Sneaking the kids out the Moor while Jael caught some much needed sleep had been easy enough. They walked along in companionable silence, Modesty already stressing the importance of not scaring the goats or the cows as they made their way towards the standing stones. The sky was really putting on a show tonight, hardly a cloud to be seen as she allowed her eyes to rove over her distant, cold friends. Her voice was barely a whisper, unwilling to shatter the peace that blanketed the lands. "Did you know you can use the stars to find your way home if you ever get lost?" She only glanced down to check and see who was looking upwards.

"speech"

-Navigation lesson 1/3-

Can't scare the cows. Can't scare the goats. Have to be quiet. Davey fixates on the have to be quiet of it all, though he longs to go harass them. His gaze remains steady on the livestock as they slip past, offering a hard gaze at the one heifer that takes notice of them. Really, he should be praised for taking initative to get that one back in line with the rest but-- ugh, mom. Fine, fine, he'll stick to Modesty's side and not get too out of pocket with it.

They speak in whispers, his gaze tracking to the sky. There are so many stars out here, and they're really something to behold. Davey tries to keep his voice low, even if it's hard. "Isn't there one star that's like, freakishly bright?" He scans the sky from side to side, trying to sort out exactly which one. Craning his neck, trying to find it. Pretty sure he'd seen it the other night, maybe.

"speech"

Las follows at a dutiful trot, scarcely sparing the livestock a passing glance. he finds it no trouble to fixate on the stars, not when the sight above has him so completely captivated. there's just so much to look at, practically a swirling nebula of shapes and sizes. "how?" he asks softly, head tilting in Modesty's direction. he needs to know so he can remember, lock the information up real tight and commit it to the deepest recesses of his mind. plus, he'd be lying if he said a tiny part of him doesn't sjutter at the thought of getting lost. only a tiny bit, though. "i think it's that one," Las whispers to Davey, squinting up at the stars. granted, he's not entirely sure, but he wants to be helpful.

Slipping off into the Moor in the middle of the night, it's really pretty cool. Tide likes being out, he likes getting to see the things it feels like no one else is privileged to. Stuff like watching the cows sleep, watching the world pass by quietly. Wandering into the night, surrounded by his siblings, it's easy enough to stick a foot out in front of Davey. Watching him stumble and trip, turning to Cutlass with a little snicker. As his brother opens his mouth, Tide rolls his eyes. "They're all the same dumbass, they're stars. It's uhhh... the shape of 'em, in the sky?" He grumbles, trying to trace the patterns the stars make above their heads. Something like that.

Corsair was less interested in the use of the stars for navigation and more interested in the stories they held. It might have been selfish for him to crash a lesson he had no interest in participating in, but like hell he wasn't going to monopolize his mother's attention if the opportunity was presented to him.

He listens to his brothers, the corner of his lips pulling down as the stars wink into existence overhead. A short, sharp sigh escapes his nostrils and he spots the star bears, not realising his gaze was resting on the north star just above them. "Urgh this is boring, tell me the story about the star bears..."

"speech"

- 1/3 intel - Mythology lesson -

Modesty listened to her boys with a smile on her face, nodding her head as Davey asked about the brightest star in the sky, "The North star, yes," Las was pointing in the right direction, but without sprawling out in the grass beside him it might be hard to tell which one he meant. Tide made mention of the shape of them and she hummed her agreement quietly, before Corsair cut in wanting to hear the story about the star bears... well, she supposed, they were all pretty closely related.

Reclining down into the grass, she tipped her muzzle towards the line of the three stars that were the easiest to spot of the big bear. She marked the approximate shape of the constellation in the dirt before her and gestured to each marking as she began the story. "A group of hungry hunters were chasing a bear through the forest when they ran into 3 giant dire wolves who attacked and killed all but three of the hunters. The gods of the time saw their pursuit and transported them to the sky to continue their hunt where they could continue to gaze on them for all time." She gestured to the front two stars. "The hunters chase the bear around the north star every night. If you can find the front of the bear, you can find the North star." She drew a line in the dirt from the front of the big dipper to the north star. "Think you can use the bear to find the star?"

"speech"

-Navigation lesson 2/3-

Cutlass pokes his tongue out at Tide, eyes still glued to the sky. after a moment, he follows his mother’s lead and flops down in the grass, craning his neck to get as big a picture of the stars as possible. he likes them immensely, he decides, likes the way they tug at his chest and thrum in his veins. there’s something about them that is both invigorating and calming, that rends him both big and small. “don’t they ever get tired?” he inquires to Modesty, once the story has concluded. “i mean…they can’t always be chasing the bear. you’d be exhausted.” his little brow scrunches in thought as he peers at his mother with genuine curiosity. her questions prompts his attention back to the sky, and he tilts his head one way and then the other, tail whisking through the grass. “mmm…there? no, wait…there?” he lifts a forepaw and traces the path, trying to make sense of the glittering dots. hmm, this is hard.

"Cutlass Fallen"

Corsair considered his mother's words, and his brother's question that surely, they would get tired. "If they've been honored by the Gods with a place in the sky, surely they wouldn't?" He countered, for to be given such a place of note, so close to a guiding light... well they must have received other gifts as well, such as supernatural stamina?

Corsair found the line of stars, the chest of the bear, and his eyes tracked across the sky until they found the brightest. He compared it to his mother's drawing in the dirt and then looked to the sky again. "So is there a story about the north star too?" A turned over ear tipped, to see if his siblings might object.

"speech"

It was unlike Pythia to ever be alone. Still young and unadjusted to the wild world around her, she usually had a sibling by her side to keep her from getting too lost. That night though, as the sun ducked down and the stars began to show, Pythia was feeling rather... lost. She wouldn't admit it, but the warmth of Modesty always felt more comfortable than the warmth of anyone else. Without the larger form of her mother, she couldn't fall asleep. Instead, she would try to track her down.

Unable to get very far without someone catching up, Modesty's own jackalope hopped along by her side, nudging her shoulder to aim her in the right direction. Slowly she ambled through the ravine and the moor until the stark scent of her brothers and mother made her tail wag. She is about to call out, but hears the hushed tone of her brother, Corsair, requesting to hear the story of the star bears.

With her curiosity piqued, Pythia lowers to her belly, curled tail flagged high, scoot forward until she is nestled between any of the boys that will give her room. Her slightly folded ears perk up, listening to the quiet lull of Modesty's voice as she regals the story of the hunters and the wolves up in the stars. Stars she'll never get to see...

"Does this mean that one day we could be stars too?" Pythia asks quietly, her foggy blue eyes turned up to the darkness that she hopes is the sky.

"speech"

The arrival of Pythia just in time for the story didn't go unnoticed by her mother and Modesty inclined her head in thanks to the jackalope that had bought her to them. She didn't give the rabbit companion enough credit, he was good for more than just a soft pillow sometimes, but there wasn't time to thank him just now. She'd find him something special to snack on once they were done here.

Cutlass did a good job of identifying the three stars and following them to the north star. Modesty gave him a nod of approval when he questioned, there?. Wake and Davey didn't seem to be paying attention, but she decided to keep moving, soon the children would be overtired.

"Since all the other stars move around that one, you can use it to find north, and from there, find your way to where you are going... If you know where it is relative to where you are standing. Sakana's map has a line off to the side so you can see which way is north. Perhaps next time we'll get it out and look at how to read a map?" She queried to Cutlass, who seemed to be the only one actively interested in Navigation of the gaggle that had assembled.

Corsair was quick to turn the discussion towards the Gods, and Pythia questioned if she too, could be a star one day. This was really a better discussion for her mother or brother to be having with the children, she supposed. "I have heard it referred to as the star-that-does-not-walk, or Chief star, because it holds its place in the sky and all move around it. It represents stability, leadership, it is a guardian of the other stars, a bit like a pack leader should be, I presume..." There was a hint of humour in her tone, for although she should probably aspire to these qualities, she wasn't certain they were ones that she possessed.

"Why would you aspire to be a star when you could be the one deciding who deserves the honour?" She queried her daughter. If you were going to have lofty ambitions, why not aim even higher than a place among the stars?

"speech"

-Nav/Intel lesson 3/3-

Pythia is not bothered by the query of looking at a map. She knew, and had come to terms, that she would never be a navigator. At some point, an animal companion would be necessary she thought. One that was good at navigating. Perhaps a bird or another canine that could see, but for now, she wasn't bothered or rather concerned. Her parents' companions seemed to do a well enough job for now that the young girl didn't often dwell on being lost.

She does listen, taking in the information, eager to hear more as her mother turns to her and Corsair. As they go onto the topic of the stars and answers to their question, Pythia's head cants. The question posed in return has her thinking. Why be a star when you can be the one who decides who is a star? This excites Pythia, her fluffy curled tail thumping against the ground. "So we could be an actual god? Just like Abraxas?" Her voice is full of wonder as she lets out a little gasp, thoroughly enticed by the idea of ascending.

"speech"

Davey is too busy harassing Tide to pay much mind to the mythology of it all. Chomping at his brother's ears, nipping at his heels, driving the pup around in circles and slushing through the grass. Being out after dark like this is a treat, why did he need to waste it? Following directions, and his mother's gaze toward the sky... ugh.

By the time he tunes back in, Modesty is saying something about a map. Oh, stars that move, too? "How do we figure out what's like, relative? How we're standing at the start?" Davey's nose wrinkled for a moment. This navigation shit was hard... and he should probably be paying more attention.

"speech"

Did Davey ever fucking quit? Tide kicked out at his brother, before rounding to snap at his face. Ears flattened to his skull, eyes wild. Trying to push the boy off of him, without drawing too much attention to himself. A bite lands on Davey's pale face, and he's finally able to turn back into his mother's lesson.

The stories were interesting enough, but were they... were they real? The idea that all the stars moved, aside from one, was actually pretty neat. Tide leaned in, moving to be closer to Modesty and farther from Davey. A sleepy yawn cracking his face as he gazed upwards. "If it's the north star, we can use it for south and north... what about the other directions?" He's just tuning back in, okay?

"speech"

coded by NachoMumma

Hmm, All stars moved around the chief star? Sounded like the battle they were already fighting day to day, someone who thought they were the best to make decisions conducting all those around them in a way that suited them. Sure, that was currently his mother, who he loved dearly, but what qualifications did she hold to keep the position?

Turning violet eyes back towards the sky, he considered it all. His place within the pack, within the universe. What did it matter when compared to the vastness of the sky? The distant stars, twinkling so coldly down on them like the distant divine? It left a sour taste in the back of his throat. Who were the gods to judge him?

"speech"

Modesty listened carefully to the quiet exchange of her children, her eyes roaming over each of them as they offered their thoughts and questions. They were like pebbles in a creek bed, all just a little bit different, each with their own way of approaching the world, and yet, they were all bound together by the banks of the water that would course over them. Would they be worn down, or would they endure?

She tilted her head slightly, offering a soft, knowing smile as her gaze moved to Cutlass. "Corsair, though a little abrupt, is correct in this instance," she said gently, her tone still laced with warmth. "The stars don’t get tired. They are eternal, unchanging. But as for us... it’s the effort that matters. The patience to keep going, even when things don’t seem to be moving as quickly as we want." She shifted slightly, considering his question about the stars. "It is true. Even the stars are always shifting. They may appear still, but they move in their own way, and so must we."

Turning her attention to Corsair, she could see the cogs turning in his odd little brain and she could only imagine he questioned the role of the gods. Her voice was steady but with a slight touch of humor. "The gods, they don’t judge us the same way we judge ourselves. Their place is earned through strength, through sacrifice. And perhaps, there is something divine about holding steady, like the Chief star does. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Leadership comes with its own challenges, but that is a lesson for another day."

Her gaze softened when she noticed the shift in Pythia, her daughter’s curiosity sparking. "And yes, Pythia," she answered gently, her smile growing as she noticed her daughter’s excitement. "It’s possible to aim for greatness, to dream of a place among the stars. But being a star doesn’t mean you control the world. The question, my dear, is not about being in the sky. It’s about what you do once you’re there. Do you protect, do you lead, or do you simply shine?" She already stood out luminescent in the dark, not that the girl herself would ever know it. Movement drew her attention with an almost silent sigh.

Her eyes caught Davey as he distracted himself, full of energy and movement, a reminder of the other half of his heritage, always needing to be kept busy. "Getting lost isn’t always about where you’re standing. It’s about knowing where you’re headed, even when the path isn’t clear. The map helps us, but it’s not just about directions. It’s about understanding where we fit into the bigger picture. And sometimes, it’s about asking the right questions to help you see it more clearly."

Finally, she looked toward Tide, who had started to tire and shift his focus back to her. She could see his curiosity, even if it was tempered by his exhaustion. "As for the other directions," she said, leaning in slightly, "there are always ways to find your way around, just like the stars. They guide us in many ways—north, south, east, west. But it’s the ability to recognize those directions and adjust that helps us find where we need to go."

Modesty turned back toward the stars, lifting her paw and tracing a line through the air to illustrate her points. "The North Star is the anchor, guiding us north. But if you turn your back to it and stretch your paws out, you’ll find your way south. To find east and west, you look to the stars that appear just after the sun sets and just before it rises. In the evening, the stars will start to form a path to the east, and as they rise, they will guide you westward."

Her eyes sparkled with something like pride that they had managed to hang on this long. "The stars can give us direction if we know what to look for. The constellations shift through the night, showing us where the other cardinal points lie. And the further you go, the more you learn to read the sky like a map of the land itself."

Modesty's eyes lingered on her children, their questions, and their curiosity lighting up like the night sky around them. "We all have a path to follow, but we can’t get lost if we remember to look up. The stars are always there to remind us of that."

"speech"

coded by NachoMumma

Pythia glazed over the navigation aspects of the lesson. She would never be able to see so that part literally did not apply to her. Following the stars was something she'd never be capable of. But dreaming of being a star, being a god, being with Abraxas, that she could do. The thought made her chest swell, her insides drum with excitement. Imagining the possibility of one day being as great or greater than the god they worshipped filled her mind with dreams and goals.

Her mother's question has her considering the possibility of being a star. If she became one, what would she do? Protect? Lead? Or simply shine? Pythia thinks this over, giving her wily brothers time to shout out and do whatever it was that they did.

Simply shining sounded too boring. What else would there be to do? Leading sounded too complicated. Directing those she couldn't see would put too large of a target on her back. Protecting though... "I would protect," Pythia states with clarified decisiveness. "I can heal, I can care, I can... Well, I can't watch or look at those upon the earth, but I can ensure their liveliness and health," she speaks softly, but surely. Would being a protector be good enough to get her to godhood?

"speech"

Davey dwells on the notion of scale, and of knowing where he's going. Alright, so it's impossible to get lost if he never knows where he's headed. Easy. He could do that. Blind confidence and faith would get him far, and that confidence... well, it would always be blind. That's part of the fun, right?

As far as asking the right questions goes, Davey is too tired and foggy in the head to think about any of those. Like a toddler getting cranky after being up past their bedtime, he has a lot to think about. More than a lot. Too many to think about, thanks very much. All he can do is hold onto the idea that he'll never be too lost, and he'll just have to keep shining. Easy.

"speech"

Tide leans heavily against Modesty's paws, still gazing up at the stars as she talks. Stars spread across the sky, splashed in all directions, drawing him in. They had stories to tell, and he traces the shape of the bears over and over. Even if they'll move, that's okay. He'd be able to find his way back to them, and the north star, too. It's all starting to come together.

Adjusting, shifting, figuring out what way they needed to go. Tide chewed on the inside of his cheek, thinking for a long moment. The sun would rise in the east, set in the west. Tracking and trailing it across the sky during the day, and at night he had the north star. He could... he could handle that. He could use that to his advantage. Also, he could probably, really, use a nap. A big yawn cracked his face as he continued to watch the sky above.

"speech"

coded by NachoMumma