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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Sept 24, 2015 4:42:26 GMT
When you get to the end of your rope, Tie a knot and hang on.
It was thirdpaw information. Not the best thing to rely on, really. With rumors and stories, you could never really tell what was true or not.. Each pair of jaws words pass through, a few things get changed. But Starlingfur had her faith in this, and hope burned a hole in her chest as she moved through the moonlit forest. Following a scent-trail, looking for one cat in particular.
Fernheart had been the one to tell her. The patched queen had recently moved into the nursery, heavy with her own litter. She'd been setting up her nest while Starlingfur played with her own sons and daughters, when she'd offhandedly mentioned that Boltfang's sister was a healer. Starlingfur had immediately stopped where she lay- they'd been looking for a medicine cat for nearly two moons. Cedarclan had already suffered for lack of one. Rosekit would be scarred for life. Any number of things could have gone wrong during her or Featherpaw's kittings. Not to mention the number of wrenched claws and cuts that had occured during the camp's repair, or the fear of what was to come once Leaf-Bare arrived. She'd asked Fernheart about it, and she'd said that Boltfang had told her.
Of course, Starlingfur had immediately gone to find the she-cat.
What reason would Boltfang have to lie to Fernheart, after all? Well... actually, she could think of plenty of reasons. But that was besides the point. There would be nothing to gain from telling a falsehood about this. She'd only been in the clan a few days, but Starlingfur hadn't thought Raven the type. No, she'd seemed a fair fighter and a polite cat. Not that healers couldn't be polite, it was just... Well, Flamestripe wasn't the best cat to draw reference from. But a medicine cat, dropped straight into their midst without even the leader knowing. It was baffling. But Starlingfur had to find out if it was true. If it was... They might all just be saved.
The Leaf-Bares here were harsh. No... Harsh was an understatement. They were fierce. They were cruel. They were brutal, and they were deadly. Snow would pile twice her height, towering over even the tallest of cats. Prey was nearly nonexistant. And the temperatures... They were the coldest she'd ever known. Injuries from hunting accidents, hungry predators, and frostbite would be a constant threat. Starlingfur had worried day and night after the first golden leaf had caught her eye. They'd come so far in such a short period of time, yet it could all be swept away in the blink of an eye. In one night's heavy snow. But with a healer... With a proper medicine cat... Who knew of herbs and patching wounds... They might just stand a chance.
She'd followed the scent-trail out of camp, tracking it towards a break in the trees. The fields were in sight now- and so was Raven.
The she-cat had her back turned to her. She stood in a field of flowers, so quickly fading with Leaf-bare's chill. Silver light shone off her fur, brilliant under the waxing moon. She looked almost like a warrior of Starclan. It took Starlingfur a moment to regain her senses. She shouldn't just... Stare. She was lucky she was downwind.
"Raven?" she called out, giving fair warning before stepping forward into the light of the stars.
572 words | Starlingfur | Late Night |
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Post by Shad on Sept 24, 2015 5:25:49 GMT
Raven Heather? Why do you need heather?
Because I want it.
It is everywhere! You can't just hoard every plant you find in your nest! It is getting full of them already and cats will start to notice the mint-smell any day now!
Mint is a nice smell. Although I like eucalyptus better. It is homier.
It is nice -but my point still stands! You don't need the heather! Stop gathering it! Put it back! You've already got half the forest tucked away back at camp and its only been a pawful of days!
I like to be prepared.
For what? Rabid bear attacks, famine, and poisonings all in one week? You are going to completely blow your cover!
Oh please. Who would go rifling around in my nest? I'm just your average rogue in new clan full of them.
Really? And what do you think that leader Starlingfur will think if someone does and finds some of the more toxic botany you've collected? How are you going to explain to her that nightshade or yew have positive, non-murderous, properties? Hmmmm?
You worry too much. There is no way-
"Raven?"The shecat froze. Every hair on her pelt spiked and she even almost forgot about the heather she had been piling together into a thick maple leaf. Almost.
Called it. You are so busted.
Shut up! Just fix it!The shecat cleared her throat, tried to make her silvery coat lay flat and turned to the leader with her most winning, clueless, innocent smile. She tried to keep her body between the tabby and her suspicious pile of gathered grass. "Oh, Starlingfur," she mewed coolly. She let a pinch of confusion flicker over her face. Innocent. She was totally innocent. Whatever it was, she most definitely had not done it. Probably. Hopefully. Not likely. She was so guilty. Quiet. I'm working here, part of her snapped. "How nice to see you." Funny how when she said that it carried the notion of it being decidedly not nice. "You are out awfully far from your kits." Go away.
"Surely you didn't need something from me?" Shoo.
"If you want to hunt, I'm sure Boltfang would be a better help." Go bug my brother.The shecat lowered her head demurely and let a becoming blush of embarrassment slip over her features. "I'm afraid I'm not the best hunter." So find someone else. Scram.Very eloquently handled, she complimented herself. Thank you. I'm the best.
Well, duh. |
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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Sept 24, 2015 6:03:30 GMT
When you get to the end of your rope, Tie a knot and hang on.
Stepping closer, Starlingfur was able to get a better look. Of... what Raven was doing. Not of Raven. Well, yes, obviously of Raven. Nevermind, back to the point. Just beyond the silver she-cat, Starlingfur could see a small pile of long violet flowers. The leader blinked. So... it was true then. Closing her eyes for a moment, Starlingfur couldn't resist a small sigh as relief washed over her. So it was true. Thank the stars, the sun, and wherever she had come from. Maybe they wouldn't lose as many as was quietly anticipated this year.
The leader opened her eyes after only a moment- just barely too long to be a blink. The former loner had turned by the time copper eyes were on her again, and a smile was spread across her face. Blue eyes, so familiar and yet so different, flickered with demure confusion. Starlingfur smiled in response, dipping her head in polite greeting.
"I thought I'd find you out here. It's nice to see you as well." More than nice. By Starclan, if she knew at least five herbs she would be an absolute blessing from the stars. Not- that she wasn't already. Every warrior that came through Cedarclan was a grand thing. But it would just... take a forest's worth of weight off her shoulders if what she was assuming was true. And if it wasn't, well... she would find some other way to deal with that. With everything.
"I am." Starlingfur agreed. A twang of guilt tugged at her heart, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. "Swanstrike will be looking after them while I'm gone. All cats need their space from time to time. It would seem that you are one who would know." she observed. After all, Raven was out here alone as well. Starlingfur dealt with her duties day in and day out. Both as a leader, and as a mother. It was rare for her to take time to herself these days- and she felt an odd guilt when she did. She'd been so selfish as a younger warrior, skipping patrols and sleeping in the sun. And yet now she could barely take the day off. How the tides had turned. But alas, this did not quite constitute as relaxing time. She was here on duties. Of... a sort.
"Boltfang?" ...What? What did he have to do with... Was she...? Something distant and slightly critical replaced the warmth in her eyes. But- no. Unlikely. The look vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "... No- no. Actually, I was looking for you for another reason." she meowed, moving closer. Her eyes had softened once more, curiosity returning to their copper depths.
They looked just past her once more, confirming the presence of the purple flowers, before looking back to Raven. "There is... Talk. Around camp. I've come to ask- is it true that you are a healer?"
504 words | Starlingfur | Late Night |
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Post by Shad on Sept 28, 2015 0:55:43 GMT
Raven "Is it true that you are a healer?"Raven stopped. There it was. Maybe not the bad accusation she had been dreading, but the question did not come without its barbs. She did not yet know these cats. She knew of them, and of their ways, but knowing a cat meant more than that. The shecat let out a trilled laugh and shrugged. "My, my, my! Such rumors about me spreading already? How unkind! To think some cats would speak behind my back! Oh it is just too horrible! But-"A pause. A small smile froze on the shecat's lips, although it hardly felt like a smile. There were too many teeth. Too much flashing of fang. The shecat tossed her soft silver head lightly, letting the moonlight catch her fur, and watched the queen now with pale blue eyes. Not peered, not glanced, watched. She watched with eyes wholly different from the gentle, lighthearted shecat who had spent hardly a few days with the clan cats. These eyes were sharper, focused and searching. These eyes looked at Starlingfur behind a wall of secrets, and promised to tear down her own, piece by piece. "-since you asked," the sweetness had been leached from Raven's voice as quickly as it had died in her eyes. She was all business now. The term 'Healer' really was a mis-nomer. Any cat that studied herbs knew both good and bad properties. Especially a cat like Raven, a cat who specialized in poisons. She might be a channel of life, but she just as easily turned around to be a harbringer of death. This was the side she showed Starlingfur now. The Dealer. The Botanist. The cat who was not saint nor sinner but walked the fine line between -a line the leader would be wise to heed and heed well. "What do you need... Oh Leader of Mine?" |
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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Sept 29, 2015 17:32:37 GMT
When you get to the end of your rope, Tie a knot and hang on.
Raven had laughed. Starlingfur lowered her head, huffing softly with an amused smile. "Well, there are worse assumptions that a cat could have." Starlingfur.. never payed rumors much mind. She never even knew what was being said about herself half the time. But she did know that knowing the ways of herbs is one of the better things that a cat could assume about someone. Especially considering.. other things. "Fernheart told me that Boltfang had told her. You know- your brother's mate?" she reminded. She wasn't sure how much Raven knew of their ways or members yet. She'd been here such a short time, after all. And it had taken Starlingfur so long to learn all the names when she'd first come to Duskclan- even know in Cedar she sometimes forgot.
But- if they were just rumors, then perhaps- an inquisitive light shifted through copper eyes, followed by something... else. But.. No. She was here. She was picking flowers- wasn't she? When Raven spoke next, her voice had changed. Starlingfur slowly blinked. Darker. Briefer. An interesting change- and one that Starlingfur hadn't expected. She cut to the chase now, asking what Starlingfur would wish of her. And what would the answer to that be, Starlingfur now wondered? For her to take on the healer's mantle? To train their young, if she didn't want to do it herself? There were so many things. But first..
"Cedarclan is in desperate need of a medicine cat." she began with a sigh. Heavy and weighed. The words that had been at the back of her tongue for nearly two moons. "Our formation is coming along nicely- but so many find themselves injured as they work. Kits join our ranks already bearing wounds, and there is nothing we can do to help them. Leaf-Bare is coming. And with it, illness. Injury. Starvation. All things of the like. I've been told that you know the ways of herbs. And if those words are true..." there was tentative hope in the queen's eyes, looking down at the silver she-cat now. "We would be honored to have you as our medicine cat, should you accept the position." Her words spoke an offer, but her eyes said 'We need you'.
389 words | Starlingfur | Late Night |
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Post by Shad on Sept 29, 2015 20:42:04 GMT
Raven Pale blue eyes tinged even paler by the white moon's light watched the brown tabby closely. Any cat could see that she was desperate, and whatever she may pretend, Raven would never deny a cat in need. She was Healer, first and foremost. But that was not all Starlingfur was asking of her. Now was it? Being a Healer was not the same as being a Medicine Cat. "I have never spoken to Star Clan," she mewed plainly, her blue eyes shifting up to look at the swirling, twinkling lights above them. "As a Healer I have seen all manner of things. I have had all manner of dreams and seen my share of miracles. As a Traveller, I have learned of may mystical things beyond my control. In the Mountains there is a tribe among the stars, but it is full of animals too as well as cats. They seek guidance and strength from the creatures they feel closest to. Their tales are of all creatures accomplishing great things, not just outselves. They have an herb that, when ingested, will open a cat's eyes to the world anew and grant them visions. Their Healers consume the plant to heighten their spirituality in times of need and their leaders eat it at the beginning of their ascension to power to prove they are one with the spirits around us and guided by their paws, hooves, and wings. In the cities cats believe the mystical is much more cut and dry. They think there is a good and a bad to each cat. They believe in creatures of supreme good called Angels or Saints, and creatures of unspeakable evil called Demons. Cats train night and day to serve one side or the other, and meet in battle horrific enough to make any cat's blood curl. They believe every action is guided by the paws of Angels or Demons, and that nothing they do can ever change their fate." Raven fancied she saw a star shoot across the sky and smiled before looking back to the hopeful tabby. "I am a Healer. One of the best I know. I believe there is power in all things. In plants. In stars. In cats themselves. I think a belief, even if untrue at the start, can lead to the creation of something more. I believe each cat's own beliefs have power. Because of this, I believe the world is full of the unseen and mystical that is beyond our understanding, but full of benevolence. This is what I chose to believe. I think your Star Clan is as real as the Tribe of Guiding Spirits. As real as an Angel or Demon. "I will open my heart to your Star Clan, Starlingfur. I will give myself as your Medicine Cat and I promise you no cat will suffer this winter from lack of herbal knowledge. I have studied healing and its mirror forms for my whole life. I suppose you would say my paws were guided. Perhaps fate or destiny or the ghosts of your ancestors have led me here to be the boon your clan sought. I gave up the life of a Healer in the Mountains to seek family, but it seems the mystical of the world would not end my story there. Helping the injured is the air I breathe. Sharing the knowledge and joy of the world around us through the plants brings me joy. Seeing a cat look at a bush not with passing annoyance but understanding of its properties, and how to help the world around them through that small bush... It makes my heart sing." "Starlingfur, it would be my honor to be allowed to use the knowledge I have lovingly gathered all my life. I would find no greater joy in this clan than to be a Healer and connecting force between the mystical unknown and the world we see with our eyes. To teach and foster the healing arts, would be my delight, more so than any 'warrior' duty could ever give me." Now the shecat's eyes hardened though and her joy at speaking of herbs and plants and life became more muted. "But I cannot be a Medicine Cat." "-At least, not as they were in the old forest," she amended when the leader's face plummeted. "I have thought on this. I have thought on it since the moment Shadowfrost told me you had no cat to heal or teach. I know what a Medicine Cat meant in the old days, and while I am willing to open my heart to Star Clan and take on many of their ways that seem strange to me now - somethings I cannot accept and will not. Three things to be exact." Raven took a deep breath. "First, I want the right to train more than one apprentice," she mewed evenly. "Having only one cat that knows healing means battles and Leafbare are that much harder to deal with. I want to be able to train any cat willing to learn. I understand the Clan will only have one official Medicine Cat, and I will select an apprentice to succeed me, but if a cat comes to me wishing to learn the ways of healing, we would be fools to deny them the knowledge that might save someone's life one day." "Second," she continued, before the leader could comment. "I want one week with each Warrior apprentice. They have roughly 6 moons of training from what I have heard. I know there is a lot to learn and a lot to cover, but I want seven days. A Warrior knows tooth and claw and hunting and killing, but knowing to put pressure on a wound, or wrap spiderwebs around gash, or at least clean the dirt out before they get some dumb infection that will take me months to cure-" (clearly this last one had happened before as the shecat showed obvious irritation) "-can make a huge difference. I don't want every cat to know the difference between sunflowers and black-eyed susans, but just enough to keep them from dying or hurting themselves more before they can drag themselves to my den." Now, the silver shecat hesitated. Where she had been firm on the first two requests, this last one... She found her eyes softening with a vulnerability she wished she did not have.
"Third..." Raven looked away for a moment but when she met Starlingfur's eyes there was weakness in them. Just as the leader had been pleading a moment before, now too was the silver shecat who stood all alone in her field of flowers. She was surrounded by the work she loved -but bereft of even the mildest touch of companionship.
"I want a family," she whispered, her voice layered in sadness, in past secrets too painful to name. "I have been a Healer, a Wanderer, a Mystic, but never once have I been a Lover or a Mother. I left the mountains to find family, to fill the hole that threatens to swallow me with loneliness. I cannot agree to a life so similar to the one I left behind when it would only bring about more of the same. I cannot live a life alone any longer. While the tribe allowed mating with Healers, I-" Raven felt her heart clench and made a small amendment to the actual story. "-I never found someone. Here, I do not know if that would be the same or different but I would want to at least be able to try. I would ask for the right to take on a mate, if the stars should grant me someone here when they have never before, despite being a Medicine Cat. Love... love is too precious and been denied me too long for me to pass up such a mystical gift if it was given to me."
"These are my three demands." |
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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Oct 5, 2015 23:29:56 GMT
When you get to the end of your rope, Tie a knot and hang on.
Starlingfur listened. Intent. Hesitantly hopeful. Raven's face had shifted, her face now foreign from the cat Starlingfur had only so briefly met. Like a wind tearing leaves asunder, branches laid bare. There was a hard glint to her blue eyes- something honest but calculating. Level. This would be a negotiation Starlingfur now realized- and she was the wounded party. Copper eyes flickered, hope being replaced with a blank pokerface as she listened to Raven speak.
She'd never spoken with Starclan. Such was to be expected. Some cats- nonwarriors- went their entire lives never having true contact with their starry ancestors. Starlingfur counted herself among them. And for a cat raised outside of a clan- one who had grown with different spirits and beliefs, it didn't surprise her that Raven had never had contact. But she had, it seemed, experienced the stars' grace. Omens and miracles, beliefs of light and dark. All places had their systems- and it seemed as though Raven had lived through many. It was experience. It was useful. It was something vital that even the fallen clans had lacked- outside knowledge. It was something that could save them.
And she would do it.
Starlingfur just managed to hold in her breath of relief. Raven would be their healer, and open her heart to Starclan. Perhaps some greater force had brought her here after all. Fate, perhaps. Or maybe it had all just been a lucky coincidence. But Starclingfur would take what was offered, and not question it. They would be succeptible to illness, but with luck it wouldn't ravage them. They would be able to fight back. No more would they have cases like Rosekit, of infected kits too weak to walk. Nor would the strange illness that had befallen cats such as Spruceheart and Firecloud spread any further. If Raven was anywhere near as talented as she said she was, this might bring an end to one of Cedarclan's greatest potential threats. But of course- there was always a catch.
With careful eyes she watched now, as Raven began to speak her terms. In the past, a healer had never come with terms. Rather, they themselves were bound by them. This was new. But Raven was all the hope they had- and in truth, Starlingfur believed a cat deserved their freedoms. Leader, Medicine Cat, Deputy, or warrior. She knew what a medicine cat was, she'd spoken, but could not follow their tenants. For a moment, Starlingfur had been worried. Though as Raven went on, Starlingfur found her requests... completely reasonable.
She wanted to take on multiple apprentices. Starlingfur remembered a time when Dawnclan had been so crowded with kits that warriors had had to train multiple kits. It had been hard on everyone- could a cat so recently joined to a clan handle such a responsibility? But... her reasoning was sensible. It was true. Having only one cat who knew the art of healing was a liability. The war had proved that much. In a land as harsh as this, it might be a better idea to have multiple cats trained in herbs and patching. An intelligent request- one that Starlingfur would gladly accept.
The second tied into the first. One week with each warrior apprentice, to teach them the basics of healing. Starlingfur paused, there. In a land as harsh as this, each and every hour of their training time would be vital. But- again, the point was a strong one. Basic healing knowledge for all cats... would greatly benefit the clan. No- it could revolutionize medical treatment. Starlingfur blinked as the gravity of the request and its consequences dawned on her. Why... hadn't this always been a standard? It would make the most sense! Starlingfur nodded in agreement. But there was one final request to be made. And it was the one that Starlingfur would have least expected.
A family.
Medicine Cats were not permitted to take on mates, or birth kits of their own. They would show favoritism, and it would take them away from their duties. Though it was an unwritten law, it was a strict one. Starlingfur's gaze softened. She knew just how much a mother's love could sway a cat. It could make them do crazy things. After all- if a cat had to choose between her kit and a near stranger, no matter whether they were important or not, who was she more likely to treat? It was a law that had brought Starclan's wrath down upon the clans. A law that the last other remaining medicine cat, Eveningblaze, had been known to break time and time again. And yet... it was a law that Starlingfur could understand a want of exemption from.
In her youth, she had never understood the want of kits. Of a mate. Of a family. But after all these moons, Starlingfur understood. She was silent for a moment. And then, with a heavy sigh, she nodded. "I... accept your terms, Raven. And we would welcome you as a medicine cat of Cedarclan."
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Post by Shad on Oct 6, 2015 18:50:24 GMT
Raven The shecat's body was tight with tension as Starlingfur eyed her. This was the moment of truth. This was the time when she was either going to get the opportunity to earn everything she could have ever dreamed of and so much more -or she was going to have to walk away from the work she had spent a lifetime doing. Every hair on her pelt felt supercharged with apprehension and she had to fight to keep her immaculately groomed fur flat. Pleading blue eyes bore into the shecat's fiery amber. Internally, Raven begged Starlingfur would not see through her bluff, because in her heart she knew that is what this was. If the brown tabby said 'no', if she was denied what she had always wanted most... Raven would turn down the position. She had no choice. She had spent a lifetime living for others and it had nearly broken her. She could not condemn herself to this same loneliness for the rest of her days -but she knew she could never deny a cat in need. She knew the second someone fell sick or was injured or needed help to keep up their strength she would be right there. It was as integral a part of her as the color of her eyes or the pattern on her pelt. No position or requirements placed upon her could change that. She would always be -could only be- who she was. She could dress herself up with a pretty smile and nicely groomed coat, pretend for a little while to be someone else -but the real Raven, the Healer, could never be smothered. Trust me. She had tried. "I... accept your terms, Raven. And we would welcome you as a medicine cat of Cedarclan.""Woohoo!" The shecat yowled for joy and bounded up to smash her face against the leader's shoulder in the cat equivalent of a glomp then quickly went back to her heather. "Alright then! So I get my own den now, right? I heard Medicine Cats get their own den. Can you imagine it? All that space! I could fit coltsfoot, marigold, nightshade, yew, yarrow, pine, oak, acorn, oh! acorns! I haven't found any of those yet. You all don't have oaks here really. Terrible shame. I can probably head to that darker forest down south and find them though. Only take me a few days. Oh, but think of the storage space! No more stashing away herbs in the bottom of the nest and trying not to crush them as I sleep! No more leaving my precious gathering nut outside the den! I could collect all the plants the clan could ever need! And organize them! Woo!~ This is going to be great! I can get more tansy and heather and-"The shecat turned around blinked, seemingly have not realized the avalanche of words she was bombarding the startled brown shecat with. Especially since around camp she was rather quiet. Raven paused to let out a big, heartfelt laugh and put a comforting tail on her leader's shoulder. "Don't worry. I swear I do shut up sometimes. Just not about plants. I tend to get a mite excited. So, out of curiosity, which Raven do you prefer? It is always fun to ask cats when they first find out. You can be honest. The loudmouth botanist is a huge shock to most. The sweet demur lady is the one they all want. I've asked several cats. Well, not several, but all the ones that knew the truth. Mostly leaders or healers like yourself. I consider it a scientific experiment. So far, roughly 86% of all cats prefer the Ladylike Raven. Can't say I blame them. I'm good at what I do." The shecat winked mischievously. "And before you say 'the real one', because everyone answers that first and it is terribly boring, let me ask you this: What do you think a Maple tree looks like?"The shecat's never ending river speech finally paused for a second to let the leader think, her pale eyes bright and her face a patient grin. "Go on. I want you to picture one in your head. I promise it isn't a trick."Another second passed. "Now, out of curiosity, what color was it? I know that seems silly but really, I don't know. A single Maple tree comes in many colors. The same vibrant, green-leafed tree of Greenleaf, looks entirely different by the time Leaffall rolls around. Why, it is bright orange and yellow and red with splashes each of color spread throughout its waving leaves! That same Maple tree looks surprisingly barren and rugged by contrast when you think of it in Leafbare. The tree simply changes, as all creatures do. No version of the tree is less real, and no version of the tree is the 'right' one. They all exist equally, and come together to make the tree strong." |
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