– beyond the horizon.

the eldrite is rare and beautiful, of course. but... i want to offer something my customer desires. i want to give them something they can truly treasure. that's the kind of merchant i want to be.

[tradetales-blog]

sooo with that done, let’s get down to business!

i’ll be dropping all of tressa’s previous threads for now (they’re all very old and i don’t know who is still around), but i’ll have a look at the ml later and dm anyone if i want to continue. on a reapp note, tress will act as if she’s never left, but there’s an odd hole in her memory that she doesn’t quite understand. spirale seems slightly different than she remembers, though it isn’t striking enough for her to put her finger on it.

on that note, here’s a starter call! might be regular, might be linked to spiralefes. i’ll currently have this uncapped, but if there are a lot i might be selective with them. i still have to check out the current ml and follow people so feel free to like whether i follow you yet or not -- i have to clear my follow list of inactive/moved blogs first!!

[tradetales-blog]

hi folks!!! it’s good to be back! since it’s been a little while, i figured i should do the intro again!

the name’s vapz -- i’m 22 years old, use she/her pronouns and i’m just a little lesbian ! my fav game is nier automata and i’m currently a big fire emblem and gbf fan, aside from that and octopath. currently playing the bravely default series very very late and making progress on botw before fe3h comes out. i love some nihilistic existentialism, bunnies and meta stuff.

i love octopath and the anniversary made me really emotional so i wanted to bring tressa back! i wrote her here since october 2018 but took a few months out recently while i finished my postgrad. for her in character intro, her intro from originally joining still works !!

thanks for having me back!! i’m excited to get writing again and hope to get to know more of you this time around !

[isolaradiale]

hello!! if possible, i'd like to reapp tressa colzione of octopath traveller. she was dropped in activity check a few months ago, but i'm feeling up for her again! her app can be found under link 3 or at /app, and her stats page can be found under link 4 or at /stats! thank you!

Welcome back!

You’ll be staying in HOUSE 136!

You’ll retain everything from your previous stay!

Enjoy!

–Mod Lyra

[tradetales-blog]

what shape does your pain take?

✒  the sea.

You're drowning. A sea of emotions, responsibilities, people, things, everything. You just can't handle it all, you need to escape, but you can't. Even talking to someone and being told it's okay, compliments, nice things people say, it all adds up to drown you further. Guilt, for feeling this way when everyone's being nice and you're not enough.

Will you sink or swim?

tagged by: @virmentis​ (thank you!) tagging: i won’t tag since meme day is over but go hog wild next time it comes around!

[tradetales-blog]

✒ virmentis‌.

         Admittedly, Cyrus was not the best at remembering faces. His mind was constantly elsewhere, thinking hard on this or that and completely missing an introduction. He briefly took on a pensive look, scanning the young woman up and down and wracking his brain for any sort of memory of her. Eventually, he sighed.

     “Hmm… you would think I’d remember the daughter of the proprietors. I suppose we’ve never aligned in this space before today.”

     “Well, Tressa, to formally introduce myself, I am Cyrus. It is a pleasure to meet, or re-meet, you!” He took that extended hand for a couple of strong shakes. “I ought to thank you as well then, given your connection. So, thank you very much for allowing me to play that piano! And if it helps your business, then that’s all the better.” He was all smiles again, even as he pondered her questions. Yes, this was far from the glistening halls filled with white-collar patrons he was used to. Still, that was part of the charm.

     “I suppose you truly do know much about me. All good things, I hope.” He joked before tapping his chin. “To answer your queries though, I like to roam this city, discover new places and, hopefully, new pianos.” His fingers traced the lid of the upright almost affectionately. “I fully intend to buy this one when the time comes, but it seems as though people are very much enjoying the impromptu concerts I put on here. The science behind the effect music can have on emotions is quite fascinating. I don’t know if I’m particularly noteworthy for playing like this, but thank you very much.”

“Ehehe... oh, don’t worry about it! I don’t think we ever met before -- I stay back at school if I’m not helping out around here afterwards. Heard about you, though! My parents think the world of you.” It wasn’t so often someone decided to help someone lower than them with nothing to receive in return -- the chances even less when the gap was this large. Fibonacci was hard to traverse, when it came to classes and whatnot. Those who could endure that... had to be pretty gutsy.

This man didn’t look gutsy, so much -- but the way he talks, she thinks there must be more to him than meets the eye. Not to mention...

“You’re a traveller? I’m kinda jealous.” With a warm smile and a chuckle, she pulls up a chair and sets herself down in it, in a fairly obvious signal that she was happy for this conversation to continue beyond courtesy -- as if her nosiness hadn’t already done that. “Most people who are from the higher levels don’t bother looking beyond their horizons. Um, not that I mean anything bad by that! It’s kinda nice to see. Like we aren’t so different after all.”

She couldn’t say that she wanted nothing more than to escape this barren corner of the city, to discover treasures of her own -- not when it was so out of reach. But she could transmit the feeling, and she probably would, even if she wasn’t trying.

Tressa falls silent for a moment, smiling. “I’m sure the people here are happy to see you. It’s nice to know you really are a good guy.”

[tradetales-blog]

✒ fuhehehe‌.

The moment the ok leaves the merchant’s lips, Maya grabs at the amplifier. She turns it around, inspecting the jacks and the knobs as best she can. There’s no way of truly knowing whether it’s as good a condition she says it is without either opening it up or plugging a microphone in, but from a cursory glance, nothing seems broken! 

「It isn’t too old a model, maybe about 15 years from its first run? But they don’t make this model anymore, even though it was one of the best! The output of of whatever you put in gives a nice warm feeling! If you pair it with a good compressor or equalizer, the sounds you can get out of it are endless! It’s really versatile, and—」

Oh, whoops, there she goes again. 

「Ah… S-Sorry… I, uh, get really excited about this kind of tech… Um, how much do you want for it?」

Her jaw open slightly, Tressa watches in awe as the girl turns over the amplifier and begins examining it, spouting out all sorts of terms that go a little beyond her, but the feeling of which she understands. In a way, she feels as if she’s experiencing for the first time how others must feel when they watch her identify a particular treasure, or explain why something is more valuable than it appears -- making her cheeks flush slightly.

Wow. If nothing else, the girl seems happy.

 “Ehehe... don’t worry about it. It’s my pleasure, you know? I don’t want to sell stuff that doesn’t get people excited. Let’s see...” She glances down at her price -- tilting her head as it seems a little out of a young girl’s price range, and mentally calculating how much she can afford to lose. “I feel like you’ll definitely take much better care of this thing than I will, so how does 150 Dust sound? About right?”

[tradetales-blog]

✒ falseromeo.

  If not for Maya’s interference, Kaoru isn’t sure Tressa’s relief would be there. She can only imagine her own reaction should she have found her copy first; the inevitable panic both of them would’ve fallen into before the virus finally took her copy and herself down. She fidgets briefly, trying to tie her nerves back together without making it too obvious how jittery the whole situation had made her.

  People saw her at her worst, really. Shy, far too quiet and unable to speak up, plenty of other qualities Kaoru has suppressed since her younger years having come out in such a manner is far more embarrassing than she wants to speak of.

  At least Tressa doesn’t remember.

  Kaoru works a smile on her face as she settles next to the other, hands resting in her lap. “ To be honest, I was not the one to track down and find my double. A friend from home, Maya, is the one that found her and spoke to her enough to keep her in place so I could seal her away, ” she explains, leaning back to look towards the sky.

  … Her cheeks tint red at the reminder of the nickname her copy now holds. She hopes Tressa doesn’t comment.

  “ For us to meet… I don’t remember either. I do hope we would have gotten along if that is the case. ”

She tilts her head, listening to Kaoru talk, a little puzzled -- the younger girl certainly seemed less confident than she usually came off, though who could blame her? No child should have to go through such a threat to their lives, though her travels with her companions had showed her that was often not the case, no matter how fortunate and ordinary her childhood had be.

With a sympathetic smile, she sighs, smiling as she follows Kaoru’s gaze towards the sky. Fortunately for her, that action means the other’s flushed cheeks go unnoticed. “Is that so...? Well, I’m glad you had someone there for you. Ehehe... I think it would’ve been a little embarrassing for anyone to see my other self, though -- I was more concerned about some friends of mine, so I tried to save her as quickly as I could.”

Her smile turns into a laugh as she turns her gaze down, looking to meet Kaoru’s eyes. “Maya, though? I met a Maya around your age, I think -- she was super excited about some sound tech I had on sale. She must be a good friend.” A kindred spirit, in a few ways -- though Tressa didn’t exactly know the inner workings of sound, she knew a treasure when she saw one, and the bubbling enthusiasm was contagious.

Not shifting her gaze away from Kaoru’s, she smiles a little warmer than before. “I have no doubt about that. I’m pretty good at getting along with people, if I do say so myself... and it’s hard to imagine fighting with you, Kaoru.”

[tradetales-blog]

✒ mechanicalaura.

“Perhaps if my father or General Ironwood arrives here, I could convince them to make you collapsible weapons.” It wasn’t really that hard. Most weapons in Remnant were far more complicated than a collapsible sword. “Or ask them to teach you how.” Which was more likely if it was her father, less likely if it was General Ironwood. 

“Oh, yes, it is my job to save the world. For that, I must be combat ready.” Even if in her own world, her job was finished without her ever having completed it. Her eyes widened at the offer, but she quickly nodded, flashing a bright smile at the other. “I would much appreciate that! I do not expect to find weapons like mine, but any weapon would be appreciated.” She needed a weapon. They’d taken away her strength and her speed, she couldn’t protect anyone without a weapon.

“Ah? No, no, there’s no need for that!” Laughing at the earnestness of the girl, Tressa waves a hand, smiling with a fond warmth as her laughter dies down. “I’m a merchant, not a blacksmith. But if they’re ever for sale, you’ll let me know, right?” There was a naivety in her, that reminded her of playing with the younger kids back in her hometown. She didn’t look that young, but... youth really did keep a sparkle in you, huh?

She was thinking as if she were a middle-aged woman, now. Perhaps that was what travelling with people like Cyrus and Olberic did to a girl.

Tilting her head in thought as the girl explains, she nods a little -- choosing not to ask why such a young and innocent soul had such a job. She would look out for this girl too, it seems -- like the many other kids she’d taken under her wing since she’d arrived. “Then you’ve found the right person. The name’s Tressa Colzione, travelling merchant! And I was meaning to find some weapons for myself too. If you want, we can go right now!”

[tradetales-blog]

✒ liondanced.

     Primrose drew breath slow and steady, searching for a calm in the storm, a moment of reprieve in the chaos that had overtaken the city. It was not so simple as a few recitations in her head, though, and she proceeded to let Tressa’s voice calm her while likewise keeping her grounded. They had to ascertain the best solution, a plan to bring about the most ideal outcome while the odds were… stacked against them, to be so direct. It was not her first time to come face to face with such odds, but Primrose felt less certain than usual. Less ready. But there was no time for that.

     “One is after me, yes.” Primrose spoke certain, brief, as her eyes sought Tressa’s to hold her gaze while she spoke. “He is rather determined, but if we can outplan him, I know we can overcome his approach despite our lack of resources.” She pushed that worry nagging at her down, the voice of uncertainty and trauma unwelcome in her mind.

     “I hate to ask, but the pigheaded man as he were is quite infatuated with riches. Do you have something shiny to catch his eye? If he can become overtaken with greed, perhaps we can make a swift exit.”

She nods, holding Primrose’s gaze with an equal strength. “Gotcha. Anything for you, Primrose.” Primrose was strong and resourceful, even if under-resourced at the moment -- and Tressa liked to think she was at least getting closer to being someone like Primrose. She can’t quite hide the way her expression changes to something resembling a kicked puppy as she begins to rummage around in her backpack, though. She was just getting on her feet, finding what was valuable in this world and what could get her leg off the ground. But all the same...

“Ehehe. Don’t worry about a thing, Primrose. Shiny things aren’t real treasures, you know? Not like the time I’ve spent with all of you. I’ll throw any old thing away for you.”

Pulling a particular jewel from her bag, she holds it up to Primrose’s face. “How about this? I don’t have too much to offer, right now... it’s kinda hard to get your footing here.” Meeting the older woman’s eyes, she smiles, softly. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Primrose. He’ll have to get through me.”

[tradetales-blog]

✒ virmentis‌.

     It was nice to receive a response from Tressa so quickly. More than nice. It was a relief, and Cyrus released a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. As much as he knew his companion could more than take care of herself, he still found himself subtly fretting over her well being thanks to this turn of events. Perhaps it was because he was so used to overseeing those her age. More likely though, perhaps it was because she’s his friend.

TO: Tressa FROM: Cyrus Albright

         I. I arrived none too long ago, it would seem,       and was immediately thrust into that odd scenario       that scrambled all of my memores. I remember you,       actually, and the utter mundanity of the situation       was quite interesting indeed.          II. In retrospect, such a thing is both terrifying       and fascinating. What awe inspiring magic must       the perpetrators be capable of? I have several       theories…          III. Oh, but you asked for my location. I’m currently       situated here. Do let me know if it’s more convenient       for me to come to you than the other way around.          IV. This mobile device has a great deal of numbers,       as it turns out, most of which I do not recognize.       I am not sure if they were added by me, or by the       same force that is causing this.

   He chuckled at her offer and the text following it. After their journeys had ended, he oft reflected on how fortunate he’d been to meet so many good people.

         V. Well, the message left on my mobile was       quite clear in its instructions, fortunately. But you       know I would be more than happy to accept your       help!          VI. And I assure you, my girl, I am who I say I am.       Though it feels like I saw you only scant few days       ago, I, too, am glad to hear from you again.

She takes a deep breath, the terror of the whole situation not lost on her. Considering how strange this place was in the first place, Tressa thinks that she adapted rather well -- getting back on her feet and back to business even in a world she could never have imagined. But even if she tried to be fearless about it, the sheer plummet of her stomach when she woke up one morning in a house she had never been in, with ‘parents’ who were complete strangers... she wouldn’t forget that. She would never forget that.

TO: Professor!! FROM: Tressa

1. I don’t remember it! Though, I know I had a store with my ‘parents’. Some parents they were! I don’t like worrying about nothing, but it’s freaky. Like they got in and changed our memories and feelings.

If she talked about it too much, she was sure Cyrus would go off on a lecture -- but in all honesty, she would welcome his insight when it came to this. Though...

2. Don’t worry about it though!! I’ll come right over!! I have this cool thing called a bike, so... let’s see... 3. Eh??? You literally live down the road!!!! You got the worst ward too, Professor!! 4. I’ll be there in a second, then!! (*｀へ´*)

At least with him being close by, she wouldn’t have to worry about him getting lost, or horribly distracted. For an eminent scholar, she hadn’t ever met anyone as air-headed as Cyrus. More than that... it felt like it had been such a long time. Primrose had been here when she arrived, and still... she truly missed home, and all the others she left behind, didn’t she? An idiot or not... she couldn’t say she wasn’t eager to see him again.

Stupid Professor.

Stopping in front of one of the houses, she double checks the location in the message, before grinning, cupping her hands over her mouth as she yells up through the window. “Professor!!”

[tradetales-blog]

The events from a few weeks ago seemed like a distant dream, in more ways than one. The frantic pursuit was what she could remember, of course, something that hardly seemed real -- but there was a haziness that was still present from the week before then, a week where she had not been herself, but someone else. Thinking of that girl still puts a heaviness in her heart.

She had promised her a life out there... was that really true?

It wasn’t as if there was any way to know for sure. They could never meet again -- Tressa knew that much. But she hoped that the voice had not been lying to her. She would choose to believe that she had saved her other self, after all... and if she hadn’t, she would find some way to turn back time and change things. Others, too, she thought -- must have had difficult times with their other selves. Stories of strange marks that had appeared on others’ bodies, making her develop a habit of immediately checking the shoulders of any friends she knows.

“Phew...! I guess you didn’t have any trouble sealing your double, then, right?” Pulling away from Kaoru’s shoulder with a smile, she meets her eyes carefully. What that whole situation must have been like for a kid -- she doesn’t know -- much like she doesn’t know what to do with these foggy memories. “I’m glad you got through that okay, Kaoru. I couldn’t really find everyone I knew back then, what with all the chaos.”

Gesturing to the nearest bench, Tressa takes a seat, indicating for Kaoru to follow. “I kinda get the feeling we might have met... our other selves, that is. But I don’t remember at all... strange, isn’t it?”

@falseromeo

[tradetales-blog]

✒ kindledheart.

     “ You.. have a point. ” no point in disagreeing to that. it’s not bad that she doesn’t want to have any, but it certainly surprises you when she walks up to the counter herself – and still the surprise glints when she tells you she’ll pay for you! “ Really? You don’t have to, but I mean, it’d be great – ”

    then she.. adds another price, and you falter. you know you can buy that yourself, now, but if you don’t get a job or something then you won’t frequent it any longer. which usually depends on reading to get it. and…

    …you’ve faltered awhile when you finally suppose, as regretful a decision this might be, she seems nice enough not to laugh at you being unable to read, right? there’s people who could’ve caught that quicker and mocked you for it, but she hasn’t — and when you follow behind her to the counter, you’re glad she hasn’t.

    “ I.. couldn’t read it. ‘ve never learned how. ” all of a sudden the next pause seems too great. “ Hey, uh, could you get it in a cone? I usually get cake, but I don’t know if there’s better for cookie dough. ”

He never learned how...? Her smile falters a little. She had been fortunate enough to be born into a family where she had been taught to read -- hardly wealthy, but it was part of the business to know such things. Her parents had known, their parents before them. Something passed through the family. A love for trade, and a love for finding out what was in those nooks and crannies. She was hardly a scholar like Cyrus, but...

She sighs. She knows exactly what Cyrus would do in this situation. Though it isn’t always the case in the world, knowledge should be open to everyone. Everyone should be able to learn. If she shied away from such a task for lacking confidence -- she would be letting a child down, when something was his right.

“One cookie dough ice cream in a cone, mister! Make it two tiers.” Grinning as she puts through the order, watching the keeper scoop up the ice cream, she talks over her shoulder to the boy. “Nothing to be embarrassed about. Sorry for putting you on the spot like that. You just seemed kinda troubled, and it’s hard for me to leave stuff like that alone.”

Taking the ice cream from the stall owner with a thank you, she hands it to the kid. “The name’s Tressa Colzione, travelling merchant. It’s a pleasure to meet you!” And a pause, with a warm smile. Just what was she getting herself into? “And you are?”

[tradetales-blog]

✒  nyanesan.

    ▐  狩人  Chuckling at the young innocence dripping the girl’s voice, the huntress realizes she’s befriended yet another younger one – similar to that little fox boy. Well, if no one else cares for them, then so will she. Her priority is making sure they are safe, a valid concern in the city of Spirale considering past mishaps among the population.

“I had no clue. As you can see, I’m not a treasure hunter and still inexperienced. Mayhaps I can learn a few things from you.” Though the praise seems over the top, it’s not particularly a lie. Not her main interest in life, but a fun side activity. Maybe it would be fun to take the fox boy… or his depressed good-for-nothing father.

“Ah. A case of homesickness?” A brow raised in curiosity, Atalanta can understand the sentiment somehow. She has no home to return to, therefore nothing to really miss. And yet, this place has a tendency to make people feel lonely. As newcomers, foreigners, even more so. Quietly, she’s already thinking of ways to make the girl feel better – but she doesn’t quite know if people actually ever return home…

“A few months or so, for me. Though I’m not in a hurry to leave as you might be.”

The woman’s words make Tressa perk up considerably, letting out a pleased chuckle. “Well, if you’re looking to learn, you’ve come to the right girl! I’m not a treasure hunter, per say, but I am a merchant. And any merchant worth half their prices makes sure to find some real treasures, and not just in light of the price tag!”

Money was a merchant’s bread and butter, of course, but Tressa knew it was only the means to an end. The means to provide happiness for others. The way to pave the future in a kinder way, for the lives that would continue to live. She pauses, glancing to one side. “But a few months, huh...”

She had so much to look forward to, so many plans for the future -- and here they were, being put on hold for such a long time? Imagining she wasn’t frightened... she couldn’t possibly say she wasn’t disheartened by this situation. It was unfamiliar, inexplicable... and it threw her life out of balance.

With a sigh, she answers the woman’s question with a wry smile. “You’re not homesick? I guess it must get kinda normal after such a long time. I don’t plan to just lie down and take this quietly, though.” Grinning, she holds out her hand. “I have a lot of catching up to do with business in this place. You’re interested in finding treasure, right? Why not join me on an adventure? I’ll teach you everything I know!”

[tradetales-blog]

new theme courtesy of the lovely scheherazade!! i can’t recommend her enough and i’d love it if you checked it out to see her hard work!!

i have a headache currently but finally have some free time this weekend so should hopefully be catching up!! new icon template will hopefully be coming up to match the new theme so don’t worry about baby girl, she’s alive and strong!

[tradetales-blog]

scopoultimo‌ ☆

     Robin nodded her head, first in agreement, and second in understanding. “Sometimes it is your best strategy to figure out how to fit in within foreign borders, and strange circumstances.” It was far from Robin’s first time doing as much, even if she knew this world was not her own. This young woman seemed to have quite the head for how she would do just that. “Trade is invaluable. An ally of mine always knew how to get the best deals when purchasing or selling goods. I’d love to hear about your own take on the matter.”

She nods eagerly. “Ehehe... is that so! Well, it’s kind of a trade secret, buuut... I don’t mind telling you a little!” Her eyes sparkling, Tressa leans a little closer, as if the information about to be divulged was really confidential. “To be honest, the real secret to merchantry is talking to people! If you don’t know what people want, then you’re never going to find the thing that makes their heart shine! And if their heart doesn’t shine, well -- they aren’t gonna be happy, no matter what you offer them.”

Tressa smiles. “That’s kinda the thing! I don’t think people who think of it just as money really get it. If you put your heart into it and try to make your customers happy, though... that’s what really makes you successful at trade. I know a merchant who knows all about that!” She wonders how Ali is doing out there, if he’s made up with his father. Perhaps, out here, she’ll never know.

[tradetales-blog]

(crawls in here on meme day) just a note to let u guys know i’ve been absurdly busy lately and the amount of drafts tressa has has been stressing me out, so i’ve decided to drop some threads (mainly old ones and event ones, though not all of them)!

if it went past one reply each and i’m dropping it, i’ll let you know and see if we can work something else out if you’re interested! tressa’s life in spirale has changed a lot since she first arrived and i think freshening things up will help a lot too!

thank you for understanding and know i love you!

[tradetales-blog]

ingoldentent‌ ☆

“Uh, well. I suppose I should present to our group and the office in a bit more detail before, no?” Battler proposes. “In fact, I have prepared a short video on this company’s history, if you’d like to know a bit more about the context you’ll be working at.”

He opens a door to what seems to be a reunion room, although nobody else is inside. Instead, there are a laptop and a projector connected to it over the table, while a white fabric screen covers the whiteboard.

“There, sit anywhere you want. It shouldn’t take too long. Now lemme set it up here…” He moves to the computer and sets up projection mode. Then, his face frowns. “What the-?! Ah, sorry.” He faces Tressa. “There seems to be some small format compatibility problems here. Wait juuuuust a little bit more, ok?”

“Of course! Lead the way!” She follows the man indoors, glancing around the room with curiosity. Seems like this wasn’t a big scheme at all. She doesn’t know whether to be reassured, or a little uneasy. On one hand, of course -- it was kind of nice to get personal treatment, from corporations that seemed so far away from her. But at the same time, she wondered if it was only a single man here who cared about her.

Well -- that was fine with her. In the end, it didn’t matter if others were looking down on her. She had to try her best, for the sake of the future she dreamed of.

Sitting down, she watches him fumbling at the computer, before waving her hands dismissively. “Oh no, it’s fine! I can wait! Don’t worry about a thing!”