+20 Explore a territory and find something useful in it - (1/2) x2 exp
+10 Study an astronomical phenomena - (1/2) x2 exp

Evening had long fallen when the little star found herself amongst the humid foliage of the jungle in search of prey. Crimson eyes scanned the dark trunks basked in streams of moonlight, ears pricked to listen every which way, trying to drown out the constant symphony of insects and frogs. She found herself peeking beneath the trees above, staring for a few moments before a flicker appeared between the canopy. And then another. Her eyes widened, amazed, before scrambling to find somewhere to see what was happening more clearly.

An ancient tree, one who had fought long battles and lost, was leaned over onto another, giving her leverage to climb higher towards a break in the leaves. She hoisted herself higher up the trunk, claws grappling carefully to the bark until finally she reached high enough to see- shooting stars. One, and then another, and another. She gasped, and for a moment in time Luna forgot about tearing the flesh from something.

@Avana

Avana Hodari

Double Exp
+20 Explore a territory and find something useful in it
+10 Study an astronomical phenomena

She had been laying in the confines of Firnen, creamy belly exposed to the heavens as the night music chirped around her. Avana had nearly fallen asleep until something in the sky caught her mismatched gaze. A flicker between the canopy that blocked out majority of the sky. What was that? In an instant, the strawberry lass had flipped back to a seated position, gaze glued to the cracks in the trees above her, but it wasn't enough. The trees were too thick here, and so she followed the glimpses of light until she could better see them.

Into the neighboring jungle, the Hodari ventured, splitting her attention between keeping track of the star show above her and where her paws were actually taking her. She didn't want to trip over anything, after all. The faster she moved through Aniadar, though, the quicker she realized she wasn't the only one looking for a good vantage point. From the corner of her eye, Avana caught sight of a flash of pink fur climbing up a tree. Without even thinking, she raced after it, stopping at the base of the same tree @Lunaire had just climbed. "Did you see it, too?" She questioned into the night air, dual-toned gaze still craning to see between the trees.

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+20 Discuss the features of a territory with someone - (1/2) x2 exp
+20 Explore a territory and find something useful in it - (2/2) x2 exp
+10 Study an astronomical phenomena - (2/2) x2 exp

She didn't know how long it lasted, but she felt like the watched the sky streak with lights for eternity, stars dashing from on spot to another before vanishing away into nothingness. She didn't breath, didn't move as she clung herself to the top of the fallen tree, she simply watched. It would cease, and the world around her would come back into focus, and voice bringing her attention to the trunk below her.

Crimson eyes blinked, peering down at the strawberry woman, comprehending her question. I saw the sky shed a thousand tears. She said, her own voice still distant as she struggled to recover from her awe. Something about this night would stay with her, a new fascination with the stars burying itself in her mind. Ironic, really. ,There were so many, I was lucky because I found this tree..... She blinked, Did you get to see it?

@Avana

Avana Hodari

Double Exp
+20 Explore a territory and find something useful in it
+10 Study an astronomical phenomena
+20 Discuss the features of a territory with someone

Though she didn't have as good of a view as the pink woman in the tree, Avana could still see the meteor shower through the cracks in the canopy. She didn't know quite what she was seeing, but couldn't help believing it to be stars that were moving across the sky. What else could it be, really? There was nothing else above them but the stars and the moon, and surely the moon hadn't chipped off into tiny bits that streaked across the sky, right? Right? Maybe if the strawberry lass had been younger, that might have been a valid explanation, but the pathfinder was much more willing to believe in shooting stars than she was in the moon breaking apart.

When the show ended, though, was when the stranger finally seemed to notice her. The sky shed a thoughts tears? What sort of nonsense was that? So was it a type of rain then? Avana wasn't convinced, but there was also a sort of wanderlust still apparent in the young woman's voice. Maybe she was still just caught up in the spectacle she had just witnessed. "Looked like stars to me," the maned woman offered before @Lunaire pointed out her better viewpoint. "Yeah... lucky," she mumbled, likely to be unheard from the ground. "Um, yeah, I saw it, though not as well as you did, I'm sure." Mismatched gaze looked back up into the tree this time. "What do you think that was?" And please don't say tears because the Hodari was not buying that bullshit.

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+20 Discuss the features of a territory with someone - (2/2) x2 exp

The rose quartz lioness would listen as the other woman stated that the things she had seen streak across the sky had been stars - well duh. She would say nothing until the larger lioness claimed having not saw the event too well, an odd frown finding itself on her maw, the starry girl beginning to make her way down the tree by sliding, her claws leaving tracks in the trunk. Maybe it'll happen again.... You can have the tree if it does. She didn't know how often the sky cried, she didn't know how rare it was or anything. But honestly it was the nicest thing she had said to anyone who wasn't her husband, at least

The strawberry woman would ask what she thought the event had been, despite claiming they appeared to be stars herself. I was told when some people die, they become stars. And when they are reborn or forgotten, they streak across the sky as they are cried from the heavens. She stated, a tale her mother had told her when she was young. She wondered if her mother was a star, now. Or if she had simply vanished into nothingness, rotted away a lonely corpse. Oh well. What about you? What did you think they were? Luna questioned.

@Avana

Avana Hodari

Double Exp
+20 Explore a territory and find something useful in it
+10 Study an astronomical phenomena
+20 Discuss the features of a territory with someone

Avana sat back and simply watched as the stranger scaled down the tree. She'd have to remember this particular perch for next time she wanted to do any stargazing, with or without a meteor shower. It just seemed like a perfect vantage point to see above the tree tops. "Thanks," the Hodari slightly mumbled the single word, doing her best to hide her annoyance, and possible jealousy, that @Lunaire had gotten a better view. Still, the strawberry woman had managed to see some of the show between the canopy of the jungle.

The maned woman listened respectfully as the stranger told her interpretation of the event. She'd never been exposed to such concepts before. Her own family had a much different belief on what happened when one died. Considering the Hodari had actual spirit family members, it was a hard concept to discredit, but not everyone showed up as a spirit, so maybe there was still some worth to what Lunaire explained. "That's an interesting way to describe it," Avana commented thoughtfully. She was not one to completely disregard the beliefs of others if they did not coincide with their own. There were many different religions across the lands, so who's to say the dead couldn't become stars? "I'm afraid I'm not as imaginative as you, but I just thought they were falling stars," the strawberry lass chuckled honestly. "My family believes in spirits and ghosts after someone dies, though I suppose the ones that never reveal themselves to us could very well have become stars. I think I'd like to believe that now." Maybe some of her own family were stars if they had no reason to become spirits on Earth. "Maybe I'll frequent that tree of yours more often," she smirked. "See if it happens again. The jungle floor doesn't exactly have the best view of the sky, after all." Not even the Rainforest showed the sky well, but it was better than she could have said of her time spent in Obsidian, at least.

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Lunaire would not acknowledge the slight mumble that accompanied the strawberry lioness's words, thinking nothing particularly about it as she instead glanced at the night sky, crimson gaze reflecting the shining stars again for just a moment before looking back at @Avana. Luna really didn't know why she didn't feel like ripping apart the other woman, or why the voice didn't sour her forward on another violent venture in that moment.

Rather, red ears would prick and listen as she stated never having heard such a a theory before, the smaller girl absently nodding her head. She hadn't met many who had- er rather, hadn't asked. But whatever. Rather, her family believed in "spirits" and "ghosts". Did she believe in gods? Lunaire has a dream, she wanted to kill a god. To rip it apart and feel ichor pool beneath her claws. Ghosts? She asked, quirking a brow. She wasn't all that interested, after all ghosts didn't bleed. However, the starry girl would not as Avana mentioned visiting the tree again. Maybe it'll be a lucky spot or somethin'. She grinned.

Avana Hodari

While watching the stars streak through the sky, Avana never thought she'd be discussing spirits and afterlife beliefs with a stranger in the middle of the night. Still, it had been an interesting encounter, leading her to the discovery of a perfect tree for stargazing. Hope would continue to lead her expectations that the Hodari might see the sky "cry" once more some day from the better vantage point. Until then, though, she was content to chat with the stranger for a moment.

With ghosts being questioned, the maned woman was almost surprised by it. Didn't all little kids grow up on ghost stories and such? "Yeah, like dead souls?" Avana didn't know how else to put it. "They're not nearly as whole or permanent as spirits and deities." At least, they never had been where she had grown up. The afterlife was a bit different in Amaryllis, though. "I have a grandmother in these lands who's a spectre," she commented idly, as if it added anything to their discussion. At least it meant Kito wasn't a star, she supposed. "Heh, yeah. Maybe. Hope it will be," the strawberry woman then smirked at the comment of the tree being lucky.

@Lunaire

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Lunaire would blink a few times as @Avana clarified she meant true and fully spirits, the dead's souls left on earth. She wondered, could the spirits of all the creatures she massacred return to haunt her? It was a confusing thought, but rather than press further, she would just go along with it. Oh, huh. I didn't know they were real. She'd admit. But, well, if her grandma was one then she guessed they were a thing.

Attention turning back to the talk of the tree and the stars, that had streaked by. Anyway, maybe we'll see each other around here again or something.... But uh, my husband is probably wondering where I am now. She giggled, mind conjuring the pale prince.

Avana Hodari

@Lunaire didn't seem convinced, but Avana wouldn't press the matter of spirits too heavily. Not everyone had seen one before, so not everyone believed. The strawberry lass could remember the first time she saw her great-grandparents as spirits, as she had cowered up to her older brother's side while he seemed unphased by their appearance. "Heh, yeah. There's quite a few in these lands actually," she chuckled, not the Avana had met more than her grandmother, but there had to be more, right? With the star show over, though, there was little to keep them here as Lunaire mentioned a husband to get back to. The Hodari was a little surprised to hear the young girl was married already, but then again not everyone was a late bloomer like Avana. "No worries. See you around then," the maned woman nodded before wandering along through the jungle.

Exit Avana

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