Cassiopeia's View swallow my breath and take what is mine.

Rannoch's breath had caught in the back of his throat once he had invited her to join them and, thankfully, it did not take the ember-eyed to subdue his fears. He grinned as she did, his tail mimicking the gentle, sweeping motions that hers moved with. 

There was something that was so undeniably attractive to him about Liffey, and he couldn't quite place a paw on it. Even with her simple reply, Rannoch found himself wanting to further their conversation even if had seemed as thought it was coming to an end. "So, these stars," he began smoothly, regarding the sky with a gentle upsweep of his muzzle. "Whats your favorite shape up there?" He paused after this, a new wave of self-consciousness sweeping over him as he waited, wondering if that had sounded overly simple or not.

Liffey didn't mind the quiet that seemed to settle between them, nor did she read it as the cue for them to part ways. She was not one that felt the need to fill every space with words, at least not when she was comfortable with her companions. After a moment, she felt almost surprised to realize that Rannoch had slipped into this rank of company for her, almost without her even noticing. She smiled to herself at knowing this and slid comfortably into the companionable quiet.

That being said, she was not at all disappointed when he spoke to her again. Liffey glanced at him before looking skyward again. "I have a couple of them, actually," she said with a grin, "The first one I ever found is a mouse. At least, I always think of it as a mouse. Some of the lines don't quite work, but I never when I was a kid. He's more like a hunchback mouse with a very crooked tail." She laughed lightly at herself, spying it overhead and following the lines that made up its super pointy spine. "Its eye is the brightest star in the sky," she added, in case he wanted to try to find it.

Rannoch regarded the night sky with curious eyes, seeking the mouse that Liffey spoke of. The brightest star upon the indigo canvas was not difficult for him to find and he smiled as his attention fell upon it. The actions that followed, namely his searching for the elusive mouse,  found Rannoch without a victory, but, despite this, he took the loss easily and returned his attention to his stargazing companion. 

"What is another one of your favorites?" he asked after a pause, his words ringing into the silence of the night eagerly. Though finding stars wasn't necessarily the easiest task for the brute, he was liking both Liffey's company and hearing about the stars and as such he'd keep asking until she would grow tired of either his antics or company-- whichever came first.

Liffey peeked at her companion, watching him scan the skies. She stifled a grin when he asked about her next favorite instead of asking her for more guidance on finding the mouse. She assumed he didn't see it, as otherwise he probably would have said something. She was glad he at least didn't seem as perturbed as the last round. Maybe he'd accepted that stargazing was just not one of his strengths and he'd accepted it.

"Well, there's a bullfrog near the mouse that looks like he's about to swallow the mouse whole," Liffey continued, turning her head all around as she went, "And a hawk flying above them with a daisy in its beak. There's a beehive, and a pinecone, and a stoat. And a ton of willow trees. You can draw a willow tree just about everywhere you look, once you get the hang of it."

Liffey listed off other items that littered the indigo canopy above, searching for what she had found. Unlike the wolf of the Caldera, Rannoch was not a skilled in start searching, and he had come to realize this quickly. Even if he wasn't, he knew that this was okay, settling on his losses easily, as he was aware that couldn't be the master everything. Rannoch accepted it, but, this did not deter him from seeking what Liffey had listed. 

The willow tree struck out to him, as his companion had mentioned that the figure frequented the skies in various location. Giving himself time to look, Rannoch searched all over the night sky, seeking the shape. Eventually, after a timely pause, Rannoch caught sight of stars aligned in a line. Though it wasn't particularly straight, Rannoch identified it as a trunk. Stemming from the trunk were long strands of starlight, reminiscent to the eloquent limbs of a willow tree. 

His expression brightened at the realization while his excitement drove one of his forepaws to lay on top of hers as he attempted to alert her. Not realizing what had been done, and keeping his eyes skyward, Rannoch exclaimed: "Liffey! I found the willow tree!"

I am totally at a bar with a live band like right up front watching them while writing this lol #priorities

Liffey's eyes were busily scanning the stars above for more forms when she suddenly felt the unexpected pressure on her paw. Her gaze flickered down to see Rannoch's far larger gray on settled upon her own. Her breath caught in her throat momentarily. Had it been that simple act of his touch, she would likely have frozen in place for all of time. But his voice saved her from such a fate, and as difficult as it was to tear her attention away from that contact, his eager, happy tone was impossible to ignore. 

The Blackthorn smiled broadly as he so happily announced his success. A laugh escaped her, and without evening knowing she did it or even why, she shuffled ever so slightly nearer to him. "See? I knew you could do it!" Liffey answered with a happy laugh, "I'll have you fully corrupted into a weirdy like me in no time." Her tail waved softly, every so often brushing lightly into his.

Rannoch was all too wrapped up in his achievement to realize what he had done to get Liffey's attention. When she praised him, Rannoch was propelled further into his happiness. With the silver-furred woman at his side, Rannoch felt as he never had before. It was as if anything else aside from them didn't matter and the turquoise-eyed man couldn't even begin to comprehend how she could affect him in this manner. It was as if she had been able to place a pair of rose-tinted glasses before his eyes, coloring the world before his eyes with the most fantastical colors. It was as if his eyes had opened for this first time to face everything that was marvelous in the world. 

Keeping the momentum going, he turned to her with a smile, his tail beginning to wag as he felt the gentle brush from hers. "You know, I wouldn't mind that," he mused, replying to her honestly. Not thinking, he continued the thought: "Because that means that I'd get to see you more." The idea was paired with a quick realization of what had been said and Rannoch blushed and ducked his head slightly as he awaited her response.

There was nothing about this encounter that Liffey wasn't thrilled with. From the incredible prospect of leaving the Caldera and finding the life she had craved to something far more simple. It had been such a long time since she had actually stargazed with someone. Well, other than Lagan. He would stargaze with her, but eventually he would get bored and want to go find bugs which was a shame because he always managed to find very amusing things in the sky. Rannoch might not have the greatest skill with finding constellations, but he was trying and he was clearly enjoying himself, which warmed Liffey's heart.

He was also incredibly handsome. That definitely didn't hurt.

She canted her head when he replied, her eyes widening slightly when he made his little confession. She took in a steady breath to keep her heart from springing out of her throat. A gentle smile slid across her lips at his sudden bashfulness, and she resisted the urge to look away herself. Liffey was at a loss for a moment as to how to respond. He couldn't possibly mean what she very much wanted him to... Why on earth would such a strong, impressive, kind-hearted boy like this have any interest at all in her?

"That would be pretty neat," she said finally, biting her lip lightly before looking down at her paws with a demure smile painted on her face. After a beat, she added, "Although wanting to be turned into a weirdy? You might be further gone than I previously suspected." Liffey grinned, glancing back up at him.

Rannoch felt as though he was holding his breath as he waited for her response and despite the uncertainty, he felt he kept his bashful front as means of coping with it all. But, soon enough, as she allowed sufficient time for him to wallow about in his self-doubt, she replied, and his expression brightened considerably once he had comprehended that she had accepted. The drumming rapt of his heart continued to pulse as he slowly gained the confidence to look at her again.

It was as Rannoch finally returned his eyes to her that he was met with the unsuspected news. "Am I able to be saved?" He asked, mock devastation sounding within the baritone of his voice as he fell back into character. "Or..." he paused for dramatic effect as he frowned. "Am I forever just a weirdo?" Even with his confidence built up again, Rannoch found it hard to look at Liffey without blushing after realizing just how beautiful she was. Though he had realized this in their initial exchange, Rannoch slowly realized over time just how stirkingly gorgeous she was.

Liffey grinned at his jovial pretense. Good-looking, powerful, kind and a great sense of humor... She'd never been happier to have had trouble sleeping. There were so many signs that Rannoch seemed to be feeling the same things she was in that moment, and yet it struck her as far too impossible to be believed. He was simply being friendly in his offer to take her into his forming pack. His comments about wanting to spend more time with her was just kindness. The bashful dips of his muzzle were only shyness that had nothing to do with her but were merely aspects of his character. It couldn't be what she wanted it to, and even if it was, it had to be something fleeting. Something he did with all kinds of girls. She knew she wasn't special enough for this sort of attention to be anything significant. It just.. how could it be?

"You're probably doomed," Liffey replied nonchalantly, "I mean, maybe someone could save you, but I don't know who. Definitely not me. I'll just make it worse." She smiled brightly at this, but it fell after a moment as her eyes focused on the horizon beyond Rannoch's shoulder where the black of night was fading into a hazy purple and orange.

With his diagnosis revealed, Rannoch looked at Liffey with shock, as if he couldn't believe his ears. But, despite this, Rannoch continued as his eyes settled upon her beautiful face. "Well, maybe if you can't save me, then I don't want to fix it," he decided with a wave of his tail. 

They continued their topic of Rannoch's condition until the sun shone once again. Once tired, the pair then set off with a promise to see each other again and Rannoch left that interaction with his heart full.