Tale Thirty-Eight, Treasure is Temporary, Family is Forever
Rippletide had become quite the quiet backwater trading port, only serving a few docked ships and as a bridge between land and sea trade. Even so, it had flourished for generations and, as sure as the course of the tides, would continue to do so for years to come.
The Colzione family would contribute to ensuring this vision of the coastal merchant town. Tressa, the heir of the Colzione name, would serve as the scion of her family in the future. But that wouldn't stop her from working on ensuring her name already floated on the lips of local and traveling merchants alike.
Yet, that could wait for the time being, as the young merchant had been selling some of her wares when a few familiar faces strolled up to her family's shop.
"I should've known you would've taken the long way! Never thought it would be H'aanit being the sentimental type though," Tressa gushed.
Arriving in Rippletide, the members of the Octopath Travelers immediately made their way to the Colzione family shop, knowing Tressa would likely be there. Once they walked through the door, Tressa almost immediately tackled them with hugs - much to Therion's annoyance, even if he did manage a smile for the woman who taught him about the merchant trade.
Checking with her parents and leaving for a break, the group made their way to the docks, but not before stopping at a stand to buy some plum nectar mixed with grape juice for a satisfying midday drink.
Primrose chuckled before taking a sip of her fruity beverage. "It seems H'aanit has grown, hasn't she? But, my dear, so have you."
The dancer pointed towards the merchant's new attire, changing her dress for a pair of brown pants, a tan tunic, and a green vest. Of course, Tressa still wore her characteristic hat, the feather in it bobbing every so often. But that wasn't all: Tressa's longer hair, growing out of its bowl cut; how she now came up to the same height as Therion; and how she had grown as a woman, which the merchant picked up right away.
With a cat-like grin that could put Primrose's to shame, she taunted, "Yup! I'm not the smallest of the girls anymore! Take that Ophilia!"
Tressa laughed loudly before taking a sip of her drink.
That caused Alfyn to interrupt and rub the back of his head. "Well… that might not be the case now, Tress."
"What'd'ya mean?"
Alfyn shook his head. "You'll see. We wanna keep it a surprise!"
That rose several questions among H'aanit, Primrose, and Tressa, but they quickly arrived at some possible answers at the same time. H'aanit and Primrose peered around Alfyn from their seated positions at the dock towards Olberic and Therion.
The two men stood a small distance away from the group watching the waves ahead and taking a few swigs from their respective drinks. A moment later, Therion poured an unknown, likely alcoholic, liquid into his drink, before taking another swig. He hummed happily and offered the flask to Olberic. To the warrior's credit, he paused for a moment before taking up the thief on his offer. Then, he too drank the now alcoholic combination and made a contented sound similar to Therion's.
Watching this take place, H'aanit and Primrose could only sigh in disbelief.
"Thou art a good man, Alfyn," H'aanit murmured with a small smile.
Primrose could only shrug. "Yet we have chosen our men for a reason, right, H'aanit?"
"Indeed with hath."
They shared another sigh before taking a drink of their non-alcoholic beverage at the same time.
Alfyn rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Uh… what can I say? Marriage life suits me."
"Think family life would suit you, too, Al," Tressa chimed in.
"Y-yeah… I think you're right."
The apothecary couldn't help but blush at this comment, nor could he help the broad grin stretching across his face.
"But, to be fair, I think it suits all of us, doesn't it?"
At her comment, Tressa received puzzled glances from her fellow Travelers.
She continued, "I mean, we're all a bunch of misfits and we found a place we belong, and… we've been a family all this time. I know we've told each other that, but I really do think we've all been able to become an imperfectly perfect family. Haven't we?"
Of course, Tressa had mentioned this before, over a year ago, but she always liked to remember how close she and the Octopath Travelers had become in that period of time. Judging by the smiles on their faces, her fellow Travelers didn't seem to mind the reminder either.
"You're not wrong, Tressa. I do believe, despite our differences, we have the closest to what we could be called a big, happy family," Primrose agreed. "And I love it. It feels like…"
She scrunched her nose and rose a finger to her chin, trying to verbalize the feelings inside of her.
"Like home," H'aanit finished. "We all hath our own place in this world, and we art lucky enough to hath found another. It feels like home."
"No matter where we are," Alfyn added.
"Yeah, no matter where we are."
Tressa's face seemed to be stuck with the smile she had worn ever since seeing her traveling family. She couldn't help it. As dysfunctional and out-of-place as they could be, the Octopath Travelers found solace with each other, a kind of solace many people could only wish for in their lives. Never would the merchant stop wearing her grin as long as she knew she had her home in Rippletide and her home with the Octopath Travelers.
Not even a treasure, which she used to prize above everything else, could outdo this feeling of belonging.
"Alright, enough of the serious chatting. Tressa, how goes it with your merchant prince? Have you managed to see him since leaving Grandport?"
Primrose shifted the topics with less guile and subtly than usual, but it wasn't unwelcome by the group. Of course, Tressa would regale her friends with a couple of stories of Ali, but she would be damned if she didn't press H'aanit and Primrose for further information on Olberic and Therion.
After all, what was family for?