Moonspear i'll give you $20 for the tree.
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Ooc — Stevie
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#1
All Welcome 
Leaving the Vale had not been particularly difficult for Liffey. She'd been far too distracted by her worry for Rannoch to be sentimental at the time of her departure, of course. But even now that they were happily reunited, she did not find herself often longing for the territory she had left behind. It had become clear in the moment Rannoch had gone that home was not a place to her, but a person. But, be all of that as it may, there was one aspect of the Vale that she did find herself longing for from time to time.

The perch Rannoch had found for them in the Vale to stargaze from had been everything she had dreamed of. It matched perfectly the description she had given to him of what she desired in the days they had merely been dreaming of the Vale before finding it. While Liffey was confident that Moonspear held a number of potential replacements upon its many cliffs, she doubted any would ever quite compare.

Still, the Blackthorn wasn't one to give up so easily. Twilight had turned the sky purple while the lambda stepped across the rocky ledges that lined the mountain's face. She'd scouted a few locations thus far, but none were quite right. She glanced overhead as she moved, biting her lip gently as she considered it might be about time to just settle for something for the night, otherwise she'd end up missing out on her favorite passtime altogether.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
Daisies, daisies perched upon her forehead
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#2
Every night, the young wolf went out at night, no matter how late it ever was. This gave her the best viewing chance at her one favorite thing; the stars. However, she spotted something else tonight. She was finding more and more her favorite viewing positions were becoming more popular by other wolves of the pack. However, she soon saw that it was in fact someone she had not met before.

"Uh...hello" she greeted, sitting not too far away, facing the sky. "You..you watching the stars too?" she asked to the wolf.
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#3
Liffey hadn't expected to find her solitude interrupted, but she wasn't at all bothered by it. She paused in her movement to set her gaze upon a pale female. She was a pretty thing, with eyes that shone like dandelions in the sun. The Blackthorn smiled to see the other's attention turned skyward, which paired with the question upon her tongue.

"Yes, it's my favorite thing to do," she answered with a friendly wag of her tail, "I'm Liffey. Are you a naturalist too?"
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
Daisies, daisies perched upon her forehead
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Korei Julia raised her brow toward Liffey. Korei wasn't too sure if that was the name of her role, she always called it stargazing. If it was, she thought that she had some more to learn about whatever her role was. "Uh...is that what a stargazer is?" she asked, wondering if she knew what her full role was in the pack. "All I do is look at the stars...Oh, I should tell you my name" she added, nervously smiling. "I'm Korei. Korei Julia."
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The other female was a shy, sweet one. Liffey was actually reminded a lot herself, even though being in the presence of another with this personality caused her drop those aspects of her own. She wanted to make her packmate more comfortable and so she transitioned surprisingly easily into friendly confidence.

"That's mostly what I do too, really," she answered with a soft laugh, "I'm Liffey, and I absolutely adore your name." The compliment slipped out before she could stop it. Realizing this would likely make the girl uncomfortable - assuming she was correct in the assumptions she was making about her character - she was quick to continue the conversation. "Naturalist is a broader term for the study of all things to do with the natural world," Liffey said then, replying to the initial question that had been posed, "Astronomy, or stargazing, is a more specific trade underneath the Naturalist umbrella. It focuses on stars and the moon, and everything in the night sky."

Liffey found herself looking skyward again as she finished. She hadn't realized that her gaze had drifted, but now that she did, she looked again a bit sheepishly at Korei, "Sorry. I get carried away. I'm uh.. trying to earn my Astronomer title."
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
Daisies, daisies perched upon her forehead
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Korei smiled up at Liffey, another wolf she could share the interest of the stars with. However, her face turned into a frown at the compliment to her name. No one had complimented her name before. She didn't know what to say. 

"Naturalist" she repeated to herself. She often did that, to remember words she thought we important. "Astronomy." Korei never knew it to be called that. She had a rather confused, yet intrigued look about her by now. "No, no it's fine! It's all very interesting, learning all these new titles...i only thought of it as stargazing...So you want to go for it too?" She wondered briefly how many stars Liffey knew of.
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#7
The girl with the lovely name responded, and Liffey smiled to know that she had successfully pushed the conversation past that brief moment of awkwardness. She was getting better at the art of conversation. Not great, but she'd definitely come a long way since her days of avoiding even her own family out of anxiety over having to speak to them. Speaking to Korei now came rather easily to her, and it was a welcome relief considering how often she felt like an unwanted outsider in the ranks of Moonspear.

"Yeah, I've been stargazing all my life," Liffey answered, "My brother and I used to play a game where he'd name something - an object or an animal - for me to find and I'd pick out stars and draw lines between them to try and make the shape." The memory brought a pang of longing into her heart. It had been such a long time since she'd seen her twin. She often wondered if he would have even cared to see her again, after the way she'd abandoned the Caldera.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
Daisies, daisies perched upon her forehead
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Korei's eyes glittered like the stars in the sky, from the reflection in her eyes of the stars. But her gaze was on Liffey, the only other she knew that liked stars enough to study them was her Papa. "Ooh! Can we play that game?" she asked excitedly, almost bouncing up and down on the spot. "I can start, I can start!" 

Immediately, she went to looking at the sky. "Uh...a leaf! A maple leaf, yeah. Can you find a maple leaf?" Her tail wagged behind her as her gaze shifted from the sky to Liffey.
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#9
Korei's eyes brightened as Liffey told her about the game. She smiled broadly at the girl's enthusiasm, feeling excitement of her own growing as she nodded in acceptance of the proposal. Her eyes leaped skyward as her companion considered what shape to have her find, already seeking stars to use to draw whatever was suggested.

Liffey's brows furrowed thoughtfully as Korei challenged her to find a maple leaf somewhere in the sky. "Good one!" she said with a smile, her muzzle turning as she looked across the night sky. It took her a few minutes, and a few tries, before she finally found a suitable set of stars to draw her maple leaf upon.

"There! You see that cluster of stars there?" she asked, gesturing with her nose, "Look slightly to the East of those and you'll see a bright star - that's the top point. Down a little further are two more bright stars to the left and right of it, and two more just below those that make up the other points, and you can use the slightly darker stars in between to trace the edges between the points and make a maple leaf. Can you see it?"

She looked at Korei to see if the girl followed, pausing for a beat before adding, "Describing how to find it is often the hardest part of the game." Liffey grinned.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
Daisies, daisies perched upon her forehead
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#10
Korei honestly thought it would take Liffey longer. That's when she learned that it was rather easy, with the right amount of imagination. As soon as the shape that Korei requested was pointed out, there it was. She could see the shape more and more as Liffey described it. 

"I...yeah, I see it!" she shouted excitedly, looking to Liffey and back to the shape. "This game is fun! Now your turn, pick a shape."

Korei looked to the starry night sky, thinking of what it could be, using her imagination to picture what possibilites there were. There were way too many to comprehend, and she loved that, seeing so many that could be picked for her to find. "What's your favorite const...conste...." she tried to say, trying to pronounce constellation.
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#11
Liffey grinned at Korei's enthusiasm when she spotted the leaf. She remembered playing this game with Rannoch for the first time and how he had so struggled to locate any of the stars she had attempted to point out to him. Stargazing was not really his forte, but it was apparent to the Blackthorn that it very much was for Korei Julia.

Liffey looked to the sky again after being challenged to find a shape for Korei. Her ears slid back at the question she was posed, and she answered as her eyes moved across the night. "Probably the first one I ever found," she said, "A mouse. Its eye is the brightest star in the sky. I named him Huggies." She paused, feeling mildly embarassed as she realized she'd never admitted that one to even Rannoch, "I was very young..."

"How about a doe?" she suggested, looking to her companion.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
Daisies, daisies perched upon her forehead
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Korei listened, and she even let loose a little giggle she couldn't hold back. "A mouse called Huggies?" She was young right now, and no doubt would do the same. "That is a cute name...Huggies. I've never named stars before though. My sisters are named after them..." But she wasn't. She paused, thinking about how different she was. 

Korei Julia, her tail wagging, looked about in the sky for where the the doe could be. "A doe...a doe...." It took a long while and she shook her head eventually. "I can't find a doe...I can't- oh wait! I think I...I think I see it!" she said enthusiastically, pointing up to the sky with a paw. "Is that it there? It looks like a doe."
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#13
The name Huggies got a giggle out of Korei, and Liffey couldn't help but join in the laughter. It was a rather silly name. She couldn't think now of where she'd ever come up with it, though she assumed her mother could probably have filled her in (Fun fact - she actually could not have). One day she'd have kids of her own and they would make her realize that children just have an innate way of coming up with random crap. For now, her mind assumed there was some unknown logic to it, and she was content with that.

Korei turned her attention to hunting down the next constellation. Liffey's first idea had actually been a stag, but she'd thought that the addition of antlers might make it a little too tough for a first go. She had begun to worry that it had been too difficult a challenge even with her modifications, but a light of excitement began to glimmer in the pale female's golden eyes seconds before she began to exclaim. Liffey's tail wagged swiftly at her haunches as she searched the skies, following Korei's gesturing paw.

It took her only a few seconds to piece together the outline, practiced as she was at doing so. She began to nod as she saw it, smiling, "Yeah, I see it!"
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
Daisies, daisies perched upon her forehead
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Korei got overly excited, bounding around on the spot, yipping a little and wagging when Liffey pointed out that she did indeed see it. "Yay, I found it" she yelled excitedly. "My turn, my turn" she said, never wanting this exciting new game to end. She smiled at Liffey, seeing her as a new found friend. 

Then she thought back to Pyx, how she had been a friend as well. She got sad for a few seconds, thinking if Liffey would do the same as Pyx had. But she quickly shook it off, looking to the sky to take her mind off it.

"How about....a paw. Can you find a paw?" she asked. She had never seen a paw. Well, except the dippers, she thought that they looked a bit like a paw. "Yes, can you find a paw?"
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#15
Liffey laughed appreciatively at Korei's enthusiasm. It was very refreshing to meet someone in Moonspear that was so open and welcoming to her presence. She was nothing like Charon's three dark daughters, which she was quite thankful for. She would have been extremely surprised to learn that Korei was actually their sister, but that was a fact she remained happily oblivious to as they continued their game.

"A paw..." Liffey repeated thoughtfully as she began to scan the sky, "That's a tricky one... That's like five shapes in one..." She smiled at the challenge, showing that she rather appreciated the difficulty. She had played this game many times in her life - most often with her twin. He had always come up with amusing ideas, but not necessarily difficult ones. She had always loved a challenge, and so each extra minute she had to spend rummaging through the was enjoyable for her as it made the prize all the greater...

"There!" she burst out suddenly, her smile widening into a toothy grin, "By your doe! Take its bottom hoof and follow that line of stars around to make the first toe." She gestured with her muzzle as she spoke, her tail wagging. After marking its location, she was quick to make her next suggestion for Korei as she'd spotted the shape while she'd been looking for the paw, "How about an evergreen?"
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
Daisies, daisies perched upon her forehead
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#16
Korei's tail wagged at Liffey's laughing, though she didn't exactly why she was laughing. It did bring her joy though, that they were both having great fun with this little game of theirs that Liffey had shared. She was having the time of her life right now.

She looked to where the doe had been, and saw the paw that Liffey spotted. "Good job! Good job!" She however tipped her head a bit when asked about evergreen. A whole tree? 

"A..an evergreen? That' a bit...um..." She knew that the evergreen was a tree, but there was a problem. She had never exactly been shown what an evergreen was. She had only heard the name, it had never been pointed out. "What's an evergreen look like?"
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#17
The suggestion was quick to bring a look of confusion across her new friend's face. Liffey's expression fell slightly, but she smiled kindly. Uhhh... let's see..." she said, turning to look around at the trees that lined the territory behind them. Evergreens were apparently not very common in Moonspear. She was surprised to spot none in their current vicinity, but that was alright. She turned back to Korei.

"Evergreens are a type of tree," she explained, "They're tall and kind of cone shaped with green needles instead of leaves. Pinecones fall from them, and they don't change colors in the Fall or lose their needles in the Winter. They're always green, hence the name." She looked at Korei, hoping her explanation helped. She didn't think it possible that her friend had never seen one before - she wasn't that young. There was always the possibility that she'd never actually paid any attention, but that didn't seem likely either. After all, what pup hadn't played toss the pinecone with their siblings at one point or another?
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
Daisies, daisies perched upon her forehead
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"Oooh" she went, in interest then went to start looking. "So a tall pointy tree?" She went straight to looking for this star shape, yet had trouble with finding this one. "I can't find it, Lif" she, pouting a little now. She looked to her new found friend, and then yawned. How long had they played this game now? Maybe her sudden tiredness was affecting her sight. 

"I feel...sleepy....do you feel sleepy, Lif?" she asked, her eyes half closed by now.
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Korei seemed to know what an evergreen was based on the description she'd given. She nodded to confirm that they were indeed tall pointy trees, laughing at herself as she realized she could have said those three words and accomplished the same as what she'd done with forty of them. She was definitely an over-explainer, but that internal monologue was cut short when her friend announced defeat. "That means I win!" she answered with a teasing smile, "We can play again some other night, if you want a rematch."

Liffey hadn't been tired when Korei had yawned, but by the time her friend asked if she was sleepy, she actually felt just that. Yawns were quite effective like that. "I am, yeah," she answered, pausing thoughtfully before asking, "Do you have a den to go back to, or do you want to just sleep here?" Rannoch could get along well enough for one night without her, and there was nothing like a nice, cuddly wolf nap to cement a new friendship.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
Daisies, daisies perched upon her forehead
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Korei Julia smiled tiredly up at Liffey, her tail wagging behind her as she nodded slowly. It was quite a fun game for them to play, and she would enjoy another round of it sometime. 

"I have...a den" she said after a yawn. "But it's so faaaaarrr" she yawned again. Korei felt her legs sliding out slowly from beneath her as she started to lay down, falling onto her side. "Are you going to go...to go to your den?"
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#21
last post for me! wanna wrap up? :)

Liffey chuckled softly as the yawn interrupted Korei's response. She sympathized completely - her own den with Rannoch seemed like it was miles and miles away at that moment, even though it really wasn't. She slid down onto her stomach beside Korei, her own mouth splitting open in a yawn as she did so. "I probably should, but I don't wanna," she answered, laying her head in her paws, "Let's just stay here and nap for a bit, hm?"

Whether Korei agreed or not, Liffey was content to remain. This ledge she'd come across for stargazing was not as perfect as the ledge back in the Vale that Rannoch had found for her, but it seemed to her that it was a great place to rest, and also to hang out with a friend.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
Daisies, daisies perched upon her forehead
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Korei slowly nodded, and set her head down onto her paws. Perhaps later she would go to her den. But it was a cold night, and she scooted up next to Liffey for some warmth, like a child would and then was contempt, and fell asleep by her friend's side.