| “ | An amusing motion, to have death in my thrall. | ” |
–Passepartout, on his meeting with Octave | ||
Octave is a character in 80 Days. He is a freedman of mixed descent, his white owner having gotten his black mother pregnant, living in New Orleans.
Background[]
Having been born a slave, he remained in servitude to his father until the Civil War, when the North took the city and he joined the First Louisiana Native Guards Regiment to help protect it from the Confederates. After being given his freedom he went back to work for the same family that had enslaved him before, including his father and several half-siblings who he genuinely loves.
Role[]
One night in a New Orleans bar, Passepartout can have a run in with Death, whom he later discovers to be a Octave in a mask who is dressing up for Mardi Gras. If he wishes, Passepartout can sit down and talk with Octave, who gives him the nickname Laurent, asking him about his past and possibly flirting with him. He later discovers Octave to be very charismatic and romantic if they leave the bar and take a walk around the city at night to see the sights, and they end their evening on a bridge overlooking the water in the moonlight. Before leaving Passepartout can either accept Octave's suggestion of a kiss, tell him that there is someone else, or simply refuse outright; Octave will understand if refused and will still thank Passepartout for a fun night together before they go their separate ways.
Character[]
Octave is charismatic, friendly and sociable. He impulsively seeks out a romance with Passepartout, and seems to focus on being optimistic about the present rather than dwelling on the difficulties of his past. He is also shown to be quite loyal and forgiving, choosing to work again for the family that previously enslaved him because he cares for them.
Trivia[]
- Octave is one of several romantic interests Passepartout can pursue over the course of his journey, though it isn’t a relationship that continues any further than one night.
- Octave is a French name meaning born eighth, both an allusion to the bilingual nature of New Orleans and perhaps the number of children Octave's father has.