Thread: ᴏɴᴇ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ʟᴏsᴛ, ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴏʀᴛʜ ғɪɢʜᴛɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ [ ɢᴇᴍ x ᴡᴏʟᴢᴇʀᴇx ]

Usually the cheering came after the performance. Their monstrous caravan had just barely passed the threshold into the city when the crowding started. She couldn't see from her place inside the caravan, but she understood the significance of such roaring -- Welcome home. It was not an applause of praise, but of celebration. It had been over a decade since Agnar and his daughter left their seaside home. After his wife passed, the two decided to fulfill her passing wish to embrace their 'gifts' and perform in the same way they had to keep her entertained in her bedridden state. So, Agnar, his fiery, dwarf of a mother-in-law, Freya, and his only daughter, Frida, set off to do just that. In no time at all, they had become some of the most well-known performer's in all the land. Troupe De La Faye had grown in number throughout years, many talented and extraordinary performers coming and going as they journeyed on. All farewells had been fond, for each member of their strange, wayward family knew that no matter when the time came they crossed paths -- It would be as if the hands of time never passed at all. Now reaching the end of their journey, only a handful of them remained. One of which was glued at her side, hugging at her torso with as much strength as his tiny arms could muster. It had taken her some time to learn to read the small boy with no voice, but his expressions were now an open book. Her slender fingers brushed through his chestnut curls in a move to soothe him. Meanwhile, the older of the two brothers, looked as if he may roll out of the caravan if he stuck himself out the back any further. Unlike his counterpart, he thrived off the energy given by the crowd. Although he was a budding teen, it was his firmly held child-like imagination and contagious energy that made him one of the greatest story tellers she had ever met. Who knew the old man was such a celebrity around here?! Milo yelled without looking back. Kai! Wanna climb up and see if we can see the ocean!? The child's anxious expression did a complete turn-around as he pulled away from the elf, following behind his older brother and disappearing before she could get a word of caution out. After years of them failing to listen to her reasoning, she would only be wasting her breath. It would be a lie if the prospect of viewing the sea didn't pique her fancy. Despite their vast travels, she had never seen the ocean. She had nothing to go off of except the illustrations in the books she had collected across their journey. Even then, only a number of them of them captured its beauty. Milo and Kai had come from a town just on the ocean themselves before finding their way to them. Milo and Kai's magical storytelling had allowed her a hint of its true majesty...but even they said it was nowhere close to the real thing. She could already smell the salt in the air intermingling with the scents of the marketplace --- Flowers, bread fresh from the oven, fish caught just that morning -- Any other city and it might overwhelm her senses. But...This was her home now. Several emotions seemed to take home within her the more she came to the realization. She hadn't called a place home in a long time. The troupe was her home. There was both a strange mixture of anxiety at the thought of settling, but comfort in knowing she would not be alone as she adjusted to such a change. It was bittersweet knowing that there were still so many places she had yet to see in her lifetime. Perhaps one day, she would venture to them herself. A sudden halt of the vehicle forced her from her daze. The dark elf steadied herself, looking up at the ceiling and praying the two boys hadn't flown off before hearing Frida's bellowing, I wasn't aware there would be a welcome party! Father, how many people did you write to about our return?! Agnar's roaring laughter followed the inquiry. Only the mayor! But, I should have guessed word would travel fast around here! Always had! The caravan creaked as the jolly man made his way down. She could already hear him greeting all by name, never seeming to miss a beat despite the passage of time. Frida was welcomed by a barrage of older women gushing about how much she'd grown -- Well, as much as a dwarf-halfling could grow. Her Freya had once said she was the size of both her and her mother put together. Even amongst the sea of voices, she could hear dear ole' Freya telling everyone to pipe down and give them some room to breathe. Despite being unable to see the sea of embrace, a fond smile found its way to her face simply imagining it. What a beautiful homecoming. However, the smile faltered at the thought of her own homecoming. A homecoming that would never be. She hasn't noticed her hand reaching up to the necklace hanging around her neck-- So you all want a show, I take it?! Not a second passed before the cheers of affirmation seemed to shake the ground. Hundreds of enthusiastic voices chanting in unison. How wonderful it is to return! What other way to end a magnificent journey than where it started? Over these past ten years, we have had many performers come and go. Our family has grown significantly despite many leaving us along the way. It is a shame you will not get to meet them all. However, we did not return alone. The three performers in which you will see are no less flesh and blood than my own Frida. I hope you will open your arms to them as you have for us. Now, please, enjoy Troupe De La Faye's grand finale! And, thus, the show began. It only made sense that Agnar and Frida opened the show. The sheer amount of laughter was all the indication needed to know they were pulling out their age-old routine. Their Father-Daughter, Feats of Strength Spectacular was the act that started it all. Agnar, an average human man, had been born with an inexpiable amount of strength. Working in the shipyard, moving cargo back and forth for years and years had only made him stronger. Frida, despite her stature, had received the same gift. What was more impressive was Frida -- Tiny Frida -- was an equal match to the tower that was her father. Given the high-pitched shrieks from both men and woman alike, she assumed that they were at the portion of the show in which they competed to see how many people they could hold at once. With their hometown pride at stake, she prayed neither of the two strained themselves. Freya must have heard her silent prayers, for she stopped the madness before anyone got hurt. With that averted crisis, their performance ended. Frida introduced the next act as The Tell-Tale Brothers. Affectionate coo's filled the air, every mother in the crowd surely cheering as the two brothers stepped up next. Milo's voice rang over the hushed crowd, beginning to set the scene. A tale of pirates, sirens, and treasure -- How fitting. Voices of amazement followed soon after as Kai silently worked his magic -- The space before them suddenly filled with illustrated scenes of stormy seas and troves of treasure. An unseen brush painting the air with vibrant water-colors. She had heard the story hundreds of times, however, she never tired of it. In fact, she was disappointed she couldn't join in the audience's awe. Perhaps the two of them would continue to share their stories. Surely, everyone would be willing to listen. In fact, a city full of voyagers was the perfect place for the two brothers to learn new stories. She was on high alert knowing her time was approaching. She had not felt such nerves in a long, long time. There were always a bit of jitters before a performance. Part of it was the performance itself, but it was also the idea of being seen that made her insecure. After the war...coming across her kind was a rarity. She could count on her hand the encounters she had with other dark elves. Such encounters left her both heartbroken and overjoyed. Onlookers would never truly understand why other dark elves would break into tears upon seeing her -- It was because they knew. They knew her during what was now a past life. She wondered if, through their eyes, seeing her was a curse or a blessing. She was a living, breathing reminder of tragedy, however, she was also a symbol of hope. To outsiders, she was an anomaly. The seemingly last of her kind if they had never come across another like her. In a way, she was the last of her kind. Her people may still be out there...but she was alone. We saved by far the most beautiful for last. As I said before, many of our performers have came and went over the course of the troupe's journey. But, she has remained with us ever since the near beginning. It has been a blessing to watch her grow alongside my Frida as both a performer, as well as a daughter. I hope that, upon witnessing her performance, you too will see how much of a gift she has been to the Troupe and our family. A lump had formed in her throat at the gentleness in Agnar's tone, a wave of emotions nearly stopping her in her tracks. There would never be enough words to express how grateful she was to her odd, little family. They saved her life in more ways than one. The least she could do was give this last show her all. Please, welcome Troupe De La Faye's Fire Bird! 'Phoenix' took a deep, steadying breath, slipping the sheer, purple mask over her nose and mouth before emerging from the sanctuary of the caravan. A chorus of gasps filled the air, murmurs and hushed whispers soon followed. The reaction was not surprising, but left her antsy all the rest. These people, this city, was now here home. It was imperative she make a good impression. The pressure weighed heavily on her shoulders, yet nonetheless, she assumed her starting position. Knelling upon the stone, she was enveloped in a sea of magenta. The skirt of her costume laid upon the ground, resembling that of a flower petal. The sound of Frida's flute floated through the air, Agnar's drum resonating soon after. Her hands gathered at the skirt, moving the fabric and her body in time with the beginnings of the music. They were subtle movements, reflecting the softness of the notes before growing more intricate. The negative emotions melted away and soon it was only her and the music. Her skirt billowed about, billowing dramatically with twirl after twirl. She bent her torso this way and that, her back arching in the most delicious ways. Her arms seeming to paint the world around her. The music changed, signaling her to come out of her trance and to let the fun begin. Her hands reached towards the sky, palms facing upwards as she conjured a deep, purple flames. Natural fire was passionate red, but matched the aura of those who could summon it at will. The flames danced around her form, flitting about before setting her skirt aflame. A mixture of excitement and fear fell over the crowd, jaws dropped and eyes wide. Phoenix couldn't help the smirk that painted her lips. The fun was only beginning.