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[h1][color=D2691E]Farim[/color][/h1]
[color=D2691E][b]Location:[/b] Edin Theater[/color] 
[color=D2691E][b]Time:[/b] Morning of the 28th[/color]
[color=D2691E][b]Mentions:[/b][/color] 

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The past few days had been something of a trial for the young trade prince. The stress of his father’s expectations and the deal they struck - the recent involvement with Count Ryn, and not to mention the way Anastasia had flung his emotions into a passionate yet purposeful maelstrom. Now he was here to perform in front of the very king and queen he was meant to impress - to convince that he should have their daughters hand in marriage. Not in the very moment, mind you. But an impression made here would last beyond the reaches of the courtroom.

A stagehand came to Farim’s side and cautiously placed a hand on his back. Up until the start of the show, he had placed his elbows on his knees, hunched over with his chin resting upon the mans’ locked fingers. Farim’s eyes stared forward with the intense focus that would catch the floor on fire if such acts were possible. The sudden touch of the random person made him jump slightly, and broke him out of his trance. [color=D2691E]“It is my time, then. I shall not disappoint!”[/color] Farim spoke aloud before the stagehand could even explain where his entrance was or where he was meant to go. Farim simply moved forward where his heart told him to go - something he needed to do more often.

The bustling voices of the crowd was the first to rush his ears, and a slowly rising chorus of exciting cries and claps as the Shehazde made his way onto the stage. Lights quickly flicked towards him, prompting him to raise his arm to block the oppressive rays from blinding him in the initial moments of his entry. He was tempted to vault into view - to be grandiose from the start - but he would work his way to such opulence and showmanship. He simply strode to the middle of the stage, faced the crowd, and raised his hand high into the air. Farim looked up towards the ceiling of the theater, collected air into his lungs until his chest ballooned up. A firm but loving shout came from the back of his throat.

[h1][color=D2691E]“Soooooooooooooriaaaan!”[/color][/h1]

He paused as the crowd had mixed reactions of continued clapping and mild shushing. As the crowd settled down, Farim lowered his hand and moved his gaze to match it until his gloved hand covered half of his face. [color=D2691E]“I come from the far land of Alidasht! I am here to usher our culture, our ways, and our extravagance into your hearts so that you may relish in the splendors of my people!”[/color] The man threw his arms high above him, striding around the stage as he continued. [color=D2691E]“I can only hope that such splendors can match the luxury and sights that the graceful Danroses have blessed you all with!”[/color] A little ass-kissing never hurt, so Farim threw it in there to compliment the royalty present. The man twirled back around and began walking back towards the other side of the stage, the golden accents on his falconry gear beginning to glitter and flare against the moving stage lights.

[color=D2691E]“You see…back home there is often the tradition of ‘rafiq madaa alhayaa’”[/color] He spoke the phrase in his mother tongue slowly for those in the crowd to repeat at their own leisure. [color=D2691E]“In your tongue, it translates roughly to ‘lifelong companion’. For we find ourselves often intertwined with the fate of many beasts and creatures that live on this world. In one way or another - we end up saving or helping the lives of such beauties of nature, and in doing so earn ourselves a lifelong friend.”[/color] He paused and stood center stage, placing his hand towards his chest as his tone became somber yet still just as boisterous.

[color=D2691E]“I had encountered the star of our show when she was a babe. A tiny little eyas that found herself wounded and in the middle of a snake’s den.”[/color] Farim’s ferocious tone became venomous - as if to mimic that of a snake. [color=D2691E]“As they opportunistic predators went in for the kill - I, a young teenager at the time, leaped in and brought all the snakes to heel in one swift grab!”[/color] He mimicked the very motion of swooping and grabbing up nearby “snakes” and held his fist high in the air. 

The crowd subsequently oo’d and aah’d at each little story beat while he shared this gripping tale of how he met his lifelong friend. [color=D2691E]“And from that day forth I had gained a companion. An ally. A friend. And since then we have trained, travelled, and even fought alongside one another. Our bond is truly magnificent!”[/color] Farim then pointed towards the back of the stage, which had been purposefully dimly lit in order to hide his setup. [color=D2691E]“Now enough of my talking - let my action show you just what I am talking about!”[/color] The light technicians moved the stage lights around, slowly revealing several structures with hoops, holes, and posts jutting out for optimal grabbing and roosting capabilities.

Farim placed his hand to his ear, a cocky grin on his face as the next instant there was a shrill cawing noise from high above the seats. Another click of the stage lights pointed a single beam at a roosting Thara, wings spread to either side. The bird took some testing swipes of her wings - as if to feel out the wind resistance of this enclosed space. She then swiftly took a dive towards the patrons while Farim raised his hand high above his own head. 

The crowd gasped, and some of the meekly hearted began to voice their concerns and worries for the bird. But Farim held no fear in his heart, and he quickly swooped his hand down to signal Thara to pull up and stop her careening descent towards the masses. Thara swung around to the side as Farim pulled his hand to the right, their actions synchronized and mirrored from one another. The man flicked his arm out and Thara responded in kind by making another dive towards him. At the last possible moment she slowed her descent to land on Farim’s arm with absolute grace. The landing was as light as a feather, and the crowd met the show with an enthusiastic show of hands - and a few minorly disgruntled heart attack victims begrudgingly followed suit.

The remainder of the show was a masterpiece - Farim wordlessly guided his companion around the stage’s obstacles - littered with distracting glints of glitters, gold, and feathers to purposefully throw her off her game. But Thara was locked in on her dear friend’s commands. There was none other that she trusted more than Farim. The man had seen this tiny creature grow from a small bundle of stress-pricked feathers into a majestic bird of prey, and he could not be more proud of her than he was in this moment.

The pair continued their dance, with each motion of Farim prompting an equally exaggerated movement from Thara. She dashed through hoops, bobbed through the posts along the specifically designed structures laced around the stage, and routinely took flight above the crowd. The more enthusiastic among them would reach up to try and feel the breeze of her wing beats against their palms. During one such flight, it was clear that the performance would need to come to a close. Farim had made his way towards the back of the performing area, and pivoted on his foot to face Thara as she began to twirl and dive simultaneously towards him. With a grin, the prince burst into a full sprint towards his trusted bird. Just as their trajectory would put them on the path to collision, Farim kicked his feet up and bounced off the floor into a frontward flip. Farim tucked his legs in, continuing his spin while soaring above Thara. The feathered animal continued its twirling and tucked her wings while she dove under the man.

Once the landing stuck, Thara flared her wings out and sharply turned backwards. Thara made her way back to Farim and repeated her same graceful landing at the start of the show, letting loose a firm coo from her beak. Farim raised his left hand up, and Thara mirrored this motion with her left wing. They both lowered their torsos slowly in a form of bow towards the crowd - eliciting an eruption applause from the excited fans of the foreign prince. With his head held high, Farim waved towards the enthused patrons of the theater with that telltale smile going from ear to ear. As he made his way backstage, he wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at Thara.

[color=D2691E]“Well fucking done, my sadiq (friend). I could not ask for a better bird.”[/color] Thara softly coo’d in response, rubbing her head against his outstretched finger.


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