7 Light Years Later.

When one emigrates to a country, a planet, foreign to them, it's easy to assume that your traditions and habits have to die in the process of moving, that bringing them with you is too much of a hassle, that you can be too much of a hassle for those around you if you don't adapt. 

It's a dark night. The tent lights had shut about two hours ago. Addressive sat, legs crossed, in a chair at the small outdoors sitting area behind her trailer. Her gaze was fixed on the sky, in one specific spot, one she could only roughly estimate. The sparkling shrapnel clouds of their home, though they made for beautiful faux galaxies, could not make up for the real deal. Stargazing is not a hobby anyone has around these parts.

— Please don't try to catch a cold before your next act, will you? — a voice disturbed her thoughts, one she recognises all too well. Addy did not flinch hearing him join her behind the trailer, she did not even look him in the eyes. —What's on yer mind this time? — he leaned against the not-so-stable wooden wall.

— It's just a tough night. Dealing with some conflicting emotions. You don't need to concern yourself.

Vamp's expression briefly changed to one of concern. He quickly gazed away from her, as to not give away his worry. — I know we don't do this a lot but, if something is actually bothering you, I'd rather hear you out than have you ruin tomorrow's show. — flawless excuse, with flawless execution. Did their interactions always have to feel like playing backgammon with the devil?

— You probably won't be too happy hearing about it.

— Well you can't just say that to me, now I must know. Whatever it takes to get my star performer up on that stage again... — he sits down on the chair next to her.

She looked back up towards the clouds in the night sky.

— Somewhere in this general area in the sky, if the clouds were not covering it, you could see Owai-6's star. — she motions with her claw at a rough patch of clouds.

— Oh... that's what this is about. How do you even know this?

— I also know that, according to Universal Arez Time, the Skyfire festival is currently ongoing on Owai-6.

— You know, if you're homesick I could let you have a few days of-

— No-no no. I could never. I'm too- scared to face them again.

— Yeah, I get that... Then why bother? 

Addy continued looking up longingly towards the sky.

— Well, here's another fun fact. The universe loves its astronomically low chances of events occurring. Well, it would occur that the solar system we're in right now is almost exactly 7 light years away from theirs, give or take. So, with some calculations, and if you had a strong enough telescope in your possession and this facade of a galaxy didn't cover the sky, you could point it at Owai-6 and see exactly 7 years in the past because of the speed light travels at. To the last Skyfire festival I ever attended with my family. 

She then turned to face Vamp. He'd gotten used to tears being in her eyes. She cried whenever she wanted to get something from him, but this time, he couldn’t put his claw on what that something was. If it's not going home then? Could this be the first time her tears are genuine?

— Of course this is an extremely rough estimate, I'm not taking into account the actual distance between our planets and their respective suns.... it just, amuses me a little, that such a memory exists and is unfolding right now before my eyes, only too small and too hidden to perceive with the naked eye.

—You're full of surprises aren't you? I can't imagine why you'd know this stuff, why you'd need to know it in the first place.

She looked back up to the sky.

— Let's just say, I have a small fascination with space. 

— Uh-huh.. — he looked towards his feet, leaning over with his muzzle in his hand. — We've known each other for years, and yet I still find out oddities about you this way.

Addy finally looked back down at him, this time, without tears in her eyes. — I can say the same about you..

Vamp sighed — Don't. Tell the others yet. But. I used to carve decorations for the festival back when I...— he hesitated — You know.

— Really?

— Yeah. I was, I think, pretty good at it. 

— Do you still carve things?

— Not- really. What with the shows and everything, there's not enough time. If I'm going to engage in hobbies, it's going to be those I care about the most.

— I see. — she looked back up to the sky. It's now or never.

— But, you know. I bet the rest wouldn't mind celebrating the festival locally. We've never done it before but.

Addressive's gaze shifted once more back down towards him. Sheer surprise in her eyes.

— Maybe I could carve again…

— You... could huh. — and then her eyes lit up with an idea. — What if. I held a special performance for tomorrow's show. One similar to the midnight ensemble.

— Are you implying you want a new costume?

Addy looked at him with a puppy-like gleam, as she leaned down onto the coffee table, speaking no words.

— ... Fine... but I won't be able to acquire a real… mask and.. collars and whatnots, I hope you know this. Skyfire stones aren't exactly easily found around these parts. 

— It's called a colombina… 

— Ah, of course. My deepest apologies.

— And I think I can do with a replacement.. Perhaps brass for the gold, and topaz for the stones.

— That's doable.. I will be deducting that from your budget, just so you know. 

— It's alright this time. I think that would make me happier than anything else I could have gotten this month.

Maybe xeros in the oddest of circumstances, in the furthest places from their home, living amongst complete strangers, they too can find community and tradition in each other. The Skyfire festival, though so removed from them, living only in their memories, continues to be practiced, even 7 light years away from “home”.