anyway, here's The Travels of Eight! (Also, the title of this collection comes from one of the books in The Prydain Chronicles called The Book of Three). I only played through the game once, so if the characters seem OOC, please let me know so I can rectify things. Constructive criticism is always welcome!

Sink or Swim

Character(s): Alfyn, Tressa, Therion

Summary: Therion isn't sure what to do when Alfyn and Tressa invite him to go for a swim in Clearbrook.

"Woohoo!" Alfyn Greengrass bellowed with cheer as he leaped right into the creek, sending a torrent of water every which way. It wasn't so big that it drenched anyone passing by, thankfully, but his loud, joyful cheering and the melodramatic way he announced his action was enough to turn heads.

In particular, Therion shot a glare in the apothecary's direction. Did Alfyn really have to be so loud? Couldn't he have jumped into the water more quietly? He dug his teeth into an apple, allowing the sound of his chewing to block out Alfyn's merry laughter and his splashing the river water. Therion thanked Aeber above that he wasn't so close to the river that he got drenched, having spared himself even more cause for irritation. Wet clothes did not make for a speedy thief, he reminded himself.

"Hey, Therion! Tressa!" Alfyn called out, waving his arm in their direction, eyes shining with joy. "Come on in! The water's great!"

Alfyn wanted Therion to jump into the river with him? Therion huffed. Not a chance. "I'll pass, thank you," He said, tone non-committal. Therion could swim just fine. He was just in no mood for swimming in a huge river, and had never been in one since...well, forever.

"Oooh!" In contrast, a young lady who was nearby lit up at Alfyn's invitation. She stood up quickly, her faded brown merchant's hat falling off of her head. "I've never swam in a river before! Count me in! Hang on just a sec!" Within seconds, she threw off her shoes and rummaged through her massive backpack. "Let me just change into my swimsuit first!" She called back with enthusiasm, pulling out many odds and ends before finally yanking out a blue bathing suit. Just as quickly, she ran towards a cluster of trees nearby, which Therion deduced was to change without having the boys eyes leering on her. Fair enough. He never was the type to be interested in women and their bodies anyway.

"Wait…" A random thought popped into Therion's head. "Why does a merchant like her need a swimsuit?" He asked aloud, to no one in particular.

Right afterward, Tressa, draped in a dark blue swimsuit, sprinted across the grass, barefoot. "Cannon baaaaaall!" She leaped into the air, curled into a ball, and allowed the river to swallow her right up. Once again, a big splash of water rained down on the campsite they set up. This time, just a tiny bit of water fell on the side of Therion's face, dampening part of his snow white hair.

"Uuuugh," Therion let out an irritated growl, running a hand through his wet hair. "Seriously?" He came here for some rest and relaxation, not to get water splashed on him by a bunch of overgrown children.

Completely oblivious to the thief's annoyance, Alfyn and Tressa simply enjoyed themselves, splashing each other with river water, their hearty laughter ringing through the forest. Tressa's nut brown hair turned several shades darker once it was soaked to the roots, and Alfyn's shaggy, straw-colored locks turned shaggier than ever, sticking to his face and neck like glue. As far as Therion was concerned, they both looked ridiculous. But they didn't seem to care all that much.

"Eeek! What are you doing?!" Therion heard Tressa squeal. It definitely wasn't a cry for help, he knew that much. Looking up from his apple, he saw Alfyn carrying Tressa in his arms, bridal-style, and having a grand time doing so.

"Somebody needs a bath!" Alfyn roared happily before throwing Tressa into the air. Squealing once again, she was unceremoniously thrown back into the river, and yet another splash rocked the water, sending ripples everywhere. Good thing she was farther out this time. Therion was in no mood to be drenched again.

After flailing her limbs a bit, Tressa popped back out from the water, sending offended glares in the apothecary's direction. "Mrgrgr! Alfyn!" She growled, shaking her fist in the air, keeping her eyes shut so the water didn't get in. "I'm gonna get you for that!" She charged right at him, using her hands to splash water in his face with every step she took.

Therion held a hand to his face to stifle a chuckle. As annoying as those two could be, he couldn't help but find their antics to be kind of funny, even though they weren't normally the type of people he'd want to hang out with. They were nice enough, and they did have their good points. He didn't necessarily mind their company. But still, Therion couldn't let his guard down. The last time he let himself be friends with someone, they used him and threw him away like garbage. The scars from that awful day still plagued him, and there was no bandage or remedy big enough to even come close to healing them. No way was he going to be hurt like that again. Ever.

"Hey, Therion!" Tressa called out, waving to him from the river. "You wanna join us for a swim? Seriously, the water's great!"

The thief huffed at her enthusiasm. First Alfyn was inviting him in, and now Tressa? Couldn't they take the hint? He didn't want to swim and that's final. For all he knew, they could easily show a dark side that he wasn't sure he'd be able to handle. Not after that day.

"And come out turned into a shriveled up prune? I'll pass," Therion answered sharply.

Both Tressa and Therion exchanged disappointed glances. "Awww, alright," Tressa conceded defeat. "But you're really missing out. You can come in whenever you like!" With that, the two of them were back to splashing each other and laughing like idiots.

'...That must be what it's like to spend time with friends,' Therion found himself thinking right after he rejected their invitation. In spite of the walls he spent years building around himself, a part of him was yearning to join them in their fun. Dunk their heads into the water, sneak up behind them, or even catch some fish with his hands. During the days and nights he spent wandering the streets, looking for his next meal wherever he could find it, often times he found himself watching kids playing together. Throwing a ball around. Swimming in ponds. Chasing each other around, playing tag, hide and seek, or play acting with various props like fake swords and shields. Climbing trees. Gathering junk and pretending they were playing house. More often than not, he had wished he could join them in their games.

But surviving came first. Besides, who would let a dirty thief like him play with them anyway? For that matter, he's 22 years old now. Too old for such childish things. On the other hand, Alfyn was 21 and Tressa was 18 in spite of her looks and childish attitude. They were adults, but here they were, acting like children and enjoying themselves without a care in the world. Could he maybe let himself go and have fun like that, too…? It wasn't like they were doing anything complicated, just messing around.

Slowly, he undid the button on his favorite purple shawl, sliding it through the hole and pulling it off of himself, shedding the shield that he kept around himself. Underneath, he was completely shirtless, and he proceeded to remove his dirt covered boots, leaving only his pants on. Good enough. He had an extra pair, so getting this one wet wouldn't hurt. He didn't bother putting on a shirt, as summers here in Alfyn's hometown, Clearbrook, were too damn hot for his liking. His conscious was scolding him for giving in like this. What was he thinking? Did they really want a thief like him to hang out with them? Did he not care about his pride?

"I'll probably regret doing this," Therion grumbled before dipping his legs into the river, flinching from the sudden rush of frigid cold that stung his legs. "Damn, that's cold!" He hissed.

"Huh?" Apparently Therion's annoyed uttering was loud enough for Alfyn and Tressa to hear, as they both turned their heads to face him. Their jaws fell wide open as they took in his presence, and he wasn't even that deep into the river. From his neck all the way to his ears, Therion's face flushed a deep crimson once their eyes fixated their gaze on him. But he kept himself calm.

"Hey," He said flatly, tone non-committal as always. "You got room for one more?"

Immediately, Alfyn and Tressa beamed. Tressa took one of the thief's hands into her own and pulled him deeper into the river, where they were playing just a little earlier. "Of course we do, Therion! We always do!" She cheered.

"Hey, Therion! Think fast!" Alfyn exclaimed.

"Wha?" Before Therion could respond, a wall of water suddenly soaked his entire face. "Ugh! You did that on purpose!" He yelled. Just great.

"I couldn't resist!"

"You couldn't, huh?" Therion's voice deepened. Alfyn was going to pay for that. "Let's see you resist this!" Growling like a snow leopard, Therion tackled Alfyn faster than the apothecary could say shucks, and both men were flailing around in the water. Tressa could only laugh from the hilarity of it all, holding her stomach as she was unable to control herself. Especially when she saw Therion dunk poor Alfyn's head in the water. It was the most satisfying thing Therion had done all day.

Of course, all three of them were shivering and soaked to the bone by the late afternoon. Alfyn had even prepared a few remedies on hand in case they all got sick from being in the water for so long. Therion had no idea how he wound up in this situation. Wet and cold were two things the thief did not want to be.

In spite of himself, Therion actually had fun today.